Jun 15 – Jun 21
US-Iran MoU: An expert gives a point-by-point breakdown, from nuclear issue to Strait of Hormuz
The United States and Iran signed a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to extend their ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to com...
West Asia LIVE: Donald Trump defends Iran deal from critics
The US Vice-President publicly rebuked Israeli critics of the US-Iran MoU, warning that Israel risks alienating its "only powerful ally" — a...
Fuel curbs rollback likely as Iran deal raises hope
The Union Government is considering a rollback of emergency fuel-supply restrictions imposed in response to the West Asia conflict after the...
Government: Significant progress already made on interim US FTA
India's Foreign Secretary confirmed that negotiations for an India-US interim bilateral trade agreement have entered their "final stages," w...
Iran petroleum minister to visit next week
Iran's Petroleum Minister Mohsen Paknejad is scheduled to visit India the following week (around June 23–25, 2026), signalling a significant...
Why Indian money in Swiss banks is down despite 50% jump in ‘customer deposits’
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) published its annual banking statistics, revealing that the total funds linked to Indian clients in Swiss bank...
NHAI goes AI way: In-house system deployed to flag faults in highway project reports, track road defects
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has deployed an in-house Artificial Intelligence system to automatically flag faults in high...
1 in 3 lawyers fake, Supreme Court to look at digital registry
A bench of the Chief Justice of India and Justice V. Mohan issued notices to the Union Government, the Bar Council of India (BCI), State Bar...
NFHS-6 reveals progress amid nutrition challenges
The sixth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6), covering 2023–24, has been released and reveals a mixed picture: measurable p...
Maharashtra govt seeks to get mining rights for six iron ore mines in Gadchiroli
The Maharashtra government has urged the Union Ministry of Coal and Mines to directly allocate six iron ore mining blocks in Gadchiroli dist...
India-UK FTA to kick in on 15 July. What gets cheaper & how Indian exporters stand to benefit
The India-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (FTA), signed on 24 July 2025 in London, is scheduled to enter into force on 15 July 2026 — al...
A.P. govt. eyeing ₹20,000-crore investment in rare earth mineral processing sector, says Minister
The Andhra Pradesh government has announced it is targeting ₹20,000 crore in investment in the rare earth mineral processing sector, with th...
Net direct tax collections rise 14.6% to ₹5.21 trillion as of 17 June
Net direct tax collections for FY 2026-27 rose 14.6% year-on-year to ₹5.21 lakh crore (approximately ₹5.21 trillion) as of June 17, 2026, ac...
IRDAI forms working group on AI
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has constituted a seven-member working group tasked with studying the im...
Environmental clearance for Brigade housing project in Pallikaranai revoked
The Tamil Nadu State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) revoked the environmental clearance granted on January 20, 2025 to a ₹2...
PM Modi meets leading CEOs in France, discusses plans for India
During a visit to France, the Prime Minister held a series of meetings with senior executives of leading French corporations, focusing on de...
Crude prices soften but govt to retain emergency fuel supply controls, review once West Asia calm
The government has decided to retain emergency fuel supply control orders — the Natural Gas (Supply Regulation) Order, 2026 and LPG (Regulat...
Chinese FM Wang Yi will visit India next week for BRICS NSAs meeting. First visit in almost a year
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to visit India on 22–23 June 2026 to attend the 16th Meeting of BRICS National Security Advise...
EPF interest rate retained at 8.25% for FY26
The Central Board of Trustees (CBT), EPF — the apex governing body of EPFO — approved retaining the interest rate on Employees' Provident Fu...
Kerala’s health machinery goes all out to keep Nipah in check
A 43-year-old man from Ramanattukara Municipality (Division 5), Kozhikode district, Kerala, tested positive for Nipah virus — confirmed by t...
Modi to transfer PM-KISAN installment worth Rs 18,880 cr to 9.44 cr farmers on June 20
The 23rd installment under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme was released on June 20, 2026, disbursing Rs 18,880 crore directly to...
Centre may issue nearly 3 crore more ration cards after states delete ineligible entries: Joshi
The Union Ministry of Food and Public Distribution announced that nearly 3 crore additional ration cards may be issued to eligible beneficia...
Ageing EVMs, more booths: EC seeks Rs 500 crore ahead of 2029 polls
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has requested over ₹500 crore from the Union Government to procure new Electronic Voting Machines (EV...
BRICS delegates arrive in Agra for three-day MSME meet
The First BRICS MSME Forum and Third SME Working Group Meeting were held in Agra, Uttar Pradesh on June 19, 2026, under India's BRICS Chairs...
India initiates sustainability certification framework for exports to meet EU, UK compliance norms
India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry has initiated the process of developing a national sustainability certification framework for expo...
India-UK free trade deal to take effect on July 15, opening 99% of exports to tariff-free access
The India–United Kingdom Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), signed on July 24, 2025, will come into force on July 15, 2026 —...
What does the India-Russia logistics agreement allow? | Explained
The India-Russia Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Support (RELOS) agreement, signed in December 2021 and ratified by Russia in early 2022, h...
India’s reservoirs can host 102 GW of floating solar, says first national assessment
The National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), released the first comprehensive natio...
Iran pledges no bomb; U.S. promises sanctions relief, $300 billion financing; agreement’s leaked text shows
The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), a 14-point framework agreement between the United States and Iran, was formally signed on J...
India, Canada agree to conclude free trade pact talks by year-end
On the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, the Indian Prime Minister met Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, committing to conclude Compr...
Primed to treat: On Kerala and Nipah
Kerala has successfully contained multiple Nipah virus (NiV) outbreaks since 2018 — in Kozhikode (2018, 2021, 2023) and Ernakulam (2019) — o...
Supreme Court seeks Centre, States’ response on plea over ‘misuse’ of Aadhaar as proof of citizenship
The Supreme Court, through a bench of the Chief Justice and Justice V. Mohana, has issued notices to the Central Government, all states, and...
Read the 14-Point Draft Memorandum Between the US and Iran
The United States and Iran have drafted a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MOU) to be formally signed on June 19, 2026, in Switzerland,...
329 million children in India exposed to extreme heat: UNICEF report
A UN agency report released in June 2026 reveals that approximately 329 million children in India — representing 92% of the country's child ...
No dip in grain output in last 2 deficit rain years
Official data shows that India's foodgrain production did not decline in either of the two most recent deficit monsoon years: 2023-24 output...
States told to prepare contingency plans for districts likely to face low rainfall during kharif season
Amid the weakest mid-June monsoon position in 11 years, the Union Agriculture Ministry directed all state governments to prepare crop-wise c...
CAG asks states to disclose off-budget borrowings in A/Cs
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India released its State Finances 2024-25 report in June 2026, revealing that all 28 states pos...
Why India and Australia are deepening Indo-Pacific security ties: China’s expanding footprint
India and Australia held their second Defence Ministers' Dialogue on June 1, 2026, at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, co-chaired by the respect...
States’ own tax mop-up now contributes more than half in total revenue receipts
States' own tax revenue (SOTR) accounted for more than half of combined revenue receipts in FY 2024-25 — a milestone in states' fiscal self-...
Iran says talks on final U.S. deal to begin this week
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that formal talks on a final, comprehensive agreement between Iran and the United States a...
Centre’s foodgrain reserves at record high as El Nino threatens kharif production
Despite IMD's forecast of a "below normal" monsoon — at 90% of the Long Period Average — the government has set a kharif foodgrain productio...
India stares at 35% monsoon deficit
India's southwest monsoon, which made an early onset, stalled near the outskirts of Mumbai mid-June 2026, resulting in a cumulative all-Indi...
UNSC reform would border on failure if only non-permanent category expanded: India
At the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on UN Security Council reform, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Harish Parvathaneni, ...
States' liabilities rise to ₹90.5 tn in FY25, many breach fiscal gap limit: CAG
Total liabilities of all 28 Indian states combined reached Rs 90.51 lakh crore (approximately Rs 90.5 trillion) as of March 31, 2025, accord...
Drone revolution and modern warfare | Explained
Conflicts in Ukraine, Lebanon, and West Asia have demonstrated that drones — unmanned aerial, ground, and maritime systems — have become the...
Fiscal stress deepens across states as all 28 post deficits in FY25: CAG report
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India released the third edition of its Publication on State Finances 2024-25, covering audited accou...
India, Sri Lanka collaborate to strengthen trade interactions through local currency settlement initiatives
A bilateral roundtable on local currency settlement (LCS) was held in Colombo on June 16, 2026, organized by the Indian High Commission, bri...
From Oman to Tanzania: How the Iran war is redrawing India’s trade map
The 2026 Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — the chokepoint through which approximately 20% of global petroleum liquids and a...
States' expenditure rises 131% in 10 yrs on welfare, development: CAG Report
Total expenditure of all Indian states combined rose 131 per cent over the decade from FY 2015-16 to FY 2024-25, increasing from Rs 22.18 la...
UP, Gujarat, Jharkhand, 10 other states record revenue surplus in FY25: CAG report
According to the CAG's State Finances 2024-25 report, thirteen states recorded revenue surpluses while fifteen states remained in revenue de...
El Nino to hit 9-10 states severely; Chouhan calls for district-level contingency plans for Kharif
The Union Agriculture Ministry has issued directives to 9–10 states expected to face severe El Niño impacts during the Kharif 2026 season, c...
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Amends Drugs Rules, 1945; Exemption for Sale of Cough Syrups in Small Villages Withdrawn
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has notified the Drugs (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2026, which removes the word "Syrup" from Serial N...
US trade advocacy body forms task force on India-US critical mineral cooperation; five priority engagement areas identified
The US India Business Council (USIBC) launched a Critical Minerals Security Taskforce, bringing together 17 major companies from India and t...
US-Iran peace agreement: Energy worries far from over, India keeps fingers crossed
The announcement of a US-Iran peace framework and the impending signing of the MOU on June 19, 2026, triggered an immediate drop in global c...
US-Iran memorandum of understanding: The elusive quest for ‘New Middle East’
The US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU), expected to be signed on June 19, 2026, in Switzerland, represents the most significant attem...
After two failed bids, ISRO to attempt another PSLV launch by June-end, early July
Following two consecutive third-stage failures of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) — PSLV-C61 in May 2025 and PSLV-C62 in January 2...
Peace with peace: On preventive detentions
An editorial analysis highlighted the persistent misuse of preventive detention laws by state governments across India, where detention powe...
Oil prices plunge to 3-month low as US, Iran reach deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz
The United States and Iran announced a landmark framework agreement to end months of hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, triggering...
Weak monsoon threat looms; food inflation fears rise
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) revised its 2026 Southwest Monsoon (SWM) forecast to 90% of the Long Period Average (LPA) — classi...
As US-Iran deal announcement paves way for Hormuz reopening, what lies ahead for India & oil markets
The US-Iran framework agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz has triggered a sharp crude oil price decline, with Brent falling approximate...
India, East Asia move beyond trade rivalry towards strategic alignment as US-China contest escalates
India and several East and Southeast Asian nations are deepening strategic, defence, and technology partnerships at a pace that goes beyond ...
Trump at G7 Hails Iran Deal Even as Divisions With Tehran Remain
The 50th G7 Summit opened on June 15, 2026 in Évian-les-Bains, France, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron — the first in-person gath...
Limited traffic through Hormuz, despite Trump’s announcement
Maritime intelligence tracking estimates that approximately 600 ships above 10,000 deadweight tonnage remain stranded west of the Strait of ...
Heatwaves and ozone together increase India’s cardiac deaths: study
A peer-reviewed study has found that the simultaneous occurrence of heatwaves and elevated surface ozone levels significantly increases the ...
SC notice to Centre, Punjab over failure to implement RTE
The Supreme Court issued notice to the Central Government and the Government of Punjab after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleged that...
Indian LNG carrier safely crosses Hormuz, first since US-Iran ceasefire
LNG Carrier *Disha*, operated by a Shipping Corporation of India (SCI)-led consortium and chartered by Petronet LNG Ltd, has safely transite...
USTR Greer, Piyush Goyal to hold trade pact talks next week
The US Trade Representative (USTR) is scheduled to visit India on June 22–24, 2026, for two days of talks with the Commerce and Industry Min...
New series debut: WPI at 9.7% in May; energy costs drive surge; revamped index expands basket to 957 items
India's Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation rose to 9.68% in May 2026, driven primarily by a surge in energy costs — the highest rea...
India & Slovakia upgrade ties, seek reform of global bodies
During a two-day state visit to Bratislava — the first by an Indian Prime Minister — India and Slovakia elevated bilateral ties from a stand...
Delimitation Bill to return with 50% seat increase clause, says Naidu
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister confirmed that the NDA government will reintroduce the Delimitation Bill with a clause ensuring a 50% prop...
New valuation rules seek fairer outcomes in bankruptcy cases
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) issued a circular on June 15, 2026 — "Guidelines for Conducting Valuation Under the Inso...
NCERT to restore original ‘Dancing Girl’ of Mohenjo-daro in class IX textbooks
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has announced that it will restore the original, unaltered image of the Da...
US Trade Representative to hold trade pact talks with Goyal next week
The US Trade Representative (USTR) is scheduled to visit India on June 22–24, 2026, for two days of talks with the Commerce and Industry Min...
India, UK working to resolve issues for trade pact implementation
Negotiations between India and the United Kingdom are actively progressing to resolve implementation-level issues in the Comprehensive Econo...
PM Modi welcomes US-Iran deal, hopes for freedom of navigation soon
India officially welcomed the framework agreement between the United States and Iran that is set to end the 2026 Hormuz crisis, with the gov...
India, Slovakia sign defence cooperation intent, deepen ties
India and Slovakia elevated their bilateral ties to a "Comprehensive Partnership" during the Indian Prime Minister's first-ever state visit ...
Fifth unit of Kudankulam nuclear power project likely to be operational by year-end
The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has successfully completed erection of the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) inside the r...
India, UAE step up efforts to expand re-dirham trade
More than 15% of India-UAE bilateral trade has been invoiced in local currencies (Indian Rupee and UAE Dirham) since the rupee-dirham settle...
No govt, no OTS deal can curtail citizen’s right to move court: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court ruled that no government scheme and no One-Time Settlement (OTS) deal can curtail a citizen's fundamental right to approac...
Safe Hormuz passage for Disha sparks hope for 34 India-bound ships
An Indian-flagged LNG (liquefied natural gas) tanker became the first to successfully transit the Strait of Hormuz on 15 June 2026, signalli...
Six years after Galwan: A militarised LAC, a redefined relationship
15 June 2026 marks six years since the Galwan Valley clash (15–16 June 2020), in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed in hand-to-hand ...
USTR Jamieson Greer to visit India to finalise interim trade deal amid diplomatic friction
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer visited India in June 2026 to finalise the framework of an interim bilateral tr...
G7 Summit 2026 begins in Évian: Key leaders, dates, and venue details
The 52nd G7 Summit was held from June 15–17, 2026 in Évian-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie, France, under France's G7 Presidency (2026 theme: "Forgi...
Mint Explainer | What a strong El Nino could mean for India
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced the onset of an El Niño event in June 2026, downgrading its seasonal rainfall forecast t...
Kharif 2026 sowing gets off to a slow start as El Niño casts shadow over monsoon
Kharif crop sowing for 2026-27 has commenced at a slower-than-normal pace, with total area sown at 7.25 million hectares by June 5, 2026 — a...
Planet’s vital signs deteriorate at unprecedented pace since last UN climate assessment, warns new paper released at Bonn Climate Conference 2026
An annual peer-reviewed study published in the journal *BioScience* (DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaf149) found that all 35 monitored planetary vita...
WPI inflation surges to all-time high of 9.7% under new series
Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation for May 2026 surged to 9.7% — the highest reading since the launch of the new WPI series (base year 20...
India's wholesale inflation at 9.68% in May under revamped series as Iran war-driven oil costs bite
India's wholesale price inflation for May 2026 stood at 9.68% year-on-year under the newly revamped WPI series (base year 2022-23), released...
India's Tomahawk: DRDO conducts successful flight-test of indigenously-developed Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the flight test of the Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile...
India introduces PPI for goods and services, begins shift from WPI
The Office of the Economic Adviser (OEA) under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and...