Ravi Agrawal Reappointed as CBDT Chairman (2026)

• Ravi Agrawal, a 1988-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, has been reappointed as Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) for six months, from 1 July to 31 December 2026.

• The extension was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on a contract basis, with relaxation of the applicable Recruitment Rules.

• Ravi Agrawal was scheduled to retire on 30 June 2026, but his tenure has been extended or until further government orders.

• CBDT is the highest policy-making authority for direct taxes under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, and administers the Income-tax Act, 1961.

• The Board is responsible for direct tax policy, tax administration, revenue collection, and enforcement across the country.

• Ravi Agrawal was first appointed CBDT Chairman in June 2024, and his tenure was subsequently extended till June 2026 before the latest reappointment.

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), chaired by the Prime Minister with the Union Home Minister as a member, approves senior appointments in the Central Government.

• As of 17 June 2026, India's net direct tax collections reached ₹5.21 trillion, recording a 14.64% year-on-year increase, reflecting steady tax revenue growth.

Delhi Approves Two Heritage Conservation Schemes

• On 30 June 2026, the Delhi Government approved two heritage conservation schemes for 75 monuments protected under the Delhi Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 2004.

• The schemes apply to Delhi Government-protected monuments that are outside the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

• Under the Delhi Chief Minister Monument Adoption Scheme, private organisations, educational institutions, NGOs, PSUs, and individuals can adopt monuments as “Monument Mitras” for five years through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

• Monument Mitras will fund visitor amenities such as cleanliness, security, lighting, and basic maintenance, improving public access and heritage preservation.

• The Grant-in-Aid Scheme for Conservation, Restoration and Development Works of Monuments provides financial assistance of up to ₹2 crore to eligible specialised institutions for conservation and restoration work.

• The adoption list includes prominent heritage sites such as the Haveli of Mirza Ghalib, Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Mahal, Mutiny Memorial, and the Dara Shikoh Library Building.

• The government estimates annual maintenance savings of around ₹4.5 lakh per monument through the adoption initiative.

• Any revenue generated from approved activities at adopted monuments must be reinvested exclusively for their upkeep and cannot be retained as private profit under the scheme.

FCRA 2.0 Portal and e-OCI Card Initiative Launched

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the FCRA 2.0 Portal and the e-Overseas Citizen of India (e-OCI) Card initiative in New Delhi on 30 June 2026.

• The FCRA 2.0 Portal, developed under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, enables online registration, renewal, compliance, and real-time monitoring of foreign contributions.

• The portal features Aadhaar-based authentication, e-Sign, OCR-based document verification, an integrated dashboard, and process re-engineering, and is hosted on the National Government Cloud (MeghRaj).

• It is integrated with PAN, Aadhaar, OCI, NGO Darpan, and ICAI’s UDIN system, reducing paperwork and speeding up FCRA registration and approval processes.

• The e-OCI Card is a fully digital platform for over 50 lakh Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders, introduced under the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026.

• The new rules make online filing mandatory for OCI services, introduce an electronic OCI record, and retain the validity of existing physical OCI cards.

• OCI cardholders are no longer required to obtain a new OCI booklet after receiving a passport issued after the age of 20; instead, they must upload the new passport details and a recent photograph online within three months.

• Upcoming enhancements to the FCRA ecosystem include an FCRA mobile application, an AI-powered chatbot, and a dedicated digital dashboard for banks to strengthen compliance and service delivery.

Jalbhara Sweet of Chandannagar Receives GI Tag (2026)

• Jalbhara Sweet (Jalbhora Sandesh) from Chandannagar, Hooghly district, West Bengal, was awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag on 26 June 2026, recognising its unique regional identity.

• A Geographical Indication (GI) protects products whose quality, reputation, or characteristics are closely linked to their place of origin and is governed in India by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.

• The sweet is distinguished by its soft chhena outer layer enclosing a liquid centre, traditionally filled with rose syrup or nolen gur (date palm jaggery syrup).

• Jalbhara traces its origin to Telinipara in Chandannagar and is believed to have been created by Surjya Modak and Siddheshwar Modak around 1843–44.

• The GI registration application for Jalbhara was filed in September 2022, leading to its official recognition in 2026.

• The GI Registry at Chennai administers GI registrations in India, providing legal protection to region-specific agricultural, food, handicraft, and manufactured products.

• With the GI status, only Jalbhara prepared in Chandannagar using traditional methods can legally be marketed under the registered name, helping preserve its authenticity.

• Jalbhara now joins India's growing list of GI-protected heritage food products, strengthening the cultural identity and market value of Bengal's traditional confectionery.