Current Affairs – June 27, 2026

{GS2 – IR} Second Pax Silica Summit

Context (BL): India and 34 nations signed the Joint Statement on AI Opportunity at the second Pax Silica Summit in Washington, D.C., committing to a pro-growth regulatory approach to AI.

Argentina, Germany, the Netherlands, Chile, Costa Rica, Greece, Kazakhstan, Panama, and the European Union joined Pax Silica on the sidelines of the second summit.
PaxPass, backed by a $50 million US commitment, was launched to combine cargo verification, AI-powered risk assessment, and expedited processing for trusted shipments of AI goods.
The Foundry School, a joint initiative by Stanford University and the U.S. State Department, will train entrepreneurs, engineers, and advanced manufacturing leaders using a jointly developed curriculum.

About Pax Silica

Pax Silica is a US-led strategic initiative to build secure, resilient supply chains for technologies foundational to the AI era. Seven countries signed the inaugural Pax Silica Declaration in December 2025.
It covers the full silicon stack: software platforms, frontier AI models, compute, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, logistics, mineral refining, and energy.
The initiative advances innovation sovereignty rather than digital sovereignty, promoting collaboration and capability-building to counter China’s dominance in rare-earth refining.
It now comprises 35 signatories. India joined in February 2026 at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi,

{GS2 – IR} Global South as India-China Arena

Context (IE): National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the 16^th BRICS NSA Meeting in New Delhi, hosted by India as the 2026 rotating BRICS Chair.

Sharp divergence among BRICS members on terrorism and cyber norms at the 16^th NSA Meeting failed to yield a joint statement.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasised “stable, predictable and constructive” ties, but Beijing’s readout reframed the same meeting as a Global South co-leadership moment.

India-China Divergence on Global South

Strategic Exclusion: India has hosted three Voice of Global South Summits (VOGSS) since 2023, each excluding China, to amplify developing-country priorities beyond Beijing’s multilateral influence.
Hegemonic Pushback: China’s June 2026 White Paper formalises the thesis that a “Global South without China is a pseudo-proposition” to directly challenge India’s VOGSS framework.
Governance Divergence: While India seeks leadership within the G20 and the UN for the Global South, China’s Global Governance Initiative positions Beijing as the architect of a parallel governance system.
Narrative Co-Option: China’s push for India and Beijing to act as “co-anchors of the Global South” seeks to co-opt India’s independent leadership within the Global South into a Beijing-led narrative.
Sovereignty Precondition: India’s insistence on “sensitivity to each other’s core concerns” signals that border sovereignty remains a precondition for any Global South alignment with Beijing.

Implications of China’s Influence in Global South

Geoeconomic Encirclement: Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) membership across all South Asian states, except India and Bhutan, underpins China’s position as the region’s largest trading partner.
Structural Asymmetry: Developing Asia’s annual infrastructure need of USD 1.7 trillion through 2030 structurally favours China’s hard-capital port-and-railway model over India’s DPI and ITEC approach.
Strategic Containment: China has blocked India’s entry to the Nuclear Suppliers Group and resisted India’s role at the East Asia Summit to confine India as a South Asian rather than a broader Asian power.
Consensus Dilution: BRICS expansion to include states aligned with Beijing limits India’s capacity to build consensus on issues like cross-border terrorism funding and cyber norms during its 2026 chairmanship.
Funding Disparity: India’s $32 billion in lines of credit to 68 countries is dwarfed by China’s $240 billion in bailout lending alone to 22 debt-distressed developing nations between 2000 and 2021.

{GS3 – Agri} Hazardous Chemicals Used in Agriculture *

Context (IT): Despite strict international bans, highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) and carcinogenic chemicals continue to be legally applied across Indian farms.

Common Hazardous Chemicals Used in Indian Agriculture

Paraquat	Highly toxic, non-selective contact herbicide used to control weeds in crops such as tea, rubber, cotton, paddy, and wheat. It can cause fatal lung fibrosis, kidney failure, and multi-organ damage, has no known antidote, and long-term exposure is associated with Parkinson’s disease. Classified as a Highly Hazardous Pesticide (HHP) and banned in over 70 countries, incl. EU, China & Brazil, though it is permitted in India with some state-level restrictions.
Glyphosate	A broad-spectrum, non-selective herbicide and the most widely used weedkiller globally, applied in plantation and cereal crops. WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogen (Group 2A). It remains approved for agricultural use in India.
2,4-D	Selective systemic herbicide widely used to control broadleaf weeds in crops such as wheat, paddy, maize, and sugarcane. It was a component of Agent Orange used during the Vietnam War and is classified by the IARC as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2B), though it continues to be approved for use in India, the EU, and several other countries.
Acephate	An organophosphate insecticide applied as a foliar spray on cotton, vegetables, and pulses to control aphids, jassids, thrips, and whiteflies. It and its metabolite methamidophos are acutely toxic to beneficial insects such as honey bees and butterflies. It is registered for agricultural use in India.
Dimethoate	A systemic and contact organophosphate insecticide-acaricide used on fruits, vegetables, cotton, and ornamentals to control aphids, mites, flies, and leafhoppers. It induces DNA strand breaks and chromosome abnormalities in bone marrow cells. Banned in 31 countries due to concerns about DNA damage and genotoxicity, it is legal in India, except for fruits and vegetables intended for raw consumption.

{GS3 – IE} Ease of Living: India’s Journey of Inclusive Progress (2014–2026) **

Context (PIB): India’s focused interventions in housing, sanitation, energy, financial inclusion, infrastructure, and governance have fundamentally reshaped the Ease of Living for millions of citizens.

Ease of Living refers to the ability of citizens to access basic amenities, public services, economic opportunities, and social infrastructure in a convenient, affordable, and dignified manner.

Housing and Basic Amenities

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna Urban (PMAY-U): Launched in 2015, to provide pucca houses to every eligible urban household. Over 1.25 crore houses have been sanctioned under PMAY-U & PMAY-U 2.0.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna Gramin (PMAY-G): Launched in 2016, it provides Rs. 1.20 lakh and Rs. 1.30 lakh per house in plain areas and in hilly and difficult-terrain areas, respectively. More than 3 crore rural houses completed under PMAY-Gramin.
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT): Launched in 2015, the AMRUT addressed the basic service gaps in a far wider set of urban centres. Projects worth ₹2.79 lakh crore were sanctioned under AMRUT and AMRUT 2.0.

Water, Sanitation and Clean Cooking Fuel

Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM): With its goal of Har Ghar Jal, JJM has delivered rapid expansion in piped water access. It has expanded rural tap water coverage from 3.23 crore households (16.72%) to 15.86 crore (81.94%) by June 2026.
Swachh Bharat Mission – Gramin (2014): It provided toilets to all rural households, ensuring dignity and hygiene across villages. As a result, sanitation coverage rose sharply from 39% in 2014 to 100% in 2019 and more than 5.69 lakh villages are declared as ODF.
Swachh Bharat Mission‑Urban (2014): It transformed sanitation across cities and towns. Urban waste processing rose to 82% in 2026 compared to 16% in 2014. WHO estimated 3,00,000 fewer diarrheal deaths in 2019 compared to 2014 due to SBM.
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY): Launched in 2016, with target of 8 crore connections by September 2019. Over 10.57 crore LPG connections provided; national LPG coverage rose from 55.9% (2014) to 107.2% (April 2026).

Power For All

Total Installed Power Capacity: has more than doubled in the last 12 years. It rose from 248 GW in FY 2014 to over 532 GW by March 2026.
Renewable Energy (RE): Renewable sources now make up more than half of this capacity. RE capacity reached 274.69 GW in March 2026 compared to 76.38 GW in 2014. India now has the 3rd largest clean energy capacity in the world.
Average Rural Supply: Rose from 12.5 hours in 2014 to 22.6 hours in 2026. Urban areas now receive up to 23.4 hours of supply each day.

Initiatives Undertaken
Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA)	Launched in 2017, it gave free last-mile connections to unelectrified rural and urban homes. By March 2022, about 2.86 crore households had received an electricity connection.
PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (2024)	It helps families install rooftop solar panels with a generous central subsidy. The scheme targets one crore homes by FY 2026-27, backed by Rs 75,021 crore.
Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA), 2014	Under the UJALA scheme, 37 crore LED bulbs were distributed, saving Rs.19,153 crore in household savings annually.

Financial Inclusion

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY): Launched in 2014, it is the world’s largest financial inclusion initiative. Accounts grew from 14.72 crore in 2015 to over 58 crores by June 2026.
Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna (PMMY): Launched in 2015 to provide collateral-free loans to micro and small enterprises. Since its launch, more than 57.7 crore loans worth ₹40 lakh crore have been sanctioned under PMMY. 66% of MUDRA loans were sanctioned to women.

Transport and Connectivity

Roads	India’s Road Network: Expanded significantly between 2014 and 2026, reshaping connectivity and daily mobility. At 63.73 lakh km, it is now the 2nd largest road network globally. National highways grew nearly 61%, between FY14 and FY26. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY): So far, 99.6% of eligible habitations were connected, with completed roads rising from 3.86 lakh km during 2000-2014 to 4.11 lakh km during 2014-2026.
Railways	Gross Budgetary Allocation: Rose nearly ninefold from about ₹32,000 crore in 2014-15 to about ₹2.78 lakh crore in 2026-27. Electrification of Rail Network: Expanded from 20% before 2014 to 99.6% by March 2026. Vande Bharat: It is India’s indigenously designed semi-high-speed train. By March 2026, 162 services were operational nationwide
Air	Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN): Launched in 2016, UDAN aims to make air travel affordable and accessible for the common citizen. 665 routes operationalised and remote regions, including the North East, hilly states, and island territories, were connected to the national aviation grid for the first time.
Metro	Metro rail network expanded from 248 km (5 cities, 2014) to 1,155 km (26 cities, March 2026). Now its 3rd largest globally. Kolkata inaugurated the country’s 1^st underwater metro tunnel in 2024. Kochi became the 1^st city to operationalise a Water Metro service.

Governance Reforms

Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023: It amended provisions across multiple central laws, shifting minor defaults from criminal penalties to civil remedies.
Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026: It covers 784 provisions across 79 central Acts, decriminalises 717 provisions, and amends 67 provisions directly affecting citizens.
Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS): Between January 2025 and February 2026, approximately 6 lakh grievances were resolved.
MyGov: Launched in 2014, MyGov strengthens citizen participation in governance. With more than 60 million registered users, it acts as a dynamic bridge between citizens and the Government.
PM GatiShakti Scheme (2021): It has onboarded 58 Ministries and Departments, integrating their data layers on the National Master Plan to enable coordinated cross-sector infrastructure development.

{Prelims – IE} RBI Digital Scam Compensation Pilot

Context (TH): RBI issued (Commercial Banks-Responsible Business Conduct) Third Amendment Directions, 2026, to launch a one-year pilot compensating victims of fraudulent digital banking transactions, effective 1 January 2027.

The directions widen consumer protection from “unauthorised electronic banking transactions” to the broader category of “fraudulent electronic banking transactions” (EBTs).
Fraud victims with losses up to ₹50,000 can claim 85% of the net loss or ₹25,000, whichever is lower, as a one-time lifetime benefit. They must report the incident to both their bank and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (Helpline 1930) within five calendar days from its occurrence to qualify.
For domestic fraud below ₹29,412, RBI bears 65% of the net loss, the customer’s and scammer’s bank each 10%, and the customer absorbs the remaining 15%.
Customers lose zero-liability protection by acting negligently: ignoring explicit bank warnings, sharing credentials or OTPs voluntarily, etc. The burden of proving customer negligence rests entirely on the bank.
Banks must resolve domestic fraud complaints within 45 days and cross-border complaints within 60 days, and issue a shadow reversal for disputed credit card transactions within 5 days.

{Prelims – IR} Youth Co: Lab

Context (PIB): Six youth-led startups from across India won the 8th Youth Co: Lab National Innovation Challenge 2026, held in collaboration with T-Hub Foundation.

Founded in 2017 by the UNDP and the Citi Foundation, Youth Co: Lab is Asia-Pacific’s largest youth-led social entrepreneurship movement. In India, it was launched in 2019 by the UNDP and AIM.
Objective: Create a common regional agenda to empower youth and speed up SDG efforts.
It offers seed funding and network support to startups led by youth aged 15–29, extending eligibility to 35 years for women, PwDs, and marginalised groups.

{Prelims – S&T} Netra AEW&C

Context (PIB): DRDO has handed over the Final Operational Clearance of the indigenous Netra Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) system to the Indian Air Force.

Developed by DRDO, Netra serves as India’s “eye in the sky” and uses an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar to provide long-range airborne surveillance, early warning, target tracking, command-and-control, and battle management.
The system is mounted on the Embraer EMB-145 aircraft and offers a detection range of 250–500+ km with 300°–360° radar coverage.
It can detect and track enemy aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, and ships, identify friend from foe (IFF), and guide friendly fighter aircraft during combat operations.

Context (TH | IE): Government expanded QR code-based drug traceability to strengthen supply chain transparency and curb counterfeit medicines across India.

The Health Ministry amended the Drugs Rules, 1945, by expanding Schedule H2 to include vaccines, antimicrobials, anti-cancer medicines, and narcotic & psychotropic drugs.
Manufacturers must affix a unique QR code/barcode on primary (or secondary) packaging for end-to-end authentication and verification.
QR codes will contain unique product ID, generic & brand name, manufacturer details, batch number, manufacturing & expiry dates, licence number, and excipient details.
Mandatory from 1^st July 2027 for vaccines, anti-cancer & NDPS drugs, and from 1^st July 2028 for antimicrobials.

{Prelims – Misc} One Liners

Polity – e-Zero FIR (TOI): e-Zero FIR is a digital initiative of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre that automatically converts verified high-value cyber financial fraud complaints into Zero FIRs, enabling immediate police investigation without waiting for jurisdictional formalities.
- Like a traditional Zero FIR, an e-Zero FIR can be registered irrespective of territorial jurisdiction and later transferred to the appropriate police station.
S&T – SpaceX Starfall (NDTV): An uncrewed, mass-producible, disk-shaped re-entry capsule built to autonomously transport manufactured goods and research payloads from low Earth orbit back to Earth.
- It lacks a propulsion system for de-orbit burns; instead, it relies on a pre-set trajectory and parachutes for re-entry and splashdown.
Health – National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (TH): Implemented by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Ministry of Tribal Affairs to eradicate sickle cell disease (SCD) by 2047, targeting universal screening for people aged 0-40 in 17 high-prevalence states.
- Sickle cell anaemia is a blood disorder caused by an inherited autosomal recessive mutation in the HBB gene, which causes red blood cells to become rigid and crescent-shaped. Sickle cells die prematurely, causing anaemia, blocking small vessels, and depriving tissues of oxygen.