Current Affairs Quiz - June 2026

Notes:
Taipei Capital Cup 2026 was held in Taipei from 26–28 May 2026. India won two Silver Medals and three Merit Awards at the competition. Muskan won a Silver Medal in Painting and Decorating. Arjun Sumathi Vijayabashkar secured a Silver Medal in Mobile Applications Development. Merit Awards were won by Mohamed Mafaz Poonaikannan Rabi Ahamed (Software Applications Development), Suresh Kumar Ganesan Meena (Digital Construction), and Md Seraj (Automobile Technology). The Indian contingent was supported by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and National Skill Development Corporation.

Notes:
Ministry of Ports Shipping and Waterways launched the Logistics Port Performance Index for FY 2024–25 along with four major digital initiatives. The LPPI was developed under the Sagar Aankalan framework to benchmark and improve operational efficiency of Indian ports. The index evaluates ports in dry bulk, liquid bulk, and container cargo categories using indicators like vessel turnaround time, berth idle time, cargo handled, and container dwell time. Paradip Port Authority topped the Dry Bulk Cargo category.
Sikka Port and Terminals ranked first in the Liquid Bulk Cargo category.

Notes:
Anaphalis sahyadrica is a newly discovered plant species from the southern Western Ghats. It belongs to the sunflower family. The species was discovered in high-altitude montane grasslands and shola forest margins. It has been found in regions such as Anamudi and Meesapulimala in Kerala.

Notes:
A rare sighting of the Giant Malabar Squirrel was recently reported in the Devpur forest area of Barnawapara forest in Chhattisgarh. The Giant Malabar Squirrel, also known as the Indian Giant Squirrel, is a large multicoloured tree squirrel species endemic to India and is among the world’s largest squirrels. It is mainly found in the Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, and Satpura Range. The Giant Malabar Squirrel is the state animal of Maharashtra and is locally known as “Shekru.” According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, its conservation status is “Least Concern.”

Notes:
India has officially signed a deal to supply BrahMos Missile to Vietnam during the Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore. The Shangri-La Dialogue, also known as the Asia Security Summit, is regarded as Asia’s premier defence and security forum. Established in 2002, the summit is organised annually at Singapore’s Shangri-La Hotel by the International Institute for Strategic Studies with support from Singapore’s Ministry of Defence. The dialogue discusses traditional security issues such as territorial disputes and military cooperation, along with non-traditional challenges like terrorism, cybersecurity, and climate change.

Notes:
The 2nd BRICS Culture Working Group Meeting is scheduled to take place in Varanasi on 4–5 June 2026 under India’s BRICS Chairship. The discussions will be guided by India’s BRICS 2026 theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” Three major themes of discussion include Creative Economy and Artificial Intelligence, Cultural Heritage Protection and Return of Cultural Property, and Culture, Climate and Sustainable Development. Ministry of Culture earlier hosted BRICS Culture Ministers’ meetings in Goa (2016) and New Delhi (2021).

Notes:
The Department of Higher Education has invited applications for the Prime Minister Research Chair (PMRC) Scheme 2026. It is launched by the Department of Higher Education, which operates under the Ministry of Education. The scheme aims to attract accomplished Indian-origin researchers, scientists, technologists, and professionals from globally reputed institutions to India’s premier higher educational institutions and research centres. The scheme is based on three pillars: Lead Institutions, Host Institutions, and PMRC Fellows.

Notes:
Google’s biotechnology initiative Project Debug has applied to the United States Environmental Protection Agency to release sterile male mosquitoes in California and Florida. The project aims to biologically control disease-carrying mosquitoes using eco-friendly methods instead of chemical pesticides. The initiative mainly targets mosquito species such as Culex and Aedes aegypti, which spread diseases like West Nile virus, dengue, Zika, and St. Louis encephalitis.

Notes:
Visakhapatnam (Vizag) has been selected to host Andhra Pradesh’s first India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) project. The project is a ₹2,388 crore Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility. The facility will be developed by Advanced System in Package Technologies. It will be located at Tarluwada village, Anandapuram mandal, Visakhapatnam district. The OSAT unit will manufacture advanced System-in-Package (SiP) modules for mobile phones, automotive systems, and communication technologies.

Notes:
Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) discovered two new species of hoverflies: Eristalinus sapphirinus and Eristalinus brunettii. The species were discovered in the Gangetic Plains of West Bengal. Eristalinus sapphirinus is named after its distinctive sapphire-blue metallic coloration. Eristalinus brunettii is named in honor of entomologist Enrico Adelelmo Brunetti. The discovery increases the known diversity of the Eristalinus genus in India.