June 20, 2026
24 articles published on this date
India to hold vice-presidency of FATF for the first time
For the first time since joining FATF in 2010, India has secured the Vice-Presidency of the Financial Action Task Force, effective July 2026. The elected off...
Three India-flagged ships cross Strait of Hormuz, safe passage secured, says Sonowal
Three India-flagged vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on June 20, 2026, securing the safe passage of 94 Indian crew members and approximately 8.6 lakh m...
The world must electrify rapidly to meet climate goals. The challenge is bigger than you think
A recent analysis drawing on International Energy Agency (IEA) data warns that global electrification — the shift of energy end-uses from fossil fuels to ele...
From Ukraine to Lebanon, how ‘invisible’ drones are redefining the rules of asymmetric warfare
Drone warfare has evolved rapidly from a tool of major powers using expensive platforms to a domain where mass-produced, low-cost unmanned systems are fundam...
Fertiliser cargoes in focus as Iran tightens Strait transit rules
Iran's tightening of Strait of Hormuz transit rules in June 2026 — requiring advance permission, political vetting, and designated routes for all commercial ...
Zero cervical cancer deaths in vaccinated young women
A landmark study published in The Lancet (June 2026), conducted using England's national mortality data from 2001 to 2024, found that no cervical cancer deat...
World Refugee Day 2026 in numbers: UNHCR reports decline in global refugee numbers amid escalating crisis
World Refugee Day is observed on June 20 each year; the 2026 edition coincides with the release of UNHCR's Global Trends Report documenting displacement figu...
FATF elects Vivek Aggarwal as first Indian Vice President
A senior Indian Administrative Service officer has been elected as Vice-President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for the term July 2026 to June 20...
Converting crisis into opportunity: Why paddy straw-based CBG deserves special funding
A policy analysis published in June 2026 argues that paddy straw-based Compressed Biogas (CBG) projects deserve dedicated special funding and viability gap s...
Dongria Kondh of Niyamgiri: Where forests, food and faith shape daily life
A recent account has offered an intimate portrait of the Dongria Kondh, one of India's 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), whose lives across a...
Iran says it closed Strait of Hormuz as Israeli strikes on Lebanon continue
Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to all commercial vessel traffic on June 20, 2026, less than 48 hours after the United States and Iran signed a his...
Despite grave concerns raised in the White Paper, Kerala Budget silent on bringing down committed expenditure
The Kerala Budget 2026-27 projects committed expenditure — comprising salaries, pensions, and interest payments — to exceed ₹1.22 lakh crore, consuming nearl...
Kiren Rijiju says Great Nicobar project will boost India’s economic growth and supply-chain independence
Statements from the Union Government have reiterated that the Great Nicobar Island Development Project is essential to India's economic growth strategy and s...
NEET-UG 2026: Over 6,000 observers to ensure ‘fair, secure’ retest on June 21, NTA says
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) 2026 was cancelled following allegations of a question paper leak; a fresh examination has been sc...
Centre bans 16 fixed dose combination drugs, including antibiotics, painkillers, skin meds
The Union Health Ministry has imposed a nationwide ban on 16 Fixed Dose Combination (FDC) drugs with immediate effect, prohibiting their manufacture, sale, d...
₹47,000 crore push for Odisha as PM Modi signals strong tribal outreach
Development projects totalling approximately ₹47,600 crore have been launched and announced for Odisha, centred on a ₹25,016 crore coal gasification facility...
From waste to wealth: Why crop residue burning is a system’s failure, not a seasonal
A recent analysis has argued that crop residue burning — particularly the post-harvest burning of paddy straw in Punjab and Haryana — is not a seasonal agric...
Three Indian-flagged oil tankers transit through Strait of Hormuz
Three Indian-flagged crude oil tankers — Desh Vaibhav, Desh Vibhor, and Sanmar Herald — transited the Strait of Hormuz successfully on June 20, 2026, and are...
Odisha coal gasification project to meet 35% of India's ammonium nitrate needs by 2030: Industry
A coal-to-ammonium-nitrate project at Lakhanpur, Odisha, developed through a joint venture between Coal India Limited (CIL) subsidiaries and Bharat Heavy Ele...
Scientists, environmentalists, policy experts raise concerns over Supreme Court-appointed panel on Aravallis
Prominent scientists, conservation scientists, and environmental policy experts have written to the Chief Justice of India raising concerns about the composi...
India, US trade deal can't be implemented until we have 'competitive advantage': Piyush Goyal
At a public forum on June 20, 2026, the Commerce and Industry Minister stated that India cannot implement the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with t...
Ajit Doval to host BRICS security conclave: Cross-border terrorism, Middle East conflict in focus; China FM among key attendees
India is hosting the BRICS National Security Advisers' (NSA) Meeting on June 22–23, 2026, with the NSA chairing the conclave as India holds the BRICS chairsh...
Hum do, hamare 1.9: What India’s falling fertility rates reveal
India's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has declined to 1.9 children per woman, falling below the population replacement level of 2.1 for the first time in record...
SOP released to conserve sea turtles across 36 islands of Lakshadweep
A comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for sea turtle conservation has been released, covering all 36 islands of the Lakshadweep archipelago — th...