Century of Wetlands —
Naxal-Free &
India Resets

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on June 5, 2026 — World Environment Day — that the Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary, popularly known as Surha Tal in Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh, has been designated as India's 100th Ramsar site. The wetland is a rich freshwater ecosystem known for avifaunal biodiversity, attracting a large number of migratory and resident bird species. India grew from 26 Ramsar sites in 2014 to 100 by June 2026 — a 285% expansion in 12 years. The 99th site was Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary (Aligarh, UP), designated April 22, 2026. India now holds the 3rd highest count globally, behind the United Kingdom (176) and Mexico (144), covering approximately 13.84 lakh hectares. Tamil Nadu leads state-wise with 20 sites, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 12 sites. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (1971, Ramsar, Iran; in force 1975) provides the designation framework. The 100th milestone aligns India's commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF), specifically the "30×30" target of protecting 30% of land and seas by 2030. India's Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 provide domestic legal backing.

India hosted the Global Wind Day 2026 Conference on June 15 in Goa under the theme "Wind Energy: From Ambition to Acceleration." India's installed wind power capacity has grown from 21.04 GW in March 2014 to 56.09 GW in March 2026 — a 2.66-fold increase — making India the 4th highest globally in installed wind capacity. India's wind power potential is assessed at 695.5 GW at 120 metres hub height and 1,163.9 GW at 150 metres hub height. States with the highest potential include Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana, which collectively account for nearly two-thirds of the assessed national potential. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has set a target of 100 GW wind capacity by 2030 and 156 GW by 2036, consistent with India's Updated NDC (2035 targets) and the non-fossil fuel capacity commitment. The Viability Gap Funding (VGF) mechanism continues to support otherwise commercially unviable wind projects in remote areas.

The Supreme Court-appointed Kanchan Devi Committee, constituted on May 25, 2026 to review the Court's earlier judgment on protection of the Aravalli Range, came under significant scrutiny in June 2026. Environmental experts and former officials sought its restructuring, citing the absence of independent specialists in ecology, hydrology, GIS, wildlife conservation, and public health. The Committee's mandate is to examine the existing framework governing Aravalli protection, recommend measures for environmental conservation, forest demarcation, and sustainable land-use management. Critics highlight a potential conflict of interest, as the committee functions within the same administrative framework that earlier defined Aravalli boundaries. The Aravalli Range — one of the world's oldest fold mountain ranges spanning Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, and Gujarat — is ecologically critical as a natural barrier against desertification from the Thar Desert, groundwater recharger, and biodiversity corridor. Its deforestation has been linked to worsening air quality in the Delhi-NCR region and accelerated land degradation.

The Supreme Court of India on June 15, 2026 recognised homemakers as "nation builders," creating a new compensation head titled "Loss of Domestic Care" under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Tribunals must now add ₹30,000 per month as domestic care value when calculating compensation for deceased homemakers in motor accident claims. This amount is mandated to rise cumulatively by 10% every three years. Employed homemakers are entitled to domestic care compensation in addition to their monthly salary. The Court directed High Courts to prioritise motor accident claims pending for more than four years. The judgment grounds itself in Articles 14 (Right to Equality) and 21 (Right to Life with Dignity), correcting the historical gender-biased undervaluation of household management as unpaid invisible work. The ruling aligns with SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and follows international trends in quantifying unpaid care work in national accounts.

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) 2026, originally conducted on May 3 for 2.27 million aspirants, was cancelled on May 12 following a large-scale paper leak investigation by the NTA, with overlaps found between a pre-circulated guess paper and the actual question paper. The retest was scheduled for June 21, 2026. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on June 16, 2026 issued a directive to temporarily block Telegram across India until June 22 under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, to prevent further paper dissemination. Telegram was also directed to disable its message-editing feature until June 30. Delhi High Court upheld the blocking order, applying the proportionality test from Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (2020). The Indian Air Force was deployed to transport question papers to examination centres — a first in India's examination security history. The Supreme Court sought status report from NTA on May 25, 2026.

In June 2026, procedural rules under the Tenth Schedule (Anti-Defection Law, added by the 52nd Constitutional Amendment, 1985) were updated to clarify timelines and procedures for defection petitions in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Separately, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced the Parliament Monsoon Session 2026, scheduled July 20 to August 13, on the recommendation of the Government, with President Draupadi Murmu summoning both Houses. The session's legislative agenda includes the redrafted Delimitation Bill, the One Nation One Election Bill, and a constitutional amendment on automatic removal of a Prime Minister or Chief Minister remaining under arrest for 30 days or more in connection with specified serious offences — a contentious proposal that did not clear the Lok Sabha in the previous session. A JPC report on the 130th Constitution Amendment Bill is also expected during this session.

The Ministry of Home Affairs officially informed 9 state governments on April 8, 2026 — confirmed and elaborated in June 2026 — that a comprehensive security review completed after March 31 established that "no district in the country falls under the LWE-affected category." Union Home Minister Amit Shah had announced this in Parliament (Lok Sabha) on March 30, 2026. LWE-affected districts fell from 126 in 2014 to zero in 2026, with the previous classification now replaced by a nuanced 3-tier system: LWE Affected Districts, Districts of Concern, and Legacy & Thrust Districts. Only Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) and West Singhbhum (Jharkhand) were the last two classified as LWE Affected Districts before the final clean bill. The SAMADHAN framework — Security, Aggression, Motivation, Action plan, Dashboard, Harnessing technology, Action plans for tribal areas, No access to financing and communication — drove the integrated strategy. Between 2024 and 2026, 706 Maoists were killed, 2,218 arrested, and 3,927 surrendered. The NIA seized over ₹92 crore in LWE assets. Annual Naxal incidents: 1,936 (peak, 2010) → 234 (2025). Annual fatalities: 1,005 (2010) → 100 (2025).

In June 2026, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) inducted 'H-561', the first of six indigenous Air Cushion Vehicles (ACVs), at its Rassaim facility in Goa. The ACV — developed by Chowgule & Company Pvt Ltd under a ₹387.44 crore MoD contract (October 24, 2024) under the Buy (Indian) category — is an amphibious platform that operates on a cushion of air, enabling movement across water, land, mud, marshes, sand, ice, and beaches. It strengthens the ICG's maritime surveillance, search-and-rescue (SAR), and coastal security capabilities. Separately, Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited (KSSL), the defence arm of Bharat Forge Limited, in partnership with Paramount Group (South Africa), unveiled the Simha 4×4 Light Armoured Multi-Purpose Vehicle (LAMPV) at Eurosatory 2026 in Paris. The Simha is designed for reconnaissance, urban warfare, troop transport, border surveillance, internal security operations, and command-and-control roles, with a modular ab initio design for mission-specific customisation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook a six-day Europe tour (June 13–18, 2026) covering France, Slovakia, and the G7 Summit at Évian. In France, Modi and President Emmanuel Macron jointly inaugurated Bharat Innovates 2026 in Nice — showcasing 120 Indian deep-tech startups. The India-France Innovation Roadmap 2030 was formally adopted, and a Joint Artificial Intelligence Working Group was established. A MoU was signed for a National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Aeronautics and Allied Sectors at NSTI Kanpur. In Slovakia (June 14–15), Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the country since its independence in 1993. Bilateral ties were elevated to a Comprehensive Partnership, with 11 agreements signed covering labour mobility, defence cooperation, AI and quantum technologies, higher education, healthcare, and tourism. The first-ever ICCR Chair in AI was established at the Technical University of Kosice. Modi was conferred Slovakia's highest national honour — the Order of the White Double Cross (1st Class) — becoming his 33rd international honour. At the G7 Évian (June 16–17), India participated as a guest of the French Presidency, representing Global South interests — India's 8th consecutive G7 Leaders' Summit since 2019.

Under India's BRICS Chairship 2026 (theme: "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability"), the 16th BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting was held on June 12–13 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, culminating in the unanimous adoption of the Indore Declaration. The declaration is a farmer-centric roadmap for BRICS agricultural cooperation structured around four priorities: (1) Food security, nutrition and livelihoods; (2) Agricultural trade and cooperation; (3) Regenerative, climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture; and (4) Partnerships for innovation, technology and investment. Four institutional bodies were created: the BRICS Network of Centres of Excellence on Agroecology and Regenerative Agriculture (coordinated by ICAR-IIFSR); the BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture (coordinated by IIT Delhi); the Global Forum on Farmers' Rights in Seed Systems (coordinated by PPV&FR Authority); and BRICS AGRIN (agro-inputs, genetic resources, and information sharing, coordinated in India by ICAR). BRICS countries collectively represent approximately 50% of the global population, 42% of global agricultural land, and 42% of global foodgrain production.

During PM Modi's France visit in June 2026, ISRO and France's CNES (Centre National d'Études Spatiales) signed a Letter of Intent on cooperation in microgravity research and human space exploration — deepening an existing partnership that includes astronaut training cooperation for the Gaganyaan programme. Separately, in June 2026, the Government of India extended the tenure of two key inter-state water dispute bodies — the Ravi and Beas Waters Tribunal and the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal — by one year to continue resolving long-pending inter-state water-sharing disputes. These tribunals function under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, which provides the legal mechanism for adjudicating disputes involving rivers shared by multiple states under Entry 56 of the Union List of the Seventh Schedule.

The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met June 3–5, 2026 under Governor Sanjay Malhotra and unanimously voted to keep the repo rate unchanged at 5.25%, retaining the neutral policy stance. The SDF rate remains at 5.00% and MSF/Bank Rate at 5.50%. The RBI cut its FY27 GDP growth forecast to 6.6% from 6.9% projected in April, citing the West Asia oil shock, supply-chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and El Niño uncertainty affecting the monsoon. The inflation forecast was revised upward to 5.1% from 4.6% for FY27. The MPC announced measures to attract foreign capital: expanding the Fully Accessible Route (FAR) to include all new 15-, 30-, and 40-year government securities; entirely removing investment and concentration limits for FPIs under the General Route; increasing equity caps for NRIs/OCIs; and introducing tactical liquidity facilities tied to FCNR(B) deposits. Simultaneously, MoSPI released the FY2025-26 GDP final estimate on June 5: 7.7% real GDP growth (₹323.12 lakh crore), up from 7.1% in FY25. Q4 FY26 growth was 7.8%. Real GVA growth: 7.9% in FY26. Nominal GDP grew 8.9% to ₹346.36 lakh crore. Private Final Consumption Expenditure stood at 61.5% of GDP. Key drivers included PLI scheme actualisations (₹2.0 lakh crore investments), India Semiconductor Mission approvals (₹1.60 lakh crore), and infrastructure spending.

The World Economic Forum (WEF), in collaboration with Accenture, released its Energy Transition Index (ETI) 2026 in June 2026. Sweden topped the global rankings, reflecting its near-complete transition to renewable and low-carbon energy sources, supported by robust energy efficiency policy, carbon pricing, and grid modernisation. India climbed to 70th position — reflecting improvement in renewable capacity (solar and wind) and digital energy infrastructure but continuing to score lower on energy security and energy equity dimensions due to reliance on coal and fossil fuels for baseload electricity. The ETI evaluates countries on two dimensions: the current state of the energy system (affordability, access, security) and readiness for transition (regulation, capital, institutions, human capital). India's rapid renewable expansion (500 GW non-fossil target by 2030) and competitive solar manufacturing are positive drivers, while coal's role in grid stability and rural energy access remain structural constraints.

ISRO successfully conducted the hot test of its Semi-Cryogenic Engine Power Head Test Article (PHTA) at 175 tonnes of thrust — 88% of its rated capacity — on June 24, 2026, at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. This was the 8th hot test in the PHTA development programme. The objectives included studying build-up after pre-burner ignition and demonstrating steady-state operation at higher thrust levels. Previous tests were conducted at 94 tonnes (47%) and 120 tonnes (60%). The main turbopumps delivered outlet pressures of 400 and 500 bar. The semi-cryogenic propulsion system is built around the SE2000 engine (2000 kN class), designated SC120, which will replace the current L110 liquid core stage of LVM3. It uses Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Isrosene (purified kerosene) — a cleaner, non-toxic combination compared to conventional hypergolic propellants. Once operational, SC120 will significantly increase LVM3's payload capacity to GTO and support future missions to the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) and deep-space probes.

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) identified four sites on the west coast of Great Nicobar Island for translocating coral colonies and giant clams affected by the Great Nicobar Island holistic development project — a large infrastructure initiative that includes a greenfield international airport, a transshipment port, a township, and a gas-based power plant across 166 sq km of ecologically sensitive land. The coral translocation plan is part of the environmental mitigation measures required under the project's environmental clearance. Great Nicobar's ecosystems include tropical rainforests, mangroves, coral reefs, and leatherback turtle nesting beaches — all classified as critically sensitive. The island is home to the Shompen (a particularly vulnerable tribal group — PVTG), protected under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956. Separately, the June 2026 Telegram block (Section 69A, IT Act) during the NEET retest created digital governance tensions around platform liability (Section 79 safe harbour), proportionality, and the appropriate scope of executive blocking power — with Delhi HC's upholding of the order reaffirming executive authority under existing IT law.