Current Affairs January to June 2026: 6-Month Capsule for Exams
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11 Jul 2026
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This half-yearly current affairs capsule brings together the most important national and international events, defence developments, economy and banking news, science and technology breakthroughs, government schemes, sports achievements, and important days from January to June 2026 - compiled in one place for quick revision. This is one of the highest-weightage sections across SSC, UPSC, Banking, Railway, NDA, CDS, AFCAT and State PSC exams, and revising a consolidated 6-month capsule alongside the latest government job openings and exam syllabus updates helps build a strong General Awareness foundation before exam day.
January 2026 Highlights
| Republic Day 2026 | India celebrated its 77th Republic Day on 26 January 2026. |
| Ashok Chakra Honour | Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla was conferred the Ashok Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award. |
| Key Appointments | Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor appointed Vice Chief of the Air Staff; Justice Revati Mohite Dere became the first woman Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court. |
| USA Withdraws from WHO | The United States announced its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), a major development in global health governance. |
| National Youth Day | Observed on 12 January, marking the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. |
| Pravasi Bharatiya Divas | Observed on 9 January to mark the contribution of the Overseas Indian community. |
| Army Day | Observed on 15 January, commemorating the Indian Army. |
February 2026 Highlights
| Transgender Persons (Amendment) Bill 2026 | Parliament passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, with Rajya Sabha approval. |
| Gujarat and Uniform Civil Code | Gujarat became the second state (after Uttarakhand) to move towards implementing the Uniform Civil Code. |
| Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's Death | Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died on 28 February 2026, a major geopolitical development affecting West Asia and global energy security. |
| PM Modi's Israeli Honour | PM Narendra Modi became the first leader conferred a top Israeli Parliament honour. |
| India Hosts Global AI Summit | India hosted a Global AI Summit, reinforcing its position in international AI governance. |
| Winter Olympics 2026 Concluded | The 35th Winter Olympics concluded, with Norway topping the medal table. |
| Central Excise Day | Observed on 24 February; National Pulses Day observed on 10 February. |
March 2026 Highlights
| ICC T20 World Cup 2026 | India won the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, defeating New Zealand by 96 runs at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad - India's third T20 World Cup title (2007, 2024, 2026). |
| BRICS Sherpa Meeting | The BRICS 2026 Sherpa meeting was held in India ahead of the year's BRICS engagements. |
| MILAN 2026 Naval Exercise | The multinational MILAN 2026 naval exercise began at Visakhapatnam. |
| India-UK Exercise Vajra Prahar | The India-UK joint military exercise Vajra Prahar 2026 was held in Rajasthan. |
| Rankings and Reports | Hurun Rich List 2026: Elon Musk ranked richest person globally; Corruption Perception Index 2025 topper: Denmark; India's World Happiness Report rank: 116. |
| Government Initiatives | GI tag given to Nagauri Ashwagandha (Rajasthan); India's first paperless district court inaugurated in Kalpetta, Kerala. |
| National Vaccination Day | Observed on 16 March 2026. |
April 2026 Highlights
| Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth Appointed VCOAS | Lt General Dhiraj Seth took over as Vice Chief of the Army Staff, ahead of his later elevation to Chief of Army Staff on 30 June 2026. |
| Odisha Police Colour Award | The President of India approved the prestigious Police Colour Award for Odisha Police. |
| SIPRI Global Arms Trade Report | The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its report on global arms trade trends. |
| Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson | A new Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson was appointed during the month. |
| Census of India 2027 Begins | Preparatory activities for the Census of India 2027 commenced. |
| UNSC Resolution on Strait of Hormuz | Russia and China vetoed a UNSC resolution concerning the opening of the Strait of Hormuz amid regional tensions. |
May 2026 Highlights
| General N.S. Raja Subramani - CDS | Assumed charge as the third Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, on 31 May 2026. |
| Gujarat Semiconductor Projects | Union Cabinet approved two new semiconductor units in Gujarat - a Mini/Micro-LED display fabrication facility in Dholera and an OSAT unit in Surat. |
| Railway Multitracking Projects | Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved three railway multitracking projects worth over Rs 23,000 crore across six states, adding around 900 km of railway lines. |
| Bharat Maritime Insurance Pool (BMIP) | India launched BMIP to provide insurance coverage for Indian ships on international routes, reducing dependence on foreign insurers. |
| India-US Critical Minerals Agreement | India and the United States signed a framework agreement on critical minerals and rare earth elements cooperation. |
| India Chairs CCDB (2026-2028) | India assumed Chairmanship of the Common Criteria Development Board, the global IT security standards body. |
| World Yogasana Championship 2026 | India announced the first-ever World Yogasana Championship. |
| Supreme Court Judges Bill | President approved introducing the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, in Parliament. |
| Important Days | International Labour Day (1 May), National Technology Day (11 May), Anti-Terrorism Day - India (21 May). |
June 2026 Highlights
| General Dhiraj Seth - 31st Army Chief | Took charge as the 31st Chief of Army Staff on 30 June 2026, unveiling the five-point vision "VIJAY" (Vigilance and Readiness, Innovation and Transformation, Jointness and Integration, Aatmanirbharta, Yoddha First). |
| India's 100th Ramsar Site | Jayaprakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary (Surha Tal), Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, declared India's 100th Ramsar wetland site. |
| BrahMos Export to Vietnam | India signed a USD 629 million agreement to export BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to Vietnam. |
| Cambodia Adopts UPI | Cambodia became the 9th country to adopt India's Unified Payments Interface. |
| Global Peace Index 2026 | Iceland remained the world's most peaceful country; India ranked 127th globally. |
| Hurun Global Unicorn Index 2026 | India ranked 4th globally with 61 unicorn companies; Sarvam AI became India's 130th unicorn. |
| IPL 2026 Champions | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won the TATA IPL 2026 title under captain Rajat Patidar, defeating Gujarat Titans in the final. |
| Norway Chess 2026 | Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa became the first Indian to win the Norway Chess Tournament. |
| World Environment Day | Observed on 5 June 2026; National Statistics Day observed on 29 June, honouring Professor P.C. Mahalanobis. |
Why This 6-Month Capsule Matters for Exams
General Awareness and Current Affairs sections carry substantial weightage across nearly every competitive exam pattern - SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, UPSC Prelims and Mains, IBPS PO/Clerk, RRB NTPC, NDA, CDS, AFCAT, and State PSC exams. A consolidated half-yearly revision like this one helps candidates connect monthly events, spot recurring exam themes (defence appointments, government schemes, international summits, sporting achievements), and revise efficiently before exam day. Pair this capsule with regular practice on the latest government job notifications on JobOne to stay fully exam-ready.