26th JUNE CURRENT AFFAIRS

1June 26 is marked as the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

Observed every year on 26 June to strengthen global efforts against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

Declared by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 42/112 on 7 December 1987.

First observed in 1988.

Coordinated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Aims to raise awareness about the harmful effects of drug abuse on individuals, families, and society.

Promotes prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and international cooperation to combat drug trafficking.

2SHATAYU Dashboard Launched

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched the SHATAYU Dashboard to improve elderly care services.

SHATAYU stands for Senior Holistic Care Assistance and Training for Your Utility.

The platform connects trained geriatric caregivers with senior citizens requiring professional care.

Managed by the National Institute of Social Defence (NISD).

Creates a centralized database of certified caregivers across India.

3SecondPax Silica Summit 2026

The Second Pax Silica Summit was held on 25–26 June 2026 in Washington, D.C., USA.

Representatives from 35 countries, including India, participated in the summit.

Member countries adopted the Joint Statement on AI Opportunity.

The summit focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance, trusted AI ecosystems, resilient supply chains, and industrial cooperation.

India was represented by S. Krishnan (Secretary, MeitY) and Nagraj Naidu (Additional Secretary, MEA).

The Pax Silica Initiative was launched by the United States in December 2025, and India joined it in February 2026.

A new platform called Pax Pass was introduced to facilitate the secure movement of AI-related technologies.

4Jaipur Ranked Among World’s 20 Best Cultural Cities

Jaipur secured a 77% quality score and a 69% affordability score; 73% of local respondents rated the city highly for its festival scene.

The top five cities, in order, were London, Paris, New York City, Berlin, and Cape Town.

About Jaipur

5Founded in 1727 by Sawai Jai Singh II, Jaipur is part of the Delhi-Agra-Jaipur Golden Triangle and is considered one of India’s earliest planned cities.

6Planned city: designed by Vidyadhar Bhattacharya on Vastu Shastra principles, with the city divided into nine blocks.

7Came to be known as the “Pink City” after it was painted pink in 1876 to welcome the Prince of Wales.

8Architectural heritage includes Hawa Mahal, City Palace, Amber Fort, Jal Mahal, Nahargarh Fort, Jaigarh Fort, and Jantar Mantar.

9The Jaipur Walled City was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, recognised as an exceptional example of 18th-century planned urban architecture.