1. Global Peace Index 2026 – India Ranks 127th

Why in News?

The Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) released the 20th edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2026. India slipped to the 127th position out of 163 countries, a decline of 12 places from its 2025 ranking of 115th, with an overall score of 2.409.

Key Points

• India's overall peacefulness deteriorated by 2.9% compared to the previous year.
• The primary driver of decline was the "Ongoing Conflict" domain, which worsened by 9.2%.
• Contributing factors include increased deaths linked to internal conflicts, heightened India-Pakistan tensions following Operation Sindoor, and instability along the Myanmar border.
• Top 10 Most Peaceful Nations (2026): Iceland (1st — 19th consecutive year), New Zealand, Switzerland, Slovenia, Ireland, Austria, Portugal, Singapore, Finland, Japan.
• Least Peaceful: Russia ranked at the bottom, below Syria and Afghanistan.
• South Asia: Bhutan retained the best rank (16th) in the region; India ranked 5th within South Asia.
• GPI measures peace across three domains: (1) Societal Safety & Security, (2) Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict, (3) Degree of Militarisation.
• The 2026 report introduces the theme of "Great Fragmentation" — waning dominance of traditional European powers and rise of middle powers.
• The report notes the highest number of active state-based conflicts since the end of World War II.
• The number of countries involved in external conflicts has nearly doubled since 2008.

Static Knowledge

• GPI has been published annually since 2008 by the Sydney-based IEP.
• It assesses 163 countries using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators.
• GPI covers 99.7% of the world's population.
• IEP also publishes the Positive Peace Report and Ecological Threat Report.
• India has consistently ranked in the 100–145 range since 2008.

2. Great Nicobar Airport – ₹13,000 Crore Greenfield Civil-Military Project

Why in News?

The Government of India approved the construction of a new ₹13,000-crore greenfield dual-use civil-military airport at the Chingen area near Galathea Bay on Great Nicobar Island, instead of expanding the existing naval airfield at INS Baaz (Campbell Bay). The airport is expected to be operational by 2031.

Key Points

• The airport is part of the comprehensive Great Nicobar Island Development Project that also includes a 14.2 MTEU International Container Transshipment Terminal, a 450 MVA gas-solar power plant, and a planned township.
• Great Nicobar Island is located approximately 40 nautical miles from the East-West international shipping route.
• The project aims to reduce India's dependence on foreign transshipment ports such as Colombo, Dubai, and Singapore.
• The airport will have dual-use functionality: civilian aviation (capacity 4,000 peak-hour passengers) under the Indian Navy's operational control.
• It will strengthen India's strategic presence in the Indo-Pacific region and oversight of the Strait of Malacca — one of the world's busiest maritime chokepoints.
• The site is near the Six Degree Channel, which separates Great Nicobar from Indonesia's Sumatra Island.
• INS Baaz (commissioned July 31, 2012) is India's southernmost naval air station and currently operates Dornier Do 228 reconnaissance aircraft and C-130J Super Hercules.
• Opposition: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh raised ecological concerns, noting the site falls within an Important Bird Area, an Endemic Bird Area, and lies on the Central Asian and East Asian-Australasian bird flyways.
• The project will complement the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) — India's only integrated tri-services command.

Static Knowledge

• Great Nicobar Island is the southernmost island of the Andaman & Nicobar archipelago.
• The Strait of Malacca handles approximately 25% of global trade and 50% of global oil shipments.
• Andaman and Nicobar Command was established in 2001 and is headquartered in Port Blair.
• India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends up to 200 nautical miles from the baseline.
• Great Nicobar is home to the Shompen tribe, a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG).

3. 16th BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting – Indore 2026

Why in News?

The 16th BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting was held on June 12–13, 2026 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, under India's BRICS Chairship 2026. It concluded with a joint declaration outlining a shared roadmap for agricultural cooperation, food security, and sustainable development.

Key Points

• The event was a five-day conclave (June 9–13), preceded by the Agriculture Working Group (AWG) meeting (June 9–11) at the official level.
• Led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan; India's Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Secretary Atish Chandra inaugurated the AWG session.
• The AWG discussed four broad priority themes: (1) food security and nutrition, (2) agricultural trade and cooperation, (3) climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture, (4) innovation and research partnerships.
• Ministerial discussions focused on AI, robotics, digital farming, precision agriculture, supply-chain resilience, and smallholder farmer welfare.
• BRICS currently has 11 member nations: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (original five) + Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Indonesia.
• India holds the BRICS Chairship from January 1 to December 31, 2026; earlier chairships were in 2012, 2016, and 2021.
• Madhya Pradesh declared 2026 as the 'Year of Farmer Welfare'.
• The BRICS Agricultural Research Platform was established in 2016 during India's first chairship and facilitates joint research.
• BRICS nations collectively represent nearly half the world's population and over 42% of global agricultural production.

Static Knowledge

• BRICS was founded as BRIC (without South Africa) in 2006; South Africa joined in 2010.
• The term "BRIC" was coined by economist Jim O'Neill (Goldman Sachs) in 2001.
• Headquarters of New Development Bank (NDB): Shanghai, China; President: Dilma Rousseff.
• BRICS collectively accounts for about 26% of global GDP (PPP terms).
• The NDB was formally established at the 6th BRICS Summit (Fortaleza, Brazil) in 2014.

4. Surha Tal – India's 100th Ramsar Site

Why in News?

On World Environment Day (5 June 2026), PM Narendra Modi announced the designation of Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary (Surha Tal), Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh, as India's 100th Ramsar Site — making India the country with the most Ramsar Sites in Asia and 3rd globally.

Key Points

• Surha Tal is a freshwater wetland formed from a meander of the Ganga River in the Ganga Basin's middle stretch; it receives freshwater through three channels.
• It was originally created in 1991 through consolidation of 45 villages in the Baansdih area (total area: 3,432.93 hectares); renamed Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary in 2002.
• It is the 13th Ramsar Site in Uttar Pradesh and supports a rich avifauna of both migratory (greylag goose, bar-headed goose, northern pintail) and resident birds (sarus crane, herons).
• Migratory birds arrive from Central Asia and Siberia — the site is on two international bird flyways: the Central Asian Flyway and the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.
• India's global Ramsar ranking: 3rd worldwide (UK leads with 176; Mexico 2nd with 144 sites).
• India became a contracting party to the Ramsar Convention in 1982; the convention itself was adopted on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran.
• World Wetlands Day is observed on 2 February annually.

Static Knowledge

• The Ramsar Convention's full name: Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat.
• India's first Ramsar Site: Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo Ghana (Rajasthan), both designated in 1981.
• Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules were last revised in 2017.
• India has the largest network of Ramsar sites in Asia.
• The Ramsar Secretariat is based in Gland, Switzerland.

5. ICMR–Gates Foundation Grand Challenge on Anaemia – 13 June 2026

Why in News?

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Gates Foundation jointly launched a ₹1 crore Grand Challenge in New Delhi on 13 June 2026 to develop affordable, iron-rich food products targeted at controlling anaemia among adolescent girls and women of reproductive age in India.

Key Points

• Focus: Food-based solutions beyond conventional iron supplementation; the challenge focuses on nutrient-dense, regionally relevant, affordable, and scalable food prototypes.
• Target groups: Adolescent girls and women of reproductive age — anaemia affects nearly 50% (1 in 2) of this population group in India.
• Grant: Up to ₹1 crore per team for prototype development over one year.
• Eligible applicants: Researchers, startups, food companies, non-profit organisations.
• Application deadline: 3 July 2026.
• Preferred food formats: snacks, beverages, gummies, chewables, chikkis, bars, including millets, seeds, spices, and plant-based iron sources.
• Anaemia causes: Iron deficiency, folate deficiency, Vitamin B12 deficiency, and chronic disease.
• ICMR and the Gates Foundation signed a Letter of Agreement on 12 March 2024 covering maternal, newborn, and child health research and nutrition research.
• India's National Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) programme targets a 3 percentage-point annual reduction in anaemia prevalence.

Static Knowledge

• ICMR is India's apex body for biomedical research, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; established in 1911 (as IMRC), renamed ICMR in 1949.
• The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Grand Challenges initiative has funded global health innovations since 2003.
• Anaemia Mukt Bharat is a component of the POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission, launched 2018).
• Haemoglobin thresholds for anaemia (WHO): < 12 g/dL for non-pregnant women; < 11 g/dL for pregnant women.
• India ranked 111th on the Global Hunger Index 2025.

6. Odisha Free Education – KG to PG in Government Institutions

Why in News?

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced on June 12, 2026, on the occasion of the completion of two years of the BJP government in Odisha, that the state will provide completely free education from Kindergarten to Postgraduate (KG to PG) level in all government schools and colleges. Odisha claims to be potentially the first state in India to implement such a comprehensive model.

Key Points

• The policy covers all three streams — Science, Arts, and Commerce — in government and aided colleges.
• The measure is particularly aimed at benefiting students from economically weaker sections (EWS) and girl students.
• Odisha's education budget for 2026–27 is approximately ₹42,565 crore (~13.7% of total state expenditure).
• Education spending rose from ₹26,840 crore (2022–23) to ₹42,565 crore (2026–27) — a 59% increase over five years.
• Comparable models: Telangana offers free KG-to-PG only for weaker sections; Kerala provides free KG-to-graduation for Arts and Science students.
• A formal notification will follow; the policy is a significant expansion of Odisha's existing subsidised education framework.
• The BJP government in Odisha completed two years in office in June 2026.

Static Knowledge

• Right to Education Act, 2009 guarantees free and compulsory education for children aged 6–14 years.
• Article 21A of the Constitution (inserted via 86th Amendment, 2002) mandates free and compulsory education as a Fundamental Right.
• PM SHRI Schools scheme focuses on upgrading government schools to modern infrastructure.
• New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 envisions universal foundational literacy by Grade 3 and equitable education access up to 18 years.
• Odisha's Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education was around 18–20% before this announcement.

7. New Butterfly Species – Chonala albistricta Discovered in Arunachal Pradesh

Why in News?

Researchers discovered a new species of butterfly named Chonala albistricta (commonly called the Narrow-banded Wall) at Mayodia Pass in the Lower Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh.

Key Points

• The species belongs to the genus Chonala — a small group of high-elevation mountain butterflies found in the Himalayas and neighbouring Asia.
• It is the 10th known species of the Chonala genus worldwide and only the 2nd Chonala species recorded in India.
• Named after the distinctly narrow, unevenly bent white band on its forewing.
• Active period: June to August only; breeds once a year.
• Found at Mayodia Pass — a high-altitude, biodiversity-rich area in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The species faces documentation challenges: small populations, brief flight window, remote and inaccessible habitat.
• Arunachal Pradesh is part of the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot and harbours exceptional insect diversity.

Static Knowledge

• India is one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.
• There are 4 biodiversity hotspots in India: Western Ghats-Sri Lanka, Himalaya, Indo-Burma, and Sundaland.
• The Lower Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh is known for its rich tribal heritage (Idu Mishmi) and biodiversity.
• India hosts approximately 1,300+ butterfly species, making it one of the world's most butterfly-rich countries.
• The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 governs biodiversity conservation and sustainable use in India.

8. INS Baaz & India-Estonia Defence Cooperation

Why in News?

Two parallel defence/foreign policy developments emerged: (1) Government decision to replace INS Baaz expansion with a new Galathea Bay airport; (2) Estonia's government officials and business executives expressed renewed interest in deepening defence and trade ties with India.

Key Points – INS Baaz

• INS Baaz is India's southernmost naval air station, commissioned on 31 July 2012, near Campbell Bay, Great Nicobar Island.
• It is the first air station in the Nicobar Islands and falls under the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC).
• Overlooks both the Strait of Malacca and the Six Degree Channel (between Great Nicobar and Sumatra, Indonesia).
• Operates Dornier Do 228 reconnaissance aircraft and can also operate IAF's C-130J Super Hercules.
• Current runway: 3,500 feet (1,100 m) — to be progressively extended.

Key Points – India-Estonia

• Estonia is a parliamentary republic in northeastern Europe, the northernmost of the three Baltic states.
• Borders: Russia (east), Latvia (south); bounded by Gulf of Finland (north), Baltic Sea (west), Lake Peipus (east).
• Capital: Tallinn; Currency: Euro (€); Official Language: Estonian.
• Estonia shares maritime borders with Finland and Sweden; includes ~1,500 islands (largest: Saaremaa and Hiiumaa).
• Joined NATO and EU in 2004.
• Declared independence in 1918 after World War I; Soviet-era occupation (1940–1991) ended with independence recognition on 6 September 1991.
• Estonia is considered a global leader in digital governance (e-Estonia model).

Static Knowledge

• The three Baltic States are Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
• The Six Degree Channel separates Great Nicobar (India) from Indonesia (Sumatra).
• ANC was India's first and only tri-services command when established in 2001.
• Estonia's e-governance model (X-Road) is studied globally as a digital public infrastructure benchmark.

9. ICMR Grand Challenge on Anaemia | Sudarsan Pattnaik Wins Russia Sand Cup

Sudarsan Pattnaik – Russia Grand Sand Master Cup 2026

Why in News?

Padma Shri awardee and renowned Odisha sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik became the first Indian to win the prestigious Russia Grand Sand Master Cup 2026 at the II International Festival of Sand Sculpture held in the Kaliningrad Region of Russia (June 11–13, 2026).

Key Points

• The award was conferred for his sand sculpture highlighting the urgent global challenges of climate change and global warming, specifically addressing the role of trees in carbon absorption, oxygen release, soil conservation, and wildlife habitat.
• The festival featured participation from 12 countries; a special jury unanimously selected Pattnaik.
• Sudarsan Pattnaik is a Padma Shri awardee (2014) from Puri, Odisha.
• He is known for using sand as a medium of social awareness — addressing climate change, humanitarian issues, and environmental conservation.
• He has previously won awards at international sand art festivals in Thailand, Russia (earlier editions), and other countries.
• Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea, geographically separated from mainland Russia.

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