News of the Day 19 June 2026: TRISHNA Satellite, SHe-Box 2.0, KHAAN QUEST 2026 & More

India and France will jointly launch the TRISHNA satellite in 2027 to enhance monitoring of water resources, agriculture, and climate change.

About the TRISHNA Satellite:

• TRISHNA stands for Thermal InfraRed Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural Resource Assessment.
• India–France Mission: It is a collaborative Earth observation mission between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and France’s national space agency Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES).

• • Objective: Designed to monitor water stress, crop health, irrigation efficiency, droughts, and agricultural productivity.
  • Technology: Will use advanced thermal infrared sensors to measure land and surface temperatures with high precision.
  • Launch Vehicle: Will be launched using ISRO’s PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle). 
• Two Major Payloads: 

• TIR Payload (CNES): Measures land surface temperature and emissivity.
• VNIR-SWIR Payload (ISRO): Measures vegetation, surface reflectance, and biophysical parameters.

• Orbit & Mission Life: To operate in a Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) at 761 km altitude with a planned life of 5 years.
• Climate Change Applications: Helps assess evapotranspiration, heat stress, ecosystem health, glacier changes, and climate impacts on natural resources.
• Supports Sustainable Resource Management: Data will aid policymakers in water resource planning, agriculture management, disaster preparedness, and climate adaptation.

Bharat Buildcon 2026 was inaugurated at Yashobhoomi Convention Centre, New Delhi.

About Bharat Buildcon: 

• • It is a national exhibition and business platform for the building materials and construction industry, organised under the theme “One Nation, One Expo.”
• Industry Stakeholders: It brings together manufacturers, architects, builders, developers, contractors, policymakers, industry associations, and international buyers.

• Technology and Product Showcase: Showcases innovations across 24 building material segments, including: Ceramics and stone, Cement and steel, Hardware, Plywood and laminates, Paints, Construction technologies, etc.

• Global and Domestic Participation: Participants from 90+ countries and 100 Indian cities.

The Government has strengthened workplace safety for women through the upgraded SHe-Box 2.0 Portal under the Mission Shakti framework.

About SHe-Box 2.0 Portal

• • SHe-Box (Sexual Harassment electronic Box) 2.0 is a centralized online grievance redressal platform that facilitates reporting and monitoring of workplace sexual harassment complaints under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
  • Nodal Ministry: The portal is developed and administered by the Ministry of Women and Child Development under the Mission Shakti initiative.
• Key Features

• • Single-Window Platform: Enables women from organised, unorganised, public and private sectors to register and track complaints of workplace sexual harassment.
  • Secure and Confidential Interface: Provides a user-friendly mechanism for reporting incidents without fear of stigma, discrimination or retaliation.
  • Enhanced Accessibility: Available in 22 languages, including Hindi and English, ensuring wider outreach and inclusivity across the country.
  • Improved Monitoring: Facilitates seamless coordination among stakeholders and strengthens implementation of the SH Act through a structured and monitorable system.

Significance

SHe-Box 2.0 strengthens institutional mechanisms for workplace safety, ensuring timely grievance redressal and promoting women’s dignity, security and workforce participation.

An Indian Army contingent departed for Mongolia to participate in the multinational peacekeeping exercise KHAAN QUEST 2026, scheduled from 20 June to 3 July 2026.

About Exercise KHAAN QUEST

• Exercise KHAAN QUEST is an annual multinational military exercise focused on enhancing interoperability and operational readiness for United Nations peacekeeping missions.
• Venue: The 2026 edition is being conducted at the Five Hills Training Area, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 20 June to 3 July 2026.
• Participants: The exercise brings together military forces from multiple countries.
  • India is represented by a 40-member contingent led by troops from a battalion of the Jat Regiment, along with personnel from other arms and services.
• Evolution: KHAAN QUEST began in 2003 as a bilateral exercise between the United States and Mongolia.
  • Since 2006, it has evolved into a multinational peacekeeping exercise, with the 2026 edition being its 23rd iteration.
• Key Focus Areas: The exercise aims to prepare armed forces for peacekeeping operations under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
  • Training includes joint planning, establishment of checkpoints, cordon-and-search operations, patrolling, civilian evacuation, counter-improvised explosive device (IED) drills, combat first aid and casualty evacuation.

Significance

The exercise enhances interoperability among participating forces, strengthens defence cooperation, and reinforces India’s commitment to global peacekeeping and its strategic partnership with Mongolia. 

ICAR-IIOR has developed a biopolymer-based Smart Seed Coating Technology that improves crop establishment, enhances resilience and increases yields by up to 30%.

About Smart Seed Coating Technology

• • Smart Seed Coating Technology is an innovative seed enhancement system that creates a protective biopolymer layer around seeds to improve germination, growth and stress tolerance.
  • Developed By: The technology has been developed by the ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (ICAR-IIOR), Hyderabad.
• Key Features

• • • Biopolymer-Based Protective Layer: The technology uses biodegradable biopolymers to form a multifunctional coating around seeds, ensuring environmentally sustainable seed treatment.
    • Integrated Input Delivery System: The coating acts as a carrier for beneficial microbes, nutrients, micronutrients, crop protection agents and plant growth-promoting substances.
    • Enhanced Seed Performance: It promotes rapid germination, stronger root development, improved seedling vigour and better crop establishment during the critical early growth stages.
    • Climate Resilience: The technology improves tolerance to drought, moisture stress, temperature extremes, pests and diseases, helping crops withstand biotic and abiotic stresses.
• Applications of Smart Seed Coating

• • Rainfed Agriculture: The technology is particularly useful in rainfed regions by improving seedling emergence and reducing risks associated with delayed monsoons, drought and poor soil conditions.
  • Multi-Crop Adaptability: It can be customised for cereals, millets, pulses, oilseeds, fibre crops, fodder crops, vegetables, spices and horticultural crops across diverse agro-climatic conditions.
  • Productivity Enhancement: Field demonstrations in groundnut and soybean recorded yield gains of nearly 30%, while multi-location trials across several crops showed productivity improvements ranging from 12% to 37%.

Significance

The technology supports climate-resilient agriculture, strengthens seed systems, improves resource-use efficiency and enhances farmers’ incomes through higher productivity and reduced production risks.