APPOINTMENT

Tushar Mehta Reappointed as Solicitor General of India for Three More Years

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the reappointment of Tushar Mehta as the Solicitor General of India on 20 June 2026 for a further term of three years.

• His fresh tenure will commence on 1 July 2026, continuing his role as the second-highest law officer of the Union Government.

• The Solicitor General functions directly below the Attorney General for India and represents the Union Government in important legal matters before constitutional courts.

• Tushar Mehta first assumed office as Solicitor General in October 2018, and upon completion of the new term, his total tenure is expected to reach approximately eleven years.

• The ACC also approved the reappointment of five Additional Solicitors General (ASGs) for the Supreme Court for a period of three years.

• Vikramjit Banerjee and K.M. Nataraj will begin their new terms on 1 July 2026.

• Suryaprakash V. Raju, N. Venkataraman, and Aishwarya Bhati will commence their renewed terms on 30 June 2026.

• Additionally, the tenure of Chetan Sharma has been extended by six months, effective from 1 July 2026, to continue representing the Union Government before the Delhi High Court.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India Emerges as the World’s Leading Ship Recycling Nation in 2025

• India became the largest ship recycling country in the world in 2025, accounting for 35.4% of global ship recycling activity with a volume of 2.99 million gross tons.

• The country's share increased significantly from 30.1% in 2024, while recycling volume rose from 1.86 million gross tons in the previous year.

• Ship recycling involves the dismantling of end-of-life vessels to recover steel, machinery, equipment, and other reusable materials.

• India’s ship recycling industry is centred at Alang Ship Recycling Yard, one of the world's largest ship dismantling facilities.

• The sector is governed by the Recycling of Ships Act, 2019, which aligns domestic regulations with international standards on safe and environmentally sound ship recycling.

• India ratified the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships in 2019, and the convention became mandatory globally on 26 June 2025.

• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has provided ₹53.5 crore for yard modernisation, enabling 115 recycling facilities to achieve compliance with Hong Kong Convention standards.

• India plans to expand ship recycling capacity to approximately 9 million light displacement tons (LDT) through further development of the Alang facility, strengthening its position in the global maritime recycling industry.

NATIONAL NEWS

India Launches Four Digital Policing Applications to Strengthen Criminal Justice System

• The Government of India launched four digital policing applications in New Delhi on 22 June 2026 to modernise investigation and prosecution systems.

• The applications—Abhigyan, Criminal Procedure Identification (CrPI), e-Forensics 2.0, and e-Prosecution 2.0—are integrated under the Integrated Criminal Justice System (ICJS) framework.

• The Integrated Criminal Justice System enables digital coordination among police, courts, prisons, and forensic laboratories for faster case processing and data sharing.

• The Abhigyan mobile application assists field police officers using the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System, which contains over 1.29 crore individual records and around 1.3 crore fingerprints.

• The app uses two-step authentication and can reportedly identify suspects within approximately 35 seconds through automated database matching.

• The Criminal Procedure Identification (CrPI) system integrates facial recognition, iris scanning, and DNA-based matching for accurate identity verification.

• The e-Forensics 2.0 platform manages digital handling and analysis of forensic evidence, while e-Prosecution 2.0 supports end-to-end prosecution case tracking and management.

• These applications together create a digital chain from suspect identification to evidence processing and prosecution, significantly enhancing efficiency in India’s criminal justice workflow.

Union Home Ministry Amends FCRA Rules, 2011 to Tighten Foreign Funding Compliance

• The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a gazette notification on 22 June 2026 amending the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2011 under the framework of the FCRA law.

• The rules operate under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, which governs the receipt, utilisation, and transfer of foreign contributions by organisations in India.

• Under the revised norms, applicants for FCRA registration or renewal must select predefined objectives and operational areas and specify the States or Union Territories where their activities will be carried out.

• Organisations are now required to disclose details of their social media accounts during the application and renewal process for greater transparency.

• The amended rules mandate that, in cases involving intermediary remittance vehicles or Donor Advised Funds, the ultimate foreign donor must be identified as the original source of funding.

• A revised fee structure has been introduced, including an additional ₹300 charge for each extra State or purpose mentioned in an application.

• The eligibility criteria now restrict organisations with foreign nationals (other than persons of Indian origin) as key office-bearers, unless specifically exempted through government approval.

• The definition of a “key functionary” has been expanded to include directors, trustees, partners, Karta of Hindu Undivided Families, and any individual exercising control over an organisation, strengthening accountability under FCRA compliance norms.

STATE NEWS

Rajasthan Sets Up High-Level Committee for Drafting Uniform Civil Code, 2026

• The Government of Rajasthan constituted a high-level committee to prepare the draft of The Rajasthan Uniform Civil Code, 2026 on 22 June 2026, following a Cabinet decision taken earlier on 14 April 2026.

• The concept of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is linked to Article 44 of the Constitution of India, which places it among the Directive Principles of State Policy aiming for uniform civil laws for all citizens.

• The committee is chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and includes members from legal, administrative, and academic backgrounds.

• Other members include retired IAS officer Shatrughna Singh, Rajasthan High Court Additional Advocate General Basant Singh Chhaba, former law college principal Ramswaroop Agarwal, and academic Dr. Shuchi Chauhan, with the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) serving as Member-Secretary.

• The proposed UCC framework is expected to cover marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, and maintenance laws, aiming to create uniform civil regulations across communities.

• Key draft proposals include mandatory registration of marriages and divorces, a ban on polygamy, and mandatory registration of live-in relationships under the legal framework.

• The draft also proposes equal inheritance rights for sons and daughters in ancestral property, aligning with principles of gender equality in civil law.

• The committee will conduct divisional-level consultations and invite public suggestions through an online platform, while also assuring that tribal customs and protections will be safeguarded under constitutional provisions.

Indori Malwi Potato Gets GI Tag, Strengthening Madhya Pradesh’s Agri Identity

• The Indori Malwi potato has been granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag following a notification by the Registrar of Geographical Indication, Chennai, on 13 June 2026.

• The certification was awarded under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which protects products linked to specific geographical origins and their unique qualities.

• The GI tag recognises products that possess distinct reputation, quality, or characteristics due to their place of origin, making them eligible for intellectual property protection in India.

• The Indori Malwi potato is known for its low sugar and low starch content, which allows it to retain a white colour after frying, making it suitable for chips and French fries.

• It is widely used in local cuisine, including popular Indore street foods such as Aloo Chaat, Poha, Aloo Bada, and Khopra Petis.

• The crop is cultivated across approximately 45,000 hectares in Indore district, involving nearly 30,000–35,000 farmers.

• Major food and agro-industrial companies such as ITC, PepsiCo, Mahindra, Balaji, McCain, and Hyfun Seeds procure processing-grade potatoes from the region.

• Along with this product, other items such as Garadu tuber and Balam cucumber from Ratlam district also received GI certification, contributing to a total of 12 GI approvals out of 18 proposed items from Madhya Pradesh.

Gujarat Announces 20% Reservation for Ex-Agniveers in Class III Government Jobs

• The Government of Gujarat announced a 20% reservation for former Agniveers in direct recruitment to Class III posts in state government departments on 22 June 2026.

• The decision applies to key uniformed services including the State Police armed units, State Reserve Police Force (SRP), jail department, and forest department cadres.

• The policy is linked to the Agnipath Scheme, introduced in 2022, which recruits personnel as Agniveers for a fixed tenure in the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

• Covered posts include Armed Police Sub-Inspector, Armed Police Constable, SRP Platoon Commander, Police Constable, Jailer (Group-2), Jail Sepoy, Forest Guard (Class III), and Forester (Class III).

• The policy provides exemption from physical efficiency tests for ex-Agniveers in eligible recruitment processes.

• It also grants age relaxation up to 3 years beyond the upper age limit, while the first batch of Agniveers receives up to 5 years of age relaxation.

• These Class III posts generally include field-level, constabulary, clerical, and technical roles in state administration and security services.

• The announcement was made by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, while Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi highlighted that the move provides new career pathways for ex-Agniveers in public service.

ECONOMY NEWS

India’s Goods Exports Register Strong Growth in Early FY 2026–27

• India’s goods exports increased by nearly 15% during the first two-and-a-half months of FY 2026–27, covering April, May, and the first half of June 2026.

• Merchandise exports reached US$88.91 billion during April–May 2026, reflecting robust performance in the country’s external trade sector.

• Total exports of goods and services were estimated at US$162.69 billion during the same period, indicating broad-based export growth.

• Merchandise exports comprise physical goods such as petroleum products, engineering goods, chemicals, textiles, and agricultural commodities.

• Petroleum products emerged as a major growth driver, with exports rising 54.89% year-on-year in May 2026 to US$8.42 billion.

• Export statistics are compiled and released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for monitoring India’s trade performance and external sector trends.

• The strong export performance comes amid positive trends in global trade, with regions such as Latin America and major economies like the United States also reporting significant growth in goods exports during 2026.

• Despite the current momentum, UN Trade and Development has projected a moderation in global economic growth and merchandise trade volumes during 2026 due to continuing geopolitical and economic uncertainties.