Prelims Current Affairs includes Elon Musk Becomes World’s First Trillionaire After Spacex Ipo, Kerala Launches Priyadarshini Free Bus Travel Scheme, India’s First Indigenous Ai Video Model ‘Varya’ Unveiled, Iit Madras Releases Anchor – World’s Most Detailed 3d Atlas Of Human Brainstem, Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (Juno), Pm Modi Visits Slovakia For First State Visit, Naval Anti-Ship Missile  Medium Range (Nasm-Mr) Tested, Netra Airborne Early Warning And Control (Aew&C) System Gets Final Operational Clearance, Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth Appointed Next Chief Of Army Staff, Sudarsan Pattnaik Wins Russia Grand Sand Master Cup 2026 & Three Traditional Himachali Products Awarded Gi Status

INTERNATIONAL

1. ELON MUSK BECOMES WORLD’S FIRST TRILLIONAIRE AFTER SPACEX IPO

Current Context: Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire.

ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENT

• Elon Musk became the first individual in history whose estimated net worth crossed $1 trillion.
• The milestone was achieved after SpaceX made its public market debut on the Nasdaq stock exchange.
• SpaceX’s IPO is regarded as the largest IPO in history, raising about $75 billion.
• SpaceX debuted at $135 per share and surged significantly on its first day of trading, pushing its valuation above $2 trillion
• SpaceX founded: 2002
• Key innovations: Reusable rockets, Starlink satellite internet
• Musk’s business empire: Tesla, xAI, X, SpaceX

About IPO

• IPO (Initial Public Offering) is the process through which a private company offers its shares to the public for the first time and becomes a publicly listed company.
• After an IPO, the company’s shares can be bought and sold on a stock exchange.
• It marks the transition of a company from private ownership to public ownership.

TYPES OF IPO

• Fixed Price Issue: Share price is fixed in advance by the company.
• Book Building Issue: Investors bid within a specified price band. Final issue price is determined based on demand.

Key Terms

• Issue Price: Price at which shares are offered to investors.
• Listing Price: Price at which shares begin trading on the stock exchange.
• Oversubscription: When demand for shares exceeds the number offered.
• Underwriter: Financial institution that manages and guarantees the share issue.

STATE IN NEWSL

2. KERALA LAUNCHES PRIYADARSHINI FREE BUS TRAVEL SCHEME

Current Context: The Kerala government formally inaugurated the Priyadarshini scheme.

ABOUT THE SCHEME

• Priyadarshini Scheme is a flagship welfare initiative of the Kerala Government that provides free bus travel to women and transgender persons on KSRTC ordinary bus services across the state.
• Transport mode: Ordinary Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses (3,125 buses)
• Beneficiaries: All women and transgender persons.
• No Eligibility Restrictions: Benefits are available irrespective of age, income, caste, or economic status.
• Excluded services: City Fast, Superfast, air-conditioned services
• Identification: Eligible buses display “Priyadarshini Scheme” in white paint
• Part of: Five Indira Guarantees announced by Congress-led UDF during Assembly election campaign

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

3. INDIA’S FIRST INDIGENOUS AI VIDEO MODEL ‘VARYA’ UNVEILED

Current Context: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has officially unveiled “Varya”, India’s first indigenous, distilled video story-generating AI model.

ABOUT VARYA

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) under the IndiaAI Mission unveiled ‘Varya’, India’s first indigenous distilled AI video-generation model, developed by Avataar AI.
• A Distilled Video AI Model is a smaller and more efficient AI model created by transferring the knowledge of a much larger video-generation model into a compact model through a process called Model Distillation.
• Type: Generative text-to-video and image-to-video platform
• Key feature: Compresses large AI model into lightweight version, generates high-quality videos in just 4 steps (instead of 50)
• Training: Model trained on Indian contexts (regional festivals, attire, food habits, languages, everyday life)

 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

4. IIT MADRAS RELEASES ANCHOR – WORLD’S MOST DETAILED 3D ATLAS OF HUMAN BRAINSTEM

Current Context: IIT Madras has released the world’s most detailed 3D Atlas of human brainstem called ANCHOR.

ABOUT ANCHOR

• Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have developed ANCHOR (Atlas of Neurochemical Characterization of the human brainstem with 3D Reconstruction), described as the world’s most detailed 3D atlas of the human brainstem, providing unprecedented insights into the structure and cellular organization of the brainstem.
• ANCHOR is a high-resolution three-dimensional digital atlas of the human brainstem.
• It provides detailed mapping of brainstem structures, neuronal circuits, and cellular organization.
• Considered one of the most comprehensive digital references for studying the human brainstem.
• Developed by: Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre (SGBC) at IIT Madras
• Coverage: More than 200 brainstem nuclei and fiber tracts

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

5. JIANGMEN UNDERGROUND NEUTRINO OBSERVATORY (JUNO)

Current Context: The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) collaboration in China recently published its first physics results in the journal Nature, based on the first 59 days of data collection. The results provided the most precise measurements yet of two key neutrino oscillation parameters and validated JUNO’s detector performance.

ABOUT JUNO

• Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) is one of the world’s largest and most advanced neutrino detection experiments.
• Located in Jiangmen, Guangdong Province, China.
• It is an international scientific collaboration involving researchers from multiple countries.
• Built deep underground to shield the detector from cosmic radiation and background interference.
• Designed to study the properties of neutrinos, one of the most abundant yet least understood particles in the universe.
• Detector: 35 m radius spherical neutrino detector containing 20,000 tonnes of liquid scintillator (world’s largest and highest-precision liquid scintillator detector)
• Scientific goal: Determination of neutrino mass ordering (NMO), Neutrino Mass Ordering refers to the arrangement of the masses of the three neutrino types (mass states) and is one of the biggest unsolved questions in particle physics.

ABOUT NEUTRINOS

• Neutrinos are extremely tiny, electrically neutral subatomic particles that are among the most abundant particles in the universe.
• Proposed by Austrian physicist Wolfgang Pauli in 1930 to explain missing energy during radioactive decay.
• The term “Neutrino” was coined by Enrico Fermi, meaning “little neutral one” in Italian.
• Also called: “Ghost particles”
• No electrical charge, very small mass (less than one millionth of electron mass)
• They have very small mass, are electrically neutral, and interact only through the weak nuclear force and gravity.

PLACES IN NEWS

6. PM MODI VISITS SLOVAKIA FOR FIRST STATE VISIT

Current Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a state visit to Slovakia from 14-16 June 2026.

ABOUT THE VISIT

• The visit is part of PM Modi’s European tour covering France and Slovakia.
• It is the first Prime Ministerial visit from India to Slovakia since the establishment of the Slovak Republic in 1993
• Venue: Bratislava (capital of Slovakia)
• Met with: President Peter Pellegrini and Prime Minister Robert Fico

About Slovakia

• Landlocked Country (No coastline)
• Borders: Czech Republic (Northwest), Poland (North), Ukraine (East), Hungary (South), Austria (Southwest)
• Major River: Danube River
• Member of NATO since 2004.
• Member of OECD since 2000.

DEFENCE

7. NAVAL ANTI-SHIP MISSILE  MEDIUM RANGE (NASM-MR) TESTED

Current Context: India recently concluded successful maiden flight-test of the Naval Anti-Ship Missile-Medium Range (NASM-MR).

ABOUT NASM-MR

• Naval Anti-Ship Missile – Medium Range (NASM-MR) is an indigenously developed air-launched anti-ship missile designed to destroy enemy warships and maritime targets.
• Type: Subsonic, sea-skimming anti-ship missile
• Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• Designed for deployment from Indian Navy helicopters, particularly the Sea King helicopter.
• Range: Up to 350 km

DEFENCE

8. NETRA AIRBORNE EARLY WARNING AND CONTROL (AEW&C) SYSTEM GETS FINAL OPERATIONAL CLEARANCE

Current Context: DRDO has granted Final Operational Clearance (FOC) to the indigenous Netra Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system.

ABOUT NETRA

• Netra AEW&C is an indigenous airborne surveillance and early warning system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• It provides real-time aerial surveillance, threat detection, target tracking, and command-and-control capabilities.
• The system is mounted on the Embraer EMB-145 aircraft
• Developed by DRDO’s Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) for the Indian Air Force.
• Commonly known as: “Eye in the Sky”
• Type: India’s first indigenously developed airborne surveillance, command-and-control, and battle management platform
• Radar: Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar – range 250 km, tracks more than 200 distinct aerial objects simultaneously
• Integration: Pairs with IL-76-based Phalcon AWACS for multi-layered air defense monitoring

APPOINTMENTS

9. LT GEN DHIRAJ SETH APPOINTED NEXT CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF

Current Context: Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth was appointed as the next Chief of the Army Staff of India on 13 June 2026.

ABOUT THE APPOINTMENT

• Assumes office: 30 June 2026 (after retirement of General Upendra Dwivedi)
• Tenure expected until: 31 August 2028
• Previous role: Vice Chief of Army Staff (from 1 April 2026)
• Commissioned: December 1986 into Armoured Corps after graduating from NDA, Khadakwasla

AWARDS

10. SUDARSAN PATTNAIK WINS RUSSIA GRAND SAND MASTER CUP 2026

Current Context: Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik won the Russia Grand Sand Master Cup 2026, becoming the first Indian to receive the award.

ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENT

• Event: II International Festival of Sand Sculpture, Kaliningrad Region, Russia
• Winning sculpture: 3-metre-tall artwork on climate change and global warming (showed two faces of Earth – one with environmental degradation, other with afforestation and sustainable living)
• Sudarsan Pattnaik: Padma Shri recipient, known for large-scale sand sculptures on social and environmental themes.

HIMACHAL NEWS

11. THREE TRADITIONAL HIMACHALI PRODUCTS AWARDED GI STATUS

Current Context: Three traditional Himachali products – Ransingha, wood carving craft, and handmade Galecha – have been bestowed with the Geographical Indication (GI) products tag.

ABOUT THE GI TAGGED PRODUCTS

• Ransingha: Traditional metal musical instrument closely linked with cultural, religious and ceremonial life; used in practically all parts of Himachal
• Wood Carving Craft: Represents state’s rich artistic legacy through intricate designs, motifs, and traditional carving techniques
• Handmade Galecha (Carpet): Reflects distinctive hand-crafted textile tradition of the state; important source of livelihood for artisan households and weaving communities
• GI PRODUCTS IN HIMACHAL
• Total products with GI tag from Himachal: 15 (including these three)
• Existing GI products: Kullu shawls, Kinnauri shawls, Kangra tea, Chamba rumal, Kangra miniature painting, Kala zeera, Lahauli woollen gloves and socks, wild apricot (chulli) oil, Chamba embroidered chappal
• Potential GI products identified: Chamba metal craft, Kinnauri jewellery, Spiti chharma, Bharmour rajma, Pangi ki thangi, Chamba chukh, red rice, dasangru, Sirmauri loia, Karsog kulthi, Himachali dham, Himachali musical instruments, Kinnauri apple, sepu badi

FACILITATION

• Facilitated by: Himachal Pradesh Regional Office (HPRO) of NABARD in collaboration with local producer groups, artisans’ collectives, and other stakeholders

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