UPSC Daily Current Affairs| One Liners 23-06-2026

One Liners 23-06-2026

History, Art and Culture

Kalamkari Paintings

Recently, the Prime Minister of India gifted a Kalamkari Mahabharata painting to the French President.

It is an Indian art of hand-painting using natural dyes.
Name origin – Persian words “kalam (pen)” and “kari (craftsmanship)”, literally means "pen-work."
Practiced in – Andhra Pradesh.
Features –
- Highly intricate patterns.
- Rich earth tones.
- Depictions of epic folklore.

Two traditional styles

Srikalahasti Style –
- Relies on freehand drawing.
- Uses a bamboo pen (kalam) with a cloth wrapped around it to absorb the dye.
- Focuses on – Religious narratives, Hindu deities, scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata, and Tree of Life motif.
Machilipatnam Style –
- Relies on hand-carved wooden blocks to stamp outlines and primary patterns onto the cloth.
- Origin – Islamic art influences.
- Features – Dense, repeating floral patterns, vines, and geometric designs.

Rakhigarhi

AnSI recently received ancient skeletal remains from the site at Rakhigarhi for DNA analysis.

It is the largest known archaeological site of the Indus Valley (Harappan) Civilization.
Location – Hisar district of Haryana.
- 150 km northwest of Delhi on the banks of the dried-up Saraswati River.
Archaeological findings –
- Burnt-brick houses, drainage systems, and paved streets.
- Jewellery-making units, copper and gold ornaments.
- Extensive burial ground.

Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI)

It is an Apex authority for mapping India's vast cultural and biological diversity.
Founded in – 1945, Varanasi.
Headquarters – Indian Museum Complex, Kolkata.
Nodal ministry – Ministry of Culture.
Objectives –
- To study indigenous communities and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.
- To maintain high-tech facilities for DNA sequencing, paleoanthropology and biochemistry.
- To document disappearing languages, creating ethnographic films, and archiving folk art.

Government Policies & Interventions

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)

Recently the International Day of Yoga 2026 Celebrations held across the Ganga Basin by NMCG.

Established in – 2011, under Societies Registration Act 1860.
Nodal ministry – Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Implementation arm of – National Ganga Council.
Management structure –
- Governing Council.
- Executive Committee.
Guiding principles –
- Nirmal Dhara (unpolluted flow).
- Aviral Dhara (continuous flow).
Objectives –
- To ensure abatement of pollution and rejuvenation of river Ganga.
- To maintain minimum ecological flows in the river Ganga and sustainable development.

National Ganga Council (NGC)

Establishment in – 2009, under Environment Protection Act, 1986.
Background – Initially National Ganga River Basin Authority dissolved and replaced by NGC in 2016.
Structure –
- Chairperson – Prime Minister.
- Members – Union Ministers and Chief Ministers of the five Ganga basin states (Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal).
Implementation – NMCG under Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Responsible for – Superintendence, pollution prevention, and rejuvenation of the Ganga River Basin.

Development of Vehicle Service Facilities

NHAI directs development of vehicle repair and puncture service facilities at wayside amenities along national highways

To improving the travel experience, reducing vehicle downtime.
To enhancing road safety and ensuring prompt assistance.
To avoid inconvenience, delays, and potential safety concerns.
To develop a network of modern wayside amenities under the Public-Private Partnership.

Significance – Underlines NHAI’s commitment to develop safe and user-centric National Highway corridors.
- It helps needs of commuters and logistics operators across the country.

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)

Established – under the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988.
Headquarters – New Delhi,
Nodal body for – Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
Objectives –
- To handles over 50,000 km of National Highways across the country.
- To oversees major highway upgrades and greenfield expressway layouts.
- To manage highway monetization via Toll-Operate-Transfer (TOT).

Agriculture

NAFED’s auction portal ‘NAFEX.in

Recently, Union Home Minister is set to launch NAFED’s auction portal ‘NAFEX.in’.

A dedicated digital e-auction platform for trading of agricultural commodities.
Functions –
- Seamless procurement and real-time bidding.
- Directly connecting institutional buyers, traders, and agricultural cooperative societies.
Integrated features –
- Secure automated financial transactions.
- Offering live wallet management with instant payment settlements via NEFT and RTGS.
Relief measures – NAFED timely waives portal transaction charges for registered bidders.

National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED)

Apex organization – For the cooperative marketing of agricultural produce.
Objectives –
- To procure agri-goods directly from farmers at MSP under the Price Support Scheme.
- To Manage the national buffer stock of essential commodities.
Oversees – Government-channelized export and import of critical agricultural commodities.
Digital infrastructure –
- NAFEX.in platform – For transparent e-auctions.
- DRISHTI portal – For real-time, pan-India warehouse stock tracking.

Security

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)

Recently union home minister lays foundation stone of new CISF Headquarters building in New Delhi.

It is the only Central Armed Police Force featuring its own specialized, industrial Fire Wing.
Nodal ministry – Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
Features – It bills commercial public and private establishments for its security deployment, and reimburse later.
Objectives –
- To provide security to airports, space centers, and the Delhi Metro.
- To safeguard the Parliament House Complex.
- To strengthen CISF's operational and training capabilities