Current Affairs – June 26, 2026

{GS1 – Geo – IG} Weak Monsoon: India’s Risks and Resilience **

Context (IE | TH): Union Government has activated agricultural contingency plans in several districts due to a 43% rainfall deficit and a poor forecast for the 2026 southwest monsoon.

IMD forecasts 2026 southwest monsoon rainfall at about 90% of Long Period Average (LPA), indicating a deficit.

LPA is the benchmark for average rainfall used by IMD, set at 868.6 mm for the southwest monsoon based on a 50-year baseline from 1971 to 2020.

Reasons for Weak Monsoon

Rapid intensification of El Niño over the equatorial Pacific Ocean disrupted atmospheric circulation and suppressed rainfall, while an unfavourable Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) phase hindered cloud formation and slowed the monsoon’s momentum.
The absence of strong Bay of Bengal low-pressure systems and depressions weakened monsoon trough movement into central and northern India.
A neutral Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) failed to offset El Niño’s adverse effects on the southwest monsoon.

Key Risks Associated with Poor Monsoon

Kharif Vulnerability: Delayed rainfall, concentrated over Peninsular and Central India, threatens the kharif crop cycle, as 55% of India’s net sown area remains rainfed.
Food Inflation: Food accounts for about 40% of the CPI; staple shortages can raise inflation and compel the RBI into prolonged monetary tightening.
Demand Shock: With 45% of India’s workforce in farming, low agricultural output reduces rural incomes and demand for fast-moving consumer goods, two-wheelers, and tractors.
Water & Power Stress: A weak monsoon threatens drinking water security and hydroelectric generation, straining the national power grid.

{GS1 – Geo – PG – Geomorphology} Seismic Doublet Strikes Venezuela *

Context (IE): The twin earthquakes in and around Venezuela’s capital Caracas, feared to have killed tens of thousands. The US Geological Survey (USGS) described the disaster as a “seismic doublet”.

What is a Seismic Doublet?

Two independent earthquakes of similar magnitude originating from distinct but closely related ruptures, occurring in quick succession within seconds, minutes, or a few hours, and in close geographic proximity.
Doublet vs. Aftershock Sequence: In a typical sequence, one larger earthquake is followed by progressively smaller aftershocks. A doublet differs both events are roughly equal in magnitude and are independent of each other.

Why is Venezuela Seismically Active?

Venezuela lies along the boundary between the Caribbean Plate and the South American Plate, one of the most seismically active zones in northern South America.
The two plates move horizontally past each other along fault lines, a phenomenon known as a strike-slip fault. Strike-slip faults are a major cause of shallow, high-intensity earthquakes in this region.

Read More> Earthquakes

{GS2 – Governance – NGOs} Registration Options for Voluntary Organisations

Context (TH): Recently, Karnataka Minister’s letter questioning the legal status of a voluntary organisation has revived debate on whether large voluntary organisations should possess a formal legal identity.

A voluntary association in India can be registered under any one of the following legal frameworks:
1. Societies Registration Act, 1860: A voluntary association can be registered as a Society under this Act. It is commonly used by educational, scientific, charitable, cultural and social welfare organisations.
2. Indian Trusts Act, 1882: A voluntary association can also be registered as a Trust under this Act. However, the Indian Trusts Act primarily governs private trusts, while public charitable and religious trusts are governed by the respective State Public Trust Acts in many States.
3. Companies Act, 2013: It may be incorporated as a Section 8 Company under the Companies Act, 2013. Such companies are established for charitable purposes such as promoting education, science, art, social welfare, religion, environmental protection and other public objectives.

{GS2 – Polity – Constitution} Five Decades After the 1975 Emergency **

Context (IE | NOA): The Government of India observed 25 June as “Samvidhan Hatya Diwas” (Constitution Murder Day) to commemorate the 1975 National Emergency.

Historical Context of the 1975 Emergency

In 1975, the Allahabad High Court invalidated Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s 1971 election due to electoral malpractice in the landmark Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Shri Raj Narain case.
Subsequently, President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed proclaimed a National Emergency under Article 352 on June 25, 1975, citing threats arising from “internal disturbances.” The government used the 38th Amendment Act to bar judicial review of the Emergency declaration.
The legislature enacted the 39^th Amendment Act, 1975, placing electoral disputes involving the Prime Minister and Lok Sabha Speaker beyond judicial review.

Impact on Democratic Foundations

Decimation of Civil Liberties: Suspension of Article 19 fundamental rights under Article 358 and the Supreme Court ruling to limit Article 21 led to unchecked preventive detention.
Press Censorship: Complete press blackouts were enforced; guidelines required news houses to get government approval before printing.
Institutional Overreach: Opposition leaders, journalists, and activists were jailed without trial under preventive detention laws like the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA).
Judicial Capitulation: The 42^nd Amendment Act, 1976 (Mini-Constitution), sought to restrict strict judicial review and establish Parliament’s supremacy in constitutional amendment.

Post-Emergency Constitutional Safeguards

Stricter Grounds: The 44^th Amendment Act, 1978, replaced “internal disturbance” with “armed rebellion” as the ground for a National Emergency.
Collective Responsibility: The President can now proclaim a National Emergency only after receiving a written recommendation from the Union Cabinet.
Legislative Check: Both Houses must approve an Emergency proclamation within one month through a special majority, instead of a simple majority.
Non-Derogable Rights: The Constitution prohibited suspension of fundamental rights under Articles 20 and 21 during any Emergency.
Court Oversight: The 44^th Amendment Act restored judicial review of an Emergency proclamation.

Lessons for Contemporary India

Institutional Autonomy: Insulating constitutional watchdogs like the ED, CBI, and Election Commission from political influence prevents misuse of power.
Judicial Independence: Judicial review of arbitrary Emergency proclamations protects civil liberties.
Freedom of Speech: Protecting the fourth estate from censorship, surveillance, internet shutdowns, and restrictive regulation preserves democratic accountability.
Parliamentary Accountability: Strong opposition, committee scrutiny, and substantive legislative debate helps check majoritarian executive power.
Federalism over Centralisation: Protecting State financial and legislative autonomy prevents excessive centralisation during constitutional or political crises.

Read More > National Emergency

{GS3 – Agri – Food Security} Draft National Food Security (Amendment) Bill, 2026

Context (ET): Department of Food and Public Distribution has released the draft National Food Security (Amendment) Bill, 2026 for public consultation.

It seeks to replace the current household-based entitlement under the AAY scheme with a per-person entitlement (7 kg) while retaining an overall cap of 35 kg of foodgrains per household per month.
The change aims to “remove intra-category inequities and provide for a more equitable and rational allocation of foodgrains while aligning beneficiary entitlements more closely with household nutritional requirements

National Food Security Act, 2013

Aim: To protect people against food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition.
Beneficiaries: NFSA legally entitles 75% of rural and 50% of urban population, two-thirds of the country’s total population to subsidised food grains.
The Act Categorises Beneficiaries into Two Groups:
1. Priority Households (PHH): Beneficiaries in the PHH category are entitled to 5 kg of food grains per person per month at prices of Rs 3, Rs 2 and Rs 1 per kg for rice, wheat, and coarse grains respectively.
2. AAY (the poorest of the poor): For AAY beneficiaries, the entitlement is 35 kg of food grains a month, irrespective of family size.

Read More> National Food Security Act, 2013

Context (PIB): India’s Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism, administered by the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), has mobilised over ₹266 crore since 2008 to support grassroots conservation and community development.

Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) accounts for 45% (₹120 crore) of total ABS realisation, followed by the seed sector at 32.3%.

Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) legally requires that commercial benefits derived from indigenous biological resources be shared equitably with local provider communities.
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) introduced the ABS framework in 1992, later operationalised by the Nagoya Protocol in 2010.
ABS prevents biopiracy by ensuring that corporate extraction of genetic materials directly funds the socio-economic development of holders of traditional knowledge.
Plant, animal, and microbial genetic resources, along with associated traditional knowledge, fall under the ABS framework, explicitly excluding human genetic material.

Biological Diversity Act, 2002 established a 3-tier regulatory architecture comprising the National Biodiversity Authority, State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs), and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs).
Under the Biological Diversity Rules, 2024, the NBA must transfer 85% to 90% of collected ABS proceeds to the relevant SBBs for disbursement to local beneficiaries.
Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023, exempts registered AYUSH practitioners (practising for sustenance) and cultivated medicinal plants (certified by the BMC) from benefit-sharing obligations.
BMCs are required to prepare People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs), which serve as the foundational local databases that record biological resources and associated traditional knowledge.
Foreign nationals and foreign-incorporated entities must obtain prior approval from the NBA before accessing any Indian biological resource for commercial use, research, or bio-survey or bio-utilisation.

{GS3 – S&T – AI} Global Regulation of AI **

Context (IE): Professor B Ravindran of IIT Madras has been appointed as the sole Indian member of the UN’s Independent International Scientific Panel on AI.

The Independent International Scientific Panel on AI is the world’s first dedicated scientific body focusing on AI, tasked with evaluating its opportunities, risks, and impacts.
UN General Assembly established the Panel to implement the commitments outlined in 2024 Global Digital Compact. It produces periodic scientific assessments to inform deliberations at Global Dialogue on AI Governance.

Rationale for Global Regulation of AI

Accountability Void: Incompatible regulatory regimes across more than 70 countries shield cross-border AI deployments from legal attribution for transboundary harm.
Fragmentation Cost: The lack of enforcement mechanisms in 35 out of 47 countries with AI legislation leads to sharp divergence in compliance obligations across jurisdictions.
Innovation Arbitrage: Divergent national rules fuel regulatory arbitrage that pushes AI development toward permissive jurisdictions and concentrates frontier model capacity within the US and China.
Weaponisation Threat: The dual-use capacity of frontier AI models lowers the technical barrier to biological and chemical weapon design and necessitates mandatory international oversight.

Challenges with Global Regulation of AI

Non-Proliferation Trap: Nuclear-style non-proliferation language in global safety dialogues risks confining foundational model development to a select geopolitical elite.
Sovereignty Fragmentation: Unilateral data-sovereignty mandates continue to proliferate worldwide, fragmenting the cross-border infrastructure required for unified AI oversight.
Multilateral Deadlock: The United States rejects centralised rule-setting at the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, while the G77 demands an enforceable framework.
Agentic Liability: Defining accountability for independent algorithmic actions remains difficult, as autonomous AI agents evolve faster than regulatory frameworks can adapt.

India AI Governance Guidelines, issued by MeitY in November 2025, propose a principle-based, techno-legal approach centred on seven sutras for responsible AI deployment.

Way Forward for Global Regulation of AI

Interoperable Reporting: Align domestic disclosure rules with the OECD’s Hiroshima AI Process Reporting Framework to establish a common baseline for cross-border risk transparency.
Tiered Treaty Design: Replace binding uniform rules with a tiered instrument that mandates disclosure for frontier-capability developers while keeping voluntary codes for lower-risk deployers.
Shared Capacity Pool: Operationalise the Trusted AI Commons as a repository of testing tools, benchmarks, and datasets for developing nations.
Model Interoperability: Harmonise risk-tier definitions across the EU AI Act, the NIST framework, and China’s CAC registration regime to reduce the compliance divergence that drives regulatory arbitrage.

Trusted AI Commons, an outcome of the February 2026 New Delhi AI Impact Summit, is an open repository of testing tools, benchmarks, and datasets for AI deployment, to be hosted in India.

Read More> Global AI Governance | Need for Regulating AI

{Prelims – PIN World} Caspian Sea *

Context (DTE): Since the mid-1990s, the Caspian Sea has lost ~24,000 km² of surface area (roughly the size of Sicily), with water levels dropping by ~2 metres.

Caspian Sea is the world’s largest inland body of water, spanning ~371,000 km² and holding 40-44% of Earth’s total lake water.
It is an endorheic lake, bordered by Russia (northwest), Azerbaijan (southwest), Iran (south), Turkmenistan (southeast), and Kazakhstan (northeast).
Europe’s longest river, the Volga, supplies ~80% of the Caspian’s freshwater inflow; the Ural, Kura, and Terek rivers contribute most of the remainder.
Aktau Convention (2018) granted each littoral state 15 nautical miles of territorial waters and a 10-nautical-mile exclusive fishing zone, and barred non-littoral military forces from the sea.
The 101-km (East-West) Volga-Don Canal links the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea via Russia’s internal waterways. The lake serves as a transit node on the INSTC route from Mumbai to Moscow via Bandar-e Anzali (Iran) and Astrakhan (Russia).

{Prelims – A&C – Music} Bhawaiya Folk Music

Context (PIB): Vice-President released a book on Bhawaiya, highlighting the need to preserve it.

Bhawaiya is a traditional folk music genre of North Bengal, Assam, and adjoining regions, closely associated with the Koch Rajbanshi community.
Themes: The songs express the emotions, aspirations, love, separation, struggles, and everyday life of ordinary people, especially those from rural and agrarian communities.

{Prelims – Envi – Conservation} Recovery of Mangrove Forests

Context (DTE): Global mangrove forests, long considered among the world’s most threatened ecosystems, are showing an unexpected and encouraging recovery, according to a new study.

Mangroves are salt-tolerant forests found along tropical and subtropical coastlines. They are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth and provide a wide range of ecological, economic and climatic benefits.

Key Findings

Recovery Trend: Global mangrove cover, which declined from ~154,810 sq km (1980s) to 151,928 sq km (2010), recovered to 153,961 sq km by 2023, driven by natural regeneration and conservation efforts.
Regional Success: Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and Myanmar, led the recovery through stronger legal protection, restoration programmes, and post-disaster conservation initiatives.
Continuing Threats: Despite recovery, extreme weather events, shoreline erosion, and anthropogenic deforestation continue to threaten mangrove ecosystems, necessitating sustained conservation efforts.

Read More> Mangroves