Current Affairs 2 June 2026 | 2nd June 2026 Current Affairs | Daily GK Updates

India-Oman CEPA Comes Into Force — India Becomes Only 2nd Country After US with This Deal

This is genuinely one of the most significant trade developments of 2026 — and it deserves more attention than it's getting.

With its enforcement, India becomes only the second nation in the world — after the United States — to secure a comprehensive bilateral trade pact with the Sultanate of Oman.

The India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement formally came into force on June 2, 2026 — and what makes it exceptional is the depth of access it provides. Oman has granted immediate zero-duty market access to 99.38% of India's exports by value, covering 98.08% of its total tariff lines. This marks an exponential leap from the pre-CEPA Most Favored Nation framework, where only 15.33% of Indian goods entered duty-free.

Think about what that jump means in practice. India went from 15% duty-free access to 99% overnight. For Indian pharmaceutical companies, textile exporters, jewellery makers, and engineering goods manufacturers — this is transformative.

The pharmaceutical provision is particularly noteworthy. Medicines and vaccines approved by premier global regulators including USFDA, EMA, UK MHRA, and TGA will receive Omani marketing authorization within 90 days, removing costly duplicative testing and structural entry barriers. Indian generic drug manufacturers — who already supply a significant chunk of the Gulf's medicines — can now enter the Omani market far faster and cheaper than before.

Why Oman specifically matters for India right now: The timing of this CEPA couldn't be better. With the Strait of Hormuz crisis straining energy supply routes, Oman's strategic location outside the Strait on the Arabian Sea coast makes it India's most reliable Gulf partner. The MEIDP (Middle East-India Deep-water Pipeline) proposal — running from Oman to Gujarat — is already being studied. The CEPA adds economic depth to what is fast becoming India's most strategically important Gulf bilateral relationship.

India-Oman bilateral trade stands at approximately $12 billion annually. With this CEPA, that number should grow significantly — particularly in pharmaceuticals, IT services, textiles, and engineering goods flowing from India, and LNG, petrochemicals, and minerals flowing from Oman.

BrahMos Missile Deal Signed with Vietnam — USD 629 Million

In May 2026, the Government of India signed a BrahMos missile export agreement with Vietnam worth approximately Rs 60 billion (USD 629 million).

This is a landmark moment for India's defence exports — and a significant strategic signal in the South China Sea context. Vietnam has been one of the most vocal opponents of China's maritime assertiveness in the South China Sea, and BrahMos — India's supersonic cruise missile capable of hitting targets at Mach 2.8 — gives Vietnam a serious anti-ship and land-attack capability it didn't have before.

BrahMos is a joint venture between India's DRDO and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya — named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers. It can be launched from land, sea, and air platforms, has a range of approximately 290-500 km depending on the variant, and flies at wave-top height in its terminal phase — making it extremely difficult to intercept. The Philippines was the first export customer (signed 2022), and Vietnam is now the second.

For India, this deal matters beyond the dollar value. India's defence exports have been growing rapidly — crossing ₹39,000 crore in FY26 — and BrahMos is the premium product at the top of the portfolio. Each successful BrahMos export deal also deepens the strategic relationship with the buyer country in ways that conventional trade cannot.

India's Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh indicated that the BrahMos missile deal with Vietnam has already been signed and negotiations with Indonesia are nearing completion. Indonesia joining the BrahMos club would add another major ASEAN nation to India's strategic maritime network.

India-Myanmar Border Talks — Myanmar Commits Territory Won't Be Used Against India

Myanmar government committed its territory won't be used against India's security interests during border talks.

This is significant in the context of India's northeastern security concerns. Myanmar's ongoing civil conflict — between the military junta and multiple resistance forces — has created a situation where India's 1,643 km border with Myanmar has become increasingly porous. Insurgent groups with roots in Nagaland, Manipur, and Assam have historically used Myanmar's Sagaing and Chin state regions as safe havens.

Myanmar's commitment during border talks is essentially a reaffirmation of the principle that its territory will not be used as a launching pad for attacks against India — but the junta's actual ability to enforce this across territory it doesn't fully control is a separate question. The border fencing project India is pursuing along the Indo-Myanmar border — which includes both road construction and fence installation — is the practical hedge against this uncertainty.

Four High Court Chief Justices Elevated to Supreme Court — SC Strength Reaches 37

The Centre cleared the elevation of four High Court Chief Justices and senior advocate V. Mohana as Supreme Court judges, raising the apex court's strength to 37 judges.

This is a direct outcome of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026 — promulgated by the President under Article 123 on May 18, which raised SC strength from 34 to 38. With these four elevations, the court has moved to 37 judges — one short of the new maximum.

The appointment process follows the Collegium system — established by the Second Judges Case (1993) — where the CJI and four senior-most SC judges recommend names for appointment. The government's role is to either accept the recommendations or return them for reconsideration (but cannot indefinitely sit on accepted recommendations after the Third Judges Case, 1998).

The elevation of V. Mohana as a senior advocate directly appointed to the SC (rather than elevated from a High Court) is particularly notable. Direct appointments from the Bar to the Supreme Court are rare but constitutionally valid under Article 124(3) — which allows appointment of distinguished jurists. This signals the Collegium's intent to bring in legal expertise that may not exist in the existing High Court pipeline.

With 93,000+ cases pending, the SC desperately needed these appointments — every additional bench means more cases heard simultaneously and faster disposal.

Supreme Court Directs Removal of Encroachments in Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve

The Supreme Court of India issued directions on 30 May 2026 for the removal of encroachers and demolition of illegal structures in the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve.

The Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve spans the southernmost Western Ghats — covering parts of Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts in Kerala and Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts in Tamil Nadu. It is part of the Western Ghats — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world's eight "hottest hotspots" of biological diversity. The reserve hosts Agasthyarkoodam — one of the most biodiverse peaks in the subcontinent — along with critical wildlife corridors connecting Kerala and Tamil Nadu's forest networks.

Encroachments in biosphere reserves are a persistent problem across India — illegal constructions, farming extensions, and resort developments creep into buffer zones over years. The SC's direction carries significant weight because it comes with monitoring timelines and compliance reporting requirements — unlike state government orders which often go unimplemented.

JEE Advanced 2026 Results — Shubham Kumar Tops, Arohi Deshpande is Female Topper

Shubham Kumar from IIT Delhi zone secured AIR 1 with 330 out of 360 marks, while Arohi Deshpande emerged as the female topper.

JEE Advanced is the gateway to India's 23 IITs — conducted annually by one of the IITs on a rotational basis. It is widely considered one of the world's most competitive undergraduate entrance examinations. Only the top approximately 2.5 lakh students who clear JEE Main qualify to appear for JEE Advanced.

A score of 330/360 is extraordinary — it reflects near-perfect performance across Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics in a paper designed specifically to test the limits of the best prepared students in the country. For context, the average JEE Advanced cutoff for the general category is typically around 90-100 marks — a topper scoring 330 demonstrates the enormous range within the qualified pool.

The female topper recognition reflects a positive trend — women's participation and performance in JEE Advanced has been improving year on year, though gender parity in IIT admissions still has a long way to go. IITs introduced supernumerary seats for women from 2018 onwards — seats added above the existing total specifically for female candidates — which has helped increase female enrolment.

Meesho-BSE Launch Project Shikhar — SME Capital Market Access

Meesho and the Bombay Stock Exchange launched Project Shikhar on 2 June 2026 through a Memorandum of Understanding. The initiative is linked to the BSE SME platform.

Project Shikhar is a joint initiative between Meesho — India's social commerce platform serving primarily tier-2, tier-3, and rural sellers — and BSE's SME platform (the exchange dedicated to small and medium enterprises). The initiative aims to help Meesho's seller network — which comprises millions of small entrepreneurs — understand and access capital markets for business growth.

This is a genuinely interesting convergence. Meesho's seller base is exactly the kind of micro-entrepreneur ecosystem that the BSE SME platform was designed to serve — small businesses that need growth capital but have historically been excluded from formal equity markets. Project Shikhar bridges the digital commerce ecosystem with the formal capital markets ecosystem for the first time at this scale.

BSE SME platform background: Launched in 2012, the BSE SME platform allows companies with post-issue paid-up capital between ₹1 crore and ₹25 crore to list and raise equity capital. It has been one of BSE's most successful initiatives — with hundreds of SMEs having listed and raised capital since inception.

Khet Bachao Abhiyan — Month-Long National Campaign Begins June 1

The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is conducting the month-long Khet Bachao Abhiyan from 1-30 June 2026 across the country. The campaign promotes balanced and judicious use of fertilizers based on soil health and scientific recommendations.

We covered ICAR's Khet Bachao Abhiyan in the May 23 current affairs — but this June 1 launch by the Ministry of Agriculture itself is a scaled-up, nationally coordinated version. While the ICAR campaign reached 2.712 crore citizens through media and outreach, this Ministry-led version runs for a full month with district-level activities, krishi melas, and direct farmer engagement.

The timing is deliberate — June is when kharif sowing begins across India, and the decisions farmers make about fertiliser application in June set the tone for the entire season's soil health and input cost burden. Getting farmers to apply balanced NPK instead of just urea at this precise moment has the maximum impact.

Air Marshal Tarun Chaudhry Takes Charge of Central Air Command

Air Marshal Tarun Chaudhry assumed charge as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force's Central Air Command on 1 June 2026. He succeeded Air Marshal Balakrishnan.

The Central Air Command (CAC) is one of the Indian Air Force's five operational commands — headquartered at Bamrauli Air Force Station, Allahabad (Prayagraj). It is responsible for air operations over central India — covering Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and adjoining areas. Given the strategic importance of the Indo-Gangetic plains and the central Indian heartland, CAC is a critical command.

Air Marshal Tarun Chaudhry's assumption of charge continues the regular rotation of India's senior air force leadership — a process that keeps commands fresh and ensures career progression for senior officers.

Indian Teenagers Win Earth Prize 2026 — First-Ever Global Winners

This is a wonderful story that deserves to be told properly.

Indian teenagers Vivaan Chhawchharia, Ariana Agarwal, and Avyana Mehta were named the first-ever Global Winners of The Earth Prize 2026 on 1 June 2026. The 16-year-old innovators won.

The Earth Prize is the world's largest environmental prize for young people aged 14-19 — founded in 2021 by the Earth Prize Foundation with backing from His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed of Dubai. It awards USD 1 million to teams developing environmental solutions — making it by far the largest youth environment prize in history.

Three 16-year-old Indians winning the inaugural global prize is a remarkable achievement. The fact that they are the "first-ever Global Winners" suggests 2026 is the first year the Earth Prize has selected a single global champion from among its regional winners — and India's team took that top spot. The specific innovation they developed was not fully detailed in available sources, but the Earth Prize typically rewards solutions that are scientifically sound, practically deployable, and scalable.

This story fits into a broader pattern — Indian students have been consistently performing at the highest levels in international science, mathematics, and innovation competitions. The Earth Prize win adds environmental innovation to that impressive list.

BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction Group — Second Technical Meeting, Puri, Odisha

The second technical meeting of the Disaster Risk Reduction Group of BRICS is scheduled in Puri, Odisha, from 3 June to 5 June 2026.

Under India's BRICS 2026 Chairship, the Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group is meeting in Puri — an appropriate venue given Odisha's extraordinary track record in cyclone preparedness and disaster management. Odisha transformed from one of India's most cyclone-vulnerable states into a global model for DRR after the catastrophic 1999 Super Cyclone — investing in early warning systems, cyclone shelters, and community preparedness in a way that drastically reduced mortality in subsequent storms.

Having the BRICS DRR meeting in Odisha is a piece of deliberate host diplomacy — letting India show, rather than just tell, what effective disaster risk reduction looks like on the ground. The delegates from Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, and other BRICS nations will be visiting a state that has demonstrably saved thousands of lives through investment in resilience.

Sendai Framework linkage: The BRICS DRR discussions are aligned with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 — the global blueprint adopted at the Third UN World Conference on DRR in Sendai, Japan. Its four priorities include understanding disaster risk, strengthening governance, investing in resilience, and enhancing preparedness.

Ladakh's 15 Common Facility Centres Inaugurated — Supporting Artisans and Weavers

The Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Vinai Kumar Saxena, inaugurated 15 Common Facility Centres across the Union Territory. The centres are located at Skurbuchan, Wanla, and other locations.

Common Facility Centres (CFCs) are shared infrastructure facilities where artisans, weavers, and small manufacturers can access equipment, tools, and technology that they cannot afford individually. For Ladakh — where the primary crafts are Pashmina weaving, carpet making, wooden carving, and thangka painting — CFCs provide:

Shared processing and finishing equipment for Pashmina products, quality testing facilities (critical for GI-tagged Changthang Pashmina), design support and product development, and direct linkages to e-commerce platforms for market access.

The 15 centres spread across Ladakh's remote geography — including Skurbuchan and Wanla in the Leh district's western reaches — represent a deliberate effort to bring economic infrastructure to the most isolated communities in India's newest Union Territory. Given that Ladakh became a UT without legislature only in August 2019, this pace of infrastructure development is meaningful.

US CENTCOM Strikes Iranian Radar Sites — West Asia Escalation Continues

US CENTCOM conducted self-defense strikes on Iranian radar and drone control sites in Goruk and Qeshm Islands after an MQ-1 drone shootdown.

The West Asia conflict — which has been running as a background thread through all of May 2026's current affairs — escalated on June 2 with direct US strikes on Iranian territory. The trigger was Iran shooting down a US MQ-1 Predator drone, and CENTCOM responded with precision strikes on the radar and drone control facilities at Goruk and Qeshm Islands in the Strait of Hormuz area.

Qeshm Island is significant — it is Iran's largest island, located right at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, and hosts a major Iranian naval base. US strikes here are a direct escalation of the maritime confrontation.

For India, this is alarming on multiple fronts. India's 3.5 million diaspora in the Gulf, its 85% crude oil import dependence, the Strait of Hormuz through which nearly 20% of global oil passes, and the MEIDP pipeline project with Oman — all of these stakes rise with every escalation. India's diplomatic position — calling for de-escalation and dialogue — becomes more urgent and more difficult to maintain as the military exchanges intensify.

The EAM Jaishankar-Araghchi bilateral from May 15 (covered in earlier editions) now takes on even greater significance — India needs back channels to both sides.

RCB Win IPL 2026 — Historic Title at Narendra Modi Stadium

Royal Challengers Bengaluru created history by defeating Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets in the IPL 2026 Final played at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on 31 May 2026. With this victory, RCB defended their title.

RCB winning IPL 2026 and defending their title is a story that completes one of cricket's most emotionally resonant arcs. For over a decade, RCB — despite having some of the world's best players — had been the most high-profile underachievers in IPL history. Their title defence confirms that the 2025 championship was not a fluke.

The final was played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad — the world's largest cricket stadium with a capacity of 132,000. Gujarat Titans, who have been one of the IPL's most consistent teams since their debut in 2022, fell by 5 wickets — a margin that suggests RCB chased comfortably rather than winning in a photo finish.

Narendra Modi Stadium — formerly Sardar Patel Stadium — is located in Motera, Ahmedabad. It was redeveloped and renamed in 2020, and at 132,000 capacity it surpasses the MCG in Melbourne (100,000) as the world's largest cricket venue.

India Women's Hockey Squad Announced — FIH Nations Cup, New Zealand

India announced a 20-member women's hockey squad on 2 June 2026 for the FIH Hockey Women's Nations Cup New Zealand 2025-26.

The FIH Hockey Women's Nations Cup is an important mid-tier tournament in women's hockey — sitting between the Hockey World Cup and the Champions Trophy in terms of competitive ranking. India's women's hockey team has been on a consistent upward trajectory — the Tokyo Olympics bronze medal (men's team in 2021) inspired renewed investment in the women's programme, and the squad announcement for New Zealand reflects India's continued commitment to building depth across the women's roster.

Admiral Krishna Swaminathan Takes Charge as 27th Chief of Naval Staff

Admiral Krishna Swaminathan takes charge as 27th Chief of Naval Staff.

We covered Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan's appointment announcement in the May 9 current affairs — and now the formal assumption of charge has happened, making him the 27th Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy. He succeeds Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi who retired on May 31.

Admiral Swaminathan brings extraordinary operational credentials to the CNS role — having commanded INS Vikramaditya (India's aircraft carrier), the Western Fleet, and the Western Naval Command before this appointment. His specialisation in Communication and Electronic Warfare is particularly relevant at a time when the West Asian conflict is making the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf India's most operationally active maritime zone.

Swachh Gaon Surakshit Jalvayu Campaign Launched

The Swachh Gaon, Surakshit Jalvayu campaign was launched for rural water security and clean environment.

"Swachh Gaon, Surakshit Jalvayu" — meaning "Clean Village, Secure Climate" — is a new convergence campaign bringing together the Ministry of Jal Shakti (water) and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for a joint rural outreach. The campaign focuses on:

Rainwater harvesting and watershed management at the village level, reducing open burning of agricultural waste (addressing both water table recharge and air quality), promoting tree plantation along water bodies to prevent siltation, and building village-level awareness on the climate-water nexus — how local land use decisions affect groundwater availability.

The campaign's name directly echoes Swachh Bharat Mission branding — leveraging the public trust and recognition that SBM has built since 2014 to mobilise community action on climate-water issues.

Q. What is the India-Oman CEPA and why is it historically significant?

The India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement came into force on June 2, 2026 — making India only the second country in the world after the United States to sign a comprehensive bilateral trade pact with Oman. It grants India zero-duty access on 99.38% of exports by value (up from 15.33% under the earlier MFN framework). It includes fast-track pharmaceutical approvals and services sector liberalisation — a landmark for India's Gulf trade diplomacy, particularly significant given Oman's strategic location outside the Strait of Hormuz.

Q. What is the BrahMos deal with Vietnam about?

India signed a USD 629 million BrahMos missile export deal with Vietnam — making it the second BrahMos export customer after the Philippines (2022). BrahMos is a joint venture between India's DRDO and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya, flies at Mach 2.8, and can be launched from land, sea, and air platforms. The deal significantly enhances Vietnam's anti-ship capability in the South China Sea and deepens India-Vietnam's Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (elevated in May 2026). India's defence exports have crossed ₹39,000 crore in FY26.

Q. Why are the four new Supreme Court elevations significant?

The elevations raise SC strength to 37 — enabled by the SC (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance 2026 (promulgated under Article 123 on May 18) which increased the maximum strength from 34 to 38. The direct appointment of senior advocate V. Mohana from the Bar — without going through the High Court route — is particularly notable and rare. With over 93,000 cases pending, each additional bench is critical for reducing the SC's massive backlog.

Q. Who won the Earth Prize 2026 and why does it matter?

Three 16-year-old Indian teenagers — Vivaan Chhawchharia, Ariana Agarwal, and Avyana Mehta — became the first-ever Global Winners of The Earth Prize 2026. The Earth Prize is the world's largest environmental prize for young people (14-19 years) — backed by the Earth Prize Foundation with USD 1 million for the winning team. India winning the inaugural global prize is a significant achievement for India's youth science and innovation ecosystem.

Q. What is CENTCOM's significance in the West Asia escalation?

US CENTCOM (United States Central Command) conducted precision strikes on Iranian radar and drone control sites at Goruk and Qeshm Islands after Iran shot down a US MQ-1 Predator drone. Qeshm Island sits at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz — a direct strike here represents a significant escalation. For India, this raises immediate concerns around energy security (85% crude imports through Gulf routes), diaspora safety (3.5 million Indians in Gulf), and the Strait of Hormuz through which ~20% of global oil passes.

Q. What is Project Shikhar?

A joint initiative between Meesho and BSE, launched via MoU on June 2, 2026. It links Meesho's massive small seller ecosystem with BSE's SME platform — helping micro-entrepreneurs and small business owners understand and access equity capital markets for business growth. BSE SME platform (launched 2012) allows companies with post-issue paid-up capital between ₹1 crore and ₹25 crore to list and raise capital.