Current Affairs Quiz 20th and 21st June 2026 Quiz

Exp. YES Bank Partners with Northern Arc Capital to Expand Formal Credit Access Across India

YES Bank and Northern Arc Capital have entered into a strategic partnership to expand access to formal credit across India by leveraging their combined lending expertise and distribution network.

The collaboration aims to provide loans to retail customers, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and underserved borrowers, promoting greater financial inclusion and supporting inclusive economic growth.

Exp. SBI Board approves ₹60,000 crore fundraising plan for Financial Year 2026-27

State Bank of India (SBI) has approved a fundraising plan of up to ₹60,000 crore for FY 2026–27 to strengthen its capital base and support future business growth.

The funds will be raised in Indian rupees or other convertible currencies through debt instruments, long-term bonds, Basel III-compliant Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bonds, and Tier 2 bonds.

The fundraising will be executed through public issues or private placements, targeting domestic and international investors, subject to Government of India approval wherever required.

Exp. India–UK Free Trade Agreement to Come into Force on 15 July 2026

The India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will enter into force on 15 July 2026, after being signed on 24 July 2025, with both countries completing all domestic and procedural formalities on 17 June 2026.

Under the agreement, India will reduce whisky tariffs from 150% to 40% and automotive tariffs from 100% to 10% (under a quota system), while the UK will lower tariffs on Indian exports such as clothing, footwear, and selected food products.

The FTA is expected to boost bilateral trade by £25.5 billion annually in the long term and contribute £4.8 billion to the UK economy, with businesses set to begin trading under the new rules from 15 July 2026.

Exp. Former Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi Passes Away

Lieutenant General Vijay Oberoi, former Vice Chief of Army Staff, passed away. He retired from the Indian Army on 30 September 2001 after a distinguished military career.

During the 1965 India–Pakistan War, he was seriously injured in Jammu & Kashmir and lost his right leg, yet continued to serve the nation with exceptional courage and dedication.

Exp. Indian Army Contingent Departs for Multinational Military Exercise KHAAN QUEST 2026 in Mongolia

The Indian Army contingent will participate in the multilateral military exercise KHAAN QUEST 2026, scheduled from 20 June to 3 July 2026 at the Five Hills Training Area, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Exercise KHAAN QUEST began as a bilateral exercise between the United States and Mongolia in 2003 and became a multilateral peacekeeping exercise in 2006. The 2026 edition marks the 23rd iteration, while the previous edition was held in Mongolia from 14–28 June 2025.

Exp. GIC Re Appoints Hitesh Rameshchandra Joshi as Chairman-cum-Managing Director

General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) has appointed Hitesh Rameshchandra Joshi as its Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD).

Joshi had been serving as the interim CMD since October 2025 following the completion of Narayanan Ramaswamy’s tenure and now assumes full leadership as the insurance and reinsurance sector undergoes rapid transformation driven by technology and evolving risks.

Recent Appointments in Banking & Insurance Sector

• Director of Central Board of RBI – Sanjay Lohiya
• Deputy Governor of RBI – Swaminathan Janakiraman (for 2 years)
• Executive Director at World Bank – Neelkanth Mishra
• MD of Canara Bank – Brajesh Kumar Singh (replace K Satyanarayana Raju)

Exp. PhonePe Introduces ₹100 Quarterly Fee for Inactive Wallets

PhonePe has introduced a wallet inactivity maintenance fee of ₹100 per quarter for inactive wallets, with the amount being deducted from the existing wallet balance.

A PhonePe Wallet will be classified as inactive if no financial transaction is made through the wallet for 365 consecutive days.

Activities such as UPI payments, bill payments, app logins, non-wallet transactions, or KYC updates do not count as wallet activity.

Before levying the fee, PhonePe will notify users multiple times over a 15-day period and provide steps to reactivate the wallet. If the wallet balance is less than ₹100, the remaining balance will be deducted, but the wallet balance will never become negative.

Exp. Centre Approves ₹22 Crore Support for Startups Under National Green Hydrogen Mission

The Central Government has approved the first tranche of ₹22 crore for nine startups under the ₹100 crore startup support programme of the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) to promote innovation in the green hydrogen sector.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi launched the Green Hydrogen Certification Portal of India (GHCI) to facilitate certification and regulatory compliance under the Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India.

Launched in 2023 with an outlay of ₹19,744 crore, the National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to achieve at least 5 million metric tonnes of annual green hydrogen production capacity by 2030, with several states already introducing dedicated green hydrogen policies.

Exp. Akshara Gupta Smashes Unbeaten Triple Century in Bihar Women’s U-19 One-Day Trophy

Akshara Gupta, a 19-year-old batter, scored an unbeaten 306 runs off just 126 balls in the Women’s Under-19 One-Day Trophy organised by the Bihar Cricket Association in Bhagalpur, smashing 55 fours and 8 sixes.

Powered by Akshara’s historic triple century, her team posted a massive 450 runs in 40 overs, before bowling out the opposition for 121 runs to register a dominant victory.

Akshara’s innings is regarded as one of the highest individual scores in Indian women’s domestic cricket, ranking second only to Ira Gupta’s record-breaking innings.

Exp. Mexico Becomes First Team to Reach FIFA World Cup 2026 Knockout Round of 32

Mexico became the first team to qualify for the knockout Round of 32 at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after defeating South Korea 1–0 at Guadalajara Stadium, Mexico.

The match remained goalless in the first half, with the decisive goal coming in the 50th minute when Luis Romo capitalized on a defensive error involving South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu and defender Lee Gi-hyuk.

Exp. India to assume Vice-Presidency of FATF for the first time

India has been elected as the Vice President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for the first time, strengthening its role in the global fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.

Vivek Aggarwal, a 1994-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre and currently Secretary, Ministry of Culture, will serve as FATF Vice President from July 2026 to June 2027.

India became a full member of FATF in 2010.

Ministry Handling FATF Matters: Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance

About Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

• Founded – 1989
• Headquarters – Paris, France
• Membership – 40
• President – Elisa de Anda Madrazo; Mexico

Exp. PM to Disburse ₹2,400 Crore under PM-Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will disburse ₹2,400 crore under the PM-Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to benefit over 15 lakh beneficiaries.

Since August 2025, the scheme has brought over 63 lakh employees into the formal workforce, with nearly 30% being women, while over 80% of the incentivised establishments are small enterprises employing fewer than 25 workers.

Youth securing their first government job will receive an incentive of up to ₹15,000 in two installments, promoting employment generation and strengthening small and emerging enterprises.

Exp. PM Modi to Lay Foundation Stone for ₹25,016 Crore Coal Gasification Project in Odisha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for a ₹25,016 crore coal gasification project at Lakhanpur, Jharsuguda (Odisha). The project will be developed by Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited (BCGCL), a joint venture of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Coal India Limited (CIL).

The facility will be India’s first commercial-scale coal-to-ammonium nitrate plant, producing 2,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate per day using indigenously developed coal gasification technology by BHEL, strengthening India’s energy security and reducing import dependence.

Spread across 350 acres, the project has received all statutory clearances and ₹1,350 crore under the government’s coal gasification incentive scheme. It is expected to serve as a model for future coal gasification projects in the country.

The coal gasification programme is expected to attract ₹2.5–3 lakh crore in investments, create around 50,000 direct and indirect jobs across 25 projects, and help reduce India’s annual ₹2.7 lakh crore chemical imports by converting domestic coal into value-added products such as methanol, urea, and ammonium nitrate.

Exp. NHAI Launches Rajasthan’s First MLFF-Based Tolling System

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has launched Rajasthan’s first Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF)-based tolling system at the Daulatpura Toll Plaza on the Delhi–Jaipur section of NH-48, enabling barrier-free toll collection.

The MLFF system combines Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology with FASTag-based electronic toll collection, allowing vehicles to pass through toll plazas without stopping and with minimal human intervention.

The system reduces waiting time, fuel consumption, and vehicular emissions, while improving traffic flow. NHAI also plans to upgrade the Shahjahanpur and Manoharpur toll plazas on NH-48 to the MLFF system for seamless commuting.

Exp. Chennai Petroleum Corporation Upgraded to Navratna CPSE

Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL), a Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, has been granted ‘Navratna’ status by the Union Government, becoming the 28th Navratna CPSE in India.

The upgradation to Navratna status was approved by the Union Finance Minister, giving CPCL greater financial and operational autonomy to undertake strategic investments and business decisions.