1 Jaipur among the 20 best art and culture cities in the world
On June 19 , Jaipur was ranked 18th among the world’s 20 best art and cultural cities . London tops the list , and Jaipur is the only Indian city to feature in the top 20. The rankings were released by the London-based international magazine Time Out. The rankings are based on cities’ cultural heritage, museums, and art programs. Jaipur boasts traditional handicrafts like blue pottery and block printing, and historical monuments like the Hawa Mahal and the City Palace. Jaipur received this honor for its rich art, culture, handicrafts, architectural heritage, and vibrant cultural events. Jaipur is also internationally known for its literary, art, and cultural festivals.
2 Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare launches unique, innovative centralized pension processing software called Bhavishya
For the past 12 years , the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare has been dedicated to improving the quality of life of pensioners by continuously improving pension rules and procedures. In this regard, the Department has launched a unique, innovative centralized pension processing software called Bhavishya for all central government ministries and departments . This software has helped eliminate delays and clerical errors in the processing of pension cases, as well as financial losses and harassment faced by pensioners. Currently, over 1,000 offices and 9,765 Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) in 99 central government ministries and departments are connected to the Bhavishya software. The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare has also released a new single simplified pension application form, 6-A, integrated with Bhavishya, with a single e-signature.
On June 18 , India’s telecom industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) appointed Rahul Vatsa as the new Chairman of COAI . Rahul’s appointment was announced at COAI’s annual meeting. COAI is an organization of private telecommunication service providers in India. Its key members include Bharti Airtel, Jio, and Vodafone Idea (Vi). Through this organization, it communicates with the government, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), and regulatory bodies on policy issues for the industry. Rahul Vatsa is currently the Group Chief Regulatory Officer and Director (Corporate Affairs) at Bharti Airtel. Rahul will replace former COAI Chairman Abhijit Kishore. Along with this, Ravi P Gandhi of Reliance Jio was appointed as the Vice Chairman of COAI.
On June 17, 2026 , 16 countries gathered in Mombasa, Kenya , and signed the Mombasa Declaration to combat illegal fishing in the world’s oceans . This occurred at the 11th ” Our Ocean Conference ,” with the theme ” Our Ocean, Our Heritage, Our Future .” The Mombasa Declaration is a global agreement aimed at improving transparency in fishing industries. Its primary goal is to prevent IUU fishing, which stands for Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing. The Mombasa Declaration is a call to action on fisheries transparency for coastal and flag states, focusing on improved collection and dissemination of vessel information and ensuring better access to fisheries data. It supports and accelerates the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency, which outlines 10 low- or no-cost policy principles that governments can adopt globally, both in law and practice. The signing also launches a campaign to mobilize other countries to join the effort ahead of the next Our Ocean Conference in 2027.
International Yoga Day, celebrated annually on June 21st, is not merely a formal event but a global festival of human consciousness, health, discipline, and spiritual awakening. This day conveys the message to the entire world that the true power of human life lies not in external resources, material prosperity, or technological advancement, but in inner peace, spiritual balance, and positive consciousness. Yoga teaches us that a healthy body, a calm mind, and an awakened soul are the foundation of a prosperous and meaningful life. Maharishi Patanjali , in his Yoga Sutras, states, ” Yogaścittavṛtti nirodhaḥ ,” meaning, ” Yoga is the restraint of the restless tendencies of the mind .” In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says, ” Samatvam Yoga Uchyate ,” meaning, ” Yoga is the maintenance of equanimity and balance even in the most adverse circumstances of life .”
In a historic step towards India’s goal of energy security, technological self-reliance, and sustainable use of domestic coal resources , the President of India, Smt. Draupadi Murmu , and the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, virtually laid the foundation stone of Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited ‘s (BCGCL) Coal-to-Ammonium Nitrate Project at Lakhanpur in Jharsuguda district, Odisha , on June 20, 2026. BCGCL is a joint venture company formed between Coal India Limited (CIL) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) , in which CIL holds 51% and BHEL holds 49% . Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, is contributing approximately 350 acres of coal-bearing land located at Lakhanpur in Jharsuguda district, Odisha, where the BCGCL project will be constructed. In addition, MCL will meet the coal requirement of the project by supplying 0.79 metric tonnes per annum of washed coal and 1.19 metric tonnes per annum of rejected coal from its Ib Valley Washery. In line with the Government of India’s National Coal Gasification Mission, the project is expected to serve as a model for future coal-to-chemical projects across the country. The project aims to produce approximately 0.66 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of technical grade ammonium nitrate through coal gasification and is one of India’s pioneering commercial initiatives utilizing the indigenously developed Pressurized Fluidized Bed Gasification (PFBG) technology for chemical production.
Aggarwal has been elected as the Vice-Chair of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for the term 2026-27 (July 2026 to June 2027) . He will replace Giles Thomson of the United Kingdom. This is the first time India will hold a Vice-President of the FATF. Mr. Aggarwal is currently Secretary in the Ministry of Culture. He has led the Indian delegation to the Financial Action Task Force and has played a key role with the global organization that combats money laundering and terrorist financing. This decision was taken at the Task Force’s plenary meeting held from June 17 to 19. The Task Force’s plenary meeting reviewed efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. It also decided to increase monitoring of Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Iraq and to remove Algeria and Namibia from the Task Force’s gray list. Mr. Giles Thomson was appointed the next Chair of the Task Force. He will replace Elisa de Anda Madrazo of Mexico. The Financial Action Task Force is the standard global body for combating money laundering and terrorist financing. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was established in 1989 at the initiative of the G-7 Summit held in Paris as a global watchdog for financial integrity. India became an observer of the FATF in 2006 and was later admitted as the 34th member in June 2010. India has implemented a risk-based legal framework under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.