UPSC Current Affairs 28 June 2026

• He attended as the Guest of Honour for the Golden Jubilee (50th Anniversary) of Seychelles' Independence, making him the first Indian Prime Minister to attend their National Day.
• During the visit, Seychelles conferred its prestigious presidential distinction, "Guardian of the Blue Horizon," upon PM Modi.
• The two nations signed nine landmark agreements, covering the rollout of India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI), a new $175 million (₹1,250 crore) economic development package, and enhanced maritime security cooperation.
• Nine Landmark Pacts: The nations inked MoUs expanding cooperation into UPI digital payments, cyber security, AI, space exploration, extradition, and Jan Aushadhi (affordable healthcare).
• Maritime Assets Handed Over: India gifted the Made-in-India Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) PS Lespwar, along with ambulances, utility vehicles, and laser radial boats to the Seychelles Coast Guard.
• Vision MAHASAGAR: The visit marked the upgrading of India's maritime doctrine from SAGAR (2015) to MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), treating the Indian Ocean as a shared, secure home.

• Archipelagic Nation: Consists of 115 islands located in the western Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar and east of mainland Africa.
• Capital: Victoria, located on the largest island, Mahé.
• Island Groups: Separated into two distinct topologies: the mountainous granitic Mahé group and outlying flat coralline islands.
• Demographics: It is the smallest African country by both land area and population.

• High Income Status: Ranked as Africa's richest country in terms of GDP per capita, outpacing Mauritius.
• Economic Drivers: Highly dependent on the service sector, particularly luxury tourism and tuna fisheries.
• Blue Economy Leader: Serves as a global hub for sustainable ocean governance, marine conservation, and climate diplomacy.

• Geostrategic Importance: Positioned along critical global trade and energy shipping lanes in the Western Indian Ocean.
• Countering China: Acts as a critical security partner for India to balance the growing maritime presence of China in the region.
• Defence Cooperation: Bilateral defence ties include regular joint military exercises (such as "LAMITIYE") and a chain of six Indian-supported coastal surveillance radar stations across the archipelago.
• Vibrant Diaspora: Persons of Indian origin constitute roughly 5% of the total Seychellois population, acting as a strong cultural bridge.

• This milestone trade link fetched local farmers ₹150 per kilogram, delivering a massive 50% price premium over standard domestic market rates.

• Fibre-Free Pulp: Renowned for having ultra-smooth, creamy, and entirely fibreless flesh.
• Diabetic Friendly: The unique nature of its natural sugars makes it safe for consumption by individuals with diabetes in regulated amounts.
• Sensory Profile: Highly preferred in gourmet markets due to its intense sweetness, rich aroma, and exceptional flavour profiles.
• Colour Variations: Fruit grown natively in the traditional orchards of Govindgarh exhibits a light white hue, whereas those cultivated at the Kuthulia Research Centre lean toward light green.

• Origin Roots: Cultivated abundantly across the Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh, primarily centered around the historical town of Govindgarh.
• Royal Legacy: The variety was originally bred and preserved inside the elite palace gardens of the historic Govindgarh Fort.
• Philatelic Honor: The extreme popularity of this indigenous variety prompted the Government of India to issue a dedicated national postage stamp in its honour back in 1968.

• Geographical Indication: The unique cultivar was officially granted a Geographical Indication (GI) Tag in early 2023 to preserve its regional authenticity.
• Global Footprint Push: The 2026 successful deployment establishes Madhya Pradesh as an expanding production hub for luxury agricultural exports.
• Value-Chain Integration: The framework sets a baseline for establishing standardized, export-oriented practices among local FPOs to scale future operations.

• The formal induction ceremony took place at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), marked by the presence of Smt. Parama Sen, Additional Secretary (Personnel) from the Ministry of Finance.

• Class & Series: It is the fourth vessel out of a planned series of eight Adamya-class Fast Patrol Vessels.
• Design & Dimension: The FPV measures 52 metres in length with a total structural displacement of 320 tonnes.
• Propulsion System: It features a first-in-class advanced Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP) system paired with two heavy-duty 3,000 kW marine diesel engines.
• Speed & Endurance: Capable of achieving swift tactical speeds exceeding 27 knots alongside an operational range/endurance of 1,500 nautical miles.
• Indigenous Content: Built with over 65% domestic components, showcasing India’s self-reliance in military engineering.
• Crew Complement: Configured to hold a permanent operational crew of 6 elite officers and 35 sailors.

• Primary Gun: Armed with a state-of-the-art 30mm CRN-91 naval gun mounted for close-range maritime surface targets.
• Secondary Armament: Outfitted with two 12.7mm stabilized, remote-controlled machine guns connected to specialized fire-control computers.

• EEZ Surveillance: Built specifically to perform constant monitoring across India's expansive Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
• Search and Rescue (SAR): Engineered for rapid deployment to facilitate medical evacuations and assistance to mariners caught in distress.
• Law Enforcement: Tasked with vital policing operations, including anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, and fisheries protection.
• Environmental Protection: Serves as a dynamic unit to respond to marine pollution hazards, helping to maintain clean and secure seas.

• This collaborative step sets the stage for a nationwide rollout via the online Swayam Plus portal. It transitions the program from its initial announcement in the Union Budget 2026–27 into an active, structured framework.

• MSME Empowerment: Aims to build a skilled network of certified paraprofessionals ("Corporate Mitras") to handle complex regulatory compliances for small businesses.
• Ease of Doing Business: Enables Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to bypass high corporate consulting fees. Businesses can focus entirely on scaling operations and innovation.
• Tier-II & Tier-III Penetration: Geographically targets smaller towns and emerging business centers rather than metropolitan hubs.
• Independent Standing: Operates as a standalone initiative, separate from existing state or central internship mandates.

• Phase 1: Academic Learning (6 Months): Features 144 hours of online modules on the Swayam Plus portal alongside 6 hours of interactive webinars.
• Key Subjects Covered: Candidates are trained in GST mechanisms, accounting, taxation, legal secretarial practices, banking, and financial governance.
• Phase 2: Practical Training (6 Months): Mandates on-the-job training within certified professional firms or LLPs recognized by primary Indian accounting institutes.
• Stipend Guarantee: Enrolled candidates will receive a minimum prescribed stipend during their practical training based on institutional norms.

• Age Cap: Open to Indian nationals who are up to 30 years old on their application date.
• Educational Criteria: Candidates must be graduates from a recognized university, or students completing their final year of graduation.
• Course Pricing: The registration fee is fixed at ₹3,000 + GST, covering the study track and the first final assessment test.
• Inclusivity Concession: A 50% fee discount is extended to female applicants and candidates from Himalayan states, the North East, Lakshadweep, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

• Institutional Alliance: Executed via direct collaboration with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), and the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICoAI).
• Evaluation Matrix: Certification depends on module-wise tests (10% weight), a final academic exam (50% weight), and practical firm evaluations (40% weight). A minimum aggregate score of 50% is required to clear the program.

• RAHAT Stand For: Road Accident Victim Hospitalization and Assured Treatment

• Golden Hour Focus: Aims to save lives within the first 60 minutes of a serious road injury, a critical window wherein studies show nearly 50% of accident fatalities can be prevented.
• Administrative Bodies: Introduced as a Central Sector Scheme under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), with the National Health Authority (NHA) acting as the chief nodal executing agency.
• Statutory Overriding Power: Backed by Section 162 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. This statutory program takes legal precedence over all other central or state-level medical benefit initiatives.

• Financial Cap: Every eligible victim receives completely cashless emergency medical care up to ₹1.5 lakh per episode.
• Time Framework: Coverage remains valid for a maximum duration of 7 days from the exact date of the accident.
• Universal Road Applicability: Valid for motor-vehicle-induced accidents occurring on any category of road, including national highways, state highways, and municipal city streets.
• Eligible Beneficiaries: Open universally to all affected road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, passengers, and drivers.
• Crucial Restriction: To prevent procedural exploitation, victims whose first institutional hospitalization occurs after a lapse of 24 hours from the time of the accident are explicitly deemed ineligible.

• Immediate Treatment Guarantee: Empanelled medical facilities must begin emergency care instantly without demanding any upfront financial deposit from the patient or family.
• Non-Life-Threatening Cases: Guarantees uninterrupted medical stabilization care for up to 24 hours.
• Life-Threatening Cases: Extends the guaranteed stabilization medical timeline up to 48 hours, subject to background police authentication.

• Amalgamated Dual Platforms: Operates seamlessly by merging the eDAR (Electronic Detailed Accident Report) portal used by law enforcement with the NHA's updated TMS 2.0 (Transaction Management System) used by hospitals.
• 112 Emergency Integration: Linked directly with the national 112 Emergency Response Support System (ERSS). Bystanders can call 112 to instantly identify the nearest designated hospital and dispatch an ambulance.
• Seamless Authentication Flow: While treatment starts, hospitals generate a Treatment ID via TMS 2.0 and push it to district police via eDAR. The police must authenticate the motor accident details within 24 to 48 hours.

• Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVAF): Serves as the central monetary reservoir used for direct institutional reimbursements.
• Insured Vehicle Cases: Costs are covered directly via financial contributions paid into the MVAF by general insurance companies.
• Uninsured & Hit-and-Run Cases: The Union Government directly settles hospital claims via earmarked central budgetary allocations.
• Strict Hospital Reimbursement Timeline: To maintain financial certainty for hospitals, a strict 10-day settlement window is mandated for District Collectors or the General Insurance Council to clear bills once a claim is approved by State Health Agencies.

• District Accountability: Every Indian district features a dedicated Grievance Redressal Officer under the District Road Safety Committee to tackle issues like hospital treatment denial or delayed police verification.
• Samaritan Protection: Integrates specific legal safety clauses ensuring that bystanders or "Good Samaritans" (referred to as Rah-Veers) who transport victims to hospitals face absolutely zero legal harassment, questioning, or liability.

• It has been named in honour of the legendary Indian freedom fighter, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, to commemorate his enduring legacy.

• Genus Characteristics: Belongs to Brachybacterium, a genus of Gram-positive, non-motile, rod-to-coccus shaped bacteria known for their robust environmental resilience.
• Cellular Structure: Displays high adaptability to various ecosystems due to a sturdy cell wall structure typical of Actinomycetota.

• Isolation Source: Typically discovered during environmental or soil sampling, showcasing the rich, hidden microbial diversity across the Indian subcontinent.
• Ecological Role: Species within this genus are often involved in breaking down complex organic compounds, contributing to natural nutrient recycling in soil and marine ecosystems.

• Bioremediation Potential: Relatives of this bacterium are widely studied for their ability to degrade environmental pollutants, hydrocarbons, and heavy metals.
• Enzyme Production: Researchers are analyzing the strain to see if it produces unique industrial enzymes or bioactive compounds useful in medicine or agriculture.

• Released on June 24, 2026, the historic wide-field mosaic reveals more than 60 million stars, dense nebulae, and molecular clouds packed into the galactic bulge.
• This extraordinary dataset acts as a "cosmic magnifying glass" to help astronomers find and study exoplanets through gravitational microlensing.

• Dark Universe Detective: Designed primarily to map the composition, evolution, and geometry of the "dark" ingredients of the universe.
• Dark Matter & Dark Energy: Investigates why the cosmic expansion of our universe is accelerating, aiming to reveal how dark matter acts as a gravitational glue and how dark energy drives things apart.
• Cosmic 3D Mapping: Tasked with creating the largest, most accurate 3D map of the universe across space and time by observing billions of distant galaxies up to 10 billion light-years away.

• Launch Date & Vehicle: Successfully launched into space on 1 July 2023 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
• Orbital Destination: Positioned in a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2 (L2), hovering roughly 1.5 million kilometres (930,000 miles) beyond Earth.
• Mission Lifespan: Structured as a medium-class ("M-class") mission under ESA's Cosmic Vision campaign, with an active operational plan spanning at least six years.

• Aperture Size: Outfitted with a 1.2-metre diameter primary mirror telescope.
• Dual Instruments: Carries a Visible-light camera (VIS) to measure galaxy shapes and a Near-Infrared Spectrophotometer and Photometer (NISP) to gauge galaxy brightness and distances.
• Massive Sky Coverage: Over its operational life, it will survey one-third of the entire sky, avoiding the bright dust lanes of our own Milky Way to focus strictly on the extragalactic deep space.
• Data Deluge: Compresses and transmits roughly 100 gigabytes of deep-space data back to Earth every single day.

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