UPSC Current Affairs 01 June 2026

• Birth and Lineage: Born on May 31, 1725, in Choundi village, Maharashtra. She married Khande Rao Holkar, the son of Malhar Rao Holkar, the brave founder of the Maratha-Malwa Holkar dynasty.
• Rise to Power: After the heroic death of her husband in the Battle of Kumher (1754) and the subsequent demise of her father-in-law and young son, she took complete control of the Malwa kingdom.
• The Seat of Power: She shifted the capital of the Holkar dynasty from Indore to Maheshwar, transforming it into a flourishing center of literature, music, industry, and arts.
• Tenure: She ruled with immense wisdom and stability for nearly three decades, from 1767 to 1795.

• Kashi Vishwanath Temple: Reconstructed the iconic temple complex in Varanasi (1780).
• Somnath Temple: Financed and resurrected the structure of the first Jyotirlinga in Gujarat.
• Pan-India Footprint: Built thousands of temples, rest houses (dharmashalas), charity kitchens, and river ghats at major pilgrimage sites including Haridwar, Gaya, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Rameshwaram, and Puri.

• Securing Property Rights: Repealed a highly regressive law that previously allowed the state to forcefully confiscate the property of childless widows.
• Social Equality: Pioneered support for widow remarriage, raised the minimum age of marriage for young girls, and vehemently opposed the practice of Sati.
• Tribal Inclusivity: Integrated marginalized communities like the Bhil, Gond, and Dalit groups into mainstream trade and state administration.
• Women's Armed Wing: Formed a specialized, highly trained all-women army unit skilled in warfare and archery to bolster state security.
• Maheshwari Sarees: Promoted the local handloom weaving industry in Maheshwar, giving rise to the famous Maheshwari Sarees, which thrive today under a protected Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

• What: Phase III of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls
• Launched by: Election Commission of India (ECI)
• Start date: May 14, 2026 (announced May 13, 2026)
• Coverage: 16 states + 3 Union Territories
• Electors covered: 36.73 crore (approximately 367 million voters)

• Constitutional Backing: The exercise is anchored directly under Article 324 of the Constitution of India, which grants the ECI supreme superintendence over national elections.
• Legal Authorization: Conducted via powers explicitly provided under Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
• The Core Objective: Operating under the strict mandate of "No eligible citizen left out, no ineligible person included."
• Target Discrepancies: It aims to cleanse rolls of dead voters, duplicates, permanently shifted individuals, non-citizens, and fraudulent "ghost" registrations.

• Massive Field Workforce: The drive deploys over 3.94 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) executing physical, house-to-house verification visits.
• The Enumeration Deadline: Citizens must have their completed Enumeration Forms submitted to their local Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) on or before June 28, 2026, to make it into the Draft Electoral Rolls.
• New Voter Registration: BLOs are required to carry a minimum stash of 30 blank Form 6 sets during their field route to instantly register any young citizens turning 18 or un-enrolled eligibles.
• Political Party Integration: To maintain maximum transparency, the ECI has authorized 3.42 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) from recognized political parties to assist. These BLAs can gather up to 50 forms daily from the public to hand directly to the government's BLOs.
• The "Claims and Objections" Window: Any citizen who misses the June 28 doorstep deadline retains a safety net to submit Form 6 later during the formal claims phase.

• The Omitted Zones: Only Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh are left out of this current Phase III deployment.
• Reason for Delay: The schedule for these three northern regions is pushed to a later independent announcement due to the incomplete progress of Phase-II Census operations and unpredictable weather patterns in their high-altitude, snow-bound ranges.

Reform	Details
Decriminalization	Jan Vishwas Amendment Act, 2023 decriminalized 7 sections of Legal Metrology Act, 2009 – replaced imprisonment with monetary penalties for minor violations
Improvement Notices	Jan Vishwas Amendment Act, 2026 introduced “improvement notices” allowing MSMEs to correct procedural lapses before penalties are imposed
Licensing → Registration	Shift from licensing regime to registration-based system to simplify compliance
Self-Verification	Expanded self-verification mechanisms for businesses
Reduced Penalties	Lowered penalties for first-time procedural violations (fraud/tampering still strictly penalized)

• October 2025: Rules amended to authorize private entities for verification of weights/measures
• Instrument categories expanded from 10 to 18 (including breath analysers, weighing scales, water meters)
• 12 GATC certificates awarded to 11 private entities (Nov 2025)
• May 2026: Revised rules permit GATCs to verify dispensers for hydrogen, LPG, LNG, CNG fuels
• Enables public-private partnership in verification ecosystem

• India became 13th country worldwide authorized to issue OIML Certificates
• 1 mg accuracy mandated in gold trade
• Launch of eMaap portal for metrology services
• “One Nation, One Time” proposed under Draft IST Rules 2025
• New rules released for speed guns, gas meters, precision instruments

• Improve ease of doing business
• Reduce compliance burden on businesses, especially MSMEs
• Encourage voluntary compliance
• Allow state departments to focus on inspections, enforcement, consumer grievance redressal
• Safeguard consumer interests while reducing business barriers
• Align India's standards with global benchmarks

• Primary Act: Legal Metrology Act, 2009
• Key Amendments:
  • Jan Vishwas Amendment Act, 2023
  • Jan Vishwas Amendment Act, 2026
• Rules: Legal Metrology (Government Approved Test Centre) Rules, 2013 (amended Oct 2025)

• What it is: Formally known as the Asia Security Summit, it serves as Asia's absolute premier independent defence and security conference.
• The Organiser: It is independently organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and co-hosted alongside Singapore’s Ministry of Defence.
• The Format: Operates as a distinct Track-One / Track-and-a-Half diplomacy platform. It blends formal, on-the-record public plenary debates with dozens of highly private, unpublicized bilateral military networking sessions.
• Core Mandate: Serves to build regional confidence, foster practical maritime security cooperation, and prevent active geopolitical friction from collapsing into open warfare.

• The Goal: Focuses exclusively on building intelligence-sharing paths to secure Critical Underwater Infrastructure (CUI) like internet fibre optic cables and energy pipelines.
• The Coalition: Backed firmly by a 17-country alliance stretching across Europe, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East, including Australia, France, Malaysia, and the UK.

• Fiscal Pressure: The U.S. delegation pushed a hardline stance that single nations can no longer secure regional waters independently, validating defence budget increases across Japan, the Philippines, and the Netherlands.
• The Taiwan Omission: Observers noted that Secretary Hegseth intentionally avoided directly mentioning Taiwan in his primary address, aiming to manage flashpoint escalation risks with Beijing.
• China's Absence: For the second consecutive year, China's Defence Minister skipped the physical summit, though Chinese military representatives present heavily protested regional "militarism".

• Keynote Warning: Vietnamese President and General Secretary To Lam opened the summit warning that a sustainable regional order cannot survive on "constant fear and mutual distrust," pleading for legal limits to state competition.
• Development Link: Western allies, including Australia, formally backed the stance that regional defence stability is directly tethered to economic infrastructure investments.

• High-Level Bilaterals: Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh utilized the sidelines to orchestrate strategic military-to-military talks with the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) and the NATO Military Committee.
• Indian Ocean Security Focus: India reinforced specialized coastal safety and naval training architectures during separate, focused engagements with the Seychelles Armed Forces.
• The Diplomatic Message: In a dedicated address to global think tanks, the Indian delegation outlined its clear vision for a completely free, open, secure, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

• Nature of the Instrument: It is a financial instrument that offers zero interest and guarantees no return of the principal amount.
• Philanthropic Purpose: Operating strictly as an official donation, the investor's sole return is the measurable social impact generated.
• Exclusive Issuers: Only registered Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) can issue these on the Social Stock Exchange (SSE).

• Impact Assessment Exemption: Funding via ZCZP instruments exempts corporations from mandatory, costly CSR impact assessments.
• 3-Year Deadline: NPOs must complete the project within three financial years of receiving the funds.
• Unspent Funds: Any unspent money must be transferred to a mandated government fund.
• Retail Participation: The minimum subscription size was reduced by SEBI from ₹10,000 to ₹1,000, allowing for broader retail participation.

• Transparency and Accountability: Moves NGO grants to a regulated, transparent platform governed by SEBI rules.
• Risk Management: Mitigates risk for companies, as listed NPOs undergo strict due diligence.
• Alternative Capital: Opens new funding channels for NGOs operating in sectors such as health, education, and climate.

• Instant Freeze: A security mechanism allowing a user to halt, disable, or block a system, device, or financial account instantly during an emergency.
• Account-Level Control: Once triggered, it operates at the base account level, overriding all previous individual app settings to block all outgoing debits.
• Last Line of Defence: It acts as an emergency circuit breaker when a victim realizes a scam is actively occurring, preventing fraudsters from draining funds.

• One-Tap Activation: Users can trigger the switch instantly via their mobile banking app, a designated SMS code, or an interactive voice response (IVR) hotline.
• Granular "Switch On/Off": Beyond a total account freeze, the system will offer a dashboard to selectively turn off specific payment rails, like UPI, international card usage, or internet banking.
• Strict Reactivation Rules: To unlock the account, users must undergo enhanced authentication protocols or physically visit their bank branch, ensuring fraudsters cannot simply switch it back on.
• Exemptions: Certain pre-authorized transactions, like recurring mandates and standing instructions (e.g., loan EMIs), may remain unblocked to prevent payment defaults.

• Automotive Safety (US Law): In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is advancing rules for a mandatory automotive "kill switch". Built-in vehicle technology will monitor driver impairment (e.g., drunk driving) and enter a "limp mode" or refuse to start if a driver is compromised.
• VPNs and Cybersecurity: Commercial VPN networks utilize software kill switches to instantly sever a device's internet connection if the secure encrypted tunnel drops, preventing data leaks.
• Enterprise AI Control: Emerging software platforms like Trust Logix have introduced runtime "kill switches" for corporate AI agents, giving security teams the power to instantly cut off rogue or unauthorized AI access to sensitive corporate databases.

• Technological Integration: Standardizing a universal one-click kill switch across a fragmented ecosystem of public sector banks, private banks, NBFCs, and third-party payment wallets is technically demanding.
• The "Device Compromise" Loophole: If a fraudster has already gained physical or remote software access (e.g., via a malicious APK file) to the user's phone, they can block the user from accessing the banking app to hit the switch.
• Accidental Triggers: Legitimate users may accidentally activate the switch, creating a sudden influx of distressed customers at physical bank branches attempting to restore their daily banking access.

• Official Nomenclature: Originally known as the "Japan-Asia Youth Exchange Program in Science".
• Inception Year: Launched globally in 2014 by the Government of Japan.
• Funding & Implementation: The program is completely funded and executed by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).
• India's Participation: India joined the bilateral initiative in April 2016. To date, 674 Indian students and 96 academic supervisors have travelled to Japan under this system.

• Nurturing Global Talent: To guide and support bright overseas human resources capable of contributing to global innovation in science and technology.
• Brain Circulation: To accelerate international talent and "brain circulation" between Japan and collaborating nations.
• Institutional Ties: To bridge continuous research and educational cooperation between Japanese universities and overseas academies.
• Science Diplomacy: To strengthen long-term geopolitical relationships and cultural diplomacy through science.

• Laboratory Immersion: Students gain exclusive entry to advanced laboratories, high-tech research institutes, and corporate technology hubs.
• Nobel Laureate Interaction: The curriculum often includes attending seminars and lectures conducted by world-renowned Japanese researchers and Nobel Laureates.
• Cultural Odyssey: Alongside STEM exposure, it incorporates historical and social tours, allowing youth to understand Japanese lifestyle, heritage, and language.

• Fully Funded: The program reduces financial barriers for under-resourced students.
• Japanese Sponsorship (JST): Covers round-trip international airfare, local travel insurance, accommodation, meals, and domestic transit within Japan.
• Indian Sponsorship (DoSEL/DST): Standard operational processes state that domestic logistics, preliminary paperwork, and local movements within India are managed by respective Indian ministries.

• Enactment Year: Enacted by the Parliament of India in 2012 to establish a comprehensive framework safeguarding children from sexual abuse, assault, and pornography.
• Gender-Neutral: Protects both male and female children from sexual offences, recognizing that perpetrators and victims can be of any gender.
• Definition of a Child: Legally defines a child as any individual under the age of 18 years.
• Irrelevance of Consent: Legally holds that a minor cannot give valid legal consent; any sexual act with an individual under 18 is automatically treated as non-consensual statutory rape/assault.

• Classification of Offences: Categorizes crimes clearly into penetrative sexual assault, aggravated penetrative sexual assault, sexual harassment, and child pornography.
• Position of Trust Overrides: Prescribes highly rigorous punishments if the perpetrator holds a position of trust or authority over the child (e.g., teachers, police, doctors, family members).
• Mandatory Reporting: Makes it a punishable offense for any individual (including institutional staff) who has knowledge of child abuse to fail to report it to the authorities.
• Overriding Legal Power: Section 42A dictates that in case of any conflict or inconsistency with other domestic laws, the POCSO Act overrides all other provisions.

• Minimum Penalty: The law was reviewed to elevate minimum imprisonment for penetrative sexual assault from 7 years to 10 years.
• Death Penalty: Introduced capital punishment (the death penalty) as a sentencing option for aggravated penetrative sexual assault on children.
• Digital Crime Controls: Criminalized the transmission, propagation, or failure to report/destroy pornographic materials involving minors.

• Special POCSO Courts: Mandates the setup of dedicated Fast-Track Special Courts to process child abuse cases cleanly and sensitively.
• Re-Victimization Prevention: Children are not called repeatedly to court. Statements are recorded by women officers in civil clothing at the child's residence.
• Time-Bound Trial: The law stipulates that a case must ideally be completely disposed of within one year from the date the crime was reported.
• Monitoring Bodies: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and State bodies function as statutory monitoring hubs for the Act.

• The study traced a specific gut protein called TL1A, which signals bone marrow to flood the gut with white blood cells (neutrophils) that gather around early tumour cells.
• This discovery coincides with World IBD Day observed globally on May 19, 2026, under the theme "IBD Has No Borders: Access to Care", and warnings from Indian medical experts regarding a sharp spike in IBD cases among young adults.

• Chronic Swelling: IBD is a blanket term for a group of chronic, progressive autoimmune disorders characterized by prolonged inflammation and irritation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
• IBD vs. IBS: Unlike Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), which is a non-inflammatory functional muscle disorder, IBD involves actual physical damage, ulcers, and structural destruction of the intestinal walls.

• Ulcerative Colitis (UC): This form strictly targets the large intestine (colon) and the rectum, causing continuous superficial inflammation and open, bleeding sores (ulcers) in the innermost lining.
• Crohn’s Disease (CD): This form can manifest anywhere along the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus. It typically appears in patches and penetrates deep into multiple layers of the affected tissue.

• Immune Dysregulation: The immune system mistakenly launches a hyperactive attack against healthy gut tissue and friendly microbiome bacteria, triggering an endless cycle of inflammation.
• Genetic Predisposition: Specific genetic mutations make individuals significantly more susceptible, with higher risk observed if close family members carry the disease.
• Environmental Shift & Hygiene Hypothesis: Frequent usage of antibiotics during early childhood, sanitized modern environments, mostly bottle-fed infancy, and ultra-processed diets are heavily linked to shifting the gut microbiome toward IBD.

• Persistent Diarrhea: Chronic bouts of loose stool, frequently containing visible blood, mucus, or pus.
• Abdominal Distress: Severe, recurring cramping, sharp abdominal pain, and bloating.
• Systemic Issues: Unintended rapid weight loss, severe fatigue, chronic low-grade fever, loss of appetite, and anemia due to blood loss.
• Extraintestinal Manifestations: Inflammation can spread beyond the gut, leading to painful swollen joints, skin sores, eye irritation, and liver complications.

• Anti-Inflammatory & Steroids: Corticosteroids and Aminosalicylates (5-ASA) are typically utilized to rapidly cool down acute, painful flare-ups.
• Immunomodulators & Biologics: Advanced targeted therapies, such as anti-TNF agents and Interleukin inhibitors (Skyrizi), help maintain long-term remission.
• Surgical Intervention: In severe, unmanageable cases, surgery may be required to remove structurally damaged portions of the intestines or the entire colon.

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