Current Affairs 06 June 2026

The Mega Science Vision-2035 (MSV-2035) Report on Climate Research, submitted to the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Union Government, has raised a sharp alarm: India has nearly lost its domestic scientific instrument-manufacturing capacity. Years of reliance on uncalibrated imported instruments have produced flawed climate data published in national and international scientific journals, directly threatening the credibility of India’s climate research globally.

• Nodal Institution: Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.
• Submitted to: Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA), Government of India.
• Consulted approximately 3,200 researchers during drafting; reviewed by PSA and Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• Proposes 8 mega science projects in three 5-year phases up to 2035.
• Funding estimate: ₹795 crore (conservative) to ₹1,359 crore (ambitious) — modest compared to major national science missions.
• The report is a community-authored roadmap, not a government policy or funding commitment.

• India’s climate sector has almost entirely lost domestic instrument-manufacturing capacity.
• Critical environmental data relies on imported equipment routinely operated without calibration for years, leading to incorrect data in scientific journals — triggering global questions about the credibility of India’s scientific output.

• Under Atmanirbhar Bharat, publicly-funded institutions were mandated to use the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), prioritising the lowest-bidding India-registered vendor.
• Vendors frequently unable to meet technical specifications for high-precision equipment.
• In June 2025, the Finance Ministry relaxed norms: select institutions may procure outside GeM for purchases up to ₹200 crore.

• India’s ESMs are primarily adapted from US and European models, sensitive to regional inputs they were never designed to integrate.
• MSV-2035 recommends building an indigenous ESM from first principles using AI and ML for India-specific conditions.

• As of February 2026, non-fossil sources account for 52.57% of India’s installed electricity capacity — ahead of its 2030 Paris Agreement target.
• Yet the long-term climate consequences of massive solar and wind installations remain “poorly understood”, requiring systematic environmental monitoring.

• Data Credibility: Flawed instruments produce flawed peer-reviewed data, compromising climate policy decisions.
• Atmanirbhar Paradox: The lowest-cost domestic procurement mandate inadvertently undermined scientific quality.
• ESM Dependence: Over 3,000 Indian climate researchers routinely rely on datasets designed for temperate regions.
• Underfunding: The ₹795–1,359 crore estimate carries no government funding commitment.

• Revive Indigenous Manufacturing: Dedicated national programme for climate instrumentation and calibration technologies.
• Reform GeM for Science: Extend June 2025 relaxation nationally; create a separate procurement framework for advanced scientific equipment.
• India-Specific ESM: Mission-mode development integrating India’s monsoon dynamics, Himalayan hydrology and tropical oceanography.
• Implement Polluter Pays: Devise the Social Cost of Carbon for domestic policy use.

On June 3, 2026, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) elected five countries as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for two-year terms beginning January 1, 2027. Notably, Kyrgyzstan secured its first-ever UNSC seat after four rounds of voting against the Philippines, while Germany failed despite intense lobbying — losing to Portugal and Austria in the Western European and Others Group (WEOG) contest.

Germany received only 104 votes — well below the minimum threshold of 127 (two-thirds of 191 voting members).

• Established: 1945 under the UN Charter.
• Composition: 15 members — 5 permanent (P5) with veto power (China, France, Russia, UK, USA) + 10 non-permanent elected for 2-year terms.
• Regional allocation of non-permanent seats: 5 for African & Asian States; 1 for Eastern European; 2 for Latin American & Caribbean; 2 for Western European & Others.
• Binding Authority: Only UN body whose decisions are legally binding on all member states.
• Election: Two-thirds majority through secret ballot; required even for uncontested candidates.

India has served as a non-permanent UNSC member eight times: 1950–51, 1967–68, 1972–73, 1977–78, 1984–85, 1991–92, 2011–12, and 2021–22 (most recent). India is part of the G4 group (India, Germany, Japan, Brazil) advocating for UNSC reform and permanent membership.

• Germany’s Defeat: A G4 partner failing to even win a non-permanent seat reflects the unpredictability of UNGA electoral politics and growing frustration with Western geopolitical positioning.
• Kyrgyzstan’s Historic Win: First Central Asian country to win a contested UNSC election — signals growing multipolarity.
• India’s Strategic Interest: Germany’s loss indirectly signals the difficulty of the G4’s permanent membership campaign; India must intensify coalition-building.
• Geopolitical Context: Held amid deepening UNSC divisions over West Asia, Ukraine, and Sudan conflicts.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) launched Navachar Mantra on June 3, 2026 at IIT Delhi — a national initiative to identify, nurture and scale India’s most promising grassroots innovators and early-stage entrepreneurs, especially from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, aspirational districts, and underserved geographies.

• Pathways for innovators from Tier-2/3 cities and aspirational districts to access mentorship, visibility and growth opportunities.
• Year-long programme: mentorship roundtables, thematic webinars, innovation showcases, investor interactions.
• Guidance on business development, IP, regulatory compliance, fundraising and scaling.
• Culminates in a national showcase event bringing together innovators, investors and policymakers.

• Bridging the Innovation Divide: India’s startup ecosystem is heavily metro-concentrated; Navachar Mantra specifically targets innovators outside these hubs.
• Viksit Bharat 2047: Builds a pipeline of grassroots innovators to support India’s developed-nation vision.
• Complementary to Skill India: Focuses not just on employable skills but on entrepreneurial and innovation-oriented capacities.

• Execution Risk: Past grassroots innovation schemes (ASPIRE, NIF) have struggled with reach and post-programme follow-through.
• Digital Divide: Digital-only application process may exclude innovators in poor-connectivity areas — ironically the very target group.
• No Direct Capital: The initiative offers mentorship but no seed fund or grant component, limiting appeal to early-stage innovators who need capital.

• Startup India (2016) — DPIIT-led; tax exemptions, Fund of Funds, recognition framework.
• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) — NITI Aayog; Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs), Atal Incubation Centres (AICs).
• ASPIRE — Scheme for Promotion of Innovation, Rural Industry and Entrepreneurship (MSME Ministry).
• National Innovation Foundation (NIF) — DST body; scouts and scales grassroots innovations.

MoSPI released the Provisional Estimates of GDP for FY 2025-26 on June 5, 2026. India’s real GDP grew at 7.7% (constant 2022-23 prices), accelerating from 7.1% in FY 2024-25 — the fastest pace in two years. Q4 (January–March 2026) growth stood at 7.8%. This marks India’s third consecutive year of above-7% real GDP growth.

• Manufacturing: 10.7% in FY26 (up from 9.3%); Q4 at 7.3% (slower than Q4 FY25’s 11.8%).
• Trade, Hotels, Transport, Communication & Broadcasting: 11% in FY26 (up from 6.6%); Q4 at 12.4%.
• Financial, Real Estate & Professional Services: Double-digit growth at constant and current prices.
• Agriculture: Slowed to 3% in FY26 (from 4.2% in FY25).
• Tertiary Sector (Services overall): 9.3% aggregate growth.

Estimates use 2022-23 as the new base year — part of India’s comprehensive statistical overhaul in 2026 (also applicable to IIP, WPI, and PPI series).

• Deceleration Ahead: RBI projects FY 2026-27 growth at 6.6%, citing West Asia conflict spillovers and elevated energy prices.
• Agriculture Slowdown: 3% growth in a sector employing ~45% of India’s workforce signals rural income stress.
• Investment Momentum: GFCF at 8.2% (vs 6.4%) is positive — sustained capital formation is critical for long-term potential output.
• Private Consumption Recovery: Jump from 5.8% to 7.7% signals strengthening household demand.

The RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) unanimously voted on June 5, 2026 to hold the policy repo rate at 5.25% — its third consecutive meeting without a rate change — while revising down its FY 2026-27 GDP growth forecast to 6.6% and revising up its CPI inflation forecast to 5.1% (up 50 bps). Governor Sanjay Malhotra cited West Asia conflict spillovers and sub-normal monsoon risks.

Total: 125 bps of cuts from February–December 2025; repo rate down from 6.5% to 5.25%.

• West Asia Conflict: Elevated energy prices and supply chain disruptions are weighing on growth and pushing inflation higher.
• Sub-Normal Monsoon + El Niño: Amplify food inflation uncertainty; could constrain rural demand.
• Inflation Trending Up: Headline CPI expected to firm up toward the upper tolerance band (6%) in Q3 FY27.
• Second-Round Effects: Risk of inflation expectations generalising through wages — warrants “close vigil.”
• Rupee Vulnerability: Rupee near ₹95.7/USD, edging toward the 100-mark, amplified by capital outflows.

• Expanding “specified securities” under FAR (Fully Accessible Route) to include all new issuances of 15-, 30-, and 40-year G-secs.
• Removing limits on short-term investments and FPI concentration under the General Route.
• Increasing equity investment limits for NRIs and OCIs without SEBI registration.

The Tamil Nadu Forest Department released results of the Third Synchronised Nilgiri Tahr Survey (April 24–27, 2026). The population of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr — Tamil Nadu’s State animal — rose to an estimated 1,364 individuals, a 4.68% increase over 2025 (1,303) and over 32% higher than 2024 (1,031). Results carry a 95% confidence interval of 869–2,465 individuals.

Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) — the Mountain Monarch — in its montane grassland habitat in the Western Ghats. State animal of Tamil Nadu; IUCN Endangered.

• Adult females: 38.4%; Adult males: 34.6%; Male-to-female ratio: 55:100.
• Yearlings: 15.5%; Young animals: 11.5%.

• Scientific name: Nilgiritragus hylocrius; also called Varayaadu, Nilgiri Ibex, Mountain Monarch.
• Only mountain ungulate in South India; endemic to the Western Ghats (TN and Kerala).
• Habitat: Montane grasslands and shola forests at 1,200–2,600 metres.
• Status: Endangered (IUCN Red List); protected under Schedule I, Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
• State animal: Tamil Nadu.
• Combined TN + Kerala population: approximately 2,655 individuals (2025 joint survey).

• Dedicated Tamil Nadu conservation project — one of India’s first species-specific conservation projects for a non-tiger mammal at state level.
• Draws on Sangam-era literature (~2,000 years old) to embed cultural significance in conservation messaging.
• Conducted jointly with Kerala Forest Department to avoid double-counting at state borders.
• Partners: IUCN-India, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), TANUVAS, WWF, Kerala Forest Department.

• The shola-grassland ecosystem is one of the world’s most threatened — a critical carbon sink (carbon stored underground in roots).
• Fragmented Distribution: Species no longer occupies a contiguous range; isolated populations face inbreeding and genetic diversity risks.
• Habitat Threats: Invasive species (notably Lantana camara), encroachment, and climate-induced grassland degradation.

Scientists from NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch confirmed that the world’s fourth global coral bleaching event — the fastest and most extensive on record — likely ended in mid-2025. Confirmed on April 15, 2024 (having begun in early 2023), it affected 84% of the world’s coral reef area across 83 countries and territories in all three coral-reef-bearing ocean basins.

• Corals host zooxanthellae — symbiotic photosynthetic algae that provide ~90% of coral’s energy.
• When ocean temperatures rise 1–2°C above seasonal maximum for extended periods, corals expel the zooxanthellae — turning white (bleached) and becoming severely stressed.
• Bleached corals are not dead but are highly vulnerable; prolonged bleaching leads to mass mortality.
• Primary driver: ocean warming from greenhouse gas emissions; El Niño events amplify the effect.

• Near-Annual Bleaching Era: NOAA’s Derek Manzello: “We are now in the era where reefs will bleach on a near-annual basis.” Distinguishing discrete global events from chronic stress is increasingly difficult.
• El Niño Ahead: NOAA forecasts high bleaching risk in the North Pacific (Hawai’i), Florida and Caribbean due to expected El Niño emergence.
• Livelihoods at Stake: Coral reefs support the livelihoods of nearly 1 billion people (food, income, coastal protection).
• Climate Tipping Point: The Global Tipping Points Report 2025 classified coral reef mass bleaching as Earth’s first catastrophic climate tipping point.
• Persistently High SSTs: Sea surface temperatures remain significantly higher than when the first global bleaching occurred in 1998.
• India’s Reefs: India’s coral ecosystems — Lakshadweep, Gulf of Mannar, Gulf of Kutch, Andaman & Nicobar — were impacted (Indian Ocean was one of three affected basins).

• Climate Action: Limiting global warming to below 1.5°C is the only long-term solution; coral reefs cannot survive in a 2°C world.
• Coral Restoration: NOAA researching heat-tolerant coral varieties for assisted evolution and reef restoration.
• India: Strengthen coral reef monitoring under the National Coral Reef Research Institute (NCRRI), Port Blair; expand Marine Protected Areas.
• International: Strengthen the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI); integrate coral protection into India’s Blue Economy and ocean governance policies.

The Executive Council of Barkatullah University, Bhopal has passed a proposal to rename it Vagdevi Bhopal University, reigniting debate about historical recognition of freedom fighters. The university was named in 1988 after Maulana Barkatullah Bhopali — a radical anti-colonial revolutionary who served as Prime Minister of the Provisional Government of India in Kabul (1915), widely regarded as India’s first government in exile.

Maulana Barkatullah Bhopali (1854–1927) — revolutionary, Ghadar Party leader, and Prime Minister of the Provisional Government of India, Kabul (1915).

• Born: July 7, 1854, Bhopal. Died: September 1927, Sacramento, California, USA.
• Went to London for studies; began teaching in Liverpool; encountered Indian revolutionaries.
• Left for the US in 1899 after writings attracted negative British attention.
• Corresponded with Maulana Hasrat Mohani — the revolutionary who coined Inquilab Zindabad.

• Worked prominently for the Ghadar Party, founded by Lala Har Dayal in 1913 in San Francisco — aimed at armed revolution against British rule.
• During WWI, he and associates travelled to Germany to convince captured Indian soldiers to form an anti-British army.

• Formed: December 1, 1915 — one of the first independent Indian political bodies outside British control.
• Raja Mahendra Pratap (Hindu prince) = President.
• Maulana Barkatullah = Prime Minister.
• Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi = Minister (also associated with the Silk Letter Movement / Reshmi Rumal Tehreek).

• Leaders of the Kabul government later travelled to Moscow to meet Vladimir Lenin, seeking Soviet support for Indian independence.

• Firmly believed India could only be free if Hindus and Muslims fought together and resisted divide-and-rule.
• The Provisional Government — a Hindu president, Muslim PM, Islamic scholar as minister — is a powerful historical example of composite nationalism.
• Spent most of his life in exile, connecting India’s freedom struggle with international anti-colonial networks across Europe, Central Asia, and the Americas.

• Historians oppose: Chaman Lal (Bhagat Singh Archives) and Prof. Ali Nadeem Rezavi (Indian History Congress, AMU) argue naming the university was “a long-due honour” and should not be reversed.
• Inconsistent Recognition: The Union government has promoted Raja Mahendra Pratap’s legacy (AMU Aligarh campus named after him, 2022). Historians argue Barkatullah, as Pratap’s closest associate, deserves equal recognition.
• Historical Erasure Risk: Renaming would erase recognition that took decades to achieve for an already insufficiently celebrated figure.

• Mainstream Barkatullah’s legacy through NCERT history textbooks, research fellowships, and international commemorations (US and Afghanistan).
• The Provisional Government of Kabul deserves dedicated coverage as a milestone of the Indian freedom struggle — particularly its model of Hindu-Muslim unity.