Daily Current Affairs- 20th June 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 20th June 2026

Indian Coast Guard Inducts First Indigenous Hovercraft H-561

In the News: The Indian Coast Guard inducted its first indigenously constructed Air Cushion Vehicle, H-561, in Goa on June 18, 2026. The hovercraft is the first of six indigenous ACVs being built by Chowgule & Company Private Limited for the Indian Coast Guard. The induction is important for coastal security, shallow-water mobility and rapid maritime response.

Key Points:

• First Indigenous ACV: H-561 is India’s first indigenously constructed Air Cushion Vehicle inducted into the Indian Coast Guard. An ACV, commonly called a hovercraft, moves over water, mudflats, sandbanks and marshy stretches by riding on a cushion of air. This makes it useful in coastal and littoral zones where normal vessels may face depth-related restrictions.

• Builder and Location: The ACV has been built by Chowgule & Company Private Limited in Goa.
  The Ministry of Defence had earlier signed a contract with the company for six ACVs for the Indian Coast Guard. The project reflects the growing role of domestic shipbuilding firms in maritime security platforms.
• Operational Role: H-561 will support coastal patrolling, reconnaissance, interception, interdiction and search-and-rescue operations. Its ability to operate in shallow and marshy waters gives the Coast Guard greater flexibility during security and emergency missions. Such platforms are especially useful along creeks, estuaries, island zones and tidal coastal stretches.
• Indian Coast Guard: The Indian Coast Guard functions under the Ministry of Defence and was established in 1978. Its mandate includes maritime law enforcement, coastal security, pollution response, search and rescue, and assistance to vessels in distress.
  The induction of ACVs strengthens its operational reach across India’s long coastline.
• Contract Details: The six ACVs were contracted under the Buy Indian category at a cost of ₹387.44 crore. The procurement is linked to indigenous manufacturing and development of domestic ancillary industries, including MSMEs. It is also relevant for questions on defence procurement categories and maritime infrastructure.

Three-Language Formula and Nagaland's Linguistic Challenge

In the News: The Association of Unaided CBSE Schools in Nagaland has raised concerns over CBSE’s mandate to implement the Three-Language Formula under NEP 2020. The concern arises because Nagaland has a highly diverse linguistic profile, with many tribal languages and dialects. Schools have flagged issues related to teachers, textbooks, standardisation and practical implementation.

Key Points:

• CBSE Mandate: CBSE has aligned its language policy with NEP 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023. From July 1, 2026, Class IX students are required to study three languages under the R1, R2 and R3 structure. At least two of the three languages must be native Indian languages.
• Nagaland’s Language Diversity: Nagaland has a rich linguistic tradition, with languages closely linked to different tribes. The state government portal notes that many tribal dialects are mutually unintelligible, making inter-tribe and intra-tribe communication difficult.
  English serves as the state language, while Nagamese functions as a common lingua franca in daily communication.
• Implementation Challenge: The Three-Language Formula becomes complex in Nagaland because there is no single dominant regional language like many other states. A school may have students from different tribal communities, each with a different mother tongue or dialect. This creates difficulty in deciding which Indian language should be taught as the third language.
• Resource Concerns: Schools have pointed to possible shortages of trained language teachers, standard textbooks and uniform teaching material. Several tribal languages have strong oral traditions but limited standardised classroom resources. This may create uneven implementation across private and unaided CBSE schools.
• Policy Background: NEP 2020 supports multilingualism and gives flexibility to states, regions and students in choosing languages. However, the requirement that two of the three languages must be Indian languages has raised practical concerns in multilingual regions. Nagaland’s case highlights the need to balance national curriculum reform with local linguistic realities.

Green Hydrogen Certification Portal of India

In the News: The Green Hydrogen Certification Portal of India was launched by Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi. The launch took place during a national workshop linked to the National Green Hydrogen Mission. The portal is meant to support transparent certification, traceability and regulatory compliance for green hydrogen production in India.

Key Points:

• Portal Launch: The portal has been launched under the Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India. It aims to create a digital mechanism for certifying green hydrogen produced in India. The platform will help producers, regulators and market participants verify the green credentials of hydrogen.

• Nodal Ministry: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is the nodal ministry for the National Green Hydrogen Mission. The Mission was approved by the Union Cabinet on January 4, 2023. It seeks to make India a global hub for production, use and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives.
• Certification Purpose: Certification is important because green hydrogen depends on how the energy used in production is sourced. A standardised certification system helps ensure transparency, traceability and market credibility. It also supports future trade in green hydrogen, green ammonia and green methanol.
• Mission Targets: The National Green Hydrogen Mission targets at least 5 million metric tonnes of annual green hydrogen production capacity by 2030. It is also linked with about 125 GW of renewable energy capacity addition. The Mission is expected to attract large investments and create employment across the clean energy value chain.
• Associated Benefits: The Mission is expected to reduce fossil fuel imports and support decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors. Important sectors include refineries, fertilisers, steel, shipping, mobility and heavy industry. The certification portal strengthens the institutional framework needed for a reliable green hydrogen market.

Centre bans 16 fixed dose combination drugs, including antibiotics, painkillers, skin meds

In the News: The Central Government has banned the manufacture, sale and distribution of 16 fixed dose combination drugs for human use with immediate effect. The banned drugs include certain antibiotic-based medicines, pain-relief products, antispasmodic drugs and dermatological formulations. The decision was taken after expert review found that these combinations lacked therapeutic justification and could pose health risks.

Key Points:

• Meaning of FDC: A fixed dose combination is a medicine containing two or more active pharmaceutical ingredients in a fixed ratio. Such drugs may be useful when the combination is scientifically justified and improves patient compliance. However, irrational FDCs may increase side effects, drug resistance and unnecessary exposure to medicines.
• Legal Basis: The ban was issued under Section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. This provision empowers the Central Government to prohibit the manufacture, sale or distribution of a drug in public interest. It is generally used when a drug is found unsafe, ineffective or lacking therapeutic value.
• Expert Review: The decision followed a review involving an expert committee, the Drugs Technical Advisory Board and a DTAB sub-committee. The review process found that the 16 combinations were not supported by adequate scientific evidence. Stakeholders were also given opportunities to submit data before the final action was taken.
• Categories Covered: The banned combinations include antibiotic combinations, dermatological products, pain-relief combinations and some antispasmodic formulations. Some topical and cosmetic combinations were also found poorly justified from a regulatory point of view. The action aims to remove irrational formulations from the market.

India to Assume Vice-Presidency of FATF for 1st Time

In the News: India will assume the Vice-Presidency of the Financial Action Task Force for the first time. Vivek Aggarwal of India has been appointed as the incoming FATF Vice-President for the term July 2026 to June 2027. The appointment was approved at the FATF Plenary held in Paris from June 17 to 19, 2026.

Key Points:

• Indian Appointment: Vivek Aggarwal has been appointed as the incoming Vice-President of FATF for July 2026 to June 2027. He is a senior Indian bureaucrat and was serving as Secretary in the Ministry of Culture. This is the first time India will hold the Vice-Presidency of FATF.
• About FATF: FATF is a global standard-setting body that leads action against money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing. It is a 40-member body, the 40 members comprise 38 countries plus 2 regional organisations (the European Commission and the Gulf Cooperation Council) and its standards are followed through a global network of more than 200 jurisdictions. FATF also conducts mutual evaluations of countries’ financial crime frameworks.
• Origin and Mandate: FATF was established in 1989 by the G7 to examine and develop measures against money laundering. In 2001, its mandate was expanded to include terrorist financing. The FATF Secretariat is located at the OECD Headquarters in Paris.
• India and FATF: India became a full member of FATF in 2010. In 2024, India’s Mutual Evaluation Report placed it in the “regular follow-up” category. The evaluation noted India’s AML/CFT framework and its role in tackling illicit finance.
• Important Terms: AML refers to anti-money laundering, CFT refers to countering the financing of terrorism, and CPF refers to countering proliferation financing. FATF uses grey-listing for jurisdictions under increased monitoring and black-listing for high-risk jurisdictions subject to a call for action. These terms are frequently used in questions on global financial governance.