Current Affairs — 29 June 2026

India-Seychelles Relations and the MAHASAGAR Vision

Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a landmark three-day State Visit to Seychelles (June 27–29, 2026), marking his return to the island nation after 11 years and his historic first address to the National Assembly of Seychelles. The visit coincided with Seychelles’ 50th Independence Day, where an Indian Army and Navy contingent marched in the national parade — a powerful expression of the deep bilateral camaraderie between the two nations that have maintained diplomatic ties for 50 years.

What is MAHASAGAR?

MAHASAGAR stands for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. It is India’s overarching strategic vision for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), building upon the earlier SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) framework. The doctrine emphasises maritime security, the blue economy, disaster resilience, sustainable development, digital connectivity, and inclusive economic growth for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Indian Ocean littoral nations.

Ocean of Opportunity: The Joint Initiative

India and Seychelles co-launched the ‘Ocean of Opportunity’ bilateral roadmap, encapsulated in the SESEL blueprint (Sustainability, Economic Growth, and Security through Enhanced Linkages). Key highlights of the visit include:

• India extended ₹1,250 crore in financial assistance to Seychelles.

• PM Modi handed over the PS LESPWAR, a Made-in-India Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV), alongside six ambulances, 10 utility vehicles, and five laser radial boats to strengthen Seychelles’ maritime surveillance and EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) patrol capacity.

• UPI (Unified Payments Interface) integration was agreed upon to facilitate cross-border retail trade.

• Agreements were signed on space technology, healthcare, commercial satellite observation, and sustainable agriculture.

**UPSC Prelims Angle:** MAHASAGAR doctrine; SAGAR policy; Fast Patrol Vessel PS LESPWAR; EEZ significance; SESEL blueprint; Indian Ocean Region strategy; Blue Economy; UPI cross-border payments; India-Seychelles diplomatic history.

Haryana-Rajasthan Yamuna Water Project: A 32-Year Wait Ends

In a major breakthrough for water security in north-western India, the governments of Haryana and Rajasthan signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) in New Delhi on June 29, 2026, to implement the long-pending Yamuna Water Project. The agreement was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

Background:

The 1994 Upper Yamuna River Board Agreement had allocated 577 million cubic metres (MCM) of Yamuna water to Rajasthan. However, the actual mechanism to transport this water to the drought-prone districts of the state remained unimplemented for over 32 years.

The Project in Detail:

The project, estimated at ₹34,102 crore, will transport Rajasthan’s share of Yamuna water from the Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana to the Hansiyawas Reservoir in Churu district through an underground pipeline network of approximately 295.5 kilometres. The beneficiary districts include:

• Sikar, Churu, and Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan

• Bhiwani and Fatehabad areas in Haryana

**UPSC Prelims Angle:** Upper Yamuna River Board; Hathnikund Barrage; inter-state water disputes; Jal Shakti Ministry; Haryana-Rajasthan water sharing; cooperative federalism in water governance; Rajasthan’s water-scarce districts.

Aarogya Setu 2.0 and India’s Digital Health Revolution

Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda launched Aarogya Setu 2.0 along with a suite of 10 digital health initiatives at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on June 29, 2026. This marks a transformative upgrade to India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for health.

What Changed?

The original Aarogya Setu app, launched during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, was primarily a contact-tracing tool. Aarogya Setu 2.0 reimagines the platform as a comprehensive Personal Health Record (PHR) application and a citizen-centric digital gateway for all health services. Key new features include:

• Creation and management of ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account)

• Consent-based sharing and access to digital health records

• AI-powered health insights and smart health reports

• Wearable device integration

• OPD registration through Scan & Register, and hospital payments through Scan & Pay

• Medication reminders and family health management

Other Initiatives Launched Alongside:

• Ayushman App and Ayushman Sarathi WhatsApp Chatbot

• National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX) for digital insurance claim processing

• e-Sushrut Clinic — a digital management solution for small clinics

• Unified Health Interface (UHI) for health app interoperability

• Bharat Health Terminology Service (BHTS) and Common LOINC Codes for India (CLCI)

**UPSC Prelims Angle:** ABHA; Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY; Digital Public Infrastructure; NHCX; UHI; National Digital Health Mission; e-health governance; Aarogya Setu history.

Central Sanskrit University Enters Engineering Education

The Central Sanskrit University has made history by becoming the first Sanskrit university in India to venture into engineering education, with an AICTE-approved B.Tech programme in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, offering 66 seats from the academic session 2026–27.

This initiative is directly aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s vision of multidisciplinary education and integration of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) with modern science. The programme specifically aims to:

• Develop AI tools for Indian languages and natural language processing

• Digitise ancient manuscripts using Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

• Apply computational methods to Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotisha (astronomy), and Nyaya (logic)

By bridging classical Indian thought with cutting-edge technology, the initiative represents a unique convergence that few institutions globally have attempted at the undergraduate level.

**UPSC Prelims Angle:** Central Sanskrit University (Ministry of Education); NEP 2020; AICTE; Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS); AI and language technology; manuscript digitisation; multidisciplinary higher education.

Tungabhadra Dam: Cooperative Federalism in Action

The Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, together with the Union Jal Shakti Minister, jointly inaugurated 33 new spillway gates at the Tungabhadra Dam, celebrating a milestone in inter-state water cooperation.

About the Dam:

The Tungabhadra Dam is located in Koppal district of Karnataka and is one of the most strategically important irrigation dams in peninsular India. It irrigates approximately 16.4 lakh acres across three states:

• 9.26 lakh acres in Karnataka

• 6.25 lakh acres in Andhra Pradesh

• 87,000 acres in Telangana

The Crisis and Its Resolution:

In August 2024, a crest gate washed away when the reservoir reached full capacity, triggering a water management crisis. The new spillway gates, installed at a cost of ₹51 crore, are fabricated from high-grade steel and are designed to last approximately 60 years. The joint inauguration by three Chief Ministers is widely viewed as a rare, commendable instance of cooperative federalism in water governance.

**UPSC Prelims Angle:** Tungabhadra Dam (Koppal, Karnataka); Tungabhadra River (tributary of Krishna); Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal; cooperative federalism; Jal Shakti Ministry; spillway gates; Krishna River basin.

State of India’s Environment 2026: Warning Bells

A comprehensive environmental report released in 2026 presents an alarming picture of the state of global and Indian ecosystems, with multiple planetary boundaries being breached simultaneously.

Key Findings:

• Global forest cover has fallen to 59%, far below the scientifically recommended safe threshold of 75%.

• Species extinction rates now exceed 100 per million species per year — approximately ten times the safe limit, indicating a full-blown biodiversity crisis.

• Habitat loss, prey depletion, and increasing human proximity to forests are altering tiger behaviour, leading to more frequent human-wildlife encounters and conflict zones.

• The invasive alien plant Lantana camara now occupies nearly 50% of India’s forest and scrubland area, actively suppressing native grass species and degrading the prey base for large carnivores like tigers.

**UPSC Prelims Angle:** Planetary Boundaries framework; safe ecological limits; Lantana camara (invasive alien species); Project Tiger; human-wildlife conflict; species extinction rates; forest cover statistics; biodiversity loss; State of India’s Environment Report.