Current Affairs - Places

The foundation stone for the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Smart Industrial Park was laid in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, by Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav. Spread across approximately 173 acres, the industrial park is designed to promote advanced manufacturing through modern IT and AI-based infrastructure. Developed under the ‘work-live-grow’ model, it will support sectors such as garments, toys, information technology, and artificial intelligence. The project is expected to generate more than 15,000 direct and indirect jobs and includes a large convention centre to host investor summits and industrial exhibitions, strengthening Bhopal's industrial ecosystem.

Parashurampuri is the new name approved for Jalalabad town in Uttar Pradesh by the state Cabinet led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The renaming was carried out after the Central Government raised no objections to the proposal. The decision was taken in response to the demand of local residents and aims to recognise the town's historical, religious, and cultural significance. The government considers the town to be associated with Lord Parashuram, who is regarded as the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and the new name reflects this traditional identity.

The 12th India-Malaysia Sub Committee Meeting on Military Cooperation (SCMC) was held in New Delhi on 1st July 2026. The meeting was co-chaired by Amitabh Prasad from India's Ministry of Defence and Major General Amer Mahmud Bin Abdul Rahman of the Malaysian Armed Forces. Discussions focused on cyber security, defence technology, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), capacity building, and enhanced military training cooperation. The SCMC serves as the principal military-to-military consultative mechanism between India and Malaysia and plays a key role in strengthening bilateral defence cooperation and regional security collaboration under the ADMM-Plus framework.

Four advanced research and development facilities were inaugurated at the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT) in Hyderabad by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on 30th June 2026. The initiatives included an Advanced R&D Facility for Fluorochemicals, a Sustainable Engineering Complex, a Continuous Processing Platform for industrial chemicals, and a Decentralised Effluent Treatment Plant. The foundation stone for a new hostel complex was also laid to support young researchers. These projects aim to strengthen indigenous technologies, promote sustainable industrial development, improve waste management, and transform scientific research into a driver of economic growth and innovation.

ISRO successfully conducted the eighth hot test of the Semi-Cryogenic Engine Power Head Test Article (PHTA) on June 24, 2026, at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. During the test, the engine achieved an 88% thrust level of 175 tonnes, exceeding the performance of earlier tests. The engine uses Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Isrosene as cleaner and more efficient propellants. The test is an important milestone in the development of the indigenous SE2000 semi-cryogenic engine, which is intended to replace the L110 core stage of the LVM3 launch vehicle, thereby enhancing payload capacity and mission efficiency.