Daily Current Affairs- 29th June 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 29th June 2026

Delhi EV Policy 2026 Approved by Delhi Cabinet

In the News: The Delhi Cabinet approved the Electric Vehicle Policy 2026, with implementation likely from July 1, 2026, subject to the Lieutenant Governor’s approval. The policy will remain in force until March 31, 2030, and carries a planned outlay of around Rs 15,000 crore over four years. It aims to accelerate the shift towards clean and zero-emission transport in the national capital.
Key Points:

• Policy Duration: The policy is planned for a four-year rollout from July 2026 to March 2030. Its main objective is to reduce vehicular pollution and build a stronger electric mobility ecosystem in Delhi.
• Financial Support: EV cars priced up to Rs 30 lakh have been exempted from registration fees and road taxes. The policy also provides a Rs 1 lakh incentive for purchasing new EV cars after scrapping old ones.
• Subsidy Structure: Electric two-wheeler buyers will get Rs 30,000 subsidy, while electric three-wheeler buyers will get Rs 50,000 subsidy in the first year. Hybrid vehicles have been kept outside the subsidy framework.
• Registration Shift: The policy mandates that only electric two-wheelers can be registered in Delhi from April 2028. This marks a phased transition away from fossil-fuel-based personal mobility.
• Infrastructure Push: The Delhi government plans major spending on charging infrastructure and tax waivers. The policy combines consumer incentives, infrastructure creation, and regulatory shifts to support EV adoption.

Italy Becomes the UNESCO World Heritage Capital with 61 Protected Sites

In the News: Italy has reaffirmed its position as the country with the highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with 61 properties on the World Heritage List. UNESCO’s official data shows 55 cultural and 6 natural properties in Italy. The country also has 31 sites on the Tentative List for future consideration.
Key Points:

• Global Leadership: Italy has 61 UNESCO World Heritage properties, the highest count for any country. This makes Italy a major centre of cultural heritage, conservation, and heritage tourism.
• Site Composition: Italy’s 61 properties include 55 cultural and 6 natural sites. Cultural sites include historic centres, archaeological areas, religious monuments, landscapes, and architectural heritage.
• UNESCO Convention: Italy ratified the World Heritage Convention on June 23, 1978. Ratification is important because only States Parties to the Convention can nominate properties for inscription.
• Important Examples: Italy’s listed sites include Venice and its Lagoon, the Archaeological Areas of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata, Mount Etna, the Dolomites, and Via Appia Regina Viarum.
• Tentative List: Italy also has 31 properties on the Tentative List. A site must normally be placed on the Tentative List before it can be nominated for the World Heritage List.

China’s LineShine Becomes World’s Fastest Supercomputer

In the News: The 67th TOP500 list was announced at the ISC 2026 conference in Hamburg on June 23, 2026. China’s LineShine debuted at No. 1, replacing the U.S.-based El Capitan as the world’s most powerful supercomputer on the High Performance Linpack benchmark. LineShine achieved 2.198 Exaflop/s and is installed at the National Supercomputing Centre in Shenzhen.
Key Points:

• TOP500 Ranking: TOP500 ranks the world’s most powerful supercomputers mainly using the High Performance Linpack benchmark. The list is updated twice a year, generally in June and November.
• System Details: LineShine was built by the Shenzhen Cloud Computing Center and is based on the custom Chinese LingKun platform. It uses 13.79 million cores, 304-core LX2 processors, LingQi interconnect, and Kylin OS.
• Performance Milestone: LineShine became the first TOP500 system to exceed two exaflops of sustained double-precision performance using only CPUs. It also drew around 42.2 megawatts of power.
• Other Benchmarks: LineShine also secured the No. 1 position on the HPCG ranking with 22.00 HPCG-Petaflop/s. However, it ranked fourth on HPL-MxP, which measures mixed-precision performance.
• Global Top Five: The top five systems in the June 2026 TOP500 list were LineShine, El Capitan, Frontier, Aurora, and JUPITER Booster. China returned to the top position for the first time since 2017.

PM Narendra Modi Conferred Seychelles’ ‘Guardian of the Blue Horizon’ Presidential Distinction

In the News: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred Seychelles’ Presidential Distinction, “Guardian of the Blue Horizon,” by President Dr. Patrick Herminie. The honour was given during a special ceremony in Seychelles. This was the first time the distinction was bestowed.
Key Points:

• Award and Presenter: The distinction was conferred by Seychelles President Dr. Patrick Herminie. It recognises leadership linked with environmental conservation, sustainable development, and ocean-related cooperation.
• Reason for Honour: PM Modi was recognised for green leadership, climate action, Blue Economy promotion, sustainable ocean resource management, and support for Small Island Developing States.
• Diplomatic Context: The honour came when India and Seychelles were celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations. The recognition also highlighted India’s role in the Indian Ocean Region.
• Linked Initiatives: The PMO referred to initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance, Mission LiFE, Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam, and the International Big Cat Alliance. These initiatives formed part of the broader environmental context of the honour.
• Wider Recognition: The honour was added to earlier international recognitions received by PM Modi for sustainable development, including the Agricola Medal by FAO, Seoul Peace Prize, and UN Champion of the Earth Award.

Statistics Day 2026: Theme, History, Significance, and Why Administrative Data Matters

In the News: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation celebrated the 20th Statistics Day on June 29, 2026, at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi. The 2026 theme was “Unlocking the Potential of Administrative Data.” The day commemorates the birth anniversary of Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, a pioneer of statistics and economic planning in India.
Key Points:

• Historical Background: Statistics Day has been observed every year since 2007. It aims to create awareness about the role of statistics in socio-economic planning, public policy, and national development.
• 2026 Theme: The theme “Unlocking the Potential of Administrative Data” highlights the value of data generated through administrative processes. Such data can improve evidence-based policymaking and governance.
•  Data Governance Focus: The theme stresses data quality, interoperability, integration, and governance frameworks. These elements are needed to produce timely, reliable, and granular official statistics.
• Institutional Details: The event was organised by MoSPI and was inaugurated by Dr. P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. The session also included senior representatives from MoSPI and the National Statistical Commission.
• Publications and Award: MoSPI planned to release publications including SDG National Indicator Framework reports, a Handbook on Harmonisation of Datasets, and MoSPI’s Vision Document 2026-2031. The Sukhatme National Award in Statistics was also scheduled to be conferred.

Ben Stokes Announces Retirement from International Cricket, to End England Career After Trent Bridge Test

In the News: The England and Wales Cricket Board announced that Ben Stokes would retire from international cricket at the conclusion of the 3rd Rothesay Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. The announcement also ended his tenure as England Men’s Test captain. His international career began with England’s white-ball teams in 2011.
Key Points:

• Final Match: Stokes’ final international appearance was scheduled to be the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. The venue is located in Nottingham and is one of England’s major Test centres.
• Career Timeline: Stokes began his international career in 2011 and made his Test debut in December 2013 at Adelaide during the Ashes. He became England’s Test captain in April 2022.
• Major Performances: His unbeaten 84 in the 2019 ICC World Cup Final helped England force a Super Over against New Zealand. His 135 not out at Headingley in the 2019 Ashes is regarded as one of England’s greatest Test innings.
• All-round Record: Stokes was a left-handed batter and right-arm pace bowler. Reuters noted that he scored more than 10,000 runs and took more than 300 wickets across his international career.
• Legacy: The ECB described him as one of England’s greatest cricketers and a defining player of his generation. His career combined batting, bowling, captaincy, and match-winning performances across formats.