Current Affairs — 21 June 2026

📖 Explanation

Fibre optic drones are tethered to the operator via an ultra-thin glass or plastic cable that carries data as pulses of light rather than radio waves. Because no radio signal is broadcast, electronic jamming systems and GPS-spoofing tools — the primary countermeasures states use against drones — are completely ineffective against them. This is a paradigm shift in drone warfare: the drone has no electromagnetic footprint to target. The technology was first extensively tested in the Russia-Ukraine conflict before spreading to other theatres including Lebanon.

📖 Explanation

India is estimated to hold around 26,000 tonnes of gold, the bulk of it sitting idle in household lockers and temple trusts, valued at roughly $4 trillion at current prices. This makes India one of the largest private holders of gold in the world. Because gold must largely be imported, this demand is a persistent drag on the current account. Policy proposals to unlock this wealth include a temple gold mobilisation scheme, allowing banks to hold part of their statutory reserves in gold, and a voluntary gold-conversion window — all aimed at channelling passive wealth into productive economic activity.

📖 Explanation

The CAG report revealed that 18 out of 28 Indian states breached the 15th Finance Commission's fiscal deficit ceiling of 3% of gross state domestic product (GSDP) in FY25. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India is a constitutional body (Article 148) that audits government receipts and expenditure. The 15th Finance Commission, chaired by N.K. Singh, set 3% of GSDP as the borrowing limit to ensure subnational fiscal discipline. Persistent breaches raise concerns about long-term fiscal sustainability at the state level.

📖 Explanation

Although electricity represents about 21% of global total final energy consumption, only roughly 42% of that electricity is generated from clean sources such as renewables, hydro, and nuclear. Multiplying these figures (21% x 42%) gives approximately 8-9% of total global energy that is truly clean. This means over 90% of global energy still depends on fossil fuels despite decades of climate policy. India's electricity share in TFEC stands at about 23%, slightly above the global average. This distinction between electricity share and clean energy share is an important concept for environment-related questions in competitive exams.

📖 Explanation

Ajit Doval, India's National Security Adviser (NSA), chaired the BRICS NSA-level meeting hosted by India on June 22-23, 2026. The NSA is India's top official for national security coordination and is the counterpart to similar officials in other BRICS nations. This meeting was a preparatory step ahead of the BRICS Summit that India is scheduled to host in September 2026.

📖 Explanation

In 2018, the US renamed its Pacific Command to 'US Indo-Pacific Command' with the explicit goal of placing India at the heart of American strategy in Asia and recognising the Indian Ocean as a critical geopolitical theatre. The 'Indo-Pacific' framing reflected the US approach of building a coalition of regional powers — with India as a central partner — to balance China's rise. The 2026 reversion to 'US Pacific Command' signals Washington's shift away from this containment-oriented coalition strategy toward a more transactional relationship with regional partners.

📖 Explanation

PM-VBRY is an employment-linked incentive scheme under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and its primary implementing agency is the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). The scheme tracks formal employment by linking benefits to EPFO enrolment — when a new employee is registered with EPFO, both the employer and the employee become eligible for financial incentives. This mechanism encourages companies to bring more workers into the formal social security net, which is a central goal of the scheme.

📖 Explanation

Shraddha Pandey secured the top position in the BPSC 70th CCE final merit list with a total score of 593 marks. Shashank Gaurav and Ayush Bijoy both scored 592 marks each, placing second and third respectively. The BPSC 70th CCE was conducted for 2,035 vacancies, making it one of Bihar's largest state civil services recruitment drives. The examination follows a three-stage process: Preliminary, Mains (written), and Interview.

📖 Explanation

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is the autonomous body under the Ministry of Education responsible for conducting major entrance examinations including NEET-UG. The NEET-UG cancellation — after over 22.7 lakh students had already appeared — marked the second major irregularity in two years and led to Supreme Court intervention. CBSE had earlier conducted NEET before it was transferred to NTA in 2019. MCI has been replaced by the National Medical Commission (NMC).

📖 Explanation

The Supreme Court grounded the right to walk on footpaths in Article 21, which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty. The court reasoned that safe pedestrian passage is inseparable from the right to live with dignity and safety. This adds a new dimension to Article 21 jurisprudence, which has previously been expanded to cover rights such as livelihood, health, and education. The bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Atul S Chandurkar also called on Parliament to enact a dedicated pedestrian-rights law to give this constitutional right statutory support.

📖 Explanation

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is India's premier federal investigative agency and is typically called upon to probe high-profile cases involving examination fraud and paper leaks. In the NEET-UG paper leak case, the CBI was tasked with the investigation after the original May 3 exam was cancelled following allegations of irregularities. The NTA conducts the exam, while the NMC regulates medical education — neither has investigative jurisdiction.

📖 Explanation

The United Nations declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga in 2014, following a proposal by India. The first International Day of Yoga was celebrated on June 21, 2015, which is why 2026 marks the 12th edition. June 21 was chosen as it is the summer solstice — the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere — which holds special significance in many cultures. India has since played a leading role in organising and promoting global yoga celebrations each year.

📖 Explanation

Following the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent aerial confrontation with Pakistan in May 2026, Indian defence planners studied lessons from multiple global conflicts. Experts concluded that jamming-based systems are insufficient against fibre optic drones, which produce no radio emissions. Instead, 'hard-kill' methods that physically destroy incoming drones are recommended — these include AI-targeting gun systems capable of engaging entire swarms, airborne platforms such as the Light Combat Helicopter and Light Combat Aircraft, and short-range surface-to-air missiles with an 8–10 km range for terminal defence coverage.

📖 Explanation

May 2026 marked the first release under a revised WPI series that uses 2022-23 as the new base year (replacing the earlier 2011-12 base year) and covers an expanded basket of 957 items. The WPI measures price changes at the producer or wholesale level, unlike the CPI which tracks retail prices. Revising the base year brings the index closer to the current economic structure, while an expanded basket improves representativeness. The surge in May 2026 WPI was driven by fuel and power inflation (30.3%) and crude petroleum inflation (61.5%), linked to supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz caused by the West Asia conflict.

📖 Explanation

The central theme of the BRICS NSA meeting hosted by India in June 2026 was non-traditional security challenges. Non-traditional security threats differ from conventional military threats and include cyber threats, terrorism, technology-driven risks, and information and communication technology (ICT) security — all of which are increasingly important in modern multilateral diplomacy. The agenda specifically included counter-terrorism cooperation and ICT security, reflecting the broadening scope of BRICS beyond trade and economics.