UPSC Current Affairs August 2026 — PIB & The Hindu

All UPSC-relevant current affairs for August 2026, rated and summarised from PIB and The Hindu, with practice MCQs.

PIB press releases

• QUARTERLY ESTIMATES OF GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT FOR THE FIRST QUARTER (APRIL-JUNE) OF 2026-27
• UPI Completes 10 Years of Digital Payments Revolution- Globally Recognised as World’s Largest Real‑Time Payment System
• Government Notifies ₹62,500 Cr Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme to Boost Global Competitiveness and Deepen Domestic Value Addition
• MMDR Amendment Act, 2026
• India Achieves Landmark 300 GW Non-Fossil Fuel Power Capacity
• Cabinet approves GOBARdhan, India’s National Unified Scheme for Compressed Biogas, with an outlay of Rs.23,731 crore
• Cabinet approves GOBARdhan, India’s National Unified Scheme for Compressed Biogas, with an outlay of Rs.23,731 crore
• Glaw Lake becomes Arunachal Pradesh’s First Ramsar Site; India’s Ramsar Sites tally reaches 101
• Cabinet approves 'Samudra Manthan' - National Offshore Exploration Scheme with an outlay of ₹84,084 crore
• INS NIPUN COMMISSIONED INTO THE INDIAN NAVY
• NATIONAL ACCOUNTS STATISTICS - 2026 PUBLICATION
• Joint Statement during the State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Uzbekistan
• List of Outcomes: Prime Minister’s State Visit to Uzbekistan
• Department of Consumer Affairs Notifies Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2026
• India's Index of industrial production records growth of 6.7% in July 2026
• DELIVERY OF SAMARTHAK – THE FIRST INDIGENOUS MULTI-PURPOSE VESSEL OF INDIAN NAVY
• PROVISIONAL ESTIMATES OF SERVICE PRODUCER PRICE INDICES (BASE YEAR 2022-23) FOR Q1 OF FY 2026-27 AND FINAL INDICES FOR Q4 OF FY 2025-26
• Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Proposes Amendments to Medical Devices Rules, 2017 to Promote Ease of Doing Business
• BRICS Youth Ministers’ Meeting 2026 Concludes in Visakhapatnam; Joint Statement Adopted
• Ken-Betwa Link Project
• Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA)
• Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah welcomes Union Cabinet’s decision to establish a Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir in Ladakh
• SAIL Welcomes MMDR Amendment Act, 2026; Reform to Strengthen Mineral Security and Domestic Iron Ore Availability
• Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026
• MMDR Amendment Bill, 2026
• MoD inks contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc for leasing of two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems for Indian Navy for 30 months
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation, highlights youth’s potential and India’s sporting ambitions, announces nationwide talent hunt for 2036 Olympics
• Jal Jeevan Mission Clocks Seven Years of Rural Transformation: Rural Drinking Water Tap Coverage Surges from 16.7% to Over 82%
• MMDR Amendment to bring long term Stability in Major Minerals Sector
• MMDR Amendment Bill, 2026
• Dr. Jitendra Singh Presents Government’s Roadmap for a Self-Reliant and Globally Competitive Nuclear Energy Ecosystem in Lok Sabha
• The Government of India to launch the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)-based Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in the Union Territories of Chandigarh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli
• PREPARATORY ACTIVITIES FOR CENSUS 2027
• RLB GRANTS RECOMMENDED BY SIXTEENTH FINANCE COMMISSION
• PRESS RELEASE OF CONSUMER PRICE INDEX ON BASE 2024=100 FOR JULY, 2026
• Reforming India’s Tribunal System
• The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026
• Asiatic Lion population rises from 523 in 2015 to 891 in 2025; Reflects dedication of Forest Officials, Conservationists and Local Communities: Shri Bhupender Yadav
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban Milestone: 1.25 crore houses sanctioned, 1 crore houses delivered
• SUPREME COURT GUIDELINES IN CASES OF SEXUAL OFFENCE
• The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 passed by Parliament
• Dr. Jitendra Singh Informs Rajya Sabha of Key Milestones in Gaganyaan and India's Human Space Exploration Roadmap
• ‘Agni-4’ Ballistic Missile successfully test-fired
• Government Strengthens Regulatory Framework to Address AI-Generated Deepfakes
• PARLIAMENT QUESTION: GENERATION OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
• PARLIAMENT QUESTION: NUCLEAR ENERGY MISSION & BHARAT SMALL MODULAR REACTORS
• PARLIAMENT QUESTION: PROTOTYPE FAST BREEDER REACTOR
• PARLIAMENT QUESTION: IMPACT AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE DEEP OCEAN MISSION
• Government Clarifies Objective and Eligibility Criteria for Reservation to Economically Weaker Sections
• OILSEED AND PALM OIL PRODUCTION
• ICAR's Genome Breakthrough Paves Way for Better Pigeonpea Varieties
• Indigenous African Swine Fever (ASF) Vaccine Developed by ICAR Bolsters India's Biosecurity
• Government Develops Industrial Townships Under NICDP Through Centre-State Partnership Model
• Update on AB PM-JAY
• PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana Achieves Milestone of Over 50 Lakh Rooftop Solar Installations
• EMPLOYMENT UNDER VB-GRAM-G
• India achieves near-universal banking coverage, with 99.92% of inhabited villages now served by a banking outlet
• Samudra Manthan – National Offshore Exploration Scheme
• The Making of a Sporting Nation
• India's Solar Growth Enters a New Era
• Naxal-Free India
• C-DOT Unveils 14 Indigenous Quantum Products to Strengthen Security of India’s Communication Networks
• Monthly Review of Accounts of Union Government of India upto the month of July 2026 (FY 2026-27)
• NPCI International and Uzbekistan’s NIPC Partner to Enable UPI Payments Across Uzbekistan via UZQR
• In the presence of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, an MoU was signed between Bihar and Jharkhand on the sharing of Sone River water
• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh Inaugurates first of it’s kind “Green Forge” Complex at ‘National Agri-food & Biomanufacturing Institute’ Mohali; describes it as milestone in genetically modified crop revolution
• Release of Sub-Sectoral Trial Index of Services Production (ISP) for June 2026 (Base Year 2024–25)
• Cyber-Physical Systems
• Prime Minister Conferred with “Oliy Darajali Do’stlik” Order, Uzbekistan’s highest honour for foreign leaders
• India–Chile CEPA Negotiations Advance; Commerce Secretary Shri Rajesh Agrawal Meets Chilean Vice-Minister Paula Estévez Weinstein
• National Biodiversity Authority disburses Rs. 5.68 Crore in Access and Benefit-Sharing Funds for Biodiversity Conservation
• Integrated Fertilizer Management System (iFMS) Enters a New Phase of Data-Driven Fertilizer Management
• Revised CBG pricing supports producers without materially impacting consumers
• Ex-Mill Sugar Prices Decline by Around 20%; Retail Prices Begin Downward Movement
• Less procedural burden, wider global market access for Indian industry: Defence Export SOP and Open General Export Licence framework simplified to make India a trusted global manufacturing & export partner
• Union Health Ministry Reviews Progress Towards Achieving Malaria Elimination Target by 2030
• High-Powered Task Force Invites Suggestions on Reforms in Public Examinations
• From Financial Inclusion to Economic Empowerment: Union Minister Smt. Annpurna Devi Hails 12 Years of the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana
• Nuclear Energy Technology in India
• Nuclear Energy in India
• Second Call for Applications Under ₹5,000 Crore PRIP Scheme to Boost Pharma & MedTech Innovation announced
• Calibrated market intervention to ensure onion availability at a better/affordable price"
• PM Jan Dhan Yojana Completes 12 Years of Transforming India’s Financial Inclusion Landscape
• PM SVANidhi Completes One Year of Restructuring: Expanding Credit, Digital Inclusion and Livelihoods Opportunities
• Convergence for Rural Development: DDWS urges States/UTs to integrate works of JJM 2.0 and SBM-G 2.0 under VB-G RAM G Act
• 12 Years of PM Jan Dhan Yojana
• India’s Sugar Industry
• INDIAN NAVY SET TO COMMISSION SECOND INDIGENOUS DIVING SUPPORT VESSEL 'NIPUN'
• India calls for a shift from Drought Response to Drought Resilience at UNCCD CoP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• Net Profit of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) Rises to Record ₹10,176 Crore, Total Business Cross ₹13.5 Lakh Crore in FY 2025-26
• PMFME Conclave 2026 Concludes with Recognition of Top-Performing States, Banks and Grassroots Functionaries
• Union Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy launched Critical Minerals Innovation Hackathon 2026
• CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories Unveils Indigenous Micro and Small Gas Turbine Engines, Boosting India’s Unmanned Defence Capabilities
• “India Plans 100 New Ships to Cut $75 Billion Foreign Freight Bill:” Sarbananda Sonowal at ‘Sagar Samvad’ of National Shipping Board
• Flash Report on Central Sector Infrastructure Projects worth ₹150 crore and above
• India’s Steel Sector Continues Its Upward Trajectory in Apr-Jul 2026
• 5 Years of e-Shram Portal
• Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Proposes Amendments to Medical Devices Rules, 2017 to Promote Ease of Doing Business
• India restored 21.76 mn ha Land during 2011–2020, generating 1.22 bn person-days of Employment: Shri Bhupender Yadav at UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• India calls for Diversified, Adequate, Predictable and Sustained International Finance for Land Restoration and Drought Resilience at UNCCD CoP17, at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• RBI's USD-INR Swap Facility Sparks Unprecedented Forex Inflows into India, Banks Raise USD 73 Billion in eleven weeks
• BRICS Sports Ministers Adopt Joint Declaration at Visakhapatnam Meeting
• INDIAN AIR FORCE CONCLUDES HIGH-TEMPO MULTINATIONAL EXERCISES PITCH BLACK AND UDARA SHAKTI 2026
• NBA releases ₹2.82 crore of ABS funds to 27 State Biodiversity Boards, 3 UT Biodiversity Councils and ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Karnataka
• Government Restricts Manufacture, Sale and Distribution of Fixed Dose Combinations Containing Chlorpheniramine Maleate and Phenylephrine Hydrochloride for Use in Children Below Four Years
• National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP)
• 29 FDI Investments Worth ₹4,895.65 Crore Reported Under Revised Framework
• Union Minister of Communications, Sh. Jyotiraditya M. Scindia Leads 12th BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting in Pune, Emphasizes Sustainable ICT Infrastructure and Digital Inclusivity
• India and Brazil sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation in Telecommunications and ICTs
• India and ADB sign $230 million loan to modernise water supply and sanitation in Chennai
• Sarbananda Sonowal Inaugurates ₹427.80 Crore Projects at Paradip Port, Marks 18.5-Metre Deep-Draft Capability
• Government Strengthens Scholarship Delivery through Direct Benefit Transfer for SC and OBC Students
• Quarterly Bulletin of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (QBUSE)
• BRICS Tourism Ministers adopt Jaipur Declaration (Ministers’ Communique)
• 11.19 Lakh Pucca Houses Approved for Bihar with ₹13,427 Crore Allocation, Giving New Hope and Dignity to Poor Families: Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan
• PROVISIONAL ESTIMATES OF INDEX OF CORE INDUSTRIES FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 2026, AND FINAL INDEX FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE 2026 WITH BASE YEAR 2022-23
• India-Japan Joint Press Statement
• CMLRE Unveils Landmark National Report on Deep-Sea and Distant-Water Fishery Resources of the Indian EEZ to Fuel Sustainable Blue Economy
• Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah chairs 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu
• Ministry of Jal Shakti Releases Policy on Data Sharing, Interoperability and Stakeholder Access under Sujalam Bharat Digital Public Infrastructure

The Hindu

• 100 years ago: The right of pathway bill
• Why 543 should remain 543
• OBC creamy-layer criteria: SC likely to set up special Bench
• U.S. sanctions 4 India-based firms over Iran imports
• Global space norms find a firm footing in India’s new re-entry rules
• Vande Mataram and the right to dissent
• What did Trump say about India’s voting system?
• Unimpeded trade needs IPMDA as the answer
• A dry spell along the Cauvery river
• The Vanashakti verdict is balanced and pragmatic
• Calcutta’s foreign trade
• Ready to drop FIRs against student protesters, says SC
• Nearly 2,000 left in the lurch as Jharkhand govt. cancels exams
• Archaeological dept. staff’s plea on quarters
• The federal dilemma of delimitation
• Why has the Centre opposed creamy layer for SC/STs?
• Europe’s AI rules may become India’s opportunity
• A timely reset for the Food Security Act
• The Mecca Pact and the rise of strategic hedging
• Tamil Nadu’s delimitation conundrum
• How did Google’s AI satellite images raise safety concerns?
• A new security triangle emerges with the Makkah Pact
• The stakes in India’s delimitation debate
• The changing logic of the India-U.S. partnership
• Prudent approach
• British industrial mission to America
• How will the Supreme Court order impact mining around Ramsar wetland sites?
• Fiscal federalism, efficiency versus equity concerns
• A climate resilience pathway between India and China
• Highs and lows
• The road ahead for the Asiatic lion
• Why is the Indian Statistical Institute Bill controversial?
• T.N. moves SC to press for release of Cauvery water
• SC asks govt. to consider ‘important’ plea against Jantar Mantar as a site of protests
• Thirupparankundram row: SC agrees to hear T.N.’s plea, but refuses interim relief
• The problem with India’s free trade agreement strategy
• Goat breeding: new strategy
• Strong health systems for all with better public spending
• Why are govt. schools shutting down?
• What does the new Bill to prevent exam fraud say?
• Western Ghats conservation with science and dialogue
• 50 years ago: China supports India for Security Council seat
• All workers shifted to VB-G RAM G; e-KYC is not mandatory, says Centre
• Govt. plans to wrap up trade agreement with Chile this year
• Delay in prorogation of Parliament leading to suspicion: Ramesh
• OBC creamy layer and the income test
• Not a good sign if a Bar Council loses respect: SC judge
• PM in Uzbekistan for 2-day visit ahead of SCO summit
• ‘Irreverent Gen Z a sure sign of our democratic progress’
• Microclimate leads to ‘inferior greening’
• India, Canada re-commit to seal trade deal by end 2026
• Is English a foreign language in India?
• Settle Acting Chief Justice row internally: Rajasthan lawyers
• Can India build a strategic fuel system?
• Why was Acting CJ of Rajasthan HC not shifted, judge asks CJI
• Gross FDI hit 15-year high of $30.7 billion in April-June 2026
• Taiwan President pushes $6.6 billion military drone Bill
• India, China discuss ways to push border delimitation
• Extend time for filing claims, verifying voters during SIR: Karnataka CM to EC
• End the culture of secrecy in judicial appointments
• 50 years ago: WHO to collaborate in Ayurvedic project
• UN panel flags violations against SC, ST, Rohingya
• Aravalli panel failed to conduct adequate study, say activists
• SC bars police from coercive action against journalist
• Models struggled to predict the 2026 monsoon’s rapid changes
• Manipur awaits Centre’s decision on Census 2027
• Rules at tribal hostels undermining dignity of students, says Rahul
• Simultaneous polls possible in 2029, says panel chief
• SC notice to Jharkhand on plea on exam irregularities
• The fact is youth unemployment has a household cost
• How the SC ruling redefined ‘industry’
• SEBI unveils index for market infrastructure institutions
• Triple test, adrift
• Prior permission must for protests, rallies: Ranchi Deputy Commissioner
• Doval heads to China with eyes on Xi’s visit
• SC committee pulls up Assam government for inaction over mining activity near Kaziranga
• SC sets aside order against Art of Living for Yamuna event
• U.S. imposes 50% import tariffs on $20 bn worth of Canadian products
• Imran Khan’s sister files contempt plea over violation of SC hospitalisation order
• Ensuring equity amid India’s educational progress
• Govt. notification cancelling recruitment via JSSC-CGL exam stayed by Jharkhand HC
• Trade unions sound the alarm over Supreme Court judgment on the definition of industry
• SC trims law practice requirement to 1 year for judicial service
• Rahul Gandhi’s politics on the streets signals a new Opposition playbook
• NGT seeks Centre’s response on change in floodplain rules
• Rahul seeks report on whether leaders adhere to party line
• Ease three-language rule for Class 6, SC tells CBSE
• Centre set to expand mechanised sanitation scheme to rural India
• Keralam to move SC on prohibition of construction near National Highway
• ‘MMDR Amendment Act expected to bring greater tax uniformity’
• Investors dump India bonds after hawkish RBI minutes
• ‘Possibility of Tarique’s India visit slim without dignified invitation’
• How will Gaganyaan’s thermal shield protect the crew?
• ‘Centre is trying to include NPR in Census work’
• Tamil Nadu’s encroachment problem
• NTA reforms should have continuity: SC
• Cabinet approves 4 railway projects worth ₹9,450 crore
• Get seed fund usage details from NTA, House panel tells Education Ministry
• ‘Transmission constraints threaten India’s renewable energy expansion’
• RBI’s MPC minutes indicate hardening of interest rates
• If solar irrigation is over-drawing groundwater, it’s being done wrong
• Why is the Supreme Court examining polygamy again?
• Railway Board clears MRTS merger with Metro Rail
• Education must change to account for AI
• NTA removes 600 experts; four-tier paper checking system to be put in place
• HC refuses to interfere with decision on Ritabrata
• SC dismisses petition seeking alternative to execution by hanging
• India’s crude import bill up 41% in July on West Asia crisis
• VCK should grow into a force capable of ruling Tamil Nadu, says Thirumavalavan
• Murmu gives assent to Bill to rename Kerala as Keralam
• SC pauses HC move against Rahul in assets case
• Ram Temple row: SC says suggestions can be made to Solicitor-General’s office
• Can SHANTI Act override court on compensation for nuclear disasters, asks SC
• Black money in elections hampers democracy, says SC
• Education Minister tells NTA to audit exam processes, submit corrective action report
• No excessive force used; ‘trapped’ constable fired AK-47: Bihar Police to SC
• No State can block usual routes of elephants: SC
• HC dismisses plea to bring RGF within ambit of RTI Act
• ‘No private data sought for Census; ID details will be collected only if available’
• Panel flags absence of policy to shut mines in Meghalaya