Current Affairs 29 June 2026

National Affairs

DAE Launches World’s First Nuclear Process Heat-Based Hydrogen Production Facility
The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) inaugurated the world’s first Hydrogen Production Facility based on the Copper–Chlorine (Cu–Cl) Thermochemical Cycle at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.

• The Breakthrough: Integrates nuclear process heat generated from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) to enable large-scale, carbon-free hydrogen production, heavily reducing fossil fuel dependence.
• Collaboration: The facility was indigenously developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and jointly commissioned with IGCAR.
• Deployment: This plant will function as a vital technology demonstration facility, optimizing the Cu–Cl process to support the future commercial-scale deployment of nuclear-assisted hydrogen.

Amazon to Invest $48 Billion in India by 2030 to Expand AI and Cloud Infrastructure
American tech giant Amazon announced a massive $48 billion investment in India between 2026 and 2030 to significantly strengthen its e-commerce, Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and logistics ecosystems. The announcement followed a meeting between Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and PM Narendra Modi.

• Investment Breakdown: Dedicates $13 billion explicitly to AI and cloud infrastructure, building on its earlier $35 billion commitment from 2025.
• Expansion: Amazon Web Services (AWS) will expand its data centers in Mumbai and Hyderabad, open 20+ fulfillment centers, and launch 100 last-mile delivery stations in 2026 alone.
• Key Commitments: By 2030, Amazon aims to support 3.8 million jobs, enable $80 billion in e-commerce exports, and provide AI education to 4 million government school students.

Herbalife and IIT Madras Launch India’s First CoE on Plant Cell Fermentation Technology
Herbalife International India partnered with IIT Madras to launch India’s first Centre of Excellence (CoE) on plant cell fermentation technology at the IIT-M Research Park in Chennai.

• National Hub: Will serve as a premier R&D hub promoting the sustainable and scalable production of enriched herbal extracts and high-value phytochemicals.
• Integrated Technology: Designed to bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and industrial applications by merging upstream cultivation systems with advanced downstream processing platforms.
• Key Equipment: Equipped with customized plant cell bioreactors and pilot-scale processing facilities to develop next-generation health and wellness products.

IIT Bombay and SUNY Old Westbury Sign LoI to Boost Engineering & AI Collaboration
IIT Bombay and the State University of New York (SUNY) Old Westbury signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) in New York to accelerate academic collaboration in engineering, AI, and multidisciplinary research.

• Overseas Campus: IIT Bombay will establish its very first overseas sub-campus at SUNY Old Westbury in Long Island, with the inaugural academic session scheduled for 2027.
• Research Focus: The partnership will promote joint research, faculty exchanges, and newly integrated degree programs in emerging technologies.
• Significance: Advances the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 while heavily strengthening strategic India–US higher education cooperation.

International Affairs

THE Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026: MAHE Achieves Top Global Ranking in SDG-5
Times Higher Education (THE) released its 8th edition of the Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026 in Jakarta, Indonesia. India's Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) ranked 1st globally in advancing SDG-5 (Gender Equality).

• Overall Rankings: The University of Manchester (UK) secured the top position overall across all categories.
• Assessment Scope: This is the only global ranking metric evaluating how institutions advance the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 2026 edition assessed 1,646 universities across 116 countries.

Banking & Finance

RBI Classifies NBFCs with Assets Above ₹1 Lakh Crore as Upper Layer
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a revised Scale Based Regulation framework, fundamentally updating the criteria for identifying Upper Layer Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFC-ULs), effective June 24, 2026.

• The Revision: The RBI replaced the old parameter-based assessment model with an absolute asset-size criterion. Now, any NBFC with an asset size of ₹1 lakh crore or more is automatically classified as an NBFC-UL.
• Review Cycle: The asset size threshold will now be reviewed every three years (instead of five).
• Government-Owned NBFCs: Eligible government-owned NBFCs will now be included in the UL category (previously restricted to Base/Middle layers). However, they will be exempt from mandatory stock exchange listing requirements for three years.

ADB Approves $42.2 Million Loan to Develop Bamboo Industry in Northeast India
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $42.2 million Small Expenditure Financing Facility (SEFF) to bolster bamboo cultivation, production, and marketing across India's North Eastern Region (NER).

• Coverage: The financing will support community-based projects across 6 target states: Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura.
• Women Empowerment: The initiative heavily promotes women’s participation in the value chain, mandating the establishment of at least one women-led manufacturing facility in each of the six target states.

Economy & Business

Goldman Sachs Raises India’s CY26 GDP Growth Forecast to 6.8%
In its latest macro outlook report, American financial firm Goldman Sachs raised India’s Calendar Year 2026 (CY26) real GDP growth forecast to 6.8% (up by 30 bps), citing robust quarterly momentum.

• GDP Estimates: Also increased its FY27 growth forecast by 40 bps to 6.5%. (India’s real GDP previously grew 7.8% YoY in Q1 CY26).
• Inflation Projection: Lowered the current year’s retail inflation projection to 4.4%. Overall core inflation projections were also reduced to 4.2% (CY26) and 4.5% (FY27).
• Current Account Deficit (CAD): Reduced the CAD projection to 1.1% of GDP, expecting India to record a comfortable balance-of-payments (BoP) surplus.

Awards & Recognitions

French Meteorologist Dr. Florence Rabier Awarded WMO’s Top IMO Prize
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) awarded the 71st International Meteorological Organization (IMO) Prize to French meteorologist Dr. Florence Rabier for her pioneering impact on operational meteorology.

• Her Contributions: Radically advanced Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP), transformed satellite observation data assimilation, and introduced AI-based forecasting to reduce hemispheric discrepancies.
• Career Profile: She previously served as Director-General of the ECMWF (2016–2025) and is the 2026 President of the European Meteorological Society. She will officially receive the prize at the 20th World Meteorological Congress in 2027.

Appointments & Resignations

Jaime de la Espriella Wins Colombia’s Presidential Election
Political newcomer Jaime Abelardo de la Espriella, backed by the Defenders of the Homeland alliance, won Colombia’s presidential runoff election, paving the way for his 2026–2030 term.

• Election Result: Secured 49.66% of the vote, narrowly defeating left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda (48.70%). He will succeed Gustavo Petro on August 7, 2026.
• Vice President: Former cabinet minister José Manuel Restrepo Abondano was elected as the Vice President.

Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Appoints Dr. U.P. Rajeev as Director
Dr. U.P. Rajeev was appointed as the Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, ISRO’s premier center for launch vehicle design and development.

• The Succession: He succeeds Dr. A. Rajarajan, who retired upon attaining the age of superannuation.
• Profile: Previously serving as Associate Director (R&D) at VSSC, Dr. Rajeev brings decades of elite experience in rocket control, guidance systems, and mission design for major ISRO launch vehicles.

Sports

ISSF Junior World Championship 2026: India Tops Medal Tally with 25 Medals
India delivered a dominant performance at the 5th edition of the ISSF Junior World Championship held in Suhl, Germany, topping the final medal tally with 25 medals (7 Gold, 8 Silver, 10 Bronze).

• Runner-Ups: Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) finished second with 14 medals, followed by Italy with 10 medals.
• Participation: The premier under-21 shooting competition featured over 800 shooters from 70 countries. India fielded a massive 84-member contingent across rifle, pistol, and shotgun formats.

Books & Authors

ACM Amar Preet Singh Releases Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s Memoir ‘The Second Orbit’
Chief of the Air Staff, ACM Amar Preet Singh, released Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s memoir, The Second Orbit: Belief of a Man… Dreams of 1.4 Billion Hearts, in New Delhi.

• Overview: Published by Vintage Books, it intimately chronicles Shukla’s journey from an IAF fighter pilot to an ISRO astronaut serving on the Axiom-4 mission to the ISS.
• About the Author: Group Captain Shukla was the first Indian to visit the ISS. In recognition of his massive contributions to India’s space program, he was conferred the Ashoka Chakra on Republic Day 2026.

VP C. P. Radhakrishnan Releases Book ‘Sanskritir Ratna Bhandar: Bhaowaiyar Itibritto’
Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan released the book Sanskritir Ratna Bhandar: Bhaowaiyar Itibritto (Bhawaiya: A Cultural Treasure and Its Historical Journey) at Uprashtrapati Bhavan.

• Authorship: Authored by Lok Sabha MP Jayanta Kumar Roy and Sangita Roy.
• Cultural Significance: Extensively details the evolution and cultural legacy of Bhawaiya, a traditional folk music genre reflecting the rural life of the Koch Rajbanshi community in North Bengal and Assam.

State News

Telangana Government Appoints Sanjay Jaju as New Chief Secretary
The Telangana Government officially appointed 1992-batch IAS officer Sanjay Jaju as the state's new Chief Secretary. He succeeds K. Ramakrishna Rao, who retired on June 30, 2026.

• Additional Roles: Jaju was also handed Full Additional Charge (FAC) of the Industries, Commerce, and ITE&C Departments, along with serving as CEO of the Industry & Investment Cell.
• Background: Jaju had been on central deputation since 2014, taking on prominent roles such as Secretary for the Ministry of DoNER and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Obituary

Veteran Tamil Filmmaker K. Bhagyaraj Passes Away at 73
Iconic Tamil filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter Krishnaswamy Bhagyaraj passed away at the age of 73 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

• Career: Made his acting debut in 16 Vayathinile (1977) before making his directorial debut with Suvarilladha Chiththirangal (1979). He ultimately directed over 25 films and acted in more than 75.
• Legacy: Affectionately known as the “Screenplay King,” he was one of the few filmmakers to completely handle story, screenplay, dialogues, direction, and lead acting in his own highly successful films.

Important Days at a Glance

Current Affairs 29 June 2026 Oneliner Question Answer

1. Which department launched the world's first nuclear process heat-based hydrogen production facility at IGCAR, Kalpakkam?
Answer: Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).

2. At which research centre was the world's first nuclear process heat-based hydrogen production facility inaugurated?
Answer: Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.

3. How much will Amazon invest in India by 2030 to expand AI and cloud infrastructure?
Answer: USD 48 billion.

4. Which company partnered with IIT Madras to launch India's first Centre of Excellence on Plant Cell Fermentation Technology?
Answer: Herbalife International India Private Limited.

5. Which institute launched India's first Centre of Excellence on Plant Cell Fermentation Technology?
Answer: IIT Madras.

6. Which Indian institute signed a Letter of Intent with SUNY Old Westbury to strengthen engineering and AI research collaboration?
Answer: IIT Bombay.

7. Where will IIT Bombay establish its first overseas sub-campus?
Answer: SUNY Old Westbury, New York, USA.

8. Which university topped the Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Rankings 2026?
Answer: University of Manchester, United Kingdom.

9. Which Indian institution secured the top global rank in SDG-5 (Gender Equality) in the THE Sustainability Impact Rankings 2026?
Answer: Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE).

10. According to the RBI's revised framework, NBFCs with assets above what amount will be classified as Upper Layer (NBFC-UL)?
Answer: ₹1 lakh crore.

11. Which organization approved a USD 42.2 million loan to develop the bamboo industry in Northeast India?
Answer: Asian Development Bank (ADB).

12. According to Goldman Sachs, what is India's revised GDP growth forecast for CY2026?
Answer: 6.8%.

13. Who received the 71st International Meteorological Organization (IMO) Prize announced by the WMO?
Answer: Dr. Florence Rabier.

14. Who won Colombia's Presidential Election 2026?
Answer: Jaime Abelardo de la Espriella.

15. Who was appointed as the Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)?
Answer: Dr. U.P. Rajeev.

16. Which country topped the medal tally at the ISSF Junior World Championship 2026?
Answer: India.

17. How many medals did India win at the ISSF Junior World Championship 2026?
Answer: 25 medals.

18. Which veteran Tamil filmmaker passed away in June 2026?
Answer: K. Bhagyaraj.

19. Who authored the memoir The Second Orbit: Belief of a Man… Dreams of 1.4 Billion Hearts?
Answer: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla.

20. Which Vice President released the book Sanskritir Ratna Bhandar: Bhaowaiyar Itibritto?
Answer: C. P. Radhakrishnan.

21. World Refrigeration Day is observed every year on which date?
Answer: 26 June.

22. What is the theme of World Refrigeration Day 2026?
Answer: “Cool Intelligence”.

23. International Day of Deafblindness is observed annually on which date?
Answer: 27 June.

24. Who was appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Telangana in June 2026?
Answer: Sanjay Jaju.