Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 29th Jun 2026

FP-5 Flamingo Missile:

Ukraine has recently claimed that its domestically developed FP-5 Flamingo long-range missiles struck a key Russian defence manufacturing facility in the Volgograd region.

• FP-5 Flamingo Missile is a long-range, ground-launched cruise missile developed by Ukrainian defense company Fire Point.
• It entered service in 2025.
• It has a reported 6-meter wingspan, and an estimated length of 12-14 meters excluding the pitot tube.
• It is designed to deliver a specified combat payload of up to 1150 kg to strike ground targets with fixed topographic coordinates at a range of up to 3000 km, both day and night.
• It is designed for low-altitude flight to avoid detection.
• It reaches a maximum speed of up to 950 km/h, with a cruising speed of 650 to 700 km/h.
• The missile is capable of hitting a target even under conditions of active electronic interference.
• It stands out for its ease of use and low cost.
• It does not require expensive launch platforms—its launchers are reusable, making deployment more economical.

New GI-Tagged Tribal Crops of Madhya Pradesh:

Biodiversity conservation and traditional agriculture, four unique traditional crops of Madhya Pradesh have been recently granted the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) Tag.

• The four crops recognised are Sitahi Kutki (Sitahi Minor Millet), Nagdaman Kutki (Nagdaman Minor Millet), Baigani Arhar (Baigani Pigeon Pea) and Chhatriya Dhan (Chhatriya Paddy).
• These crops have been traditionally preserved for generations, particularly by the Baiga tribe from the Dindori region of Madhya Pradesh.
• Sitahi and Nagdaman Kutki:
  • They are highly nutritious minor millets, rich in dietary fiber, minerals and antioxidants, making them health-promoting.
  • These two specific varieties are inherently climate-resilient.
• Baigani Arhar:
  • Deeply integrated with the heritage of the Baiga tribe, this local variety of pigeon pea (toor dal) is completely cultivated using organic, age-old tribal practices.
  • It stands out for having a notably higher natural protein content and a distinct sweet flavor compared to commercial varieties.
  • It has a shorter maturation cycle (5–6 months) and requires significantly less cooking time, retaining its high concentration of dietary fibre, iron, calcium, and B-complex vitamins.
• Chhatriya Dhan:
  • Cultivated across the fertile wetlands of Jabalpur and Katni, this traditional rice variety is historically revered for its hardiness and culinary excellence.
  • It is famous for its distinct aroma, taste, and local adaptability.
  • Unlike heavily processed white rice, Chhatriya Dhan retains its vital bran layer, providing a rich source of vitamin B1 (thiamine), essential minerals, and healthy fats.
  • It offers clean, easily digestible energy with a balanced amino acid profile, making it a wholesome staple.

Dal Lake : In News

Labourers from the Jammu and Kashmir Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) recently removed weeds from the waters of Dal Lake in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.

• Dal Lake is an urban freshwater lake located in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.
• It is surrounded by the Pir Panjal mountains.
• It is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is named the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir” or “Srinagar’s Jewel”.
• It is the second-largest lake in Jammu and Kashmir after the Wular Lake.
• It is one of the world’s largest natural lakes and also known as the Lake of Flowers.
• The lake gets its water mainly from the Telbal stream. This stream flows from the Jhelum River.
• The wetland is divided by causeways into four basins: Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal, and Nagin (although Nagin is also considered an independent lake).
• Lokut-dal and Bod-dal each have an island in the centre, known as Rup Lank (or Char Chinari) and Sona Lank, respectively.
• The floating gardens, locally known as “Rad,” are a spectacular highlight of the lake.
• These are patches of land that float on the water.
• Farmers grow vegetables and flowers on them.
• It blossoms with lotus flowers during July and August.
• It is also popular for the floating market, where vendors have their own Shikaras/wooden boats and approach tourists.

Hargila Bird:

The Prime Minister of India shared about the efforts of thousands of rural women who stepped forward to save the ‘Hargila Bird’ – known as the ‘Hargila Army’ in Assam.

• Hargila Bird is a large and distinctive member of the stork family.
• It is also known as Greater Adjutant Stork.
• It inhabits wetlands, shallow lakes, drying lake beds, and freshwater flooded forests.
• In India, it is mainly found in Assam and Bihar; globally it also occurs in parts of Cambodia.
• These are usually seen singly or in small groups as they stalk about in shallow water.
• These breed during winter in colonies that may include other large waterbirds.
• These are omnivorous birds. Although they are mainly scavengers, they also prey on frogs and large insects and will also take birds, reptiles, and rodents.
• It includes the loss of nesting and feeding habitat through the draining of wetlands, pollution.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Near Threatened
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule IV

Rural Internal Audit Portal:

The Union Minister for Rural Development launched the ‘Rural Internal Audit Portal’ during the Rashtriya Gramin Vikas Sammelan at Pusa Campus in New Delhi.

• Rural Internal Audit Portal is a unified digital platform for end-to-end management of internal audits covering both risk-based and compliance audits.
• It is conceived by the Office of the Chief Controller of Accounts (CCA), Ministry of Rural Development, and developed in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
• Objectives of the Portal:
  • Digitize and simplify the entire internal audit process to improve efficiency, transparency and accountability.
  • Create a centralized repository of audit units, audit observations, Action Taken Reports and audit records.
  • Enable risk-based audit planning through systematic identification and prioritization of audit units.
  • Automate the generation of audit reports and standardize audit documentation.
  • Facilitate real-time monitoring of audit progress, compliance status and approval workflows. Evaluate outputs and outcomes of internal audit interventions.
• It uses Git-based version control systems and Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) workflows.
• It also includes role-based access control, centralized monitoring systems, secure API-based integrations, automated exception handling.
• Disaster recovery protocols have also been incorporated.
• Key Features of Rural Internal Audit Portal:
  • End-to-End Digital Audit Management: It facilitates complete online management of audit activities, including user registration, audit planning, audit engagement preparation etc.
  • Centralized Audit Repository: It maintains a comprehensive digital repository of audit records, observations, reports and compliance responses.
  • Role-Based Governance Framework: Dedicated access is provided to auditors, auditees, approving authorities, programme divisions, State Governments, district-level users and certified internal auditors.
  • Real-Time Monitoring and Analytics: Interactive dashboards provide real-time information on audit coverage, pending observations etc.
  • Geospatial Monitoring through Map View Module: It provides a geospatial visualization of audit activities across India.
  • Multilingual and User-Friendly Interface: It has been designed to ensure ease of use and wider accessibility through intuitive workflows, structured navigation and user-friendly interfaces.
  • Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics: It has been designed as a future-ready platform capable of integrating Artificial Intelligence, advanced analytics and machine learning tools for risk assessment, audit prioritization and decision support.

GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation:

Under the watch of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for the first time a private jet was landed by using GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN).

• GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation is a Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) implemented jointly with Airports Authority of India (AAI) and ISRO.
• The main objectives of GAGAN are:
  • To provide Satellite-based Navigation services with accuracy and integrity required for civil aviation applications.
  • To provide better Air Traffic Management over Indian Airspace.
• It is interoperable with other international SBAS systems and provides seamless navigation across regional boundaries.
• It operates through a combination of ground-based and space-based segments to enhance the accuracy and reliability of the GPS signals.
• A network of 15 precisely surveyed ground reference stations (INdian Reference Stations) is strategically placed across India. These stations collect GPS satellite data.
• Through this, errors caused by ionospheric disturbances, satellite orbit errors and inaccurate clocks are corrected.
• The collected data is sent to the Indian Master Control Centre, where correction messages are generated to rectify any signal errors.
• The correction messages are then uplinked through the Indian Land Uplink Station.
• Through this, the corrected messages are sent to the geostationary satellites which then broadcast them to the aircraft.
• Space Segment includes the communication satellites which were flown as GSAT-8 in 2011, GSAT-10 in 2012 and GSAT-15 in 2015.
• These geostationary communication satellites carry the GAGAN payloads.
• The correction messages are broadcast through these satellites to GPS receivers on aircraft.

Kisan Sarathi Platform:

Kisan Sarathi platform represents a significant step in the digital transformation of India’s agricultural extension system which is providing information about 610 schemes to farmers.

• Kisan Sarathi Platform is India’s largest integrated digital agro-advisory platform launched in 2021.
• It provides timely, authentic, and multilingual advisories to farmers. Farmers also get access to schemes, weather updates, and expert consultations.
• It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• The Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute and the Digital India Corporation implement the platform.
• The platform uses the Interactive Information Dissemination System (IIDS).
• IIDS enables two-way communication between farmers and experts. It supports lab-to-land transfer of agricultural knowledge.
• It connects farmers with: Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), ICAR institutes and agricultural universities.
• It provides personalized advisory based on farm and farmer profile.
• It offers live interaction in 13 regional languages with domain experts.
• It provides access to the farmer’s knowledge database.
• It connects farmers directly with agricultural experts.
• Farmers can get region-specific, real-time advisories on weather updates, market prices, and more.
• It helps farmers discover government schemes suitable to their specific needs.
• It provides advisories for all major cereals, pulses, oilseeds, horticulture crops, plantation crops, and fodder crops and also for the livestock, poultry, fisheries, and allied sectors
• Farmers can raise queries to KVK experts and receive advice in their local languages.
• Farmers can easily access the mandi prices and district-wise market rates for major crops. They can also view the market trends for selected crops.

Sariska Tiger Reserve:

The Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change recently congratulated the people of the country and nature lovers on the completion of 18 years of tiger reintroduction in the Sariska Tiger Reserve.

• Sariska Tiger Reserve is located in the Alwar district, Rajasthan.
• It is a part of the Aravali Range and the Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion.
• It was once a hunting ground of the Maharaja of Alwar before being proclaimed a natural reserve in 1955 and a national park in 1979.
• It became a Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger in 1979.
• It lost all its tigers to poaching in 2005.
• However, it holds the distinction of being one of the world’s earliest successful tiger reintroduction efforts.
• It is also famous for old temples, palaces, and lakes such as Pandu Pol, Bhangarh Fort, Ajabgarh, Pratapgarh, Siliserh Lake, and Jai Samand Lake.
• It possesses a rocky landscape, scrub thorn arid forests, grasses, hilly cliffs, and semi-deciduous wood.
• The vegetation corresponds to Northern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests and Northern Tropical Thorn Forest.
• The area of this reserve is covered with dhok trees.
• Other species found include salar, kadaya, gol, ber, Banyan, gugal, bamboo, kair, adusta, etc.
• A variety of other wild animals, like the leopard, sambhar, chital, nilgai, four-horned antelope, wild boar etc are found in the reserve apart from the tiger.
• Peafowl, grey partridge, sand grouse and crested serpent eagle are some of the birds found near the river bodies and the protected areas of the park.
• The largest population of peafowl in India resides in Sariska National Park.

Nagori Ashwagandha:

The Prime Minister recently presented GI-tagged Nagori Ashwagandha as a traditional Indian gift during the G7 Summit in France, symbolizing India’s rich Ayurvedic heritage and traditional knowledge systems.

Nagori Ashwagandha:

• It is a premium variety of Ashwagandha, sourced from the Nagaur region in Rajasthan.
• Nagaur’s dry climate and sandy soil are ideally suited for Ashwagandha cultivation.
• It has longer, thicker roots rich in medicinal compounds, particularly alkaloids.
• Its berries are known for their dark, bright red colour, which is considered a clear indicator of superior quality.
• It has brittle and starchy roots.
• It received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2026.
• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an important medicinal plant cultivated in regions of South Asia, Africa, and Central Asia.
• It is a small perennial shrub growing up to 35–75 cm in height.
• It has been in use as a medicinal plant for thousands of years, especially in traditional Ayurvedic medicine.
• Benefits:
  • It is often called an adaptogen, meaning it helps the body adapt to stressors and restore balance.
  • Its other benefits are reducing inflammation, increasing energy, alleviating anxiety, ease pain, and improving sleep.
  • Different parts of the ashwagandha plant, such as the root, leaves, and berries, may have different concentrations of bioactive compounds.
• Major Ashwagandha-Producing States in India: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra.

Salmonella:

New evidence discovered by scientists demonstrates that specialized intestinal cells control the ability of Salmonella to grow by restricting their access to essential metals, such as iron and manganese.Salmonella are a group of bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal illness and fever called salmonellosis.Salmonella bacteria are widely distributed in domestic and wild animals.They are prevalent in food animals such as poultry, pigs, and cattle; and in pets, including cats, dogs, birds, and reptiles such as turtles.Salmonellosis in humans is generally contracted primarily through the consumption of contaminated food of animal origin, although other foods, including green vegetables contaminated by manure, have been implicated in its transmission.Person-to-person transmission can also occur through the faecal-oral route.Human cases also occur where individuals have contact with infected animals, including pets.The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment.Treatment in severe cases is electrolyte replacement (to provide electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and chloride ions, lost through vomiting and diarrhoea) and rehydration.

Murchison Widefield Array:

Using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), astronomers recently discovered a new millisecond pulsar as part of the ongoing Southern-sky MWA Rapid Two-metre (SMART) survey.

• Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) is a low-frequency radio telescope located at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) in Western Australia, where the future low-frequency Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be built.
• It is a collaboration between 20 research institutions in five countries (Australia, Canada, China, Japan, and the United States) and is led by Curtin University, Australia.
• It is made of spider-like antennas tuned to receive signals from the sky between 70 and 300 MHz.
• It is special for its very wide field of view, high angular resolution, nanosecond time resolution, and digital pointing agility.
• This makes the instrument invaluable for quickly mapping the sky and studying rare and faint events as they happen.
• The MWA is used to study
  • The early Universe, particularly the Epoch of Reionization, when the first stars and galaxies formed.
  • The structure and evolution of galaxies and galaxy clusters.
  • The Sun and space weather, including solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
  • Transient radio sources, such as pulsars and fast radio bursts.
  • The interstellar medium and cosmic magnetism.

Southern-sky MWA Rapid Two-metre (SMART):

• SMART pulsar survey is an ongoing project to discover new pulsars (neutron stars) in the southern sky using the MWA.
• This is currently the only pulsar survey capable of looking for pulsars in the Southern Hemisphere at low frequencies (140-170 MHz).
• Once complete, it is expected to discover hundreds of new pulsars.
• Apart from its inherent scientific value, it also serves as a valuable reference for future pulsar searches planned with the low-frequency SKA.

Square Kilometre Array (SKA):

• It is an international effort to build the world’s largest and most sensitive radio telescope to help better understand the history of the universe.
• It is co-located in Australia (SKA-Low) and South Africa (SKA-Mid) with operational headquarters in the UK, and is expected to revolutionize radio astronomy.
• The construction of the project officially started on 5 December 2022.
• The telescope will consist of hundreds of antennas that will generate unprecedented data volumes.
• It is meant to observe the universe in a new way and probe questions related to the origins of the universe, the formation and evolution of galaxies, and seeking the origins of life.
• India became a member of SKA in 2022.
• Other countries involved in this project are Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

Pulsars:

• Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars that blast out pulses of radiation at regular intervals ranging from seconds to milliseconds.
• Neutron stars are highly dense remnants of massive stars that have collapsed, composed mainly of neutrons and other elementary particles.
• Pulsars have very strong magnetic fields, which funnel jets of particles out along the two magnetic poles. These accelerated particles produce very powerful beams of light.
• Often, the magnetic field is not aligned with the spin axis, so those beams of particles and light are swept around as the star rotates.
• The periodicity of pulsars is caused by these beams of light crossing the line of sight on Earth, with the pulsar appearing to ‘switch off’ at points when the light is facing away from us. The time between these pulses is the ‘period’ of the pulsar.
• Pulsars have been primarily observed at radio wavelengths.

Exercise RIMPAC 2026:

The United States officially launched Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026 recently, bringing together military forces from 30 countries for the world’s largest international maritime exercise.Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) is the world’s largest international maritime exercise.Hosted by the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet, it is held biennially (every two years) in and around the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean .It first began in 1971.It provides a unique training opportunity for allies and partners to strengthen their collective capabilities and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.2026 Edition is the 30th edition of the exercise. The Indian Navy is also participating in the exercise.The theme of RIMPAC 2026 is “Partners: Integrated and Prepared.”It will reinforce collective security through a range of exercises in anti-submarine warfare, air defence, missile proficiency, mine clearance, amphibious assaults, disaster response, and gunnery training.

Bharat Taxi:

The Union Home Minister officially launched the cooperative-model ride-hailing platform, Bharat Taxi, in Gujarat, recently.Bharat Taxi is India’s first cooperative-led, driver-owned, ride-hailing platform registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002.It is a government-supported initiative developed under the Union Ministry of Cooperation and the National e-Governance Division (NeGD).It differs from private ride-hailing platforms by treating drivers as “Sarathis” and making them shareholders in the cooperative instead of merely service providers.Developed by Sahkar Taxi Cooperative Limited, Bharat Taxi is backed by eight major cooperative institutions — NCDC, GCMMF (Amul), NDDB, NAFED, IFFCO, KRIBHCO, NABARD, and NCEL.Drivers can purchase shares and become cooperative members, giving them transparency and decision-making power.Unlike private cab aggregators that take a large cut, Bharat Taxi transfers the full fare to the driver.Fares will remain predictable, with no surge charges.Integration of the Bharat Taxi platform with national digital platforms such as DigiLocker, UMANG, and API Setu.Ensuring adherence to Government of India’s data protection norms and cybersecurity standards and advising on robust technical infrastructure.Bharat Taxi would provide support to Sarathis through loans, insurance, and business expansion opportunities.