• Total Length and Configuration: The total length of the project is 8.1 kilometers. It includes a 3.14 km long twin-tube tunnel, with each tube featuring three lanes.
• Financial Cost: The total estimated capital cost of this ambitious project is ₹6,969.67 crore.
• Implementation Model: It will be developed under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) as part of the National Highways (O) scheme.
• Timeline: The Central Government has set a target to complete this project within 5 years.
• Route Alignment: The tunnel will commence at the Shiv Murti Interchange on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway (NH-48) and terminate before the intersection of Nelson Mandela Marg and Mehrauli-Mahipalpur Road in Vasant Kunj.
• Conservation of Southern Ridge Forest: A 1.98 km stretch of this tunnel will pass beneath the Southern Ridge area, known as the 'lungs' of Delhi.
• The project will generate approximately 75 lakh man-days of direct employment and 98 lakh person-days of indirect employment.

• Project Name: Kanpur-Kabrae Greenfield Highway (Kanpur to Mahoba)
• Highway Name: Part of National Highway NH-34
• Length: Approximately 117.7 kilometers
• Cost: Total expenditure of ₹7,145 crore
• Lanes: Initially constructed as a 4-lane highway, with a design that allows for future expansion to 6 lanes
• Travel Time: Travel time will be reduced from 3.5 hours to just 1.5 hours
• Model: To be constructed under the 'Build-Operate-Transfer' (BOT) mode
• Economic Corridor: A crucial component of the Bhopal-Kanpur Economic Corridor
• Gati Shakti: The project aligns with the objectives of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) Technology:

• This is a barrier-less, automated toll collection system. Under this system, vehicles do not need to stop or slow down at the toll plaza to pay the toll tax.
• Mechanism: This technology integrates Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras and smart sensors with the existing FASTag-based electronic toll collection system.
• Sensors and Gantry: Special gantries installed over the road and high-resolution cameras read the moving vehicle's FASTag and registration details, and the fee is deducted directly from the linked account.

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI):

• Establishment: Under the NHAI Act, 1988
• Operations Commenced: February 1995
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Ministry: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH)
• Current Chairman: Santosh Kumar Yadav

• Replaced: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)
• Legislative Journey: The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 16, 2025, and became law after receiving the assent of President Droupadi Murmu on December 21, 2025.
• Objective: To align the rural economy and employment with the long-term goal of 'Viksit Bharat @2047'.
• Employment Guarantee: Minimum of 125 days per year.
• Legal provision for a maximum 60-day agricultural break during peak farming seasons.
• Financial Burden: 60:40 ratio for general states; 90:10 ratio for Northeastern and Himalayan states.
• Wage Increase: The national average wage has risen from ₹298.8 to ₹327.4 per day. Additionally, the Minimum Base Wage has been fixed at ₹300 per day.
• Financial Provision: The Central Government has released an interim allocation of ₹95,692 crore to the states for the current financial year.

• Launch: July 1, 2015 (Today, July 1, 2026, marks the successful completion of 11 years of this historic programme)
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India
• Main Objective: To transform India into a digitally empowered society and a knowledge-based economy
• Motto: 'Power to Empower'

3 Key Vision Areas of Digital India:

• Infrastructure as a utility for every citizen: High-speed internet, unique digital identity (Aadhaar), and secure cyberspace
• Governance and services on demand: Online government services, digital financial transactions, and inter-departmental connectivity
• Digital empowerment of citizens: Universal digital literacy and easy access to digital resources for all

9 Key Pillars of Digital India:

• Broadband Highways: Connecting the entire country (especially Gram Panchayats) with high-speed internet
• Universal access to mobile connectivity: Extending mobile networks to every corner of the country
• Public Internet Access Programme: Transforming post offices and Common Service Centres (CSCs) into digital service centres
• e-Governance (Reforming government through technology): Making government operations online and transparent
• e-Kranti (Electronic delivery of services): Delivering online technology for education (e-Basta), health (e-Hospital), and farmers
• Information for All: Making government data and documents available online to the public
• Electronics Manufacturing: Promoting the production of mobile phones, chips, and other electronic goods within the country (aiming for zero imports)
• IT for Jobs: Training youth from rural areas and small towns for employment in the Information Technology sector
• Early Harvest Programme: Implementing biometric attendance, Wi-Fi, and... in government offices Immediate implementation of e-documents.

Key digital initiatives and achievements:

• DigiLocker: 1 July 2015 (Launched alongside the inception of the Digital India program).
• UMANG App: 23 November 2017 (Launched to provide citizens with access to all government services in a single place).
• UPI: 11 April 2016 (Launched by the National Payments Corporation of India; it transformed the landscape of retail payments in the country).
• PM-WANI: 9 December 2020 (The Union Cabinet approved this scheme for the expansion of public Wi-Fi networks across the country).
• Bhashini: 4 July 2022 (This AI-based language translation platform was launched by the Prime Minister during Digital India Week 2022).

FCRA 2.0 Portal:

• Full Name: Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2.0 Portal.
• Objective: To make the processes of registration, renewal, and filing of annual returns for foreign contributions/donations completely digital and transparent.
• Hosting: The portal is securely hosted on the national government cloud 'MeghRaj', minimizing the risk of data theft.
• Technical Features: It includes e-Sign-based authentication, OCR-based document analysis, and integration with the NGO Darpan bank account system.

Electronic e-OCI Card:

• Full Name: Electronic Overseas Citizen of India Card.
• Beneficiaries: Over 5 million OCI cardholders across the globe.
• Change: This makes OCI services completely paperless and digital. Applicants can now handle the entire process online—from submitting applications to downloading the digitally generated card.

• Post: Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS)
• Succeeded: He succeeded Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, who has been appointed as the new Chief of the Army Staff (COAS).
• Regiment: He was commissioned into the Mahar Regiment in June 1988 and has been the Colonel of the Regiment since August 1, 2024.
• Military Honors: He has been awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and the Sena Medal (SM) for distinguished service.

Other Key Appointments:

• Chief of Defence Staff (CDS): General N.S. Raja Subramani (Assumed office on May 31, 2026)
• Chief of the Army Staff (COAS): General Dhiraj Seth (Assumed office on June 30, 2026)

Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) :

• Formation: October 1, 2001 (based on the recommendations of the Kargil Review Committee, 1999)
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Motto: 'Victory through Jointness'
• Primary Objective: To establish better coordination and jointness among the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
• Nodal Department: It works in conjunction with the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) under the Ministry of Defence.

Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC):

• Designation: Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC)
• Latest Appointment: Air Marshal Tejinder Singh (Assumed office: July 1, 2026)
• Status of the Post: It is a three-star rank position, equivalent to the Vice Chiefs of the three armed services (Army, Navy, Air Force).
• Rank Rotation: Officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force are appointed to this post on a rotational basis.
• Executive Role: The officer heads the secretariat and serves as the Secretary to the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) under the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

• Presidency of the Council of the European Union (2026):
• Country holding the Presidency: Ireland has assumed the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union for a six-month term starting 1 July 2026.
• Duration: The Presidency runs from 1 July 2026 to 31 December 2026.
• Helen McEntee's Role: As the Minister for Justice in the Irish government, she will chair and lead meetings of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council during this Presidency.
• Previous Presidency: Immediately prior to Ireland (January to June 2026), Austria held the Presidency.

European Union (EU):

• A unique economic and political organization comprising 27 member states located in Europe.
• Establishment: 1 November 1993, under the Maastricht Treaty.
• Headquarters: Brussels (Belgium).
• Shared Currency: Euro (€) — currently used by 20 of the 27 member states, collectively known as the 'Eurozone'.

June 2026 GST Collection:

• Total Gross Collection: ₹1.94 lakh crore (Exact figure: ₹1,93,964 crore)
• Year-on-Year Growth Rate: A robust growth of 13.9% was recorded compared to June 2025.
• Growth in Domestic Transactions: Tax collection from domestic economic activities and transactions increased by 14.2% compared to the same period last year.
• Growth in Tax on Goods Imports: GST collection on imported goods saw an increase of 12.1%. Component-wise breakdown of collections:
• Central GST (CGST): ₹34,250 crore
• State GST (SGST): ₹42,850 crore
• Integrated GST (IGST): ₹1,02,450 crore (includes ₹48,200 crore collected on the import of goods)
• Cess: ₹14,414 crore (includes ₹1,215 crore collected on the import of goods)
• Gross GST:
• It is an indirect tax applicable across the entire country.
• Date of implementation: 1 July 2017 (101st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016)
• Meaning of Gross GST collection: It refers to the total tax collected by the government during a specific month or period, without deducting refunds.

Tax rates:

• 0% (Tax-free): Essential items such as milk, salt, unpackaged grains, etc.
• 5%: Common use items such as sugar, tea, edible oil, etc.
• 12%: Butter, mobile phones, processed foods, etc.
• 18%: Hair oil, soap, electronic goods, and most services.
• 28% (Highest rate): Cars, cement, cigarettes, and luxury goods.

GST Council:

• Constitutional Article: Constituted under Article 279A.
• Chairperson: The Union Finance Minister (currently Nirmala Sitharaman) serves as the chairperson.
• Members: The Union Minister of State for Finance and the Finance/Tax Ministers of all states are members.
• Key functions: Determining GST rates, setting tax exemption thresholds, and resolving tax-related disputes.

• Date: Celebrated annually on July 1st (Today, July 1, 2026, marks the completion of 77 years since the establishment of this prestigious institute).
• Commemorating: The establishment of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).
• Year of Establishment: Established on July 1, 1949, under an Act of Parliament (The Chartered Accountants Act, 1949).
• Headquarters: New Delhi.

Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI):

• Nature: It is a statutory body for the regulation of the financial audit and accounting profession in India.
• Status: It is the second-largest accounting body in the world in terms of economy and financial management.
• Administrative Ministry: It operates under the administrative control of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India.

• Location: Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport (Amausi Airport), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
• Certification: 'Eat Right Campus'
• Issuing Body: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
• Achievement: It has become the first airport in the country to achieve this distinction.
• Rating: The airport has been awarded a '5-Star' (Excellent) rating by FSSAI.
• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI):
• Establishment: Established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
• Effective Date: August 5, 2011
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Jurisdiction: Pan-India
• Parent Ministry: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India