Current Affairs for Competitive Exams: 21 June 2026, Daily Roundup

Current Affairs – 21 June 2026

National Affairs

1. International Day of Yoga 2026 Celebrated Across India: India celebrated the 12th International Day of Yoga with the theme “Yoga for Healthy Ageing.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the main national event at Red Road, Kolkata, while yoga programmes were organised across the country. The theme highlighted yoga as a lifelong practice for healthy, active and dignified ageing.

2. PM-KISAN 23rd Instalment Released: Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 23rd instalment of the PM-KISAN Scheme, transferring ₹18,880 crore directly to the bank accounts of over 9.44 crore farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Under the scheme, eligible farmer families receive ₹6,000 annually in three equal instalments.

3. Development Projects Worth Over ₹47,000 Crore in Odisha: Prime Minister Modi launched and dedicated development projects worth more than ₹47,000 crore in Odisha. The projects include railway infrastructure, road connectivity, industrial development and tribal welfare initiatives. He also laid the foundation stone of India’s first commercial-scale Coal-to-Ammonium Nitrate Plant at Lakhanpur, Jharsuguda, developed by Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Ltd., a joint venture of BHEL and Coal India Ltd.

4. Census 2027 & Infrastructure Updates

Uttar Pradesh successfully completed the first phase of Census 2027 (House Listing & Housing Census) with 100% coverage.
Rajasthan’s first Multi-Lane Free Flow Tolling System became operational on NH-48 at Daulatpura, enabling barrier-free toll collection and reducing congestion.

International Current Affairs

1. India to Host BRICS NSA Meeting: India will host the BRICS National Security Advisers’ Meeting on 22–23 June 2026 under the chairmanship of NSA Ajit Doval. The meeting will focus on terrorism, global security, strategic cooperation and emerging geopolitical challenges.

2. India Strengthens Global Presence: Dr. Bimal N. Patel was elected as a Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for a nine-year term beginning October 2026. ITLOS is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.

Indian-origin physicist Jainendra K. Jain became the first Indian-origin recipient of the Wolf Prize in Physics for his pioneering work on composite fermions.

3. World Bank Loan for Haryana: The World Bank approved a ₹4,000 crore loan under the Jal Sanrakshit Haryana Project to strengthen water conservation, irrigation and sustainable water management across the state.

Global Geopolitical Crisis

1. Strait of Hormuz Tensions Continue: Iran announced fresh restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, citing continuing military tensions in West Asia. Since nearly 20% of global petroleum trade passes through this strategic chokepoint, the development has renewed concerns over global oil prices, energy security and international shipping.

2. World’s Oldest Living Land Animal: Jonathan, a 194-year-old Seychelles Giant Tortoise living on St. Helena Island, was officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest living land animal and oldest recorded turtle.

Defence & Science & Technology

1. Three Indigenous Naval Platforms Commissioned: Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned three indigenously built Indian Navy platforms in Kolkata:

INS Dunagiri
INS Sanshodhak
INS Agray

These platforms significantly strengthen India’s maritime capability and promote Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence manufacturing.

2. Indigenous Coast Guard Hovercraft Inducted: The Indian Coast Guard inducted its first indigenous Air Cushion Vehicle (Hovercraft H-561) to improve coastal surveillance, maritime security, search-and-rescue operations and rapid response capability under the Make in India initiative.

3. Army Operational Preparedness

Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, Northern Army Commander, reviewed Operation SHIVA 2026 preparations for the Amarnath Yatra.
1,522 Agniveers completed military training and were formally inducted at the Mechanised Infantry Centre & School, Ahilyanagar.
India will acquire nine retired SEPECAT Jaguar aircraft from the UK to obtain spare parts for its existing Jaguar fleet.

4. Supreme Court & Public Health

The Supreme Court ruled that safe and properly demarcated footpaths are a Fundamental Right under Article 21.
The Government banned the manufacture and sale of 16 Fixed-Dose Combination (FDC) medicines due to safety concerns.

Sports

ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026
- Australia defeated the Netherlands by 98 runs.
- Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by 23 runs.
Cricket: India completed a 3-0 ODI series clean sweep against Afghanistan with a nine-wicket victory in Chennai.
India A qualified for the Tri-Series Final against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla.
FIFA World Cup 2026: Brazil registered its first victory by defeating Haiti 3-0.
Athletics: Neeraj Chopra finished 4th at the Doha Diamond League with a best throw of 85.69 metres in his season opener after recovering from injury.

Global Observance

1. International Day of Yoga – 21 June: Theme (2026): “Yoga for Healthy Ageing.”

The day promotes yoga as a lifelong practice for improving physical health, mental well-being and healthy ageing. India led global celebrations, reinforcing yoga as an important element of its cultural diplomacy and public health strategy.

Miscellaneous Current Affairs

Maharashtra: Amit Shah inaugurated the ₹1,445-crore Shri Ambabai Temple Development Project in Kolhapur.
Tripura: ₹977.89 crore transferred to over 2.85 lakh farmers under PM-KISAN up to the 22nd instalment.
Andhra Pradesh: ₹3,125 crore released under the PM-Kisan Annadata Sukhibhava Scheme, benefiting 46.85 lakh farmers.
Meghalaya: Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the Jowai–Nartiang–Kdiap–Khanduli Road Project, funded by the New Development Bank.
Manipur: Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla presented the 7th Governor’s Art Award to noted artist Yendrembam Ibochouba Singh.
Punjab: BJP National President Nitin Nabin began his first official visit to the state after assuming office.
Kargil (Ladakh): A district-level programme was organised to mark the release of the 23rd PM-KISAN instalment.
Kerala: Union Minister Suresh Gopi inaugurated the PM-Kisan Utsav Diwas programme at ICAR-CTCRI, Thiruvananthapuram.
Manipur: NIA, Manipur Police and CRPF jointly arrested 10 wanted persons in coordinated anti-insurgency operations.
Maharashtra: A temple structure collapse in Parbhani district killed five devotees and injured nearly 40 others.

Current Affairs for Competitive Exams: 21 June 2026, Daily Roundup

Current Affairs – 21 June 2026