UPSC Mains Current Affairs for 22 June 2026

by Vajiram & Ravi - 22 June 2026

Vajiram & Ravi provides Daily UPSC Mains Current Affairs for 22 June 2026, tailored for aspirants. We cover all relevant news and events crucial for the exam, ensuring you stay updated & well-prepared.

Police Begin Collecting DNA Records Under the CrPI Act

June 22, 2026
DNA Records

DNA Records Latest News

  • Police across several Indian states have begun collecting DNA records of suspects under the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022, with over one lakh DNA profiles generated and stored in a central database operated by the National Crime Records Bureau.

About the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022

  • The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 (CrPI Act) is a significant piece of legislation passed by Parliament in 2022 to modernise India's criminal investigation framework. 
  • It replaced the colonial-era Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920, which had limited provisions for collecting only fingerprints and footprints.
  • Background
    • The 1920 Act was considered outdated in the era of advanced forensic technology. The new law was enacted to:
    • Modernise identification techniques in line with global standards
    • Strengthen the criminal justice system through scientific evidence
    • Improve conviction rates by enabling accurate identification
    • Solve interstate crimes through a unified national database
  • Key Provisions
    • The CrPI Act empowers police and prison officers to collect a wide range of identification data from:
    • Convicted persons
    • Arrested persons for offences punishable with imprisonment of seven years or more
    • Persons detained under preventive detention laws

Types of Measurements Collected

  • The Act allows the collection of:
    • Fingerprints and palm prints
    • Footprints and photographs
    • Iris and retina scans
    • Physical and biological samples, including blood and saliva for DNA profiling
    • Behavioural attributes, including signatures and handwriting

Data Retention

  • Records can be retained for up to 75 years from the date of collection.
  • Data is stored in a central database maintained by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
  • Records are deleted when a person is acquitted or discharged in all proceedings.

Authorised Agencies

  • The CrPI system is accessible to:
    • State police forces across the country
    • Central agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Investigation Agency (NIA), and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)
    • Prison authorities for record collection

Concerns and Criticisms

  • The Act has faced criticism on several grounds:
    • Privacy concerns regarding mass collection of biometric and biological data
    • Potential misuse by authorities
    • Vague definitions of who can be subjected to collection
    • Lack of judicial oversight for collection from arrested persons
    • Long retention period of 75 years raises proportionality questions
  • The Supreme Court's Puttaswamy judgment (2017) recognised privacy as a fundamental right, making it essential to balance security needs with individual rights.

News Summary: Implementation of the CrPI Act

  • Over the past five months, the DNA records of more than one lakh suspects have been stored in a central database operated by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under the Union Home Ministry. 
  • The contours of the CrPI system were showcased on June 19 at an NCRB event presided over by Home Minister Amit Shah.

Infrastructure for Implementation

  • The implementation has involved significant infrastructure development:
    • More than 2,600 measurement collection units have been established across the country
    • The CrPI system is now available in police districts and prisons
    • It is accessible to Central agencies, including CBI, NIA, and NCB
    • Integration with forensic laboratories for processing biological samples

Sample Collection Process

  • Samples are currently being collected by police in cases punishable by seven years or more.
  • DNA samples are primarily drawn from blood, with saliva used in some cases.
  • Samples are sent to a forensic laboratory, which generates a unique number.
  • The NCRB preserves the code in its records.
  • The sanctity of the samples depends on the police maintaining proper protocols.

National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS)

  • To support the CrPI system, the NCRB had launched the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) in 2022:
    • Fully automates the fingerprint matching process
    • Currently holds more than 1.27 crore fingerprint records
    • Has played a significant role in solving old inter-state criminal cases
    • Provides instant matching capabilities across the country

Advanced Features of the CrPI System

  • Unified national database integrating face, iris, and biological samples.
  • Searchable database enabling accurate scientific identification within moments.
  • Photo matching, a photo from a crime scene can be instantly matched with records across the country.
  • Video analytics allowing investigating officers to upload CCTV footage to identify suspicious persons.
  • Standardised storage of measurements for 75 years.
  • Disguise-resistant identification, photos are taken ensuring clarity of eyes to prevent identification being hindered by disguises.

Crime-Solving Capabilities

  • The system enables several important crime-solving functions:
    • Direct matching of biological samples recovered from crime scenes with existing records.
    • Identification of habitual offenders through scientific methods.
    • Inter-state criminal tracking with instant cross-state record matching.
    • Quick identification from CCTV footage that earlier took hours of manual investigation.
  • The NCRB stated: "What earlier took hours of manual investigation is now possible in just a few minutes."

Concerns and Way Forward

  • Privacy and Civil Liberties
    • Proportionality of data collection and retention
    • Safeguards against misuse of sensitive biological data
    • Independent oversight of database access
    • Data security to prevent breaches
    • Compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023
  • Implementation Challenges
    • Standardising procedures across states
    • Training law enforcement on proper collection techniques
    • Maintaining the sanctity of samples and the chain of custody
    • Integration with state databases
  • Need for Safeguards
    • Judicial oversight for sensitive data collection
    • Clear protocols for data deletion upon acquittal
    • Regular audits of database access and use
    • Transparency in operational procedures
    • Periodic legislative review of the framework

Source: TH

DNA Records FAQs

Q1: What is the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022?

Ans: It is a law passed in 2022 enabling police and prison officers to collect physical and biological samples including DNA from arrested and convicted persons, replacing the Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920.

Q2: How many DNA profiles have been generated under the Act?

Ans: Over one lakh DNA profiles have been generated and stored in the NCRB's central database in the past five months.

Q3: For how long can records be retained under the Act?

Ans: Records can be retained for up to 75 years from the date of collection.

Q4: What is NAFIS?

Ans: The National Automated Fingerprint Identification System, launched in 2022, holds over 1.27 crore fingerprint records and fully automates fingerprint matching.

Q5: Which agencies can access the CrPI database?

Ans: State police, prison authorities, and Central agencies including the CBI, NIA, and NCB have access to the CrPI system.

Right to Walk on Footpaths: Supreme Court Declares Right to Walk on Footpaths a Fundamental Right

June 22, 2026
Right to Walk on Footpaths

Right to Walk on Footpaths Latest News

  • The Supreme Court of India, in its judgment in Maniyar Iliyaz @ Shaik Riyaz vs. P. Ayyappan, declared the right to walk on safe, demarcated footpaths as a fundamental right — one that takes priority over the movement of motor vehicles. 
  • The immediate trigger was the death of a 5-year-old boy, struck by a tanker while walking to school with his father. But the court used the occasion to address a much larger civilisational failure.

The Crisis on the Ground: Data That Demands Attention

  • India's pedestrian death figures are alarming. 
  • Between 2015 and 2024, while total road fatalities rose by 21.24%, pedestrian deaths surged by nearly 163% — from 13,894 in 2015 to 36,526 in 2024. 
  • Their share in total road deaths more than doubled, from 9.5% to 20.61%. 
  • Pedestrians now account for the second-highest share of road fatalities, after two-wheeler users. 
  • Deaths rose even during the Covid-19 pandemic years — a telling sign of structural failure.
  • The cause is not just speed or recklessness. It is the systematic denial of pedestrian space. 
  • Footpaths across Indian cities are routinely encroached by two-wheelers, vendors, parked vehicles, and garbage. In many places, they simply do not exist.

What the Court Said: Beyond Accident Law

  • The judgment makes a sharp conceptual break. It divorces the footpath from the narrow lens of motor accident law. 
  • A footpath is not merely a safety buffer to prevent accidents. It has an identity and purpose of its own.
  • The court held that the right to walk is the most fundamental of human activities — predating motorised transport by millennia. 
  • Road infrastructure built overwhelmingly for vehicles has effectively pushed walkers to the margins, treating them, in the court's words, as a "nuisance for drivers."
  • This, the court said, was elitism encoded in infrastructure. Motorised vehicles were once the preserve of the rich. 
  • As they became cheaper and widespread, the entire road design paradigm shifted to serve them — at the cost of the walker.

Constitutional and Legal Foundations

  • Article 21 — Right to Life: The court grounded the right to walk in Article 21. A safe, unobstructed footpath is essential to the dignified exercise of the right to life and personal liberty.
  • Article 39(b) — Directive Principle: Footpaths are material resources of the community. Article 39(b) mandates that such resources must be distributed to serve the common good — not monopolised by the motorised class. Urban land allocated for roads must balance the needs of both pedestrians and vehicle users.
  • Tragedy of the Commons: The court invoked this concept from environmental law. Footpaths — like other shared public resources — degrade when they are encroached upon by many without accountability. Safe footpaths have become a scarce resource in Indian cities.
  • Walking and Constitutional Freedoms: The court went further, linking walking to freedom of speech, peaceful protest, and the right to form associations. From Gandhi's Dandi March to modern political rallies, walking has been a form of democratic expression in India.

The Problem with the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988

  • The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 is the primary legislation governing roads in India. The court was scathing in its assessment: the Act treats "vehicle" as its subject and human interests as incidental. 
    • Pedestrians appear in the law only as entities that drivers must avoid hitting — nothing more.
  • The 2017 MoRTH regulations on driving do ask drivers to take precautions around vulnerable road users. 
  • But the court held that these are merely guiding principles — they do not recognise any fundamental right to walk, nor do they give pedestrians priority over vehicles. 
  • The Supreme Court noted that since 2012, it has been trying to squeeze pedestrian rights into the Motor Vehicles Act — with limited success.

Who Are the Duty-Bearers

  • The court identified the primary duty-bearers for footpath protection as urban local bodies — urban development authorities, municipal corporations, municipalities, and panchayats. 
  • Footpaths are held in trust by these bodies for public benefit. Their failure to maintain, protect, and enforce footpath space is a constitutional failure, not merely an administrative lapse.

The Court's Key Directions and Recommendations

  • Statutory Law: The court was not satisfied with just declaring a right. It recommended that Parliament and State legislatures enact a dedicated statutory law — similar to the Right to Education Act — to give this fundamental right legal teeth on the ground.
  • A Dedicated Regulator: The court called for establishing a full-time regulatory body to plan, enforce, and implement pedestrian rights. Such a body would embed expertise, ensure accountability, and provide a forum for aggrieved pedestrians — much like the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights does for children's rights.
  • On Compensation: In the original case, the Supreme Court reversed the High Court's reduction of compensation and recalculated it upward to Rs. 11.44 lakh, to be paid within two months. It held that violation of the right to walk on demarcated footpaths entitles citizens to invoke constitutional and legal remedies beyond what the Motor Vehicles Act provides.

Conclusion

  • This judgment marks a decisive reversal of the hierarchy on Indian roads. For decades, road design, urban planning, and legislation privileged the motorised user. 
  • The Supreme Court has now established that the pedestrian's right is not subordinate — it takes priority.
  • For municipal bodies and road agencies, maintaining safe, unobstructed footpaths is no longer a discretionary good practice. It is now a constitutional duty wherever a motorised road exists.

Source: TH | IE

Right to Walk on Footpaths FAQs

Q1: Why did the Supreme Court recognise the Right to Walk on Footpaths?

Ans: The Right to Walk on Footpaths was recognised to protect pedestrian safety, dignity and mobility, which are essential components of the right to life.

Q2: How is the Right to Walk on Footpaths linked to Article 21?

Ans: The Right to Walk on Footpaths derives from Article 21 because safe and unobstructed pedestrian movement is necessary for a dignified life.

Q3: What challenges affect the Right to Walk on Footpaths in India?

Ans: The Right to Walk on Footpaths is undermined by encroachments, illegal parking, street obstructions, inadequate infrastructure and poor urban planning.

Q4: Who is responsible for protecting the Right to Walk on Footpaths?

Ans: Urban local bodies, municipalities and development authorities are the primary duty-bearers responsible for safeguarding the Right to Walk on Footpaths.

Q5: What reforms did the Court recommend for the Right to Walk on Footpaths?

Ans: The Court recommended dedicated legislation, a specialised regulator and stronger accountability mechanisms to effectively enforce the Right to Walk on Footpaths.

Indian Navy Triple Commissioning: INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak and INS Agray Strengthen Maritime Security

June 22, 2026
Indian Navy Triple Commissioning

Indian Navy Triple Commissioning Latest News

  • The Indian Navy commissioned three indigenously built warships—INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak, and INS Agray, in Kolkata. 
  • The significance of this "tri-commissioning" lies in the fact that each ship performs a distinct strategic role, collectively enhancing India's blue-water capability, maritime domain awareness, and coastal security. 
  • More than 75% of the components are indigenous, reflecting the growing success of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative in defence manufacturing.

The Three Ships at a Glance

INS Dunagiri — The Blue-Water Warrior

  • Dunagiri is a stealth guided-missile frigate under Project 17A. It is the largest of the three (149 m, 6,670 tonnes). 
    • 'Stealth' here means reduced radar and sensor visibility — not complete invisibility.
  • Key weapons and systems: BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles, Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) system, MFSTAR radar, sonar, electronic warfare systems, and anti-submarine weapons.
  • Its role is blue-water operations — fighting far out at sea against both conventional and non-conventional threats. 
  • Sister ships in Project 17A include INS Nigiri, Himgiri, Taragiri, Udaygiri, and Vindhyagiri.

INS Sanshodhak — The Eye Beneath the Sea

  • Sanshodhak is a Survey Vessel — Large (SVL). Its job is to measure and map the sea: water depth, seabed features, navigational routes, port approach channels, and oceanographic data.
  • It is equipped with autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and multi-beam echo sounders.
  • It is the last ship of the Sandhayak-class SVLs (contract signed October 2018). 
    • The other three are INS Sandhayak (Feb 2024), INS Nirdeshak (Dec 2024), and INS Ikshak (Nov 2025).
  • Why it matters: Submarines and warships don't operate in empty water. Knowing the underwater terrain — depths, currents, seabed clutter — is essential for safe navigation, submarine route planning, port management, disaster relief, and coastal development.

INS Agray — The Coastal Submarine-Hunter

  • Agray is the smallest (77 m, 900 tonnes) but most specialised of the three. It is an Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) of the Arnala-class.
  • Its weapons: lightweight torpedoes, indigenous anti-submarine rocket launchers, and sonar systems.
  • Its role is to detect and destroy submarines in littoral waters — shallow coastal zones near ports, naval bases, and sea approaches. 
  • Coastal waters are especially tricky for sub-detection because fishing boats, merchant vessels, and seabed clutter create a noisy, cluttered acoustic environment. That is precisely where Agray operates.

Strategic Significance

  • Layered Naval Capability
    • The triple-commissioning is significant because it adds three distinct capabilities in one ceremony: blue-water strike power, maritime domain awareness, and coastal anti-submarine defence. 
    • This reflects a layered approach to naval capability-building.
  • Geopolitical Context
    • The Indian Ocean is increasingly contested. China and Pakistan are expanding their naval presence. 
    • India's maritime responsibilities now span the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, island territories (Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep), and the broader Indo-Pacific. 
    • The Navy is therefore developing capabilities at multiple layers:
      • Deep-sea combat platforms. 
      • Maritime surveillance assets. 
      • Coastal defence systems.
  • Atmanirbhar Bharat in Defence
    • All three ships were built domestically by GRSE, Kolkata. 
    • Three technologically distinct vessels — a stealth frigate, a survey ship, and an ASW craft — being built and commissioned together signals the maturing of India's naval shipbuilding ecosystem. 
    • The involvement of 200+ MSMEs underlines the depth of the domestic defence-industrial base.

Conclusion

  • The simultaneous induction of INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak, and INS Agray marks a significant milestone in India's naval modernisation. 
  • Together, they strengthen combat capability, maritime awareness, and coastal defence while showcasing the growing maturity of India's indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem.

Source: IE | MC

Indian Navy Triple Commissioning FAQs

Q1: Why is the Indian Navy Triple Commissioning considered significant?

Ans: The Indian Navy Triple Commissioning simultaneously adds blue-water combat capability, maritime domain awareness and coastal anti-submarine defence to India's naval architecture.

Q2: What role does INS Dunagiri play in the Indian Navy Triple Commissioning?

Ans: Under the Indian Navy Triple Commissioning, INS Dunagiri enhances long-range combat operations through stealth features, BrahMos missiles and advanced surveillance systems.

Q3: How does INS Sanshodhak contribute to the Indian Navy Triple Commissioning?

Ans: The Indian Navy Triple Commissioning includes INS Sanshodhak, which strengthens hydrographic surveys, seabed mapping and maritime domain awareness for naval operations.

Q4: What is the strategic importance of INS Agray in the Indian Navy Triple Commissioning?

Ans: The Indian Navy Triple Commissioning equips India with INS Agray, a specialised platform designed to detect and neutralise submarines in shallow coastal waters.

Q5: How does the Indian Navy Triple Commissioning support Aatmanirbhar Bharat?

Ans: The Indian Navy Triple Commissioning showcases indigenous shipbuilding capabilities, with over 75% domestic content and participation from more than 200 MSMEs.

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