Daily Brief

Canada has applied to join the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) as a dialogue partner. The application is being reviewed at the 28th Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) meeting hosted in New Delhi on June 28, 2026. IORA currently has 23 member states and 10 dialogue partners.

India and the UK announced July 15, 2026 as the entry-into-force date for their Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The deal will reduce tariffs on 99% of bilateral trade and is expected to significantly boost commercial ties between the two nations.

India inaugurated the world first hydrogen production facility using nuclear process heat on June 26, 2026, at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. This milestone advances India's National Green Hydrogen Mission and clean energy goals.

India launched Operation Amistad on June 26, 2026 to provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) to Venezuela following two major earthquakes. Amistad means friendship in Spanish, reflecting India's commitment to South-South cooperation.

The first-ever National Rural Development Conference is being held on June 28-29, 2026 in New Delhi, focusing on rural infrastructure, MGNREGS outcomes, PM-AWAS Yojana progress, and convergence of centrally sponsored schemes.

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the notification of threatened species on June 26, 2026, under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. This standardises the identification and declaration of threatened species in India.

SBI PO 2026 notification is live — 1,500 Probationary Officer vacancies, registration open until July 8, 2026. Prelims expected in the first week of August. Apply now at sbi.bank.in.