Monthly Current Affairs August 2026
National
1. The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026, also called the anti-conversion law, came into force on 30th July 2026 after publication in the official gazette. President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the Bill on 31st July 2026, and the Bill had already been passed by both Houses of the Maharashtra state legislature in the budget session of March 2026.
2. Maharashtra imposed a state-wide one-year ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation and sale of analogue paneer, also called non-dairy paneer, from 30th July 2026. The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration issued the order through a gazette notification under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the penalty for violations includes imprisonment of up to six months and a fine of up to Rs. 1 lakh.
3. India recorded 20,138 organ transplants in 2025, which was the first time the annual total crossed 20,000 in India. The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) compiled the annual figures, and the 2025 total was higher than 18,911 transplants in 2024 and 4,990 transplants in 2013.
4. Indian Railways approved a Rs. 976 crore multitracking project for the 29 km Danapur-Fatuha section of the East Central Railway in Bihar on 1st August 2026. The project covers line capacity expansion on the Patna rail corridor and includes third and fourth railway lines on selected stretches between Danapur, Patna, Rajendra Nagar, Patna Saheb and Fatuha.
5. Justice Manmohan Singh Liberhan, former Chief Justice of the Madras and Andhra Pradesh High Courts, died on 2nd August 2026 at the age of 87. He was born on 11th November 1938 near Chandigarh and began his legal career at the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 1964.
6. The Lok Sabha passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, on 3rd August 2026 without debate. The Bill seeks to raise the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India.
7. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) launched a revamped version of its MyCall mobile application on 3rd August 2026. The application allows telecom consumers to rate voice-call quality in real time and to report technical issues linked to call performance.
8. Glaw Lake in Arunachal Pradesh was designated as India’s 101st Ramsar site on 3rd August 2026. It became Arunachal Pradesh’s first Ramsar wetland and is located in the Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary in the Eastern Himalayas, in Lohit district.
9. On 3rd August 2026, 19 MLAs were sworn in as ministers in the first expansion of the Karnataka Cabinet led by Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar. The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru.
10. The Department of Posts released a commemorative postage stamp on 3rd August 2026 to mark the birth centenary of Satish Gujral, an Indian artist, sculptor, and architect. The stamp was unveiled at Bikaner House in New Delhi by Union Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia.
11. Chandipura Virus Disease (CHPV) is a viral illness associated with Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and has affected Gujarat and Rajasthan in August 2026. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) to support outbreak control, surveillance, and clinical management in the two States.
12. The Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 3rd August 2026. The Bill seeks to repeal and replace the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959, and to convert the Indian Statistical Institute into a statutory body corporate.
13. India’s Asiatic lion population increased from 523 in 2015 to 891 in 2025, as recorded in the 16th Asiatic Lion Population Estimation. The species is found mainly in Gujarat’s Gir and Greater Gir landscape, and its range has expanded from about 30,000 square kilometres in 2020 to nearly 35,000 square kilometres.
14. India launched a new Clouded Leopard Conservation Action Plan on International Clouded Leopard Day, observed on 4th August 2026. The plan was prepared under the Government of India-GEF-UNDP initiative and was released during the 91st meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife in Coimbatore.
15. The Supreme Court of India issued nationwide directions on 4th August 2026 to strengthen action against digital arrest scams. The directions were passed in a suo motu case titled In Re: Victims of Digital Arrest Related to Forged Documents, which began in October 2025. The court also directed the Reserve Bank of India to frame a Standard Operating Procedure for mule accounts and accounts linked to cyber-enabled fraud.
16. Dr. Dnyandeo Yashwantrao Patil, known as D. Y. Patil, died on 4th August 2026 in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, at the age of 90. He received the Padma Shri in 1991 for social work and served as Governor of Tripura and Governor of Bihar.
17. India and the Himalayas support exceptional flowering plant diversity, with many families showing strong ecological, medicinal, ornamental, and economic importance. Several of these families are especially characteristic of alpine, temperate, and humid Himalayan habitats.
18. Heatwaves and lightning were added to the list of notified natural calamities under the operational guidelines for the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) on 4th August 2026. The Union Home Ministry informed the Lok Sabha about the inclusion, which follows recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission for the award period 2026-31.
19. The Himalayan Serow, scientifically known as Capricornis thar, was video-recorded in the Dalhousie catchment forests of Himachal Pradesh on 4th August 2026 after a gap of two decades. The sighting occurred in a forest landscape adjoining the Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary in the Western Himalayas.
20. The Supreme Court of India on 4th August 2026 directed an extension of the mandatory third-party insurance period for new private cars and two-wheelers. The order was passed by a Bench of Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra in proceedings linked to compliance with the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
21. The Supreme Court of India on 4th August 2026 directed a 10-kilometre mining buffer zone around all wetland conservation reserves in India. The order extended the buffer first applied to the Asan Wetland Conservation Reserve in Uttarakhand to similar protected areas across the country.
22. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has extended its digital FASTag Local Pass facility to 121 toll plazas across India. The facility is available to residents living within a 20-kilometre radius of eligible toll plazas and uses the Rajmargyatra mobile app for monthly pass subscription.
23. NITI Aayog released the report Reimagining Care: Strategies for Empowering Caregivers in Viksit Bharat@2047 on 5th August 2026 at NITI Aayog. The report sets out a framework for an organised, professional, accessible, and future-ready care system in India.
24. On 5th August 2026, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved a one-year extension for Union Cabinet Secretary Dr. T. V. Somanathan and Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan. Dr. T. V. Somanathan is an Indian Administrative Service officer of the 1987 Tamil Nadu cadre, and Govind Mohan is an Indian Administrative Service officer of the 1989 Sikkim cadre.
25. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy met Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil in New Delhi on 5th August 2026 to seek Central intervention in the long-pending dispute with Maharashtra over the proposed height of the Tummidihatti barrage. The barrage is part of the Pranahita-Chevella irrigation project and is planned at Tummidihatti village in Kouthala mandal of the erstwhile Adilabad district on the Pranahita River.
26. The Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism launched the ‘As Seen on Netflix’ section on the Incredible India portal on 5th August 2026. The feature was developed with Netflix India to connect films and series with real locations, cultural traditions, and travel experiences in India.
27. Alaboi Ron Smriti Divas was observed on 5th August 2026 in Amingaon, Kamrup, to mark the 357th martyrdom anniversary of the Ahom warriors who died in the Battle of Alaboi. The Battle of Alaboi took place on 5th August 1669 and is linked with the Ahom kingdom in medieval Assam.
28. India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026 on 10th February 2026. The amended framework reduced the time limit for intermediaries to remove unlawful content from 36 hours to 3 hours after receiving a valid court order or government notice.
29. Ladakh approved India’s first guided high-altitude wildlife safari on 6th August 2026. The plan covers snow-leopard and bird-watching trails in Hemis National Park, Changthang, Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary, Nubra, Zanskar, Sham, Kargil and Drass.
30. Coal India Limited (CIL), a Maharatna public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Coal, became the preferred bidder for the Gadadharpur Iron Ore Block in Keonjhar district of Odisha on 6th August 2026. The block is CIL’s first iron ore asset and was secured through a competitive auction conducted by the Government of Odisha.
31. Operation Trishul is an Indian fugitive-tracking and extradition initiative linked to the return of 274 fugitives from 36 countries since 2019. The fugitives were wanted in cases involving terrorism, organised crime, narco-terrorism, sexual offences, financial fraud, murder, and human trafficking.
32. Microsoft announced the general availability of its fourth cloud region in India on 6th August 2026. The new facility, named the India South Central region, is located in Hyderabad, Telangana, and adds to Microsoft’s cloud regions in Pune, Chennai and Mumbai.
33. The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court of India on 6th August 2026 opposing petitions that seek to extend the “creamy layer” exclusion to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The Centre stated that the constitutional reservation framework is based on historical and social backwardness and not on economic status alone.
34. The Ministry of Culture launched the Har Ghar Tiranga 2026 campaign on 6th August 2026 in New Delhi. The nationwide campaign is scheduled from 9th August to 17th August 2026 and marks the fifth year of the Har Ghar Tiranga initiative, which began in 2022 under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
35. The three-day Travel and Tourism Fair (TTF Ahmedabad 2026) opened at the Mahatma Mandir Convention & Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on 6th August 2026. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the business-to-business travel trade exhibition, which is organised by Fairfest Media and runs from 6th to 8th August 2026.
36. Punjab secured the first rank in the NITI Aayog School Education Quality Index 2026, ahead of states such as Kerala. The state government placed the ranking alongside school infrastructure upgrades, learning outcomes, teacher training, and examination support programmes in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh on 6th August 2026.
37. The Ministry of Railways approved reforms to the Model Concession Agreement for Container Train Operators on 6th August 2026. The revised framework introduces a single All India Licence for container train operations across the national railway network.
38. India observed the 12th National Handloom Day on 7th August 2026. The observance was first declared in 2015 to honour the weaving community and to mark the Swadeshi Movement launched on 7th August 1905.
39. Drosicha turkistanica, an invasive sap-sucking insect, has been identified in poplar and willow plantations in Hanjipora in Pulwama district and in parts of South Kashmir, including Kulgam and Anantnag. The specimen was scientifically identified by the National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources in Bengaluru after field samples were collected from the Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops in Khudwani.
40. Jammu and Kashmir approved Rs. 10 crore on 9th August 2026 for the repair, renovation and restoration of Rattan Garh Fort in Bhaderwah, Doda district. The project covers conservation of the fort’s architectural integrity and its development as a heritage and tourism site in the Chenab Valley.
41. The Lok Sabha passed the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, in New Delhi on 10th August 2026 during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The Bill proposes an independent National Tribunals Commission to oversee the selection, performance, and administration of national tribunals.
42. The Lok Sabha passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, on 11th August 2026 to change the name of the State of Kerala to Keralam in the First Schedule of the Constitution. The Bill followed a resolution passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly on 24th June 2024 and a subsequent constitutional process under Article 3 of the Constitution.
43. The Gujarat Forest Department launched a Rs. 2.94 crore Plastic Waste Management Project around the Ramsar-designated Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary on 11th August 2026. The project is linked to the Project for Eco-Restoration in Gujarat and has financial support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. It aims to buy plastic waste from villagers, support local livelihoods, and reduce plastic pollution in the sanctuary area.
44. M. P. Parameswaran, an Indian nuclear scientist, science communicator and Marxist theorist, died on 11th August 2026 at his residence in Thrissur, Kerala. He was born on 18th January 1935 in Kiralur, Thrissur, and studied engineering at the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram before earning a PhD in nuclear engineering from the Moscow Power Institute in 1965.
45. Kerala included two tribal representatives in its State Wildlife Board for the first time on 11th August 2026. The board now includes Raman Raja Mannan of the Mannan community and Vinod, a researcher associated with the Cholanaikkan community of Nilambur.
46. The National Medical Commission (NMC) issued the draft Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 on 11th August 2026. The draft proposes a centrally generated Unique Identification (UID) number for registered medical practitioners in India through the Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB).
47. India’s first large-scale biopolymer plant is under construction in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh and is scheduled for commissioning in October 2026. The facility is being developed at the Kumbhi sugar unit of Balrampur Chini Mills in Gola Gokarannath and is planned as a fully integrated industrial campus.
48. The Supreme Court of India reduced the mandatory active bar practice requirement for entry-level judicial service candidates from three years to one year for Civil Judge, Junior Division posts. The decision came in a 2:1 split verdict delivered by a three-judge bench on a review petition and modified the court’s earlier judgment of 20th May 2025.
49. Tamil Nadu moved a government-sponsored resolution in the State Legislative Assembly in Chennai on 12th August 2026 seeking a permanent freeze on the Lok Sabha strength at 543 seats. The resolution also asked the Union government to retain the existing proportional representation of seats and to avoid any reduction in the parliamentary weightage of states that have implemented population control measures.
50. N. Chandrasekaran has decided not to seek reappointment as Chairman of Tata Sons and will complete his current term ending on 20th February 2027. He joined the Tata Group in 1987, became Chief Executive Officer of Tata Consultancy Services in 2009, and took charge as Chairman of Tata Sons in 2017.
51. India marked World Elephant Day on 12th August 2026 with official statements on elephant conservation, habitat protection, and human-elephant conflict management. The country has 33 Elephant Reserves across 14 States and 150 scientifically validated elephant corridors. India is home to nearly 60% of the global wild Asian elephant population.
52. On 17th August 2026, a three-judge Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana, hearing Prerna Singh Bindra & Ors. vs Union of India & Ors., directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to conduct a fresh nationwide survey of elephant corridors. This directive has revived focus on habitat fragmentation, human-elephant conflict, and the legal obligations of corridor-sensitive conservation.
53. Karnataka’s Food Safety Division has prohibited the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of analogue paneer sold as “paneer” across the state for one year, from 17th August 2026 to 17th August 2027. The order was issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and applies to non-dairy products marketed under a dairy name.
54. The gauge-converted 56-km Kailaras-Sabalgarh-Birpur rail section in Madhya Pradesh was virtually inaugurated on 18th August 2026. The Gwalior-Kailaras MEMU train service was extended up to Birpur on the same day, creating direct rail connectivity between Gwalior, Sabalgarh, Vijaypur and Birpur.
55. The National Testing Agency (NTA) announced a four-tier question paper checking system in New Delhi on 18th August 2026. The agency also removed 600 experts from its panels, began onboarding new specialists, and announced changes in staffing, security, and examination operations.
56. West Bengal hosted its first Kaushal Mahotsav on 18th August 2026 at Balurghat Stadium in Dakshin Dinajpur district. It was the 11th Kaushal Mahotsav held in India and was organised by the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the National Skill Development Corporation, and the Government of West Bengal.
57. On 19th August 2026, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved four multi-tracking railway projects with an estimated cost of Rs. 9,450 crore. The projects cover eight districts in West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, and they are linked to about 6,448 villages.
58. The Indian Ministry of Railways approved a maximum permissible speed of 100 kmph on the 111-km Katra-Banihal broad gauge section under the Northern Railway’s Jammu Division on 19th August 2026. The section forms part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link, or USBRL, which is a major railway project in Jammu and Kashmir.
59. India expanded its transshipment cargo operations on 19th August 2026 at the Transshipment Excellence Centre of Delhi International Airport Limited at Terminal 2 of Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The scaled-up network connected four domestic origin stations, namely Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Hyderabad, with two international destinations, London and Copenhagen.
60. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) issued an order on 19th August 2026 barring Niva Bupa Health Insurance from opening any new place of business for six months. The action followed the insurer’s non-compliance with the prescribed Expense of Management (EoM) limits for the 2024-25 financial year (FY25).
61. The 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting commenced on 20th August 2026 at Kovalam near Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu. The meeting was chaired by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, who also serves as the Chairman of the Zonal Councils, and it brought together representatives from southern States and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
62. Former Indian National Congress MP Sajjan Kumar died at the age of 80 on 20th August 2026. He was serving a life sentence in connection with cases linked to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He had represented the Outer Delhi constituency in the Lok Sabha three times.
63. The Supreme Court of India uploaded an order on 20th August 2026 constituting a five-member High-Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC) to conduct an independent fact-finding probe into allegations of police excesses during student protests. The order was formally passed on 18th August 2026 by a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana.
64. The Supreme Court of India delivered a nine-judge Constitution Bench judgment on 20th August 2026 on the meaning of “industry” under Section 2(j) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Bench was led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and dealt with the scope of the 1978 precedent in Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board vs A. Rajappa.
65. The Union Cabinet approved a permanent bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in the Union Territory of Ladakh on 20th August 2026. The High Court currently functions from Srinagar and Jammu, and the Ladakh bench will become its third location.
66. Himachal Pradesh issued a state-wide ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of non-dairy analogue paneer on 20th August 2026. The order applies to products that imitate paneer by replacing milk fat with vegetable oil, plant fats or other non-dairy ingredients.
67. The Himachal Pradesh Forest Department and the Bharti Institute of Public Policy at the Indian School of Business signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding in Shimla on 20th August 2026. The agreement was executed by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Sanjay Sood and ISB-BIPP Executive Director Prof. Ashwini Chhatre in the presence of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
68. The Lucknow Division of the North Eastern Railway (NER) operated the “Awadh Mahashakti” freight train on 20th August 2026. The train was formed by combining three cargo trains and ran as the longest train in the history of the zonal railway.
69. On 20th August 2026, a nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court of India delivered a 489-page judgment in State of Uttar Pradesh v. Jai Bir Singh on the legal meaning of “industry” under Section 2(j) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Bench ruled by a 5:4 majority that the 1978 Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board v. A. Rajappa framework remains valid, but needs refinement with greater weight on the commercial character of an establishment.
70. The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court, in a judgment delivered on 21st August 2026, held that government authorities cannot force private landowners to execute sale deeds or pressure them into giving consent for land acquisition. The issue lies at the intersection of property rights, eminent domain, compensation, rehabilitation, and the rule of law.
71. Veteran South Indian actress Sankaramanchi Janaki, known as Sowcar Janaki, died at the age of 94 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on 21st August 2026. She was associated with Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam cinema, and her debut film was the 1950 Telugu film Shavukaru.
72. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated seven infrastructure projects worth Rs. 427.80 crore at Paradip Port Authority in Paradip, Odisha, on 21st August 2026. The projects included capital dredging, a bridge, a vessel traffic management system, and mechanisation agreements linked to port capacity and cargo handling.
73. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has transferred the processing of pending citizenship applications under the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, to District Collectors in eight States and Union Territories. The change applies to applications under Section 6B of the Citizenship Act, 1955, and replaces the earlier central committee-based mechanism.
74. Senior Citizens Day was recently celebrated on 21st August 2026 with renewed focus on India’s fast-ageing population. It highlights how social security, healthcare, and dignity in old age are central public policy concerns as the elderly population expands rapidly.
75. Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary in Jamnagar, Gujarat, has been identified as a major breeding site for the Black-necked Stork, scientifically known as Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus. The sanctuary is a Ramsar site and forms part of the wetland network of western India.
76. India observed the third National Space Day on 23rd August 2026 to mark the landing of Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander at Shiv Shakti Point in the Moon’s south polar region on 23rd August 2023. The 2026 theme was “Towards Viksit Bharat: Innovating, Collaborating and Aspiring to Global Space Leadership”.
77. The Supreme Court of India ordered an interim ban on construction and development within 100 metres of the edge of Rajasthan’s Jojari River. The bench also barred hazardous industries and pollution-causing activities within 500 metres on either side of the river’s existing flood line or present flow path.
78. A total of 216 rescued Indian Star Tortoises, scientifically named Geochelone elegans, were released into the wild at Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur district, Maharashtra, on 23rd August 2026. The relocation marked the launch of Project STRIPES, a conservation initiative involving the Maharashtra Forest Department and the Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare.
79. India launched its first non-GMO high-expansion popcorn maize hybrid seed on 24th August 2026 at the Gourmet Popcornica facility in Musunuru, Eluru district, Andhra Pradesh. Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan launched the seed, and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu attended the ceremony.
80. The three-day National Conclave on Tribal Languages and Museums began on 24th August 2026 at Hotel Southern Star in Mysuru, Karnataka, and will continue till 26th August 2026. Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey inaugurated the conclave, which is jointly organised by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) Mysuru, the ST Welfare Department of Karnataka, and the Karnataka State Tribal Research Institute (KSTRI).
81. Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drugs Administration Department suspended the food licences of Amazon, Swiggy Instamart and BigBasket on 24th August 2026 after Datura fruits and seeds were listed on the platforms as food items or products for human consumption.
82. The Karnataka Forest Department confirmed the presence of a male tiger in the Kishkindha Hills of Koppal district on 24th August 2026. A camera trap installed in Temba village of Gangavathi taluk recorded the animal on 23rd August 2026, and officials linked the sighting to a rare return of the species to the region after nearly five decades.
83. Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the two-day 9th National Security Strategies (NSS) Conference-2026 in New Delhi on 24th August 2026. The hybrid conference brought together more than 850 participants, including senior officers from the Intelligence Bureau, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and central and state police forces.
84. The Allahabad High Court’s dismissal of a student’s plea to wear a hijab with her uniform in Sukaina Rizvi v. State of U.P. (2026) has renewed the constitutional debate surrounding religious freedom, institutional discipline, and school dress codes.
85. The Supreme Court’s August 2026 notice to twenty rebel Trinamool Congress MPs has renewed focus on delayed disqualification under the Tenth Schedule. This case brings renewed attention to the balance between legislative discipline and fair adjudication.
86. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has prohibited the manufacture, sale and distribution of fixed-dose combinations containing Chlorpheniramine Maleate and Phenylephrine Hydrochloride for children below four years of age. The order was issued under Section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and it applies to all such formulations, including syrups and drops.
87. Kerala was officially renamed Keralam through The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Act, 2026, which altered the State’s entry in the First Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The change followed the constitutional procedure under Article 3, which governs the formation of new States and the alteration of names and areas of existing States.
88. Avtar “Kuku” Kohli, a veteran Bollywood filmmaker, died in Mumbai at the age of 77 on 25th August 2026. He suffered a massive heart attack and died at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Andheri, Mumbai.
89. A new Banas Bio-CNG Model Plant was inaugurated at Vinchhiwadi in Dhanera taluka of Banaskantha district, Gujarat, on 26th August 2026. The facility is a joint initiative of Banas Dairy, Suzuki Motor Corporation, and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). The event also included a Bio-CNG filling station and the launch of India’s first rural cooperative-model “Gramin Bharat Taxi” service with nine vehicles.
90. President Droupadi Murmu promulgated the Union Territory of Ladakh (Sitting of Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in Ladakh) Regulation, 2026, on 27th August 2026. The regulation was issued under Article 240 of the Constitution and Section 58(2) of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, to create a legal framework for High Court sittings in Ladakh.
91. Telangana launched a gold and copper mining exploration programme at Lingadahalli village in Devadurga taluk of Raichur district, Karnataka, on 27th August 2026. The project covers 199.13 square kilometres and marks the first entry of Singareni Collieries Company Limited into critical and strategic mineral exploration.
92. Indian Railways has announced a plan to convert seven high-density routes into four-lane, or quadruple-track, corridors across an 11,000-kilometre network. The identified routes carry about 41% of India’s railway traffic while accounting for 16% of the national route length.
93. The Department of Consumer Affairs notified the Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2026, under Section 52 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009, on 27th August 2026. The rules make Indian Standard Time (IST) the sole mandatory time reference for legal, administrative, commercial and official purposes across India.
94. Tamil Nadu notified three new elephant corridors on 28th August 2026 in the Cauvery North Wildlife Sanctuary in the Hosur Forest Division. The corridors are part of the trans-Cauvery movement route used by Asian elephants and other large mammals between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
95. Dehing Patkai National Park in Assam has recorded 165 butterfly species, including 37 endangered species, during a biodiversity survey in 2026. The park covers 234.26 square kilometres and lies across the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts.
96. Uttar Pradesh completed the physical demarcation of the 700-kilometre Ganga River floodplain zone across 13 districts from Unnao to Ballia. The boundary work was marked on the ground with 7,350 pillars, and the status was placed before the National Green Tribunal in August 2026.
97. A rare blue-violet flower resembling the Neelakurinji has bloomed along trekking trails in the Kudremukh region of Chikkamagaluru district in Karnataka. The bloom has drawn visitors to the Western Ghats, where the species grows in high-altitude habitats and fragile shola-grassland ecosystems.
98. The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) disbursed Rs. 5.68 crore, or Rs. 5,68,18,277, under the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) mechanism on 30th August 2026. The funds were transferred to State Biodiversity Boards, Union Territory Biodiversity Councils, and a national research institution from the commercial use of agricultural biological resources.
99. The National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) launched RAINCHNNAI, a weather futures contract for Chennai’s Northeast monsoon. The contract is cash-settled, uses official rainfall data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and is linked to rainfall recorded at the Meenambakkam and Nungambakkam weather stations in Chennai.
Monthly Current Affairs August 2026
International
1. The Pacific island nation of Nauru has officially adopted the name Republic of Naoero. The change was confirmed by President David Adeang on 31st July 2026 after a constitutional amendment was passed by the parliament in May 2026.
2. OPEC+ approved a production increase of 1,88,000 barrels per day for September 2026 during a virtual meeting on 2nd August 2026. The decision involved seven core members: Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman.
3. Andhra Pradesh and Australia signed four Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in Amaravati on 2nd August 2026 for cooperation in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, inclusive education, student mental health, and skill development. The agreements involved institutions and agencies from Andhra Pradesh and Australia, including the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, IIT Tirupati, Samagra Shiksha, the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education, and the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation.
4. Vishwesh Negi, an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 2002 batch, was appointed on 3rd August 2026 as India’s next Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran. He is serving as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi and is expected to take up his assignment in Tehran shortly.
5. India and Uzbekistan have set a target to double bilateral trade to about $3 billion within three years. The target was discussed at the India-Uzbekistan Business Forum in New Delhi on 3rd August 2026, along with proposals to explore a Free Trade Agreement and expand cooperation in multiple sectors.
6. A wildfire broke out on 3rd August 2026 inside Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java, Indonesia, and affected the Gunung Bromo Watu Gede and Jantur areas. The fire later spread near the volcano’s caldera, and emergency agencies deployed helicopters, fire trucks, and drones for containment.
7. Hyderabad will host the second meeting of the BRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group and the second meeting of the BRICS Expert Network on Asset Recovery on 4th and 5th August 2026. The meetings are being organised by the Department of Personnel and Training under India’s BRICS Presidency for 2026.
8. India emerged as a major exporter of gasoline to Russia in July and August 2026, when Indian refiners shipped nearly 1 million barrels of petrol to meet Russian fuel shortages. Shipping data from energy analytics firm Vortexa placed the first delivery on 5th August 2026, and Russia’s seaborne gasoline imports rose to about 1,25,000 barrels per day in August 2026.
9. The 13th BRICS Education Minister’s Meeting and the 3rd BRICS Senior Official’s Meeting are scheduled in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, from 5th to 7th August 2026. India is holding the BRICS chairship for 2026 and is hosting the meetings through the Ministry of Education.
10. A 1.5-hectare wildfire broke out on 5th August 2026 near the Sugar Mountain Trail in Belcarra Regional Park in the Metro Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada. The fire led to tactical evacuations for two homes on Fern Drive in the Village of Anmore and evacuation alerts for 35 additional properties.
11. Pacific typhoons and warming in the equatorial Pacific are linked with changes in the Indian southwest monsoon through shifts in atmospheric circulation, rainfall distribution, and cyclone activity over the Bay of Bengal and the North Indian Ocean. In August 2026, Super Typhoon Dolphin was tracked in the Pacific Ocean near Japan, while forecasters monitored its indirect effect on monsoon rainfall over India.
12. On 6th August 2026, the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe, New Mexico, ordered Meta to pay $567 million into an abatement fund linked to child psychological harm and sexual exploitation on Facebook and Instagram. The court also directed Meta to adopt youth-safety measures over five years in a case filed under consumer protection laws.
13. Hiroshima marked the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing on 6th August 2026, which occurred during the Second World War on 6th August 1945. The annual Peace Memorial Ceremony was held at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, and the city observed a minute of silence at 8:15 AM, the exact time when the bomb was dropped in 1945.
14. The Tenth BRICS Industry Minister’s Meeting was held in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on 6th August 2026. The member countries adopted a Joint Declaration under the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR) for resilient, innovation-driven and sustainable industrial growth.
15. The aviation sector is moving rapidly toward cleaner propulsion, smarter operations, and faster air travel through a mix of sustainable fuels, hydrogen, electric systems, AI, and advanced aerodynamics. Sustainable Aviation Fuel is the most immediate way to reduce the carbon footprint of air travel without replacing existing airport infrastructure.
16. The Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan passes have long served as vital links for trade, travel, border movement, and strategic connectivity across some of the world’s highest mountain terrain.
17. The United Nations has deployed some of its largest and most complex peacekeeping missions in Africa. These missions, authorized by the UN Security Council, have evolved from ceasefire monitoring to civilian protection, humanitarian support, and state rebuilding.
18. North Africa combines some of the world’s driest deserts with major mountain systems that shape climate, water availability, biodiversity, and human settlement. The Atlas chain, Saharan massifs, and desert landforms are central to the region’s geography.
19. Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Fluticasone Propionate Nasal Spray USP, 0.05 mg (50 mcg) per spray. The product is a generic version of Flonase Nasal Spray, 0.05 mg per spray, which is marketed by Haleon US Holdings LLC in the United States.
20. India notified 11 more international ports for the entry of foreign nationals holding e-visas on 10th August 2026. The Ministry of Home Affairs expanded the designated entry network to 88 ports, which includes 37 airports, 38 seaports, and 13 land ports.
21. The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus sentenced ousted former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia on 11th August 2026 for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and premeditated murder. The same court also sentenced Maher al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad’s younger brother, to death in absentia on charges of murder, torture, and incitement to murder.
22. Lebanon’s Parliament voted on 11th August 2026 to formally abolish the death penalty and replace it with life imprisonment with aggravated hard labour for future offences. The law also commutes the sentences of people on death row and codifies a de facto moratorium under which no executions had been carried out in Lebanon since 17th January 2004.
23. Turkey has formally requested Interpol to issue a Red Notice for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and another Israeli citizen, Afek Moskovitch. The request followed domestic arrest warrants issued by the Istanbul 11th High Criminal Court on 14th July 2026 in a case linked to allegations of genocide and other offences.
24. The Rail Coach Factory (RCF) at Kapurthala in Punjab is scheduled to roll out its first rake of 19 Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) broad gauge passenger coaches for Bangladesh Railway on 12th August 2026. The rake is part of a 2024 export contract executed through RITES Ltd. for 200 broad gauge passenger coaches in seven variants.
25. Colletes bhutanicus, a rare solitary Himalayan bee, was recorded in India for the first time in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh on 12th August 2026. The species was documented by scientists from the Zoological Survey of India during a survey in the Eastern Himalayas, and its first Indian record expanded its known range beyond Bhutan and China.
26. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup Island, also known as Etorofu in Japan, on 13th August 2026. Iturup is one of the four main islands in the Kuril Islands chain, which Japan calls the Northern Territories and claims as its own territory.
27. Massachusetts declared 15th August 2026, as India Day across the state, and Boston issued a similar proclamation for the same date. The observance coincides with the 79th anniversary of India’s independence from British colonial rule in 1947.
28. The Northern Sea Route is back in focus as Arctic ice melt makes the passage navigable for longer periods. A regular weekly container service launched by Chinese shipping company Sea Legend on 15th August 2026, has revived debate on whether faster polar shipping can alter global trade patterns by shortening shipping distances between Asia and Europe.
29. New York and New Jersey issued official proclamations in August 2026 designating 15th August 2026 as “India Independence Day” and “Indian Independence Day” respectively. The proclamations were linked to India’s 80th Independence Day, which falls on 15th August 2026.
30. India and Armenia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Yerevan on 17th August 2026 for cooperation in defence research, development, innovation, and joint production. India’s Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh signed the agreement during a two-day official visit that began on 16th August 2026.
31. Pune in Maharashtra hosted the five-day BRICS Information and Communication Technologies Track from 17th August to 21st August 2026. The 7th Meeting of the BRICS Working Group for Cooperation in ICTs opened on 17th August 2026 under India’s 2026 Chairship theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.
32. The Cameroon-flagged general cargo vessel M/V LUTUF was seized by armed pirates on 17th August 2026 off Marraya in Somalia’s Puntland region. Six Indian nationals are among the 10 hostages on board, along with one Turkish national, one Georgian national, and two Serbian security guards.
33. BRICS environment ministers adopted a Joint Ministerial Statement on 18th August 2026 in New Delhi opposing the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The statement described CBAM as a unilateral trade measure linked to carbon pricing on imports of carbon-intensive goods.
34. The United States imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane of Japan and Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal on 18th August 2026. The measures were announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and were enacted under a presidential executive order.
35. The 2nd BRICS 2026 Tourism Working Group Meeting was held in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on 19th August 2026 under India’s BRICS Chairship. The Ministry of Tourism of the Government of India hosted the in-person meeting, and Tourism Secretary Bhuvnesh Kumar chaired the session with delegates from BRICS member states.
36. Pakistan’s enactment of the Defence Forces of Pakistan Act, 2026, and amendments to the National Command Authority Act, 2010, on 20th August 2026, signal a major overhaul of its defence and nuclear command structure, with wider implications for civil-military balance and strategic decision-making.
37. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, a veteran Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader, was elected as the 23rd President of Bangladesh on 20th August 2026 in a parliamentary vote held in Dhaka. He won 255 votes against Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed of the Liberal Democratic Party, who secured 88 votes.
38. India and Mauritius signed a Government-to-Government Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the oil and gas sector in Port Louis, Mauritius, on 20th August 2026. The agreement was signed by Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, and John Michaël Tzoun Sao Yeung Sik Yuen, Mauritius Minister of Commerce and Consumer Protection.
39. Visharad Dr. Nanda Malini, a Sri Lankan vocalist and musician, died on 20th August 2026 at the age of 82. She was one of Sri Lanka’s best-known playback and stage singers, and her career spanned nearly 70 years.
40. The Israeli Air Force inducted its second “Gideon” aerial refuelling and transport aircraft at Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel on 20th August 2026. The aircraft is a modified Boeing KC-46 Pegasus and arrived from the United States as part of Israel’s tanker modernisation programme.
41. Indian Oil Corporation Limited and the State Trading Corporation of Mauritius signed a five-year sales and purchase agreement on 20th August 2026 in Port Louis. Under the agreement, Indian Oil Corporation Limited will supply 100% of Mauritius’s import requirements for motor spirit, high-speed diesel and aviation turbine fuel.
42. BRICS Tourism Ministers adopted the BRICS Tourism Ministers’ Communique 2026, also called the Jaipur Declaration, by consensus in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on 21st August 2026. The ministerial meeting was held under India’s 2026 Chairship of BRICS and was chaired by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism.
43. Uttar Pradesh and Japan’s Yamanashi Prefecture signed multiple Memoranda of Understanding on 21st August 2026 at the UP-Japan Investment Meet 2026 in Lucknow. The event was held at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan and included a Rs. 600 crore fund for Yamanashi-based Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises investing in Uttar Pradesh.
44. The first Steering Committee meeting for the 57th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) was held on 21st August 2026 at Kartavya Bhawan-2 in New Delhi. The 57th edition of IFFI is scheduled from 20th to 28th November 2026 in Goa. The International Film Festival of India is one of India’s major film festivals and is held annually.
45. India and Brazil signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Pune on 21st August 2026 to expand cooperation in telecommunications and Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs). The signing took place during the 12th BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting and the BRICS ICT Track Meeting.
46. China completed the first phase of dredging and land reclamation at Antelope Reef in the Paracel Islands of the South China Sea on 21st August 2026. Satellite imagery showed a newly built artificial island of about 1,500 acres and nearly 6 km in length, with port and runway-related infrastructure under construction.
47. Iran announced the discovery of a major natural gas field in Fars Province on 23rd August 2026. The field contains over 7.5 trillion cubic feet of gas, equal to about 212.4 billion cubic metres, and about 5.7 trillion cubic feet is estimated to be commercially extractable.
48. The China Manned Space Agency postponed the Chang’e-7 robotic lunar mission on 23rd August 2026 after a comprehensive assessment found that the probe did not meet launch criteria for the planned window. Chang’e-7 is a Chinese lunar exploration mission linked to the search for water ice in permanently shadowed craters near the lunar south pole.
49. On 24th August 2026, United States President Donald Trump announced a 50% tariff on Canadian automobiles, trucks, automotive parts and steel, with the proposed measure scheduled to take effect on 1st January 2027. The announcement came after trade talks between the United States and Canada collapsed in Washington, D.C., and after the United States had already imposed a 50% tariff on about $20 billion of Canadian goods on 22nd August 2026.
50. On 24th August 2026, the United States announced “Operation Economic Outcast”, a sanctions campaign led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent against Iran. The measures expanded U.S. sanctions coverage to five sectors of the Iranian economy and targeted 60 individuals, entities, and vessels linked to cyber operations, oil sales, and procurement networks.
51. The daily global average sea surface temperature for extra-polar oceans, defined as waters between 60°S and 60°N, reached 21.1°C on 21st and 22nd August 2026. The figure set a new record for the highest daily global sea surface temperature measured for this ocean belt.
52. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced changes in 2026 to the processing of visa, green card and citizenship applications. The changes cover application rejection standards, adjustment of status, and public charge assessment under United States immigration law.
53. The United States Department of State removed Syria from its list of State Sponsors of Terrorism on 24th August 2026. The designation had remained in force since 29th December 1979. The Department of State also revoked the designation of the al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organisation on the same date.
54. Thailand’s Act on Promoting a Peaceful Society B.E. 2569 (2026) entered into force on 24th August 2026, after royal endorsement and publication in the Royal Gazette on 23rd August 2026. The law is commonly described as Thailand’s new political amnesty act and applies to specified political offences and expressions linked to political conflict between 1st January 2005, and 16th July 2025.
55. The 25th round of Special Representatives talks on the India-China boundary question is scheduled in Beijing on 25th August 2026. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is in Beijing for a two-day visit, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to co-chair the boundary meeting as China’s Special Representative.
56. The “Eagles of Civilisation 2026” joint air exercise began between the Egyptian Air Force and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force in August 2026. The drill involved Chinese J-16 fighter jets, aerial refuelling aircraft, special-mission aircraft, and helicopters arriving at an Egyptian airbase after a 6,000-kilometre flight from China.
57. India and Seychelles held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi on 25th August 2026 to expand cooperation in fisheries, aquaculture, and the blue economy. The talks were led by Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary of the Department of Fisheries, and H.E. Mr. Wallace Cosgrow, Seychelles Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Blue Economy.
58. The Indian Coast Guard and the Vietnam Coast Guard held their 7th High-Level Meeting at the Coast Guard Regional Headquarters in Chennai on 25th August 2026. The meeting was held under the 2015 Memorandum of Understanding on Coast Guard Cooperation and was co-chaired by Indian Coast Guard Director General Paramesh Sivamani and Vietnam Coast Guard Vice Commandant Major General Luong Dinh Hung.
59. India and China reached an eight-point consensus during the 25th Round of Talks between the Special Representatives on the Boundary Question in Beijing on 25th August 2026. The talks were co-chaired by India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
60. A sudden flash flood swept through Nepal’s Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems on 26th August 2026. The flood affected the Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading districts, and it caused deaths, missing-person cases, damage to roads and bridges, and disruption to cross-border movement.
61. General Zhao Zongqi was removed from the Standing Committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on 26th August 2026. He also lost his membership in the CPPCC and his post as Vice Chairman of the Committee on Ethnic and Religious Affairs.
62. On 27th August 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in the Oval Office directing the federal government to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America”. The order instructed the United States Department of the Interior to update the Geographic Names Information System within 30 days and required federal agencies to use the new name on maps and documents.
63. Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan approved the National Defense Autonomy and Unmanned Vehicle Industry Development Act on 27th August 2026. The law authorises a six-year budget of NT240 billion, or about US7.6 billion, for drone industry development and defence procurement.
64. A landslide-dammed lake near the Nepal-Tibet border overflowed on 28th August 2026 after a massive glacial collapse on 26th August 2026 triggered flash floods and landslides in the border region. The lake formed near the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers and was estimated at about 2 million cubic metres.
65. The United States and Venezuela announced a major oil agreement on 28th August 2026 involving more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuela’s proven oil reserves. The arrangement was linked to a private joint venture, a 100-year concession, and a reported U.S. majority stake of 55% through equity and access to oil at cost.
66. King Harald V of Norway died on 28th August 2026 at the age of 89. He had ruled Norway for 35 years and was Europe’s oldest reigning monarch at the time of his death. His son succeeded him immediately as King Haakon VIII.
67. Bangladesh and China have started preparations for their first “2+2” diplomacy and defence dialogue, which combines foreign affairs and defence-level talks. The proposed mechanism includes a State Minister-level Diplomacy and Defence Dialogue and an early Foreign Minister-level Strategic Dialogue.
68. The Gulf of Mexico is a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean bordered by the United States, Mexico, and Cuba. In January 2025, an executive order in the United States directed the Geographic Names Information System to use the name “Gulf of America” in official U.S. listings, and Google Maps later applied the label for users inside the United States.
69. Ceuta is a Spanish autonomous city and North African enclave on the Mediterranean coast, separated from Morocco by a land border and the Strait of Gibraltar from mainland Spain. In late July 2026, Ceuta faced a large-scale migrant influx from Morocco, followed by security protests, police action, and emergency border-related requests to the European Union.
70. India and Uzbekistan elevated their bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership on 30th August 2026 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Tashkent. The two countries also set a target of USD 5 billion in annual bilateral trade by 2030 and agreed on a long-term framework for uranium supply from Uzbekistan for India’s civil nuclear energy sector.
71. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Uzbekistan’s highest state honour, the Order of Oliy Darajali Do’stlik, at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace in Tashkent on 30th August 2026. The award was conferred by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev after bilateral talks between India and Uzbekistan.
72. Apple has announced a leadership transition in which Tim Cook ends his tenure as Chief Executive Officer on 31st August 2026 and John Ternus takes over as CEO on 1st September 2026. Cook, aged 65, moves to the role of Executive Chairman of Apple’s board of directors, while Ternus becomes the company’s new chief executive after a 25-year association with Apple.
73. Wendell Berry was an American poet, novelist, essayist, and environmental activist who died at his home in Port Royal, Kentucky, at the age of 92 on 31st August 2026. He wrote more than 50 books and was known for works on agrarian life, industrial agriculture, and rural communities in the United States.
74. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are scheduled to hold the first ministerial and committee meeting of their new defence alliance in Istanbul, Turkey, on 31st August 2026. The alliance was established on 7th August 2026 through the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
75. Airbus awarded Mahindra Aerostructures Pvt. Ltd. (MASPL), a Mahindra Group company, a multi-year contract to manufacture and supply fuselage skins for the A320neo and A321XLR passenger aircraft. The work will be carried out at Mahindra’s Bengaluru facility, and the finished components will be shipped to Airbus Aerostructures assembly plant in Augsburg, Germany.
76. India will host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on 12th and 13th September 2026 at Bharat Mandapam. The Ministry of External Affairs announced that India’s BRICS Chairship is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.
Monthly Current Affairs August 2026
Defence
1. France submitted a techno-commercial proposal to India for 114 Rafale fighter jets on 29th July 2026. The proposed government-to-government deal is valued at about Rs. 3.25 lakh crore, or around $39 billion, and it is linked to India’s Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft procurement plan.
2. India plans to invest Rs. 45,000 crore in railway infrastructure along the borders with China, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The programme covers new tracks, platforms and network strengthening in border states and is scheduled for implementation over the next 18 to 24 months.
3. The Indian Air Force concluded Exercise ROTOR CLAP III at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan, on 1st – 2nd August 2026. The rotary-wing exercise was themed Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems and involved multiple helicopter units of the Indian Air Force.
4. The Indian Navy launched DSC A24, the fifth and final vessel under its Diving Support Craft Project, on 1st August 2026 at Titagarh Rail Systems Limited shipyard in Kolkata. The five-ship programme was contracted by the Ministry of Defence on 12th February 2021 and was completed in about five and a half years.
5. Vice Admiral Manish Chadha, AVSM, VSM, assumed charge as the Director General Naval Operations (DGNO) on 3rd August 2026. The Director General Naval Operations is a senior operational appointment in the Indian Navy linked with maritime security, fleet deployment, and naval operational planning.
6. Chief of Defence Staff General N. S. Raja Subramani addressed the inaugural session of the Fourth Edition of the Tri-Services Future Warfare Course on 3rd August 2026 at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi. The four-week course is organised by Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) in collaboration with the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS).
7. The United States Defence Department announced framework agreements on 3rd August 2026 with Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin to expand production of Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor missiles. The plan covers Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors and THAAD interceptors, which are used in missile defence systems.
8. Indigenous unmanned systems will be showcased for the Indian Air Force at the Pokhran Firing Range in Rajasthan in September 2026. The demonstration will include long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, swarm drone technologies, expendable surveillance drones, logistics drones, and one-way attack drones.
9. India test-fired the nuclear-capable Agni-4 ballistic missile on 6th August 2026 from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Odisha. The launch was conducted under the Strategic Forces Command, and the Ministry of Defence stated that all mission objectives and operational parameters were validated.
10. The Territorial Army (TA) is a reserve force of the Indian Army that combines civilian employment with military service. On 6th August 2026, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi to review the TA’s mandate, achievements, and future strengthening.
11. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has revived the Su-30MKI production line at its Nashik facility in Maharashtra. The plan covers 12 new Su-30MKI fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force, with deliveries scheduled up to 2029 and the first aircraft expected in 2027-2028.
12. The Indian Air Force’s fighter fleet combines imported and indigenous aircraft to support air superiority, strike missions, and national air defence. After the retirement of the MiG-21 in September 2025, the force operates 29 active fighter squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42.
13. Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) has manufactured and test-fired India’s first 100% indigenised AK-203 assault rifle, named Sher, at the Korwa ordnance facility in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh. The prototype used only domestic Indian components and raw materials, marking a shift from licensed assembly to end-to-end local production.
14. The Indian Navy monitored the transit of merchant vessels through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in August 2026 amid security risks to commercial shipping in the Red Sea corridor. The operation involved escort and surveillance duties for Indian-flagged and foreign-flagged vessels in the Gulf of Aden and adjacent waters.
15. The Indian Navy’s second Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV), named Shruti and designated Yard 3037, was launched on 11th August 2026 by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) in Kolkata, West Bengal. The vessel was launched in the presence of Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, Controller of Warship Production & Acquisition, and Manika Sadhu performed the formal launch ceremony.
16. Russia began importing gasoline from India in 2026 for the first time in history amid a domestic fuel shortage caused by repeated Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries. The first physical cargo of Indian gasoline reached Russia in August 2026, after a shipment loaded at the Vadinar refinery in Gujarat was routed through the Egyptian port of Damietta.
17. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off the National Cadet Corps (NCC) All India Girls High Altitude Long Trek, titled Aparajita – Parang La 2026, at New Delhi on 18th August 2026. The expedition includes 28 NCC girl cadets with an average age of 19 years, and the youngest cadet is 16 and a half years old.
18. The Department of Defence Production (DDP) under the Ministry of Defence notified the sixth Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) on 18th August 2026. The list contains 405 defence items and carries an estimated domestic business potential of Rs. 3,070 crore.
19. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) issued an Expression of Interest (EoI) on 18th August 2026 through the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, for long-term partnership with Indian private defence firms. The proposal uses the Development-cum-Production Partner (DcPP) model for missile and guided bomb manufacturing, with DRDO handling design and development and selected private partners handling prototype integration, qualification, and mass production.
20. A new shore-based Launch and Recovery System (LARS) Test Plinth was inaugurated on 19th August 2026 at the Submarine Rescue Unit (East) in Visakhapatnam. Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, inaugurated the facility for submarine rescue preparedness.
21. India and Japan signed a Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation in New Delhi on 20th August 2026. The pact creates a formal framework for cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in maritime security, operational coordination, and logistics support.
22. Cochin Shipyard Limited delivered Mangrol, the third of eight indigenously designed and built Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts, to the Indian Navy in Kochi on 21st August 2026. The vessel was built to Det Norske Veritas classification rules and is designed for low-intensity maritime operations and search and rescue duties.
23. The National Security Guard (NSG) Training Academy launched India’s first-ever Mahila Commando Conversion Course (MCCC) on 24th August 2026 at its garrison in Manesar, Haryana. The 12-week residential programme is designed for selected women personnel from State Police Forces and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and includes counter-terrorism training, weapons handling, marksmanship, tactical intervention, and hostage rescue drills.
24. On 25th August 2026, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved the transfer of technology for all conventional missile systems developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation to the Indian defence industry. The Ministry of Defence stated that the move covers the shift from development to large-scale industrial production of missile systems.
25. The Indian Coast Guard received ICGS Ajit, a Fast Patrol Vessel built by Goa Shipyard Limited, on 25th August 2026. The vessel is the seventh Adamya-class FPV built by Goa Shipyard Limited and has over 65% indigenous content.
26. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a high-altitude trial of the indigenous Military Combat Parachute System (MCPS) at the Nyoma-Mudh Drop Zone in Ladakh’s Leh district on 26th August 2026. The trial jump took place from 22,000 feet above mean sea level in temperatures of minus 15 degrees Celsius.
27. India signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance on 28th August 2026 to procure the Javelin anti-tank guided missile system from the United States through the Foreign Military Sales process. The agreement formally makes India a customer of the FGM-148 Javelin system, which is a man-portable, fire-and-forget, medium-range anti-tank guided missile.
28. The Indian Navy is scheduled to commission Nipun, its second indigenous Nistar-class Diving Support Vessel, at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on 31st August 2026. Hindustan Shipyard Limited delivered the vessel at Visakhapatnam on 30th July 2026 after sea trials and outfitting.
Monthly Current Affairs August 2026
Business, Economy & Banking
1. The Union government released an additional Rs. 1,09,019 crore to state governments as tax devolution on 1st August 2026. The transfer was made before the regular monthly tax devolution due on 10th August 2026. The Finance Ministry linked the early release to state finances and capital and developmental expenditure.
2. Karnataka has earmarked 1,736 acres for the Tumakuru Node of the Bengaluru-Chennai Industrial Corridor. The project targets Rs. 7,000 crore in investment and more than 88,000 jobs, with completion scheduled for 2027.
3. India approved one Chinese Foreign Direct Investment proposal worth Rs. 1 crore during financial year 2025-26, while 13 proposals from Hong Kong were cleared for Rs. 610.42 crore in the same period. The approvals were processed under the government route, which requires prior approval for specified foreign investments in India.
4. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has amended the rules on transfer of shares and ownership changes in insurers under the IRDAI (Registration, Capital Structure, Transfer of Shares and Amalgamation of Insurers) (Amendment) Regulations, 2026. The revised framework requires prior approval for shareholding changes at key thresholds of 5%, 10%, 25%, 50% and 75%, and also when an investor becomes the single largest shareholder.
5. Industrial corridors are planned zones that combine manufacturing clusters, transport links, and logistics infrastructure to reduce costs and promote regional development. In India, they are being developed under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP) with support from the Centre and states.
6. India achieved near-universal banking coverage of inhabited villages by 3rd August 2026, with 99.92% of inhabited villages served by a banking outlet within a 5-km radius. The coverage data were uploaded by banks on the Jan Dhan Darshak App and included bank branches, Business Correspondents, and India Post Payments Bank centres.
7. The Reserve Bank of India appointed Monisha Chakraborty as Executive Director with effect from 3rd August 2026. In her new assignment, she will oversee the Foreign Exchange Department and the Financial Markets Regulation Department.
8. The Union Ministry of Finance proposed amendments to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, on 3rd August 2026 to reintroduce Merchant Discount Rate on select digital payment modes. The proposal seeks to remove the zero MDR provision under Section 10A, which currently bars banks and payment system providers from levying charges on online transactions, including Unified Payments Interface and RuPay debit card payments.
9. The PM CARES Fund is a public charitable trust created in 2020 for emergency relief and disaster-related assistance in India. Its audited financial statements for FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25 were made public, and the closing balance stood at Rs. 8,452.07 crore as of 31st March 2025.
10. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) held its bi-monthly meeting from 3rd August 2026 to 5th August 2026. On 5th August 2026, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra announced that the repo rate would remain unchanged at 5.25%, marking the fourth consecutive meeting at this level since December 2025.
11. L&T Energy Hydrocarbon Offshore secured an ultra-mega offshore contract from ADNOC Offshore on 4th August 2026. The contract value is over Rs. 15,000 crore and covers engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning of multiple offshore facilities.
12. The Ministry of Coal auctioned six coal blocks on 4th August 2026 under the 15th round and a supplementary phase of the 13th round of commercial coal mine auctions. The blocks together have geological reserves of more than 1,503 million tonnes and a cumulative Peak Rated Capacity of 11.62 million tonnes per annum.
13. The Government of India operationalised rules for inventory-based cross-border e-commerce exports on 5th August 2026 through the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The framework was notified under Notification No. 27/2026-27 and Public Notice No. 25/2026-27 and is part of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023.
14. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced on 5th August 2026 that it will resume issuing fresh licences for Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) after a pause of more than two decades. The decision was announced during the August Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting and is linked to draft guidelines for on-tap licensing of UCBs.
15. KKR announced definitive agreements on 6th August 2026 to acquire Medicover India, the Indian hospital operations of Swedish healthcare and diagnostic services provider Medicover AB. The transaction is valued at about €1.2 billion, or roughly $1.4 billion, and includes a 100% stake purchase from existing shareholders.
16. The Lok Sabha passed the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, on 6th August 2026. The Bill amends the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, the Income-tax Act, 2025, and the Finance Act, 2026.
17. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, organised BIOFACH INDIA 2026 with NuernbergMesse India on 6th August 2026. The three-day international trade fair is scheduled from 6th to 8th August 2026 at the India Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Noida, Delhi-NCR.
18. The Reserve Bank of India released the updated list of Upper Layer Non-Banking Financial Companies for 2026-27 on 6th August 2026. The list contains 17 entities, compared with 15 in the previous list, and it includes Tata Sons Private Limited, four public sector undertakings, and several private sector financial companies.
19. Standard Chartered received in-principle approval from the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) on 6th August 2026 to distribute capital market and wealth management products from Gujarat International Financial Tec-City (GIFT City). The bank plans to roll out retail wealth management products in the coming months through the GIFT City International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).
20. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare presented its 176th Report on 7th August 2026 in the Rajya Sabha. The report, titled Affordability and Accessibility of Healthcare Facilities in Public and Private Sector, recommended that the gap between the landing price of a medicine or medical device and its Maximum Retail Price should not exceed 20%.
21. Tamil Nadu announced higher state procurement incentives for paddy and sugarcane on 10th August 2026 during a session of the State Assembly in Chennai under Rule 110. The revised rates apply from 1st September 2026, which is the start of the upcoming procurement season.
22. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) announced the final winners of the National Climate Stack Innovation Challenge on 10th August 2026. The challenge was organised with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Dalberg Advisors and used the Data in Climate Resilient Agriculture (DiCRA) framework.
23. India increased urea imports from Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria and Georgia in 2026 to support domestic fertiliser availability during supply disruptions linked to the West Asia war. During April to June 2026, India sourced 52% of its 2.5 million tonnes of imported urea from these non-traditional suppliers.
24. Himachal Pradesh introduced a Widow and Orphan Cess on petrol and high-speed diesel under Section 6-A of the Himachal Pradesh Value Added Tax Act, 2005. The State Taxes and Excise Department issued the notification on 11th August 2026, and the levy took effect from midnight on the same day.
25. The Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, hosted the two-day PSB Confluence 2026 in New Delhi on 17th – 18th August 2026. The event brought together around 125 senior representatives from Public Sector Banks (PSBs), Public Financial Institutions (PFIs), and the Indian Banks Association.
26. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology approved 31 project proposals under the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme on 17th August 2026. The projects involve an investment of Rs. 7,877 crore across 10 Indian states and are linked with an expected production output of Rs. 82,243 crore and nearly 10,000 direct jobs.
27. The Competition Commission of India approved Tata Steel Limited’s acquisition of an additional 23% equity stake in TM International Logistics Limited on 18th August 2026. The transaction involves Tata Steel buying the entire 23% holding from IQ Martrade Holding Und Management GmbH, which will exit TM International Logistics after the deal.
28. Chhattisgarh became the first inland state in India to begin exports of value-added Tilapia products on 20th August 2026. The state exported 382 tonnes of Tilapia products to the United States and held a review meeting in Raipur on the notified Tilapia cluster.
29. The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank signed a $230 million loan agreement on 21st August 2026 for the Chennai Climate-Resilient Water Security and Sewerage Project. The project covers water supply and sanitation infrastructure in the Greater Chennai area and targets about 4.5 million residents.
30. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), India’s downstream oil and gas regulator, authorised 1,800 km of new liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) pipelines on 21st August 2026. The project has an estimated capital investment of Rs. 7,000 crore and has been assigned to GAIL (India) Limited as the authorised entity.
31. On 22nd August 2026, the Government of India appointed Syed Akbaruddin, Annie George Mathew and Janmejaya Kumar Sinha as part-time, non-official directors on the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointments under Section 8(1)(c) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, for a tenure of four years.
32. The Union government launched the Kanda Express on 24th August 2026 to transport onions from Nashik in Maharashtra to major consuming centres such as Delhi, Chennai, Kochi and Guwahati. The measure came after the national average retail price of onions rose to Rs. 42 per kg on 22nd August 2026, which was 45% higher than the previous year and 19% higher than the previous month.
33. India changed the export policy for wheat, durum wheat and related wheat flour products from “Prohibited” to “Free” with immediate effect on 24th August 2026. The order covers maida, semolina, wholewheat atta and resultant atta, and it ends restrictions that had remained in force since 13th May 2022 for wheat and since August 2022 for wheat flour products.
34. The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) completed ten years of operations on 25th August 2026. It was launched in 2016 under the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) with regulatory oversight from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
35. The Government of India has approved the leasing of 11 Airports Authority of India airports to private players under the public-private partnership model for a 50-year concession period. The estimated private investment for the project is Rs. 8,622 crore, and the airports have been grouped into five bundles for bidding and commercial viability.
36. The Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) 2026 is the second edition of the event and will be held from 23rd to 25th October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF), which represents over 8,000 rice exporters, is organising the conference.
37. The Securities and Exchange Board of India introduced the Information Technology Resilience Index framework for Market Infrastructure Institutions on 24th August 2026. The framework assesses the operational resilience and security of critical information technology systems on a 100-point scale across nine parameters.
38. The International Labour Organization and the National Council of Applied Economic Research released a joint policy brief titled Advancing Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion in the Platform Economy in New Delhi on 24th August 2026. The brief examined women’s participation in India’s platform economy, digital banking access, and formal credit availability.
39. The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) and the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (PHARMEXCIL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 24th August 2026 at the CBN Headquarters in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. The agreement covers legitimate pharmaceutical exports, product diversion prevention, and industry coordination through a non-binding Voluntary Code of Conduct (VCC).
40. India plans to add 100 new vessels to its merchant fleet over the next five years to reduce dependence on foreign shipping lines for carrying critical cargo such as crude oil, gas, coal and urea. The announcement was made on 25th August 2026 at the inaugural Sagar Samvad conference in New Delhi, which was organised by the National Shipping Board to discuss policy directions for Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.
41. India’s rice exports to 26 priority markets reached Rs. 23,476 crore and 4.79 million tonnes between November 2025 and March 2026. The Indian Rice Exporters Federation analysed the data on 26th August 2026 and compared the five-month period with the corresponding three-year average.
42. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Mumbai on 26th August 2026. The agreement covers infrastructure projects with rural linkages, Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects, and agricultural value chains.
43. Government and industry data dated 27th August 2026 showed that 45 coal-fired power plants in India were operating with critically low coal inventories. The affected plants had coal stocks below 25% of required inventory or fuel for less than three days, and 40 of them were domestic coal-fired facilities.
44. India’s coconut product exports rose 62% in FY26 to Rs. 7,038.35 crore, or USD 794.70 million, from Rs. 4,349.03 crore in the previous fiscal year. India also remained the world’s largest coconut producer, with 31.24% of global coconut production.
Monthly Current Affairs August 2026
Science & Technology
1. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) developed India’s first fully annotated telomere-to-telomere (T2T) reference genome of pigeonpea variety ‘Asha’. The genome assembly, designated NIPB_CcT2T_4, was released on 20th April 2026 and is available in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database under accession number GCF_000230855.1.
2. China unveiled Xianglong, a self-developed boring and blasting machine, in Wuhan on 2nd August 2026. The machine has a diameter of 4.5 metres and was developed jointly by Tsinghua University and a subsidiary of the state-owned China Railway Group. It is a hybrid tunnelling system that combines mechanical excavation with drilling and blasting for hard rock conditions.
3. Acanthosaura syrax, also called the Syrax mountain horned dragon, is a newly described lizard species from Mae Wong National Park in Thailand. The species was formally published in the taxonomy journal ZooKeys on 2nd August 2026 and is placed in the genus Acanthosaura, which contains mountain horned dragons.
4. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Esri India signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 3rd August 2026 in New Delhi for collaboration in Geographic Information System, Location Intelligence, and GeoAI solutions for the defence sector. The agreement covers joint work on geospatial capabilities, defence electronics, systems integration, and training support for in-house development using the Indo ArcGIS platform.
5. IIT Hyderabad and Crimson Energy Experts Pvt. Ltd. launched ANUGYAN, the Nuclear Technology Orientation Programme, on 3rd August 2026. The three-month residential programme is India’s first industry-academia course for engineers and industry professionals in the civil nuclear energy sector.
6. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a cancer research agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), classified hydrochlorothiazide, voriconazole and tacrolimus as carcinogenic to humans in Group 1 in Volume 137 of the IARC Monographs. The three medicines are widely prescribed for hypertension, fungal infections and organ transplant rejection, and they are included in the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines.
7. The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, launched a National Technothon on 3rd August 2026. The initiative seeks technologies for the sustainable collection of deep-sea polymetallic nodules and supports India’s Deep Ocean Mission.
8. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) announced India’s first indigenous African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccine for pigs on 4th August 2026. The vaccine was developed at the ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (ICAR-NIHSAD) in Bhopal and was dedicated to the nation during the 98th ICAR Foundation Day on 16th July 2026 in New Delhi.
9. Saxifraga candelabrum, an alpine flowering plant native to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Hengduan Mountains of China, has been confirmed as carnivorous in a study published in Nature Communications on 4th August 2026. The finding provides evidence for Charles Darwin’s 1875 hypothesis that some Saxifraga species may trap and digest insects.
10. The India Meteorological Department will commission an X-Band Doppler Weather Radar at Pulpally in Kerala’s Wayanad district by the end of December 2026. The radar will provide high-resolution weather surveillance over a 100 km radius with Pulpally as the centre of coverage.
11. Pawan Hans Limited signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Norway-based Noemi Aerospace on 5th August 2026 in New Delhi to explore electric seaplane technology and other sustainable aviation solutions. The agreement was signed in the presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu and Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha.
12. Researchers from the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) identified a new seahorse species in August 2026. The species has been named Hippocampus amandavincentae after marine biologist Amanda Vincent. The finding separates the thorny seahorse complex from Hippocampus histrix, which had been treated as one species for about 150 years.
13. Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station harvested the first batch of rice grown in orbit on 5th August 2026. The harvest formed part of the Shenzhou-23 mission, which launched on 24th May 2026, and the rice samples were collected for further scientific study.
14. OpenAI is developing its first consumer hardware device as a screenless, portable smart speaker with a circular form factor. The device is planned for a 2027 release and is expected to be priced between 300 and 400.
15. Russula griseopurpurata is a newly described mushroom species from India and belongs to the genus Russula, which includes about 2,000 species worldwide. The species was published in the scientific journal Phytotaxa on 5th August 2026 by researchers from Gauhati University.
16. Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon completed his first extravehicular activity on 6th August 2026 during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station. The operation, designated US Spacewalk 96, lasted 6 hours and 27 minutes and ended at 3:00 p.m. EDT, which was 12:30 a.m. IST on 7th August 2026.
17. IIT Guwahati developed “E-Eye”, a low-cost portable optical sensing device for rapid detection of toxicants and cancer-causing heavy metals in water and biological samples. The device was announced on 6th August 2026 and was designed for on-site testing with digital output and wireless data transmission.
18. Karnataka launched the Composite Digital Crop Survey (CDCS) on 6th August 2026 as a state-level initiative for crop data collection and agricultural mapping. The project uses Artificial Intelligence, Synthetic Aperture Radar, high-resolution satellite imagery, drone surveys, Geographic Information System data, and machine learning for plot-level assessment.
19. India’s first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, has completed major development and validation milestones for human-rating systems. On 6th August 2026, the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology informed the Rajya Sabha that the Indian Space Research Organisation had completed propulsion, structural, life-support, and safety testing for the mission.
20. NASA has invited the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to join its Moon Base programme under the Artemis Accords. The discussions on lunar cooperation and open scientific data sharing were linked to India’s signature on the Artemis Accords on 21st June 2023.
21. Sarla Aviation received Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on 8th August 2026. The approval was handed over by Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu at the inauguration of the company’s new headquarters in Bengaluru.
22. Skyroot Aerospace, a Hyderabad-based private space company, signed a Multi-Launch Agreement (MLA) with HEX20, a Thiruvananthapuram-based spacetech startup, for Earth-observation and payload demonstration missions. The agreement covers three dedicated launches on Skyroot’s Vikram series of launch vehicles, with missions scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027.
23. The Technology Development Board (TDB) of the Department of Science & Technology (DST) signed an agreement on 10th August 2026 with Visakhapatnam-based M/s Griva Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. for the commercialisation of GrivaVision. GrivaVision is an indigenous, AI-powered cervical cancer screening device developed as a portable digital colposcope for clinical use.
24. Scientists detected an unusually thick and highly concentrated ozone layer over the North Bay of Bengal at an altitude of 21 to 23 kilometres. The finding was documented on 10th August 2026 during the Phase-I NetRAD-ASMA campaign and was published in the American Geophysical Union journal Earth and Space Science.
25. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued a direction on 10th August 2026 for the phase-wise implementation of the 1601-series numbering system for service and transactional voice calls. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has allocated the 1601-series for sectors other than Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI) and Government, which already use the 1600-series.
26. The Long March 7A is a 60-metre-tall Chinese launch vehicle used for satellite missions. On 10th August 2026, it lifted off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on Hainan Island with the ChinaSat-4B communications satellite and suffered an in-flight anomaly about 85 seconds after launch.
27. The Department of Health Research (DHR) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will host the second edition of S.H.I.N.E. (Science, Health and Innovation for NextGen Explorers) on 11th and 12th August 2026. The nationwide school outreach programme is planned for students of Classes 9 to 12 and will cover 83 locations across India.
28. Vietnamese aerospace company VinSpace signed a contract with SpaceX on 11th August 2026 to launch its first satellites into orbit in 2027. The launch is planned as part of a SpaceX Transporter rideshare mission, which carries multiple payloads on the same rocket and shares launch costs among customers.
29. Agratas, the battery arm of Tata Group, is developing proprietary lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cell technology for its factory at Sanand in Gujarat. The company is also setting up a pilot production line for domestically designed LFP cells and a new research facility in Bengaluru for battery chemistry development.
30. Amgen announced a Science and Innovation Centre in Genome Valley, Hyderabad, after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Telangana on 11th August 2026. The facility is planned to become operational in 2027 and is expected to add around 200 highly skilled jobs.
31. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) opened NETRA-2026, a two-day national seminar on Electronic Warfare, Digital Twin, and Mission Critical System Design, in Bengaluru on 11th August 2026. Dr. B. K. Das, Director General of Electronics and Communication Systems at DRDO, inaugurated the seminar as chief guest.
32. A newly identified Himalayan flowering plant has been named Impatiens nimspurjai in honour of Nepali mountaineer Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja. The species was formally described in a 57-page study published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE and was first encountered in western Myagdi district of Nepal in 2011.
33. QpiAI, a Bengaluru-based quantum computing startup, inaugurated an 8-inch quantum processing unit manufacturing facility in Jakkur, Bengaluru, on 17th August 2026. The facility forms Phase 2 of the company’s 70,000-square-foot research and development centre and is linked to plans for indigenous quantum hardware manufacturing in India.
34. Quantum computing uses qubits and quantum-mechanical effects such as superposition, entanglement, and interference to solve certain problems far faster than classical computers. It is a fast-evolving field with major implications for cryptography, chemistry, optimization, and national technology capability.
35. Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) launched a digital CO2 Dashboard at Bhilai Steel Plant on 18th August 2026. The platform tracks carbon emissions for Bhilai Steel Plant in Chhattisgarh and Chandrapur Ferro Alloy Plant in Maharashtra.
36. LandSpace, a Beijing-based private space startup, launched its 66-metre Zhuque-3 Y2 rocket on 19th August 2026 and vertically landed its first-stage booster. The mission placed the Honghu-3 commercial internet satellite into its designated orbit and marked China’s first land recovery of an orbital-class rocket booster.
37. S301 is a star in the Milky Way galaxy that has been identified as the fastest-moving star recorded on a secure orbit. The discovery was announced on 19th August 2026 in a study published in Nature. S301 reaches a maximum speed of about 15,500 miles per second, or 25,000 kilometres per second.
38. MC2+ Ignite is a sector-specific accelerator programme for deep-tech startups in India’s energy sector. MC2+, a brand of MC2 Foundation, launched the programme on 19th August 2026 at IIT Madras, with participation from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, oil and gas public sector undertakings, and bp India.
39. Indian researchers announced RK-251 on 19th August 2026 as a smart cancer drug that remains inactive in healthy tissue and activates inside tumour cells. The drug was developed through a collaboration led by Dr. Asis Bala of the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology and Dr. K. P. Bhabak of the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati.
40. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) registered 16 new indigenous livestock and dog breeds in 2026. The registration was completed through the ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBAGR) in Karnal, Haryana, and the total number of registered animal breeds in India rose to 262, including 258 indigenous breeds and 4 synthetic breeds.
41. Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, secured approval for six biomedical research grants under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) scheme on 20th August 2026. The grants total approximately Rs. 15 crore and cover research on gallbladder cancer, antimicrobial resistance, post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis, paediatric septic shock, and precision oncology for renal cell carcinoma.
42. GJ 523b is an exoplanet identified as a “mega-Earth” with a radius about 2.55 times that of Earth and a mass of 23.5 Earth masses. It orbits a mid-K dwarf star and has an estimated bulk density of about 7.8 grams per cubic centimetre.
43. Reliance Industries Limited has proposed an investment of about Rs. 2.73 lakh crore over 30 years for India’s first integrated Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) complex in Eluru district, Andhra Pradesh. The project will use deep coal reserves in the Chintalapudi and Recherla coal blocks, which together contain an estimated 3,130.61 million tonnes of coal at depths of more than 600 metres.
44. PhonePe signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on 20th August 2026 for integration of its enterprise data intelligence platform, PulsePro, into the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan portal.
45. The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is a NASA space telescope launched on 20th November 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts and other high-energy cosmic events. NASA later approved a commercial rescue effort for the observatory, but the planned capture and reboost operation was cancelled after repeated control failures in the rescue spacecraft.
46. India has approved the first module of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), a proposed Indian space station planned for completion by 2035. The station is designed as a low-Earth orbit platform and is linked to India’s human spaceflight programme under the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
47. ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-CCARI), Goa, organised a one-day workshop titled “Carbon Pathshala: Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) for Farmers” at ICAR-KVK, Old Goa, on 21st August 2026. The programme was held with Core CarbonX Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, under a research project on plantation-based systems, biochar production, and carbon credit generation in the west coast region of India.
48. The Territorial Army of India launched Terrier Cyber Quest 2026 (TCQ 3.0) on 21st August 2026 in partnership with CyberPeace. The national hackathon focuses on indigenous defence and digital security solutions and includes three competition tracks for students, startups, security researchers, and digital content creators.
49. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology notified the Rs. 62,500 crore Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme on 21st August 2026. The scheme will run for five years from FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31 and will replace the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing.
50. The Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL), a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Visakhapatnam, signed two Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology (LAToT) on 21st August 2026. The agreements cover the Submarine Fired Decoy (SFD) and the fabrication, installation, and commissioning of the LM2500 Gas Turbine for industrial use in India.
51. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) stated on 23rd August 2026 that no new strain of Influenza A (H1N1) has been identified in India. The circulating Influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 strain was described as similar to the A/Missouri/11/2025 (H1N1) pdm09-like virus, which belongs to clade 6B.1A.5a2a and subclade D.3.1.1.
52. China has scheduled the Chang’e-7 lunar mission for launch on 24th August 2026 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan aboard a Long March 5 Y14 rocket. The China National Space Administration has described the spacecraft as a four-in-one system with an orbiter, lander, rover and hopping probe for exploration of the lunar south pole.
53. Assam is in the final stage of selecting a private-sector partner for AssamSAT, a proposed Earth observation satellite system. The project is being developed under the DBLOTT framework, which stands for Design, Build, Launch, Operate, Train, and Transfer.
54. Singapore has launched a biological data centre prototype at the National University of Singapore’s Centre for Life Sciences. The system uses living human neurons grown from stem cells and connected to silicon hardware for data processing.
55. The Moon’s south pole is one of the most rugged and scientifically important regions on the lunar surface, with deep craters, permanently shadowed zones, and strong prospects for water ice. The Moon’s South Pole lies between 80°S and 90°S latitude.
56. The CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) unveiled three indigenous micro and small gas turbine engines at the SSB Auditorium, CSIR Headquarters, New Delhi, on 25th August 2026. The engines were named NJ-05, NJ-50 and NJ-100, with thrust ratings of 5 kg, 50 kg and 100 kg respectively.
57. The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, launched seven Indian Pharmacopoeia Nitrosamine Impurities Reference Standards on 25th August 2026. The launch took place during the IPC’s first interactive meeting at the Central Drugs Laboratory and Central Cosmetics Laboratory in Kolkata, West Bengal.
58. Researchers from the CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), based in Himachal Pradesh, identified a new plant species of the sunflower family in Arunachal Pradesh. The species was named Doronicum sanctum and was formally described in a study published on 11th August 2026 in a Springer Nature journal.
59. NASA astronaut Anil Menon and European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot completed a 6.5-hour extravehicular activity outside the International Space Station on 25th August 2026. The operation was designated U.S. Spacewalk 98 and ended at 2:57 p.m. EDT after beginning at about 8:27 a.m. EDT.
60. The International Centre for Automotive Technology issued its first compliance certificate for a 15-metre multi-axle sleeper bus on 26th August 2026 in Manesar, Haryana. The certificate was awarded to Synaty Automotive Pvt. Ltd. under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules framework and the applicable AIS-119 and AIS-153 standards.
61. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Safran Helicopter Engines signed a final contract in Bengaluru on 26th August 2026 to develop and produce a new high-power turboshaft engine for 13-tonne helicopters. The agreement was signed through SAFHAL Helicopter Engines Pvt. Ltd. (SAFHAL), a joint venture between HAL and Safran Helicopter Engines.
62. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Rasonque (daraxonrasib) on 26th August 2026 for adult patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The drug is an oral daily pill developed by Revolution Medicines, Inc., a company based in Redwood City, California.
63. Andhra Pradesh approved India’s first dedicated Quantum and AI University campus in Amaravati on 27th August 2026. The project will be developed by the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology, a Deemed-to-be University under the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
64. Vice President of India C. P. Radhakrishnan launched Gnani Artha, an indigenous sovereign Artificial Intelligence stack, at the Uprashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on 28th August 2026. The stack was developed by Bengaluru-based voice and conversational AI startup GNANI AI and is designed for data residency and sovereignty for Indian public institutions and enterprises.
65. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launched on 30th August 2026 at 7:26 a.m. EDT aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The $4.3 billion observatory separated from the Falcon Heavy upper stage 31 minutes after liftoff and began a three-month journey to its science orbit near the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2, about 1 million miles from Earth.
66. The Government of India notified the Semicon 2.0 scheme on 31st August 2026 as the next phase of the Semicon India Programme. The scheme carries a fiscal outlay of Rs. 1,27,500 crore and sets guidelines for semiconductor manufacturing, design, packaging, and talent development in India.
67. India inaugurated its first-of-its-kind Green Forge Complex at the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council-National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (BRIC-NABI) in Mohali, Punjab, on 31st August 2026. The facility is linked to genome and trait engineering, controlled environmental testing, and the BioE3 policy for biotechnology-led biomanufacturing.
68. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to launch EOS-05, also known as GISAT-1A, on 4th September 2026 from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The 2,367 kg Earth Observation Satellite will be carried by the GSLV-F17 launch vehicle into a Sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.
69. SEMICON India 2026 will be held from 17th to 19th September 2026, at Yashobhoomi, also called the India International Convention & Expo Centre, in Dwarka, New Delhi. The fifth edition of the semiconductor conference will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 17th September 2026.
Monthly Current Affairs August 2026
Government Schemes
1. The Government of India has placed the SMILE-Beggary scheme under a wider rehabilitation framework for persons engaged in begging. The scheme was launched on 23rd October 2023 and is implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Between 23rd October 2023 and 31st July 2026, a total of Rs. 45.59 crore was released under the scheme.
2. India’s 16th Census is being conducted in two phases during 2026 and 2027 after postponement from 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. West Bengal began its digital self-enumeration phase on 1st August 2026, and the national House Listing and Housing Census phase started on 1st April 2026.
3. The Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) is an option under the National Pension System (NPS) for Central Government employees. By mid-July 2026, over 1.18 lakh Central Government workers, including new recruits, existing staff, and former retirees, had opted for the scheme.
4. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 347 development projects worth over Rs 491 crore in Rajsamand district on 2nd August 2026. The event was held at Bhikshu Nilayam in Rajsamand and covered works in roads, water supply, electricity, industry, employment, health, and urban infrastructure.
5. The Andhra Pradesh government has set an investment target of up to Rs. 9.5 lakh crore for the Visakhapatnam Economic Region (VER). The plan covers eight districts and spans 36,000 sq km in north coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjoining areas.
6. Assam released interim flood relief of about Rs. 160 crore on 3rd August 2026 for families affected by recent floods in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat districts. The assistance was transferred directly to bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer mechanism, and each of nearly 75,000 worst-affected families received Rs. 15,000.
7. Tea Board India launched National Council of Vocational Education and Training-approved skilled courses on tea tasting at the Darjeeling Tea Research and Development Centre in Kurseong, West Bengal, on 3rd August 2026. The courses are designed to train tea tasters and tea sommeliers for quality assessment, value addition, and market competitiveness in the Indian tea sector.
8. India’s installed non-fossil fuel-based power capacity reached 300.50 GW as of 31st July 2026, crossing the 300 GW mark. This capacity formed more than 54% of India’s total installed electricity generation capacity of about 552 GW on the same date.
9. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has removed the requirement for physical duty payment challans in applications for Export Obligation Discharge Certificates (EODC) under the Advance Authorisation and Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) schemes. The change uses direct electronic integration of license-wise voluntary duty payment data from Customs and ICEGATE into the DGFT online system.
10. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has focused on the SEED scheme for the socio-economic empowerment of De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities. SEED stands for Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs and is implemented through the Development and Welfare Board for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities.
11. Kerala launched an AI-led governance initiative on 4th August 2026 to integrate artificial intelligence, digital public service delivery, and integrated planning systems in state administration. The reforms include a central programme management unit, an AI-enabled business process re-engineering cell, a “once-only” document submission framework through DigiLocker, and digital systems for land, litigation, and public asset management.
12. Tamil Nadu allocated Rs. 44,527 crore to the School Education Department in its maiden budget for the financial year 2026-27. Finance Minister N. Marie Wilson presented the budget on 5th August 2026, and the allocation placed school education among the largest spending heads in the state budget.
13. The Chhattisgarh Cabinet approved the Chhattisgarh State Artificial Intelligence (AI) Mission on 5th August 2026 with an outlay of Rs. 500 crore. The mission will run for five years and is linked to governance, skill development, technology adoption, and digital economy expansion in the state.
14. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 5th August 2026 at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, for wider market access for Geographical Indication products. The MoU links the MSME Ministry’s enterprise support systems with the legal and administrative framework of the DPIIT under the Geographical Indications of Goods Act, 1999.
15. Telangana Police launched the NextGen Dial-112 Emergency Response Support System, also called the AI-enabled Telangana Emergency Response Support System (TG-ERSS), on 5th August 2026 at the Telangana Integrated Command and Control Centre (TGiCCC) in Hyderabad. The upgraded platform integrates 18 emergency services under the national emergency number 112 and uses artificial intelligence for call filtering, incident prioritisation, smart routing, and voice-to-text transcription.
16. On 6th August 2026, the Union Cabinet approved two projects with a combined outlay of Rs. 32,701 crore. The package included the GOBARdhan National Circular Bioenergy Scheme and a four-lane access-controlled highway project in Assam.
17. Tamil Nadu announced the Vetri Vaanmagal scheme on 6th August 2026 in the 2026-27 Agriculture Budget. The scheme is designed to train women farmers in operating agricultural drones and to support drone pilot licensing in the state.
18. Assam launched the application form distribution for three student welfare schemes on 6th August 2026 at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati. The schemes are Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Moina, Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Babu, and Shikhyarthee Sahayak Prayas (SSP), and they are planned for about 7 lakh students in the 2026-27 academic year.
19. The Rajya Sabha passed the Appropriation (No. 3) Bill, 2026 on 6th August 2026 and returned it to complete the parliamentary process for a Money Bill. The Bill authorises withdrawal of Rs. 54,067.44 crore from the Consolidated Fund of India for excess expenditure incurred during the 2022-23 financial year.
20. The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in Amaravati on 6th August 2026, approved the draft Andhra Pradesh Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Policy-2026 and the draft Andhra Pradesh Omnibus (Ease of Doing Business) Act, 2026. The Cabinet also cleared measures on pedestrian safety, quantum infrastructure, aquaculture subsidy, and the withdrawal of the Andhra Pradesh Disha Bill, 2019.
21. The Government of India operates several relief and response funds for disasters, emergencies, defence welfare, and medical hardship. Some are statutory funds created under law, while others are public charitable trusts managed by government functionaries.
22. Tamil Nadu announced 365 days of maternity leave for women state government employees for a third child. The policy applies to women government employees in the Tamil Nadu state service and gives the same leave period as the first two deliveries.
23. The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), a constituent of the Quality Council of India (QCI), launched India’s first accreditation scheme for mobile food testing laboratories on 10th August 2026. The scheme was unveiled at the “Gunvatta Samanvaya – A Multilateral MoU Exchange Ceremony” held at Hotel Ashoka in New Delhi.
24. A one-day branding and marketing awareness programme was held in Kushalnagar in Kodagu district on 10th August 2026 for around 150 tailor beneficiaries registered under the PM Vishwakarma scheme. The programme covered Artificial Intelligence tools, digital marketing, e-commerce onboarding, QR code generation, and registration on the Udyam Portal.
25. The Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers Welfare, and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, launched a National Scholarship Portal-based system for agriculture students on 10th August 2026 at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Indian Agricultural Research Institute in Pusa, New Delhi.
26. The National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP), headquartered in Nagpur and functioning under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), has developed India’s first soil texture map. The map provides digitised soil classification data at the hectare level across the country and was released on 16th July 2026.
27. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways approved a Rs. 334.89-crore internal flyover project for the Visakhapatnam Port Authority on 11th August 2026. The project covers a 3.584-kilometre elevated corridor between Convent Junction and the Dock Area at Visakhapatnam Port.
28. NITI Aayog’s Skill Development, Labour and Employment Division released the report Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047 in August 2026. The report examined India’s vocational training system, youth employability, labour market alignment, and skilling finance.
29. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has proposed draft rules to introduce two-wheeled ambulances in India. The draft framework seeks to create a separate legal and technical basis for registration, design, safety, and operation under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
30. Bihar has announced a proposed Mahila Vishwavidyalaya, a women’s university in which students, faculty, non-teaching staff and the vice-chancellor will all be women. The announcement was made in Patna at Bapu Sabhagar during the launch of the Samriddh Mahila Samriddh Bihar Abhiyan on the eve of Raksha Bandhan.
31. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a draft notification in August 2026 proposing mandatory Vehicle-to-Vehicle communication systems in new vehicles in India. The proposal covers vehicle categories L, M and N, and it links the rollout to the AIS-230 standard and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
32. Tamil Nadu will introduce the TN-ARIVU curriculum from the academic year 2027-28 in government schools. TN-ARIVU stands for Analytical thinking, Reasoning, Innovation, Venture and entrepreneurship, and Upskilling, and it will include artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
33. Telangana will begin distributing 1.05 crore newly sanctioned laminated Public Distribution System ration cards from 15th August 2026. The state-level launch will take place at Sangareddy, and the programme will run across all 119 Assembly constituencies on Independence Day.
34. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued a circular on 17th August 2026 directing telecom service providers to deny new mobile connections to subscribers who have already reached the prescribed SIM card limit. Under the rules in force on that date, an individual in India can hold a maximum of nine mobile connections across operators, while Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and the North Eastern States have a lower limit of six connections.
35. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan sanctioned 2,89,355 pucca houses worth Rs. 3,473 crore for Rajasthan under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) on 17th August 2026. The approval letters were handed over at a state-level PMAY-G event in Baran, Rajasthan, to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma.
36. Maharashtra declared snakebite a notifiable disease on 18th August 2026 under the state public health framework. The order makes reporting mandatory for government hospitals, private hospitals, medical colleges, and healthcare practitioners for every suspected, probable, or confirmed case and death.
37. Digital Bharat Nidhi, functioning under the Department of Telecommunications, signed an agreement with the Government of Chhattisgarh on 18th August 2026 for the Amended BharatNet Programme under the State-led model. The agreement was signed at Sanchar Bhawan in New Delhi and involved Digital Bharat Nidhi, the Government of Chhattisgarh, Chhattisgarh State BharatNet Infrastructure Limited, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, and Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society.
38. Tamil Nadu increased the annual health insurance cover under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS) from Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 25 lakh. The announcement was made in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly under Rule 110 on 19th August 2026, and the state also approved new health and welfare measures linked to public healthcare, cancer care, nursing education, and maternity benefits.
39. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the four-laning and upgradation of the 82.578 km Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa section of National Highway-22 in Bihar on 19th August 2026. The project will be executed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode at a total capital cost of Rs. 3,590.73 crore. The corridor connects Muzaffarpur with the India-Nepal border at Sonbarsa through Sitamarhi.
40. The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti issued the Policy on Data Sharing, Interoperability and Stakeholder Access on 20th August 2026 in New Delhi. The policy is linked to the Sujalam Bharat Digital Public Infrastructure and applies to India’s rural drinking water sector.
41. Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration issued a statewide order on 20th August 2026 banning the sale of loose or unpackaged edible oil and fats. The order applies across the edible oil supply chain, including oil expellers, refiners, blenders, repackers, importers, wholesalers, transporters, retailers, and e-commerce platforms.
42. Chhattisgarh signed two Memorandums of Understanding with the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics and National Logistics Data Services Ltd on 20th August 2026 in Raipur. The agreements relate to geospatial technology, logistics analytics, and the PM GatiShakti framework for infrastructure planning.
43. The Ministry of Rural Development launched the second phase of the National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II on 21st August 2026 under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission. The three-month campaign runs from 21st August to 21st November 2026 and coincides with World Entrepreneurs Day.
44. The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved a policy on 22nd August 2026 that grants female state government employees 180 days of paid maternity leave twice during their service career. The decision also extends the same 180-day leave benefit to adoptive mothers who adopt children.
45. Rajasthan announced a Rs. 12,500 crore roadmap on 23rd August 2026 to modernise government schools across 41 districts. The plan includes new school buildings, additional classrooms, major repairs, and toilet complexes for the state school system.
46. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) of India has directed telecom service providers to stop issuing new mobile connections to individuals who already hold the prescribed limit of nine SIM cards in their name. The new system comes into effect from 24th August 2026 and uses the Digital Intelligence Platform for subscriber screening.
47. On 24th August 2026, Tamil Nadu’s new welfare measures, including a newborn gold ring scheme and six free LPG cylinders a year for eligible families, have renewed debate on targeted social assistance, fiscal sustainability, and the use of symbolic transfers in politics.
48. Tamil Nadu announced the Annapoorani Super Six Scheme in the State Assembly on 24th August 2026 for domestic LPG cylinder reimbursement to eligible families. The scheme is linked to the State’s public distribution and welfare framework and is scheduled for launch on Pongal Day in January 2027.
49. The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, launched the Garbhini Mitra course for the 2026-2027 academic session on 24th August 2026. The six-month offline programme is designed to train community-level support personnel for non-clinical maternal wellness guidance under the Ministry of Ayush.
50. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology launched the GENESIS Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Cohort-3 through the MeitY Startup Hub on 24th August 2026. The application window opened for aspiring entrepreneurs, researchers, students, and early-stage startup founders, with the deadline fixed for 3rd September 2026.
51. The PMFME Bazaar and the PMFME Conclave 2026 were inaugurated on 24th August 2026 at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi. The event was organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries and brought together more than 500 stakeholders from the micro food processing sector.
52. Delhi Lakshmi Yojana is a monthly financial assistance scheme for eligible women in Delhi. It was launched on 26th August 2026 at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi, and the scheme provides Rs. 2,500 per month to women aged 21 to 60 years from lower-income families.
53. Meghalaya launched the CM-IMPACT Read & Rise Meghalaya programme on 26th August 2026 at the Assembly Annexe Hall in Shillong. The programme is part of CM-IMPACT, an acronym for Chief Minister’s Initiative for Maximising Pass Achievement and Classroom Triumph, and it focuses on foundational literacy and reading readiness.
54. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed mandatory front-of-pack warning labels for packaged foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fat. The proposal was placed before the Supreme Court of India in a compliance affidavit and includes red-coloured, hexagonal warning symbols for specified food products.
55. Bihar and Jharkhand are scheduled to sign a water-sharing agreement for the Sone river on 31st August 2026. The pact ends a 25-year dispute that began after Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in November 2000. The final formula allocates 5.75 million acre-feet (MAF) of water to Bihar and 2.0 MAF to Jharkhand. The total allocation of 7.75 MAF corresponds to the share originally assigned to undivided Bihar under the 1973 Bansagar Agreement.
56. Mission Rangeen Machhli 2031 is a Strategic Action Plan for Ornamental Fisheries Development in India. The plan was released in Agatti, Lakshadweep, on 31st August 2026 by Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan. The initiative covers scientific management, biosecurity, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance for ornamental fisheries.
Monthly Current Affairs August 2026
Awards & Honours
1. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval received the Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2026 on 1st August 2026 in Pune, Maharashtra. The award was presented by the Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Trust on the 106th death anniversary of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Union Home Minister Amit Shah presented the award at the ceremony.
2. The National Cadet Corps organised Cyclothon 2026 on 2nd August 2026 in New Delhi to commemorate 79 years of India’s Independence. The event began and ended at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium and included a symbolic 79-kilometre ride by 79 NCC cadets.
3. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2025 to recognise and reward excellence in sports. The awards are conferred annually by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan. For 2025, the selection committee recommended 17 athletes for the Arjuna Award, five coaches for the Dronacharya Award, and one organisation for the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar.
4. Willie Walsh assumed charge as the Chief Executive Officer of IndiGo on 3rd August 2026. IndiGo had announced his appointment in March 2026, and he succeeded Pieter Elbers, who resigned as CEO on 10th March 2026.
5. The Boeing 737 MAX 7, also called the 737-7, received an amended type certificate from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on 3rd August 2026. The aircraft is the smallest and longest-range variant in the Boeing 737 MAX family and is cleared for commercial service after a certification process that lasted nearly a decade.
6. Astrophysicist Annapurni Subramaniam received the COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal 2026 on 3rd August 2026. She is the Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bengaluru, India. The medal was presented during the 46th COSPAR Scientific Assembly in Florence, Italy.
7. Pakistan has proposed two Mumbai-based Parsi doctors for the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, which is the country’s highest civilian award. The proposed honourees are Dr. Jal Ratanji Patel, a physician, and Dr. Jal Dhaybho-Koo, a radiologist, both linked to Bombay in 1946.
8. Air India appointed Tewolde Gebremariam as its Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director on 5th August 2026. He will succeed Campbell Wilson, whose resignation took effect in April 2026 and whose departure is scheduled for 30 September 2026.
9. Indian Air Force Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth became the first woman pilot in India to clear the Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course on 6th August 2026. She completed the course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) in Gwalior, which trains selected IAF pilots in air combat tactics and leadership.
10. Mumbai became the only Indian city in the fourth annual Work From Anywhere Index published by the International Workplace Group in 2026. The city scored 77 out of 100 and ranked 50th globally, ahead of London and Miami in the same index.
11. Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, a 1993-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, was appointed Secretary of the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education on 10th August 2026. The Department of Personnel and Training issued the order during a bureaucratic reshuffle that also changed several senior posts in the Union Government.
12. The QS World University Rankings 2027 listed 52 Indian higher education institutions, up from 11 in the 2015 edition. The rankings were released on 18th June 2026, and the Indian government linked the rise in representation to the National Institutional Ranking Framework, launched in 2015.
13. Professor Karthikeyan Lanka of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay has been selected for the NASI Young Scientist Award 2026. He is an Associate Professor at the Centre of Studies in Resources Engineering and an associate faculty member in the Interdisciplinary Programme in Climate Studies at IIT Bombay. The award presentation is scheduled during the 96th Annual Session and Symposium of the National Academy of Sciences, India, at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, on 4th – 5th December 2026.
14. V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, became India’s first major port to achieve Scope-2 Emission-Free status on 10th August 2026. The port also became the first in India to secure ISO 50001:2018 certification for its Energy Management System.
15. Delhi’s Directorate of Education (DoE) revised the PM-POSHAN menu for government and government-aided schools in New Delhi on 11th August 2026. The updated midday meal plan includes idli-sambar, along with changes in several weekly dishes under the school nutrition scheme.
16. Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the autobiography of Ram Nath Kovind, the 14th President of India, at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on 12th August 2026. The book launch was scheduled by the Press Information Bureau of Delhi for 12th August 2026 at 9:30 AM.
17. President Droupadi Murmu presented the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for the 2024 and 2025 cycles at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on 13th August 2026. The honours covered artists from several Indian States and Union Territories across music, dance, theatre, puppetry, and folk traditions.
18. Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a Maharatna public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Power, received the PMIS Recognition of Partner Company Award in the category of Innovation in Exit Pathways on 14th August 2026. The award ceremony was held by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi during India’s Independence Day celebrations.
19. The Illinois State Senate declared 15th August as “National India Hub Day” during a proclamation presented on 15th August 2026 at the National India Hub in Schaumburg, Illinois. The event coincided with India’s 80th Independence Day and was held during INDIA FEST 2026 at a 107,000-square-foot facility described as the world’s largest Indian community centre.
20. A total of 210 Indian peacekeepers received the United Nations Medal in Juba, South Sudan, on 17th August 2026. The award included six women and seven staff officers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
21. European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot became the first French woman and the second European woman to perform a spacewalk on 18th August 2026. She carried out U.S. Spacewalk 97 outside the International Space Station with NASA astronaut Anil Menon during a 6-hour and 23-minute extravehicular activity.
22. Former Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman S. Somanath was appointed as a part-time, non-official director on the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India on 20th August 2026. His appointment took effect for a four-year term, and Anand Gopal Mahindra was reappointed to the same board for another four-year term on the same date.
23. The Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting won seven honours at the Federation of Indian Publishers Awards for Excellence in Book Production 2026. The awards were presented at the 46th FIP Awards ceremony on 24th August 2026 by Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva.
24. Hindalco Industries Limited, the metals flagship of the Aditya Birla Group, commissioned India’s first greenfield Superfine Precipitated Aluminium Trihydrate (PPT ATH) manufacturing plant on 27th August 2026. The facility is located in Belagavi, Karnataka, and marks domestic production of a specialty alumina material used in fire-safety applications.
25. The National Teachers Awards 2026 will be conferred on 48 school teachers by President Droupadi Murmu at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on 5th September 2026. The date coincides with National Teachers Day in India, which is observed every year on 5th September.
26. Odia poet, essayist and former CSIR-IMMT scientist Dr. Ashutosh Parida has been selected for the 47th Sarala Puraskar for his poetry collection Bishwas De Pruthwi. The award ceremony is scheduled in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on 25th October 2026, and the honour carries a citation, a copper plaque and a cash prize of Rs. 7 lakh.
Monthly Current Affairs August 2026
Sports
1. Indian para-cyclists won 12 medals at the UCI Parasport Denmark Grand Prix in Odense, Denmark, after a three-day track cycling competition that began on 7th August 2026 and ended on 10th August 2026. The Indian tally included 2 gold, 5 silver and 5 bronze medals in para-cycling events.
2. Indian-origin chess players Bodhana Sivanandan and Shreyas Royal won major titles at the 2026 British Chess Championships on 9th August 2026. The nine-day event was held at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, and drew more than 2,600 entries across all sections.
3. India won one gold medal, three bronze medals, and one Honourable Mention at the 23rd International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) held in Bucharest, Romania, in 2026. The eight-member Indian student contingent competed in the individual contest, where medals were awarded for solving language-analysis problems based on logic, grammar, and pattern recognition.
4. India won five medals on the third day of the Commonwealth Fencing Championship 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria, including three gold, one silver and one bronze in senior individual events. The tournament began on 9th August 2026 at Rugby School Nigeria in Atlantic City, Lagos, and it is scheduled to continue until 14th August 2026.
5. Indian chess players Vignesh Vermula and Saranya Devi won the Open and Girls gold medals, respectively, in the Asian Junior Blitz Chess Championship on 17th August 2026. The tournament was held at the ITC Maratha Sheraton in Mumbai, India, under the aegis of the Maharashtra Chess Association.
6. FIFA released the 64-match schedule for the 10th edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup on 20th August 2026. The tournament will run from 24th June to 25th July 2027 in Brazil and will feature 32 national teams.
7. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand reached the women’s doubles semifinals at the BWF World Championships 2026 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on 21st August 2026. The unseeded Indian pair defeated China’s fourth-seeded duo Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian in 69 minutes to secure a World Championships medal for India.
8. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports approved a 15-member Indian esports contingent for the 20th Asian Games on 22nd August 2026. The contingent forms part of a 492-member Indian multi-sport delegation for the Games scheduled in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from 19th September to 4th October 2026.
9. Hockey India announced a cash reward of Rs. 50 lakh for the Indian women’s hockey team on 28th August 2026 after its campaign at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup. The team finished fifth in Amstelveen, Netherlands, on 27th August 2026, which was India’s best World Cup finish in 52 years since the fourth-place result in 1974.
10. IIT Madras launched Phiball on 28th August 2026 on its Chennai campus. Phiball is a three-team competitive invasion sport with rules designed for lower space and infrastructure requirements than conventional basketball. Phiball uses three competing teams in each match. Each team has seven registered players, including four active on-field players and three substitutes.
11. India’s Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa made history recently by becoming the first-ever Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour. The Indian grandmaster made an incredible comeback from six points down against American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana and won 15-13 on the decisive day at the Saint Louis Chess Club.
12. Germany won the World Cup for the second consecutive time, beating Spain 1-0 in a close match in the final of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup at the Belfius Hockey Arena. With the win, Germany won the World Cup for the fourth time in their history and they are now level with Pakistan as the most successful side in the World Cup competition history.
13. The International Cricket Council (ICC) removed Sri Lanka Cricket’s hosting rights for the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy on 30th August 2026. The six-team tournament is scheduled from 14th to 28th February 2027, and the replacement venue has not been finalised.
14. Lionel Messi, the Argentina captain and one of football’s most capped players, announced his retirement from international football on 31st August 2026. He ended his senior international career with 125 goals in 207 appearances for Argentina.
15. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a 15 year old batter from East Zone, became the youngest player to score a half-century in Duleep Trophy history on 31st August 2026. He reached the milestone in the semi-final against Central Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
16. Jammu and Kashmir is scheduled to host the Irani Cup match at Sher-I-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar from 1st to 5th October 2026. The fixture will be played between Jammu and Kashmir and the Rest of India in a five-day first-class format.
17. Boleng in Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh will host the Asian Rafting Championships 2026 from 5th October to 9th October 2026. The five-day event will take place on the Simang River, a Class III+ tributary of the Siang River, and will bring paddlers from across Asia to compete in white-water rafting events.
Also Read: Monthly Current Affairs