August 2026 Current Affairs Quiz

Explanation

The 26th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State is being held in Bishkek, capital of the Kyrgyz Republic, from 30 August to 1 September 2026 at the Ala-Archa State Residence. Kyrgyzstan holds the 2025-26 chairmanship and President Sadyr Japarov chairs the summit, themed on 25 years of the SCO. The plenary falls on 1 September. Exam angle: the SCO was founded in 2001, is headquartered in Beijing, India became a full member in 2017, and the 25th summit was held at Tianjin, China, in 2025.

Explanation

UPI was developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the umbrella body for retail payment systems set up in 2009 and working under the regulatory oversight of the RBI. The pilot was launched on 11 April 2016 in Mumbai by the then RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan with 21 member banks; banks made their UPI apps publicly available on 25 August 2016, the date on which the platform completed 10 years in 2026. The BHIM app followed in December 2016.

Explanation

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) held the 2nd edition of joint exercise Sahyog HOP TAC off Chennai in the Bay of Bengal on 27 August 2026. Vietnam Coast Guard ship CSB 8002 and a six-member delegation took part. The 7th ICG-VCG High-Level Meeting was held at Chennai just before it, under the 2015 Memorandum of Understanding on Coast Guard Cooperation. Exam angle: the first edition was also held off Chennai, in October 2018, with ship CSB 8001.

Explanation

The inaugural event of the 3rd National Space Day was held at Ahmedabad on 23 August 2026, hosted by the Space Applications Centre (SAC), whose Director Dr Ch V N Rao delivered the welcome address. ISRO said Ahmedabad was chosen for SAC's presence and its growing start-up ecosystem. The theme was Towards Viksit Bharat. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was chief guest and ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan presided. The day marks Chandrayaan-3's 2023 lunar landing.

Explanation

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev conferred the Order of Oliy Darajali Do'stlik on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace in Tashkent on 30 August 2026. It is Uzbekistan's supreme state award for foreign leaders; Do'stlik means friendship in Uzbek. Modi dedicated it to the enduring bond between the two countries. Exam angle: this is the 36th international honour conferred on Modi, received during his state visit of 29-30 August 2026.

Explanation

During PM Modi's state visit to Uzbekistan on 29-30 August 2026, the two sides set a target of USD 5 billion in annual bilateral trade by 2030, up from the current level of over USD 1 billion. Ties were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and 11 MoUs, agreements and understandings were exchanged. Modi also announced that a long-term arrangement would be established for the supply of uranium to India.

Explanation

A Letter of Intent was exchanged between India's Ministry of External Affairs and the Cultural Heritage Agency of Uzbekistan for the conservation and restoration of Fayaz Tepa and Kara Tepa. These ancient Buddhist sites lie in the Termez region of southern Uzbekistan and reflect the shared Buddhist heritage of the two countries. A Cultural Exchange Programme for 2026-30 and an MoU on archival cooperation were also signed. Exam angle: outcomes of Modi's Tashkent visit of 29-30 August 2026.

Explanation

Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital, Jaipur performed Rajasthan's first successful paediatric liver transplant in the government sector, giving a new life to a 14-year-old boy. A joint team of the liver transplant surgery and anaesthesia departments carried out the procedure, and the patient is stable after surgery. The team was led by Dr Dinesh Bharti, head of HPB surgery. Exam angle: Rajasthan's first heart transplant in a government hospital was also done at SMS, in January 2020.

Explanation

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah announced new District Central Cooperative Banks for four Rajasthan districts - Pratapgarh, Phalodi, Balotra and Didwana-Kuchaman - at an event in Alwar. The Rajasthan State Cooperative Bank, the Apex Bank, had surveyed the 12 districts lacking an independent central cooperative bank, and these four were selected. Exam angle: Pratapgarh district was created in 2008, while Phalodi, Balotra and Didwana-Kuchaman were created in 2023.

Explanation

On 28 August 2026 the US Mission in India announced that the Indian Army had signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank guided missile under the US Foreign Military Sales route. An LOA is a government-to-government instrument. In November 2025 the DSCA had cleared a proposed $45.7 million package of 100 Javelin rounds and 25 Lightweight Command Launch Units. Javelin, from the Lockheed Martin-RTX joint venture, is fire-and-forget with top-attack capability.

Explanation

The Union Cabinet approved PARIVARTAN on 3 June 2026 and operational guidelines were issued in July 2026. It seeks to replace over 2 lakh BS-IV or older trucks and buses registered in Delhi and the NCR districts of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh with BS-VI or electric vehicles. Total outlay is Rs 9,585 crore, including Rs 5,041 crore central support. Funding flows through NCRPB under MoHUA; MoRTH implements. These vehicles are 3 per cent of the NCR fleet but 36 per cent of its PM2.5.

Explanation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tashkent on Saturday, 29 August 2026, for a two-day state visit and was received at the airport by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. This is Modi's fourth visit to Uzbekistan. Delegation-level talks covered trade, investment, digital connectivity, defence, energy and education. He then attends the 26th SCO Summit at Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, on 31 August-1 September 2026, marking the SCO's 25th anniversary.

Explanation

The inaugural India-Canada Finance Ministers' Economic and Financial Dialogue concluded in Toronto on August 27, 2026. Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Canada's Minister of Finance and National Revenue Francois-Philippe Champagne adopted a joint statement reaffirming the aspiration to raise bilateral trade to CAD 70 billion, about INR 4.65 lakh crore, by 2030. It builds on the Modi-Carney meeting of March 2026 in New Delhi. The next Dialogue is due in 2027.

Explanation

The first India-Canada Finance Ministers' Economic and Financial Dialogue was held in Toronto, Ontario on August 27, 2026, not in the capital Ottawa. Nirmala Sitharaman and Francois-Philippe Champagne adopted a joint statement covering wider use of UPI in Canada, cross-border remittances and merchant payments, cooperation in critical minerals, and India's readiness to begin Bilateral Investment Treaty talks. Both sides aim to conclude CEPA negotiations by end-2026.

Explanation

Sugam Path (sugampath.rajasthan.gov.in) is the online portal and mobile app of the Public Works Department, Government of Rajasthan. Citizens use it to lodge complaints about roads and government buildings, while the department monitors works through it. News reports say the digital record of monsoon 2026 pothole patch repairs is also being logged on this portal. PWD is headed by Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, with Dr Manju Baghmar as Minister of State.

Explanation

Sugam Path, at sugampath.rajasthan.gov.in, is the portal and mobile app of the Public Works Department of Rajasthan. It handles public grievances relating to roads and government buildings and lets the department monitor those works. PWD is responsible for construction and maintenance of roads, bridges and government buildings in the state and acts as technical adviser to the state government. Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari holds the PWD portfolio; Dr Manju Baghmar is Minister of State.

Explanation

V. Srinivas, a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, has been Chief Secretary of Rajasthan since November 17, 2025, succeeding Sudhansh Pant. In June 2025 he was elected President of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS), Brussels, for 2025-2028, the first Indian to hold the post. IIAS was founded in 1930 and the Holy See is a member. Pope Leo XIV addressed IIAS members in the Vatican's Blessing Hall on August 28, 2026.

Explanation

R. Praggnanandhaa, the 21-year-old grandmaster from Chennai, beat defending champion Fabiano Caruana 15-13 in the 2026 Grand Chess Tour Finals title match at the Saint Louis Chess Club, becoming the first Indian to win the GCT. Trailing 3-9 after the classical games, he swept both rapid games and drew the blitz section 4-4. He earned the USD 200,000 winner's purse and a place in the 2027 GCT. The event carried a USD 450,000 prize fund.

Explanation

On August 27, 2026, the Mizoram Legislative Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution moved by Chief Minister Lalduhoma declaring 'Ro Min Rel Sak Ang Che' the official state song. Written and composed by the Mizo writer Rokunga in 1947, the title means 'Be Thou Our Counsellor'. The state Cabinet had cleared it on August 10, 2026. The General Administration Department will issue a code governing its respectful use and singing.

Explanation

Per the Ministry of Defence, India-Thailand joint military exercise MAITREE-XV (2026) was conducted from 18 to 31 August 2026 at Vibhavadi Rangsit Camp, Surat Thani, Thailand. Instituted in 2006, it is hosted alternately by both countries. Each contingent had 85 personnel: India mainly 9 Gorkha Rifles, Thailand the 3rd Battalion, 25th Infantry Brigade, 5th Division. Exam angle: the previous edition, MAITREE-XIV, was held at Foreign Training Node, Umroi, Meghalaya in September 2025.

Explanation

Per the Ministry of External Affairs, the 25th round of India-China Special Representatives' talks was held in Beijing on 25 August 2026, co-chaired by NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The two sides recorded eight points of outcomes and consensus and reaffirmed the 2005 political parameters agreement. Exam angle: the SR mechanism began in 2003; the 24th round was held in New Delhi in August 2025 with a ten-point consensus, and the 26th will be hosted by India in 2027.

Explanation

Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched Mission Samriddh Gaon in New Delhi on 25 August 2026. An initiative of the Ministry of Rural Development, it aims to build poverty-free, employment-rich villages with assured basic amenities and end distress migration. An integrated framework at family, panchayat and block levels will link households to central and state schemes by eligibility. Exam angle: the pilot covers Budni (Sehore) and Khategaon (Dewas) blocks in Madhya Pradesh.

Explanation

At the 30th BWF World Championships, held at the Indira Gandhi Arena, New Delhi from 17 to 23 August 2026, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand won the women's doubles bronze. The unseeded world No. 39 pair lost the semi-final on 22 August to China's world No. 1 defending champions Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning. Exam angle: this is India's first women's doubles Worlds medal since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa took bronze at London 2011; India last hosted the event at Hyderabad in 2009.

Explanation

On 26 August 2026 in Bengaluru, HAL and France's Safran Helicopter Engines signed the final contract with their 50:50 joint venture SAFHAL Helicopter Engines Pvt Ltd covering design, development, manufacture, supply and lifecycle support of Aravalli, a new 3,500-4,000 shp turboshaft engine. It will power HAL's 13-tonne Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH) and its naval variant, the Deck-Based Multi-Role Helicopter (DBMRH). Safran earlier supplied Artouste engines and co-developed Shakti.

Explanation

Per the Finance Ministry, annual UPI transaction volume rose from 1.78 crore in FY2016-17 to over 24,162 crore in FY2025-26, an almost 13,000-fold increase at a CAGR of 188%. Transaction value grew from Rs 0.07 lakh crore to about Rs 314 lakh crore, a more than 4,000-fold rise. UPI was launched on 25 August 2016 by NPCI under RBI oversight. Banks live on UPI rose from 44 to 703, and July 2026 set a record 2,366 crore monthly transactions.

Explanation

In August 2026, Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) test-fired the first fully indigenised AK-203 'Sher' rifle at its Korwa plant in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, including burst-fire trials. IRRPL CEO and MD Maj Gen S K Sharma said every component and input material came from Indian industry. IRRPL is a joint venture with Russia's Kalashnikov Concern and Rosoboronexport under a Rs 5,200 crore deal. The rifle fires the 7.62x39 mm round; Army trials are due in September 2026.

Explanation

Udara Shakti is the biennial bilateral air exercise of the Indian Air Force and Royal Malaysian Air Force. The 2026 edition ran at Subang Air Base, Selangor, Malaysia, ending 14 August. India sent four Rafale jets of 101 Squadron and two C-17 Globemaster III of 81 Squadron, the Rafale's first outing in this exercise since its 2020 induction. Malaysia fielded Su-30MKM, F/A-18D Hornet and A400M. Earlier editions used Su-30MKI jets. The contingent arrived via Exercise Pitch Black 2026, Australia.

Explanation

The Union Cabinet approved the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana on 31 July 2026, outlay Rs 5,070 crore. This Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy will develop 5,000 MW of Floating Solar PV capacity with co-located Energy Storage of at least two hours, or 10,000 MWh. Projects are sanctioned FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31, support running till FY 2032-33. CFA is Rs 1 crore per MW. NISE puts India's floating solar potential at 102.18 GWp; present capacity is near 700 MW.

Explanation

The BRICS Tourism Ministers' Meeting concluded at Jaipur, Rajasthan on 21 August 2026 with consensus adoption of the BRICS Tourism Ministers' Communique 2026, the Jaipur Declaration. It capped the tourism track under India's 2026 BRICS Chairship, themed Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability. Its four priorities are AI and Tourism, Sustainability and Responsible Tourism, Tourism Skilling, and Tourism Exchanges with seamless travel. Nine member states took part.

Explanation

The BRICS Tourism Ministers' Meeting that adopted the Jaipur Declaration was chaired by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. It concluded at Jaipur, Rajasthan on 21 August 2026 and capped the tourism track of India's 2026 BRICS Chairship. Nine member states joined; ministers from Brazil, Iran, South Africa and the UAE attended. Tourism Secretary Bhuvnesh Kumar was in the Indian delegation. Shekhawat stressed tourism's role in Viksit Bharat 2047.

Explanation

The 25th Round of the India-China Special Representatives Talks on the boundary question was held in Beijing on 25 August 2026. India was represented by NSA Ajit Doval and China by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a CPC Politburo member and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs. The SR mechanism began in 2003, with Political Parameters and Guiding Principles agreed in 2005. The 23rd round was in Beijing in December 2024, the 24th in New Delhi in August 2025.

Explanation

The 25th Round of Special Representatives' Talks on the India-China Boundary Question was held in Beijing on 25 August 2026, co-chaired by India's Special Representative and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and China's Special Representative and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The SR mechanism was set up in 2003 as the main negotiating channel for the 3,488 km boundary dispute. The 24th round was held in New Delhi in August 2025 and the 23rd in Beijing in December 2024.

Explanation

IN-SPACe Chairman Dr Pawan Kumar Goenka said at Business Today's India@100 Economy Summit on 21 August 2026 that ISRO will eventually not manufacture any launch vehicles, with the work moving to private firms and PSUs. PSLV, LVM3 and SSLV technology is to be transferred to industry; SSLV has already gone to HAL. ISRO will focus on research and scientific missions. IN-SPACe, headquartered in Ahmedabad, was created under the 2020 space reforms and works under the Department of Space.

Explanation

External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar co-chaired the 27th Session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) in Moscow with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, during a visit on 23-24 August 2026 at Manturov's invitation. He also met President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The IRIGC's other arm, IRIGC-M&MTC, is headed by the Defence Ministers.

Explanation

Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia launched the revamped Dak Sewa and Dak MITRA mobile apps and inaugurated 14 renovated post offices at a Department of Posts event in New Delhi on 24 August 2026. Minister of State Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani was also present. Dak MITRA serves staff at 1.4 lakh branch post offices; the citizen-facing Dak Sewa app is in 23 Indian languages. Forty post offices in 17 states are marked for upgradation.

Explanation

A Department of Telecommunications circular directs telecom service providers, from 24 August 2026, to refuse new mobile connections to subscribers who have already reached the permitted limit. That limit is nine connections in most of the country and six in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and the North-Eastern states. The nine-connection cap itself dates to instructions of 9 August 2012; what is new is strict enforcement using the Digital Intelligence Platform, aimed at curbing cyber fraud.

Explanation

The Government of India designated 23 August as National Space Day to mark the soft landing of the Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander near the Moon's south polar region on 23 August 2023, making India the fourth nation to soft-land on the Moon and the first near its south pole. The third edition, in 2026, carried the theme 'Towards Viksit Bharat: Innovating, Collaborating and Aspiring to Global Space Leadership', with the national event hosted by the Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad.

Explanation

The first AK-203 'Sher' assault rifle built entirely from Indian components and input materials was successfully test-fired, including burst firing, at the Korwa facility of Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, in August 2026. IRRPL is a 2019 India-Russia joint venture. Under a contract worth about Rs 5,200 crore it is to supply 6,01,427 rifles. Army user trials are due in September 2026. The AK-203 replaces the ageing INSAS rifle.

Explanation

On 20 August 2026 in New Delhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi signed a Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation after bilateral talks. It creates a framework for the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force to cooperate on Maritime Domain Awareness information sharing, Search and Rescue, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, under the Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

Explanation

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2025 on 18 August 2026. Seventeen sportspersons received the Arjuna Award in the regular category, including Tejaswin Shankar, Vidit Gujarathi, Divya Deshmukh, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand. Footballer I. Arumainayagam got the Arjuna Award (Lifetime). Five coaches received the Dronacharya Award and the Army Paralympic Node, Pune, the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar. No Khel Ratna was named; 2024 had four.

Explanation

The Central Government appointed former ISRO Chairman Somanath Sreedhara Panicker as a part-time non-official Director on the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India for four years with effect from 20 August 2026. Anand Mahindra was re-appointed for four years from the same date. Somanath retired from ISRO in January 2025. The RBI was established on 1 April 1935 under the RBI Act, 1934; its Central Board is chaired by the Governor, currently Sanjay Malhotra.

Explanation

MeitY notified the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme in August 2026 with a budgetary outlay of Rs 62,500 crore, following Union Cabinet approval in July 2026. It runs five years, from FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31. Incentives on eligible sales range from 2.25 per cent to 5 per cent, with up to 1.5 per cent extra for domestic sourcing of key components and an additional 3 per cent for Indian brands doing design and R&D. It succeeds PLI-LSEM, which ended on 31 March 2026.

Explanation

India and Japan signed the Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation on 20 August 2026 at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, during the Defence Ministers' Meeting. The signatories were Rajnath Singh and Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. The MoA frames cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force on maritime domain awareness, information sharing, search and rescue and logistics, under the Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

Explanation

Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri visited Mauritius from 20 to 21 August 2026. On 20 August he called on Prime Minister Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, in whose presence a Government-to-Government MoU on oil and gas cooperation was exchanged. Alongside it, Indian Oil Corporation and the State Trading Corporation of Mauritius signed a five-year supply agreement covering petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel for Mauritius.

Explanation

The second Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships will be held from 7 to 10 October 2026 at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, Ahmedabad, the first time India hosts the event. The inaugural edition was in Mauritius in 2025. Players from 45 countries will contest 10 medal events across five disciplines: 10-Ball, Heyball, Blackball, Snooker and English Billiards. It is hosted by the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India. Ahmedabad will also host the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

Explanation

Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace, a private defence technology firm based in Bengaluru, unveiled FWD Supreme in June 2026, describing it as India's first AI-piloted fighter jet concept. It remains at the concept stage. The programme is built around the company's Mobbing Doctrine, under which several AI-enabled aircraft attack high-value targets in coordinated swarms. The first flight of the technology demonstrator, FWD Supreme Lite, is targeted for the third quarter of 2026.

Explanation

The 12th BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting was held at Pune on 21 August 2026 under India's BRICS Chairship, and was chaired by Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister of Communications. It was organised by the Department of Telecommunications under the Ministry of Communications as part of the BRICS ICT Track held from 17 to 21 August, themed Innovate, Cooperate and Transform (ICT) for a Resilient Future. The 11th meeting was held in 2025 under Brazil's Chairship.

Explanation

India assumed the BRICS Chairship on 1 January 2026, succeeding Brazil, under the theme Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability. The 11th BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting was held in 2025 under Brazil's Chairship, while the 12th was held at Pune on 21 August 2026. BRICS now has 11 members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Explanation

India's five Zonal Councils - Northern, Central, Eastern, Western and Southern - are statutory advisory bodies set up under Sections 15 to 22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. The idea was mooted by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1956 during the debate on the States Reorganisation Commission report. The North Eastern Council is separate and functions under the North Eastern Council Act, 1972. The 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting was held on 20 August 2026 at Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu.

Explanation

The 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council was held on 20 August 2026 at Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu. Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah is Chairman of the Council and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay is Vice-Chairman. It was organised by the Inter-State Council Secretariat, Ministry of Home Affairs, with Tamil Nadu as host. The Council covers Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, plus Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep.

Explanation

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved four-laning of the Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa section of NH-22 in Bihar on 19 August 2026. The 82.578 km project will be built on Hybrid Annuity Mode at a capital cost of Rs 3,590.73 crore. It links the India-Nepal border at Sonbarsa with Muzaffarpur on NH-27, the East-West Corridor. It includes seven major bridges, among them a 340 m bridge over the Bagmati river, three ROBs and two flyovers.

Explanation

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology signed an MoU with PhonePe on 20 August 2026. Under it, metrics from PulsePro, the firm enterprise data intelligence platform, will be integrated into the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan portal, which is managed in collaboration with BISAG-N, the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics. It gives planners granular, hyperlocal transaction insights. S. Krishnan is MeitY Secretary.

Explanation

National Space Day is observed on 23 August, marking the Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander soft landing near the lunar south pole in 2023 at the site named Shiv Shakti Point. India became the fourth country to soft-land on the Moon and the first to reach its southern polar region. The 2026 theme is Towards Viksit Bharat: Innovating, Collaborating and Aspiring to Global Space Leadership. The main event is hosted by the Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad. V. Narayanan is ISRO Chairman.

Explanation

Students of the Mahatma Gandhi Government School at Pachpahar in Rajasthan Jhalawar district, guided by their teacher Dr. Divyendu Sen, took part in the IASC-NASA asteroid search campaign and collectively found 12 main-belt asteroids. More than 100 students have joined the programme. IASC stands for International Astronomical Search Collaboration, a citizen-science effort. The main asteroid belt lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

Explanation

The 12th BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting was held at Pune on 21 August 2026 under India's BRICS Chairship 2026, chaired by Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia. The Department of Telecommunications ran the BRICS ICT Track at Pune from 17-21 August, themed 'Innovate, Cooperate and Transform (ICT) for a Resilient Future', covering the 7th ICT Working Group Meeting and the Digital BRICS Forum and Expo. Brazil hosted the 11th meeting in 2025. BRICS now has 11 members.

Explanation

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of a new dairy plant at the Saras Dairy Complex, Alwar, Rajasthan, on 16 August 2026. Costing Rs 200 crore, it will have an initial capacity of 3 lakh litres per day, expandable to 5 lakh litres per day. The event came under the Ministry of Cooperation's 'Sahkar se Samriddhi' vision. Four more Saras Dairy plants worth Rs 274 crore at Bhilwara, Jaipur, Pali and Rajsamand were commissioned the same day.

Explanation

AgriStack is India's farmer-centric Digital Public Infrastructure and the backbone of the Digital Agriculture Mission (approved September 2024, outlay Rs 2,817 crore). Its three foundational registries are the Farmer Registry, Geo-Referenced Village Maps and the Crop Sown Registry. MoS Agriculture Ramnath Thakur told the Rajya Sabha on 7 August 2026 that over 10.31 crore Farmer IDs existed as of 3 August. The Rabi 2025-26 Digital Crop Survey covered 648 districts, 31.3 crore plots.

Explanation

The Sujal Gaon ID is a unique digital identity for rural water service areas, released by Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Paatil on 13 March 2026 under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0. It links to a Sujalam Bharat ID, which combines an infrastructure ID and a service area ID, and is integrated with GIS and PM GatiShakti. As of 10 August 2026, 12,67,808 of 16,96,213 habitations, or 75 per cent, had received the ID. JJM 2.0 runs to December 2028.

Explanation

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 27 March 2026, passed by the Lok Sabha on 1 April and the Rajya Sabha on 2 April 2026. It amends 784 provisions across 79 Central Acts under 23 Ministries: 717 decriminalised and 67 for ease of living. The Select Committee was chaired by Tejasvi Surya. Its predecessor, the Jan Vishwas Act, 2023, decriminalised 183 provisions in 42 Acts. Nodal ministry: Commerce and Industry.

Explanation

Under the Panch Gaurav programme, Lisoda is Jaipur district's One District-One Plant Species. The district's other four are Amla as the crop, gems and jewellery as the product, kabaddi as the sport and Amer Fort as the tourism site. The Forest Department is the nodal agency for the plant species, with Agriculture, Industries, Tourism and Sports departments handling the other four. A state-level committee under the Chief Secretary and district committees under Collectors oversee the programme.

Explanation

The Brahmagupta Centre of Frontier Technologies is operational in Jaipur and runs three Centres of Excellence covering data analytics, cyber security and blockchain. It was announced in the Rajasthan Budget 2025-26 with Rs 300 crore for frontier technology research, and works under the Department of Information Technology and Communication. It is named after Brahmagupta, the seventh-century mathematician of Bhinmal, Jalore. The same budget gave Jodhpur a Disaster Recovery Data Centre.

Explanation

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas approved the Incentive Scheme for Promotion of Domestic PNG Connections on 18 August 2026, effective 1 September 2026. India has 1.74 crore domestic PNG connections. Eligible City Gas Distribution (CGD) entities get 200 SCM of extra cheaper APM gas for every incremental billed connection above the threshold for their Geographical Area. Run in two tranches over six months, it displaces costlier LNG and cuts capex payback from about 10 years to nearly 3.

Explanation

The CCEA, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved four Ministry of Railways multitracking projects on 19 August 2026 costing Rs 9,450 crore. They span 8 districts in Odisha, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, adding roughly 410 km to the network: Kharagpur-Bhadrak 173 km, Bhadrak-Haridaspur 75 km, Gummidipundi-Gudur 90 km and Cuttack-Paradeep 72 km. Completion is targeted by 2030-31, with an extra 76 MTPA of freight, under the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

Explanation

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued a circular on 19 August 2026 directing telecom operators to block connections beyond the permitted cap. A person may hold six mobile connections in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and the North-East, and nine in the rest of India. The cap dates to DoT instructions of 9 August 2012; the new circular only adds enforcement. Checks use photographs on the Digital Intelligence Platform, with real-time integration due by 30 November 2026.

Explanation

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh made a two-day visit to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, on 16-17 August 2026. On 17 August he called on Armenian Minister of High Tech Industry Davit Tadevosyan and signed an MoU on cooperation in research, development, innovation and shared production in the defence industry. He also met Defence Minister Suren Papikyan and Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Edvard Asryan. India's Ambassador to Armenia, Nilakshi Saha Sinha, took part in the meetings.

Explanation

RK-251 was developed jointly by the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati. The team was led by Dr Asis Bala of IASST and Dr Krishna P. Bhabak of the Department of Chemistry, IIT Guwahati. IASST, founded in 1979, is an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The candidate is switched on by the high ROS levels found in triple-negative breast cancer cells.

Explanation

The Department of Defence Production (DDP) notified the sixth Positive Indigenisation List on 18 August 2026, covering 405 strategically important defence items with an estimated business potential of about Rs 3,070 crore. Of these, 389 are DPSU items and 16 Indian Coast Guard items. It lists Line Replaceable Units, sub-systems, spares and raw materials tied to ALH, LUH, Su-30MKI, Tejas, T-72 and T-90. Exam angle: the fifth PIL of July 2024 had 346 items; all lists sit on the SRIJAN portal.

Explanation

The fifth edition of SEMICON India runs from 17 to 19 September 2026 at Yashobhoomi, the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC), in Dwarka, New Delhi. It is jointly organised by the India Semiconductor Mission, MeitY and SEMI. The theme is Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem. Over 500 exhibitors from more than 40 countries will take part, with six country pavilions. PM Narendra Modi inaugurates it on 17 September, after a global CEO roundtable on 16 September.

Explanation

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2025 on 18 August 2026. No sportsperson was selected for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honour; the last time it went unawarded was 2014. The selection committee was chaired by former SC judge Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra. Seventeen athletes got the Arjuna Award, among them Vidit Gujarathi, Divya Deshmukh, Tejaswin Shankar and Treesa Jolly. In 2024 the Khel Ratna went to four athletes.

Explanation

In the National Sports Awards 2025, announced on 18 August 2026, para-shooter Rudransh Khandelwal of Bharatpur, Rajasthan, was named for the Arjuna Award. Born on 19 November 2006, he lost his left leg below the knee in a firework accident at a family wedding in January 2015. He competes in SH1-class pistol events and has represented India at the Paris 2024 Paralympics and the Asian Para Games. Only two para-athletes made the 2025 Arjuna list, the other being Ekta Bhyan.

Explanation

The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment organised the National Mass Pledge Against Drug Abuse on 18 August 2026, marking the 6th anniversary of Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA). NMBA was launched on 15 August 2020 and runs under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR). Initially covering 272 vulnerable districts, it is now nationwide and has reached over 29.26 crore people. The de-addiction helpline is 14446. The Union Minister is Dr Virendra Kumar.

Explanation

Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) was launched on 15 August 2020 by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment in 272 most vulnerable districts, selected using Narcotics Control Bureau inputs and the National Survey on Substance Use. It was widened to 372 districts in August 2022 and to all districts from 15 August 2023. NMBA operates under NAPDDR. On 26 June 2020 only its Annual Action Plan was e-launched, not the Abhiyaan itself.

Explanation

West Bengal became the 36th State/UT to implement Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY on 8 June 2026, when the National Health Authority signed an MoU with the State Health Department, completing nationwide coverage. The operational rollout in the State followed on 16 August 2026. About 1.43 crore families will get 5 lakh rupees annual cover. PM-JAY was launched in September 2018 and is run by NHA under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Explanation

Chennai-based fabless semiconductor startup Aheesa Digital Innovations achieved first-pass silicon success on 15 August 2026 with VIHAAN, an indigenous broadband networking System-on-Chip. Its design tape-out took place on 26 January 2026. The chip uses C-DAC's indigenous VEGA processor and targets fibre broadband. Production tape-out is targeted for 2027. The DLI Scheme runs under MeitY's Semicon India Programme, with C-DAC as nodal agency.

Explanation

The 9th India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group meeting was held on 5-6 August 2026 at ISRO Headquarters, Bengaluru, where NASA invited ISRO to join its Moon Base programme under the Artemis Accords. ISRO Chairman Dr V. Narayanan and US Ambassador Sergio Gor addressed the opening segment; M. Sankaran co-chaired for India. The meeting ran under the TRUST Initiative and reviewed further cooperation after the NISAR mission.

Explanation

Article 44 falls under the Directive Principles of State Policy in Part IV and directs the State to endeavour to secure a uniform civil code for all citizens. The Rajasthan Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, approved the draft UCC Bill in August 2026. Parliamentary Affairs and Law Minister Jogaram Patel said it will bring common rules on marriage, divorce, inheritance, maintenance and live-in relationships, and will not apply to Scheduled Tribes.

Explanation

The Rajasthan government set up a five-member committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai to draft the RUCC 2026. It was announced on 22 June 2026 by Minister Jogaram Patel and Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham. The Additional Chief Secretary (Home) is Member-Secretary. Desai also chaired the Uttarakhand and Gujarat UCC panels and was the first woman chairperson of the Press Council of India.

Explanation

The 9th National Anubhav Awards Ceremony was held on 17 August 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, by the Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW) under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. Union MoS Dr Jitendra Singh conferred the Anubhav Awards 2026 on 15 awardees. The Anubhav portal, launched in March 2015, lets retiring staff of the Centre, 12 public sector banks and CPSEs share experiences. The 60th Pre-Retirement Counselling Workshop was held alongside.

Explanation

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah unveiled a statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Nimbahera in Chittorgarh district on 16 August 2026, his death anniversary; Vajpayee died on 16 August 2018. Installed at the Mini Atal Smarak at JK Circle, it is made of about 4,000 kg of ashtadhatu and is called Rajasthan's largest metal statue of Vajpayee. At the Atal Gaurav Smriti Samaroh, Shah called him Ajatashatru. Vajpayee was PM thrice and got the Bharat Ratna in 2015.

Explanation

Nyayayan - The Digital Way of Justice is a Rajasthan High Court digital initiative for paperless functioning of courts in the state. It was launched on 2 August 2026 at the valedictory of the Commonwealth Peace Mediation Conference 2026 in Jaipur, organised by the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority (RSLSA). The same conference adopted the Jaipur Declaration on Peace Mediation 2026, drawing on the UN Charter, the Commonwealth Charter and India's Mediation Act, 2023.

Explanation

PM Narendra Modi called for the 'Shakti ki Sapt Dhara' from the Red Fort on the 80th Independence Day, 15 August 2026. The seven streams are manufacturing power, agriculture and food production, technology and innovation, Gati Shakti, defence forces, green and blue economy, and soft power. He said the coming 5-7 years would deliver what the past 5-7 decades did not. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is to administer a related pledge at Pusa.

Explanation

Sandhya Vishnoi of Rajasthan won silver in the women's 46 kg category at the U-17 World Wrestling Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 31 July 2026. She lost the final 2-13 to Kokona Makino of Japan. The same day Akshara took silver in 53 kg, while Avanshika (61 kg) and Taniya (69 kg) won bronze. Governor Haribhau Bagde congratulated her, and she was felicitated at a ceremony in Jaipur.

Explanation

Cabinet approved Samudra Manthan, the National Offshore Exploration Scheme, on 31 July 2026. A Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, its Phase-I outlay is Rs 84,084 crore up to FY 2030-31, to accelerate deepwater oil and gas exploration. Components: seismic data Rs 28,534 cr, drilling 60 wells Rs 43,200 cr, common infrastructure Rs 10,000 cr, manufacturing zone Rs 2,000 cr. Target: over 600 MMTOE reserve accretion. PM announced it from the Red Fort on 15 Aug 2025.

Explanation

From the Red Fort on 15 August 2026, the 80th Independence Day, PM Narendra Modi announced AI skill training for 1 crore youth over the next one year, so Indians can lead the world in AI. Other announcements: free online coaching for competitive exams, a national sports talent hunt for ages 5-15, modernised Civil Defence, 7-8 semiconductor plants in 1-2 years, 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047 and a target of 6 crore Lakhpati Didis. The address was translated into 22 languages using Bhashini.

Explanation

Per the Ministry of Defence (PIB, 10 August 2026), the theme of the 80th Independence Day celebrations was '150 Years of Vande Mataram' and 'Yuva Shakti for Viksit Bharat@2047'. Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said that as 2026 marks 150 years of the National Song, it was sung from the Red Fort ramparts for the first time. About 2,500 NCC and MY Bharat volunteers formed its lettering on Gyanpath and some 5,000 special guests attended. The 2025 theme was Naya Bharat.

Explanation

Udara Shakti 2026 is a biennial bilateral exercise between the Indian Air Force and the Royal Malaysian Air Force, held from 10 to 14 August 2026 at Subang Air Base in Selangor, Malaysia, with the flying phase from 11 to 13 August. The IAF deployed four Rafale jets of 101 Squadron and two C-17 Globemaster III transports, marking the Rafale's debut in this exercise. The RMAF fielded Su-30MKM and F/A-18D fighters and an A400M. It was held during the IAF's return from Pitch Black 2026 in Australia.

Explanation

The Rajasthan Uniform Civil Code (RUCC) Bill, 2026 was drafted by a five-member expert committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, announced by Law Minister Jogaram Patel on 22 June 2026. The Cabinet under CM Bhajan Lal Sharma approved the draft on 13 August 2026 for the Assembly session beginning 20 August 2026. It follows Article 44 (Directive Principles) and will not apply to Scheduled Tribes. Desai also chaired the Uttarakhand and Gujarat UCC panels.

Explanation

The Rajasthan Cabinet chaired by CM Bhajan Lal Sharma approved the draft Rajasthan Trees (Protection) Bill, 2026 on 13 August 2026. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel said it proposes protection for 29 species, including the state tree Khejri, state flower Rohida, banyan, peepal, lasoda, tendu, mahua, ker and chironji. It targets unpermitted felling on non-forest land and follows agitations to save Khejri in western Rajasthan. It goes to the Assembly session from 20 August 2026.

Explanation

Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (Plant4Mother) is run by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. PM Narendra Modi launched it on World Environment Day, 5 June 2024, planting a peepal sapling at Buddha Jayanti Park in Delhi. The target of 80 crore saplings by September 2024 was met on 25 September 2024, and a 140 crore target was set for March 2025. On 15 August 2026, Governor Haribhau Bagde planted fruit saplings under it at Lok Bhavan, Jaipur.

Explanation

Parliament passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 on August 12 (Lok Sabha) and August 13 (Rajya Sabha). Moved by Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy, it inserts Section 9D in the 1957 Act, barring state governments from imposing any tax, cess or levy on mineral rights or mineral-bearing lands except as prescribed by the Centre. It follows the Supreme Court's 2024 Mineral Area Development Authority verdict that had upheld states' taxing power.

Explanation

Udara Shakti is a bilateral air exercise between the Indian Air Force and the Royal Malaysian Air Force. The 2026 edition is being held at Subang Air Base in Selangor, Malaysia, with air warriors from both nations in joint field training and Subject Matter Expert exchanges aimed at operational learning, sharing best practices and improving interoperability. The 2024 edition ran from 5 to 9 August at Kuantan, Malaysia, where the IAF fielded Su-30MKI fighters.

Explanation

The Indian Navy-US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Exercise 2026 was conducted at Southern Naval Command, Kochi, from 10 to 14 August 2026. The five-day bilateral drill comprised Subject Matter Expert Exchanges, cross-training, equipment demonstrations and scenario-based practical exercises, aimed at raising interoperability between the specialist diving and EOD teams of both navies. The two navies have held joint Salvage and EOD exercises since 2005; this was the eighth edition.

Explanation

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah presented the President's Colour to the Puducherry Police at the Armed Police Ground in Gorimedu on 9 August 2026. It was handed to the force's Ensign Officer, with Director General of Police Shalini Singh present. President Droupadi Murmu had approved the conferment on 8 May 2026 for exceptional service, discipline and distinguished achievements. Also called Nishaan, it is the highest ceremonial honour given to a force.

Explanation

Nikhil Wagh won gold in the men's sabre at the U-23 Commonwealth Fencing Championship held at Lagos, Nigeria, in August 2026. India swept the podium in the event, with Lakshay Badser taking silver and Ashwini Arya and Laishram Moramba sharing bronze. On the opening day India won 17 medals in all, comprising 4 gold, 4 silver and 9 bronze, and reached the podium in every one of the six individual events across sabre, foil and epee.

Explanation

By an order of 8 August 2026, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet extended the tenure of Enforcement Directorate chief Rahul Navin by one year beyond 13 August 2026, up to 13 August 2027, including continuation in service past his superannuation date of 31 July 2027. Navin is a 1993-batch Indian Revenue Service officer of the Income Tax cadre. He took charge as acting Director in September 2023 and was appointed full-time Director in August 2024, succeeding Sanjay Kumar Mishra.

Explanation

Author and columnist Gurcharan Das received the Lifetime Libertarian Award at the 40th Liberty International World Conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, on 8 August 2026, becoming the first Indian to be given the honour. The citation noted his lasting contribution to the advancement of liberty. Das, 82, is a former CEO of Procter and Gamble India and the author of India Unbound. He has also chaired the Board of Trustees of the Centre for Civil Society.

Explanation

The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 changes the state's name in the First Schedule of the Constitution from Kerala to Keralam, since the state is called Keralam in Malayalam. The Lok Sabha passed it on 11 August and the Rajya Sabha on 12 August 2026 by voice vote, piloted by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai. The Kerala Assembly had passed a resolution on 24 June 2024 and the Union Cabinet approved the proposal in February 2026. Article 3 empowers Parliament to alter state names.

Explanation

The International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, gave its 2026 Dirac Medal to four physicists, among them Deepak Dhar of India, an INSA Distinguished Professor at ICTS-TIFR Bengaluru. The co-recipients are Bernard Derrida, Marc Mezard and Haim Sompolinsky. Dhar is known for the sandpile model, explaining how complex systems stay stable for long spells before a sudden large change. Instituted in 1985 and named after Paul Dirac, it is announced each year on 8 August.

Explanation

Yard 3037, named Shruti, was launched at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, on 11 August 2026 in the presence of Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition. GRSE is a Navratna defence PSU under the Ministry of Defence. NGOPV construction is running concurrently at GRSE Kolkata and Goa Shipyard Limited. These indigenously designed ships are meant for maritime surveillance, search and rescue, HADR and anti-piracy missions.

Explanation

The Ministry of Defence states that the Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel Shruti takes its name from a reference to the four Vedas, these ships being named after India's heritage. Shruti means that which is heard, knowledge preserved by oral tradition. The ship's crest shows the Ursa Major constellation and a red and white lighthouse. Launched at GRSE Kolkata on 11 August 2026, it is the second of the series; the first, Sanghmitra, was launched on 20 May 2026.

Explanation

In August 2026 the Ministry of Home Affairs notified 11 more international ports for the entry of foreign nationals holding e-Visas. These include two airports, Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, and nine land ports, of which Attari and Agartala are confirmed. The total number of designated entry points now stands at 88, comprising 37 airports, 38 seaports and 13 land ports. The Ministry states that about 95 percent of e-Visa applications are processed in under 72 hours.

Explanation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released former President Ram Nath Kovind's autobiography, Triumph of the Indian Republic: My Life, My Struggles, at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on 12 August 2026. The PMO said the book traces Kovind's journey from his early struggles through his public life to his term as the 14th President of India. Kovind held the office from 2017 to 2022 and had earlier served as Governor of Bihar from 2015 to 2017. He was born in 1945 at Paraunkh, Kanpur district.

Explanation

The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) has five members: Botswana, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. Zimbabwe is not a member. India is negotiating a Preferential Trade Agreement with the bloc, seeking preferential market access for automobiles, auto components and pharmaceuticals. Under a PTA, tariffs are not eliminated but kept lower than for non-members, whereas a Free Trade Agreement removes duties on most traded goods.

Explanation

The Bankers' Books Evidence Bill, 2026 repeals and replaces the colonial-era Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 1891. Introduced in the Lok Sabha on 3 August 2026, it was passed by the Lok Sabha on 5 August and the Rajya Sabha on 10 August. Under the original Act, certified copies of bank records were admissible without producing the originals. The new Bill recognises electronic, digital and cloud-based records as valid evidence, subject to conditions on authenticity and absence of tampering.

Explanation

President Droupadi Murmu will confer the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna) and the Akademi Puraskar on 115 artists at a special investiture ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on 13 August 2026. Seven have been chosen as Fellows and 108 for the Awards. The Fellowship carries three lakh rupees and the Award one lakh rupees, with a Tamrapatra and Angavastram. The Fellowship is the Akademi's highest honour and is restricted to 40 living Fellows at any time.

Explanation

Ashmita Chaliha of Assam beat fourth seed Han Qian Xi of China 14-21, 21-14, 21-14 in the Korea Masters Super 300 women's singles final at Asan, South Korea, on 9 August 2026. The 53-minute win gave the 26-year-old her maiden BWF World Tour title and made her the first Indian to win the Korea Masters. Ranked 50th, she is back from a knee injury suffered at the 2024 Korea Open. She is the fourth Indian woman to take a singles BWF title this year, after PV Sindhu, Devika Sihag and Tanvi Sharma.

Explanation

Ashmita Chaliha is a 26-year-old badminton player from Guwahati in Assam. On 9 August 2026 she won the women's singles title at the Korea Masters Super 300 in Asan, South Korea, taking her maiden BWF World Tour crown and becoming the first Indian to win that tournament. In the last four she had beaten compatriot Rakshitha Ramraj in an all-Indian semi-final. A two-time South Asian Games champion, Chaliha trains under South Korean coach Park Tae-sang.

Explanation

The Indian Navy-US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Exercise 2026 is being held at Southern Naval Command, Kochi, from 10 to 14 August 2026. It is the 8th edition; the two navies have held joint Salvage and EOD exercises since 2005. The five-day programme covers Subject Matter Expert Exchanges, cross-training, equipment demonstrations and scenario-based drills. Exam angle: Kochi is the Navy's training command, Western Command is at Mumbai and Eastern Command at Visakhapatnam.

Explanation

Per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India's installed non-fossil fuel based power capacity reached 300.50 GW as on 31 July 2026, over 60 percent of the 500 GW target for 2030. The mix is solar 164.59 GW, wind 58.14 GW, hydro 57.24 GW, bio-power 11.75 GW and nuclear 8.78 GW. Total installed capacity is about 552 GW, so the non-fossil share exceeds 54 percent. A record 55.29 GW was added in 2025-26. The 500 GW goal comes from the Panchamrit pledge at COP26.

Explanation

Basant Kumar Meghwal cleared 2.21m to take silver in the men's high jump at the World Athletics U20 Championships at Hayward Field, Eugene, USA, on 8 August 2026, becoming the first Indian to win a medal in this event. All three medallists stopped at 2.21m and failed at 2.24m, so places were decided on countback: Younes Ayachi of Algeria took gold and Otis Poole of Britain bronze. Meghwal, who represents the Indian Navy, had won Asian U20 gold at Hong Kong in May 2026.

Explanation

Basant Kumar Meghwal comes from Anupgarh, a border town in the Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan. Representing the Indian Navy, the 19-year-old cleared 2.21m for silver in the men's high jump at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, USA, in August 2026, India's first ever medal in the event. His personal best rose from 2.11m to 2.21m in this season alone. He is coached by Sahana Kumari, a former national record holder in women's high jump.

Explanation

On 7 August 2026 India gifted five young peacocks to Ariana Park at the Palace of Nations, the UN Office at Geneva. Ambassador Arindam Bagchi, India's Permanent Representative, handed them to UNOG Director-General Tatiana Valovaya. Four are blue Indian peafowl and one is a rare white male, matching UN blue and white. In 1981 then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi sent a breeding pair from Delhi Zoo. The peacock, Pavo cristatus, is India's national bird.

Explanation

In August 2026 APEDA facilitated the first commercial sea shipment of 18 metric tonnes of GI-tagged Mithila Makhana from the BIADA Industrial Area at Bihta, Bihar, to Australia. The consignment was sourced from growers in Darbhanga district and flagged off by Bihar Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha. APEDA works under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Mithila Makhana received its GI tag in 2022, and Bihar accounts for nearly 85 percent of India's makhana output.

Explanation

Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) delivered the Diving Support Vessel Nipun to the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam on 30 July 2026. It is the second indigenously designed and built DSV; the first, Nistar, was delivered on 8 July 2025. Built to Indian Register of Shipping rules, Nipun has nearly 75 percent indigenous content and is fitted for deep-sea saturation diving, submarine rescue and salvage. It is a mother ship for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle. Nipun is Sanskrit for adept or skilled.

Explanation

In August 2026, Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth became the first woman pilot of the Indian Air Force to complete the 20-week Fighter Combat Leader course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) in Gwalior. Only about one per cent of IAF pilots are selected for it. TACDE is the IAF's Top Gun school, developing air combat tactics and validating new fighter aircraft, radars and weapon systems before operational deployment.

Explanation

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the new office of the National Urban Co-operative Finance and Development Corporation (NUCFDC) in the Fort area of Mumbai on 8 August 2026. He announced there that the NUCFDC headquarters would be shifted from Delhi to Maharashtra, which has the highest number of urban cooperative banks in the country at 449, with Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa and Karnataka together accounting for about 70 per cent of UCBs. NUCFDC is an RBI-registered NBFC.

Explanation

On 7 August 2026, ten captive-bred vultures were soft-released from the Jatayu Soft Release Centre at Tewaripal in Biswanath district, Assam. The batch had five Slender-billed and five White-rumped Vultures, both critically endangered. Brought from the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre at Rani, they were acclimatised for three months and fitted with colour rings and GSM-GPS transmitters. The programme is run by the Assam Forest Department, Kaziranga and the Bombay Natural History Society.

Explanation

The Ministry of Home Affairs told the Lok Sabha in August 2026 that heatwaves and lightning have been added to the list of notified natural calamities under the operational guidelines of the SDRF and NDRF for the 2026-31 award period, acting on a recommendation of the 16th Finance Commission. This takes the notified list from 12 to 14. The Commission cited rising frequency and mortality linked to climate change. Exam angle: SDRF and NDRF operate under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

Explanation

The 16th BRICS Trade Ministers' Meeting concluded in Jaipur on 7 August 2026 under India's BRICS Chairship 2026, chaired by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. Members adopted a Joint Declaration and four annexes and finalised the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership 2030, covering trade, investment, the digital economy, industry, innovation, financial cooperation and sustainable development. It will be placed before BRICS Leaders at the New Delhi Summit in September 2026.

Explanation

The 13th BRICS Education Ministers' Meeting was held on 7 August 2026 at Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, under India's BRICS Chairship 2026. Led by Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi, the meeting unanimously adopted the BRICS Education Ministers' Declaration. The 3rd Senior Officials' Meeting had been held in Bhubaneswar on 5 August. Priorities included early childhood care and education, skill development, research and innovation, and mutual recognition of qualifications.

Explanation

At a Rajasthan cabinet and council of ministers meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma at the CMO in Jaipur on 7 August 2026, it was decided that the coming panchayati raj and urban local body elections will be held together on the One State-One Election concept. The cabinet also accepted the recommendations of the OBC Commission, with a lottery process for reserved seats. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel said the announcement had been made in the 2024-25 state budget.

Explanation

The Rajasthan cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on 7 August 2026, approved the Rajasthan Food Park Development Policy-2026. Under it, cluster-based modern food parks will be developed in a phased manner in every district of the state, providing facilities for processing, storage, preservation and export of farm produce and linking farmers and producer groups to a stronger supply chain. The same meeting also approved the Rajasthan Agriculture and Food Processing Policy-2026.

Explanation

At the Rajasthan cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on 7 August 2026, labour reform decisions were taken under which workers' dearness allowance will now be raised twice a year, with a thirty-minute break made mandatory after five hours of work. The same meeting decided that government employees will receive State Insurance Scheme cover up to their actual date of retirement, instead of only up to 1 April of the retirement year.

Explanation

The Ministry of External Affairs announced on 6 August 2026 that Devesh Uttam, a 2003-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, has been appointed the next Ambassador of India to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. He is currently India's Ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania and takes up the new post shortly. He earlier headed the MEA's Consular, Passport and Visa Division and was Deputy Chief of Mission in Tehran. Exam angle: the African Union is headquartered in Addis Ababa.

Explanation

According to the Ministry of Defence, the medium-range ballistic missile Agni-4 was successfully test-fired on 6 August 2026 from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha. The test was held under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command and validated all operational and technical parameters. Agni-4, built by DRDO, is a two-stage solid-fuelled missile with a range of about 4,000 km. Exam angle: the Agni series anchors India's credible minimum deterrence doctrine.

Explanation

National Handloom Day is observed every 7 August because the Swadeshi Movement was formally launched at Calcutta Town Hall on that date in 1905, urging a boycott of foreign goods and giving a major push to indigenous industry, especially handlooms. The day was instituted in 2015. The 12th edition on 7 August 2026 was held by the Ministry of Textiles at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi, with President Droupadi Murmu as Chief Guest.

Explanation

The Ministry of Culture ran the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign from 9 to 17 August 2026, dedicating it to 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram. Written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, it first appeared on 7 November 1875 in his journal Bangadarshan and was later included in the novel Anandamath (1882). The year-long 150th commemoration runs 7 November 2025 to 7 November 2026. Exam angle: on 24 January 1950 it was given status equal to the national anthem.

Explanation

The Union Health Ministry deployed the National Joint Outbreak Response Team to Gujarat and Rajasthan on 5 August 2026 over the Chandipura Virus Disease outbreak. The team draws experts from the National Centre for Disease Control, the Indian Council of Medical Research and the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, and assists with outbreak investigation, clinical management and vector surveillance. Exam angle: the NCDC Public Health Emergency Operations Centre was also activated.

Explanation

Chandipura virus belongs to the Rhabdoviridae family and the genus Vesiculovirus. It was first isolated in 1965 at Chandipura village in the Nagpur district of Maharashtra. It spreads mainly through Phlebotomus sandflies and causes sporadic monsoon outbreaks in western, central and southern India. It largely affects children under 15 and produces acute encephalitis syndrome. Exam angle: no specific vaccine or antiviral exists, so management is symptomatic and vector control is the main defence.

Explanation

The Monetary Policy Committee, chaired by Governor Sanjay Malhotra, met from 3 to 5 August 2026 and unanimously kept the repo rate at 5.25 per cent. This was the fourth consecutive review with no change, the last revision having come in December 2025. The committee retained its neutral stance. The Standing Deposit Facility rate stayed at 5.00 per cent, and the Marginal Standing Facility rate and Bank Rate at 5.50 per cent. Exam angle: the next MPC meeting is set for 5 to 7 October 2026.

Explanation

On 5 August 2026 the RBI raised its real GDP growth projection for FY 2026-27 to 6.7 per cent from the 6.6 per cent estimated in June. The quarterly path is 7.0, 6.4, 6.5 and 6.8 per cent. The consumer price inflation forecast was trimmed to 5.0 per cent from 5.1 per cent, with Q2 at 4.7, Q3 at 5.9 and Q4 at 5.5 per cent. Exam angle: the Governor said headline inflation would peak in the third quarter, driven by food and fuel prices, before moderating.

Explanation

The Air India Board appointed Tewolde Gebremariam as the airline's new CEO and Managing Director on 5 August 2026, after a global search. He succeeds Campbell Wilson, who had held the post since July 2022. Gebremariam led Ethiopian Airlines Group for over a decade, during which its revenue grew more than fourfold and its fleet nearly tripled, making it Africa's largest and most profitable airline group. Exam angle: Air India is owned by the Tata Group, chaired by N. Chandrasekaran.

Explanation

NITI Aayog released the report Reimagining Care on 5 August 2026. It was launched by Vice-Chairperson Ashok Kumar Lahiri with Member Dr R Balasubramaniam. The report recommends a National Policy on Caregiving, a National Caregiver Council to regulate and accredit caregivers, a dedicated caregiver workforce and a digital portal. It studies global models and stresses global mobility for Indian caregivers. Exam angle: NITI Aayog was set up on 1 January 2015, replacing the Planning Commission.

Explanation

Professor Annapurni Subramaniam, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, received the Vikram Sarabhai Medal 2026 at the 46th COSPAR Scientific Assembly in Florence, Italy, on 3 August 2026. She is the first Indian woman scientist and only the fourth Indian to win it. The award recognised her work on stellar populations, blue straggler stars and the UVIT instrument on AstroSat. Earlier Indian winners were U R Rao (1996), Gurbax Singh Lakhina (2014) and Anil Bhardwaj (2024).

Explanation

Harshita Jakhar, 19, from Rajasthan became the first Indian woman to feature at the Tour de France Femmes. On 2 August 2026 at Aigle in Switzerland she led a group on the 4.5 km neutralised ride at the ceremonial start of Stage 2. She was one of eight riders picked for the UCI World Cycling Talent Programme, alongside cyclists from Afghanistan, Algeria, Chile, Ethiopia, Namibia and Uganda. She trains at the SAI National Centre of Excellence in Patiala under her father and coach Rakesh Jakhar.

Explanation

The Integrated Test Range of the Defence Research and Development Organisation is located on Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, in the Bay of Bengal about 10 km off the Odisha coast. Missiles including Agni, Prithvi, Akash and Astra have been tested from here. In September 2015 the Odisha government renamed it from Wheeler Island in honour of the former President and Missile Man of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. The island covers about 390 acres and its nearest port is Dhamra.

Explanation

On 6 August 2026 the Union Cabinet approved GOBARdhan, the National Circular Bioenergy Scheme, with an outlay of Rs 23,731 crore. It is administered by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and runs from FY 2026-27 to FY 2035-36, aiming to raise domestic Compressed Biogas output nearly ten-fold. Exam angle: the scheme has six components, fixes an administered CBG price of Rs 2,110 per MMBTU, and builds on SATAT, under which over 200 CBG plants were commissioned.

Explanation

GOBARdhan, the National Circular Bioenergy Scheme, was approved on 6 August 2026 with a total outlay of Rs 23,731 crore. It converts crop residue, cattle dung, press mud and municipal organic waste into Compressed Biogas and organic manure. Exam angle: the CBG blending obligation for City Gas Distribution entities is 3 percent in FY 2026-27, 4 percent in FY 2027-28 and 5 percent from FY 2028-29; greenfield projects get capital assistance up to Rs 2 crore per TPD of capacity.

Explanation

Under India's BRICS 2026 Chairship, the BRICS Trade Ministers' Meeting was held at Jaipur, Rajasthan's capital, on 6-7 August 2026, with India represented by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. Talks centred on intra-BRICS trade, resilient value chains, digital commerce and MSME cooperation. Exam angle: this is India's fourth BRICS Chairship (2012, 2016, 2021, 2026); the theme is Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability, and the 18th Summit goes to New Delhi.

Explanation

The Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 25 July 2026 at the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea. It is India's 45th World Heritage property and UP's fourth. The serial property has two parts - Chaukhandi Stupa and the Archaeological Remains of Sarnath, on the Tentative List since 1998. Exam angle: Buddha gave his first sermon here, and the Lion Capital of its Ashokan Pillar is India's National Emblem.

Explanation

Asmita Dey became the first Indian judoka to win a Commonwealth Games gold, beating Canada's Heidi Quach by yuko in Golden Score in the women's 48kg final at the SEC, Glasgow, on 31 July 2026. Minutes later Harsh Singh added a second judo gold in the men's 60kg, beating Australia's Joshua Katz by waza-ari, while Yamini Mourya took silver in the women's 57kg. Exam angle: before Glasgow, Indian judokas had won only five silver and six bronze medals at the CWG.

Explanation

Tanvi Sharma, 17, of Punjab won the women's singles title at the Taipei Open Super 300 on 2 August 2026, beating Vietnam's sixth seed Nguyen Thuy Linh 21-16, 21-16 in 36 minutes for her maiden BWF World Tour title. At 17 years and 222 days she became the youngest champion in Taipei Open history, surpassing Tai Tzu-ying, and the second Indian woman to win it after Saina Nehwal in 2008. Exam angle: she is the fourth Indian woman to win a BWF Super 300 or higher title.

Explanation

International Clouded Leopard Day falls on 4 August each year and has been observed since 2018. On that day in 2026 the Environment Ministry announced India's Clouded Leopard Conservation Action Plan, prepared under a Government of India-GEF-UNDP initiative and released at the 91st Standing Committee meeting of the National Board for Wild Life in Coimbatore in July 2026. It names 14 priority landscapes in the Northeast. Exam angle: the species is in Schedule I of the Wild Life Act, 1972.

Explanation

Justice Prathiba M. Singh of the Delhi High Court became the first Indian judge inducted into the International IP Hall of Fame, honoured at IPBC Global 2026 in San Diego, USA, on 16 June 2026. The Hall of Fame was set up in 2006 by the magazine Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) and marked its 20th anniversary in 2026. She was inducted alongside Italy's Roberto Dini and the late William Cornish. Exam angle: she chairs the WIPO Advisory Board of Judges.

Explanation

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced on 3 August 2026 that Glaw Lake in Arunachal Pradesh had been designated India's 101st Ramsar Site, and the state's first. This pristine freshwater lake of the Eastern Himalayas lies within the Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary and is fed by perennial mountain streams. Over 150 tree species and 49 orchid species are recorded in the site and its catchment. Exam angle: India had 26 Ramsar Sites in 2014.

Explanation

Glaw Lake lies inside the Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary in the Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh. Kamlang is India's 50th tiger reserve, spanning about 783 sq km, and shares its southern boundary with Namdapha Tiger Reserve. It is named after the Kamlang river, a tributary of the Lohit. The state forest department places the lake at about 1168 m elevation across 82 hectares. Exam angle: Kamlang forms part of the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot.

Explanation

Minister of State for Electronics and IT Jitin Prasada told the Lok Sabha that 2.21 lakh Gram Panchayats had been made service-ready under BharatNet by June 2026, and 24,784 mobile towers commissioned under the Digital Bharat Nidhi scheme. Internet subscribers rose from 25.15 crore in 2014 to 109.27 crore by March 2026, and telephone connections from 93.3 crore to over 133 crore. Exam angle: BharatNet began in 2011 as the National Optical Fibre Network.

Explanation

On 31 July 2026, the Pacific nation Nauru officially adopted the name "Republic of Naoero", reflecting the traditional pronunciation in its national language. Parliament passed a constitutional amendment in May 2026; a planned referendum was later dropped by President David Adeang. Its international code changes from NRU to NRO, and citizens will be called dei-Naoero. By area Nauru is the world's smallest island republic; by population (~12,000) it is the third-smallest country, after Vatican City and Tuvalu.

Explanation

On 2 August 2026, the Indian Air Force concluded its week-long counter-drone Exercise ROTOR CLAP III at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan. Themed "Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (Counter-UAS)", this third edition focused on rotary-wing (helicopter) units, including the AH-64 Apache, Prachand, Mi-17 and Dhruv, with live firing of missiles and rockets. Pokhran is the same range where India carried out its 1998 nuclear tests (Operation Shakti).

Explanation

Dr Dnyandeo Yashwantrao (D.Y.) Patil, a noted educationist and former Governor, died on 4 August 2026 in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, aged 90; he was born on 22 October 1935. He served as Governor of Tripura (2009-13) and Bihar (2013-14) and held additional charge of West Bengal. He received the Padma Shri in 1991 for education and social service. He founded the D.Y. Patil Group, which runs more than 180 educational institutions and seven deemed universities across India. He was earlier Mayor of Kolhapur and a Maharashtra MLA.

Explanation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Youth Centre, called Viveka Smaraka, at the Sri Ramakrishna Ashram in Mysuru, Karnataka, on 1 August 2026 (Saturday). Dedicated to the life and ideas of Swami Vivekananda, the centre aims to give youth a platform for value-based education, leadership and personality development. It commemorates Vivekananda's stay in Mysuru during his India tour in November 1892. On the occasion, the Prime Minister also released Kannada publications.

Explanation

As Chair of BRICS 2026, India is hosting the 3rd BRICS Culture Working Group (CWG) Meeting on 5-6 August 2026 in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, known as the City of Lakes; the Ministry of Culture announced it. Three priority areas guide it: creative economy, copyright and AI; protection of cultural heritage and return of cultural property; and culture, climate and sustainable development. The first CWG was virtual (29-30 April) and the second was in Varanasi (4-5 June). It runs alongside the BRICS Cultural Festival and the Culture Ministers' Meeting.

Explanation

Rajasthan's School Education and Panchayati Raj Minister Madan Dilawar launched the 'Apna Sankul Hariyalo Sankul' campaign on 4 August 2026 (Tuesday) by planting a bael (belpatra) sapling at the Dr Radhakrishnan Shiksha Sankul in Jaipur. It aims to make education-directorate campuses green and eco-friendly and to raise environmental awareness. He urged students, teachers and the public to join it, turn plantation into a mass movement, and nurture saplings into trees. It aligns with the state's wider Hariyalo Rajasthan / Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam mission.

Explanation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan on 2 August 2026 through video conferencing. It is run by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports through its flagship youth platform MY Bharat (Mera Yuva Bharat), headed by Dr Mansukh Mandaviya. The launch began a 100-week Jan Bhagidari campaign. Exam angle: the separate Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) of 2020 falls under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Explanation

Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 2 August 2026, the campaign marks the start of a 100-week nationwide Jan Bhagidari drive against substance abuse. Activities run every Sunday and include sports events, walkathons, meditation sessions, cultural programmes, nukkad nataks and art contests. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports runs it through MY Bharat, with over 125 partner spiritual organisations. The goal is Viksit Bharat 2047.

Explanation

The Union Cabinet approved Samudra Manthan, the National Offshore Exploration Scheme, on 31 July 2026. It is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas with an outlay of Rs 84,084 crore, running up to 31 March 2031. It follows the Prime Minister's Independence Day 2025 Red Fort vision of a modern Samudra Manthan. Targets: reserve accretion above 600 MMTOE and output rising from 62 to 80 MMTOE. Exam angle: Deep Ocean Mission is under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Explanation

Of the four components of Samudra Manthan, the largest is exploration acceleration: Rs 43,200 crore for drilling 60 deepwater exploration wells. The Government will bear up to 50 percent of eligible drilling cost or Rs 675 crore per well, whichever is lower. The other components are seismic data acquisition at Rs 28,534 crore, common offshore infrastructure hubs at Rs 10,000 crore and manufacturing and services zones at Rs 2,000 crore. Key basins: Krishna-Godavari, Cauvery, Mahanadi, Andaman.

Explanation

According to the Ministry of Defence, Air Marshal Tejpal Singh, AVSM, VM, assumed the appointment of Deputy Chief of the Air Staff on 1 August 2026 and laid a wreath at the National War Memorial. He succeeded Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, SYSM, AVSM, VM, who superannuated on 31 July after 39 years of service. Commissioned into the fighter stream on 16 June 1990, he has over 3,500 flying hours. Exam angle: the same day, Vice Admiral A N Pramod became Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff.

Explanation

DSC A24, the fifth and final vessel of the Indian Navy's Diving Support Craft Project, was launched on 1 August 2026 at M/s Titagarh Rail Systems Limited, Kolkata. Mrs Kamal Singh launched the craft in the presence of Vice Admiral Gurcharan Singh, Chief of Personnel. The vessel has a catamaran hull form, displaces roughly 300 to 400 tonnes and is built to the Naval Rules and Regulations of the Indian Register of Shipping. Exam angle: it is a Make in India milestone for private shipbuilding.

Explanation

The Ministry of Finance released Rs 1,09,019 crore as an additional advance instalment of tax devolution to states on 1 August 2026, over and above the normal monthly devolution due on 10 August. The aim is to accelerate state capital and developmental spending. Among the 28 states, Uttar Pradesh got the most at Rs 19,208 crore, followed by Bihar Rs 10,845 crore, Madhya Pradesh Rs 8,010 crore, West Bengal Rs 7,866 crore and Maharashtra Rs 7,022 crore. Sikkim received the least at Rs 365 crore.

Explanation

The Ministry of Defence has appointed Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja, SM, VSM and Bar, as Director General Armed Forces Medical Services with effect from the afternoon of 31 August 2026. He takes over on the retirement of Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin. An AFMC Pune alumnus commissioned in December 1986, he holds a DM in Gastroenterology from AIIMS Delhi. As Director General Medical Services (Air) he strengthened medical preparedness for the Gaganyaan mission and operationalised the BHISHM Cube.

Explanation

Varsha Ashok Aglawe took charge as the 54th Director General of the Geological Survey of India, becoming the first woman to head it in its 176-year history. She succeeded Asit Saha, who was Director General from 27 July 2024 to 31 July 2026. She joined GSI in 1992 after the Indian Bureau of Mines and previously headed its Eastern Region at Kolkata as Additional Director General. An expert in palaeontology and palynology, she works on Late Cretaceous-Palaeocene sediments. GSI was set up in 1851.

Explanation

The Maldives Monetary Authority announced on 30 July 2026 the integration of Favara, the Maldives Instant Payment System, with India's UPI. Users in the Maldives can now make real-time person-to-person transfers to UPI-enabled bank accounts in India, initiated in Maldivian Rufiyaa and credited in Indian Rupees. It began with Bank of Maldives and Maldives Islamic Bank. The corridor was built by the MMA, the Reserve Bank of India and NPCI International Payments Limited under a July 2025 agreement.

Explanation

World Breastfeeding Week is observed from 1 to 7 August in over 170 countries. The 2026 theme, 'Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works', urges governments and health systems to scale up proven interventions. It is coordinated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) with WHO and UNICEF; in India the Ministry of Women and Child Development leads it. The 2025 theme was 'Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems'.

Explanation

Arundhati Choudhary of Kota, Rajasthan, won the women's 70kg boxing gold at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026. In the final on 1 August 2026 she beat England's Chantelle Reid by a 5-0 unanimous decision, four judges scoring 30-27 and one 29-28. She fought with a 102-degree fever. In the semifinal she had defeated Rosie Eccles of Wales. The Glasgow Games ran from 23 July to 2 August 2026.

Explanation

At the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026 Indian boxers won a record 10 medals - seven gold and three silver - their best ever haul, beating the nine of Gold Coast 2018. No country has won seven boxing golds at a single edition; England took six in 1934 and 2018 and Canada six in 1986. The gold medallists were Preeti Pawar, Jaismine Lamboria, Sakshi Chaudhary, Priya Ghanghas, Arundhati Choudhary, Sachin Siwach and Ankush Panghal.

Explanation

Jaismine Lamboria of Bhiwani, Haryana, won the women's 57kg boxing gold at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026. In the final on 1 August 2026 she beat Michaela Walsh of Northern Ireland 5-0; Walsh was the Birmingham 2022 champion. Jaismine had won bronze in the 60kg class in 2022, and in September 2025 she took the 57kg gold at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool.

Explanation

Soman Rana of India won the men's shot put F57 gold at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026. On 1 August 2026 he threw a season-best 13.40m. Shubham Juyal took silver with 13.28m, giving India its first one-two finish in the event. Rana, an Indian Army soldier with the 2/8 Gorkha Rifles, lost his right leg in a landmine blast in the Poonch sector in 2006 and turned to para athletics.

Explanation

On 1 August at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026 India took a double podium in the men's triple jump. Praveen Chithravel leapt 16.58m on his fourth attempt for silver, while Selva Prabhu Thirumaran claimed bronze with 16.52m on his fifth. Gold went to Jordan Scott of Jamaica with 16.72m. Chithravel had missed bronze by just 3cm at Birmingham 2022.

Explanation

The 2026 Commonwealth Games were held in Glasgow, Scotland, from 23 July to 2 August 2026. India made its debut at these Games in 1934. This was a slimmed-down edition without shooting, wrestling, badminton and table tennis. India's largest haul came in boxing, with a record seven golds. The next edition, in 2030, will be hosted by Ahmedabad, India; New Delhi hosted in 2010.

Explanation

Preeti Pawar of Bhiwani, Haryana, gave India its first boxing gold of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026 by winning the women's 54kg title. In the final on 1 August 2026 she beat Scarlett Delgado of Canada 5-0, also scoring a knockdown. The 23-year-old is an Asian Games bronze medallist and the first Indian woman athlete to be appointed directly to the rank of Nayab Subedar in the Indian Army.

Explanation

Sakshi Chaudhary of Bhiwani, Haryana, won the women's 51kg boxing gold at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026. In the final on 1 August 2026 she beat Ruby White of England by a 5-0 unanimous decision. Hers was one of seven Indian boxing golds that day. Bhiwani is known as India's Cuba for boxing and has produced pugilists such as Vijender Singh and Vikas Krishan.

Explanation

Priya Ghanghas of Bhiwani won the women's 60kg boxing gold at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026. In the final on 1 August 2026 she beat Marie-Bathoul Al-Ahmadieh of Canada by a 4-1 split decision. India took seven of the 14 boxing golds on offer at this edition, five of them in the women's events. Priya, Preeti Pawar, Jaismine Lamboria and Sakshi Chaudhary all come from Bhiwani.

Explanation

Sachin Siwach of Bhiwani, Haryana, won the men's 60kg boxing gold at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026. Trailing in the final on 1 August 2026, he mounted a strong third-round comeback to beat Tryagain Morning Ndevelo of Namibia 3-2. The 26-year-old was ranked World No. 5 in his category and had earlier won gold at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games.

Explanation

Ankush Panghal of Haryana won the men's 80kg boxing gold at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026. In the final on 1 August 2026 he beat Dimeji Shittu of England 4-1, with three judges scoring it 29-26. The 22-year-old carried his junior-level success into his first major senior title. On the same day Narender Berwal took silver in the men's 90+kg division.

Explanation

The Union Cabinet approved 'Samudra Manthan', the National Offshore Exploration Scheme, on 31 July 2026. It is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas with an outlay of Rs 84,084 crore, to be implemented up to FY 2030-31. It covers seismic data acquisition, deepwater and ultra-deepwater exploratory drilling and an integrated oil and gas manufacturing zone. Reserve accretion of over 600 MMTOE is expected. The idea came from the PM's Independence Day 2025 address.

Explanation

On 31 July 2026 the Union Cabinet approved the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY) of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy with an outlay of Rs 5,070 crore. It targets 5,000 MW of Floating Solar Photovoltaic capacity with co-located Energy Storage Systems of 10,000 MWh (two hours). Central Financial Assistance is Rs 1 crore per MW plus up to Rs 50 lakh for feasibility studies. Projects will be sanctioned from FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31. Present floating solar capacity is about 700 MW.

Explanation

On 31 July 2026 the Union Cabinet approved the revamped Khelo India Scheme along with Assistance to National Sports Federations, with a combined outlay of Rs 36,441 crore for 2026-27 to 2030-31. Khelo India gets Rs 29,054 crore and the federations Rs 7,387 crore. The new Emerging Khelo India Athletes category will expand the athlete pool nearly ten-fold. Khelo India Feeder Schools and Utkrishta Vidyalayas were also introduced. The outlay is about eight times the previous scheme.

Explanation

On 31 July 2026 the Union Cabinet approved continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme from 2026-27 to 2030-31 with a total outlay of Rs 3.15 lakh crore (Rs 3,15,614 crore). Launched in February 2019, it gives eligible landholding farmer families Rs 6,000 a year in three equal instalments through DBT. Over Rs 4.47 lakh crore has been transferred in 23 instalments so far, including Rs 1.06 lakh crore to women farmers.

Explanation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh on 1 August 2026. The greenfield airport was developed by GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited. Phase one capacity is 6 million passengers a year, with a master plan for 40 million. It has a 3,800-metre Code 4E runway. The airport is named after freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju.

Explanation

The Department of Telecommunications and the Madhya Pradesh government signed an MoU in New Delhi on 30 July 2026 to set up India's first Telecom Manufacturing Zone, Phase-I, at Gwalior. It will come up on about 350 acres on a plug-and-play model. Phase one expects Rs 2,000 crore of investment and over 4,500 jobs, with Rs 10,000 crore targeted in the next stage. Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav attended.

Explanation

The Indian Navy launched Machilipatnam (BY 529) at Cochin Shipyard Limited on 29 July 2026. It is the seventh of eight Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft. These vessels handle underwater surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, low intensity maritime operations and mine warfare, with indigenous content above 80 per cent. The ship is named after the historic port city in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh. INS Mahe, the lead ship, was commissioned in November 2025.