TODAY NEWS ON June 16, 2026

News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants
Source: The Hindu , Indian Express and others

NCERT shades image of Indus Valley ‘dancing girl’ in new class 9 art textbook

The iconic “Dancing Girl” of Mohenjo Daro, a 4,500-year-old bronze figurine that has featured in Indian school textbooks for decades, appears to have been altered in a newly released Class 9 art education textbook published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). The figurine, is depicted in a darker shade in the new textbook, with parts of the torso covered compared to its original form.

India, Slovakia decide to elevate ties to status of Comprehensive Partnership, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (June 15, 2026) arrived in Slovakia becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the country. Speaking during the exchange of MoUs and joint press statements with Slovakia PM Robert Fico in Bratislava, Mr. Modi said “India and Slovakia decided to elevate ties to status of Comprehensive Partnership.”

Pakistan PM says U.S.-Iran deal a ‘historic step towards peace’

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the U.S.-Iran deal a “historic step towards peace” on Monday (June 15, 2026) following weeks of his government mediating between the warring sides. “Today, the world has seen a historic step towards peace. After the darkness of war, the sun of peace has risen,” Mr. Sharif told Pakistani lawmakers after earlier announcing the deal would be signed in Geneva on June 19.

Export duty on diesel, ATF hiked with petrol unchanged

In the latest fortnightly review, the government late on Monday (June 15, 2026) increased the export duty on diesel to ₹14 per litre and that on export of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) to ₹12.5 per litre whilst keeping the levy on petrol unchanged at ₹1.5 per litre.

Centre warns of potential drone attacks on vital installations

The Union government has warned of possible rogue drone attacks targeting vital installations along the borders, prompting security agencies to work on deploying counter-drone technology systems to safeguard critical assets across the country.

Limited traffic through Hormuz, despite Trump’s announcement

Announcing the peace deal with Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had authorised the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the removal of the U.S. naval blockade. He later indicated that ships were already moving along the route close to Oman.

Trinamool rebels avoided a long-drawn battle for ‘original’ party tag by merging with little known NCPI

The decision made by the rebel MPs of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to merge with the little-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) might not be a foolproof way of avoiding disqualification under the anti-defection law, but it can allow them to vote in the Lok Sabha, pending a decision from the Speaker in case the TMC files a petition seeking their disqualification.

NEET security measures reviewed, special focus on exam integrity

Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan on Monday (June 15, 2026) reviewed the preparedness of the State governments for the upcoming National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate NEET (UG) Re-examination, 2026, with a special focus on student convenience, security arrangements, and the integrity of the examination process, a statement from the Union Home Ministry said.

Flight-test of indigenous, long-range land attack cruise missile successful

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Monday (June 15, 2026) successfully conducted the flight-test of the Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM) from Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha, marking a significant milestone in India’s indigenous missile development programme.

In Manipur, mob protests hospital treatment of 3 Kukis injured in armed attack

Security personnel on Monday (June 15, 2026) wielded batons and fired tear gas shells to disperse a mob that gathered outside the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Manipur capital Imphal to oppose the treatment being given in the hospital to three Kuki persons injured in an attack.

Sikh clergy declares Punjab CM Mann anti-Khalsa, Panth over objectionable video

The Sikh clergy at the Akal Takht — the highest temporal seat of Sikhs — on Monday (June 15, 2026) declared Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ‘Guru Dokhi’ and ‘Khalsa Panth virodhi’, as he was accused of lying regarding a purported objectionable video.

Congo reports large daily jump in Ebola cases a month after outbreak was declared

Congolese authorities have reported one of the highest daily increases in Ebola cases in a month-old outbreak as the virus spreads quickly in a remote region whose shifting population challenges efforts to find those exposed.

Aditya-L1 data provides important evidence to unlock the mystery of energy budget in sun’s atmosphere

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), using data obtained from the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) payload onboard Aditya-L1, found unambiguous observational evidence that interactions between the magnetic field lines are primarily responsible for maintaining the energy budget in the sun’s atmosphere.

Odisha distributes voter roll revision forms to 99% electors; 34.5% digitised

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi participated in the SIR campaign at his native Raikala village in Keonjhar district, filling out his enumeration form. “The enumeration forms have been distributed to more than 3.30 crore voters as on June 14 evening, taking the total coverage ratio to 98.95%,” said an official at the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Odisha. Around 34.54% of the forms, which translates to 1.15 crore voters, have been digitised so far.

6.2-magnitude quake strikes off southern Philippines: USGS

A magnitude-6.2 earthquake struck off the southern Philippines on Monday (June 15, 2026), the United States Geological Survey said, a week after a deadly quake in the same region killed at least 65 people. The quake hit off the coast of Mindanao island at 5:18 p.m. (0918 GMT) at a depth of 112 km (69.5 miles), the USGS reported. No tsunami warning has been issued.

Russia unleashes major barrage on Ukraine, killing 11, damaging renowned religious site

Russia fired hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine’s biggest cities in a nighttime bombardment that killed at least 11 people and set fire to a renowned religious site, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials said Monday (June 15, 2026). The attacks on the capital, Kyiv, and the second-largest city, Kharkiv, came after Mr. Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke separately by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday (June 14, 2026).

FIFA World Cup: Iran team arrive in U.S. for opener as nations reach peace deal in West Asia

Iran’s football team arrived in the United States for the first time at this World Cup on ​Sunday (June 14, 2026), landing at Los Angeles International Airport just before a peace deal between the nations was announced. The squad arrived after a short flight from Tijuana, Mexico, where they left their base camp earlier to a rousing sendoff ahead of their opening game against New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium on Monday (June 15, 2026).

Spain stunned in 0-0 draw with World Cup debutants Cape Verde

Cape Verde announced themselves on the World Cup stage with a stunning 0-0 draw against Spain on Monday (June 15, 2026), frustrating the European champions who dominated possession and ​had 27 goal attempts but could find no way past 40-year-old keeper Vozinha.