UPSC Daily Current Affairs| One Liners 26-06-2026

One Liners 26-06-2026

Polity & Governance

National Teachers Awards 2026

Recently, Ministry of Education has opened the application and online self-nomination process for the National Teachers Awards 2026.

• Registration through – National Teachers' Awards Portal.

• Eligibility criteria

  • Minimum of 10 years of regular service.

  • Applicants must not indulge in commercial private tuitions.

• Ineligible –

  • Contractual teachers.

  • Shiksha Mitras.

  • Educational administrators.

  • Inspectors, and training institute staff.

• Eligible schools –

  • Schools managed by State Governments, UT Administrations, local bodies.

  • Government-aided schools.

  • Private schools affiliated with recognized boards.

  • Central Government schools like Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs), Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs), Sainik Schools, and Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS).

• Award components –

  • A certificate of merit.

  • A silver medal.

  • A cash prize of ₹50,000.

Modules for Telecom Service Authorisations and License Migration

Department of Telecommunications (DoT) launched online modules for Telecom Service Authorisations and License Migration.

• Platform – DoT eServices Portal.

• Launched under – Telecommunications Act, 2023.

• Portal features –

  • Fully automated, paperless application processing, document submission, tracking.

  • Seamlessly integrated with MeitY’s Entity Locker, allowing companies to digitally store, verify, and share Saral Sanchar licenses.

  • New registrations – Done via the Saral Sanchar Portal link.

  • License migration – Existing licensees can navigate directly to the UL/VNO Migration Section to align with new rules.

• Service covered –

  • Unified Service Authorisation

  • Access Service (Service Area-wise)

  • Internet Service (Categories A, B, and C)

  • Long Distance Services (National & International)

Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement (GRAAM)

MoSPI signed Statement of Intent (SoI) with GRAAM for embark India development fellowship Proposal recently.

• GRAAM – It is a prominent, non-partisan public policy research and advocacy think-and-act tank based in India.

• Founded in – 2011.

• Headquarters – Mysore, Karnataka.

• Focus areas –

  • Indigenous community development.

  • Learning, skill development, and livelihoods.

  • Health and wellness.

  • Governance and democratization.

• Activities –

  • Policy research & Evaluation,

  • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) consulting

  • Academic & fellowship programs.

• Objectives –

  • To influence evidence-based citizen-centric public policies collaboratively.

  • To ensure the ‘voices’ of the communities at the grassroots are accounted for development.

Reforms in Wagon Design Policy

Union Railway Minister directed that a new Wagon Design Policy be issued within 15 days.

• Implemented by – Indian railway.

• Key proposed reforms –

  • Industry-Centric Approach – It allows industries to design wagons tailored to their commodity needs.

  • Standards & Safety check by – Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS).

• Objective – To reduce logistics costs and lower carbon emissions across the country.

• Significance – It contributes to Viksit Bharat and sustainable economic growth.

Economy

Treasury Bills (T-Bills)

Recently, calendar for auction of treasury bills for the quarter ending September 2026 released recently by central government.

• Treasury Bills – Short-term, sovereign debt instruments.

• Issued by – Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on behalf of the Central Government.

• Constitutional provisions –

  • Article 266 (Consolidated Fund) – It dictates that all loans raised by the Central Government through the issuance of Treasury Bills.

  • Article 110 (Money Bills).

• Features –

  • Safest money market instruments

  • Fully backed by the Government of India.

  • Zero-Coupon Structure – do not pay periodic interest or coupons.

  • They are issued at a discount to their face value and redeemed at par (full face value) upon maturity.

• Investing in T-bills – Done through

  • open a free Retail Direct Gilt (RDG) Account directly with the RBI (charges zero brokerage or maintenance fees).

  • Mainstream discount brokers and trading apps (such as Zerodha, Groww, or Upstox)

• Note – Only the Central Government can issue, not state governments.

Financial market instruments

• Money markets and capital markets are the two primary pillars of the financial system.

• Money markets –

  • Handle short-term, highly liquid, low-risk investments (under 1 year).

  • Instruments –

    • Treasury Bills (T-Bills).

    • Certificates of Deposit (CDs).

    • Commercial Paper.

    • Repurchase Agreements (Repos).

    • Call Money.

• Capital markets –

  • Long-term wealth creation and financing (over 1 year),

  • carry higher risks but offer higher potential returns.

  • Instruments –

    • Equities (Stocks).

    • Bonds & Debentures.

    • Mutual Funds & ETFs.

    • Derivatives.

    • Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).

Security

Kuki-Zo Council (KZC)

Recently, Kuki-Zo Council admitted six Naga civilians were killed by Kukis.

• KZC – Apex socio-political organization representing the interests of the Kuki and Zo (Zomi) tribal communities.

• Founded in – 2024.

• Composition – Presidents and representatives from various Kuki-Zo tribes and Inpis (traditional governing councils).

Science

Intra Circle Roaming (ICR)

Department of telecommunications activates intra circle roaming in four districts of Arunachal Pradesh amid heavy rainfall recently.

• It is a telecom arrangement where a mobile subscriber connects to another operator’s network within the same region.

• Objective – To access mobile services even if their own operator has no coverage in that specific area.

• Significance – It plays a critical role during natural disasters when mobile infrastructure is damaged.

Steps to ensure ICR works

• Keep "Automatic Network Selection" enabled in your phone settings.

• If automatic connection fails.

  • Go to Settings > Mobile Networks > Network Operators.

  • Manually select another available network.

Health

SHATAYU Dashboard

Recently, SHATAYU Dashboard Expands Caregiver Network for Senior Citizens across the country.

• SHATAYU – Senior Holistic Care Assistance and Training for Your Utility.

• Launched by – Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

• Key features –

  • Coordinate with verified geriatric caregivers and support institutions down to the district level

  • Monitors training modules and certification benchmarks for caregivers to ensure standardized.

  • Consolidates data from NGOs, medical skill councils, and ecosystem partners.

• Objectives –

  • To map, verify, and track geriatric caregivers.

  • To provide families with reliable access to trained professional care providers.

• Related platforms

  • JEEVAN App – Citizen-facing mobile application for senior citizens, provides access to emergency SOS features, and geo-tagged welfare homes.

• Assistance – For immediate support at National Elder Helpline at 14567.

Vitamin B3

A surprising vitamin B3 strategy is showing early promise in helping the immune system greatly.

• Vitamin B3 – Also known as niacin and is an essential water-soluble nutrient.

• Two primary forms – Niacin (nicotinic acid) and Niacinamide (nicotinamide).

• Natural Food Sources –

  • Meat & Seafood – Chicken, turkey, tuna, and salmon.

  • Plant-based options – Peanuts, legumes, and green vegetables.

  • Fortified Foods – Many cereals and breads are enriched with vitamin B3.

• Benefits – Body uses it to

  • Convert food into energy.

  • Repair DNA.

  • Support your nervous system.

  • Skin health.

• Deficiency – Leads to a condition called pellagra and skin problems.