Daily Current Affairs – 24 June 2026

Banking, Finance & Business

World Bank Approves $1.5 Billion for India’s Low-Carbon Energy Sector

Key Highlight: The World Bank has approved $1.5 billion in financing to support India’s development of low-carbon energy on 24 June 2026.

The funding aims to scale up Green Hydrogen production and stimulate low-carbon energy investments.
It supports the National Green Hydrogen Mission which targets 5 MMT of production capacity by 2030.
This is the second Low-Carbon Energy Programmatic Development Policy Operation for India.
The project will help decouple economic growth from emissions.

About World Bank

Established: 1944
Headquarters: Washington, D.C., USA
Head: Ajay Banga

SIDBI Launches 'SIGHT' Program for Green Hydrogen Ecosystem

Key Highlight: The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) launched the SIGHT program to provide financial assistance to MSMEs in the green energy sector.

SIGHT stands for Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition.
It offers concessional loans for manufacturing components of Electrolysers.
The initiative is part of the Green Finance strategy to meet Net Zero targets.
Initial corpus earmarked for the scheme is ₹500 crore.

SEBI Tightens Disclosure Norms for FPIs in High-Risk Categories

Key Highlight: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) introduced stricter disclosure mandates for Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) on 24 June 2026.

FPIs holding more than 50% of their AUM in a single corporate group must provide granular data.
Exemptions are granted to Sovereign Wealth Funds and public retail funds.
The move aims to prevent round-tripping and identify Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBO).
Non-compliance may lead to the cancellation of the FPI license.

National & State News

Government Announces 'Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana' Expansion

Key Highlight: The Central Government announced an additional allocation for the PM Surya Ghar Yojana to cover 1 crore households by 2027.

The scheme provides up to 300 units of free electricity monthly through rooftop solar.
Subsidies are increased to ₹78,000 for a 3kW system.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is the nodal agency.
Estimated investment for the expansion phase is ₹75,021 crore.

Ladakh’s Wood Carving Receives Geographical Indication (GI) Tag

Key Highlight: The Geographical Indications Registry has granted the GI Tag to Ladakh Wood Carving on 24 June 2026.

It is the first handicraft from Ladakh to receive this prestigious recognition.
The art involves intricate designs on wooden furniture and pillars in Monasteries.
The tag will help local artisans get better international market access.
Previously, Ladakh Apricot (Raktsey Karpo) also received a GI tag.

Kerala to Launch India’s First 'International GenAI Conclave'

Key Highlight: The Kerala Government in collaboration with IBM will host the International GenAI Conclave in Kochi.

Scheduled for July 2026, the event focuses on Generative AI in governance.
Over 1,000 delegates including global tech leaders are expected.
The conclave aims to position Kerala as a hub for emerging technologies.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the event.

Appointments & Resignations

Saurabh Kumar Appointed as India’s Ambassador to Belgium

Key Highlight: Senior diplomat Saurabh Kumar was appointed as the Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Belgium on 24 June 2026.

He is a 1989-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer.
He will also serve as the Ambassador to the European Union.
Prior to this, he served as the Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs.
He succeeds Santosh Jha in this role.

Ravi Agrawal Appointed as Chairman of CBDT

Key Highlight: Senior IRS officer Ravi Agrawal took over as the Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).

He belongs to the 1988 batch of the Indian Revenue Service.
His tenure has been extended till June 2027.
He succeeds Nitin Gupta, whose term ended on June 23.
Agrawal previously served as Member (Administration) in the Board.

Awards & Honours

Sahitya Akademi Announces Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2026

Key Highlight: The Sahitya Akademi announced the winners of the Bal Sahitya Puraskar for 24 languages.

Notable winner includes Devendra Mewari for his work in Hindi.
The award consists of a casket containing an engraved copper plaque and a cheque of ₹50,000.
The selection was made by a three-member jury for each language.
The ceremony is scheduled to be held in New Delhi later this year.

Arundhati Roy Receives Pen Pinter Prize 2026

Key Highlight: Renowned author Arundhati Roy has been awarded the Pen Pinter Prize 2026 for her "unflinching" literary work.

The prize is named after Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter.
Roy was chosen for her powerful essays and fiction that challenge power structures.
She will receive the award in a ceremony at the British Library.
Past winners include Salman Rushdie and Margaret Atwood.

Defence News

DRDO Successfully Tests 'Abhyas' High-Speed Expendable Aerial Target

Key Highlight: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight-tested Abhyas from Chandipur, Odisha.

Abhyas is designed for autonomous flying with the help of an autopilot.
It is powered by a small gas turbine engine.
The system is used as a target for evaluation of various missile systems.
The trials were conducted by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE).

India and USA Conduct 'Indus-X' Investor Meet in New Delhi

Key Highlight: The India-U.S. Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (Indus-X) held its third investor meet to boost Defence Startups.

The event focused on co-production of Jet Engines and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
It was organized by iDEX (India) and the US Department of Defense.
Total investment commitments surpassed $50 million for early-stage startups.
A new Indus-X Education Series (Gurukul) was also launched.

Science & Technology

ISRO Successfully Conducts 'Pushpak' Reusable Launch Vehicle Landing Mission

Key Highlight: ISRO successfully completed the third consecutive landing mission of the Pushpak (RLV-LEX) on 24 June 2026.

The test was conducted at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Chitradurga, Karnataka.
The vehicle was released from an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter.
It demonstrated autonomous landing under cross-wind conditions.
This mission solidifies India’s capability in Reusable Launch Vehicle technology.

China Launches World’s First Satellite for '6G' Technology Testing

Key Highlight: China has successfully placed into orbit a satellite dedicated to testing 6G network architectures.

The satellite uses Terahertz frequencies for high-speed data transmission.
It was launched aboard a Long March 2D rocket.
The technology promises speeds 100 times faster than 5G.
The mission aims to establish global standards for 6G by 2030.

Rankings & Index

Global Liveability Index 2026: Vienna Remains World’s Most Liveable City

Key Highlight: The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released the Global Liveability Index 2026, with Vienna securing the top spot.

Vienna (Austria) ranked 1st for the fourth consecutive year.
Copenhagen (Denmark) and Zurich (Switzerland) followed in 2nd and 3rd places.
From India, New Delhi and Mumbai were the highest-ranked cities at 140th and 141st.
The index ranks 173 cities based on stability, healthcare, and infrastructure.

Sports

Cristiano Ronaldo Sets Record for Most Assists in Euro History

Key Highlight: Cristiano Ronaldo became the player with the most assists in the history of the UEFA European Championship on 24 June 2026.

He recorded his 8th assist during Portugal's match against Turkey.
Ronaldo already holds the record for most goals (14) in Euro history.
He is the only player to appear in six different Euro editions.
Portugal qualified for the knockout stage with this victory.

Sumit Nagal Wins Heilbronn Neckarcup Challenger Title

Key Highlight: Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal clinched the Heilbronn Neckarcup title in Germany.

He defeated Alexander Ritschard in the final.
This victory propelled him to a career-high ATP Ranking of 71.
He became the first Indian to win a Challenger title on clay in 2026.
This win guarantees him a spot in the Paris Olympics 2024 main draw (qualification cycle).

International News

International Day of Women in Diplomacy – 24 June

Key Highlight: The United Nations observes International Day of Women in Diplomacy annually on 24 June.

The theme for 2026 is 'Women's Leadership in Multilateralism'.
The day was established by the UN General Assembly in 2022.
It recognizes the contributions of women diplomats in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Events were held at UN Headquarters in New York to honor female pioneers.

Obituaries

Renowned Poet and Critic N.S. Madhavan Passes Away

Key Highlight: The legendary Malayalam writer and literary critic N.S. Madhavan passed away at the age of 78.

He was a recipient of the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award.
His most famous work, 'Higuita', changed the landscape of Malayalam short stories.
He also served as a senior IAS officer before retiring to focus on literature.
The Kerala Government declared a state day of mourning.