UPSC Daily Current Affairs| One Liners 01-06-2026

One Liners 01-06-2026

History, Art and Culture

Indian Air Force (IAF) airlifts sacred Buddhist relics

Recently, IAF IL‑76 Gajraj airlifted the sacred relics of Arahant Sariputta and Arahant Mahamoggallana, from Delhi to Mongolia.

Arahant Sariputta – Chief disciple of Buddha, renowned for wisdom and analytical insight.
Arahant Mahamoggallana – Chief disciple of Buddha, famed for supernatural powers and meditative mastery.
Arahant – It means a worthy one or a perfected one.
A spiritually advanced individual who has fully eradicated all mental defilements (greed, hatred, and delusion) and attained Nirvana, thus breaking the cycle of rebirth.

Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar

Recently, PM pays tribute to Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar on her birth anniversary.

Ahilyabai Holkar –
- Widely revered as Lokmata – Mother of the People
- Queen of Maratha Malwa (18^th CE) revered for wisdom, compassion, and governance.
Celebrated for – Model of justice, courage, public welfare and patriotism.
Cultural Contribution – Reconstructed numerous temples & pilgrimage sites across India, strengthening cultural pride.

Suman Kalyanpur – Indian Playback Singer

Recently, Prime Minister condoles the passing of popular singer, Suman Kalyanpur.

Renowned playback singer of Indian cinema, celebrated for melodious voice who enriched India’s cultural world and also a contemporary of Lata Mangeshkar.
Awards – Padma Bhushan

Polity & Governance

Appointment of Supreme Court Judges

Recently, Supreme Court (SC) gets 5 new judges

Article 124 of the Constitution of India governs the appointment, resignation, and removal of SC judges.
Appointment – Article 124(2) –
- The President appoints judges based on recommendations of the Collegium (Chief Justice and 4 senior SC judges).
- Prime Minister advises the President to accept or return the names for reconsideration.
- If Collegium sends the same names back a second time, the Government must accept them.
- The President signs the appointment order
Resignation – Article 124(2)(a) – A judge can resign any time before age 65 by writing to the President.
Removal (Impeachment) Article 124(4) and Article 124(5)
- Allowed only for proven misbehaviour or incapacity.
- Motion signed by 100 members of Lok Sabha or 50 members in Rajya Sabha.
- The speaker or chaimran sets a 3-member inquiry committee.
- If committee finds guilty, both Houses must pass with special majority (over 50% of total strength + 2/3 present & voting) then President issues removal order.
Note – No SC judge has ever been removed so far.

Economy

LPG Price Hikes – 2026

Recently, price hiked for commercial and FTL LPG cylinders

4^th hike since West Asia conflict which disrupted energy supply.
Commercial LPG (19 kg or 47.5 kg) – It is designed for high-consumption business use—such as in restaurants, hotels, and industries—and is sold at market-determined rates without government subsidies.
Free Trade LPG (5‑kg FTL) – It refers to small (typically 5 kg) cooking gas cylinders that can be purchased freely without requiring a standard domestic connection or local address proof.
Domestic LPG (14.2‑kg) – Supplied to households for personal kitchen use at government-regulated or subsidized rates, requiring a formal registration with local address proof. (Prices remaining unchanged).
Impact – Rising FTL prices burden migrant labourers lacking address proof, dependent on mini‑cylinders.

Cotton Import Duty Exemption

Recently, Ministry of Finance suspended 11% import duty on cotton till October 30.

Objective –
- Increase availability for textile sector.
- Bridge gap between production and demand.

Environment

Pollution cuts solar power

Recently, an analysis published that aerosols in India reduced the amount of solar power generated.

Air pollution in northern India – It reduced India’s 2023 solar power output by 9.6% i.e. 15 Terawatt-hour (TWh), with long-term Indian deficits averaging 74 TWh annually from 2017 to 2023.
Aerosols – Fine particles (sulphates, carbon, dust, smog) from coal plants, vehicles, industries that block sunlight reaching solar panels.
Global Average – 5.8% global average loss
China – China lost 61.3 TWh in 2023, but only 7.7% fractionally, lower than India’s 9.6%.
China reduced losses by retrofitting coal plants with filters; cut 1.4% loss annually (2013–23) using Flue‑Gas Desulphurisation (FGD).
FGD – Technology that removes Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂) and particulates from coal plant emissions, reducing aerosol pollution.

Access and Benefit Sharing – National Biodiversity Authority

Access and Benefit Sharing – Mechanism under Biological Diversity Act ensuring fair benefit‑sharing from use of biological resources (like plants, seeds, and traditional knowledge).
Resources used – 300 species including maize, rice, turmeric, amla, mustard, tulsi, neem, ashwagandha, pepper, lavanga.

Security

PRAGATI 2026

Recently, a maiden edition of PRAGATI – multilateral exercise conducted at Umroi Military Station, Meghalaya.

PRAGATI – Partnership of Regional Armies for Growth & Transformation in Indian Ocean Region.
Participants – 13 nations (India + Bhutan, Cambodia, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos); 400 troops.
Focus – Counter‑terrorism ops in semi‑mountainous & jungle terrain; drills on ambush, slithering, jungle lane shooting, IED detection, casualty evacuation.
Outcome – Enhanced interoperability, mutual trust, soldierly bonding, cultural exchange.
Highlight – Defence equipment display by Indian Army along with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) showcasing indigenous technologies.

Science

Digi Yatra – Digital Aviation Revolution

Recently, Digi Yatra Crosses 10 crore usage across 38 airports; 2.4 crore app downloads.

Digi Yatra – It is an initiative that uses facial recognition technology to provide a seamless, paperless, and contactless travel experience at airports that eases congestion.
Sustainability – Eliminated paper boarding passes, saving thousands of sheets daily.
Expansion – 27 more airports to be enabled.
Inclusivity – Supports 11 languages, adding 11 more regional languages by year‑end.
Privacy by design – User data stays encrypted on the passenger’s own device, (not on central servers, reducing risk of misuse or leaks) shared only briefly for airport verification, ensuring security and control.