Prelims Current Affairs includes Micro-Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises Day 2026 , Pm Modi To Lay Foundation Of India’s First Coal-To-Ammonium Nitrate Project, Chinese Supercomputer Lineshine Tops Top500 List, Grse Granted Navratna Status, Annual Ambubachi Mela Begins At Kamakhya Temple, Colombia Elects Abelardo De La Espriella As New President & Hemis Festival

IMPORTANT DAYS 

1. MICRO-SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES DAY 2026

Current Context: Micro-Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day is observed on 27 June to raise awareness of the tremendous contributions of MSMEs to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

ABOUT THE DAY

• It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) through Resolution in 2017.
• Theme 2026: “Empowering MSMEs through Innovation and Sustainable Industrial Development”
• Global significance: MSMEs account for 90% of businesses, 60-70% of employment, and 50% of GDP worldwide

INFRASTRUCTURE

2.  PM MODI TO LAY FOUNDATION OF INDIA’S FIRST COAL-TO-AMMONIUM NITRATE PROJECT

Current Context: PM Modi will lay the foundation stone of India’s first commercial-scale coal-to-ammonium nitrate project in Odisha.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

• India’s first integrated Coal-to-Ammonium Nitrate facility based on coal gasification technology.
• Coal gasification: Converts coal into synthesis gas (syngas – hydrogen, carbon monoxide) which can be processed into methanol, urea, ammonium nitrate, synthetic natural gas
• Developed by: Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited (BCGCL) – joint venture of BHEL and Coal India Limited
• Capacity: 2,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate per day
• India’s coal reserves: World’s 5th largest (~400 billion tonnes), 2nd largest producer and consumer

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

3. CHINESE SUPERCOMPUTER LINESHINE TOPS TOP500 LIST

Current Context: China’s LineShine supercomputer ranked first in the 67th edition of the TOP500 list on 23 June 2026.

ABOUT LINESHINE

• China’s LineShine supercomputer has been ranked 1 in the June 2026 TOP500 list, becoming the world’s fastest supercomputer and ending the reign of the U.S. system El Capitan. It is the first Chinese system to top the ranking since 2017.
• The ranking was announced during the International Supercomputing Conference (ISC 2026) in Hamburg.
• Performance: 2.198 exaflops (more than 2 quintillion calculations per second)
• Location: National Supercomputing Center, Shenzhen, China
• Design: CPU-only design with custom 304-core processor
• Power: ~42.2 megawatts
• India does not currently have a system in the global Top 10 supercomputer rankings.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

4.  GRSE GRANTED NAVRATNA STATUS

Current Context: Defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) has been granted ‘Navratna’ status by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE).

ABOUT GRSE

• Established: 1884 (taken over by Government of India in 1960)
• Headquarters: Kolkata
• Type: 29th Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE)
• Significance: Largest warship supplier to Indian Navy, Coast Guard, and friendly foreign countries

WHAT IS NAVRATNA STATUS?

• Navratna is a classification granted to high-performing Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs).
• Conferred by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) under the Ministry of Finance.
• Provides enhanced financial and operational autonomy to eligible CPSE
• ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS
• A Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) must first be a Miniratna-I
• It should have obtained an ‘Excellent’ or ‘Very Good’ Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) rating in at least 3 of the last 5 years.
• The company must secure a composite score of 60 or more out of 100 based on six performance parameters evaluated by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE).

CULTURE

5. ANNUAL AMBUBACHI MELA BEGINS AT KAMAKHYA TEMPLE

Current Context: The annual Ambubachi Mela will commence at the Kamakhya Temple, located on the Nilachal Hills in Guwahati.

ABOUT AMBUBACHI MELA

• Location: Celebrated annually at Kamakhya Temple, Nilachal Hills, Guwahati, Assam
• Significance: Marks the annual menstrual cycle of Goddess Kamakhya, symbolising feminine power, fertility and creation
• Religious Importance: One of the most important festivals associated with Shakti worship and Tantric traditions
• Duration: Four-day annual festival during the monsoon season

INTERNATIONAL APPOINTMENTS

6.  COLOMBIA ELECTS ABELARDO DE LA ESPRIELLA AS NEW PRESIDENT

Current Context: Colombia has elected Abelardo De La Espriella as its new President, succeeding Gustavo Petro.

ABOUT ABELARDO DE LA ESPRIELLA

• Profession: Lawyer and politician
• Nickname: “The Tiger”
• Political Image: Right-wing, nationalist and anti-establishment leader
• Election Outcome: Won the 2026 presidential runoff after securing 43.7% of votes in the first round and defeating Iván Cepeda in the runoff

CULTURE

7. Hemis Festival

Current Context: Hemis Festival was celebrated on 24–25 June 2026 at Hemis Monastery, commemorating the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava.

ABOUT HEMIS FESTIVAL

• Location: Celebrated annually at Hemis Monastery, Leh district, Ladakh
• Religion: Buddhism (Drukpa Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism)
• Date: Observed on the 10th day of the fifth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar (24–25 June in 2026)
• Significance: Symbolises the triumph of wisdom and virtue over ignorance and evil; promotes peace, compassion and spiritual enlightenment
• Cham Dance: Sacred masked dance performed by monks depicting deities and guardian spirits, symbolising victory of good over evil
• Thangka Display: Giant sacred Thangka of Guru Padmasambhava displayed once every 12 years

ABOUT HEMIS MONASTERY

• Location: About 45 km from Leh
• Importance: One of the largest and wealthiest monasteries in Ladakh, renowned for ancient scriptures, murals, relics and the annual Hemis Festival
• Tourism: One of India’s major cultural tourism attractions, drawing pilgrims and tourists from around the world.

Download Pdf | Study Material | Downloads | Daily Quiz  | FREE Youtube Videos