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GK Update

Sun 07 Jun, 2026

National News

E-85 Fuel Launched for Flex-Fuel Vehicles

  • Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched E-85 fuel for flex-fuel vehicles.
  • He announced that the price of E-85 fuel will be around ₹20 per litre lower than regular E-20 blended fuel.

E85 Fuel:

 

 

  • Blend Ratio: E85 is a high-ethanol blended fuel containing 80% to 85% ethanol and 15% to 20% conventional petrol.
  • Target Vehicles: It is primarily designed for Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs), which can operate on any blend ranging from E20 to E100.
  • Octane Rating: Due to ethanol's high octane rating (~108 RON), it provides better engine performance and allows higher compression ratios.

Inauguration of 18 'Namo Oxygen Parks'

  • Union Minister Bhupender Yadav inaugurated 18 'Namo Oxygen Parks' in Delhi under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign.

Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam:

 

 

  • It is a nationwide environmental conservation initiative launched by the Government of India.
  • Its objective is to honour motherhood and encourage people to plant trees as a symbol of love and respect for their mothers.
  • Launch of the Campaign: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched this nationwide campaign on World Environment Day (5 June 2024).

Sports News

SAFF Women's Championship 2026

  • The Indian women's football team won the SAFF Women's Championship 2026 title by defeating Bangladesh.

Key Facts:

 

  • Organizer: South Asian Football Federation (SAFF)
  • Host Country: India (held in Goa)
  • Participating Countries: India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives
  • Final Match: India defeated Bangladesh 3-1
  • Pakistan's Absence: The Pakistan Football Federation withdrew from the championship due to administrative issues and a lack of preparation

Major Awards:

  • Best Player: Sanfida Norum (India)
  • Top Scorer: Aveka Singh (4 goals, India)
  • Best Goalkeeper: Panthoi Chanu Elangbam (India)
  • Fair Play Award: Nepal
  • India's Dominance: India lifted the SAFF Women's Championship trophy for a record sixth time
  • India's Comeback: The Indian women's team secured this regional title victory after a gap of seven years (the previous win was in 2019)
  • Dangmei Grace bid farewell to international football after this match
  • She made her debut for India in 2013 and concluded her career with another SAFF title after playing 95 international matches.
  • Tournament History: The SAFF Women's Championship began in 2010. India won the first five editions consecutively (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2019). Bangladesh emerged as the winner in 2022 and 2024, after which India re-established its dominance in 2026.

Norway Chess 2026

  • Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa won the Norway Chess 2026 title.
  • He became the first Indian player to win this event.
  • He secured a victory over Germany's Vincent Keymer in the final round.

Related Facts:

 

 

  • Event Dates: The tournament was held from May 25 to June 5, 2026.
  • Winner: R. Praggnanandhaa (India) – 18 points.
  • Runner-up: Wesley So (USA) – 17 points.
  • Third Place: Alireza Firouzja (France) – 15.5 points.
  • Historic Victory: Praggnanandhaa defeated Magnus Carlsen twice in classical games and also beat the reigning world champion, D. Gukesh.
  • The winner will receive a prize money of 700,000 NOK (approximately ₹70.5 lakh).

Norway Chess Women 2026:

  • Winner: Bibisara Assaubayeva of Kazakhstan won the women's title with 16.5 points.

Norway Chess:

  • Inception: It began in the year 2013.
  • Reputation: It is ranked among the world's most prestigious annual chess events, alongside the Tata Steel Chess and the Candidates Tournament.
  • Prize Money: Equal distribution for men's and women's tournaments, reflecting progressive ethics in the sports world.

Under-18 Asia Cup Hockey Tournament 2026

  • The Indian men's Under-18 hockey team won the Under-18 Asia Cup Hockey Tournament 2026 title (gold medal) by defeating Japan.

Related Facts:

 

  • Dates: May 29 to June 6, 2026
  • Host Country and Venue: Kakamigahara, Japan (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Hockey Stadium)
  • Organizing Body: Asian Hockey Federation
  • Edition: This was the 6th edition of the men's tournament

India's Performance (Men's and Women's Categories):

  • Final Match: India defeated Japan 4-1 in the final
  • Captain: The Indian team was led by Ketan Kushwaha
  • Head Coach: Former Indian legend Sardar Singh was the head coach of this team
  • Semifinal: India entered the final by defeating their traditional rival Pakistan 5-3
  • Record: This is India's third Under-18 Asia Cup title (India had previously won this title in 2001 and 2016)

Women's Team:

  • Bronze Medal Match: The Indian women's team secured third place by defeating South Korea 3-0.
  • Captain: The women's team was led by Sweety Kujur.
  • Winner: China won the women's category title (China had defeated India in a shootout in the semifinal).
  • Tournament Top Scorer: India's Ashish Tani Purti was the top scorer, netting a total of 13 goals with a brilliant performance (he also scored a hat-trick in the final).
  • Best Goalkeeper: India's Ayush Rajak was named the tournament's best goalkeeper.
  • Women's Category Top Scorer: India's Nausheen Naz (12 goals) was the top scorer in the women's tournament.

Final Rankings:

  • Men's Category Gold: India
  • Women's Category Gold: China
  • Men's Category Silver: Japan
  • Women's Category Silver: Japan
  • Men's Category Bronze: Pakistan
  • Women's Category Bronze: India

Awards and Honors

Princess of Asturias Award for Sports 2026

  • Argentine footballer Lionel Messi is the first individual footballer in history to win the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports.

Related Facts:

 

  • Historical Significance: Although the football world has been recognized with this award previously, such instances involved joint recipients or teams. The Brazilian national team (2002), the Spanish national team (2010), and the duo of Iker Casillas and Xavi Hernández (2012) had previously received this honor. However, Messi is the first footballer to win it as an individual player.
  • Basis of Selection: A jury chaired by Teresa Perales selected Messi in recognition of his sporting career (such as the 2022 FIFA World Cup victory and a record eight Ballon d'Or awards) as well as his humanitarian and philanthropic work in the fields of education and healthcare.
  • What is the Princess of Asturias Award? It is a highly prestigious international award from Spain. It is presented annually to individuals or institutions for outstanding contributions in eight different fields: arts, literature, sports, social sciences, international cooperation, and scientific research.

Books and Authors

Launch of "When Audit Matters: CAG Interventions That Made a Difference"

  • Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan launched the book "When Audit Matters: CAG Interventions That Made a Difference," edited by former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai.

Related Facts:

 

About the Book:

  • Content: This book compiles the ground-level experiences and analytical chapters of 11 former Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IA&AS) officers from the 1982–1986 batches.
  • Key Focus: It presents significant audit stories related to high-profile cases—such as spectrum allocation (2G Spectrum), 'Coalgate', fiscal responsibility, GST, and privatization—in a simple and engaging style.
  • Collaboration: The book has been published by Rupa Publications in collaboration with the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) at the National University of Singapore.

Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India:

  • Constitutional Articles: Mentioned under Articles 148 to 151.
  • Appointment: By the President of India.
  • Tenure: 6 years or up to the age of 65 (whichever is earlier).
  • Nature: Independent constitutional authority.

Appointments

Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai

  • Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai took the oath as the 48th Chief Justice of the Patna High Court.
  • Prior to this, she was a senior judge at the Sikkim High Court.

Related Facts:

 

 

  • Justice Rai is the second woman to serve as Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, following Justice Rekha Manharlal Doshit.
  • She has become the first woman from Northeast India to become the Chief Justice of an Indian High Court.
  • She succeeded Justice Sangam Kumar Sahu (47th Chief Justice), who retired on June 4, 2026.
  • In 2015, she became the first woman from the state to be appointed as a judge of the Sikkim High Court. In 1990, she became Sikkim's first female Judicial Magistrate First Class-cum-Civil Judge.

Appointment of High Court Chief Justice:

  • Appointment: By the President.
  • Under Article 217 of the Indian Constitution, the President makes this appointment in consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and the Governor of the concerned state.
  • In practice, the appointment of judges to High Courts is carried out through the Collegium system:
  • Supreme Court Collegium: It comprises the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and the two most senior judges of the Supreme Court.
  • Consultation Process: Names recommended by the Collegium are sent to the President for approval through the Union Ministry of Law.
  • Common High Court: If a single High Court serves two or more states, the President consults the Governors of all the concerned states.

Key Qualifications:

  • Must be a citizen of India.
  • Must have held a judicial office in the territory of India for at least 10 years.
  • Or must have practiced as an advocate in a High Court for at least 10 consecutive years.
  • Note: The Constitution does not prescribe a minimum age limit for a High Court judge.

Tenure and Conditions of Service:

  • Age Limit: High Court judges hold office until the age of 62.
  • Oath: They are administered the oath of office by the Governor of the concerned state or a person appointed by the Governor.
  • Removal Process: They can be removed from office by the President only upon the recommendation of Parliament. The grounds for removal must be 'proved misbehaviour' or 'incapacity'.
  • Salary and Pension: Their salaries and allowances are paid from the Consolidated Fund of the State, whereas their pensions are charged to the Consolidated Fund of India.

Shah Rukh Khan

  • Visa, a leading company in the digital payments sector, has appointed Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan as its new brand ambassador for India.
  • As part of this partnership, Visa has launched a new campaign titled 'Infinitely More,' targeting affluent and experience-oriented Indian consumers.

Visa:

 

 

  • It is one of the world's largest and leading digital payment technology companies.
  • It does not issue credit or debit cards directly to consumers; instead, it provides its payment network services to financial institutions (banks).
  • Inception: It was launched in 1958 by Bank of America as the 'BankAmericard' program. Later, in 1976, it was renamed 'VISA' (Visa International Service Association).
  • Headquarters: Its headquarters is located in San Francisco, California (USA).

Important Day

'World Food Safety Day'

  • 'World Food Safety Day' is observed annually on June 7 to raise awareness about the health risks associated with contaminated food and to prioritize food safety.

Related Facts:

 

 

  • Theme for 2026: "From Burden to Solution – Safe Food Everywhere"
  • Inception: Following a resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in December 2018, the day was observed for the first time on June 7, 2019.
  • Organizers: It is jointly observed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

 

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