Current Affairs 01 June 2026

‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ to be Conducted Nationwide from June 1–30, 2026

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare will launch a month-long nationwide campaign called “Khet Bachao Abhiyan” from 1 June to 30 June 2026. The campaign aims to promote sustainable agriculture through balanced fertiliser use, soil health improvement, weather-based advisories, and greater awareness among farmers.

Key Objectives

• Promote balanced and judicious use of fertilisers.
• Reduce excessive use of chemical fertilisers.
• Encourage the use of green manure, organic fertilisers, and bio-fertilisers.
• Improve soil health through soil-test-based nutrient management.
• Provide farmers with weather-based agricultural advisories.
• Support crop diversification and climate-resilient farming.

Major Features

• Live demonstrations of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM).
• Distribution of information on government agricultural schemes.
• Linking eligible farmers with PM-KISAN, Kisan Credit Card (KCC), Pulses and Oilseeds Mission, Cotton Mission, and Oil Palm Mission.

South Coast Railway Zone Becomes Operational from June 1

The South Coast Railway (SCoR) is set to become operational from 1 June 2026. The new zone becomes the 18th railway zone of Indian Railways with its headquarters at Visakhapatnam.

Initially, the zone will function from a rented building known as “The Deck” in Visakhapatnam. A permanent headquarters is being constructed on a 40-acre campus at Mudasarlova.

Key Features of South Coast Railway (SCoR)

• It becomes the 18th zone of Indian Railways.
• South Coast Railway Headquarters: Visakhapatnam.
• The zone will comprise four divisions:
  • Visakhapatnam Division
  • Vijayawada Division
  • Guntur Division
  • Guntakal Division
• Covers more than 90% of Andhra Pradesh’s passenger and freight railway traffic.
• The historic Waltair Division has been renamed as the Visakhapatnam Division from 1 June 2026.

Expected Benefits

• Faster administrative approvals and project clearances.
• Acceleration of railway infrastructure projects in Andhra Pradesh.
• Redevelopment of Visakhapatnam Railway Station into a world-class station.
• Increase in platforms from 8 to 14.
• Development of satellite stations under the Amrit Bharat Scheme.
• Better suburban rail connectivity in the future.
• Enhanced employment opportunities through railway recruitment.

Andhra Pradesh Becomes First State to Operationalise PM-SETU Industry Partnership

In a major milestone under the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme, the National Steering Committee approved the Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) for the Visakhapatnam ITI Cluster in Andhra Pradesh. The proposal was submitted by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) in partnership with New Age Makers Institute of Technology (NAMTECH).

With this approval, Andhra Pradesh has become the first State in India to operationalise an industry partnership under PM-SETU and onboard an Anchor Industry Partner (AIP). The PM-SETU scheme, with an outlay of ₹60,000 crore, aims to transform 1,000 Government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) through an industry-led Hub-and-Spoke model, modernising vocational education and improving employability outcomes.

Visakhapatnam Selected Under the Competitive Cities Economic Region (CER) Scheme

Visakhapatnam has been selected as the only city from Andhra Pradesh and one of the seven urban clusters nationwide chosen for implementation of the Competitive Cities Economic Region (CER) Scheme.

Under the scheme, the Visakhapatnam Economic Region (VER) is seeking a ₹5,000-crore grant over five years. The region spans 21,880 sq. km. across nine districts, extending from Srikakulam to Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district.

India Records Balance of Payments (BoP) Deficit of $30.8 Billion in 2025–26

According to the latest data released by the Reserve Bank of India, India recorded a Balance of Payments (BoP) deficit of $30.8 billion in 2025–26, marking a more than six-times increase compared to the previous year. The deficit was financed through the use of India’s foreign exchange reserves, leading to a decline in reserve holdings.

What is Balance of Payments (BoP)?

The Balance of Payments (BoP) is a record of all economic transactions between a country and the rest of the world during a specific period.

It consists of:

1. Current Account – Trade in goods and services, remittances, and income flows.
2. Capital Account – Foreign investments, borrowings, external assistance, and asset transfers.

Key Findings

Current Account Deficit (CAD)

• India’s Current Account Deficit increased to $30.2 billion in 2025–26.
• Merchandise trade deficit stood at $251.6 billion.
• Surplus from services and other invisibles declined to $221.4 billion.

Sharp Fall in Capital Inflows

• Capital account surplus fell drastically to just $72 million.
• This was down from $16.6 billion in 2024–25.

Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) Outflows

• Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) withdrew $4.3 billion more than they invested during 2025–26.
• This reversed the positive inflow trend of the previous two years.

Rising Outflows

Higher overseas investments by Indians and increased trade-related payments contributed to greater dollar outflows.

Government Concerns

India imports:

• Nearly 90% of its crude oil requirement
• Almost all of its gold demand

To reduce foreign exchange outflows:

• The government increased import duty on gold and silver from 6% to 15%.
• Restrictions were imposed on several categories of silver imports.

Coal Gasification

India is actively promoting coal gasification as part of its strategy to reduce dependence on imports and enhance energy security. Coal gasification is a process that converts coal into synthetic gas (syngas), which can be used to produce various products, including urea, methanol, ammonia, hydrogen, synthetic natural gas (SNG), and ammonium nitrate.

India possesses approximately 401 billion tonnes of coal and 47 billion tonnes of lignite, making coal gasification a key initiative for more efficiently utilising its domestic resources. The Union Government has approved a ₹37,500-crore incentive package to promote coal gasification projects and has set a target of gasifying 100 million tonnes of coal by 2030.

Competitive City Economic Region (CER) Scheme

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the City Economic Region (CER) Scheme while presenting the Union Budget 2026-27 on February 1, 2026. The scheme aims to transform Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities into regional economic growth engines and reduce demographic and infrastructure pressure on major metropolitan cities.

Under the scheme, the Centre has proposed ₹5,000 crore funding for each CER over five years. The funding will be provided through a “challenge mode” reform-cum-results-based financing mechanism, under which States and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) compete for grants based on project readiness, reforms, and implementation performance.

The scheme focuses on cities with populations generally exceeding 5 lakh (500,000) and seeks to improve civic infrastructure, logistics, public transport, industrial development, and urban services.

Initial CER Clusters

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has identified seven pilot City Economic Region clusters:

• Coimbatore–Erode–Tirupur
• Bhubaneswar–Puri–Cuttack
• Visakhapatnam
• Varanasi
• Surat
• Deoghar
• Tumakuru / Ramanagara cluster

The CER scheme promotes balanced regional development, economic decentralisation, industrial growth, job creation, and tourism ecosystem development, particularly in temple towns and emerging urban centres.

Nausena Shaurya Vatika Inaugurated in Lucknow

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Yogi Adityanath inaugurated Nausena Shaurya Vatika, an open-air naval museum, in Lucknow on 30 May 2026.

Built at a cost of ₹19 crore over an area of more than two acres, the museum showcases the valour, heritage, and operational achievements of the Indian Navy. It prominently displays artefacts and weapon systems from INS Gomati, which was decommissioned on 29 May 2022 after 34 years of service.

India Signs BrahMos Missile Deal with Vietnam

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh announced during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that Vietnam has signed a deal with India for the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system. The Philippines was the first foreign country to purchase the BrahMos missile system from India. The latest developments mark a significant boost to India’s defence exports and strategic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.

Goa Statehood Day – 30 May

Goa Statehood Day is observed every year on 30 May to commemorate the grant of full statehood to Goa in 1987. On this day, Goa became the 25th state of the Indian Union.

Before attaining statehood, Goa was a Union Territory along with Daman and Diu. The Goa, Daman and Diu Reorganisation Act, 1987, granted statehood to Goa, while Daman and Diu continued as a Union Territory.

Historical Background

Goa was under Portuguese rule for over four centuries until it was liberated by India through Operation Vijay in December 1961. After liberation, Goa became a Union Territory and later achieved full statehood on 30 May 1987.

Samadhan Didi: AI-Powered Voice Chatbot Launched for Public Grievance Redressal

The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievance and Pensions launched “Samadhan Didi”, an AI-enabled voice chatbot integrated with the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS). Developed by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) in collaboration with Bhashini, the chatbot enables citizens to lodge grievances simply by speaking in their native language. The AI-powered system automatically identifies the appropriate ministry, department, category, and sub-category without requiring users to know administrative details.

Q1. According to RBI data, India recorded a Balance of Payments (BoP) deficit of how much in 2025–26?
A. $16.6 billion
B. $26.1 billion
C. $30.8 billion
D. $63.7 billion

Q2. South Coast Railway (SCoR), which became operational on 1 June 2026, is the ______ railway zone of Indian Railways.
A. 16th
B. 17th
C. 18th
D. 19th

Q3. Goa was granted full statehood and became the 25th state of India in which year?
A. 1961
B. 1975
C. 1987
D. 1992

Q4. ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ was conducted across the country during which period in 2026?
A. May 1 to May 31
B. June 1 to June 30
C. July 1 to July 31
D. August 1 to August 31

Q5. Nausena Shaurya Vatika, a naval museum recently inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, is located in which city?
A. Visakhapatnam
B. Kochi
C. Lucknow
D. Mumbai

Q6. Which AI-enabled voice chatbot was recently launched under the CPGRAMS platform to enable citizens to lodge grievances in their native languages?
A. Jan Mitra
B. Samadhan Didi
C. Bhasha Setu
D. Seva Sakhi

Q7. Which State became the first in India to operationalise an industry partnership under the PM-SETU scheme?
A. Gujarat
B. Tamil Nadu
C. Andhra Pradesh
D. Maharashtra

Q8. Which of the following is NOT a product that can be produced through coal gasification?
A. Methanol
B. Hydrogen
C. Urea
D. Bauxite

Q9. Visakhapatnam has been selected as the only city from Andhra Pradesh under which recently launched scheme aimed at developing urban economic regions?
A. AMRUT 2.0 Scheme
B. Smart Cities Mission
C. Competitive Cities Economic Region (CER) Scheme
D. PM Gati Shakti Scheme

Q10. Under the City Economic Region (CER) Scheme launched in Union Budget 2026-27, how much funding has been proposed by the Centre for each CER over a five-year period?
A. ₹1,000 crore
B. ₹2,500 crore
C. ₹5,000 crore
D. ₹10,000 crore