DAILY GK 26-28 JUNE 2026

 DAILY GK 26-28 JUNE 2026

1.       GI TAG TO KHURASANI IMLI, GARUDA TUBER, AND BALAM KAKDI

·         Geographical Indication Registry (GIR) granted Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Madhya Pradesh Khurasani Imli, fruit of Mandu’s iconic Baobab tree.

·         In addition, Garadu tuber, a winter delicacy from the Malwa region; Indori Malwi potato; and Balam Kakdi (cucumber), also received GI recognition.

 


2.       GLOBAL PRESTIGE AWARD

·         Harsh Vardhan, President of the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA), was honoured with the Global Prestige Award at the House of Lords, UK Parliament, in London.

·         The honour was presented under the theme ‘Visionaries of Change: Charting the Course to Viksit Bharat 2047’ .

 

3.       GRSE BECOMES INDIA’S 29TH NAVRATNA COMPANY

·         The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), Ministry of Finance (MoF), upgraded Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Limited, under the Ministry of Defence(MoD), from Miniratna Category-I to Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) status .

·         Navratna status allows investment up to Rs. 1,000 crore or 15% of net worth per project without prior government approval, enabling faster financial and operational decision-making.

 

4.       VISWANATHAN ANAND CONFERRED SJFI GOLD MEDAL 

·         Viswanathan Anand, India’s first Chess Grandmaster (GM) and Deputy President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), was conferred the Sports Journalists’ Federation of India (SJFI) Gold Medal for his exceptional contribution to Indian chess and outstanding achievements in the sport.

·         Instituted in 2019, the SJFI Gold Medal honours sportspersons for their outstanding contributions to the long-term growth and development of their respective sports.

·         Viswanathan Anand became the 6th recipient of the SJFI Gold Medal, joining sporting legends Sunil Gavaskar, Vijay Amritraj, Prakash Padukone, P. T. Usha, and Milkha Singh (posthumous).

 

5.       DOHA DIAMOND LEAGUE

·         The 2026 Doha Diamond League28th edition of the annual outdoor track and field meeting, held at Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar 

·         Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra finished fourth in the men’s javelin throw with a best throw of 85.69 metres (m)

·         Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage won the men’s javelin throw with 88.68 m ahead of Anderson Peters of Grenada (86.38 m) and Curtis Thompson of the USA (85.99 m).

·         The 2026 Doha Diamond League was the seventh of 14 qualifying meetings in the 2026 Diamond League season, which will conclude with a season finale after events held across four continents.

 

6.       FIH WOMEN’S NATIONS CUP

·         The International Hockey Federation (FIH) Hockey Women’s Nations Cup 2025–26 held at Auckland, New Zealand. 

·         Indian Women’s Hockey Team clinched the championship title by defeating hosts New Zealand with a 2–0 victory in the final.

·         The victory earned India promotion to the Women’s FIH Pro League 2026–27. 

 

7.       ASIAN RELAYS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2026

·         India secured the gold medal in the women’s 4x100m relay at the 2nd edition of Asian Relays Championships held in Shangyu, China.

·         India finished with three medals: 1 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze.

·         India will host the 2027 Asian Relays Championships in Chandigarh.

8.       MILITARY EXERCISE ‘KHAAN QUEST’

·         The Indian Army (IA) participates in the 23rd edition of multilateral joint military exercise ‘KHAAN QUEST’, hosted by Mongolia inUlaanbaatar, Mongolia.

·         India is represented by a 40-member IA contingent.

·         The 23rd edition brings together over 1,000 personnel from 18 countries.

 

9.       NATIONAL READING DAY 2026 – JUNE 19 

·         National Reading Day was observed across India on 19 June to promote reading habits and honour P.N. Panicker, the Father of Kerala’s Library and Literacy Movement.

·         The first ‘Vayanadinam’ (Reading Day) was observed in Kerala on 19 June 1996 to commemorate the first death anniversary of P.N. Panicker.

·         In 2017, PM Narendra Modi declared 19 June as National Reading Day across India during the 22nd National Reading Month celebrations.

10.    UN WORLD REFUGEE DAY 2026 – JUNE 20 

·         2026 Theme: “Until Everyone Is Safe”.

·         The inaugural World Refugee Day was observed on June 20, 2001. 

·         The 2001 observance marked the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.

 

11.    UN INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA 2026 – JUNE 21

·         2026 Theme: “Yoga for Healthy Ageing”.

·         The first IDY was observed on 21 June 2015.

·         The 12th IDY was celebrated worldwide on 21 June 2026 with PM Narendra Modi leading the national observance at Red Road in Kolkata, West Bengal.

 

12.    WORLD MUSIC DAY 2026 – JUNE 21 

·         2026 Theme: “Music for Peace”.

·         World Music Day was started in France in 1982 by Jack Lang, then French Minister of Culture, and Maurice Fleuret, a music journalist and composer.

·         The first World Music Day was celebrated on 21 June 1982 in Paris.

 

13.    INTERNATIONAL WIDOWS DAY 2026- JUNE 23 

·         International Widows’ Day was initiated in 2005 by the United Kingdom (UK)-based Loomba Foundation, a charitable organisation working for the rights and welfare of widows worldwide.

·         The first UN-recognised observance was held on 23 June 2011.

·         23 June holds personal significance as the founder of the Loomba Foundation, Lord Raj Loomba, lost his father on this date in 1954, when his mother became a widow.

 

14.    UNITED NATIONS PUBLIC SERVICE DAY 2026 – JUNE 23

·         The day also commemorates the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 151 on Labour Relations (Public Service), adopted on 23 June 1978, which sets global standards for working conditions in the civil service.

·         The first UNPSD was observed on 23 June 2003.

·         The UN Public Service Forum (UNPSF) 2026 is being held in Tbilisi, Georgia under the theme “Transforming Public Institutions: Advancing Innovation, Participation, and Inclusion.

 

15.    INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC DAY 2026 – JUNE 23

·         2026 Theme: ‘You Can Do This. Let’s Move’

·         The first International Olympic Day was celebrated on 23 June 1948.

·         The day commemorates the founding of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 23 June 1894 at the Sorbonne in Paris, France, led by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, which later resulted in the revival of the Olympic Games and the first modern Olympics in 1896 in Athens.

 

16.    UN DAY OF THE SEAFARER 2026 – JUNE 25 

·         The United Nations (UN) Day of the Seafarer (DotS) is observed annually on 25 June to recognize the vital contribution of seafarers to international maritime trade and the global economy.

·         2026 Theme: “Carrying world trade. Carrying the risks.”

·         The Day of the Seafarer (DotS) was established at a diplomatic conference held in Manila, Philippines in June 2010, which also adopted the Manila Amendments to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW Convention).

·         The first Day of the Seafarer was observed on 25 June 2011.

 

17.    SAMVIDHAAN HATYA DIWAS 2026 – JUNE 25 

·         Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas (Constitution Murder Day) is observed annually across India on 25 June to commemorate the declaration of the Emergency in 1975, honour those who suffered during its imposition, and reaffirm the importance of safeguarding India’s Constitution and democratic values.

·         On 25 June 1975, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi invoked Article 352 of the Constitution of India, and the Emergency was proclaimed by then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed on her advice, citing “internal disturbances”, remaining in force for 21 months until 21 March 1977.

·         The day was officially designated as Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India (GoI) in 2024.

 

18.    INDIA’S FIRST SAATVIK INDEX ‘BSE SAATVIK 100’

·         BSE Index Services Private Limited, wholly-owned subsidiary of Bombay Stock Exchange Limited (BSE), Asia’s oldest exchange and the world’s largest exchange in terms of number of listed companies, launched India’s 1st Saatvik Index named ‘BSE Saatvik 100’, to promote ethical-based investing.

·         The Index is derived from the constituents of BSE 500 Index, that aligns with Saatvik principles, offering domestic investors a new avenue to invest in companies that comply with ethical and value-based principles.

·         The new index has a base value of 1000, first value date is June 20 2005, and it is reconstituted every 6 months of  a year i.e. in June & December.

·         The newly launched Saatvik index can be used to run passive strategies such as Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), and Index Funds.

 

19.    KCC RULES REVISED: RBI

·         The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) revamped the “Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme”, standardizing crop season definition for uniform loan processing and repayment.

·         The KCC directions, 2026 will apply to loans sanctioned under the KCC scheme from January 1, 2027.

·         The directions apply for Commercial Banks (CBs), Small Finance Banks (SFB), Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), and Rural Co-operative Banks (RCBs).

 

20.    RBI WAIVES COLLATERAL REQUIREMENT FOR AGRI LOANS UP TO RS 2 LAKHS

·         The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) directed banks to exempt agricultural and allied sector loans up to Rs.2 lakh per borrower from collateral security and margin requirements, as part of its updated guidelines under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme.

·         However, voluntary pledge of gold and silver as collateral for agriculture loans up to the collateral-free limit will not be considered as a violation of the guidelines on collateral-free lending to the agriculture sector.

·         RBI shall designate a commercial bank as Lead Bank in each district, to coordinate the efforts of the banks, Government, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

·         The RBI has mandated that every lead bank appoint a Lead District Manager (LDM) exclusively for each district under its charge.

 

21.    WORLD BANK APPROVES USD 1.5 BILLION FOR INDIA’S STRUCTURAL REFORMS

·         The World Bank approved financing of USD 1.5 billion to support India’s structural reforms aimed at accelerating private sector-led job creation and economic growth under the Private Sector Development Policy Financing (DPF) programme.

·         The funding supports the Boosting Job Creation in the Private Sector DPF operation, which supports reforms to boost competitiveness, employment, and private sector growth.

·         The initiative aims to create employment for around 11 million youth annually over the next two decades

 

22.    RBI RELEASES RBI (CREDIT DERIVATIVES) DIRECTIONS, 2026

·         The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the “Master Directions – RBI (Credit Derivatives) Directions, 2026”, aimed at deepening India’s corporate bond market and expanding the range of risk-management tools available to market participants.

·         The direction introduces new products such as Total Return Swaps (TRS) linked to corporate bonds and derivatives on credit indices.

·         The following persons shall be eligible to participate in credit derivatives market: Residents and Person resident outside India

·         To support the market’s development, the RBI has mandated the creation of a Credit Derivatives Determinations Committee under FIMMDA (Fixed Income Money Market and Derivatives Association of India).