🗞️ Why in News A round-up of the most exam-relevant developments of June 14, 2026, for rapid revision. Each major item is covered in depth in its own article in today’s edition.
Health and Society
World Blood Donor Day 2026
June 14 is World Blood Donor Day, observed since 2004 on the birth anniversary of Karl Landsteiner, who discovered the ABO blood group system and won the Nobel Prize in 1930. The WHO’s 2026 theme is “One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives.” In India, blood is regulated as a drug under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the apex body is the National Blood Transfusion Council.
Kerala’s Priyadarshini Free Bus-Travel Scheme
Kerala launched the Priyadarshini scheme offering free travel on most Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) services to all women and transgender persons, effective June 15, 2026. The state will bear the cost, estimated at around Rs 2 crore a day, placing Kerala among the states that have introduced free bus travel for women.
Economy
Retail Inflation Rises to 3.93 Percent in May
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) reported that Consumer Price Index (CPI) retail inflation rose to 3.93 percent in May 2026, from 3.48 percent in April, driven by firmer food prices, with food inflation at 4.78 percent. Inflation remains comfortably within the RBI’s 4 percent plus or minus 2 percent tolerance band.
MoSPI Overhauls Statistical Base Years
India has updated the base years of its key economic indicators: GDP and the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) to 2022-23, and the CPI to 2024, replacing the older 2011-12 and 2012 bases. The IIP item basket was expanded to 463 item groups to capture new products such as semiconductors-era components and human vaccines.
Gujarat Industrial Policy 2026
Gujarat unveiled its Industrial Policy 2026, introducing an “ultra mega industrial unit” category requiring a minimum investment of Rs 10,000 crore and over 3,000 jobs, and expanding its thrust sectors from 9 to 16 to include semiconductor supply chains, drones and robotics, and nuclear power equipment.
History and Culture
Puri Jagannath Temple Secures Trademark for the Nilachakra
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration secured trademark registration for the Nilachakra, the eight-spoked metal disc atop the temple spire, along with “Ananda Bazar” and “Patitapabana”, under the Trade Marks Act, 1999. The move protects sacred identifiers from unauthorised commercial use.
Geography
Monsoon Advances and the Himalayan Weather Network Grows
The southwest monsoon advanced into more parts of West Bengal and Bihar, while the India Meteorological Department’s seventh Regional Meteorological Centre, at Jammu, strengthens cloudburst and flash-flood early warning across Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.
Facts Corner
📌 Facts Corner — Knowledgepedia
Health:
- World Blood Donor Day: June 14, since 2004; honours Karl Landsteiner (ABO blood groups, Nobel 1930); WHO 2026 theme “One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives.”
- Blood regulated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940; apex body the National Blood Transfusion Council
Economy:
- May 2026 CPI inflation 3.93 percent (April 3.48 percent); food inflation 4.78 percent; RBI band 4 percent plus or minus 2 percent
- New base years: GDP and IIP 2022-23, CPI 2024; IIP basket 463 item groups
- Gujarat ultra mega unit: Rs 10,000 crore minimum investment, 3,000+ jobs; thrust sectors 9 to 16
Society and culture:
- Kerala Priyadarshini free KSRTC travel for women and transgender persons, effective June 15, 2026
- Puri Jagannath Temple trademark for the Nilachakra under the Trade Marks Act, 1999
Source: Current Affairs Today — June 14, 2026 — Ujiyari.com | Free UPSC & State PCS Current Affairs
