UPSC Daily Current Affairs| One Liners 19-06-2026

One Liners 19-06-2026

History, Art and Culture

Robert A. F. Thurman

Prime Minister has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Mr. Robert A. F. Thurman.

• Robert A. F. Thurman – An acclaimed American Buddhist scholar.

• Recognized as – 1^st Westerner ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk by 14^th Dalai Lama.

• Co-founded – Tibet House US to protect and preserve endangered Tibetan civilization.

• Major honours –

  • International Campaign for Tibet's Light of Truth Award (2003)

  • Padma Shri – India's prestigious civilian honour (2020).

Government Policies & Interventions

Bharat Buildcon 2026

Recently, Bharat Buildcon 2026 exhibition is inaugurated.

• Bharat Buildcon 2026 – India's premier exhibition for the construction and building materials industry.

• Held at – Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in New Delhi.

• Inaugurated by – Minister of State for Commerce & Industry and Electronics & Information Technology.

• Participation – Over 90 Countries and 100 Indian Cities.

  • Showcasing Innovations across 24 Building Material Segments.

• Significance –

  • To establish world’s largest platform for building construction materials.

  • To drive India’s rise as a global infrastructure leader in line with the Viksit Bharat 2047 mission.

CAPEXIL

• CAPEXIL – Chemical & Allied Products Export Promotion Council

• Established by – Ministry of Commerce in 1958.

• Objective – To promote export of Chemical and Allied Products from India.

• Headquarter – Kolkata

• Focus – To provide export assistance to its member exporters.

• Functions –

  • To send trade delegations to global & emerging markets.

  • To showcase Indian exports via fairs worldwide.

  • To connect importer needs with Indian exporters.

• Certification – To claim DGFT benefits, export incentives, and duty drawbacks, RCMC issued by CAPEXIL is must.

(Note: RCMC – Registration Cum Membership Certificate, and DGFT – Directorate General of Foreign Trade.)

Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)

• Nodal ministry – Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

• Headquartered – New Delhi.

• Responsible for –

  • Formulating and implementing the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP).

  • To promote and regulate India's exports and imports.

• Functions –

  • Authorization – It manages the Export Management System to issue licenses for restricted goods.

  • Certificate management – It oversees digital issuance of essential export certificates, including Certificate of Origin.

• Significance – It acts as restrictor, trade facilitator to boost growth and international business.

National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI)

NIXI celebrated 23rd Foundation Day, Showcasing India’s Growing Internet Ecosystem recently.

• Established under – Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

• Mandates – To facilitate the peering of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and content players.

  • To route domestic internet traffic within India rather than sending it abroad.

• Role –

  • To promote wider adoption of ‘.IN’ and ‘.भारत’ domains, strengthening internet resilience.

  • To facilitate Internet Exchange services.

  • To delegate IP addresses (IPv4/IPv6) through the Indian Registry for Internet Names and Numbers (IRINN).

• Significance – NIXI’s initiatives reduces latency and lowers international bandwidth costs.

Economy

Price Support Scheme (PSS)

Centre Approves Large-Scale Procurement of Pulses and Oilseeds Under PSS recently.

• PSS – Central government agricultural procurement program.  

• Operates under – Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) scheme.

• Nodal ministry – Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

• Initiated only – When the market price of Fair Average Quality (FAQ) produces falls below the declared MSP.

• Beneficiaries & Eligibility

  • Farmers must pre-register with valid land records on state-approved portals.

  • The produce must meet FAQ parameters.

  • All payments are made directly to the farmer's registered bank account.

  • Procurement operations last until market prices stabilize above the MSP or 90 days (whichever is earlier).

• Objectives –

  • To protect farmers from economic losses during market crashes

  • To keep essential commodities affordable for consumers.

PM-AASHA (Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan)

• Nodal ministry – Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

• Objective – To ensure remunerative Minimum Support Price (MSP) to farmers and stabilize food prices for consumers.

• Sub-components –

  • Price Support Scheme (PSS) – Procures notified pulses, oilseeds, and copra at MSP directly from pre-registered farmers.

  • Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) – Compensates farmers for the difference if they sell notified oilseeds below the MSP in open markets.

  • Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) – Maintains strategic buffer stocks of commodities (like pulses and onions).

    • It regulates supply, discourage hoarding.

• Features –

  • Procurement done directly via portals like NAFED's e-Samriddhi and NCCF's e-Samyukti.

  • Mandatory biometric/facial authentication at centers to eliminate intermediaries.

  • Payments directly to farmers' bank accounts.

Defence

Exercise Khaan Quest

The Indian Army contingent is set to depart recently to participate in  KHAAN QUEST.

• It is an annual multilateral military exercise.

• Co-hosted by – Mongolia and United States Indo-Pacific Command.

• Aim – To enhance interoperability for UN peace support operations under Chapter VII of UN Charter.

• Location – Five Hills Training Area, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

• Background – Began in 2003 as a bilateral event between the USA and Mongolia, evolved into a multinational exercise.

• Focus and Activities

  • Joint planning and tactical drills

  • Establishing static and mobile checkpoints

  • Cordon and search operations

  • Evacuation of civilians from hostile areas

• Significance – It foster professional ties, operational readiness, and camaraderie among military personnel from across the globe.

Science

Vivatech 2026 (10^th Anniversary Edition).

Recently Prime minister has participated in Vivatech 2026.

• It is a Europe's largest startup and technology event.

• AI Country Partner – India

• Participation from India – Over 80 deep-tech companies and start-ups.

• Key Event Themes –

  • Artificial Intelligence

  • Productivity Reimagined

  • Sovereignty & Ethics

  • Energy, Greentech & Mobility

  • Cybersecurity & Defence

• Highlights – India’s vision for a human-centric AI and frontier technologies.

• Significance –It highlights India–France Year of Innovation 2026.

• It unites global tech ecosystem addressing world challenges through technology.

Health

Dengue

• Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection.

• Symptoms –

  • High fever

  • Severe headache and pain behind the eyes

  • Muscle, joint, or bone pain

  • Nausea and vomiting

• Transmission – 

  • Vector – Infected female Aedes mosquitoes (primarily Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus).

  • These mosquitoes thrive in urban and semi-urban environments, breeding in standing water.

• Treatment – There is no specific treatment.

• Prevention – Avoiding mosquito bites and controlling mosquito populations.