Updates on 10 June 2026
All of June 2026 →Madhya Pradesh Government Withdraws Two-Child Norm for Government Jobs
In June 2026, Madhya Pradesh government removed the two-child norm that restricted eligibility for government jobs and imposed disciplinary action on serving employees with more than two children born on or after 26 January 2001. This norm, introduced in 2001 under the Digvijaya Singh-led Congress government, was part of the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1965. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav directed the General Administration Department to withdraw the draft provision from the civil services rules, benefiting thousands of job aspirants and employees, including approximately 30,000 teachers. The withdrawal is not retrospective, so employees dismissed previously under the rule will not be reinstated.
Launch of Land Port Management System (LPMS) 'VINIMAY' by Amit Shah
On 9 June 2026, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched 'VINIMAY', the Land Port Management System (LPMS) in New Delhi. VINIMAY is a centralized digital platform integrating cargo, passenger, and vehicle processing at Indian land ports for the first time. It streamlines operations by providing a Single Electronic Window for real-time data exchange among border agencies, significantly reducing paperwork and truck waiting times. This initiative is part of the Smart Border program aiming to modernize India's border infrastructure and enhance trade facilitation and security. The system covers 15 operational land ports, with 11 more planned. Trade through land ports has seen a sixteen-fold increase from ₹5,000 crore in 2014 to ₹83,000 crore currently, highlighting the growing importance of land border trade.
Union Cabinet Approves Ahmedabad Metro Phase 2A Airport Corridor Project
On 10 June 2026, the Union Cabinet approved Phase 2A of the Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project, extending the metro network by 6.032 km from Koteshwar Road to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The project includes five new stations and has an estimated cost of ₹2,169.04 crore including interest during construction. Scheduled to be completed within four years, this extension will expand the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar Metro network to approximately 77.63 kilometers, improving connectivity between residential, commercial hubs, and the airport. The metro expansion is expected to generate around 2,000 to 2,500 construction jobs and 500 operational jobs, and to support urban development and mobility in the region.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands Set Guinness World Record for Tallest Human Stack Underwater
On 3 May 2026, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands set a Guinness World Record for the tallest human stack underwater by assembling 14 scuba divers into a stable vertical formation measuring 22.3 metres at the Lighthouse dive-site on Swaraj Dweep, formerly known as Havelock Island. The human stack remained stable underwater for three minutes. Lieutenant Governor D.K. Joshi participated in the event, which was verified onsite by Guinness World Records adjudicator Rishi Nath. This achievement was the second consecutive Guinness World Record by the islands, following the largest national flag unfurled underwater on 2 May 2026. The records aimed to promote the islands as a premier global scuba diving and eco-tourism destination, supported by the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, and local police.
Kerala Launches Priyadarshini Scheme for Free Travel on KSRTC Ordinary Buses
On June 10, 2026, the Kerala Cabinet approved the Priyadarshini scheme, which provides free travel to women and transgender persons on Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) ordinary bus services starting June 15, 2026. The scheme covers all women and transgender individuals regardless of age or income across Kerala. The state government will fully compensate KSRTC for the estimated revenue loss of ₹65-70 crore per month, approximating ₹800 crore annually. Initially implemented on ordinary buses, the scheme is trialed for 100 days before potential expansion to faster services. This initiative is part of Kerala's Indira Guarantee programme, underscoring the government's commitment to inclusive public transport benefits.
Centre Approves ₹1,359 Crore Four-Laning of Nagaur-Bikaner Stretch of NH-62 in Rajasthan
On 10 June 2026, the Government of India approved a ₹1,359 crore project for four-laning the Nagaur-Bikaner stretch of National Highway-62 in Rajasthan. The project will be executed under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) public-private partnership model, aiming to enhance connectivity, boost regional economic activity, and facilitate smoother freight and passenger movement in Western Rajasthan. This development is expected to accelerate industrial growth and tourism, providing better access between these important districts.
Indian-Australian Teenager Angelina Arora Develops Rapidly Biodegradable Plastic from Prawn Shells and Silk Cocoons
Angelina Arora, a student from Sydney Girls High School, Adelaide, created an eco-friendly bioplastic using chitin extracted from prawn shells mixed with fibroin protein from silk cocoons. This bioplastic decomposes completely within 33 days, making it vastly faster than conventional plastics. Angelina has won prestigious awards including the 2018 BHP Billiton Foundation Innovator to Market Award and placed fourth at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Her invention promises substantial environmental benefits by reducing plastic pollution and releasing nitrogen that enriches soil during decomposition.
India Approves 22 New Applicants Under Textile PLI Scheme, Boosting Investment and Job Creation
On June 10, 2026, the Indian Union government approved 22 new applicants under the third round of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Textiles. These approvals entail committed investments worth ₹2,339.14 crore with a projected turnover of ₹15,561.34 crore from notified textile products. This step brings the total companies selected under Round-3 to 96, with total committed investments of ₹12,822.67 crore and projected turnover of ₹58,294.18 crore. The new approvals are expected to generate 36,217 jobs, primarily in Man-Made Fibre (MMF) apparel, MMF fabrics, and technical textiles segments. The scheme aims to boost domestic manufacturing, competitiveness, investment, and job opportunities in the textile sector, a significant labour-intensive industry in India.
Western Honeybees Accelerate Spread of Myrtle Rust in Australia
Western honeybees (Apis mellifera) have been found to play a significant role in spreading the plant pathogen Myrtle Rust (Austropuccinia psidii) across Australia. First detected in 2010, Myrtle Rust affects many native species in the Myrtaceae family, including eucalyptus and paperbarks, threatening nearly 17% of Australia's endemic vegetation. Honeybees collect Myrtle Rust spores as a food source, carrying infectious spores back to their hives where they remain viable for at least nine days. The frequent movement of commercial honeybee colonies for crop pollination amplifies disease spread. This ecological interaction represents a novel vector pathway threatening Australian native flora and biodiversity.
NASA Announces Artemis III Prime Crew for 2027 Mission
NASA announced the crew of four astronauts for the Artemis III mission on June 9, 2026, at Johnson Space Center in Houston. Scheduled for late 2027 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, Artemis III is a key mission under NASA's Artemis program aiming to test Earth-orbit rendezvous and docking operations between the Orion spacecraft and commercial human landing systems developed by Blue Origin and SpaceX. The crew includes commander Randy Bresnik, pilot Luca Parmitano (ESA), and mission specialists Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio, with Bob Hines as backup. The mission will also evaluate new lunar spacesuits, preparing for the first human lunar landing on Artemis IV in 2028.
Narendra Modi Becomes India's Longest-Serving Elected Prime Minister
On 10 June 2026, Narendra Modi became the longest-serving continuously elected Prime Minister of India by completing 4,399 consecutive days in office, surpassing Jawaharlal Nehru's previous record of 4,398 days. Modi is the first non-Congress Prime Minister to secure three consecutive Lok Sabha election victories in 2014, 2019, and 2024. He also surpassed Indira Gandhi's uninterrupted tenure of 4,078 days on 25 July 2025. Additionally, Modi's combined tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister and Prime Minister (8,931 days) surpasses Pawan Kumar Chamling's record as India's longest-serving head of government.
Meta and Reliance Industries Partner to Build First AI-Enabled Data Centre in India at Jamnagar
On 10 June 2026, Meta Platforms Inc. and Reliance Industries Ltd. announced a strategic partnership to build and lease a 168-megawatt artificial intelligence (AI) enabled data centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat. This represents Meta’s first purpose-built AI data centre in India, planned to be operational within two years, with provisions for future expansion. Reliance Industries will handle design, construction, and operations, including renewable energy supply and network connectivity. The data centre is set to bolster Meta’s global AI infrastructure and position Gujarat as a significant node in India's fast-growing digital infrastructure network. This collaboration builds upon their ongoing investment and joint ventures in AI and technology sectors.
Project GANGA: Uttar Pradesh's Ambitious Rural Broadband Connectivity Initiative
On June 9, 2026, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched Project GANGA (Government Assisted Network for Growth and Advancement) in Lucknow. The initiative aims to provide high-speed fibre broadband connectivity to approximately 20 lakh rural families initially across 21 districts, eventually expanding to all 57,000 Gram Panchayats and 8,000 Nyaya Panchayats of Uttar Pradesh. OneOTT Intertainment Limited, the broadband arm of the Hinduja Group, serves as the Knowledge Partner and Implementation Enabler. The project focuses on digital inclusion via services like digital education, telemedicine, e-governance, skill training, and smart agriculture, while generating over one lakh jobs and fostering women’s participation by targeting 50% female beneficiaries.
JSW Infrastructure Secures ₹832.25 Crore Project for Kolkata Port Container Terminal
On 9 June 2026, JSW Infrastructure received a Letter of Award from the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority for a ₹832.25 crore project involving the integrated development of the Outer Container Terminal and modernization of five existing berths (1 to 5) at Netaji Subhas Dock within the Kolkata Dock System. The 30-year Public-Private Partnership project under a Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) model aims to enhance container handling capacity by approximately 0.93 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), equivalent to about 13 million tonnes per annum, improving cargo handling efficiency and vessel turnaround times at Kolkata Port.
Historic Rescue by U.S. Navy Unmanned Drone Boat Near Strait of Hormuz
On 8 June 2026, a revolutionary rescue operation was conducted near the coast of Oman, close to the Strait of Hormuz, where two U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter pilots were recovered following a crash. The rescue was executed by the Saronic Corsair, a 24-foot (7.3-meter) unmanned autonomous surface vessel operated by the U.S. Navy’s Task Force 59, marking the first known use of a drone boat to conduct a personnel recovery at sea in a combat environment. The aviators were located and extracted within approximately two hours and were reported in stable condition. Investigations into the cause of the crash were ongoing under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Central Command at the time. This event highlights the growing role of autonomous maritime systems in modern military operations and the strategic challenges in the contested Strait of Hormuz region.