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GK Update

Mon 29 Jun, 2026

NATIONAL NEWS

MoU Between Haryana and Rajasthan

 

  • Haryana and Rajasthan signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi to finally operationalize the 1994 Upper Yamuna River Board agreement.
  • The landmark deal guarantees the long-awaited transfer of Yamuna river water to alleviate severe drinking water shortages in the arid regions of Rajasthan.
  • Rajasthan will receive approximately 580 MCM (Million Cubic Meters) of water from the Yamuna Canal.

Major canals in India

Canal Name Primary Source / River States Served Approximate Length (km) Primary Function
Indira Gandhi Canal Sutlej & Beas Rivers Punjab, Rajasthan 649 Irrigation (Thar Desert), Drinking Water
Buckingham Canal Natural Backwaters & Estuaries Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu 796 Navigation / Transport
Narmada Canal Narmada River Gujarat, Rajasthan 534 Irrigation, Power Generation
Upper Ganges Canal Ganges River Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh 6,400+ (Main canal & vast network) Irrigation, Hydropower
Sharda Canal Sharda River Uttar Pradesh 938 (incl. branches) Irrigation
Kakatiya Canal Sriram Sagar (Godavari) Telangana 284 Irrigation, Drinking Water
Tungabhadra Canal Tungabhadra River Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh ~400+ (varies by branches) Irrigation, Hydropower
West Coast Canal (NW-3) Interlinked Backwaters/Lakes Kerala 205 Inland Navigation
Sirhind Canal Sutlej River Punjab ~600+ Irrigation
Agra Canal Yamuna River Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh ~320 Irrigation, Navigation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026

 

  • The Government has introduced the Improvement Notice Mechanism, under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 through the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026.
  • The introduction of the Improvement Notice Mechanism under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 via the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 marks a significant regulatory shift toward a trust-based compliance framework. This reform transitions the enforcement process from immediate penalty imposition to a "fix-first, penalise-later" approach for minor errors.

PM Family Care Tracker

 

  • Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah launched the pilot project of PM Family Care Tracker at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
  • The integrated digital platform will track the health, nutrition and education of beneficiaries from pregnancy until the age of 18 using a unique ID linked to Birth Registration Number or ABHA ID.

ABHA ID

ABHA ID (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) is a 14-digit unique health identification number issued by the National Health Authority (NHA) of India.

Aarogya Setu 2.0 and ABDM Launch

 

  • Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda launched Aarogya Setu 2.0 which has been completely redesigned from a COVID-19 contact-tracing application into a comprehensive Personal Health Record (PHR) application under India's Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) framework.

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)

 

  • The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is a flagship Central Sector Scheme implemented by the National Health Authority (NHA) to create a unified, secure, and interoperable digital health infrastructure across India.
  • It bridges the gap between healthcare providers, patients, and insurers by establishing digital pathways for seamless medical data exchange.

STATE SPECIAL NEWS

Solar power parks in Madhya Pradesh

 

  • Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi, along with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, inaugurated two major solar parks in the state: a 500 MW solar park in Neemuch and a 450 MW solar park in Shajapur.

Madhya Pradesh

 

 

India's second-largest state by area

State Formation: Established on 1 November 1956. Chhattisgarh was carved out on 1 November 2000.

Capital: Bhopal (the administrative hub), with the High Court and judicial capital located in Jabalpur

  • Governor: Mangubhai C. Patel
  • Chief Minister: Mohan Yadav

Representation: 29 Lok Sabha seats and 11 Rajya Sabha seats

MP has the largest Scheduled Tribe (ST) population in India. The Bhil tribe is the largest group in the state

Border: Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan

Topography: Dominated by the Malwa Plateau in the west and the Bundelkhand Plateau in the north.

Mountain Ranges: The Vindhya Range (North) and Satpura Range (South) run parallel across the state.

River Systems:

  • Narmada: Flows West into the Arabian Sea via a rift valley between the Vindhyas and Satpuras.
  • Tapi: Flows West parallel to Narmada.
  • Chambal, Betwa, Ken, Son: Flow North/North-East to join the Yamuna/Ganga system.

Highest Peak: Dhupgarh (1,350 m), located in the Mahadev Hills of the Satpura Range (Pachmarhi).

Tropic of Cancer: Passes through the middle of the state, cutting across 14 districts (including Ujjain, Bhopal, Raisen, and Jabalpur).

UNESCO Sites

  • Khajuraho Group of Monuments: Famous for Nagara-style temple architecture built by the Chandela dynasty (e.g., Kandariya Mahadeva).
  • Sanchi Stupa: Built by Emperor Ashoka; a supreme example of Mauryan/Buddhist architecture.
  • Bhimbetka Rock Shelters: Prehistoric paintings demonstrating the evolution of human habitation from the Paleolithic to the Mesolithic periods.

Important Festivals: Khajuraho Dance Festival and Tansen Music Festival (Gwalior)

Tribal Population: MP has the highest Scheduled Tribe (ST) population in India. The Bhil tribe is the largest tribe in the state.

India's sole producer of Diamonds (Panna mines) and holds massive reserves of Copper (Malanjkhand) and Manganese.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India- Mauritius

 

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Mauritius counterpart Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam on the sidelines of Seychelles’ Golden Jubilee National Day celebrations in Victoria.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi held high-level bilateral and delegation-level talks with Seychelles President Dr Patrick Herminie at the State House in Victoria.

Mauritius

 

 

  • Location: Situated in the Mascarene Islands, southwest of the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar.
  • Capital: Port Louis.
  • Currency: Mauritian Rupee (MUR)
  • Outlying Territories: Rodrigues Island, Agalega Islands, and Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon)
  • India's IOR Strategy: Mauritius is a central pillar of India's SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region) policy and the "Neighbourhood First" policy.
  • Mission Karmayogi: Mauritius became the first international partner to adopt India's civil services training module.

SUMMITS AND CONFERNCES

16th Conference of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare

 

  • Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda launched the Samagra Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram (SSBSK) during the 16th Conference of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare in New Delhi.

4rth Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference

 

  • In Gujarat, the fourth Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference was started at GSFC University in Vadodara under the theme ‘Regional Aspirations, Global Ambitions’.

Rashtriya Gramin Vikas Sammelan

 

  • India's first-ever comprehensive national-level conference dedicated to village-led national development named Rashtriya Gramin Vikas Sammelan (National Rural Development Conference) 2026 was organised Ministry for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development in New Delhi.
  • The central themes of the conference were structured around "Viksit Gram, Viksit Bharat" (Developed Village, Developed India) and "Gramoday Se Rashtroday" (Rise of the Village leads to the Rise of the Nation)

IMPORTANT DAYS

20th Statistics Day

 

  • India celebrated the 20th Statistics Day on June 29, 2026, to honor the birth anniversary and legacy of renowned statistician Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis.
  • The day raises public awareness about the crucial role of statistics in socio-economic planning and policy formulation.
  • This year’s Theme was "Unlocking the Potential of Administrative Data".

Prof. P.C. Mahalanobis

 

 

  • Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis (29 June 1893 – 28 June 1972) was a world-renowned Indian scientist and applied statistician, widely revered as the "Father of Indian Statistics".
  • Founded: Indian Statistical Institute (ISI)

Contributions

  • Mahalanobis Distance (D²): A groundbreaking statistical measure used to find the distance between a point and a multi-dimensional data distribution.
  • The Mahalanobis Model: Serving on India's first economic Planning Commission, he authored the architectural blueprint for India's Second Five-Year Plan (1956–1961).
  • Sankhyā Journal: Founded this premier international journal of statistics in 1933 to foster quantitative research.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

UITP Achievement Award for Operational Excellence

 

  • The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was awarded the UITP Achievement Award for Operational Excellence at a ceremony in Brussels.
  • Conferred by the International Association of Public Transport, the award recognized DMRC’s smart door-to-door transit services enabled by the AI-powered DMRC Sarthi App.

ECONOMY & BANKING

UPI Operational in Seychelles

 

  • During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the island nation, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and the Central Bank of Seychelles signed a Memorandum of Understanding to officially introduce the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
  • The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is targeted to become operational in Seychelles by the end of 2026.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

 

  • Development: Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
  • Regulation: Governed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
  • Launch Date: Launched on April 11, 2016.
  • Architecture: An instant, real-time payment system that merges multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application.

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)

  • Establishment & Status: Incorporated in December 2008 as a "Not for Profit" company under Section 8 of the Companies Act.
  • Promoters: Joint initiative of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian Banks' Association (IBA).
  • Regulation: Though initiated by RBI, it functions as an independent payment infrastructure with strict RBI supervision and oversight.
  • Products: IMPS, NFS, UPI, NACH, Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), and RuPay

India’s first offshore airport

 

  • India’s first offshore airport is planned in Maharashtra, to be built on reclaimed land in the Arabian Sea near Kore beach in Palghar district, close to the upcoming Vadhavan Port.
  • The Maharashtra government has ordered a detailed project report (DPR) for the proposed airport off the state's western coast, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also directing officials to examine extending the Uttan-Virar Sea Link to provide direct connectivity to the site.

Merger of PFC-REC

 

  • The boards of Power Finance Corporation Ltd. (PFC) and REC Ltd. approved a historic merger, absorbing REC into PFC. The consolidated entity will form India’s largest power-sector non-banking financial company (NBFC) with an aggregate loan book exceeding ₹11 lakh crore and commanding roughly 80% of the country's power sector lending.
  • The merged entity will continue to qualify as a government company, with the Government of India retaining majority voting rights and control, directly or indirectly.

RITES, CONCOR signed MoU

 

  • RITES Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR) to collaborate on Project Management Consultancy (PMC) services for the development and improvement of CONCOR’s terminals and establishments across the country.
  • The collaboration will support the development and modernization of logistics infrastructure, including multimodal logistics parks, inland container depots, rail-linked terminals, warehouses, railway infrastructure, administrative buildings, roads, utilities and allied facilities.

ART & CULTURE

Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra

 

  • Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha performed the 'Pratham Puja' marking the official ceremonial start of the annual Amarnath Yatra.

Shri Amarnath Cave Temple

 

 

  • Location: at an altitude of 3,888 metres (12,756 feet) in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir.
  • Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple is a natural cave famous for its Ice Lingam, a massive ice stalagmite that grows and shrinks following the phases of the moon.
  • According to Hindu mythology, this remote cave is the precise location where Lord Shiva narrated the Amar Katha (the secret of immortality and creation) to his consort, Parvati.

Pilgrimage Routes

  • The Pahalgam Route: The traditional, gentler, but longer path spanning roughly 46 to 48 km. It takes about 3 to 5 days to complete, passing through breathtaking spots like Chandanwari, Sheshnag, and Panjtarni.
  • The Baltal Route: The steeper, more physically demanding, but significantly shorter path of 14 km. This route allows pilgrims to complete a round-trip journey to the cave in a single day.

Deva Snana Purnima of Lord Jagannath

 

  • In Odisha, the sacred city of Puri resonated with unparalleled spiritual fervour as lakhs of devotees gathered for the annual Deva Snana Purnima, the ceremonial harbinger of the world-famous Rath Yatra.

SPORTS

India-Ireland T20 Series 2026

 

  • Ireland created history by defeating India 2-0 in their bilateral T20 International (T20I) series in Belfast, marking their first-ever series victory over the Men in Blue in any cricket format.

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