Indias First Govt Cab Service Bharat Taxi Launched

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Today’s important current affairs, which are essential for students preparing for government jobs…

NATIONAL

1. Kotak Mahindra Bank’s MD and CEO Ashok Vaswani to step down from position

Kotak Mahindra Bank’s Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ashok Vaswani has decided to step down from his position (not seek reappointment) after completing his tenure.

Ashok Vaswani’s three-year tenure is ending on 31 December 2026.

On 27 June, the bank announced that he made this decision due to personal reasons and the board has accepted it.

Vaswani had assumed charge on 1 January 2024 for a three-year tenure.

Vaswani was appointed to this position after billionaire banker Uday Kotak resigned in September 2023.

Ashok Vaswani has over 35 years of experience in retail, consumer, corporate and payments business in global financial services.

Before joining Kotak Bank, he was President of Pagaya Technologies. He has played several senior leadership roles at Citigroup and Barclays in his career.

Ashok Vaswani is a commerce graduate as well as a Chartered Accountant (CA) and Company Secretary (CS).

Currently, apart from Vaswani, Kotak Bank’s senior leadership includes three full-time directors – Anoop Kumar Saha, Jaydeep Hansraj and Paritosh Kashyap.

2. Launch of Bharat Taxi service in Gujarat

On 27 June, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched Bharat Taxi service in Gujarat.

This is India’s first zero commission ride hailing platform, where drivers will keep the entire fare amount by paying only a membership fee.

In the first phase, it has been launched in 14 major cities of Gujarat.

Bharat Taxi has been developed jointly by the Ministry of Cooperation and National e-Governance Division (NeGD), with the theme ‘Saarthi Hi Maalik’ (Driver is the Owner).

Through this platform, services of cab, auto and bike taxi will be provided.

There is also a plan to provide drivers with cooperative facilities like insurance, loan and pension.

3. First successful jet landing using Satellite-Based Navigation

On 27 June, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) successfully landed a jet aircraft for the first time using the indigenous GAGAN system.

GAGAN stands for GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation. This system is completely manufactured in India.

IndiGo’s Airbus A320 aircraft was used in this test.

The GAGAN system has been jointly developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

This system helps in safe and more accurate landing of aircraft by enhancing the accuracy of GPS signals.

This will facilitate safe landing at smaller and remote airports and will increase India’s indigenous technological self-reliance in the aviation sector.

INTERNATIONAL

4. Prime Minister Modi on three-day visit to Seychelles

PM Modi arrived in Victoria on 27 June for a three-day official visit to Seychelles.

This visit is taking place under the ‘SAGAR’ vision, i.e., Security and Growth for All in the Region.

PM Modi handed over the Made in India patrol vessel PS Lespwar to Seychelles.

Modi also held bilateral talks with Seychelles President Patrick Herminie.

The PM visited Seychelles’ National Botanical Garden and fed fruits to ‘Jonathan’, the world’s oldest living land creature, a tortoise.

PM Modi also addressed the National Assembly of Seychelles.

PM Modi was honoured with Seychelles’ highest national award ‘Guardian of the Blue Horizon’.

This is the 34th global award given to PM Modi by any country.

SPORTS

5. Ansi Sojan breaks national record in long jump

On 27 June, Indian athlete Ansi Sojan broke Anju Bobby George’s 20-year-old national record in long jump.

Sojan achieved this feat at the Inter-State Athletics Championship 2026 held in Bhubaneswar.

Ansi Sojan won the gold medal with a jump of 6.85 meters.

Earlier, Anju Bobby George’s record was 6.83 meters which was set at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Ansi is a resident of Kerala. Her father is an auto-rickshaw driver, who was himself an athlete in his time.

Along with representing the country in sports, she also serves as a Chief Petty Officer in the Indian Navy.

6. Ethan Vaz became India’s 96th Chess Grandmaster

On 27 June, Goa’s Ethan Vaz became India’s 96th Grandmaster.

Ethan achieved this feat at just 14 years of age.

Ethan completed his third and final Grandmaster norm at the Grandmaster Mix Tournament held in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Ethan is Goa’s second Grandmaster after Leon Mendonca.

Ethan won 3 medals including 2 gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Chess Championship.

Today in History

In 1893, Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, founder of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) and strategist of the Second Five-Year Plan, was born.

In 1901, Rajendra Nath Lahiri, hero of the Kakori Train Action and freedom fighter, was born.

In 2007, Apple Inc. launched its first smartphone iPhone in the market.