UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 20 JUNE 2026

Context: India achieved a historic internal security milestone by becoming effectively free from Left-Wing Extremism (LWE).

About The Integrated Anti-LWE Strategies:

What it is?

• The structural transformation of the Red Corridor from an active conflict zone into a stable development region was driven by a comprehensive framework combining decisive counter-insurgency operations with targeted welfare initiatives.
• Moving past older, fragmented approaches that only managed immediate symptoms, the Ministry of Home Affairs deployed a centralized strategy anchored by three developmental and security pillars: Vishwaas (Trust), Nirman (Development), and Jan Kalyan (Public Welfare).

Key Data and Statistics on Left-Wing Extremism:

• The Shrinking Red Corridor: The number of LWE-affected districts across India declined significantly from 126 districts in 2014 down to just 2 districts by 2026.
• Zero Highly-Affected Zones: The total count of “most affected districts” fell from a peak of 35 down to absolute zero.
• Decisively Diminishing Violence: Naxal-related violent incidents dropped from 870 in 2014 to 234 in 2025, while annual fatalities fell from 310 to 100 over the same period.
• A Massive Wave of Surrenders: Driven by attractive rehabilitation terms, 3,927 active cadres surrendered between 2024 and March 2026, with 2,337 Naxalites laying down their arms in 2025 alone.
• Choking Illegal Financial Networks: Specialized financial investigations led to the physical seizure of over ₹40 crore in assets by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), alongside ₹12 crore attached by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and ₹40 crore confiscated by state units.

The Core Three-Pillar Strategy:

1. VISHWAAS (Restoring Faith in the State)

• Filling the Security Vacuum: The government built 597 fortified police stations in remote zones (up from just 66 before 2014) and set up 408 new Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) camps to maintain continuous area domination.
• Tactical Mobility Infrastructure: Deployed 68 specialized night-landing helipads to facilitate rapid troop deployment, intelligence monitoring, and emergency casualty medical evacuations.
• Elite Special Forces Interoperability: Integrated elite central units like CoBRA with state forces, such as Chhattisgarh’s District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Andhra Pradesh’s Greyhounds, creating a highly coordinated command structure.
• Technology-Driven Surventions: Deployed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), high-altitude satellite imagery, mobile data analytics, and AI-based call-log tracking to monitor extremist hideouts.
• Targeted Special Operations: Executed successful intelligence-led campaigns—such as Operation Double Bull and Operation Black Forest—to reclaim long-held insurgent strongholds.

2. NIRMAN (Building a New Future)

• Expanding Road Infrastructure: Constructed over 12,249 km of all-weather roads in remote tribal areas out of 17,319 km of total approved projects.
• Dismantling the Digital Divide: Installed more than 9,600 mobile towers, ensuring that 96% of previously cut-off villages have reliable cellular connectivity.
• Deepening Financial Inclusion: Opened 1,804 new bank branches, installed 1,321 ATMs, deployed 74,720 banking correspondents, and set up 6,025 post offices to connect tribal communities with the formal banking system.
• Vocational Skill Hubs: Constructed 179 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS), 46 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), and 49 Skill Development Centres (SDCs) to provide technical training to over 90,000 youth and women.

3. JAN KALYAN (People’s Welfare & Dignity)

• Generous Post-Surrender Incentives: Surrendered cadres receive immediate rehabilitation grants up to ₹5 lakh, a monthly stipend of ₹10,000 for 36 months, and housing support under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
• Securing Family Trajectories: Provided complete, free education up to Class XII for the children of surrendered cadres to break the multi-generational cycle of violence.
• Focused Vulnerable Tribal Welfare: Used the PM-JANMAN initiative and the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan to systematically bridge infrastructure, housing, and clean drinking water gaps across vulnerable tribal villages.

Case Study: Bastar’s Structural Transformation (Chhattisgarh)

• For decades, the Bastar region remained heavily impacted by Naxalism due to its isolated terrain and limited state presence. A significant turning point occurred in 2017 with the creation of the Bastariya Battalion, which recruited 1,143 local tribal youth from Bijapur, Sukma, and Dantewada, bridging the trust deficit between local communities and security forces.
• As security improved, workers laid down over 3,240 kilometers of roads and installed 889 mobile towers across the district. In May 2026, the state launched the Shaheed Veer Gunda Dhur Seva Dera initiative, systematically converting 70 former CAPF camps into civic service centers providing local communities with streamlined access to healthcare, agricultural tools, and digital governance.

Key Challenges Remaining in Reclaimed Zones:

• Securing Long-Term Funding for Asset Maintenance: Maintaining the vast network of new roads and mobile towers in rugged terrains requires consistent, multi-year state funding.
• Ensuring High Participation in Skill Programs: Frontline forest communities can show varying levels of interest in modern vocational training, requiring targeted outreach.
• Preventing Insurgent Resurgence via Cross-Border Pockets: Security forces must maintain high vigilance along the borders of the remaining two affected districts to prevent scattered cadres from regrouping.
• Dismantling Tribal Exploitation Networks: Long-term peace requires state agencies to actively protect community land rights and prevent commercial entities from exploiting tribal resources.

Way Forward:

• Expanding Phygital Camp Service Centers: Scale up Chhattisgarh’s camp-conversion model across all formerly affected states to turn old security camps into local civic utility nodes.
• Accelerating EMRS Educational Deployments: Expeditiously complete and staff the remaining sanctioned Eklavya Model Residential Schools to anchor high-quality education in tribal belts.
• Linking Hyperlocal Artisans with E-Commerce Portals: Mirror successful grassroots models by listing local tribal handicrafts and products directly on digital marketplaces to boost rural incomes.
• Institutionalizing District-Level Sports and Cultural Exchange: Scale up regional engagement platforms like the Bastar Olympics to build social integration and leadership opportunities among tribal youth.

Conclusion:

India’s success in eliminating Left-Wing Extremism marks a significant milestone in its modern internal security and economic development history. By replacing isolated, reactive operations with an integrated strategy that balances security with road, digital, and financial inclusion, the state has successfully restored public confidence in governance. As central and state agencies work to cement these gains, maintaining this developmental focus will remain vital to safeguard the rights and dignity of India’s tribal communities.

Context: The Supreme Court-appointed committee led by Kanchan Devi has come under scrutiny after environmental experts and former officials sought its restructuring.

About Kanchan Devi Committee:

What is it?

• The Kanchan Devi Committee is a Supreme Court-appointed expert panel constituted on 25 May 2026 to review the Court’s earlier judgment concerning the protection and classification of the Aravalli Range.

Aim: To examine the existing framework governing Aravalli protection and recommend measures for environmental conservation, forest demarcation, and sustainable land-use management.

Concerns Raised:

• Lack of Independent Experts: Critics note the absence of specialists in ecology, hydrology, GIS, wildlife conservation, and public health.
• Potential Conflict of Interest: The committee functions within the same administrative framework that earlier defined Aravalli boundaries.
• Over-Reliance on Bureaucrats: Membership is dominated by serving and retired officials rather than multidisciplinary scientific experts.
• Limited Ground-Level Representation: Experts familiar with Haryana and Rajasthan’s mining and ecological challenges are underrepresented.
• Incomplete Forest Demarcation: Concerns have been raised that Aravalli protection cannot be reassessed before completing forest identification under the Godavarman framework.

Implications:

• Protection of the Aravallis: The committee’s recommendations will influence conservation of one of India’s oldest mountain ranges.
• Climate and Water Security: Aravallis play a vital role in groundwater recharge, biodiversity conservation, and combating desertification.
• Mining and Development Regulation: Its findings may determine future restrictions on mining, quarrying, and real-estate expansion.
• Environmental Governance: The debate highlights the importance of independent scientific expertise in environmental decision-making.

Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus

• GS Paper II – Governance

• • Environmental governance, expert committees, judicial interventions, and institutional accountability.

• GS Paper III – Environment & Ecology

• • Conservation of ecosystems, biodiversity, environmental degradation, and sustainable resource management.
  • Role of mountain ecosystems in preventing desertification, soil erosion, and water stress.

• Essay & Interview

• • Sustainable Development
  • Balancing Development and Conservation
  • Environmental Governance and Climate Resilience

Context: Six out of nine Lok Sabha MPs from the Shiv Sena faction are reportedly planning to defect to the rival faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister.

About Anti-Defection Law:

What It Is?

• The anti-defection law is a comprehensive constitutional framework contained within the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India. It penalizes elected legislators (MPs and MLAs) who shift their political allegiances or betray the mandate of the party on whose ticket they were elected to office.

Aim: To prevent political defections, ensure government stability, and protect the integrity of legislative mandates by discouraging opportunistic party switching.

Criteria for Defection and Disqualification:

• Members of a Political Party:

• • Voluntarily give up party membership (through resignation or conduct indicating departure).
  • Defy the party whip by voting/abstaining against party directions without approval, unless condoned within 15 days.

• Independent Members: Join any political party after election, leading to immediate disqualification.
• Nominated Members: Join a political party after six months of taking their seat in the legislature. (They may join a party only within the first six months.)

Key Features and Exemptions:

• Two-Thirds Merger Rule (Para 4): No disqualification if two-thirds of a legislature party support a merger with another party.
• Abolition of Split Provision: The 91st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003 removed the earlier protection for one-third splits.
• Presiding Officer Exemption: The Speaker/Deputy Speaker may resign from their party during tenure to maintain neutrality.

Important Judicial Interpretations:

• Rajendra Singh Rana v. Swami Prasad Maurya (2007): Defection can be inferred from a member’s conduct; formal resignation is not necessary.
• Girish Chodankar v. Speaker, Goa Assembly (2022): A two-thirds breakaway group joining another party can be treated as a valid merger.
• Subhash Desai v. Principal Secretary, Maharashtra (2023): After deletion of Para 3, a split is not a defense; the real political party is determined by its constitution and leadership, not legislative majority alone.

Context: President of India graced the International Sickle Cell Day commemoration at Omkareshwar, Madhya Pradesh, celebrating a major health milestone.

About Sickle Cell Disease:

What It Is?

• Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a group of inherited, chronic blood disorders that alter the structure of hemoglobin—the vital protein within red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body. Instead of remaining flexible and round, the affected red blood cells mutate into rigid, crescent, or sickle shapes.

Causes:

• Genetic Mutation: SCD is a hereditary genetic disease caused by a structural mutation in the HBB gene, which provides instructions for making beta-globin (a component of hemoglobin).
• Inheritance Pattern: It follows an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. A person develops the disease only if they inherit two abnormal hemoglobin genes (one from each parent).
• The Carrier State: Individuals who inherit only one mutated gene copy are called carriers (or having the Sickle Cell Trait). Carriers generally live healthy lives without symptoms but can pass the mutated gene on to their biological children.

How It Impacts the Body?

• Vaso-Occlusive Crises: Sickle cells block small blood vessels, causing severe pain episodes and tissue damage.
• Chronic Anaemia: Rapid destruction of sickle cells leads to persistent fatigue, breathlessness, and weakness.
• Splenic Damage & Infection Risk: Repeated spleen injury reduces immunity, increasing vulnerability to serious infections.
• Progressive Organ Damage: Long-term oxygen deprivation can affect the brain, lungs, kidneys, and other organs.

Key Epidemiological Features:

• High Burden in Tribal Communities: The disease is concentrated among several tribal and marginalized populations.
• Large Carrier Population: Asymptomatic carriers far outnumber patients, making genetic screening essential.
• Early Childhood Onset: Symptoms usually appear around 5–6 months as fetal hemoglobin declines.

Treatment and Management:

• Pain Management: Analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and hydration help control sickle cell crises.
• Hydroxyurea Therapy: Increases fetal hemoglobin production, reducing sickling and pain episodes.
• Antibiotics & Vaccination: Prevent severe infections, especially in infants and young children.
• Blood Transfusions: Used to reduce complications such as stroke and severe anaemia.

Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for India’s first commercial-scale coal-to-ammonium nitrate project at Lakhanpur in Jharsuguda district, Odisha.

About The Coal-to-Ammonium Nitrate Project:

What It Is?

• The project is India’s first commercial-scale industrial facility designed to convert raw domestic coal into ammonium nitrate. Developed through a joint venture, the facility acts as a model plant for Surface Coal and Lignite Gasification, transforming solid coal into high-value downstream chemical feedstocks.

Location: The project is being constructed at Lakhanpur, located in the Jharsuguda district of Odisha.

Aim:  The project aims to utilize India’s abundant coal reserves to produce ammonium nitrate domestically, reducing import dependence and strengthening industrial self-reliance under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

How It Works?

1. Gasification Reactance: High-ash domestic coal is fed into an advanced gasifier developed indigenously by BHEL, where it reacts under controlled high temperature and pressure with steam and oxygen.
2. Syngas Generation: Instead of burning the coal directly, this process breaks it down chemically into synthesis gas, or syngas—a gas mixture primarily composed of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2).
3. Purification and Shift: The raw syngas is cleaned of impurities (like sulfur) and run through chemical shift reactions to optimize the hydrogen-to-nitrogen ratios needed to synthesize ammonia (NH3).
4. Ammonium Nitrate Synthesis: The generated ammonia is partially oxidized to form nitric acid (HNO3). The remaining ammonia is then reacted with the nitric acid to yield liquid or prilled ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3).

Key Features of the Project:

• Strategic Corporate Joint Venture: The facility is being executed by Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited (BCGCL), which is a joint venture between Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Coal India Limited (CIL).
• Commercial Production Output: The plant is engineered to manufacture an estimated 2,000 tonnes per day of chemical-grade ammonium nitrate.
• 100% Indigenous Technology: The plant utilizes specialized coal gasification technology developed completely in-house by BHEL, tailored to process India’s specific high-ash coal varieties.
• Central Fiscal Incentives: The project is backed by ₹1,350 crore in financial support from the Union Ministry of Coal under a broader ₹46,000 crore incentive scheme for national surface gasification.
• Legal Land Enabling: The layout utilizes revised coal-bearing land use policies, which permit the long-term leasing of active mining areas directly to downstream chemical projects.

Context: The first of six indigenously constructed Air Cushion Vehicles (ACVs) was officially inducted into the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) during a ceremony in Goa.

About The Air Cushion Vehicles (ACVs):

What It Is?

• An Air Cushion Vehicle (ACV), commonly known as a hovercraft, is an amphibious craft designed to travel smoothly over multiple surfaces—including water, mudflats, sandbars, and shallow beaches.
• It operates by generating a high-pressure cushion of air beneath its hull, which is contained by a flexible rubber skirt, allowing the vessel to float completely above the surface and eliminate water resistance.

Developed By: The high-tech vessel is being constructed indigenously by Chowgule & Company Private Limited.

Aim: The induction of these ACVs aims to enhance the Indian Coast Guard’s rapid-response capability for coastal security, shallow-water surveillance, search and rescue, and maritime law enforcement operations.

Key Features of the ICG ACVs:

• Amphibious All-Terrain Maneuverability: Designed with zero draft, the hovercraft can transition seamlessly between deep sea channels, tidal mudflats, and sandy shores where traditional hulls would run aground.
• Six-Vessel Contract Fleet: This delivery marks the first of six planned indigenous ACVs to be sequentially constructed and integrated into the ICG fleet.
• Advanced Hull and Material Design: Built using lightweight, marine-grade materials paired with a durable rubber skirt system to preserve structural integrity while skimming over debris or rough coastal terrain.
• Modern Navigation & Communication Suite: Equipped with specialized marine radars, night-vision thermal imaging, and secure communication systems to enable round-the-clock operations in dense fog or zero-visibility conditions.
• Optimized Payload Space: Engineered with a versatile deck layout capable of carrying armed boarding parties, medical response teams, or rapid-intervention equipment.

Significance:

• ACVs can efficiently patrol marshes, creeks, and mudflats like Kutch and Sundarbans, improving surveillance and response against smuggling and illegal activities.
• Their ability to move from sea to shore enables rapid rescue operations and aid delivery during cyclones, floods, and maritime emergencies.

Context: The European Parliament has passed the Return Regulation, a new anti-migration law that allows European Union (EU) countries to set up offshore deportation centers or return hubs in non-EU nations.

About The Return Regulation:

What It Is?

• The Return Regulation is a major, legally binding EU framework that standardizes the swift removal and offshore detention of irregular migrants who have no legal right to enter or remain within the European Union.

Enacted By: by the European Commission and finalized by EU lawmakers.

Aim: The objective of the law is to speed up the return process, increase the efficiency of deportations for individuals with no legal right to stay, and strengthen the credibility of the EU’s external borders.

Key Features of the Law:

• Establishment of Third-Party ‘Return Hubs’: Permits individual EU member states to form bilateral agreements with non-EU countries to set up offshore deportation centers. These third-party countries must uphold human rights, international law, and the principle of non-refoulement.
• Target Demographics and Exemptions: The hubs are designed for asylum seekers denied entry but whose identities cannot be verified or whose home countries refuse to accept them. Unaccompanied minors are strictly exempt; however, families with children who fall into this category can be legally deported.
• Extended Detention Windows: The maximum legal detention period for irregular migrants waiting to be returned has been raised from six months to two years. Furthermore, individuals deemed a security risk can face unlimited detention.
• Expanded Domestic Search Powers: Grants authorities the power to search the residences or relevant premises of undocumented immigrants to locate individuals evading deportation orders.
• Strict Punitive Sanctions: Introduces strict entry bans, financial fines, and criminal sanctions against irregular migrants who fail to cooperate with return procedures.
• Integration with the 2024 Migration Pact: Operates alongside the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which mandates border screening and an integrated migration database across all member states.

Implication on India:

• Indian migrants denied asylum or lacking valid documents may face faster deportation procedures, especially when identity verification is delayed.
• Deported individuals may face multi-year entry bans, limiting future opportunities for legal travel, education, or employment in the EU.
• The EU may seek stronger readmission arrangements with India to ensure the prompt return of Indian nationals ordered to leave Europe.

Context: During a goodwill visit to Chennai, Sri Lankan Member of Parliament Rauff Hakeem asserted that the sovereignty of Katchatheevu is a completely settled matter under international law and bilateral pacts.

About Katchatheevu Island:

What It Is?

• Katchatheevu is a small, uninhabited, and disputed island that has historically been a focal point of maritime boundary and fishing rights discussions between India and Sri Lanka. While historically claimed by zamindaris and fishermen from India, India formally recognized Sri Lanka’s sovereignty over the island through bilateral maritime boundary agreements in the mid-1970s.

Location:

• The Maritime Strait: Located within the Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water that separates the state of Tamil Nadu in India from the Northern Province of Sri Lanka.
• Boundary Alignment: The islet sits on the Sri Lankan side of the established International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

History and Legal Framework:

• Traditional Common Grounds: Historically, the waters around the island were used by fishermen from both India and Sri Lanka for catching fish and drying nets.
• The Boundary Treaties: Between 1974 and 1976, the Indian central government signed bilateral agreements with Sri Lanka to define their maritime borders, officially accepting Sri Lankan sovereignty over Katchatheevu based on international frameworks.
• The Modern Standpoint: Under current international law, any formal re-examination of the island’s status cannot be done unilaterally by either country and would require approaching the United Nations.

Key Features of the Island:

• Uninhabited Status: The island lacks a permanent civilian population or natural drinking water sources, meaning it does not support long-term human settlement.
• St. Antony’s Church: The island houses the historic St. Antony’s Church, a major spiritual site that hosts an annual two-day festival.
• Unrestricted Pilgrim Access: Indian citizens face no passport or visa restrictions when visiting Katchatheevu for this annual pilgrimage. The Sri Lankan Navy and local fishermen routinely welcome and assist Indian visitors during the festival.
• Rich Marine Environment: The waters surrounding the island feature thriving marine ecosystems, though they face environmental damage from the use of banned fishing gear and destructive trawling methods.