June 2026

In short: India's science, environment and technology this month — distilled for SI/Constable Prelims.

Current Affairs — India › Science, Environment & Technology · 22 min read · Free to read · English & Telugu

Bilingual study notes for the Andhra Pradesh Police SI & Constable exams (SLPRB AP) by AP Police Hub, a product of Anvil Academy.

A new Army Chief's force multiplier Project Kusha, a triple warship commissioning, DNA/fingerprint policing tech, five public-health regulation changes, India's ₹40-45 billion space push, a 100-year Ramsar milestone, four fresh species sightings, a Venezuela earthquake doublet, and a places-in-news round-up.

The domed towers of the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory, Tamil Nadu — Kodaikanal Solar Observatory, Tamil Nadu (Indian Institute of Astrophysics) — its century-old sunspot data revealed the solar-cycle pattern reported this month · Anirvan Shukla / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

June 2026 — At a Glance

This was a strong month for India's defence-tech and public-health regulation — Project Kusha was called a "game changer", the Navy commissioned three warships together, and the government banned a carcinogenic tea-bag chemical, mandated cough-syrup prescriptions, and banned 16 unscientific combination drugs. In space and astronomy, India's ~US$40-45 billion space-economy push continued alongside GAGAN's first private-jet landing and a century-old Kodaikanal solar-cycle discovery. Environmentally, India crossed 100 Ramsar wetland sites even as a rare Venezuela earthquake doublet and a deadly European heatwave (Omega Block) made global headlines.

Seven biggest headlines

Project Kusha called a "game changer" (already proved itself in Operation Sindoor); Navy tri-commissions INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak, INS Agray; 4th S-400 squadron received.
SIPRI Yearbook 2026: India's nuclear stockpile grows to ~190 warheads (12 now deployed) — 5th-largest military spender globally ($92.1 billion, +8.9%).
BIS bans epichlorohydrin in tea bags; cough syrups made prescription-only; 16 combination drugs banned; fresh Nipah cases in Kerala and a Shigellosis outbreak.
India's Space Odyssey — targeting a US$40-45 billion space economy; Chandrayaan-4, LUPEX (Chandrayaan-5), Gaganyaan, and a Bharatiya Antariksh Station module (2028) all on the roadmap.
Surha Taal (UP) becomes India's 100th Ramsar wetland; four rare species sighted — Greater Hog Badger, Mishmi Takin, and a rare yellow-puffball mushroom.
Venezuela's earthquake doublet (M7.2 + M7.5, 39 seconds apart) — strongest in a century; Omega Block drives a European heatwave killing 1,300+.
RTX Spark Chip (Nvidia+Microsoft) launches AI-first PCs; India's Digital Sovereignty Gap exposed by the Nayara Energy-Microsoft cloud incident; Project Glasswing (Anthropic cybersecurity AI) restored to India.

1. Defence Technology & Strategic Systems

Project Kusha — battle-tested air defence

What — Defence Minister called Project Kusha a potential "game changer" while inaugurating an Advanced Weapon System Complex at DRDL, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex, Hyderabad; it already proved itself during Operation Sindoor.
Significance — Reduces dependence on foreign air-defence platforms like the S-400; symbolises Atmanirbhar Bharat's shift from import-dependent to innovation-driven defence manufacturing.

Indian Navy's triple commissioning

Three indigenous warships commissioned together (Kolkata) — 75%+ indigenous content
Ship	Class & role
INS Dunagiri	Project 17A stealth guided-missile frigate (149 m, 6,670 t) — blue-water warfare; BrahMos, MRSAM, MF-STAR radar
INS Sanshodhak	4th & last Sandhayak-class Survey Vessel (Large) — seabed mapping, AUVs/ROVs, oceanographic data
INS Agray	Arnala-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (77 m, 900 t) — coastal submarine-hunting

Other defence-technology updates — quick facts
Item	Key fact
Netra AEW&C — Final Operational Clearance	Indigenous Airborne Early Warning & Control system (CABS, Bengaluru; on the Brazilian Embraer EMB-145I) got FOC; used in the 2019 Balakot strikes and Operation Sindoor; India is the 5th country with this capability; 6 more Mk-1A units approved.
4th S-400 squadron delivered	Part of the $5.43-billion, 2018 India-Russia deal for 5 regimental systems; S-400 played a significant role in Operation Sindoor; 5th squadron due 2027; India also building an indigenous 'Sudarshan Chakra' air-defence ecosystem.
RudraM-II & DRDO Ballistic Missile Defence tests	DRDO+IAF flight-tested indigenous RudraM-II air-to-surface missile (developed at RCI, Hyderabad); separately, 3 consecutive BMD flight tests demonstrated ICBM-intercept capability (India among an elite few nations); NASM-MR anti-ship missile also tested.
AN-32 crash in Assam	5 IAF personnel killed when a Soviet-origin AN-32 transport aircraft (inducted 1984) crashed while landing at Jorhat AFS — the 3rd major AN-32 crash in a decade, reigniting ageing-fleet safety concerns.
Indian Army raises 'Baaz Battalions'	Dedicated Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA/drone) battalions for surveillance and rapid response, drawing on lessons from LAC standoffs and Operation Sindoor's drone use.
SIPRI Yearbook 2026 — nuclear arsenal	India's warheads grew 180→190; Pakistan stable ~170; China 600→620; India for the first time shows 12 deployed warheads (shift from de-mated storage) — SSBN-based deterrence patrols suspected.

2. Public Health & Pharmaceutical Regulation

Prescription now mandatory for cough syrups

What — MoHFW's Drugs (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2026 removed "syrups" from Schedule K of the Drugs Rules, 1945 — ending OTC status for all syrup medicines, following DTAB consultation.
Why — Prevents deaths from toxic solvents like diethylene glycol (as in a Madhya Pradesh case); Schedule K previously let cough syrups be sold in general stores in villages under 1,000 population.

Cough syrups filling the alcohol void in Bihar

What — Bihar's 2016 alcohol prohibition has pushed youth toward cheap codeine-based cough syrups (CBCS) — an opioid not recommended for children under 12 (can convert to morphine, causing respiratory complications).
Legal framework — Bihar Prohibition & Excise Act 2016 declared CBCS an "intoxicant"; Patna HC upheld Bihar's right to regulate it even where the NDPS Act, 1985 overlaps.

Other public-health & pharma updates — quick facts
Item	Key fact
Epichlorohydrin banned in tea bags	BIS sets India's first tea-bag quality standards — bans epichlorohydrin ("probably carcinogenic" per IARC) and chlorine bleaching; mandates migration tests for tea-bag paper, thread, tags, inks.
Government bans 16 combination drugs	16 fixed-dose combination (FDC) drugs banned — antibiotic & dermatological formulations lacking scientific evidence of added benefit — to curb Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and avoidable side effects.
Herbal cigarettes — not a safe alternative	Study: tendu-leaf-wrapped herbal cigarettes are 49% more hazardous than paper-wrapped ones, with 20% higher ultra-fine particulates and lead/carbon-monoxide content despite "natural" marketing.
Recurrence of Nipah in Kerala	Zoonotic Henipavirus (reservoir: fruit bats); first Indian outbreak Siliguri, WB (2001); no approved vaccine; Kerala's recurrence linked to Western Ghats bat colonies and April-September fruiting season.
Shigellosis outbreak in Kerala	Highly contagious bacterial diarrhoeal disease, spread via faecal-oral route; high-risk groups: children under 5, elderly; rising Antimicrobial Resistance is making it harder to treat; no vaccine yet.

3. Space, Astronomy & Frontier Science

India's Space Odyssey

Target — India targets a US$40-45 billion space economy within a decade; space start-ups grew from 1 (2014) to 400+ today under the Indian Space Policy 2023, liberalised FDI, IN-SPACe and NSIL.
Roadmap — Chandrayaan-4 sample-return mission, LUPEX (Chandrayaan-5) with JAXA at the lunar south pole, Venus Orbiter Mission (2028), Gaganyaan, and a Bharatiya Antariksh Station first module (2028).
Global ties — 300+ agreements with 61 nations; 399 foreign satellites launched; citizen tools — NavIC, Bhuvan, VEDAS; upcoming indigenous Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) and VIKRAM3201 microprocessor.

Other space & astronomy updates — quick facts
Item	Key fact
GAGAN — first private-jet SBAS landing	Under DGCA watch, a private jet landed using GAGAN (India's Satellite-Based Augmentation System, AAI+ISRO) for the first time — corrects GPS errors via ground stations and GSAT satellites.
SOLAR-1 (USA/NOAA)	First US satellite dedicated to 24/7 space-weather monitoring, positioned at the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrange Point (~1 million miles from Earth); monitors solar winds/CMEs to protect GPS, grids, aviation.
100 years of Kodaikanal solar data	India's oldest continuous solar-data series revealed supergranulation lane-width and network-intensity patterns tied to the Sun's 11-year cycle — lane width peaks at solar maximum, intensity 1.25-1.5 years later.
GRAPES-3 Telescope, Ooty	India's cosmic-ray observatory (~2,200 m altitude) — one of the world's densest air-shower arrays and largest muon-tracking detectors; India-Japan team used it to link muon variations to solar magnetic activity.
Murchison Widefield Array (MWA)	Australia's low-frequency radio telescope (SKA-Low precursor) discovered a new millisecond pulsar via the SMART survey; India joined the SKA project in 2024.
Blue Micro-moon & Bolide	A Blue Moon (2nd full moon in a month) coinciding with a Micro-moon (near apogee) occurred; separately, a bright exploding meteor ("bolide") was heard over Massachusetts/Rhode Island, USA.

4. Emerging Tech, AI & Digital Sovereignty

Digital Sovereignty Gap — the Nayara-Microsoft incident

What — Nayara Energy (Russian shareholder Rosneft) faced a potential cloud-service disruption from Microsoft over US sanctions compliance — exposing India's dependence on foreign hyperscalers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) despite world-class DPI (UPI, Aadhaar).
Way forward flagged — Expand indigenous cloud (MeghRaj), develop Indian-language AI models, accelerate Semicon India chip self-reliance.

Emerging technology & AI updates — quick facts
Item	Key fact
RTX Spark Chip	Nvidia+Microsoft AI-focused superchip for Windows laptops/mini-desktops — 20-core Arm CPU + Blackwell RTX GPU, 1 Petaflop AI performance, runs 120-billion-parameter AI models locally.
India losing ability to build its own instruments	Mega Science Vision-2035 (IISc-led) flags reliance on imported/uncalibrated equipment damaging climate-data credibility; proposes 8 mega projects incl. indigenous Earth System Models and expanded weather-station networks.
Synthetic Intelligence (SI)	Biological computing gained prominence via Cortical Labs' "DishBrain" (cultured neurons learning Pong, 2022) and CL1 (2025, world's first commercial biological computer) — the human brain runs on just 20 watts vs conventional AI's high energy use.
Varya — indigenous AI video model	Avataar (with IndiaAI Mission support) launched Varya, a distilled video-generation model converting text/images into culturally relevant videos — claimed ₹0.48/second, up to 10× cheaper than leading models.
Drunix Platform (NPCI)	NPCI's open-source blockchain platform for tokenisation and multi-organisation networks — an enhanced Hyperledger Fabric build, following Falcon as NPCI's 2nd major open-source blockchain contribution.
Project Glasswing restored to India	Anthropic's restricted cybersecurity programme (Claude Mythos Preview, vulnerability-scanning at scale) extended to Indian critical-infrastructure agencies after a brief US export-control suspension was lifted.

5. Agri-Science, Clean Energy & Materials

Agri-tech, clean-energy & materials-science updates — quick facts
Item	Key fact
Herbicide-tolerant (IMI-resistant) mustard hybrids	Developed via mutation breeding (not GM) to resist the parasitic weed Orobanche, which suppresses mustard yield; India imported ~16 million tonnes of edible oil in 2024-25 (~₹1.6 lakh crore).
Smart Seed Coating Technology (ICAR-IIOR)	ICAR-IIOR Hyderabad's coating technology to enhance seed quality, crop establishment, and resilience against climate stresses across multiple crops.
Isobutanol-diesel blending	India evaluating IB15 (15% isobutanol-blended diesel) — higher energy density and less corrosive than ethanol, better diesel-engine compatibility, next step after E20 petrol.
WT-MARUT wind-supply-chain platform	MNRE+IWTMA's first dedicated digital wind-energy supply-chain platform, launched on Global Wind Day; India added a record 6.1 GW wind capacity in FY 2025-26 (46% YoY), total 56.1 GW — world's 4th-largest wind market.

6. Environment, Climate & Wildlife

Surha Taal — India's 100th Ramsar wetland

What — Surha Taal (Ballia district, UP — Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary), a natural freshwater oxbow lake near the Ganga-Ghaghara confluence, became India's 100th Ramsar site, taking UP's tally to 13.

Venezuela's earthquake doublet

What — Two shallow earthquakes (M7.2 and M7.5) hit Venezuela just 39 seconds apart — the strongest in a century, along the strike-slip boundary of the Caribbean and South American plates.
What is a doublet — Two comparable-magnitude quakes close in time/location but separate seismic events (not mainshock+aftershock) — the first alters crustal stress, triggering the second nearby; rare (e.g. the 2023 Turkey-Syria quakes, ~9 hours apart).

Omega Block and the European heatwave

What — 1,300+ deaths in Europe from a persistent heatwave (up to 18°C above seasonal averages across France, Spain, Germany, Italy, UK and more) driven by an Omega Block — a stationary high-pressure system trapped between two lows, shaped like the Greek letter Ω.

Other environment, climate & species updates — quick facts
Item	Key fact
Namo Oxygen Parks	First 18 of a planned 100 urban green spaces inaugurated across Delhi on World Environment Day 2026; part of "Ek Ped Maa ke Naam", targeting 15 lakh trees this year.
Glacial Lake Expansion, Arunachal Pradesh	4 of 5 studied high-risk glacial lakes in Tawang's Mago Chu basin expanded (2016-2026); Sanhapo Lake expanded most (~10 hectares) — heightened GLOF hazard, echoing the 2023 South Lhonak (Sikkim) disaster.
Coral conservation — Lakshadweep & Nicobar	A giant Potato Patch coral colony (Pavona clavus, ~700-1800 yrs old, 58%+ alive) found near Kadmat Island; ~16,000 coral colonies + Giant Clams being translocated by ZSI from Galathea Bay (Great Nicobar port project) to 4 new sites.
Species in the news	Greater Hog Badger (~55 in Kaziranga, IUCN Vulnerable); Mishmi Takin resighted in Sikkim after ~3 decades (IUCN Vulnerable); a white-rumped vulture died of electrocution in Mudumalai (IUCN Critically Endangered); a rare Bovista colorata (yellow puffball) mushroom documented in Arunachal Pradesh.
APCNF wins Food Planet Prize 2026	Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (launched 2016 via RySS) won the $1.5-million prize for one of the world's largest natural-farming transitions; being replicated in 21 States and abroad (Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Zambia).
New fish-survival test for caustic soda wastewater	Environment (Protection) 2nd Amendment Rules, 2025 require membrane-cell caustic soda plants to pass a bioassay fish-survival test on treated effluent — new pH (6.5-8.5), chloride and TDS limits also set.
Bharat Climate Observation Network (BCON)	IITM Pune + ARIES MoU to set up a BCON climate-monitoring station at Devasthal (Nainital, Uttarakhand) under Mission Mausam — tracks GHGs, black carbon, ozone and soil moisture in the pristine Himalayan atmosphere.
Long break in monsoon arrival	Five co-existing factors weakened the monsoon: El Niño, a weak Madden-Julian Oscillation, dry westerly winds, a weak Somali Jet, and a neutral Indian Ocean Dipole — recovery aided by a stronger Somali Jet and a Bay of Bengal low.
Non-Methane Hydrocarbons (NMHCs) in the Himalayas	ARIES researchers detected NMHCs (ethane, ethene, benzene etc.) even at remote Munsyari, Uttarakhand — these react with NOx to form ground-level ozone and secondary aerosols, worsening air quality.
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi & Biomimicry	AMF form symbiotic networks (~110 quadrillion km globally) with 70%+ of plant species, exchanging nutrients for carbon; separately, biomimicry (kingfisher→bullet train, shark skin→antibacterial surfaces) is gaining business traction.

7. Places in the News

International places in the news — June 2026
Place	Why in news / key fact
San Andreas / San Jacinto Fault (USA)	Highest tectonic stress in 1,000 years; Cajon Pass is an "Earthquake Gate" between the faults
Volcán de Fuego (Guatemala)	Erupted; active basaltic stratovolcano on the Cocos-Caribbean plate boundary (Pacific Ring of Fire)
Venezuela	Strongest seismic events in a century; capital Caracas; world's largest oil reserves; Angel Falls (highest waterfall)
Bolivia	President declared a state of emergency; capitals Sucre (constitutional)/La Paz (executive); Lake Titicaca (highest lake, shared with Peru)
Giant's Causeway (Northern Ireland)	Discovered to have formed 5.5m years ago (8m years earlier than thought); ~40,000 hexagonal basalt columns; UNESCO site
Strait of Messina (Italy)	Japan PM emphasised bridge-building cooperation; separates mainland Italy from Sicily, connects Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas
Wangchhu Hydroelectric Project (Bhutan)	HCC won a ₹127-crore contract; first India-Bhutan joint hydropower project under the 5,000 MW (2025) MoU
Lake Baikal (Russia)	Ancient DNA revealed the oldest-known plague-bacterium strains; world's oldest/deepest/largest freshwater lake by volume; UNESCO site
Shiveluch Volcano (Russia)	Erupted; on Kamchatka Peninsula; one of the most active volcanoes, continuous eruptions since 1999

National places in the news — June 2026
Place	Why in news / key fact
Kirthai-II Hydroelectric Project (Chenab, J&K)	3rd Chenab hydro project approved since the IWT suspension (post-Pahalgam attack); run-of-the-river, 820 MW, in Kishtwar district
Masroor Rock-Cut Temples (Himachal Pradesh)	"Ellora of the Himalayas" — 8th-century Nagara-style rock-cut complex, Kangra Valley, faces northeast unusually
Kishau Multipurpose Dam (Tons River)	6-state consensus reached for Yamuna rejuvenation; 236-m gravity dam, 660 MW, on Uttarakhand-HP border
Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (Rajasthan)	Launched "Enchanting Mukundra" documentary; tiger corridor between Ranthambore and Kuno National Park
Majuli Island (Assam)	4,000-year climate/vegetation history reconstructed; world's largest river island; centre of Neo-Vaishnavism (Satras, Sattriya dance)
Similipal Tiger Reserve (Odisha)	4 rare black tigers spotted; Mayurbhanj; Joranda & Barehipani Waterfalls; highest peak Meghasani
Brahmani River (Odisha)	Microplastics with toxic heavy metals found in Bhitarkanika; formed at the Sankh-South Koel confluence near Rourkela
Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary (Telangana)	Safari tours to launch; Bhadradri Kothagudem, right bank of the Godavari; Koya & Gond tribal habitat
Berijam Lake (Tamil Nadu)	PIL sought a Tiger Reserve survey; artificial lake near Kodaikanal, formed 1867 on a former British cantonment
Thamirabarani River (Tamil Nadu)	Declining otter population flagged; only perennial river flowing entirely within TN; origin Pothigai Hills (Western Ghats)

Important seas of the world — quick facts
Sea	Key fact
Bering Sea	Alaska-Russia; connects Pacific & Arctic via the Bering Strait; major fisheries
North Sea	Between Britain & continental Europe; offshore oil/gas & wind energy
Sea of Azov	World's shallowest sea; connected to the Black Sea via the Kerch Strait
Caspian Sea	World's largest enclosed inland water body; rich oil/gas, sturgeon (caviar)
Black Sea	Deep anoxic waters; links to the Mediterranean via Bosporus-Marmara-Dardanelles-Aegean
Sea of Japan	Semi-enclosed; northern part freezes in winter; Japan-Korea naming dispute
Adriatic Sea	Between Italy & the Balkan Peninsula; historic Roman/Venetian trade route
Mediterranean Sea	Europe-Asia-Africa; connects to Atlantic via the Strait of Gibraltar; cradle of ancient civilisations
Red Sea	Africa-Arabian Peninsula; linked to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal
South China Sea	~1/3 of global maritime trade passes through; connects to Indian Ocean via the Malacca Strait; disputed islands