Current Affairs 16 June 2026

Prime Minister’s Visit to France

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France, India and France announced several agreements and initiatives covering innovation, artificial intelligence, trade, education, defence, railways, and space cooperation.

List of Outcomes

Technology, Innovation & Education

• Adoption of the India–France Innovation Roadmap 2030.
• Creation of a Joint India–France AI Working Group focused on AI governance.
• Establishment of a National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Aeronautics and Allied Sectors at NSTI, Kanpur.
• Establishment of a Centre of Digital Sciences between India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) and INRIA.
• A Letter of Intent was signed between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and France’s Health Data Hub.

Trade & Investment

• Establishment of a High-Level Mechanism to double bilateral trade within the next five years.
• Launch of an Economic Security Dialogue.
• Declaration of Intent on Cooperation in Railway and High-Speed Railway Development in India.

Strategic & Space Cooperation

• Signing of a General Security Agreement on the exchange and protection of classified information.
• Letter of Intent between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and CNES for cooperation in Microgravity research and Human space exploration.

Prime Minister’s Visit to Slovakia

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Slovakia, India and Slovakia signed several agreements and elevated their bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership, marking a significant milestone in diplomatic relations.

Major Announcements

• India and Slovakia elevated their bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Partnership.
• Establishment of a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism.
• Launch of a Consular Dialogue Mechanism to strengthen people-to-people and diplomatic engagement.

Key Agreements Signed

• MoU on Digital Technologies.
• MoU on Quantum Communication and Critical Infrastructure Protection.
• Establishment of the first-ever ICCR Chair in Artificial Intelligence at the Technical University of Košice.
• Agreement between the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and the Slovak Technical University for Student Exchange programmes, scholarships, and research collaboration.

About Slovakia

• Capital: Bratislava
• Currency: Euro (€)

ASI and Denmark Collaborate to Locate Historic Danish Ship Oresund

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the National Museum of Denmark have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to undertake an underwater archaeological investigation of the historic Danish ship Oresund, which sank near Karaikal in 1619 CE.

About Oresund

• Oresund was the first known Danish ship to reach India.
• It arrived in Indian waters during the early 17th century.
• Shortly after its arrival, it was wrecked near Karaikal on India’s southeastern coast.

Book Released: “Agatthiyar – The Unifier”

Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan released the book “Agatthiyar – The Unifier” at the Uparashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on 15 June 2026. The book has been authored by O. Shama Bhat and Dr M. N. Sudha, and translated into Tamil by Professor Kalyani.

Highlights

• The book highlights the life, teachings, and civilizational role of Agastya (known as Agatthiyar in Tamil).
• The Vice President described Agastya as a symbol of India’s cultural unity, connecting North and South India.

About Sage Agastya

• Agastya is one of the most revered sages of ancient India.
• He is believed to have lived during the late Vedic period, though his exact historical period is uncertain.
• References to Agastya are found in Rig Veda, Ramayana, and Mahabharata.
• He is traditionally regarded as a pioneer in spreading Vedic knowledge to southern India.
• Texts associated with Agastya.
  • Agatsya Samhita – This is an ancient Sanskrit text that discusses rituals, philosophy, and scientific concepts.
  • Agastya Parva – Associated with cultural interactions between North and South India.
  • Agattiyam – This is believed to be one of the earliest Tamil grammar books.

Mithuna Sankranti Festival

Mithuna Sankranti is a vibrant three-day festival in Odisha, India, that honours womanhood and Mother Earth’s fertility. Deeply rooted in agricultural traditions, it celebrates the arrival of the monsoon season.

Q1. The recently announced National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Aeronautics and Allied Sectors is being established through cooperation between India and which country?
A. Germany
B. United States
C. France
D. Japan

Q2. The book “Agatthiyar – The Unifier”, recently released by the Vice President of India, was authored by whom?
A. O. Shama Bhat and Dr. M. N. Sudha
B. C. P. Radhakrishnan and Sunil Ambekar
C. U. Ve. Swaminatha Iyer and Kalyani
D. Malan and Keelambur Sankara Subramanian

Q3. During the Prime Minister’s vist to Slovokia, Slovak Technical University, signed an agreement for academic cooperation with which Indian institution?
A. IIT Bombay
B. IIT Madras
C. IIT Delhi
D. IISc Bengaluru

Q4. The historic ship ‘Oresund’, recently seen in the news, is significant because it was:
A. The first Portuguese ship to reach India
B. The first Dutch ship to reach India
C. The first Danish ship known to have reached India
D. The first British ship to reach India

Q5. Mithuna Sankranti, a three day festival celebrated in which of the following States?
A. Tamilnadu
B. Kerala
C. Odisha
D. Assam