30 June 2026 - "Daily Current Affairs" Updates

GS 3 (Indian Economy)

Index of Services Production (ISP)

News:

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) will launch the

Index of Services Production (ISP) in July 2026 to provide a high-frequency

measure of the performance of India’s services sector.

About the Index of Services Production (ISP)

The Index of Services Production (ISP) is a short-term economic indicator that

measures changes in the volume of output generated by the services sector

over time against a specified base year.

It is designed to track the real output of service-producing industries, enabling

timely assessment of trends in the services economy.

Similar to the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) for manufacturing, the ISP will

serve as a key indicator of the health of India’s services sector.

Base Year

The proposed base year for the index is 2024–25.

The index will primarily rely on Goods and Services Tax (GST) data to estimate

economic activity across service industries.

Data Sources

The ISP will be compiled using multiple administrative and survey-based

databases, including:

GST returns.

Corporate filings.

Sector-specific administrative records.

National surveys and official statistical databases.

GS 2 (Governance & Social Justice)

Youth Co:Lab

News:

Six youth-led startups from India emerged as winners at the 8th Youth Co:Lab

National Innovation Challenge 2026.

About Youth Co:Lab

Youth Co:Lab is a regional initiative co-led by the United Nations Development

Programme (UNDP) and the Citi Foundation, in partnership with India’s Atal

Innovation Mission (AIM).

It aims to empower young innovators and entrepreneurs to accelerate the

achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through innovation,

leadership, and entrepreneurship.

Genesis

Launched in 2017 by UNDP and the Citi Foundation for the Asia-Pacific region.

It has grown into one of the region’s largest youth innovation and

entrepreneurship platforms.

Objectives

Promote youth-led entrepreneurship and innovation.

Support startups addressing social and developmental challenges.

Build leadership skills among young innovators.

Accelerate progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Key Features

National and regional innovation challenges.

Mentorship from industry experts and entrepreneurs.

Capacity-building workshops and leadership training.

Seed funding and networking opportunities for startups.

GS 1 (Art & Culture)

Thewa Art

News:

During his official visit to Slovakia, the Prime Minister of India presented Thewa motif

cufflinks as a diplomatic gift to the President of Slovakia.

About Thewa Art

Thewa Art is a traditional handcrafted jewellery-making technique in which

intricately carved gold foil is fused onto coloured glass to create decorative

ornaments and artefacts.

It originated in Pratapgarh, Rajasthan, and is one of the state’s most distinctive

traditional crafts.

The craft is over 400 years old and is traditionally associated with the Sonewal

family.

The term “Thewa” means “setting” in the local dialect.

It received the Geographical Indication (GI) Tag in 2014.

Process of Thewa Art

A thin sheet of 23-carat gold foil (Thewa Ki Patti) is carefully hand-carved with

intricate openwork designs.

No glue, solder, or synthetic adhesives are used in the final product.

Common Themes

Thewa artisans commonly depict:

Royal court scenes.

Hunting scenes with elephants, deer, and lions.