The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) inducted the first of six indigenously built Air Cushion Vehicles (ACVs), or hovercraft, at Goa on 18 June 2026. The vessels are being constructed by Chowgule & Company Private Limited under a Ministry of Defence contract.
Key Highlights
First ACV inducted into ICG service in Goa.
Part of a contract for six indigenous hovercraft.
Contract signed between the Ministry of Defence and Chowgule & Company Pvt. Ltd. on 24 October 2024.
The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is celebrating its 23rd Foundation Day on 19 June 2026, highlighting its role in strengthening India’s internet infrastructure and digital ecosystem.
About NIXI
Established under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Not-for-profit organization promoting internet growth and resilience in India.
Functions:
Management of ‘.IN’ and ‘.भारत’ country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs).
Internet Exchange (IX) services.
Allocation of IPv4 and IPv6 addresses through the Indian Registry for Internet Names and Numbers (IRINN).
Key Achievements
Manages over 3.9 million .IN domain names.
India is among the top 10 country-code domain registries globally.
Operates 79 Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) across the country.
Supports domain names in 22 Indian languages.
Facilitated migration of banking platforms to the .bank.in domain.
India’s IPv6 penetration has reached 78.34%.
New Initiative
Launch of an AI-Powered WHOIS Screening Platform.
Aim: Improve trustworthiness of the .IN domain ecosystem. Strengthen domain security and fraud detection.
Key Terms
Internet Exchange Point (IXP): Physical infrastructure through which Internet Service Providers (ISPs) exchange domestic internet traffic. Reduces latency and international bandwidth costs.
WHOIS: A public database that stores information about domain name registration, ownership, and administrative details.
IPv6: Latest version of the Internet Protocol. Provides a vastly larger address space than IPv4.
Significance
Enhances India’s digital sovereignty.
Strengthens internet security and resilience.
Promotes multilingual internet access.
Supports the vision of a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.
[2018] Which one of the following links all the ATMs in India?
PYQ Relevance[UPSC 2024] In a crucial domain like the public healthcare system, the Indian State should play a vital role to contain the adverse impact of marketisation of the system. Suggest some measures through which the State can enhance the reach of public healthcare at the grassroots level. Linkage: Public health outcomes depend on effective policy implementation, not merely data generation.The article highlights the need to convert health data into accountability, stronger public healthcare interventions and better service delivery.
Mentor’s Comment
The release of NFHS-6, the National Health Accounts Estimates (2022-23), and the NSSO 80th Round on Health has renewed attention on India’s health indicators. India’s primary challenge is no longer generating health data but ensuring that survey findings translate into accountability, budgetary decisions, and programme correction.
What challenges do India’s health surveys reveal?
Rising Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs): NFHS-6 reports increasing obesity, diabetes and hypertension across social and economic groups.
Persistent Out-of-Pocket Expenditure: National Health Accounts continue to show significant household spending on healthcare.
Nutrition Challenges: Survey findings indicate that several nutrition-related concerns remain inadequately addressed.
Expansion of Disease Burden: Health problems once concentrated among urban and affluent groups have spread across wider sections of society.
Recurring Evidence: Successive surveys continue to identify many of the same structural weaknesses in India’s health system.
Out-of-pocket expenditure: It declined as a share of Total Health Expenditure from 62.6% (2014-15) to 39.4% (2022-23).
Obesity and Lifestyle Diseases: Female obesity increased from 24% to 28%, while male obesity increased from 23% to 25% between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6. Diabetes rose from 14% to 17% among women and 16% to 18% among men.
High Medicine Costs: NSSO health data show medicines remain the largest component of household health expenditure, particularly in outpatient care.
Who benefits when major health data are released?
Governments: Positive indicators are used to showcase policy achievements and programme success.
Media: Survey findings generate extensive coverage of emerging health trends.
Academia: Researchers use datasets to analyse disease patterns and policy outcomes.
Private Sector: Businesses identify opportunities in diagnostics, medicines, wellness services and healthcare delivery.
Public Health Community: Survey findings help identify emerging health priorities and vulnerable populations.
Where does India’s health data ecosystem actually fail?
Data Availability vs Policy Utilisation: India regularly generates large-scale health datasets. The failure lies in converting findings into policy action.
Selective Interpretation: Governments highlight positive indicators and downplay adverse findings. Surveys become tools of narrative management.
Delayed Policy Response: Weak indicators are acknowledged but rarely trigger immediate programme redesign.
Repetition of Known Problems: Surveys repeatedly document obesity, diabetes, hypertension and nutrition challenges. Structural responses remain limited.
Ritualistic Data Discourse: Academic analysis, media coverage and political debate often stop at description rather than institutional reform.
Why does the growing volume of health data not automatically improve health outcomes?
Data Do Not Implement Policies: Surveys identify problems. Administrative systems must translate findings into interventions.
Weak Accountability Chains: Findings are rarely linked to specific ministries, schemes or officials responsible for corrective action.
Budget Disconnect: Survey outcomes often fail to influence expenditure priorities.
Fragmented Governance: Health, nutrition, urban planning, food regulation and pharmaceutical policies operate in silos.
Absence of Follow-up Mechanisms: Publication of findings is not followed by mandatory review and action processes.
Why has health data increasingly become useful for markets but less useful for public policy?
Commercial Signalling: Rising obesity creates demand for weight-loss products, diagnostics and fitness services.
Disease Monetisation: Growth in NCDs expands markets for screening, medicines and private healthcare.
Private Sector Responsiveness: Businesses rapidly respond to emerging health trends.
Public Sector Inertia: Government systems respond more slowly to evidence.
Information Asymmetry: Survey findings are often converted into business opportunities before they become policy interventions.
Why does the current survey ecosystem struggle to shape timely decision-making?
Time Lag in Data Release: NFHS-6 data were collected during 2023-24 but entered public debate much later.
Political Incentives: Governments can attribute negative findings to past conditions and claim credit for positive trends.
Delayed Academic Scrutiny: Raw data become available late, slowing independent research.
Obsolescence Risk: Policy debates often begin years after data collection.
Lost Reform Windows: Administrative opportunities pass before evidence is fully analysed.
Can more health data solve India’s health governance problem?
Data Deficit is Not the Core Problem: India already possesses extensive survey infrastructure.
Action Deficit is the Core Problem: Institutions lack mechanisms that convert evidence into decisions.
Information Without Accountability: Findings remain descriptive when no authority is responsible for correction.
Information Without Budgetary Consequences: Data without budgetary consequence are merely information. Survey results have limited impact when resource allocation remains unchanged.
Information Without Timeliness: Delayed interpretation reduces policy relevance.
What institutional changes are required to convert health data into policy action?
Action Notes After Surveys: National and state governments should publish time-bound response plans within 30-45 days of major survey releases.
Clear Accountability Mapping: Each adverse indicator should be linked to a responsible programme and implementing authority.
State-Level Health Data Reviews: Survey findings should be examined jointly by health, finance, district administration, experts and civil society.
Integrated Health Information Systems: HMIS and Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) data should be combined with survey data for policy analytics.
Open Access to Raw Data: Researchers and public institutions should receive early access to datasets.
Budget-Linked Decision Making: NCD trends, medicine expenditure and nutrition indicators should directly influence resource allocation.
Indicator-Specific Responses: Rising anaemia should trigger nutrition interventions, poor hypertension detection should trigger primary healthcare reforms, and high medicine expenditure should trigger drug procurement reforms.
Conclusion
India’s health challenge is no longer the production of data but the institutional failure to act on it. Health surveys must trigger accountability, programme correction and budgetary reprioritisation. More datasets alone will not improve health outcomes; faster interpretation, clearer responsibility and enforceable policy responses remain the missing link.
India and Russia operationalised the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS) in January 2025 after signing it during the Russian President’s visit to India in December 2024. The agreement attracted attention due to claims that it allows stationing of troops on each other’s territory, prompting official clarification that RELOS is a logistics support arrangement and not a military basing agreement.
Why have logistics agreements become an important instrument of modern defence cooperation?
Operational Sustainment: Logistics agreements provide access to fuel, repair, replenishment and maintenance facilities during deployments.
Force Mobility: They enable military assets to operate across larger geographical areas without establishing overseas bases.
Humanitarian Response: They facilitate Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions and evacuation operations.
Interoperability: They standardise procedures for port calls, airfield access and logistical coordination between armed forces.
Strategic Flexibility: They allow defence cooperation without creating alliance obligations.
India’s Existing Logistics Agreements
Country
Agreement
Year
United States
Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA)
2016
France
Reciprocal Logistics Support Agreement
2018
Singapore
Naval Logistics Support Agreement
2018
South Korea
Agreement on Mutual Logistics Support
2019
Australia
Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement (MLSA)
2020
Japan
Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA)
2020
Russia
Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS)
2024 (operationalised in 2025)
What does the India-Russia RELOS agreement actually provide?
Reciprocal Logistics Access: Armed forces of both countries can access designated facilities for supplies, repair and refuelling.
Port and Airfield Support: The agreement covers port calls by warships and use of airspace and airfield infrastructure.
Military Asset Support: It applies to ships, aircraft, vehicles and other military equipment.
Operational Cooperation: It covers exercises, training activities, HADR missions and military exchanges.
Administrative Framework: It establishes procedures for accounting, reimbursement and logistical coordination.
Additional Services: It includes medical support, technical assistance and delivery of food and essential supplies.
Why is RELOS being wrongly interpreted as a troop-stationing or military basing agreement?
No Permanent Bases: RELOS does not create military bases on the territory of either country.
No Troop Stationing Rights: The agreement does not permit permanent deployment of military personnel.
No Alliance Commitment: It does not create mutual defence obligations or collective security arrangements.
Consent-Based Access: Visits and logistical support require mutual agreement and prior coordination.
Official Clarification: The Ministry of Defence clarified that RELOS is similar to LEMOA and other logistics support agreements signed by India.
Administrative Nature: The agreement simplifies logistics procedures rather than altering military command structures.
What does RELOS reveal about India’s evolving approach to strategic partnerships?
Strategic Autonomy: India continues to expand defence cooperation without joining military alliances.
Multi-Alignment: India maintains logistics arrangements with countries belonging to different geopolitical blocs.
Networked Partnerships: Similar agreements exist with the United States, France, Japan, Australia and several other countries.
Russia’s Continuing Relevance: The agreement reinforces the long-standing India-Russia defence relationship.
Expanded Operational Reach: Access to Russian facilities increases India’s logistical options across Eurasia and the Arctic region.
Issue-Based Cooperation: Defence cooperation is increasingly organised around operational requirements rather than alliance structures.
Why does logistics cooperation matter even without alliance commitments?
Military Effectiveness: Logistics determines the ability to sustain operations over long distances.
Reduced Infrastructure Costs: Countries gain access to support facilities without maintaining overseas bases.
Rapid Deployment Capability: Forces can respond more quickly during emergencies, exercises and humanitarian missions.
Greater Strategic Reach: Logistics access expands the geographical range of military operations.
Preservation of Policy Independence: States retain decision-making autonomy despite deepening defence cooperation.
Conclusion
The significance of RELOS lies not in troop deployment, military basing rights or alliance formation. Its importance lies in institutionalising reciprocal logistics support that expands operational reach while preserving India’s strategic autonomy. The agreement reflects a broader shift in defence cooperation where military mobility and logistical access are increasingly valued over formal alliance commitments.
PYQ Relevance
[UPSC 2020] What is the significance of Indo-US defence deals over Indo-Russian defence deals? Discuss with reference to stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Linkage: The question compares India’s defence partnerships with the United States and Russia and their implications for strategic interests. RELOS shows that India is not replacing Russia with the United States; instead, it is pursuing diversified defence partnerships
The RBI approved a record surplus transfer of ₹2.87 lakh crore to the Union government for FY26. The transfer follows a sharp expansion in the RBI’s balance sheet and rising earnings from reserve management, foreign assets and market operations, triggering debate over the RBI’s evolving place within India’s fiscal architecture.
Why is the RBI no longer functioning only as a monetary authority?
Traditional Role: The RBI’s primary mandate is monetary stability, financial stability and currency management.
Record Fiscal Contribution: The RBI transferred a record ₹2.87 lakh crore to the Union government in FY26, demonstrating its growing importance as a source of fiscal resources.
Expanding Financial Footprint: The RBI’s balance sheet expanded by 20.6% to ₹91.97 lakh crore by March 2026, increasing the scale at which its operations influence fiscal outcomes.
Rising Operational Income: Gross income rose by 26%, reflecting the growing revenue-generating capacity of RBI operations.
Magnitude of Fiscal Impact: The transfer exceeds the annual budgets of several Indian States, indicating the substantial fiscal significance of RBI earnings.
Institutional Shift: Reserve management, foreign asset holdings and market operations now generate fiscal resources alongside monetary outcomes, giving the RBI a role that extends beyond traditional central banking.
How has the RBI’s management of reserves become a source of fiscal capacity?
Reserve Management: RBI actively manages foreign exchange reserves, gold holdings and securities portfolios as part of its monetary mandate.
Gold Reserve Expansion: RBI acquired almost $12 billion worth of gold, increasing the scale of reserve assets under its management.
Fiscal Contribution: Returns from reserve management increasingly contribute to the RBI surplus transferred to the Union government.
Institutional Consequence: Activities undertaken for monetary and financial stability now generate substantial fiscal resources, linking reserve management to government finances.
Can a central bank remain institutionally independent when it becomes fiscally important?
Institutional Distance: Central bank credibility depends on insulation from day-to-day fiscal compulsions.
Fiscal Dependence: Large surplus transfers strengthen government finances without taxation or borrowing.
Monetary-Fiscal Interdependence: Decisions affecting the RBI’s balance sheet increasingly affect fiscal outcomes. The growing fiscal role of central banks blurs the traditional boundary between monetary policy and fiscal policy.
Changing Incentives: Fiscal significance increases political interest in central-bank earnings.
Global Experience: Quantitative easing demonstrated how central-bank balance sheets can become instruments of fiscal support.
Core Tension: The RBI remains a monetary authority while simultaneously becoming an important fiscal actor.
Why does the RBI’s growing fiscal role create a federalism challenge?
Union Ownership: RBI profits accrue entirely to the Union government.
Outside Fiscal Devolution: RBI transfers are not included in the divisible pool shared through Finance Commission awards.
No Automatic State Share: States receive no direct claim on RBI-generated revenues.
Scale of Asymmetry: The ₹2.87 lakh crore transfer exceeds the annual budgets of several States, highlighting the magnitude of resources accruing exclusively to the Centre.
State Fiscal Constraints: States retain major expenditure responsibilities and face borrowing restrictions under Article 293, limiting their ability to offset revenue asymmetries.
Fiscal Centralisation: Large public resources generated through monetary institutions strengthen the Centre’s fiscal position.
Federal Blind Spot: RBI dividend transfers illustrate a wider pattern in which cesses, surcharges and borrowing restrictions increasingly concentrate fiscal resources at the Union level.
Conclusion
The RBI’s record surplus transfer reflects a deeper institutional transformation rather than a one-time financial event. The central bank has evolved from being primarily a guardian of monetary stability into an increasingly important source of fiscal capacity for the Union government. The unresolved challenge is preserving central bank independence and strengthening fiscal federalism as monetary institutions become more deeply intertwined with public finance.
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The 10th India-Thailand Defence Dialogue was held in Bangkok on 16 June 2026 to review bilateral defence cooperation and discuss regional and global security issues.
Key Highlights
Reviewed the full spectrum of India-Thailand defence cooperation.
Discussed the evolving security environment in the Indo-Pacific.
Reaffirmed commitment to peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.
Reviewed progress in:
Military-to-military engagements.
Capacity-building initiatives.
Training exchanges.
Maritime cooperation.
Defence Industry Cooperation
Agreed to deepen collaboration in:
Defence manufacturing.
Research and development (R&D).
Innovation.
Capability development.
Aim: Promote mutually beneficial partnerships between the defence ecosystems of both countries.
Regional & Multilateral Cooperation
Discussed cooperation under Association of Southeast Asian Nations-led mechanisms.
Reaffirmed commitment to addressing shared security challenges through dialogue and collaboration.
India-Thailand Relations
Bilateral ties elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2025.
Thailand is an important partner in India’s:
Act East Policy.
Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
Maritime and regional connectivity efforts.
[2023] With reference to India’s projects on connectivity, consider the following statements:: 1. East-West Corridor under Golden Quadrilateral Project connects Dibrugarh and Surat. 2. Trilateral Highway connects Moreh in Manipur and Chiang Mai in Thailand via Myanmar. 3. Bangladesh- China- India- Myanmar Economic Corridor connects Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh with Kunming in China. How many of the above statements are correct?
The U.S. and Iran have reportedly reached a 14-point framework agreement aimed at reducing tensions, addressing Iran’s nuclear programme, easing sanctions, and restoring regional stability.
Iran’s Commitments
Pledges to never produce nuclear weapons.
Maintain the status quo on its nuclear programme during negotiations.
Reportedly agreed to down-blend (dilute) highly enriched uranium under supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Restore pre-war shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days.
U.S. Commitments
Facilitate release of frozen Iranian assets.
Support an economic development plan worth $300 billion.
Lift sanctions on:
Crude oil exports.
Petrochemical products.
Financial and banking services.
Remove naval blockade and reduce military presence in surrounding areas.
Commit to lifting primary and secondary sanctions under a final agreement.
Other Features
Mutual commitment to respect sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Call for an immediate and permanent end to regional hostilities, including in Lebanon.
Further negotiations to address:
Fate of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile.
Future nuclear enrichment rights.
Long-term sanctions relief.
Key Flashpoint: Nuclear Enrichment
Iran maintains that peaceful nuclear enrichment is its sovereign right.
The U.S. has sought zero enrichment on Iranian soil.
This remains the most contentious issue for the final agreement.
Strait of Hormuz
Connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
One of the world’s most important oil transit chokepoints.
A significant share of global crude oil and LNG trade passes through it.
Prelims Facts
IAEA = International Atomic Energy Agency.
Strait of Hormuz lies between Iran and Oman.
Iran possesses significant stocks of highly enriched uranium.
Nuclear enrichment involves increasing the concentration of the fissile isotope Uranium-235 in uranium fuel.
[2023]Consider the following statements: Statement-IIndia, despite having Uranium deposits, depends on coal for most of its electricity production. Statement-II:Uranium, enriched to the extent of at least 60%, is required for the production of electricity. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements
[A] Both Statement-I and Statement – II are correct and Statement- II is the correct explanation for Statement- I
[B] Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.
[C] Statement- I is Correct but Statement-II is incorrect.
[D] Statement-I incorrect but Statement-II is correct.
The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (17 June) was celebrated across 813 project areas under the WDC–PMKSY 2.0 (Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana 2.0).
WDC–PMKSY 2.0
Implemented by the Department of Land Resources (DoLR) under the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD).
Focuses on:
Soil and water conservation.
Restoration of degraded lands.
Enhancing resilience of rainfed agriculture.
Sustainable watershed development.
Major Interventions
Check dams, Percolation tanks, Farm ponds, Water harvesting and groundwater recharge structures
Key Outcomes
Improved water availability in rainfed areas.
Enables second and third crop cultivation.
Enhances farmers’ income and livelihood security.
Strengthens drought resilience and climate adaptation.
Activities Conducted
Bhoomi Poojan of 1,444 new watershed development works.
Lokarpan (Inauguration) of 8,341 completed watershed assets.
Plantation of 51,299 saplings under “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign.
Public pledge: “For a Developed India, Let Us Build a Drought-Free India.”
Significance
Promotes community-led land and water conservation.
Supports land restoration, water security, and climate resilience.
Contributes to sustainable rural development and combating desertification.
[2016] What is/are the importance/importances of the ‘United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’?
1. It aims to promote effective action through innovative national programmes and supportive international partnerships.
2. It has a special focus on South Asia and North Africa regions, and its Secretariat facilitates allocation of major portions of financial resources to these regions.
3. It is committed to a bottom-up approach, encouraging participation of local people in combating desertification.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) launched the Green Hydrogen Certification Portal of India (GHCI) to ensure transparent certification and regulatory compliance for green hydrogen production.
GHCI
Developed by MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy).
Certifies green hydrogen under the Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India (GHCI Scheme).
Enhances transparency, traceability, and market credibility.
National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM)
Launched in 2023.
Outlay: ₹19,744 crore.
Targets by 2030
5 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) of green hydrogen production.
125 Gigawatt (GW) dedicated renewable energy capacity.
₹8 lakh crore investment.
6 lakh jobs.
Reduction of 50 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions annually.
Key Progress
6 States have dedicated Green Hydrogen Policies; 7 States have integrated hydrogen into existing policies.
Incentives awarded to 15 companies for 3,000 MW (Megawatt) per year electrolyser manufacturing capacity.
Under SIGHT (Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition), incentives approved for 8.62 lakh Metric Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) of green hydrogen production.
Contracts awarded for 30,000 MTPA green hydrogen supply to refineries.
Agreements signed for 6.7 lakh MTPA of Green Ammonia supply to 11 fertilizer plants.
₹84 crore sanctioned for hydrogen injection pilot projects in the steel sector.
₹208 crore allocated for 37 hydrogen-powered vehicles and 9 refuelling stations.
₹113 crore allocated for Research and Development (R&D) projects.
₹100 crore startup fund; first 9 startups approved with ₹22 crore support.
Green Hydrogen
Hydrogen produced through electrolysis using renewable energy.
A zero-carbon fuel for sectors such as steel, fertilizers, refineries, shipping, and heavy transport.
[2023] With reference to green hydrogen, consider the following statements: 1. It can be used directly as a fuel for internal combustion. 2. It can be blended with natural gas and used as fuel for heat or power generation. 3. It can be used in the hydrogen fuel cell to run vehicles. How many of the above statements are correct?
