Monthly Current Affairs - September 2026

Asmita Dey became India's first-ever Commonwealth Games Judo gold medalist, winning the women's 48kg event at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Harsh Singh won the gold medal in men's 60kg judo at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Lovepreet Singh won silver in men's +110kg weightlifting and set a Commonwealth Games record in snatch with a lift of 176kg at the 2026 Glasgow Games.

Seema Kaliramna won bronze in women's discus throw with a best throw of 58.65m at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Five Indian boxers—Preeti Pawar (54kg), Ankush Panghal (80kg), Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Arundhati Chaudhary (70kg), and Jadumani Singh (55kg)—advanced to the finals at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, assuring at least silver medals.

The Indian football team will host five-time World Cup champions Brazil in an international friendly at Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, on 3rd October 2026, marking the first-ever meeting between the senior men's national teams of India and Brazil.

Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav recommended weightlifter Mirabai Chanu for the Arjuna Award in July 2026; she already holds the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and Padma Shri.

The Indian Army Medical Team was awarded the 'Order of the Hero' by Venezuela for its humanitarian services during Operation Amistad, launched after earthquakes in Venezuela on 26 June 2026.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram, Andhra Pradesh, on 1 August 2026, developed at a cost of ₹5,640 crore.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for Andhra Pradesh's first semiconductor manufacturing facility (ASIP Semiconductor Project) at Visakhapatnam under India Semiconductor Mission, with an investment of ₹460 crore to produce 96 million chips annually.

The Union Cabinet approved the revamped Khelo India Scheme and enhanced Assistance to National Sports Federations with a combined outlay of ₹36,441 crore for FY 2026-27 to 2030-31.

The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of PM-KISAN scheme from 2026-27 to 2030-31 with a total outlay of ₹3.15 lakh crore.

The Union Cabinet approved Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY) to develop 5,000 MW of floating solar photovoltaic projects with Energy Storage Systems, with a total outlay of ₹5,070 crore.

The Union Cabinet approved 'Samudra Manthan' (National Offshore Exploration Scheme) with an outlay of ₹84,084 crore for implementation up to FY 2030-31.

The Favara-UPI cross-border payment corridor went live between Maldives and India on 30 July 2026, enabling real-time person-to-person transfers.

Indian Railways successfully transported a live donor heart by train for the first time in India, via Vande Bharat Express from Surat to Ahmedabad, with a dedicated Green Corridor.

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) facilitated the first-ever air shipment of Neelam and Totapuri mangoes from Karnataka to the Maldives on 30 July 2026.

The Union Department of Fisheries approved the national rollout of Vessel Communication and Support System (VCSS) under PMMSY at ₹364 crore, equipping 1 lakh marine fishing vessels with ISRO-developed transponders; ISRO's 'Nabhmitra' mobile app will provide communication, weather alerts, and Potential Fishing Zone information.

Under the Gyan Bharatam Mission, more than 1.22 crore manuscripts have been identified and verified, exceeding the initial target of one crore.

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 was passed by Parliament, mandating imprisonment up to 10 years and fine up to ₹10 crore for organized examination malpractices.

Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja has been appointed as the next Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), succeeding Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin.

Varsha Ashok Aglawe assumed charge as the 54th Director General of the Geological Survey of India, becoming the first woman to head the organization in its 176-year history.

Andy Burnham became the 59th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in July 2026; Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with him on 31 July 2026.

The 5th India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks were held in July 2026, approving 12 new Project Tied Assistance projects worth ₹332 crore, taking the total to 82 projects under Bhutan's 13th Five-Year Plan; an Umbrella Line of Credit Agreement of ₹4,000 crore was signed between Royal Government of Bhutan and EXIM Bank for energy projects.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visited India from 1-3 July 2026, and MoUs were signed on critical emerging technologies, energy security, AI skills, and digital infrastructure.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the G7 Leaders' Summit in Evian, France, on 16 June 2026; the third round of India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations was held in Ottawa from 6-10 July 2026.

India announced its candidature for the United Nations Security Council for the 2028-29 term, with six priorities including Voice of Global South, Advancing Reformed Multilateralism, and Countering Terror Financing.

Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Saidov Bakhtiyor Odilovich will visit India from 2-5 August 2026.

The Ministry of Ayush and IndiaAI (MeitY) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 31 July 2026 to promote AI-driven innovation in traditional medicine, integrating Ayush data on the AIKosh platform.

The Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 came into force on 1 July 2026, with a central share provision of ₹95,692.31 crore for FY 2026-27.

India's Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) declined to 87 per one lakh live births in SRS 2022-24, from 130 in SRS 2014-16.

World Breastfeeding Week 2026 will be observed from 1-7 August with the theme 'Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works'.

Former Chief of the Army Staff General Vishwa Nath Sharma passed away; he was the brother of Major Som Nath Sharma, the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra.

India's foreign exchange reserves stood at US$ 682.354 billion as on July 24, 2026, increasing by US$ 6.118 billion over the week.

The passport fee was revised by 67% with effect from 1 July 2026 under the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026.

The Reserve Bank of India consolidated 628 supervisory circulars into 64 Master Directions covering 11 types of regulated entities.

The 135th edition of the Durand Cup football tournament began in Shillong, Meghalaya.

Nation observed the 87th martyrdom day of Shaheed Udham Singh on 31st July 2026.

Government e Marketplace (GeM) launched 10-day celebrations ahead of its 10th Foundation Day, marking a decade of India's digital public procurement platform.

At Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, Indian judokas won three medals: Asmita Dey (48kg) became the first Indian to win a CWG gold in judo, Harsh Singh (60kg) won gold, and Yamini Maurya (57kg) won silver.

Tejaswin Shankar won bronze in men's decathlon at Commonwealth Games 2026, becoming the first Indian to win a decathlon medal at a major international multi-sport event and the first Indian to win CWG medals in two different athletics disciplines.

Neeraj Chopra won silver (season-best 85.83m) and Yash Vir Singh won bronze (personal best 85.41m) in men's javelin throw at Commonwealth Games 2026.

Indian boxing created history at Commonwealth Games 2026 with a record 10 finalists; Preeti Pawar (54kg) and Jaismine Lamboria (57kg) won gold, while Jadumani Singh (55kg) won silver.

India placed 6th in the medal standings at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow with 27 medals (7 gold, 13 silver, 7 bronze).

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was conferred the Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2026 by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Pune.

The 12th National Handloom Day will be celebrated on 7 August 2026 with President Droupadi Murmu as the chief guest; Sant Kabir Handloom Awards and National Handloom Awards 2025 will be presented.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the 'Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan' on 2 August 2026, a 100-week campaign against substance abuse.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Youth Centre (Viveka Smaraka) in Mysuru, Karnataka on 1 August 2026.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport (cost ₹5,640 crore, capacity 6 million passengers annually) and laid the foundation for the ASIP semiconductor plant (investment ₹460 crore, 96 million chips annually) in Andhra Pradesh, as part of development projects worth over ₹17,900 crore.

Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) celebrated its 56th Foundation Day on 1 August 2026; in 2025-26 it procured 522 lakh quintals of seed cotton, transferring ₹41,530 crore to farmers through 24 lakh transactions. The MSP for seed cotton was increased by about 7% for 2026-27, and the Cotton Productivity Mission – Kapas Kanti with an outlay of ₹5,659 crore over five years has been approved.

The Union Cabinet approved the 'Samudra Manthan' - National Offshore Exploration Scheme with an outlay of ₹84,084 crore for implementation through FY 2030-31 to enhance India's hydrocarbon exploration.

Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) completed one year on 1 August 2026; launched in August 2025 with an outlay of ₹99,446 crore, it aims to generate over 3.5 crore jobs, including 1.92 crore first-time employees.

NHAI launched the Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling system at Shahjahanpur Toll Plaza on the Delhi-Jaipur section of NH-48, making the Manesar-Jaipur stretch entirely barrier-free.

DSC A24, the fifth Diving Support Craft built for the Indian Navy by Titagarh Rail Systems Limited, was launched on 1 August 2026 at Kolkata with 70% indigenous content.

Air Marshal Tejpal Singh AVSM VM assumed charge as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff on 1 August 2026, succeeding Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti.

Smt Alka Nangia Arora, a 1991-batch IDAS officer, assumed charge as Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) on 1 August 2026.

Vice Admiral AN Pramod, AVSM, YSM, assumed charge as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff on 1 August 2026, succeeding Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti.

General Vishwa Nath Sharma, former Chief of Army Staff (30 April 1988 – 30 June 1990), passed away at the age of 97; his last rites were conducted with full military honours on 1 August 2026.

Under 'Operation Vajra', the Central Bureau of Narcotics busted interstate counterfeit drug networks in Bihar, seizing 68,200 Tramadol tablets and 52,542 bottles of Codeine syrup.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in a pan-India operation seized approximately 9.5 kg of gold, 14 metric tonnes of Pakistan-origin CITES-listed Guggul resin, and other contraband, arresting 20 persons including 5 foreign nationals.

Pratiksha Nanasaheb Kale (Rajasthan cadre) topped the 2024 batch of Indian Forest Service probationers at Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehradun; a total of 111 officers completed the 20-month training programme.

The first session of the India-Rwanda Joint Trade Committee (JTC) was held in New Delhi on 30-31 July 2026, establishing a periodic apex mechanism to review bilateral trade; India is Rwanda's second-largest foreign investor as of 2025.

During the fifth India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks for Bhutan's 13th Five Year Plan, India announced support of Rs 10,000 crore, approved 12 new Project Tied Assistance projects worth Rs 332 crore, signed an Umbrella Line of Credit Agreement for Rs 4,000 crore for energy projects, and an MoU between AIIMS New Delhi and Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Science of Bhutan.

Cross-border trade between India and China resumed through Shipki-La in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh and Nathu La in Sikkim after a gap of six years.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah approved the advance release of ₹2,117.85 crore from the Central share of the State Disaster Response Fund to flood-affected states during the 2026 monsoon; Assam received ₹379.35 crore and Gujarat ₹500 crore.

NEET-PG 2026 will be conducted on 30 August 2026 in a single shift across 340 cities and over 1,300 centres; 2,73,183 candidates have registered, a 12.5% increase, with the exam pattern of 180 questions in 210 minutes.

President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, providing for imprisonment up to 10 years and fines up to ₹10 crore for offenders.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) extended the timeline for implementation of revised Particulate Matter emission standards for industries in Delhi-NCR to 1 October 2026.

The Union Government released an additional instalment of tax devolution amounting to ₹1,09,019 crore to State Governments on 1 August 2026; Uttar Pradesh received the highest at ₹19,208 crore.

GST collections in July 2026 rose 15.4% year-on-year to ₹2,11,205 crore; domestic revenues stood at ₹1,44,695 crore and import revenues at ₹66,511 crore.

Oil marketing companies reduced the price of commercial LPG cylinders by about ₹200 per 19-kg cylinder; the new price in Delhi is ₹2,738.

RBI's special swap facility mobilized $40.81 billion in foreign exchange inflows as of July 31, 2026, comprising FCNR(B) deposits ($36.725 billion), OFCBs ($2.575 billion) and ECBs ($1.516 billion).

Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma launched Orunodoi 3.0 for FY 2026-27, providing ₹1,250 monthly to over 37 lakh women beneficiaries via DBT with Aadhaar-linked payment to eliminate duplication.

Delhi government opened registration for the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, providing ₹2,500 monthly financial assistance to eligible women, with a budget provision of ₹5,110 crore for 2026-27.

In West Bengal, 19,081 people received citizenship certificates under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019; 10,151 from Nadia and 8,930 from North 24 Parganas.

India finished fourth at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with 13 gold, 17 silver, and 9 bronze medals; Ahmedabad received the Commonwealth Games flag as host of the 2030 edition.

Indian boxers achieved their best-ever Commonwealth Games performance, winning a record 7 gold (Preeti Pawar, Jaismine Lamboria, Sakshi Chaudhary, Priya Ghanghas, Arundhati Choudhary, Sachin Siwach, Ankush Panghal) and 3 silver medals (Narender Berwal, Lovlina Borgohain, Jadumani Singh).

Gulveer Singh became the first Indian to win two athletics medals at a single Commonwealth Games (bronze in 5000m, silver in 10000m) and the first to win a medal in men's 5000m.

Soman Rana won India's first-ever Commonwealth Games gold in men's shot put F57, with Shubham Juyal taking silver, marking India's first double podium in the category.

Tanvi Sharma won the women's singles title at the Taipei Open Super 300 badminton tournament, becoming the youngest champion and the first Indian woman to win since Saina Nehwal in 2008.

Praveen Chithravel won silver and Selva Prabhu Thirumaran won bronze in men's triple jump at the Commonwealth Games 2026.

The Government approved the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY) on 31 July 2026, targeting 5,000 MW of floating solar capacity with energy storage, with an outlay of ₹5,070 crore.

PM Narendra Modi launched 'Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan' on 2 August 2026, a 100-week nationwide anti-drug campaign supported by 125 spiritual organisations under the Kashi Declaration.

The Ujh Multipurpose Project in Jammu & Kashmir, revived in 2026 on the Ujh River (tributary of Ravi), aims to generate 186-212 MW of electricity and irrigate 90,000 hectares across Kathua, Samba, Pathankot, and Gurdaspur.

NCC organised Cyclothon 2026 in New Delhi on 2 August, with 79 cadets riding 79 km under the theme 'Clean India, Green India, Fit India', flagged off by Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

The 4th Tri-Services Future Warfare Course will commence at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi on 3 August 2026, coordinated by CENJOWS under HQ IDS.

President Droupadi Murmu virtually flagged off the PBG Soldierathon on 2 August 2026, themed 'Supporting Real Heroes – the Armed Forces of India', with proceeds going to the Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre.

India will host the Meeting of Heads of National Statistical Offices of BRICS countries in Lucknow on 3-4 August 2026 under the theme 'Quality Statistics as Driver of Change', part of India's BRICS Chairship 2026 with theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability (BRICS)'.

The Ministry of Textiles will organise the GI and Beyond 2.0 Summit on 5 August 2026 in New Delhi, where the Digital Handloom Atlas and HEPC Diamond Jubilee Logo will be launched.

NFDC will organise the BRICS WAVES Bazaar in Mumbai on 6-7 August 2026, with over 500 delegates from BRICS countries.

Andhra Pradesh and Australia signed four MoUs on 2 August 2026 in Amaravati for cooperation in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, inclusive education, and student mental health.

According to an SBI Research report, India's economy is expected to grow around 7% in Q1 FY27.

India's coal production in July 2026 increased by 7.51% YoY to 69.75 million tonnes, with cumulative FY27 production till July reaching 302.24 million tonnes (provisional).

On its 56th Foundation Day, Cotton Corporation of India announced it procured over 522 lakh quintals of seed cotton in 2025-26, transferred ₹41,530 crore to farmers; MSP raised ~7% for 2026-27, and the Cotton Productivity Mission – Kapas Kanti has an outlay of ₹5,659 crore over five years.

NSE will introduce the Closing Auction Session for Futures & Options stocks from 3 August 2026, extending equity derivatives trading by 10 minutes.

India's solar installed capacity reached 162.15 GW as of 30 June 2026, up from 3 GW in 2014.

The National Biodiversity Authority released ₹8.22 crore under the access and benefit-sharing mechanism for Indian rice varieties; ICAR-IIRR Hyderabad received ₹2.43 crore, and Uttar Pradesh got ₹73.26 lakh.

WHO reported that the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo is the largest ever, with 3,605 confirmed cases and 1,587 deaths (fatality rate 44%) as of week 30, 2026.

The Self-Enumeration facility for Census 2027 commenced in Assam on 2 August via se.census.gov.in, available until 16 August ahead of Houselisting from 17 August; in Delhi, over 88.06 lakh enumeration forms have been digitised with final electoral roll on 19 October 2026.

A fresh survey under the Manual Scavengers Act found no manual scavengers in India as of August 2026; under the NAMASTE Scheme, 89,915 sewer and septic tank workers have been validated.

47,328 villages have been selected under the PM-AJAY Adarsh Gram component across India, including 435 in Telangana.

Telangana Police's 'Operation Muskaan-12' rescued 6,307 children from child labour and trafficking in July 2026.

Leaders paid tributes to freedom fighter Pingali Venkayya on his 150th birth anniversary on 2 August 2026; he designed the Indian national flag.

The 166th birth anniversary of Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy, founder of Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals and discoverer of mercurous nitrite, was observed on 2 August 2026.

NEET-PG 2026 will be held on 30 August 2026; 2,73,183 candidates registered (12.5% increase), with 180 questions in 210 minutes and Aadhaar-based iris biometric verification.

PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram, Andhra Pradesh.

President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate Jagadguru Kripalu University in Cuttack on 3 August 2026 during her Odisha visit.

PGIMER Chandigarh's Project SARATHI, a patient-assistance volunteer programme, has mobilised over 2,500 volunteers contributing over 1.5 lakh service hours, reducing patient navigation time by 26%.

The second edition of Handloom Hackathon 2.0 – Weaving Innovations concluded at IIT Delhi with over 2,500 participants; a Centre of Excellence for Handloom Technology will be inaugurated at IIT Delhi in collaboration with the Ministry of Textiles.

India secured fourth position at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, winning 39 medals (13 gold, 17 silver, 9 bronze).

Indian para-athletes achieved their best-ever performance at the Commonwealth Para Games 2026 in Glasgow, winning 7 medals (3 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze).

Ahmedabad will host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, marking the centenary edition; India becomes the second nation after Australia to host the event twice.

Mirabai Chanu became the first Indian weightlifter to win three consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medals (women's 49kg).

Indian boxers won a record seven gold medals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the most by any nation in boxing at a single edition.

Asmita Dey won India's first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medal in judo.

Gulveer Singh became the first Indian track and field athlete to win two individual medals at a single Commonwealth Games (silver in 10,000m and bronze in 5,000m).

At the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships in Delhi, India won all gold medals except men's doubles; Ankur Bhattacharjee and Yashaswini Ghorpade won the men's and women's singles titles respectively.

Harshita Jakhar became the first Indian woman cyclist to participate in the Tour de France Femmes.

The Union Cabinet approved the 'Samudra Manthan' – National Offshore Exploration Scheme with a Phase-I outlay of ₹84,084 crore up to FY 2030-31.

The Union Cabinet approved the revamped Khelo India Scheme with an outlay of ₹36,441 crore for the period 2026-27 to 2030-31.

India's first Telecom Manufacturing Zone was launched in Gwalior, with expected investments to cross ₹10,000 crore.

The Cabinet approved the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY) with an outlay of ₹5,070 crore to develop 5,000 MW floating solar capacity with Energy Storage Systems during 2026-27 to 2030-31.

The Gyan Bharatam Mission, an initiative for manuscript digitization, has been sanctioned Rs. 491.66 crore for 2025-2031; over 4.40 lakh digitized manuscripts are available on its portal.

On the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day (3 August 2026), Union Minister launched the 'Jug Jug Jiyo Abhiyaan', e-प्रत्यारोपण platform, and NOTTO Mobile App; India performed a record 20,138 organ transplants in 2025 and ranks third globally.

Glaw Lake in Arunachal Pradesh was designated as India's 101st Ramsar Site, also becoming the state's first Ramsar Site.

Vice Admiral Manish Chadha, AVSM, VSM, assumed charge as Director General Naval Operations on 3 August 2026.

The fourth edition of the Tri-Services Future Warfare Course commenced at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi on 3 August 2026, with Chief of the Defence Staff General N.S. Raja Subramani delivering the keynote address.

India will host the second meeting of the BRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group and the second meeting of the BRICS Expert Network on Asset Recovery in Hyderabad on 4-5 August 2026 under India's BRICS Presidency 2026, with the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'.

Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov visited India, and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal set a target to double bilateral trade to $3 billion in three years.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) recorded its highest-ever monthly transaction volume of 23.66 billion transactions worth ₹29.88 lakh crore in July 2026.

India's installed solar capacity reached 162.15 GW as of June 30, 2026, up from 3 GW in 2014.

As on 17 July 2026, India achieved near-universal banking coverage with 99.92% of inhabited villages served by a banking outlet, 58.77 crore Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) accounts opened, and a total balance of ₹3,12,414 crore.

Smt. Monisha Chakraborty was appointed as Executive Director (ED) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), effective 3 August 2026; she will look after the Foreign Exchange Department and Financial Markets Regulation Department.

Shri Vishwesh Negi (IFS: 2002) has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated Jagadguru Kripalu University in Cuttack, Odisha.

President Droupadi Murmu unveiled a statue of freedom fighter and social reformer Utkalmani Pandit Gopabandhu Das in New Delhi.

The Department of Posts released a commemorative postage stamp on the centenary of artist Satish Gujral on 3 August 2026.

The Lok Sabha passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, to increase the number of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37 (excluding the Chief Justice of India).

The Rajya Sabha passed the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026, mandating central public sector enterprises to settle MSME invoices on TReDS and providing that if a dispute case is pending for more than six months, at least 50% of the awarded amount must be paid.

Prashant Kishor won the Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar by 19,324 votes, his first electoral victory as founder of Jan Suraaj Party.

The two-day meeting of Heads of National Statistical Offices (NSO) of BRICS member countries began in Lucknow under India's chairship with the theme 'Quality Statistics as Driver of Change'; the draft BRICS Joint Statistical Publication (JSP) 2026 and Snapshot BRICS JSP 2026 were released.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan', a 100-week nationwide campaign against drug abuse.

India's coal production from captive and commercial mines grew by 9.61% year-on-year to 14.78 million tonnes in July 2026.

Indian Railways recorded a 9% year-on-year growth in freight loading in July 2026, loading 141.3 million tonnes; freight revenue grew by over ₹1,100 crore (8%).

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) launched the revamped version of the TRAI MyCall mobile application to enable consumers to assess and report voice-calling experience.

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) implemented the Closing Auction Session (CAS) for determining closing prices of stocks with derivative contracts from 3 August 2026.

India's HSBC Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) stood at 53.5 in July 2026, indicating expansion.

The pendency of disciplinary cases in the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) dropped from over 4,000 to about 700 over the past 3-4 years.

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) removed mandatory physical reporting for candidates opting for seat upgrade in NEET-UG 2026 counselling.

At the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, India finished fourth with a total of 39 medals: 13 gold, 17 silver, 9 bronze. Boxing topped the medal tally with 7 golds (won by Preeti Pawar, Jaismine Lamboria, Sakshi Chaudhary, Priya Ghanghas, Arundhati Choudhary, Sachin Siwach, Ankush Panghal) and 3 silvers. Judo delivered its best-ever performance with 4 medals, including historic first golds by Asmita Dey (women's 48kg) and Harsh Singh (men's 60kg). Athletics secured 10 medals (5 silver, 5 bronze). Cash awards: ₹30 lakh for gold, ₹20 lakh for silver, ₹10 lakh for bronze.

Anahat Singh became the first Indian to win the women's singles title at the World Junior Squash Championships 2026 in Canada; India's men's junior team (Aryaveer Dewan, Yusha Nafees, Gurveer Singh) won bronze.

President Droupadi Murmu will present Handloom Awards 2025 on National Handloom Day, August 7, 2026, including Sant Kabir Handloom Awards (3 recipients) and National Handloom Awards (19 recipients).

PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana crossed 50 lakh rooftop solar installations, adding 1 lakh beneficiary households every six days; total outlay ₹75,021 crore; over 19 lakh households reporting zero electricity bills; ₹28,000 crore subsidy released via DBT.

Under SVAMITVA Scheme, drone survey completed in 3.30 lakh villages and 3.24 crore property cards prepared as of August 2026.

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) now covers crop losses due to wild animals as an add-on cover at state government's cost.

National Mission on Edible Oils-Oilseeds (NMEO-OS) approved on 3 October 2024, aiming to increase oilseed production to 69.7 million tonnes by 2030-31.

One Nation, One Fertilizer under Pradhanmantri Bhartiya Janurvarak Pariyojana (PMBJP) implemented from 24 August 2022, mandating all subsidized fertilizers under 'BHARAT' brand.

Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0 launched in May 2026, envisaging additional credit of ₹2.55 lakh crore for MSMEs.

India's first Telecom Manufacturing Zone (TMZ) in Gwalior attracted cumulative investment commitments of ₹5,500 crore and is expected to create over 18,000 jobs.

Bharat Taxi, India's first cooperative-led ride-hailing platform, launched by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited.

Government approved 20 industrial nodes under National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP) with sanctioned funds of ₹16,172.95 crore.

In the 15th round of commercial coal mine auctions on 3-4 August 2026, six blocks with total geological reserves of 1,503.93 million tonnes and cumulative peak rated capacity of 11.62 million tonnes per annum were auctioned; CG Syn-Gas and Chemicals Limited secured the Tara (Revised) block with the highest final revenue-sharing offer of 37.5%.

ICAR-NIHSAD developed India's first indigenous live attenuated African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccine (MA-104 Cell Line-Based), dedicated by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

ICAR developed India's first fully annotated telomere-to-telomere reference genome of pigeonpea variety 'Asha', deposited in NCBI on 20 April 2026.

Glaw Lake in Arunachal Pradesh designated as India's 101st Ramsar Site, first in the state, located within Kamlang Tiger Reserve.

On International Clouded Leopard Day (4 August 2026), India released Clouded Leopard Conservation Action Plan identifying 14 priority conservation landscapes in Northeast India.

India is hosting the 13th BRICS Education Ministers' Meeting in Bhubaneswar from 5-7 August 2026 under the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'.

Supreme Court directed RBI to prepare a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for dealing with mule accounts and bank accounts linked to cyber fraud.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) recorded 23.66 billion transactions in July 2026.

Parliament passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026: mandatory approval of District Magistrate for registration reported after one year but within two years, and judicial magistrate order for those reported after two years.

National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) national and state fact sheets were released on 29 May 2026.

Eminent educationist, philanthropist and former Bihar Governor D. Y. Patil passed away on 4 August 2026.

Sharmila Dhankar won the gold medal in women's F57 shot put with a throw of 9.81 metres at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow.

Indian boxers won a record 7 gold and 3 silver medals at the Commonwealth Games 2026.

India finished fourth in the overall medal tally at the Commonwealth Games 2026 with 39 medals; para-athletes won a best-ever 7 medals including 3 golds.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari conferred the Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak on 12 rat miners for the Silkyara Tunnel rescue operation; each received ₹2 lakh (August 2026).

At the GI & Beyond 2.0 Summit, GI certificates were presented for Ladakh Nambu Textile, Ladakh Pashmina Textile, Himachal Gudma, Himachal Lingchay, Jharkhand Bamboo Craft, Jharkhand Tussar Silk Saree & Fabrics, Munda Jewellery, and Bareilly Terracotta.

Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) was recognized as WHO-SEARN Regional Centre of Excellence in Pharmacovigilance and Technical Centre in Quality at the 10th SEARN meeting in Kathmandu (4-5 August 2026).

The Union Cabinet approved the BHAVYA Rasayan Scheme with an outlay of over ₹3,030 crore for establishing three new Chemical Parks.

Coking coal was notified as a Critical and Strategic Mineral under the MMDR Act, 1957.

The Inventory-based Cross-border E-Commerce Export Framework was operationalised under the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 on 5 August 2026.

Under White Revolution 2.0, two new multi-state cooperative societies were formed: Gomay Sahkari Samiti Multi-State Limited (BGSSL) for manure management, and Cooperative Inputs and Services Delivery Multi-State Limited (CISDL) for input services.

The Ministry of Tourism and Netflix launched the 'As Seen on Netflix' section on the Incredible India portal on 5 August 2026.

IMD and Ministry of Panchayati Raj launched Panchayat-level weather forecasts accessible via e-Gramswaraj, Meri Panchayat app, and Mausamgram.

An AI-enabled CPGRAMS chatbot, 'Samadhan Didi', was launched on 30 May 2026 for multilingual voice-based grievance registration in all 22 official languages.

The SHANTI Act 2025 (Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India) was enacted on 21 December 2025 to enable private sector participation in nuclear energy.

Parliament passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, increasing the sanctioned strength of judges from 33 to 37 (excluding CJI).

India's first uncrewed Gaganyaan experimental mission (with Vyommitra half-humanoid) is targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026.

The first crewed Gaganyaan mission is targeted for 2027, and operationalisation of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) is targeted by 2035.

The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam attained first criticality on 6 April 2026.

India's Nuclear Energy Mission targets 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047; ₹20,000 crore allocated in Budget 2025-26 for at least five indigenous Small Modular Reactors by 2033; BARC is designing BSMR-200 and SMR-55 SMRs.

India announced the Debris Free Space Mission (DFSM) initiative in 2024, aiming for zero debris by all Indian space actors.

ISRO executed 20 Collision Avoidance Manoeuvres in 2025 and 9 in 2026 (till August).

An optical telescope at Hanle, Ladakh under the NETRA project for tracking objects at GEO altitude is nearing completion.

Shri T. Armstrong Changsan (IFS: 1997), currently Ambassador to Cuba, was appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Armenia.

India and Sri Lanka concluded two INR-denominated Lines of Credit: USD 250 million for railway projects and USD 100 million for livestock (5 August 2026).

India will provide a USD 61.5 million grant for the rehabilitation and modernisation of Kankesanthurai Harbour in Sri Lanka.

The 6th meeting of the India-Lesotho Joint Bilateral Commission for Cooperation (JBCC) was held in New Delhi on 30 July 2026; the next meeting will be in Maseru in 2027.

India's BRICS Presidency 2026 theme is 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.'

India hosted the 2nd BRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group Meeting in Hyderabad on 4-5 August 2026, and proposed a BRICS Network of Law-Enforcement Practitioners.

The 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting is being held in Bhubaneswar from 5-7 August 2026; BRICS Culture Ministers' meeting is being held in Bhopal from 5-8 August 2026.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar launched India’s campaign for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2028–29 term in July 2026, with approach SHANTI.

India rose to 38th position in the Global Innovation Index 2025, up from 81st in 2015.

Under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, India's Sex Ratio at Birth improved from 918 (2014-15) to 929 (2025-26).

El Niño conditions that developed in May 2026 are likely to persist till February 2027 with 70-90% probability, as per INCOIS.

India's manned submersible MATSYA-6000 completed wet harbour trials at 8m depth in Kattupalli, near Chennai, from 22 January to 14 February 2025.

Scientists from INST Mohali and BARC developed light-driven nanobots using upconversion nanoparticles for targeted breast cancer therapy.

The Union Health Ministry deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) to Gujarat and Rajasthan for the Chandipura Virus Disease outbreak on 5 August 2026.

Maharashtra FDA banned the manufacture, storage, and sale of analogue (artificial) paneer for one year under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The RBI's Monetary Policy Committee kept the policy repo rate unchanged at 5.25% and maintained a neutral stance in August 2026; real GDP growth projected at 6.7% and CPI inflation at 5% for FY 2026-27.

RBI announced the resumption of 'on-tap' licensing for Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) after a gap of nearly two decades.

RBI announced plans to introduce polymer currency notes in Rs 10 and Rs 20 denominations, with field trials of one billion pieces each.

India's HSBC Services PMI fell to 53.3 in July 2026 from 57.4 in June; HSBC Composite PMI Output stood at 54.3.

REPCO Bank posted a net profit of ₹169 crore in FY 2025-26, its highest ever, and its total business mix crossed ₹26,000 crore as of 30 June 2026.

Indian banks raised $36.7 billion under the FCNR(B) deposit scheme as of 31 July 2026; India's forex reserves expected to cross $700 billion.

India's first Telecom Manufacturing Zone (TMZ) in Gwalior has attracted cumulative investment commitments of ₹5,500 crore.

Electric vehicle sales in India reached 2.3 million units in 2025; India had 52,718 public EV charging stations including 16,561 fast chargers as of July 2026.

The Lok Sabha passed the Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026, making electronic or digital records of bankers' books legally admissible as evidence.

The 2026 Asian Games will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan from 19 September to 4 October 2026.

Shubman Gill is the captain of the Indian men's cricket team for the two-Test series in Sri Lanka starting 15 August 2026; Jasprit Bumrah ruled out due to knee injury, Auqib Nabi named as replacement.

For the BWF World Badminton Championships 2026 in New Delhi (17-23 Aug), PV Sindhu is seeded 9th in women's singles, and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are seeded 5th in men's doubles.

World Breastfeeding Week 2026 is observed from 1-7 August with the theme 'Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works'.

The year 2026 marks the 125th birth anniversary of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

As of February 2026, the University Grants Commission (UGC) identified 32 fake universities in India.

President Droupadi Murmu will present 3 Sant Kabir Handloom Awards and 19 National Handloom Awards 2025 at the 12th National Handloom Day celebration on August 7, 2026, in New Delhi.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari conferred the Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak on 12 rat miners for their role in the Silkyara Tunnel rescue operation.

Deepavali was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2025, becoming the 16th element from India.

The Department of Financial Services (Insurance Division) secured the 3rd rank in the Grievance Redressal Assessment & Index (GRAI) for June 2026.

The Union Cabinet approved GOBARdhan (National Circular Bioenergy Scheme) with an outlay of ₹23,731 crore for implementation from FY 2026-27 to FY 2035-36, aiming to increase Compressed Biogas production nearly ten-fold; administered by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

The Union Cabinet approved Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 on March 10, 2026, with a total outlay of ₹8.69 lakh crore (Central assistance ₹3.59 lakh crore) for implementation until December 2028; as on July 18, 2026, 15.89 crore (82.09%) rural households have been provided tap water connection.

A Viability Gap Funding scheme for 13.8 GWh of Battery Energy Storage Systems with budgetary support of ₹3,760 crore has been approved.

A VGF scheme with financial support of ₹5,400 crore under Power System Development Fund has been approved for development of 30 GWh BESS capacity for 15 States and NTPC Limited.

The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana crossed 50 lakh beneficiary households, with 19 lakh receiving zero electricity bills and 12 lakh households earning ₹421 crore from selling surplus electricity.

The Har Ghar Tiranga 2026 campaign will be observed from 9-17 August 2026, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of 'Vande Mataram'; the SURYAPATH TIRANGA initiative was launched to connect Indian Missions globally.

The MY Bharat digital platform has registered over 2.46 crore youth, with an AI-enabled CV Builder launched; as of 16 July 2026, 98,632 youth were redirected to the PM Internship Scheme.

The Medium Range Ballistic Missile 'Agni-4' was successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur in Odisha on August 06, 2026, under the Strategic Forces Command.

The first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission carrying the Vyommitra half-humanoid is targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026; the Bharatiya Antriksh Station (BAS-01) is on track for 2035.

The LVM3-M6 mission successfully placed the 6,100-kg BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite into Low Earth Orbit, the heaviest payload ever launched by LVM3 from Indian soil.

A second spaceport is being developed at Kulasekarapattinam, Tamil Nadu; IN-SPACe established a ₹1,000 crore Venture Capital Fund and a ₹500 crore Technology Adoption Fund to support space start-ups.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet extended the tenures of Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan and Home Secretary Govind Mohan by one year beyond 30 August 2026.

Shri Anand Prakash was appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Kingdom of Eswatini in August 2026.

The 10th BRICS Industry Ministers' Meeting was held in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on August 6, 2026, under India's BRICS Chairship 2026; India proposed the BRICS Incubator Network and BRICS Startup Innovation Fund.

The 19th round of India-Singapore Foreign Office Consultations was held on 06 August 2026 in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a telephone call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; they reviewed the India-Israel Special Strategic Partnership and exchanged views on West Asia.

India has signed a framework MoU on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) with 24 countries as of August 2026; DPI-based projects are being implemented in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Kenya, and Guyana.

The Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce, headed by Dola Sen, presented its 200th Report on 'Evaluation of India – US Trade Relations' to Parliament on August 6, 2026.

Scientists at the Bose Institute, Kolkata, have developed a new protocol called General Concurrence Percolation (GCP) for efficient quantum networks, published in the journal Physical Review A.

India received USD 381.8 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) during April 2021 to December 2025.

National Stock Exchange (NSE) was the world's largest derivatives exchange by trading volume in 2025 (as per FIA) and ranked third in equity segment by number of trades (as per WFE).

The Lok Sabha passed the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, exempting foreign institutional investors and the Bank for International Settlements from income tax on interest on government securities from 1 April 2026.

Parliament passed the Appropriation (No-3) Bill, 2026, authorising excess expenditure of over ₹54,000 crore for FY 2022-23, including ₹196 crore for Railways and ₹53,871 crore for debt repayment.

National Handloom Day is observed on 7 August to commemorate the Swadeshi Movement launched on 7 August 1905.

Partition Horrors Remembrance Day will be observed nationwide on 14 August 2026.

The Union Ayush Minister launched CCRAS-PARAMPARA for systematic documentation of India's Local Health Traditions and the CCRAS National Research Recognitions portal (PRAKASA, NAVONMESA, PRABODH 3MT) at the 27th Governing Body Meeting of CCRAS in New Delhi on August 6, 2026.

The MAHA Water program was launched on June 1, 2026, by ANRF and the Ministry of Jal Shakti, focusing on water resource management and drinking water quality.

Over 1.73 crore e-Passports have been issued in India and abroad since the launch in May 2025; the total estimated cost of the e-Passport project is Rs. 268.7 crore.

RBI released the Upper Layer NBFC list for 2026-27 on August 6, 2026, comprising 17 entities including REC Limited, Power Finance Corporation, IRFC, Bajaj Finance, Shriram Finance, and Tata Sons (pending deregistration).

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved a 4-lane, 135.87 km long Guwahati-Tezpur Corridor on NH-15 in Assam at a cost of ₹8,970.20 crore on BOT Toll mode, including an Emergency Landing Facility at Tezpur.

The 16th BRICS Trade Ministers' Meeting will be held in Jaipur on August 7, 2026, under India's Chairship; at a preceding discussion, India and South Africa discussed expanding cooperation in critical minerals and progress on the India-SACU Preferential Trade Agreement.

The BRICS WAVES Bazaar, a premier international marketplace for the creative economy, commenced in Mumbai on August 6, 2026, with over 500 delegates from BRICS member and partner countries.

12th National Handloom Day celebrated on 7 August 2026; President Droupadi Murmu presented Sant Kabir Handloom Awards (3) and National Handloom Awards 2025 (19), released 4 commemorative stamps; day commemorates Swadeshi Movement 1905.

National Gopal Ratna Award 2026 nominations open online from 10 August to 10 September 2026; awards to be conferred on National Milk Day (26 November 2026).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 57th Convocation of IIT Delhi and inaugurated Param Pragya, an AI-powered high-performance supercomputing facility at IIT Delhi's Sonipat campus, on 8 August 2026.

Government e Marketplace (GeM) completed 10 years on 9 August 2026; cumulative Gross Merchandise Value over ₹20 lakh crore from 3.78 crore orders; study found 74% items cheaper than major e-commerce platforms.

Under AgriStack, over 10.31 crore Farmer IDs created; Digital Crop Survey covered 31.3 crore plots across 648 districts in Rabi 2025-26.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin (PMAY-G): 3.91 crore houses sanctioned, 3.12 crore completed against target of 4.18 crore as on 3 August 2026.

Under central scheme for Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), cumulative turnover reached ₹20,358 crore as on 31 July 2026.

National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-OS) launched on 3 October 2024, targeting 69.7 million tonnes oilseed production by 2030-31.

Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses launched on 11 October 2025, aiming to increase pulse production from 242 lakh tonnes to 350 lakh tonnes by 2030-31.

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission's Scan and Register service crossed 25 crore OPD registrations; Bihar leads with 7.30 crore.

Agni-4 medium-range ballistic missile successfully test-fired from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha under Strategic Forces Command on 7 August 2026.

16th BRICS Trade Ministers' Meeting in Jaipur under India's BRICS Chairship 2026 adopted Jaipur Consensus on MSME credit, endorsed Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership 2030.

13th BRICS Education Ministers' Meeting in Bhubaneswar chaired by Pralhad Joshi adopted declaration with 5 priority areas including early childhood education, TVET, AI in education.

BRICS WAVES Bazaar 2026 in Mumbai: NFDC-RioFilme LoI signed; India to host first Global South Film Festival in 2027.

India assumed BRICS Chairship 2026 under theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) signed its 100th Memorandum of Understanding with CCRAS to advance quality standards for Ayush sector.

3rd India-Nordic Summit in Norway on 19 May 2026 elevated relationship to Green Technology and Innovation Strategic Partnership.

India signed Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) MoU with 24 countries; funded DPI projects in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Kenya, Guyana.

36th WMCC meeting on India-China border affairs held in New Delhi on 6 August 2026; India called for early expert mechanism on trans-border rivers.

India held Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, closed Attari check-post, restricted visas and downsized diplomatic presence in Pakistan following Pahalgam terror attack (22 April 2025); also withdrew MFN status and hiked customs duty on Pakistani goods to 200% after Pulwama attack.

India's campaign for non-permanent UNSC seat 2028-2029 based on SHANTI acronym with six priorities including Voice of Global South, Advancing Reformed Multilateralism, Countering Terror Financing.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port ranked 22nd in World Bank's Container Port Performance Index 2025; average turnaround time 27.43 hours in 2025-26.

FICCI-DUA report: India's medical device industry projected to reach $250 billion by 2047 from $14 billion.

FAO Food Price Index averaged 131.1 points in July 2026, highest since January 2023, driven by cereal, vegetable oil and sugar prices.

SEBI Annual Report 2025-26: India first globally in number of IPOs, third in funds raised; DII equity holding at record 17%.

Under National Quantum Mission, India achieved over 1,000 km of secure quantum communication within 3 years.

India delivered first beam catcher unit for FAIR mega science project in Darmstadt, Germany, designed by CSIR-CMERI.

India's Arctic research station Himadri in Svalbard conducting winter expeditions since December 2023.

Electric vehicle retail sales hit record 3,27,901 units in July 2026, 66% YoY; electric two-wheelers crossed 2 lakh units for first time (FADA).

India has 846 medical colleges (118.6% increase since 2014), 1,39,864 MBBS seats (172.4% increase), and 86,360 PG medical seats (176.9% increase).

Health Ministry amended Drugs Rules, 1945 to introduce debarment for submitting fake/fabricated data for drug approvals.

USBRL project features world's highest railway bridge Chenab Bridge (359m height, 467m arch span) and India's first cable-stayed rail bridge Anji Khad Bridge.

Indian Railways serves 58 crore meals annually, 0.0008% food complaints; train accidents reduced from 135 (2014-15) to 2 in 2026-27; ₹5.41 lakh crore spent on safety in last 5 years.

India's foreign exchange reserves rose by $10.5 billion to $692.8 billion as on 31 July 2026.

RBI's FCNR(B) deposit scheme mobilised USD 41 billion by early August 2026; expected to reach USD 80-100 billion by 30 September 2026.

Lok Sabha passed Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 allowing banks to levy Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions.

Parliament passed Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill 2026, mandating CPSEs to settle MSME invoices on TReDS and faster dispute resolution.

Gender Budget allocation in Union Budget 2026-27 is ₹5.01 lakh crore, an 11.55% increase over 2025-26.

Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 published on 8 April 2026, rationalising 79 Central Acts.

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 proposes Designated Authority for assets of cancelled FCRA organisations; reduces maximum punishment from 5 years to 1 year for certain violations.

NSE registered investors reached 13.2 crore as of June 2026; women account for 25%, median investor age 33 years.

SEBI introduced Closing Auction Session (CAS); upcoming initiatives: Project Jagrook, SEBI Setu portal, tokenisation of corporate bonds.

R. Praggnanandhaa won Grand Chess Tour St. Louis Rapid and Blitz title on 7 August 2026 (also won Norway Chess 2026).

Weightlifter Titli Maji won silver in women's 45kg category at Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, lifting total 145kg (65kg snatch + 80kg clean and jerk).

Mohammed Ashfaq broke Under-20 national record in men's 400m with 45.81 seconds, qualifying for semifinals at World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene.

84th anniversary of Quit India Movement observed on 9 August 2026.

The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Act, 2025 came into force on 6 August 2026, paving way for reservation of Assembly seats for Scheduled Tribes in Goa.

India-Sri Lanka reviewed proposed HVDC interconnection and Sampur Solar Power Project during bilateral meeting in August 2026.

India-Bhutan reviewed cooperation on hydropower projects Punatsangchhu-I and II, agreed to enhance trans-boundary water management.

IIT Madras Global Research Foundation signed MoU with Indonesia's Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology for deep-tech cooperation in presence of Indonesian Minister Prof Brian Yuliarto.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed West Asia situation and bilateral cooperation on 6 August 2026.

South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) scientifically closed 28 abandoned mines, highest among Coal India subsidiaries, including 25 in FY 2025-26.

9th edition of 'India Medical Device 2026' conference began in New Delhi on 7 August 2026 with theme 'Towards Viksit Bharat: Advancing India as a Global Hub for Quality Medical Devices'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 57th convocation of IIT Delhi and inaugurated the 'Param Pragya' AI-based high-performance supercomputing facility on 8 August 2026.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the new premises of NUCFDC in Mumbai and launched the 'Bank in a Box' service bundle and a Security Operations Centre (SOC) for 24/7 cyber surveillance of Urban Cooperative Banks at the 'Sahkar Nav-Kranti' programme on 8 August 2026.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched 'E-Samudra', an integrated digital platform for maritime governance, on 8 August 2026; India's active seafarer workforce grew to over 3.23 lakh, making it the world's second-largest supplier.

The 11th BRICS Culture Ministers' Meeting was held in Bhopal on 8 August 2026 under India's BRICS Chairship, adopting the Bhopal Declaration; India announced a pilot Voluntary Artist Registry for BRICS artists with participation from 14 countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with US Vice President J.D. Vance on 8 August 2026, reviewing the India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reviewed the India-Israel Special Strategic Partnership and discussed West Asia.

India and Sri Lanka reviewed the proposed India-Sri Lanka HVDC interconnection and the Sampur Solar Power Project at a meeting in New Delhi.

India achieved over 1,000 kilometres of Secure Quantum Communication within three years, ahead of the planned timeline, under the National Quantum Mission.

DigiLocker (with over 72 crore users) and AAERI launched 'AAERI Verify', a consent-based digital verification platform for Indian students applying to Australian universities, on 7 August 2026.

The National Health Authority's Scan & Share service under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission crossed 25 crore OPD registrations, operational across 30,800 healthcare facilities in 756 districts; Bihar leads with over 7.30 crore transactions.

Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda released the knowledge paper 'AI in MedTech: Revolutionizing Healthcare Through Artificial Intelligence' at the 9th edition of India Medical Device 2026 in New Delhi on 8 August 2026, and highlighted that India's medical technology market is valued at $15-16 billion, growing at 12% annually.

India's installed non-fossil fuel-based electricity capacity crossed 300 GW, with renewable energy capacity surging by 400% over the last 12 years.

APEDA facilitated the first-ever sea shipment of 18 metric tonnes of GI-tagged Mithila Makhana from Bihar to Australia, flagged off on 8 August 2026.

India recorded its highest-ever exports of $863.1 billion in the fiscal year 2025-26, as stated by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.

The government clarified that UPI transactions will remain free for consumers; last month, UPI processed 2,366 crore transactions worth ₹29.9 lakh crore, and the service is live in 11 countries.

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh dedicated 'Prakriti Gyan Dham', a first-of-its-kind Eco-Educational Hub at CSIR-NBRI's Maharishi Parashar Bioresource Centre in Banthra, Lucknow, on 8 August 2026.

At the Asian Junior Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Tomchou Meetei won gold overall with a combined lift of 266 kg and Gurunaidu Sanapathi won silver overall with 265 kg in men's junior 60kg, giving India a one-two finish.

Ashish Yadav won silver in men's javelin throw at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, USA, with a throw of 74.09 metres, becoming the second Indian after Neeraj Chopra to win a silver in the event.

The 5th edition of the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign will be held from August 9 to 17, 2026, as part of the 80th Independence Day celebrations, also commemorating 150 years of 'Vande Mataram'.

India finished 4th in the medal tally at the 2026 Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, Scotland (23 July – 2 August), winning 39 medals: 13 gold, 17 silver, 9 bronze.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah presented the President's Colours to Puducherry Police on 9 August 2026, making it the 18th State/UT police force to receive this highest honour.

On 9 August 2026 (August Kranti Diwas), Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan launched the 'Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan' at Flag Point, Sri Vijaya Puram, where Subhas Chandra Bose hoisted the Indian flag in 1943. The 2026 campaign marks the 150th anniversary of the national song 'Vande Mataram' and includes a global initiative 'Suryapath Tiranga'.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) has sanctioned over 1.25 crore houses and delivered over 1 crore houses as of August 2026. Under PMAY-U 2.0, 2.09 lakh houses were sanctioned for Economically Weaker Section families across 16 states/UTs, and the Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC) vertical provides assistance up to Rs 2.5 lakh per beneficiary.

Government e-Marketplace (GeM) completed 10 years on 9 August 2026 since its launch on 9 August 2016, facilitating cumulative procurement worth over ₹20 lakh crore.

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal launched 'E-Samudra', a single-window digital platform for maritime governance, in Mumbai on 8 August 2026.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah launched 'Bank in a Box' and a Security Operations Centre for Urban Cooperative Banks in Mumbai on 8 August 2026.

India's non-fossil fuel-based installed electricity generation capacity crossed 300 GW, reaching 300.50 GW as on 31 July 2026, with solar power at 164.59 GW. India added a record 55.29 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity in 2025-26, and renewable energy generation reached 477.79 billion units.

The enlisted capacity under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) for Solar PV Modules crossed 200 GW, up from 2.3 GW in 2014.

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) disbursed Rs 3.79 crore under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism to 33 State Biodiversity Boards/UT Councils, with cumulative ABS disbursements exceeding Rs 166 crore to date.

CPGRAMS, the government's centralised grievance platform, handled around 27 lakh grievances in 2024, with average disposal time reduced to 15 days from 157 days in 2014.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that Operation Sindoor demonstrated India's resolve to protect its citizens by eliminating terrorists and their handlers in Pakistan, sending a global message of zero-tolerance to terrorism.

The 8th edition of the Indian Navy–US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Exercise 2026 is being conducted at Southern Naval Command, Kochi, from 10 to 14 August 2026.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh stated that India's space economy has grown to USD 9 billion and is projected to reach USD 40-45 billion in the next 8-9 years.

India has launched the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Employment and Environment) policy, the National Quantum Mission, and the India AI Mission.

As BRICS Chair 2026, India hosted the BRICS Heads of Competition Authorities meeting in Udaipur on 8 August 2026, adopting a Joint Statement on fair competition in renewable energy markets.

The President of India appointed 30 judges to the High Courts: 15 to Madras, 8 to Calcutta, 6 to Karnataka, and 1 to Madhya Pradesh, in consultation with the Chief Justice of India and Supreme Court Collegium.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh inaugurated 'Prakriti Gyan Dham', a first-of-its-kind eco-educational hub developed by CSIR-NBRI, in Banthra, Lucknow on 8 August 2026.

Indian shuttler Ashmita Chaliha won the women's singles title at the Korea Masters 2026 badminton tournament, defeating China's Han Qian Xi to claim her first BWF World Tour title.

India's Basant Kumar Meghwal became the first Indian to win a U-20 world high jump medal, winning silver with a personal best of 2.21 metres at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships.

Ashish Yadav won silver in javelin throw with a best effort of 74.09 metres at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships, becoming the second Indian after Neeraj Chopra to win a U-20 world medal in javelin.

International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples 2026 was observed on 9 August with the theme 'Honouring Indigenous Midwives: Safeguarding Life and Well-being'.

India finished fourth in the medal tally at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with 39 medals — 13 gold, 17 silver and 9 bronze.

Indian boxers topped the boxing medal tally at the 2026 Commonwealth Games with 7 gold and 3 silver medals, marking India's best-ever boxing performance at the CWG. Boxer Lovlina Borgohain, who won silver in women's 75kg, was praised for objecting to a distorted map of India at a Glasgow restaurant.

Gulveer Singh became the first Indian track and field athlete to win two individual medals at a single Commonwealth Games, winning silver in the men's 10,000m and bronze in the 5,000m at Glasgow 2026.

At the 2026 Commonwealth Games, Indian judokas won their best-ever CWG haul with 2 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze; Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh became the first Indian woman and man respectively to win CWG gold in judo.

The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 (Men's and Women's), co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands from August 15 to 30, will feature a revamped format without quarterfinals. India's men are in Pool D with England, Pakistan, and Wales; women in Pool D with China, England, and South Africa.

At the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, USA, Basant Kumar Meghwal won silver in men's high jump (2.21m) and Shahnavaz Khan won bronze in men's long jump (7.84m), becoming India's first medals in these events at the championship.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) and released ₹21.35 crore in scholarships to over 6,000 agriculture students via DBT on August 10, 2026.

APEDA facilitated the first-ever export of 1 metric tonne of Mustard Honey by Dergang FPO from Tripura to Dubai on August 10, 2026.

Government e Marketplace (GeM) celebrated its 10th Foundation Day on August 10, 2026; it was launched on 9 August 2016. GeM introduced nationwide shortcode '14550' for helpdesk services. As of August 2026, GeM's gross merchandise value crossed ₹1,55,000 crore, with over 12.28 lakh MSEs registered, including 2.25 lakh women-led enterprises and over 42,000 startups.

NABL launched India's first Accreditation Scheme for Mobile Food Testing Laboratories at the 'Gunvatta Samanvaya' event on August 10, 2026.

Government notified 11 more international ports for e-visa entry, raising total to 88 (37 airports, 38 seaports, 13 landports), including Bhopal and Tirupati airports and Attari and Agartala land ports.

As of 12 July 2026, PM SVANidhi scheme has provided over 1.15 crore collateral-free loans worth ₹18,475 crore to 76.95 lakh street vendors.

Ken-Betwa Link Project, with an estimated cost of ₹44,605 crore, will provide irrigation to 11.88 lakh hectares, drinking water to 62 lakh people, and 103 MW hydropower.

Under PMKVY 4.0, 5.44 lakh candidates have been trained in new-age and futuristic job roles as on 30 June 2026.

The NAVYA programme has trained 1,060 girls from 15 States/UTs, and was expanded to 100 aspirational districts from 27 May 2026.

As on 30 June 2026, 2,824 children have been identified, rescued and rehabilitated under the SMILE scheme, with Uttar Pradesh recording the highest (927).

PAIMANA-CRIP module, envisioned as Central Repository of Infrastructure Projects, was launched on 8 July 2026, replacing DPIIT's Integrated Project Monitoring Portal.

Under PM-POSHAN, the Centre allocated 24.15 lakh metric tonnes of foodgrains in 2025-26, with Bihar receiving the highest allocation of 3,01,148.29 MT.

Indian Culture Portal Version 2.0 was launched in March 2026 with AI-enabled chatbot Bharti and content in 22 Indian languages.

DHR-ICMR's second edition of S.H.I.N.E. (Science, Health and Innovation for NextGen Explorers) will be held on 11-12 August 2026 across 83 locations, expecting 30,000 students from Grades 9-12.

Technology Development Board supported Griva Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. for manufacturing and commercialization of 'GrivaVision', an AI-powered portable digital colposcope for cervical cancer screening, with manufacturing to be established in Kollam, Kerala.

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan is on a four-day official visit to Mauritius from 10-13 August 2026 to strengthen bilateral maritime cooperation.

The 8th edition of the Indian Navy-US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) exercise 2026 is being held at Kochi from 10 to 14 August 2026.

Dr. Srinivasa Kumar Tummala assumed charge as Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences on August 10, 2026.

Supreme Court extended the deadline for in-service teachers to acquire TET qualification to 31 August 2028 and directed TET to be conducted twice a year.

The tenure of ED Director Rahul Navin was extended by one year, from 13 August 2026 to 13 August 2027.

PSB Confluence, a two-day conclave for public sector banks and financial institutions, will be held on 17-18 August 2026 in New Delhi, addressed by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Inaugural National Conclave of Indian Institutes of Handloom Technology (IIHT SUTRA 2026) will be held on 12 August 2026 at DAIC, New Delhi, with theme 'IIHTs: Weaving the Future of the Indian Handloom Sector – Educate • Innovate • Transform'.

MoSPI signed two MoUs with IDEAS and Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, for developing a GDP Nowcasting tool and a harmonised indicator framework linking administrative data with NSS data.

As per PLFS quarterly bulletin April-June 2026, urban unemployment rate for persons aged 15+ stood at 6.7%; rural unemployment at 4.8%; female urban unemployment fell to 8.7%; male urban LFPR rose to 75.3%. From January 2025, PLFS provides monthly labour force estimates at all-India level and quarterly for rural and urban areas.

National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) was the world's largest derivatives exchange by trading volume (contracts) in calendar year 2025, as per the Futures Industry Association (FIA).

On World Lion Day (10 August 2026), India's Asiatic lion population increased from 523 in 2015 to 891 in 2025, with habitat range expanding from 30,000 sq km to 35,000 sq km.

Green India Mission has brought 1,84,467 hectares under eco-restoration in 17 states and one UT since 2015-16.

Scientists discovered an unusually thick ozone layer at 21-23 km altitude above North Bay of Bengal during the Phase-I NetRAD-ASMA campaign, using ARIES' 206.5 MHz ST Radar.

India's non-fossil fuel-based installed electricity generation capacity crossed 300 GW, with solar energy contributing 165 GW; a record 55.29 GW renewable capacity was added in 2025-26.

DGFT removed the requirement of physical duty payment challans for EODC applications under Advance Authorisation and EPCG schemes effective 1 August 2026.

Parliament passed the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, exempting FIIs and the Bank for International Settlements from income tax on interest from government securities w.e.f. 1 April 2026, and also providing tax exemption to foreign companies on sale of rough diamonds in notified special zones and on income from data services procured from specified data centres.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman clarified that no Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) will be imposed on UPI transactions, and electronic payment modes continue to have statutory protection against charges.

Parliament passed the Bankers' Books Evidence Bill, 2026, replacing the 1891 Act, to give legal recognition to electronic and digital banking records as admissible evidence.

The Government of India announced the sale of four dated securities for a total notified amount of ₹32,000 crore, including New GS 2029 (₹11,000 crore) and New GS 2033 (₹11,000 crore), to be auctioned on August 14, 2026.

RBI announced a 3-day Variable Rate Reverse Repo (VRRR) auction for ₹1,25,000 crore on August 11, 2026; the overnight VRRR on August 10 received bids for ₹58,671 crore against a notified amount of ₹1,00,000 crore at a cut-off rate of 5.24%.

TRAI initiated phase-wise implementation of 1601-series numbers for transactional and service calls by utilities, courier and logistics sectors, distinct from the 1600 series for banking and government entities.

BSE Ltd. will replace Wipro Ltd. in the Nifty 50 index effective September 30, 2026.

India will celebrate its 80th Independence Day on 15 August 2026 with the theme 'Yuva Shakti for Viksit Bharat@2047' and marking the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram; for the first time, 'Vande Mataram' will be sung from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

Approximately 5,000 special guests, including 19 medalist students from the 2026 International Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematical Olympiads, have been invited to the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort.

The 2026 Har Ghar Tiranga campaign marks the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram and introduces 'Suryapath Tiranga', a first-of-its-kind global Tricolour celebration; DMRC unveiled a special Metro train wrapped with Har Ghar Tiranga theme on the Yellow Line on the occasion of 80th Independence Day.

As part of Independence Day 2026 celebrations, band performances by Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and paramilitary forces are scheduled at 343 locations from 8 to 15 August 2026.

Delhi Metro services will begin at 4 AM on Independence Day 2026 for ceremony invitees.

Lok Sabha passed the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, proposing to establish a National Tribunals Commission headed by a former Supreme Court judge or High Court Chief Justice.

President Droupadi Murmu will confer Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships (Akademi Ratna) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for 2024 and 2025 to 115 artists on 13 August 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The seven Akademi Ratna fellows are: Ramlal Bareth, A V Anand, Rita Ganguly, Puru Dadheech, Chittaranjan Jyotishi, Pasumarthi Rattaiah Sarma, and Sudharani Raghupathy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the autobiography of former President Ram Nath Kovind, titled 'Triumph of the Indian Republic: My Life, My Struggles', on 12 August 2026 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.

Afghanistan secured direct qualification for the 2027 Men's ODI World Cup, while West Indies will go through qualifiers; the tournament will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission SIGHT Mode-2B, 30 KTPA green hydrogen production capacity has been awarded to four refineries: IOCL Panipat (10 KTPA), BPCL Bina (5 KTPA), HPCL Vizag (5 KTPA), and NRL Numaligarh (10 KTPA).

India's logistics cost is estimated at 7.9% of GDP as per a 2025 assessment by DPIIT and NCAER.

Indian Navy's Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) 'Shruti' (Yard 3037) was launched at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata on 11 August 2026.

At the 9th India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group in Bengaluru on 5-6 August 2026, NASA invited ISRO to join its Moon Base programme under the Artemis Accords; both sides advanced cooperation under the US-India TRUST Initiative and noted the 2025 launch of the NISAR mission.

The Fourth India-Namibia Joint Trade Committee was held in New Delhi on 10-11 August 2026; bilateral merchandise trade reached USD 592.94 million in 2025-26, with engineering exports surging 124.06%.

IRS net direct tax collections stood at over ₹8.11 lakh crore for FY2026-27, marking a 23.09% growth over the same period in FY2025-26 (as on 10 August 2026).

Government e-Marketplace (GeM) surpassed ₹20 lakh crore in cumulative procurement through over 3 crore orders as it completed 10 years; a national helpdesk number 14550 was launched, and over 2.25 lakh women-led enterprises won orders worth nearly ₹1 lakh crore.

In July 2026, mutual fund schemes recorded a net inflow of ₹2.35 lakh crore, taking total AUM to ₹85.76 lakh crore; SIP contributions reached ₹31,961 crore.

Fitch Ratings affirmed India’s sovereign rating at 'BBB-' with a stable outlook and projected GDP growth of 6.4% in FY2027; it expects RBI to raise the policy rate to 5.5% later in 2026.

Afghanistan secured direct qualification for the 2027 Men's ODI World Cup, while West Indies will go through qualifiers; the tournament will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

Under PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, 396 infrastructure projects with an estimated cost of ₹18.66 lakh crore have been evaluated by the Network Planning Group.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched a National Scholarship Portal‑based system for agriculture students on 10 August 2026, releasing ₹21.35 crore to over 6,000 students through Direct Benefit Transfer.

India became the world's leading ship recycling nation in 2025, achieving a 35.4% global market share and recycling 2.99 million gross tons (nearly 60% growth).

Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, rolled out the first rake of 19 LHB broad‑gauge passenger coaches for Bangladesh Railway on 12 August 2026, incorporating crashworthy design compliant with European Standard EN 15227.

The Ministry of MSME and DPIIT signed an MoU on 5 August 2026 to accelerate commercialisation of Geographical Indication (GI) products under the 'Bharat GI' banner, facilitating onboarding on ONDC and GeM.

World Bank's Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2025 placed Jawaharlal Nehru Port at rank 22, compared to Hong Kong (9th), Singapore (21st), and Shanghai (23rd).

The Union Budget 2026‑27 announced a Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme to increase the modal share of coastal shipping and inland waterways from 6% to 12% by 2047, complementing the Jalvahak scheme that provides a 35% incentive on National Waterways 1, 2, and 16.

The Supreme Court directed all states and UTs to immediately register FIRs in all missing person cases; a compliance hearing is scheduled for 5 October 2026.

PM‑Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana has benefited over 50 lakh households with a subsidy of over ₹28,000 crore, adding 14.65 GW solar capacity; the scheme’s budget was increased to ₹22,000 crore in 2026‑27.

Khelo India scheme has approved 349 sports infrastructure projects with an investment of ₹3,176 crore; the revamped scheme (2026‑27 to 2030‑31) has an outlay of ₹36,441 crore, and the Union Budget 2026‑27 allocated ₹4,479.88 crore to the sports ministry.

India's marine product exports reached 19.72 lakh metric tonnes, valued at ₹73,890 crore (USD 8.46 billion) in 2025‑26; the share of value‑added products rose to 11% in 2024‑25.

India's annual milk production reached 247.87 million tonnes in 2024‑25, surpassing the domestic demand of 243 million tonnes; Kisan Credit Card coverage for animal husbandry touched 50.42 lakh beneficiaries in FY 2025‑26.

The Ministry of Health released Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan Operational Guidelines with a 7×7×7 framework on 29 June 2026, replacing the earlier 6×6×6 strategy.

As on 30 June 2026, the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme covers 751 districts through 1,856 haemodialysis centres equipped with 13,535 machines.

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has blocked 3,718 fraudulent mobile apps and saved over ₹11,158 crore through the CFCFRMS portal in more than 32.80 lakh complaints as on 30 June 2026.

Parliament passed the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, with the government clarifying that the digital payment system UPI will remain free for consumers.

President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which gives the national song Vande Mataram the same legal protection as the national anthem.

A mega Tiranga rally featuring a 1,200‑metre‑long National Flag was held in Teetwal, Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, near the Line of Control on 11 August 2026.

Parliament passed the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, proposing a National Tribunals Commission to be chaired by a former Supreme Court judge or a former Chief Justice of a High Court.

India and China held the 36th Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) meeting on border affairs, where India reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is an inalienable part of India.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor to discuss the comprehensive global strategic partnership, including trade, defence, energy security, and critical missiles.

Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi invited Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for a bilateral visit and for the BRICS outreach session to be held in Delhi.

The BRICS Friendship Cities Conclave 2026 was inaugurated in Mumbai on 11 August 2026 under the theme ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability’.

Andras Baka, former Supreme Court chief, was elected President of Hungary by the parliament on 11 August 2026.

Syria: A court sentenced former President Bashar al‑Assad to death in absentia on 11 August 2026 for crimes against humanity, premeditated murder, and torture.

Lebanon became the first Arab country to abolish the death penalty on 11 August 2026, replacing it with life imprisonment with aggravated hard labour.

The 17th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, has recorded 4,381 cases and 2,011 deaths as of August 2026, making it the second‑largest in history.

A 7.4‑magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on 10 August 2026, killing over 200 people and leaving more than 3,000 missing; it was the strongest quake in the country in decades.

India won 17 medals, including 4 gold, on the opening day of the U‑23 Commonwealth Fencing Championship in Lagos, Nigeria; gold medallists: Nikhil Wagh (men’s Sabre), Jeferlin (women’s Sabre), Joys Ashita (women’s Foil), and Prachi Lohan (women’s Epee).

The 8th Indian Navy‑US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Exercise commenced at Southern Naval Command, Kochi, on 10 August 2026 and will conclude on 14 August 2026.

As on 30 June 2026, 20,149 Jan Aushadhi Kendras have been opened under PMBJP, with a product basket of 2,110 medicines and 315 surgical devices; PMBJP sales of ₹7,873.85 crore over five years led to savings of approximately ₹37,200 crore for citizens.

Under DAY‑NRLM, 10.08 crore women have been mobilised into 92.30 lakh Self Help Groups as on 30 June 2026.

In the Digital Agriculture Mission, over 10.33 crore farmer IDs have been generated as on August 2026; the Digital Crop Survey (Kharif 2025) was conducted in 604 districts covering more than 28.5 crore plots.

Sagarmala Startup and Innovation Initiative (S2I2) was launched on 19 March 2025, and India's first maritime hackathon, MAR‑a‑THON 2025, was organised on 25 August 2025 at IIT Madras with 330 applications and 36 startups selected.

The Central Jungle Warfare College (CRPF) will be established in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh, and a Regional Training Centre (CISF) in Kishanganj district, Bihar.

The MSME Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was passed, making registration voluntary based on investment and turnover, and mandating settlement of invoices by Central Public Sector Enterprises through TReDS.

At the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day in New Delhi on August 3, IKDRC, Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and Surat New Civil Hospital received national organ donation awards; IKDRC performed 597 organ transplants in 2025.

Ankit Kumar Pal from Delhi, Manish Kumar Mandal from Bengaluru and Susmita Sain from Guwahati were selected as ITU Generation Connect Youth Envoys for 2026-2030.

The Ministry of Home Affairs unveiled 'PRAHAAR', India's first comprehensive National Counter Terrorism Policy and Strategy, on 23 February 2026 with a seven-pillar framework.

India targets 100 GWe nuclear energy capacity by 2047 and at least five indigenous Small Modular Reactors by 2033; BARC is developing BSMR-200, SMR-55 and an up to 5 MWth High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor.

Around 440 space technology startups are registered on the Start-up India Portal; IN-SPACe has granted 113 authorisations to 52 Non-Government Entities, and NSIL has signed 118 Technology Transfer Agreements for 83 ISRO technologies.

Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth met Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in his first such meetings after assuming command.

Rail Coach Factory Kapurthala rolled out the first rake of 19 LHB broad-gauge passenger coaches for Bangladesh Railways, comprising AC and non-AC chair cars and power cars.

Indian Railways approved Kavach Version 4.0 on 660 route km of Izzatnagar Division of North Eastern Railway at an estimated cost of Rs 295 crore.

The Government will launch CBDC-based Direct Benefit Transfer under PMGKAY in Chandigarh and Dadra and Nagar Haveli on 14 August 2026, making them the first UTs to operationalise food subsidy via Digital Rupee tokens.

The 100-Day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan second phase, launched on 24 March 2026, screened over 2.2 crore vulnerable individuals and detected over 7 lakh new TB cases and 1.97 lakh asymptomatic cases; India recorded a 21% TB incidence decline between 2015 and 2024 per WHO Global TB Report 2025.

PM-RAHAT was launched nationwide on 13 February 2026, providing treatment cover up to Rs 1.5 lakh per road accident victim for up to 7 days; 22,481 victims benefited across 34 States/UTs as on 31 July 2026.

Vibrant Villages Programme-II was approved as a Central Sector Scheme on 2 April 2025 with a total outlay of Rs 6,839 crore till FY 2028-29 for 1,954 select villages in 334 border blocks.

Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan was launched on 2 October 2024 with 25 interventions by 17 ministries covering 63,843 villages and benefiting over 5 crore tribals in 549 districts.

PM JANMAN covers 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group communities in 18 States and one Union Territory through 11 interventions implemented by 9 line ministries.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the 'Gramin Gyan Setu' app to interconnect libraries in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency; 752 libraries have joined and four libraries containing 2.80 lakh books have been linked.

PCIM&H and IPC renewed their MoU for the 'One Herb, One Standard' initiative for three years; the first phase developed 50 monographs.

The Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme is a four-year initiative with 50 projects in the first year and 100 each in the following three years; eligibility includes minimum OSR of Rs 50 lakh for Gram Panchayats and Rs 1 crore for Block Panchayats.

MSDE and NSDC announced the Skills Outcomes Fund with a proposed corpus of Rs 530 crore; payments are linked to milestones of Certification (30%), Job Placement (40%) and three-month Retention (30%).

PMKVY 4.0 has introduced over 600 courses in future skills such as AI, Drone Technology, 5G, Solar Energy, Additive Manufacturing, Semiconductors and IoT; 5.44 lakh candidates trained as on 30 June 2026.

SOAR was launched on 22 July 2025 on Skill India Digital Hub; 5,17,477 learners enrolled and 1,00,664 certified as on 6 August 2026.

Mission Karmayogi's iGOT portal has over 1.7 crore registered users, 5,600 courses in 23 languages and 14.42 crore course completions.

CPGRAMS grievance disposal timeline was reduced from 30 days to 21 days and the AI-powered multilingual chatbot 'Samadhan Didi' was launched; average disposal time in 2025-26 was 14 days.

The first phase of Census 2027 has been completed in 31 States/UTs; Population Enumeration in Ladakh, snow-bound J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will be from 1-30 September 2026, with self-enumeration from 17-31 August 2026.

Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan was launched on 15 August 2020 in 272 vulnerable districts and extended to all districts from August 2023; Vision Document on Narcotics Control 2026-2029 was released on 26 June 2026.

The Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System saved over Rs 11,158 crore in more than 32.80 lakh complaints till 30 June 2026; I4C blocked over 2,77,053 illegal apps/URLs through the Sahyog portal.

UGC has issued 16 Letters of Intent to foreign higher educational institutions; University of Southampton campus in Gurugram, University of New South Wales in Bengaluru; IIT Madras opened at Zanzibar in 2023, IIT Delhi at Abu Dhabi in 2024 and IIM Ahmedabad at Dubai in 2025.

Under Mission Shakti, 991 One Stop Centres are operational and over 15.20 lakh women have been assisted from 1 April 2015 to 30 June 2026; Women Helpline 181 assisted over 1.04 crore women.

The Palna scheme has 4,172 Anganwadi-cum-Creches operational across India; the Code on Social Security, 2020 came into effect on 21 November 2025 and Section 67 provides creche facilities for establishments with 50 or more employees.

Smt. Archana Varma, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Assam cadre, took charge as Secretary, Department of Water Resources, RD and GR, Ministry of Jal Shakti, on 12 August 2026.

Dr Bhooma VG (IRPS, Retd) has been selected as Vice-Chancellor of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Public Service and Innovation (AIPSI), Mauritius.

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said he will not seek reappointment when his current term ends on February 20, 2027.

Under India's BRICS Chairship 2026, the BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting was held in Jaipur; the grouping has 11 member countries, and NDB President Dilma Rousseff addressed a seminar on mobilising private capital.

During India's BRICS Chairship 2026, the BRICS Network University conference was held virtually on 20 July 2026 with the theme 'Need and Challenges of Preservation of Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems in the Digital Age'; India proposed Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge System as the 12th International Thematic Group.

India and the Southern African Customs Union signed the Terms of Reference for negotiations towards a Preferential Trade Agreement at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi.

India and Nepal signed MoUs for eight development projects in education, health and agriculture worth 803 million Nepali rupees under India's High Impact Community Development Projects framework.

The inaugural World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025) was organised in Mumbai in May 2025 under the 'Create in India, Create for the World' initiative, with participation from over 100 countries.

The Sixteenth Finance Commission recommended total Rural Local Body grants of Rs 4,35,236 crore for 2026-31, including Rs 11,664 crore for Chhattisgarh, with Basic and Performance Grant in 80:20 ratio.

RBI's Financial Inclusion Index increased from 43.4 in March 2017 to 70.0 in March 2026; Global Findex 2025 shows India's account ownership at 89% and 99.92% villages are covered by banking outlets within 5 km.

NSE is the world's largest derivatives exchange by trading volume (contracts) for calendar year 2025.

On World Elephant Day 2026, India stated it is home to over 60% of the world's wild Asian elephants; Synchronous All India Population Estimation 2021-25 estimates India's wild elephant population at 22,446, with 33 Elephant Reserves and 150 identified corridors.

NIOT successfully undertook mobility and system-powering trials of a seabed mining system at a depth of 5,270 m in the Central Indian Ocean Basin under the Deep Ocean Mission.

IMD has 50 Doppler Weather Radars, 1,008 Automatic Weather Stations and 6,885 rain gauge stations; severe weather forecast accuracy improved by 40-50% over the past decade and INCOIS serves as Tsunami Service Provider for 28 Indian Ocean Rim nations.

INCOIS research under the Deep Ocean Mission projects mean sea-level rise along the Indian coastline between 0.62 metres and 0.87 metres by 2100 under a high-emission scenario.

IMD's first stage Long Range Forecast for the 2026 Southwest Monsoon predicted 92% of Long Period Average rainfall, later updated to 90%; cumulative seasonal rainfall was 12% below LPA as on 2 August 2026.

BharatGen, India's multimodal Large Language Model initiative, is anchored at IIT Bombay and supports all 22 scheduled languages with a consortium including IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras, IIT Hyderabad, IIIT Hyderabad, IIM Indore and IIT Mandi.

NIELIT Digital University Platform, launched in October 2025, has reached learners in over 750 districts with more than 2.70 lakh registrations and over 100 courses.

Scientists from SNBNCBS and Ashoka University developed ACSCeND, an AI framework that identifies hidden cancer stem-like cell states; it analysed more than 25,000 tumour samples from TCGA and PRECOG databases.

India's Research, Development and Innovation Fund has an outlay of Rs 1.0 lakh crore; National Quantum Mission Rs 6,003.65 crore, India AI Mission Rs 10,371.92 crore and India Semiconductor Mission Rs 76,000 crore; GERD rose from 0.64% of GDP in 2020-21 to 0.84% in 2023-24.

The National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems has a total outlay of Rs 3,660 crore; 25 Technology Innovation Hubs were established and 4 upgraded as Technology Translation Research Parks at IIT Kanpur, IISc Bengaluru, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and IIT Indore.

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has developed 72 improved crop varieties using radiation-induced mutagenesis, including 17 in groundnut, 10 in rice, 9 in mungbean and 9 in mustard.

Colletes bhutanicus, a rare solitary Himalayan bee, was recorded for the first time in India from Tawang district, Arunachal Pradesh by Zoological Survey of India scientists.

Ladakh hosted the first-ever Black-Necked Crane Festival; Changthang Cold Wildlife Sanctuary is the only breeding place of black-necked cranes in India, and the Black-Necked Crane is the State Bird of Ladakh.

Supreme Court asked the 19 remaining States and Union Territories to consider declaring cancer a notifiable disease; 17 of the 36 States/UTs have already notified it.

All India Consumer Price Index inflation for July 2026 is 4.45% (provisional) on base 2024=100; rural inflation 4.84%, urban 3.96% and Consumer Food Price Index inflation 5.52%.

MoSPI revised the National Accounts Statistics base year from 2011-12 to 2022-23; Manufacturing GVA compounded annual growth rate at constant prices during 2022-23 to 2025-26 is 10.88%.

India's foodgrain production reached 376.56 million tonnes in 2025-26 (Third Advance Estimates); PM-KISAN's 23rd instalment released over Rs 18,984 crore to over 9.49 crore farmers.

Under AB-PMJAY, 45.5 crore Ayushman Cards have been issued and 12.69 crore hospitalizations worth Rs 1.92 lakh crore covered as on June 2026; 96.43 crore ABHA health identity numbers and 1.86 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are functional.

India's public capital expenditure rose from about Rs 2 lakh crore in FY 2014-15 to Rs 12.2 lakh crore in FY 2026-27; rail electrification reached 99.6% by July 2026 and the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor is 508 km with design speed of 350 kmph.

Digital economy contributes about 12-14% of India's GDP; Semicon 2.0 has an outlay of Rs 1.27 lakh crore and electronics production rose to Rs 13.11 lakh crore in 2025-26, with mobile phones becoming India's largest export product.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said India recorded about 15% export growth in April-July 2026 and is targeting USD 1 trillion exports in 2026-27, up from a record USD 863 billion last year; India aims to become a $30 trillion economy by 2047.

India's milk production was 247.87 million tonnes in 2024-25 with per capita availability of 485 grams per day.

PMMSY has a total outlay of Rs 20,750 crore from 2020-21 to 2026-27; fish production in Chhattisgarh increased from 3.14 lakh metric tonnes in 2014-15 to 8.73 lakh metric tonnes in 2024-25.

As on 31 July 2026, UMANG has 2,575 services and 11.66 crore registered users, while DigiLocker has 5,437 document types/services and 72.43 crore registered users.

SEBI relaxed timelines for listed municipalities to submit financial results: half-yearly unaudited results within 60 days and annual audited results within 90 days; it also introduced a two-step escrow account mechanism for municipal debt issuers.

At the Commonwealth Fencing Championship in Lagos, India's medal tally reached 29 (8 gold, 7 silver, 14 bronze); Kanaglakshmi won senior women's foil gold, Rajendran Shanthimol Sherjin won senior men's epee gold, and Singh Karan Singh won senior men's sabre gold.

Sports Ministry suspended recognition of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and asked the Indian Olympic Association to form an ad-hoc committee to administer table tennis.

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa defeated Javokhir Sindarov in the second round of the Sinquefield Cup in St Louis, moving to 1.5 points from two games.

International Youth Day 2026 theme was 'Different Contexts, Common Aspirations'.

The 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign is being held from August 9 to 17, 2026; Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan flagged off the MPs bike rally at Bharat Mandapam marking 150 years of Vande Mataram.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the autobiography of former President Ram Nath Kovind, titled 'Triumph of the Indian Republic: My Life, My Struggles', at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 12 August 2026.

Parliament passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to rename Kerala as Keralam; the Rajya Sabha cleared it by voice vote on 12 August 2026, a day after Lok Sabha passage.

Parliament passed the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, enabling NCDC to give loans and grants directly to cooperative societies; NCDC was established in 1963 under the Ministry of Cooperation.

Lok Sabha passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, which prohibits state governments from levying any tax, cess or other levy on mineral rights; introduced by Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy.

The Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026 was passed by Parliament in August 2026; it proposes a judiciary-led National Tribunals Commission and repeals the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021.

Lok Sabha referred the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee of 21 Lok Sabha members and 10 Rajya Sabha members, to submit its report by the last day of the first week of the winter session.

The Inquiry Committee report on allegations against former Allahabad High Court Judge Yashwant Varma was tabled in both Houses of Parliament; the Committee was constituted on 12 August 2025 by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after burnt cash was found at his official residence.

Calcutta High Court cancelled all OBC-A and OBC-B certificates issued under the previous West Bengal government's revised rules; in 2024 the High Court had struck down inclusion of 66 communities in the OBC list.

The POCSO Act, 2012, was amended in 2019 to introduce death penalty for sexual crimes against children; NCPCR has developed the POCSO Tracking Portal for real-time case tracking.

India emerged overall champions at the Commonwealth Fencing Championship in Lagos, Nigeria, winning 35 medals—13 gold, 8 silver and 14 bronze—and won the Wilkinson Sword Trophy for best overall results for the first time.

President Droupadi Murmu presented the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for the years 2024 and 2025 in New Delhi; Akademi Fellow carries ₹3 lakh and Akademi Award carries ₹1 lakh along with Tamrapatra and Angavastram.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort on August 15, 2026, marking 150 years of the National Song 'Vande Mataram'; 'Vande Mataram' will be rendered for the first time at the Red Fort Independence Day ceremony; the 21-Gun Salute will be fired by 1721 Field Battery using indigenous 105mm Light Field Guns; Captain Sonia Singh Chauhan will assist the PM in hoisting the national flag.

President Droupadi Murmu will address the nation on August 14, 2026, the eve of the 80th Independence Day; the address will be broadcast at 7 pm on Akashvani and Doordarshan; regional-language versions will be broadcast at 9:30 pm.

The Monsoon Session of Parliament 2026 commenced on July 20, 2026 and adjourned sine die on August 13, 2026; it provided 19 sittings over 25 days and both Houses passed 12 Bills; Rajya Sabha productivity was 39.17% (37 hours 49 minutes); AI-based language translation 'Vani Setu' was introduced for the first time.

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 was passed; it mandates completion of investigations within two months and trials within three months.

The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was passed; it brings Vande Mataram within Section 3 of the 1971 Act and makes prevention of its singing punishable.

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was passed; it restricts State Governments from imposing new taxes on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands without Central conditions.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan held talks with Kenya's National Assembly Speaker Dr Moses M. Wetang'ula; Kenya agreed to install a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in its Parliament, recognised the Indian diaspora as the 44th tribe of Kenya, supports India's candidature for the non-permanent UNSC seat for 2028-29 and permanent membership; India offers around 400 scholarships to Kenya and has increased ICCR long-term course scholarships from 80 to 100 annually.

Liberia's Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti visited New Delhi and inaugurated the Embassy of Liberia; she met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

India is chairing BRICS for the fourth time in 2026 under the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'; BRICS now comprises 11 members: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE.

India assumed the Chairship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) for 2025–2027 under the theme 'Innovation, Openness, Resilience & Adaptability in the Indian Ocean Region'; India hosted IORA's flagship Indian Ocean Dialogue in New Delhi on 07–08 May 2026.

During the Third India-Australia Annual Summit, India and Australia signed an Administrative Arrangement enabling long-term Australian uranium exports to India; agreed on the Australia-India Partnership on Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS); finalised an MoU for a Centre of Excellence on Mining at NSTI Bhubaneswar; and Flinders University received a Letter of Intent for a campus in Bengaluru.

ISRO has been a member of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) since 1996; IADC was formed in 1993; ISRO's Debris Free Space Mission will use Active Debris Removal to limit space debris.

SPADEX (Space Docking Experiment), launched on 30 December 2024, made India the 4th country to demonstrate space docking technology.

NISAR, launched on 30 July 2025, is the first dual-frequency (L & S Band) radar Earth observation satellite jointly developed by NASA and ISRO.

Chandrayaan-3, launched on 14 July 2023, achieved the first-ever soft landing near the Moon's south polar region on 23 August 2023.

RAPP-7, a 700 MW indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor at Rawatbhata, Rajasthan, commenced commercial operation on 15 April 2026.

India Optel Limited launched the indigenous 'GARUD' High Resolution Binoculars developed by Ordnance Factory Dehradun; it offers 8x magnification, a 7.6-degree field of view and weighs about 610 grams.

Mission Mausam was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 14 January 2025 as a Central Sector umbrella scheme of MoES; its Budget Estimate is Rs 1,342.29 crore for 2026-27 and it has six verticals including OBSERVE_ALL and Weather_MOD.

IMD has a network of 50 Doppler Weather Radars, 1,008 Automatic Weather Stations and 6,885 rain gauge stations across India.

World Elephant Day 2026 national celebrations were held at Visakhapatnam; India has 33 Elephant Reserves, 150 identified elephant corridors and nearly 60% of the world's wild Asian elephant population.

India achieved a 37.38% reduction in emissions intensity of GDP in 2022 from 2005 levels; non-fossil fuel capacity was 54.18% of total installed power capacity as on 30 June 2026 and additional carbon sink was 2.44 billion tonnes CO2 equivalent during 2005-2022.

India ranks third globally in renewable energy installed capacity; total installed power capacity was around 552 GW in July 2026, with non-fossil capacity at 300.50 GW as on 31 July 2026.

India's installed solar capacity reached 164.59 GW as on 31 July 2026; under PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, 51.58 lakh households are benefiting, with total outlay of Rs 75,021 crore.

Semicon 2.0 was approved in July 2026 with an outlay of Rs 1,27,500 crore; 12 semiconductor projects have been approved across six states with investment commitments exceeding Rs 1.64 lakh crore, and three facilities have commenced commercial production.

The IndiaAI Mission, approved with an outlay of about Rs 10,372 crore, expanded shared AI computing capacity to more than 45,000 GPUs by June 2026 and selected 20 indigenous foundation model proposals from 506 applications.

The national workshop on Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan concluded; revised AMB Operational Guidelines were launched by Health Minister J.P. Nadda on June 29, 2026 with the 7x7x7 strategy; the Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan Application and Portal was launched for beneficiary-level tracking and management.

The Government launched a three-month HPV vaccination campaign in February 2026 targeting 1.2 crore girls aged 14 years; over 52.10 lakh girls had received the vaccine as of July 15, 2026.

Maternal mortality in India declined from 130 per one lakh live births in 2014-16 to 87 in 2022-24.

NITI Aayog's report 'Key Sectors to Position India as a Global Manufacturing Hub' identifies 12 priority sectors, including chemicals, textiles, telecom & networking equipment and solar photovoltaic manufacturing.

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal launched the revamped India Code Portal at Kartavya Bhavan 2, New Delhi with AI-powered search, semantic and speech-based search, and multilingual access in all 22 Eighth Schedule languages.

The National Single Window System integrates approvals across 32 Central ministries and 34 States/UTs and has granted over 8.29 lakh approvals since 2021; DPIIT-recognized startups reached over 2.47 lakh as on 12 August 2026.

India's cumulative exports (merchandise and services) during April-July 2026-27 are estimated at US$316.42 billion, a growth of 13.16%; total exports in July 2026 were US$80.14 billion, with merchandise exports of US$44.24 billion up 19.6%.

The Government approved a Rs 37,500 crore scheme in May 2026 to promote surface coal/lignite gasification, targeting 100 MT of coal/lignite gasification by 2030 and about 50,000 jobs across 25 projects.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries received 20 bids under the scheme to promote manufacturing of sintered rare earth permanent magnets; the scheme was approved in November 2025 with an outlay of Rs 7,280 crore and an integrated capacity of 6,000 MTPA.

PM JANMAN was launched for socio-economic development of 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in 18 states and one UT, implemented through 11 interventions by 9 line Ministries.

India retrieved 662 antiquities from USA (589), Australia (51), UK (21) and Netherlands (01) till June 2026.

The Indian Culture Portal (ICP) Version 2.0 was launched in March 2026; it offers content in 22 Indian languages through BHASHINI and has an AI-powered chatbot named 'Bharti'.

India has 3,688 ancient monuments and archaeological sites of national importance; 414 have reported encroachments, with Uttar Pradesh (78), Tamil Nadu (72) and Karnataka (60) having the most.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party nominated its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as its presidential candidate for the 20 August 2026 presidential election; former president Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned on 24 July 2026.

A UN Security Council monitoring team report attributed the November 2025 Red Fort attack in Delhi to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

The Rajasthan Cabinet approved the draft Rajasthan Uniform Civil Code Bill 2026, covering marriage, divorce, inheritance, maintenance and live-in relationships while keeping tribal rituals and customs outside its purview.

Manipur observed Patriots' Day on 13 August 2026 in memory of Bir Tikendrajit and Thangal General, who were hanged by the British in 1891 after the Anglo-Manipuri War.

Afghanistan will host India for a three-match T20 International series at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in Delhi from 13 to 17 September 2026.

PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana provides free foodgrains to over 81.35 crore beneficiaries; over 221 crore portability transactions were recorded under One Nation One Ration Card as on 29 July 2026.

Under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase II, 5,63,809 out of 5,86,944 villages are covered with liquid waste management arrangements as on 07 August 2026.

Under Jal Jeevan Mission, Sujal Gaon IDs have been issued to 12,67,808 habitations, which is 75% of 16,96,213 habitations, as on 10 August 2026.

At the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, India won 39 medals — 13 gold, 17 silver and 9 bronze; the Indian Army contingent won 16 medals (8 gold, 7 silver, 1 bronze) and Defence Forces personnel accounted for 18 of India's 39 medals.

Havildar Harsh won India's first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medal in judo, competing in the men's 60 kg category at Glasgow 2026.

Naib Subedar Sarvesh Kushare won India's first-ever Commonwealth Games silver medal in high jump at Glasgow 2026.

Naib Subedar Gulveer Singh became the first Indian athlete to win two athletics medals in a single Commonwealth Games, securing silver in the 10,000 metres and bronze in the 5,000 metres.

Subedar Soman Rana and Lance Naik Shubham Juyal won India's first-ever Commonwealth Games gold and silver medals in para shot put.

Havildar Ajaya Babu set a Commonwealth Games record in weightlifting 79 kg with a 149 kg snatch and a total lift of 330 kg.

India won seven gold medals in boxing at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the highest by any nation in a single edition; Indian Army boxers contributed six gold and two silver medals.

Iga Swiatek won the 2026 Canadian Open women's singles title, defeating Elena Rybakina 6-2, 6-3 in Toronto, while Ben Shelton defended the men's singles title by beating Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 7-6(4) in Montreal.

On the eve of India's 80th Independence Day (14 August 2026), President Droupadi Murmu said India is moving towards Viksit Bharat by 2047, the economy is the fastest-growing major economy and expected to grow more than twice the global average, and cited 25 crore people lifted out of poverty, 80 crore free foodgrain beneficiaries, and around 60 crore covered under Ayushman Bharat.

President Droupadi Murmu approved 78 Gallantry awards, including 13 posthumous, for Defence Forces and Central Armed Police Forces on the eve of Independence Day 2026; these include 9 Kirti Chakras (7 posthumous), 1 Bar to Shaurya Chakra, 19 Shaurya Chakras (1 posthumous), 5 Bars to Sena Medal (Gallantry), 36 Sena Medals (Gallantry; 5 posthumous), 3 Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry), and 5 Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry). Among Kirti Chakra awardees are Lieutenant Colonel Maneo Francis of 21 PARA (Special Forces), Major Jitendra Rathee of 2 PARA (Special Forces), and Havildar Gajendra Singh (posthumous); Major Aditya Pratap Singh was awarded the Bar to Shaurya Chakra, and President Murmu also approved 89 Mention-in-Despatches — 75 Army, 4 Navy, 10 Air Force.

On Independence Day 2026, 1,057 personnel of Police, Fire, Home Guard & Civil Defence and Correctional Services were awarded medals — 301 Gallantry Medals, 92 President's Medals for Distinguished Service and 664 Meritorious Service Medals.

Ministry of Corporate Affairs hosted PMIS Industry Awards in New Delhi on 14 August 2026; Mahindra & Mahindra Limited was named Overall Industry Champion under the Prime Minister Internship Scheme.

Government launched CBDC-based Direct Benefit Transfer under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana in Chandigarh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, making Chandigarh the first Union Territory to roll out CBDC-based DBT for food subsidy; Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched it and the Centre is spending over ₹2.10 lakh crore on free ration distribution.

India Post carried out its first-ever drone delivery of the Tiranga from Mandi Head Post Office to Rehardhar Branch Post Office in Himachal Pradesh on 14 August 2026; Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia inaugurated it virtually.

Jal Jeevan Mission completed seven years on 15 August 2026; rural household tap water coverage rose from 16.72% at launch to 82.24%, and 2.04 lakh villages have been certified Har Ghar Jal.

Under PM Vishwakarma, 30 lakh traditional artisans and craftspeople have been registered; 100 beneficiaries from Delhi-NCR were invited as Special Guests to the 80th Independence Day ceremony at Red Fort.

Ken-Betwa Link Project, India's first major river-linking initiative under the National Perspective Plan, will provide irrigation to 10.62 lakh hectares, drinking water to about 62 lakh people and 103 MW hydropower, at a total cost of ₹44,604.99 crore.

Chips to Start-ups (C2S) Programme aims to generate 85,000 industry-ready semiconductor chip design professionals; over 68,000 students have been trained and 254 chip designs taped out, with 332 academic institutions given access to advanced EDA tools.

FutureSkills PRIME, a MeitY-NASSCOM initiative, has over 34 lakh registered candidates and over 13 lakh certified in emerging technologies; it hosts more than 500 courses, with women accounting for 41% of candidates and over 86% participants from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

Under PRASHAD scheme, 54 pilgrimage/heritage projects have been sanctioned across 28 States/UTs at a total cost of ₹1,726.74 crore, with 32 projects completed; Swadesh Darshan has sanctioned 76 tourism circuit projects worth ₹5,290.33 crore and Swadesh Darshan 2.0 has 53 destination-centric projects worth ₹2,208.31 crore.

Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) has enrolled 5.13 crore beneficiaries and paid ₹20,571 crore to 4.37 crore beneficiaries as on 31 July 2026.

The 5th meeting of the National Council for Senior Citizens, chaired by Social Justice Minister Dr Virendra Kumar, reviewed extension of Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana to all senior citizens aged 60 years and above and launched the e-book SNEHA – Stories of Nurturing, Engagement, Happiness & Active Ageing.

BSNL announced the Re. 1 Freedom 2.0 offer providing 1 GB data/day, 100 SMS/day and unlimited voice calls for 24 days, and Fibre Freedom Plan at ₹1,111/month; it has ordered over 26,300 additional 4G BTS sites.

APEDA and the Government of Tripura organised an International Organic Buyer-Seller Meet in Agartala with over 200 participants and 20+ international buyers, showcasing products like GI-tagged Kalikhasa Rice and Queen Pineapple.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced that indigenous defence production reached a record ₹1.78 lakh crore in FY 2025-26 and defence exports surged to ₹38,424 crore from ₹686 crore in FY 2013-14; India targets ₹3 lakh crore annual defence production and ₹50,000 crore defence exports by 2029.

India's defence budget increased from ₹2.53 lakh crore in FY 2013-14 to ₹7.85 lakh crore in FY 2026-27; capital expenditure rose from ₹94,588 crore to ₹2.19 lakh crore and defence R&D budget rose from ₹15,283 crore in 2014-15 to ₹29,100 crore in 2026-27.

Ministry of Defence signed contracts worth ₹1,577 crore with TATA Advanced Systems Limited and NIBE Private Limited for Loiter Munition Systems for the Indian Army under Buy (Indian) category through the Fast Track Procedure on 14 August 2026.

Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth became the first woman officer of the Indian Air Force to qualify as a Fighter Combat Leader at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment, Gwalior.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted successful tests of the Advanced Agni Missile with MIRV technology, RudraM-II air-to-surface missile, Naval Anti-Ship Missile-SR and Pinaka Long-Range Guided Rocket.

INS Sudarshini entered Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal, on 13 August 2026 during Lokayan 2026 after a 19-day Atlantic crossing from Boston, USA; the voyage has traversed over 15,000 nautical miles.

India's space economy is valued at USD 9 billion as of August 2026 and is projected to reach USD 40–45 billion over the next decade; registered space start-ups rose from 1 in 2014 to about 440 in 2026.

IN-SPACe launched the Earth Observation Public-Private Partnership (EO-PPP) to develop India's first privately owned Earth observation satellite constellation with around ₹1,200 crore in private investment commitments.

NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO's commercial arm, saw revenue rise from ₹321.77 crore in FY 2021-22 to over ₹3,000 crore in FY 2024-25.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla stated on the eve of India's 80th Independence Day that approximately 65% of the country's population is under the age of 35.

As of 14 August 2026, Satish Kumar is Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta handed appointment letters to 1,368 teachers — 1,015 Trained Graduate Teachers, 236 Post Graduate Teachers, and 117 music teachers — at Bharat Mandapam.

Former Bombay High Court judge Justice Surendra Pandharinath Tavade, former Maharashtra DGP Rashmi Shukla and two others were sworn in as members of the Maharashtra Lokayukta; members hold office for five years or until age 70, whichever is earlier.

The BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting was held in Jaipur on 12–13 August 2026, co-chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra; on the sidelines, Sitharaman held bilateral talks with Indonesia's Vice Finance Minister Juda Agung.

India reiterated that there is no change in its position on the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, which it placed in abeyance after the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians; President Droupadi Murmu said Operation Sindoor demonstrated the precision capability of the Indian Armed Forces. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif said every drop of water is a red line for Pakistan.

India and Russia are discussing cooperation on the Northern Sea Route (NSR), the Arctic maritime corridor along Russia's northern coast, the Ministry of External Affairs said on 14 August 2026.

CCRAS-NIIMH, Hyderabad, signed an MoU with Sevadhi Museum and Indological Research Institute (SEMIRI), Kottayam, for digitization of over 30,000 medical manuscripts.

The first India-Israel Hackathon, organised on the theme Restorative Healthcare, drew 1,300 students and individuals from both countries to address 14 problem statements.

MSDE convened the India-Japan Stakeholder Consultation on Skill Development in New Delhi on 14 August 2026 to take forward the Action Plan for India-Japan Human Resource Exchange and Cooperation from the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit.

NCB secured the return of fugitive drug kingpin Virender Singh Basoya from UAE under Operation GLOBAL-HUNT on 14 August 2026; the case involved seizure of approximately 1,837 kg of Mephedrone from Pune and Delhi.

India dispatched the first tranche of 20 metric tons of relief supplies, including medicines and medical equipment, to earthquake-hit Colombia.

All India Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation for July 2026 was 9.78% (Base Year 2022-23), down from 9.87% in June 2026; Fuel and Power group inflation was 20.05% and WPI Food Index inflation was 6.65%.

India's balance of payments for June 2026 showed a current account deficit of US$ 6.2 billion; merchandise exports were US$ 41.2 billion against imports of US$ 71.4 billion, and the overall balance was a surplus of US$ 2.9 billion.

India's foreign exchange reserves rose by $14.1 billion to $707 billion in the week ended 7 August 2026, with foreign currency assets at $574.6 billion and gold reserves at $108.7 billion.

The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) was the world's largest derivatives exchange by trading volume (contracts) for calendar year 2025; it began operations in 1994 and was the first exchange in India to implement electronic/screen-based trading.

Software Technology Park units recorded exports worth over ₹7.73 lakh crore in FY 2025-26, up from ₹6.88 lakh crore in FY 2024-25; Karnataka accounted for the largest share at ₹3,50,184.78 crore.

NFHS-5 (2019-21) reported a sex ratio of 1,020 females per 1,000 males, compared with 943 females per 1,000 males in Census 2011.

Logistics Data Bank (LDB) tracked 10 crore EXIM containers since its launch in 2016; it provides 100% EXIM container visibility through RFID across 19 ports and 32 container terminals.

Record rainfall in Chiba, Japan, with 367 mm in 24 hours exceeding the previous record of 309 mm set in October 2013, killed eight people and stranded about 7,000 at Narita airport; over 20,000 homes lost power.

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on 10 August 2026, killing at least 281 people, injuring over 3,900 and leaving 379 missing; Cali and Pereira were the worst affected.

National Commission for Homoeopathy clarified that Regulation 36(y) of its Professional Conduct Regulations, 2022 prohibits homoeopathic practitioners from practising any other system of medicine except under a National Health Programme after prescribed training.

IRDAI's Bima Bharosa is the integrated portal for monitoring policyholder grievances across the insurance industry; grievance toll-free numbers are 155255 and 1800-4254-732, and insurers are required to resolve grievances within 14 days.

India will celebrate its 80th Independence Day on 15 August 2026 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading celebrations from the Red Fort; for the first time, Vande Mataram will be rendered during the Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort, with 2,500 NCC cadets and My Bharat volunteers participating; Har Ghar Tiranga 2026 is being observed from 9 to 17 August 2026 along with 150 years of Vande Mataram.

Partition Horrors Remembrance Day was observed on 14 August 2026; Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan addressed a National Seminar on the theme 'The Partition of India - A Saga of Displacement, Separation and Resettlement', and the Partition caused one of the largest migrations affecting about 20 million people.

President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the opening of Amrit Udyan Summer Annuals Edition 2026 on 14 August 2026; the garden will remain open for the public from 16 August to 15 September 2026.

The Supreme Court quashed criminal defamation proceedings against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on V.D. Savarkar, holding that the Uttar Pradesh government had not given the requisite sanction.

The Delhi Government approved a 20% horizontal reservation for ex-Agniveers in direct recruitment to fire operator posts in Delhi Fire Services and warder/matron posts in the Prison Department.

The Supreme Court stayed the Madras High Court order quashing Tamil Nadu's decision to provide government jobs to families of those killed in the September 2025 Karur stampede, and declined to interfere with the Andhra Pradesh High Court order quashing a criminal case against CM N. Chandrababu Naidu and Minister P. Narayana in the Amaravati land pooling case.

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was passed by both Houses of Parliament on 13 August 2026 to ensure long-term stability in the major minerals sector.

The Registrar General of India notified the Household Schedule questionnaire for Census 2027 with 40 questions; the last Census was conducted in 2011.

India defeated Wales 3-1 in a Group D match of the FIH Hockey World Cup in Amstelveen, Netherlands; captain Harmanpreet Singh scored two goals.

Devdutt Padikkal scored his maiden Test century (131 not out) on day one of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle; India reached 288/2 and played its 600th Test; he became the first Indian left-hander since Sourav Ganguly in 2002 to score a Test century at No. 3.

India celebrated its 80th Independence Day on 15 August 2026; Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

On 15 August 2026, India commemorated 150 years of Vande Mataram and, for the first time since Independence, the national song was sung from the Red Fort.

On Independence Day 2026, the 21-gun salute was fired by the 1721 Field Battery (Ceremonial) using indigenous 105 mm Light Field Guns.

Indian students won 12 Gold and 7 Silver medals at the International Science and Mathematical Olympiads 2026 in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics; HBCSE under TIFR/DAE is the national nodal centre for the Olympiad programmes.

Uttar Pradesh STF officer Sunil Kumar was posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana on 15 August 2026 with an outlay of ₹1 lakh crore; it will provide ₹15,000 to youth who get private-sector jobs and aims to create employment for about 3.5 crore youth.

PM Modi announced AI skilling of one crore youth in one year during the 80th Independence Day address.

PM Modi announced a free online coaching network for youth preparing for competitive examinations on 15 August 2026.

PM Modi announced a nationwide sports talent hunt for children aged 5-15 years to identify future stars for the 2036 Olympics; India will host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and is a strong contender for the 2036 Olympics.

PM Modi outlined 'Sapt Dhara' as seven streams of strength: Manufacturing, Agriculture and Food Production, Technology and Innovation, Gati Shakti, Defence, Green Economy and Blue Economy, and India's Soft Power.

India targets 100 GW nuclear power capacity by 2047; five new nuclear reactors are planned within this decade.

PM Modi announced a new target of 6 crore Lakhpati Didis on 15 August 2026.

Over the last 12 years, India's defence production increased nearly 4 times and defence exports rose almost 50 times, with Indian weapons reaching about 100 countries.

PM Modi highlighted the SHANTI Act as a major reform in the nuclear energy sector and said India crossed an important milestone in Fast Breeder Nuclear Technology.

President Droupadi Murmu said Operation Sindoor demonstrated the capability of the Indian Armed Forces to act with precision against terrorism.

President Droupadi Murmu said India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with the country that harbours terrorism as a decisive step in national interest.

The National Critical Mineral Mission has been launched; a Critical Mineral Corridor was announced in the Budget; three semiconductor plants have been initiated and India has started exporting chips.

The Startup India initiative has enabled more than 2.5 lakh registered startups; the government announced a ₹1 lakh crore Innovation Fund.

Ayushman Bharat provides free treatment up to ₹5 lakh to elderly persons above 70 years of age.

The Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS), implemented by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, is open to the 18-25 age group and provides minimum financial assistance of Rs 9,000 per month; its third pilot round is underway.

PM Modi announced a vibrant Civil Defence network will be created to meet modern challenges.

PM Modi said 25 crore people moved out of poverty in the past 12 years and India moved from the 'Fragile Five' to the world's fastest-growing major economy; social security coverage expanded from 25 crore before 2014 to 100 crore within a decade.

As of 15 August 2026, key current office-holders: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant; Chief of Defence Staff General N. S. Raja Subramani; Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth; Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan; Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh; Lokpal Chairperson Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar; BSF Director General Parveen Kumara.

As of 15 August 2026, Nitin Nabin is the BJP National President and Mallikarjun Kharge is the Congress National President.

The Department of Telecommunications will host the BRICS ICT Track in Pune from 17 to 21 August 2026 under the theme 'Innovate, Cooperate and Transform (ICT) for a Resilient Future'; India holds the 2026 BRICS Chairship and the 12th BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting will be held on 21 August 2026.

BRICS currently comprises 11 members: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes notified the Foreign Assets of Small Taxpayers - Disclosure Scheme (FAST-DS) Rules, 2026; the scheme comes into force on 16 August 2026 and declarations can be filed till 31 December 2026.

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was passed by both Houses of Parliament on 13 August 2026; India imported minerals worth ₹10.12 lakh crore in 2025-26.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting removed the 12-minute advertisement duration cap for TV channels; the cap was introduced in 2006.

Principal Scientific Adviser Prof Ajay Kumar Sood launched the RSVC AMRIT platform developed by NABARD in collaboration with OPSA; it is the digital backbone of the RuTAGe Smart Village Centre ecosystem.

Aheesa Digital Innovations achieved first-pass silicon success with 'VIHAAN', a broadband networking SoC built using the indigenous VEGA microprocessor under the DLI Scheme; DLI-backed companies have raised over $100 million and achieved over 30 chip design tape-outs.

The Ken-Betwa Link Project, India's first major river-linking initiative, aims to transfer surplus water from the Ken River to the Betwa River; it will provide irrigation for 10.62 lakh hectares, drinking water for nearly 62 lakh people, and 103 MW hydropower at an estimated cost of over ₹44,604 crore.

The first-of-its-kind Suryapath Tiranga Global Relay concluded on 15 August 2026, travelling from Fiji to San Francisco across 54 countries as part of Har Ghar Tiranga 2026.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck eastern Indonesia; the death toll rose to 47.

India sent 20 metric tons of relief material, including medical supplies and equipment, to Colombia for post-earthquake recovery.

Karnataka announced that India's first government-owned AI university will be established in Bengaluru.

India extended an invitation to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for a bilateral visit and for the outreach session of the BRICS Summit.

India drew 2-2 with China in its opening FIH Women's Hockey World Cup Pool D match in Amstelveen, Netherlands; Navneet and Deepika scored for India.

The BWF Badminton World Championships 2026 will begin on 17 August 2026 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi; India is hosting the event after 17 years.

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen won the Esports World Cup chess title for the second consecutive year, defeating Grandmaster Denis Lazavik 2-0 in Paris.

The 9th National Anubhav Awards 2026 will be conferred by Dr Jitendra Singh at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 17 August 2026; 15 selected awardees will be honoured, and the Handbook on Pension Mitra and guidelines for the Nation-wide Digital Life Certificate Campaign-5 will be released.

On Atal Bihari Vajpayee's death anniversary (16 August 2026), President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tributes at Sadaiv Atal in New Delhi; Amit Shah unveiled a 21-foot statue in Chittorgarh built at over ₹1.5 crore and called him 'Ajatshatru'; Vajpayee, born on 25 December 1924 in Gwalior, was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2015, was the first PM since Nehru to serve three successive Lok Sabha terms, and died on 16 August 2018 at AIIMS, New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that one crore youth will be trained in AI skilling in the next one year, a talent hunt will be launched for children aged 5 to 15 years, free online coaching will be provided for competitive exam aspirants from poor and middle-class families, and India will host the Commonwealth Games in 2030.

NIELIT launched CYBER KUSHTI 2026, a national cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence hackathon, on 15 August 2026 as the official parallel technical track of the 3rd NCCDFI 2026; the winning team gets the title Cyber Kesari 2026; registration remains open till 10 September 2026.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes notified the Foreign Assets of Small Taxpayers – Disclosure Scheme (FAST-DS) Rules, 2026; the one-time voluntary disclosure scheme came into force on 16 August 2026, and the last date for filing declarations is 31 December 2026.

Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY was launched in West Bengal, making it the 36th state to implement the scheme; about 1.5 crore families will get ₹5 lakh annual cover for 1,950 diseases, and Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana was also launched for about 80 lakh families.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects in Rajasthan: ₹6,453 crore across 17 districts in Alwar, including a ₹500-crore dairy initiative and a 3 lakh litres-per-day milk plant, and 944 projects worth ₹5,755 crore across 15 districts in Chittorgarh.

The Ministry of Mines will organise a roadshow on the 8th Tranche of Auction of Critical and Strategic Mineral Blocks and an NMEDT Workshop in Patna on 17 August 2026, chaired by Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey with Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary attending; the tranche has 20 blocks—3 Mining Lease and 17 Composite Licence—covering Graphite, Rare Earth Elements, Rare Metals, Vanadium, Gallium, Titanium, Molybdenum, Tungsten, Potash, Phosphorite and Glauconite.

Indian Railways will install a new Tank-to-Tap water filtration and monitoring system at nearly 20,000 locations after Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed drinking water quality following the CAG report.

Delhi added 25 new Atal Canteens on 16 August 2026, taking the total to 100; meals are provided at ₹5 per plate, and about 95 lakh subsidised meals have been served since 25 December 2025.

RSSDI launched the Diabetes Rural Outreach Digital Portal and VISHWAS Diabetes Awareness Video Library; the RSSDI Rural Outreach Programme has reached around 30 villages.

The National Testing Agency released provisional answer keys for 84 subjects of UGC-NET June 2026, with the challenge window open till 18 August 2026 and a ₹200 fee per challenged question; re-tests for English and Commerce will be held on 9 September 2026 and Sociology on 10 September 2026.

General Dhiraj Seth, Chief of the Army Staff, began an official visit to Nepal from 17 to 19 August 2026 and will be conferred the Honorary Rank of General of the Nepali Army by Nepal's President Ram Chandra Paudel on 17 August 2026.

The Border Roads Organisation opened the Sungal Tunnel on the Jammu-Poonch National Highway ahead of its scheduled 22 August 2026 opening, improving connectivity to Rajouri and Poonch.

Russia is giving up full administrative and operational control of its Hmeimim air base and Tartus naval facility in Syria under a new MoU, with a 90-day transition period for handover.

Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.

The U.S. State Department's Fiscal Transparency Report asked Pakistan to subject its military and intelligence budgets to civilian and parliamentary oversight; Pakistan proposed a 17.65% hike in defence budget to 3 trillion Pakistani rupees (over $10 billion).

India is hosting the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers Meeting at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi on 18 August 2026, with the Senior Officers' Meeting on 17 August 2026, under the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'; Union Minister Bhupender Yadav will preside, and the BRICS Environment Working Group was established in 2015 in Moscow.

IMD issued a red warning for extremely heavy rainfall in Odisha and a red alert for Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar; 5.15 lakh people were affected, 947 villages inundated and about 2.37 lakh people evacuated; fishermen were advised not to venture along Odisha, West Bengal, Bangladesh and North Andhra Pradesh coasts from 16 to 18 August.

A magnitude-7.7 earthquake in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province killed at least 51 people, injured 113, forced around 5,000 evacuations and triggered 341 aftershocks; it was Indonesia's deadliest since the 2022 West Java earthquake.

Category One Hurricane Lala moved across Hawaii's Big Island with sustained winds of about 120 km/h, threatening the island's first direct hurricane strike in more than 150 years.

India provided COVID-19 vaccines to more than 100 countries under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence uncovered large-scale misuse of the SAFTA agreement in areca nut imports, revealing potential revenue loss of over ₹2,500 crore; ₹75 lakh cash and 160 MT of areca nuts were seized and nine persons arrested.

Foreign Portfolio Investors invested ₹16,621 crore in Indian equities in the first two weeks of August 2026—₹11,199 crore through stock exchanges and ₹5,422 crore through the primary market.

India celebrated its 80th Independence Day on 15 August 2026 and commemorated 150 years of the national song 'Vande Mataram'; President Droupadi Murmu hosted the State Reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Puducherry observed De Jure Transfer Day on 16 August 2026; the 1954 referendum saw 170 representatives vote for merger with India and 8 against, and legal integration was completed on 16 August 1962.

Union Minister Manohar Lal paid tribute to freedom fighter Maharani Avanti Bai Lodhi on her birth anniversary, recalling her role in the 1857 uprising against British rule.

The 12-day Shri Buddha Amarnath Yatra 2026 will begin on 17 August 2026 and continue till 28 August 2026; the temple is located at Rajpura in Mandi tehsil of Poonch district, at 4,600 feet above sea level.

The SURYAPATH TIRANGA Global Relay concluded after travelling from Fiji to San Francisco across 54 countries, marking 150 years of Vande Mataram under the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign.

Dr Jitendra Singh launched the book 'Rheumatology Essentials: A New Frontier for Aspiring Clinicians', authored by Prof. Anand N. Malaviya and Dr. Prashant Kaushik.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged political parties to support implementation of 33 per cent women's reservation in Parliament and state assemblies without making it a political fight.

The Delhi Government extended the paper-based pink ticket facility for women in DTC and Cluster buses till 31 August 2026; around 18 lakh Pink Saheli smart cards have been distributed so far.

Union Minister of State Dr Pemmasani Chandrasekhar announced a ₹20-crore modern building for the Government Regional Library in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, which was established in 1915.

China defeated Qatar 118-66 in the FIBA Under-18 Asia Cup at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad; India is scheduled to face South Korea later.

Cameroon won its maiden Women's Africa Cup of Nations football title, defeating Malawi 3-0 in the final; Marie Ngah scored a first-half double.

In the first India-Sri Lanka Test at Galle, India took a 178-run first-innings lead; Devdutt Padikkal scored 167, Manav Suthar took 4/76 on debut, and Ravindra Jadeja became the first Indian left-arm bowler and fourth player overall to reach 350 Test wickets and 4,000 runs.

210 Indian peacekeepers, including 6 women and 7 Staff Officers, were awarded the UN Medal for exceptional service in Juba, South Sudan; India is the top troop contributor to UNMISS with 1,775 military personnel and the second-largest overall contributor to UN peacekeeping.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh conferred the 9th National ANUBHAV Awards 2026 on 15 awardees at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, and addressed the 60th Pre-Retirement Counselling Workshop; the Handbook on Pension Mitra and Guidelines for the Nation-wide Digital Life Certificate Campaign-5 were also released.

Nepal President Ram Chandra Paudel will confer the Honorary Rank of General of the Nepali Army on Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth during his 17-19 August 2026 Nepal visit; he received a Guard of Honour in Kathmandu.

India launched its first-ever Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) of India at the 17th Session of UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on 17 August 2026; Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav addressed the event virtually.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar launched Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELC 2.0) in Patna with the tagline 'Learn Democracy. Lead Democracy.'; the target is to form ELCs in 15 lakh schools, 70,000 colleges and 1,420 universities over the next six months.

Central Information Commission launched its upgraded Appeal and Complaint Management System AppCoMS 2.0 on 17 August 2026; Chief Information Commissioner Raj Kumar Goyal launched the portal.

MeitY approved 31 more proposals under the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme with projected investment of ₹6,844 crore; total 106 approved projects amount to ₹69,548 crore across 15 states.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan handed over approval for 2,89,355 PMAY-G houses in Rajasthan worth ₹3,473 crore and also approved ₹340.59 crore under agricultural development initiatives including PM-RKVY; PMAY-G norms now include two-wheeler-owning families and women's monthly income ceiling raised from ₹10,000 to ₹15,000.

Bharat Taxi, India's first cooperative-led ride-hailing platform, was established on 6 June 2025 under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002; as of 25 July 2026 it has nearly 8 lakh registered drivers and 41 lakh registered customers.

India's first virtual zoo opened in Indore, Madhya Pradesh along with a 14-D cinema theatre and virtual jungle safari developed under PPP mode at a cost of about ₹4.5 crore; CM Mohan Yadav inaugurated the facilities.

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy inaugurated Dr Marri Chenna Reddy TIMS in Sanathnagar; it is India's first government hospital with an AI-based pneumatic tube system and has 1,082 beds, 300 ICU beds, largest single-phase government super-specialty hospital, and IGBC Gold rating for saving 75% water.

Qatar-India PosTransfer powered by UPI remittance service became available through Qatar Post outlets; transactions range from QAR 10 to QAR 4,000, up to ₹1,00,000 per transaction, with a flat charge of QAR 15.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined the 'Sapt Dhara of Shakti' in his Independence Day address, and the Lakhpati Didi target has been raised from 3 crore to 6 crore; Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will administer the pledge at Pusa on 18 August 2026.

Under the SMILE Scheme's SMILE-BEGGARY portal, 42,589 persons have been identified/surveyed and 12,710 persons rehabilitated; the sub-scheme was launched on 12 February 2022.

Ladakh began digital self-enumeration for Census 2027 from 17 to 31 August 2026 and will become the first Union Territory to complete Census 2027; population enumeration is scheduled for 1-30 September with 637 Enumeration Blocks.

Jammu and Kashmir began digital self-enumeration for Census 2027 in 16 snow-bound districts from 17 to 31 August; the questionnaire has about 40 questions and includes caste-related categories.

The Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth approximately ₹1,943 crore with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. for leasing two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems to the Indian Navy for 30 months.

The Indian Army contingent departed for the 15th edition of India-Thailand Joint Military Exercise MAITREE-XV, scheduled from 18 to 31 August 2026 at Vibhavadi Rangsit Camp, Surat Thani, Thailand; contingents comprise 85 personnel each and focus on joint counter-insurgency/terrorist operations under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter.

The eighth edition of the IN–USN Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Exercise 2026 concluded at the Southern Naval Command, Kochi on 14 August 2026.

A multi-state crackdown on the ISI-backed Shahzad Bhatti Network led to 253 detentions across 14 states, over 80 FIRs and 200+ arrests, with recoveries including IEDs and grenades bearing Pakistan Ordnance Factory markings; Union Home Minister Amit Shah said it was destroyed ahead of Independence Day.

Soumendu Bagchi (IFS: 1993), Ambassador to Iraq, was appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Switzerland on 17 August 2026; Ajay A. Kumar (IFS: 2001), Joint Secretary in MEA, was appointed as next Ambassador to Iraq.

BJP National President Nitin Nabin announced the party's new national office bearers; Piyush Goyal was appointed national treasurer, B L Santhosh organisational National General Secretary, and Hemang Joshi, Roop Kumari Choudhary and Bansilal Gurjar were named heads of Yuva Morcha, Mahila Morcha and Kishan Morcha respectively.

India hosted the 7th BRICS ICT Working Group Meeting in Pune under India's BRICS Chairship theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'; the ICT Track theme was 'Innovate, Cooperate and Transform (ICT) for a Resilient Future'.

Under India's BRICS Chairship 2026, the Senior Officers' Meeting of the Environment Working Group and Contact Group on Climate Change and Sustainable Development was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, chaired by Secretary MoEFCC Tanmay Kumar; the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting is scheduled in New Delhi on 18 August 2026.

The Department of Youth Affairs will host the BRICS Youth Council Meeting and BRICS Youth Summit on 19–20 August 2026 in Gandhinagar and the BRICS Youth Ministers' Meeting on 22 August 2026 in Visakhapatnam.

MEA Secretary Sripriya Ranganathan highlighted India's BRICS 2026 chairship priorities at the India-Egypt BRICS Partnership Conference in Cairo; she is on an official visit to Egypt, Palestine and Lebanon from 16 to 21 August 2026.

BSE and PHDCCI signed an MoU to promote equity financing and expand capital-market access for MSMEs, especially through the BSE SME platform.

Iran said it finalized an agreement with Oman on a plan to manage transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz; the announcement came as the 60-day US-Iran negotiating period expired, and US President Donald Trump warned Oman against the deal.

As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey Monthly Bulletin July 2026, India's overall Labour Force Participation Rate for persons aged 15 years and above rose to 55.4%, Worker Population Ratio to 52.5%, and Unemployment Rate declined to 5.1%.

The UDISE+ Report 2025-26 covers 14.67 lakh schools, 1.03 crore teachers and 24.72 crore students, with Secondary stage Gross Enrolment Ratio improving to 71.7%.

A Pew Research Center survey across 36 countries found Sri Lanka has the most favourable view of India at 79%, followed by the UK and Kenya at 71% each; Germany recorded 63% and Israel 60%.

India is the world's second-largest fish producer contributing 8% to global output and ranks second in aquaculture production; cumulative investment of ₹39,272 crore has been made since 2015 through schemes such as Blue Revolution, FIDF, PMMSY and PMMKSSY.

Total kharif crop area sown in India reached 1016.57 lakh hectares as on 14 August 2026; rice area stood at 379.07 lakh hectares, compared with 393.44 lakh hectares in the same period last year.

The CCEA approved an MSP increase for 14 Kharif crops for Marketing Season 2026-27; the highest expected margin over cost is moong at 61%, followed by bajra and maize at 56% each.

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan said India's higher education Gross Enrolment Ratio is expected to rise from 30% to 50% by 2035; since 2014 India has established 16 IIITs, 8 Central Universities, 8 IIMs and 12 new AIIMS hospitals.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the 3rd Meeting of the Apex Monitoring Authority of NICDIT in New Delhi and described freight, industrial development, railways and expressways as FIRE Corridors under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme.

At the Department of Financial Services' PSB Confluence 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that a High-Powered Committee on Banking Reforms for Viksit Bharat will be announced soon; she said NPAs are at their lowest-ever level.

SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey said the Closing Auction Session introduced on 3 August 2026 will be continued; CAS is a 20-minute daily auction from 3:15 pm to 3:35 pm that replaced the Volume Weighted Average Price method.

RBI announced an overnight Variable Rate Reverse Repo auction up to Rs 1.5 lakh crore for 18 August 2026; earlier overnight VRRR accepted Rs 96,914 crore at 5.24% cut-off and seven-day VRRR accepted Rs 98,945 crore at 5.24%.

NSE was the world's largest derivatives exchange by trading volume (contracts) for calendar year 2025.

The Supreme Court ordered stricter bail conditions for foreign nationals accused under the NDPS Act, including passport deposit, registration with FRRO within one week, two sureties, income affidavit, and creation of a central database of foreign accused and sureties.

Commercial operations began at Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport in Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh; the airport was inaugurated by PM Modi on 1 August 2026, is designed to handle 60 lakh passengers annually, and has a 3,800-metre runway.

NTA announced re-tests for three UGC-NET June 2026 papers: English and Commerce on 9 September 2026 and Sociology on 10 September 2026; UGC-NET June 2026 was conducted from 22 to 30 June across 87 subjects.

A magnitude-7.7 earthquake in eastern Indonesia killed at least 53 people, injured over 130, and forced evacuation of around 5,000 people; it was the country's deadliest quake since the 2022 West Java earthquake.

Floods in Odisha affected six districts, 1,304 villages and about 8 lakh people, with nearly 42,000 hectares of cropland damaged; CM Mohan Charan Majhi conducted an aerial survey of Bhadrak and Jajpur districts.

IMD issued a red alert for very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall over Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha on 17 August 2026; orange alert was issued for Chhattisgarh, East Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh launched the RSSDI Diabetes Rural Outreach Digital Portal and VISHWAS Diabetes Awareness Video Library, calling for diabetes prevention to become a national priority.

US President Donald Trump instructed Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to majorly cut upcoming US-South Korea joint military drills; the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise began on 17 August 2026 with 18,000 South Korean troops.

At the BWF World Championships in New Delhi, P V Sindhu advanced to the second round of women's singles by defeating Sophia Noble 21-7, 21-11; Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also advanced in women's doubles.

In the FIH Hockey World Cup Pool D at Amstelveen, Netherlands, India faced England; India began with a 3-1 win over Wales and England beat Pakistan 4-1 in their opening match.

India celebrated its 80th Independence Day on 15 August 2026 with national themes '150 Years of Vande Mataram' and 'Yuva Shakti for Viksit Bharat@2047'.

The Har Ghar Tiranga campaign 2026 culminated; this fifth year was dedicated to 150 years of Vande Mataram, and the campaign began in 2022.

A Hindi biography of former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, written by former Rajya Sabha MP Y Lakshmi Prasad, was released in New Delhi by Rajnath Singh, BJP National President Nitin Nabin and Delhi CM Rekha Gupta.

Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji died last week; his funeral is scheduled in China on 18 August 2026.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva launched his re-election campaign for the October 2026 presidential election from the 'May 1' stadium in Sao Bernardo do Campo.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for injured from PMNRF in the Birbhum, West Bengal fire mishap and Lakhisarai, Bihar stampede.

National Sports Awards 2025 announced on 18 August 2026: Arjuna Award to 17 sportspersons including Tejaswin Shankar, Muhammed Ajmal V, Priyanka Goswami, Treesa Jolly, Pullela Gayatri Gopichand, Narender, Vidit Santosh Gujarathi, Divya Jitendra Deshmukh, Dhanush Srikanth, Lalremsiami, Rajkumar Pal, Surjeet, Pooja, Rudransh Khandelwal, Ekta Bhyan, Arvind Singh, Akhil Sheoran; Arjuna Award (Lifetime) to I Arumainayagam (Football); Dronacharya Award (Regular) to Parveer Singh (Athletics), Chhote Lal Yadav (Boxing), Neha Nandkumar Chavan (Shooting); Dronacharya Award (Lifetime) to Dharmendra Singh Yadav (Boxing) and Virender Kumar (Wrestling); Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar to Army Paralympic Node, Pune.

On 18 August 2026, India's Ayush Shetty stunned world No.1 and defending champion Shi Yuqi of China 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 in the men's singles first round of the BWF Badminton World Championships in New Delhi; Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu also advanced.

Rishabh Pant became the first Indian batter and fourth overall to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket, reaching the milestone in his 51st Test (fastest) during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on 18 August 2026.

The 5th edition of SEMICON India 2026 will be held from 17-19 September 2026 at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi; Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate it; theme is 'Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem'; 12 semiconductor projects approved under Semicon 1.0 and the Union Cabinet approved Semicon 2.0.

Department of Defence Production notified the 6th Positive Indigenisation List of 405 strategically important items with estimated business potential of ₹3,070 crore, including 16 Indian Coast Guard items and 389 DPSU items; available on SRIJAN portal.

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh flagged off NCC's All India Girls High Altitude Long Trek 'Aparajita - Parang La 2026'; 28 girl cadets led by women officers will undertake a 250-km, 30-day trek over Parang La Pass (5,578 metres) from Spiti Valley to Changthang, Ladakh.

An agreement was signed for implementation of the Amended BharatNet Program in Chhattisgarh with Government of India financial support of ₹3,942 crore, covering 11,682 Gram Panchayats and on-demand connectivity to 8,328 villages.

Har Ghar Tiranga 2026 concluded with a Tiranga Concert at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, dedicated to 150 Years of Vande Mataram, featuring B Praak; more than 8.27 crore selfie uploads on the portal surpassed last year's 7.5 crore.

UIDAI completed over 2 crore Mandatory Biometric Updates for school children, covering around 1.56 lakh schools; Aadhaar MBU is required at ages 5 and 15, and is free for children aged 5-17 until September 30, 2026.

The 16th India-Japan Annual Summit was held in Delhi in July 2026; Japan set a target of investing 10 trillion yen in India over the next decade; bilateral trade reached USD 27.5 billion and Japan is India's fifth-largest source of FDI.

The 4th India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable will be held in Singapore on 20 August 2026; participants include Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and MoS Jitin Prasada; the 4th India-Singapore Business Roundtable will be held alongside.

The 12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting held in New Delhi under India's BRICS Chairship 2026; chaired by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav; adopted a Joint Ministerial Statement and launched four Knowledge Compendiums.

India ranks first in global coconut production with 31.24% of global output; Kerala leads in area, Tamil Nadu in production, Andhra Pradesh in productivity; Union Budget 2026-27 introduced Coconut Promotion Scheme; coconut products exports rose 62% to ₹7,038.35 crore in 2025-26.

India's combined merchandise and services exports reached a record US$ 863.1 billion in FY 2025-26, including merchandise exports of US$ 441.8 billion; UAE was the largest FTA export market with US$ 37.36 billion.

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the 135.87-km four-lane access-controlled Guwahati–Tezpur Corridor of NH-15 at total capital cost of ₹8,970.20 crore, to be developed under BOT Toll mode, excluding the 15.11-km Mangaldoi Bypass.

NHAI extended the digital FASTag Local Pass facility to 121 toll plazas; residents within a 20 km radius can subscribe online through Rajmargyatra Mobile App using DigiLocker and VAHAN; first digital Local Pass launched in July 2026 at Delhi's Mundka-Bakkarwala Toll Plaza.

Government approved an Incentive Scheme for Promotion of Domestic PNG Connections effective from 1 September 2026, to expand piped natural gas connections from the existing 1.74 crore domestic PNG connections.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the target of 3 crore Lakhpati Didis has been achieved and the government is committed to creating 6 crore Lakhpati Didis under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Shakti Ki Saptadhara' vision.

Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth was conferred the honorary rank of General of the Nepal Army by Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel at Sheetal Niwas in Kathmandu.

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026 bars State Governments from levying fresh taxes on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands except within conditions prescribed by the Central Government.

At PSB Confluence 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called on public sector banks to undertake a month-long campaign for youth above 16 years commencing 2 October 2026, coordinated through Indian Banks' Association.

Regional Rural Banks' gross loans outstanding rose 10.3% to ₹5.78 lakh crore in FY 2025-26; average Priority Sector Lending achievement reached 91.7% against the 75% target.

West Bengal's first-ever Kaushal Mahotsav was held in Balurghat by Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship with NSDC; over 7,500 interviews conducted and more than 7,000 job opportunities from over 50 employers.

Raichur, Karnataka transformed the 35-acre Yakalaspura dumpsite by processing 62,252 MT of legacy waste and reclaiming 22 acres, developing a Miyawaki forest with 60,000 saplings under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0.

Razorpay launched 'Razorpay Vulcan', India's first transformer-based AI foundation model built specifically for payments; it is claimed to improve payment success rates by up to 10% and detect eight times more international card fraud.

With commissioning of Dergaon-Dimapur Pipeline, Nagaland is now connected to North East Gas Grid and National Gas Grid, enabling utilisation of over one lakh standard cubic metres per day of ONGC's Jorhat gas.

At FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 in Amstelveen, Indian women drew China 2-2 and will face South Africa next; Indian men lost 2-4 to England and needed at least a draw against Pakistan to reach next round.

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated Asian Open Short Track Speed Skating Trophy 2026 in Dehradun; 272 players from 14 Asian countries, including 130 Indian players, are participating.

Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema was re-elected for a second five-year term, securing over 51% votes.

Jharkhand government cancelled JSSC-CGL examination and all exams conducted by TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL) after protests; constituted committee headed by IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal for exam reforms.

A Lancet Planetary Health study projected that at 3°C warming, India, China, Pakistan and Bangladesh could together account for 1.48 billion people exposed to dangerous heat, 72.6% of the estimated 2.03 billion worldwide.

IIT Mandi researchers led by Dr Sumit Murab developed a sea urchin-inspired hydroxyapatite coating for 3D-printed bone implants, published in Chemical Engineering Journal.

Mumbai Police initiated trial in absentia under Section 356 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 against six absconding accused in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, including Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Sajid Mir.

Supreme Court said it will constitute a high-powered committee comprising retired apex court and high court judges, a former DGP and an ex-CBI director to examine police excesses against student protesters and violence during July 20 Parliament march in Delhi.

Delhi Government's Anti-Corruption Branch arrested former Minister and AAP leader Satyendar Kumar Jain, former Delhi Jal Board CEO Udit Prakash Rai and four others in alleged irregularities in Sewage Treatment Plant tendering.

India defeated Pakistan 5-3 in a Pool D match of the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2026 at Wagener Hockey Stadium, Amstelveen; Harmanpreet Singh and Abhishek scored two goals each, and India advanced to the second round as the second-placed team behind England.

India defeated Sri Lanka by 165 runs in the first Test at Galle International Stadium to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series in India's 600th Test; Devdutt Padikkal (167) was Player of the Match, Manav Suthar took 10 wickets including 6/55, and Rishabh Pant became the first Indian batter to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket.

Indian women's hockey team defeated South Africa 6-1 in the FIH Women's World Cup, surpassing their previous biggest World Cup win of 4-1 over Spain in 1974 and climbing to the top of Pool D.

At the BWF World Championships in New Delhi, India's 15th-seeded mixed doubles pair Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto entered the pre-quarterfinals with a 21-11, 21-11 win over Macao; Ayush Shetty earlier upset defending champion and world No.1 Shi Yu Qi.

The 65th Subroto Cup International Football Tournament commenced on 18 August 2026 at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi, featuring 108 teams in three categories; Meghalaya beat Chandigarh 2-0 in the Junior Girls (U-17) opener.

Arunachal Pradesh athlete Tingong Wangpan has been selected for the Indian team for Asian Para Games 2026 in Men's 400m T37 category.

International boxer Narender Berwal from Hansi, Haryana was selected for the Arjuna Award.

The 140-year-old Parichha Dam on the Betwa River in Jhansi was recognised by ICID as a World Heritage Irrigation Structure and will receive the WHIS Award-26 at the 26th ICID International Congress in Marseille, France on 14 October 2026.

India will host the 5th Coast Guard Global Summit in New Delhi in February 2027, coinciding with the Swarnim Jayanti of Bharatiya Tatrakshak (Indian Coast Guard).

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh visited Armenia on 17-18 August 2026; India and Armenia signed an MoU to expand defence cooperation in joint collaboration, innovation and research and exchanged Terms of Reference for Joint Services Staff Talks.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will hold bilateral talks with Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in New Delhi on 20 August 2026; Koizumi visited Western Naval Command, Mumbai, and inspected indigenous ship INS Chennai.

CCEA approved upgradation of Muzaffarpur–Sitamarhi–Sonbarsa section of NH-22 in Bihar to four-lane on Hybrid Annuity Mode at a total capital cost of ₹3,590.73 crore and length of 82.578 km.

CCEA approved four Indian Railways multitracking projects costing about ₹9,450 crore covering eight districts in West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, adding about 410 km to the network.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu flagged off scaled-up transshipment cargo operations at Delhi IGI Airport's Terminal 2; the revised air cargo transhipment framework covers International-to-International, International-to-Domestic, Domestic-to-International and Domestic-to-Domestic cargo, and the Chennai–Delhi–Frankfurt route transit time was cut from 50-60 hours to 20 hours.

National Makhana Board was launched in Bihar; the Central Sector Scheme for Development of Makhana has an outlay of ₹476.03 crore for 2025-26 to 2030-31, India's makhana production is estimated at 80,590 MT in 2025-26, and the makhana market is projected to reach ₹11,000-12,000 crore by 2029-30.

The National Critical Mineral Mission was approved with an outlay of ₹16,300 crore up to FY 2030-31; Khanij Bidesh India Limited secured exclusive lithium exploration rights in Argentina.

Government approved the Incentive Scheme for Promotion of Domestic PNG Connections, effective 1 September 2026; currently there are 1.74 crore domestic PNG connections, and eligible CGD entities will get additional 200 standard cubic metres of domestic gas per incremental billed connection.

The Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan Portal was migrated from nmba.dosje.gov.in to the SAMAVESH Portal developed by National e-Governance Division (NeGD).

Ministry of Education extended the online registration deadline for Yuva Sangam Phase VII till 31 August 2026; 20 higher education institutions have been identified as nodal institutions under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.

Under PM-AJAY, two SC hostels with 500 seats were sanctioned in Hyderabad, Telangana with ₹7.50 crore released; nationally, 728 Eklavya Model Residential Schools have been approved and 508 are functional, with all 23 EMRS in Telangana functional and 10,199 students enrolled in 2025-26.

The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2027 commenced with the Viksit Bharat Quiz on the MY Bharat portal, running from 17 August to 30 September 2026 for ages 15-29; the top 10% of participants qualify for the Essay Challenge.

Delhi Government will hand over pension letters under Delhi Lakshmi Yojana on 26 August at Thyagraj Stadium and pension will be credited from 1 September; about 8 lakh women registered in 18 days.

National Commission for Women launched the Yashoda AI initiative in Jalandhar for AI literacy and digital empowerment of women; NCW Chairperson is Vijaya Rahatkar.

Jammu and Kashmir government notified Land Pooling Policy 2026; a contiguous area becomes eligible for land pooling when at least 70% of land in that area is pooled.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and CM Rekha Gupta flagged off 200 zero-emission electric buses, taking Delhi's electric bus fleet beyond 5,000; a new Delhi-Karnal interstate e-bus service was launched with a fare of about ₹212 from Kashmere Gate to Karnal.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced a ₹1,000 crore assistance package as floods affected around one million people across six north Odisha districts.

DFCCIL launched Joint Parcel Product – Rapid Cargo Service on Western Dedicated Freight Corridor covering about 1,200 km one-way, with potential annual revenue of around ₹76 crore.

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari addressed the 4th Tunnels and Bridges Conference 2026 in New Delhi and said the Ministry is preparing tunnel tenders worth ₹2 to 2.5 lakh crore.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council on 20 August 2026 in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu; Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay is the Vice-Chairman, and the council includes Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.

Supreme Court directed Union Education Secretary to file affidavit on implementation of K. Radhakrishnan Committee recommendations on NEET-UG exam reform as nuanced by Nandan Nilekani Committee; Radhakrishnan Committee submitted 101 recommendations after NEET-UG 2024 paper leak.

National Testing Agency removed 600 experts, announced a four-tier question paper checking system, will induct 20-25 officials, and will shift to new CISF-secured premises.

Election Commission of India issued a fact sheet stating EPICs have been issued to nearly a billion electors and electoral rolls are prepared by Booth Level Officers for nearly 1.2 million polling booths.

Department of Telecommunications directed telecom operators to deny new SIM cards to subscribers who already have nine SIMs and to use the Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) to enforce the limit from 24 August 2026.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, on his maiden visit to Jammu and Kashmir, met Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar and described J&K as an important part of India.

India invoked for the first time trial in absentia under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) against 26/11 Mumbai attacks accused based in Pakistan, including Hafiz Saeed and Zakiur Rehman.

Maharashtra declared snakebite a notifiable disease, making it mandatory for all hospitals and medical professionals to report every suspected or confirmed case and death; the state director (hospitals) will oversee the nodal mechanism at the state level.

Jharkhand government cancelled 44 recruitment exams, including JSSC-CGL and JPSC 11th-13th Civil Services, over alleged irregularities; a committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal will recommend exam reforms in two months.

Anti-Corruption Branch of Delhi Government arrested former Delhi Minister Satyendar Kumar Jain, former DJB CEO Udit Prakash Rai and four others in the STP project tender case.

A West Bengal court in Krishnanagar, Nadia district issued an arrest warrant against TMC MP Mahua Moitra in an alleged hate speech case and directed submission of the execution report by 28 August.

Punjab Police extradited three wanted gang operatives linked to Pakistan's ISI from Malaysia; Jaspreet Singh, Ajay Singh and Pawandeep Singh were arrested at IGI Airport, New Delhi.

Pakistan Supreme Court ordered jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan transferred to Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad for medical examination; he has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail since August 2023.

The 4th India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable was held in Singapore on 20 August 2026; External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar met Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan and laid the foundation stone of the new High Commission of India chancery, while Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal attended with an Indian business delegation of about 70 leaders.

India hosted the BRICS Youth Council Meeting and BRICS Youth Summit on 19 August 2026 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat; MoS Raksha Khadse announced the 'Friends of MY Bharat' digital module for Indian-origin youth, and the BRICS Youth Ministers' Meeting is scheduled for 22 August 2026 in Visakhapatnam.

Ministry of Tourism hosted the 2nd BRICS 2026 Tourism Working Group Meeting in Jaipur on 19 August 2026, chaired by Secretary Bhuvnesh Kumar, ahead of the BRICS Tourism Ministers' Meeting on 21 August.

India hosted the 8th BRICS Youth Energy Summit 2026 virtually on 17 August 2026 under its BRICS Chairship, with more than 100 participants; India's energy track theme is 'सर्वेषां ऊर्जम्' (Energy for All).

The 3rd India-Mozambique Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) was held in Maputo on 18 August 2026; the Indian delegation was led by Janesh Kain, Joint Secretary (East & Southern Africa), and both sides agreed to hold the next round in New Delhi.

At the UP-Japan Investment Summit 2026 in New Delhi, I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said 99.6% of the Indian railway network is electrified and 162 semi-high-speed trains have been introduced in the last decade.

India-Japan bilateral trade reached 27.5 billion dollars in FY2025-26 and Japan is India's fifth-largest FDI source; Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal cited the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project and 11 Japanese industrial townships.

UAE suspended all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice after its air defence detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the US fulfils commitments under a 14-point MoU; US President Donald Trump said the naval blockade remains in force.

Bangladesh requested about 8,000 litres of additional fuel from India; the request was under consideration as of 18 August 2026.

Protests in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) continued for 70 days, while Pakistan stopped supplies of essential commodities.

In FY 2025-26, India auctioned a record 212 major mineral blocks and operationalised 36; India ranks second globally in limestone, third in zinc, fourth in iron ore and fifth in bauxite.

As per Pulse FY2026 report, 79% of new Universal Account Numbers generated during 2025-26 belonged to the 18-30 age group, with over 57,000 new UANs generated.

RBI Monetary Policy Committee in its 3-5 August 2026 meeting kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.25% for the fourth consecutive time with a neutral stance and projected real GDP growth at 6.7% and CPI inflation at 5% for 2026-27; the Standing Deposit Facility rate remains at 5.00%.

SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey warned against manipulating or defaming the Closing Auction Session (CAS), introduced on 3 August 2026 to improve transparency in market close.

Ministry of Finance said Regional Rural Banks' gross loans outstanding increased by 10.3% from ₹5.24 lakh crore in FY2024-25 to over ₹5.78 lakh crore in FY2025-26; agriculture accounted for 77% of total priority sector lending.

Researchers from IASST and IIT Guwahati developed a smart cancer drug named RK-251 that activates primarily in cancer cells and showed strong activity against aggressive triple-negative breast cancer cells in preclinical studies.

The Technology Development Board extended financial assistance to OrthoGraft Pvt. Ltd., Vadodara, for commercialisation of advanced tissue-derived biological dressings for chronic wounds, diabetic foot ulcers and burns.

The Union Health Ministry began a two-day National Leprosy Eradication Programme review-cum-capacity building workshop in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, with officials from all 51 districts of Madhya Pradesh participating.

At its 29th meeting, CAQM approved Direction No. 102 mandating a phased shift to cleaner Light Goods Vehicles in Delhi-NCR, with restrictions from 1 January 2027 in Delhi and from 1 July 2027 in Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar.

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence busted a wildlife trafficking syndicate in Lucknow and seized 54 ivory artefacts; trade in ivory is prohibited under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and CITES.

DRI seized about 56 kg of methamphetamine concealed with maize in an export consignment at Nava Sheva Port bound for Saudi Arabia; two persons were arrested under the NDPS Act, 1985.

Flash floods in Karpat Nallah and Gawadi Nallah disrupted road connectivity in Lahaul-Spiti's Miyar Valley and Chowkhang Naingar; Mandi was the worst-affected district in Himachal Pradesh with 32 blocked roads, followed by Kullu with 25 and Sirmaur with 10.

Death toll from the 7.4 magnitude earthquake in western Colombia rose to 312 with 4,611 injured and 290 missing; the epicentre was near San José del Palmar at 96 km depth, and India sent 20 metric tonnes of relief supplies.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's 17th Ebola epidemic, caused by the Bundibugyo species, has recorded 5,021 confirmed cases and 2,378 deaths, making it the largest outbreak in DRC history and the second-largest globally after the 2014-16 West Africa epidemic.

World Photography Day is observed every year on 19 August; on 19 August 2026 Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw interacted with photographers in New Delhi.

President Droupadi Murmu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla paid tributes to former President Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma on his birth anniversary on 19 August 2026.

The 118th birth anniversary of Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur, regarded as the architect of modern Tripura, was observed across Tripura on 19 August 2026.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in a fire mishap in Kolkata on 19 August 2026 and said the local administration is assisting those affected.

India held England to a 0-0 draw in their final Pool D match of the FIH Women's Hockey World Cup 2026 on 20 August 2026, finishing second behind China and advancing to Round 2; India will face the Netherlands next.

At the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty entered the men's doubles quarterfinals by defeating Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap 21-23, 21-19, 21-17.

At the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand entered the women's doubles quarterfinals by defeating seventh seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi 21-16, 21-12.

At the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi, P.V. Sindhu lost to third seed Wang Zhi Yi 11-21, 21-15, 17-21 in the women's singles pre-quarterfinals.

Harry Kane received his second European Golden Shoe after scoring 36 goals in the 2025-26 Bundesliga season.

Union Housing and Urban Affairs and Power Minister Manohar Lal unveiled the Delhi Master Plan 2047 (MPD-2047) on 20 August 2026, envisaging about 40 lakh new affordable housing units and aligned with Viksit Bharat 2047.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced approval of 11,18,937 pucca houses for poor families in Bihar with an allocation of ₹13,427 crore under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in Patna on 20 August 2026; he also handed over keys of 2.35 lakh PMAY-Gramin houses.

PM Fasal Bima Yojana will be implemented in Bihar, and 53.83 lakh Farmer Identity Cards have been created in the state.

MeitY signed an MoU with PhonePe on 20 August 2026 to integrate PhonePe PulsePro data intelligence into the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan portal, managed with BISAG-N.

DPIIT signed MoUs with PhonePe and Shell India Pvt. Ltd. on 19 August 2026 to support DPIIT-recognised startups; Shell India's partnership focuses on energy and climate technology sectors.

The National Green Hydrogen Mission was approved in January 2023 with an outlay of ₹19,744 crore up to 2029-30; the NTPC Green Hydrogen Mobility Station at Greater Noida currently refuels five hydrogen buses that can each run up to 720 km per fill.

The Aadhaar App crossed 5 crore downloads, and UIDAI has onboarded more than 200 entities as Offline Verification Seeking Entities.

India and Japan signed a Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation on 20 August 2026 during the Japan-India Defence Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi, co-chaired by Rajnath Singh and Shinjiro Koizumi.

The 16th India-Japan Annual Summit was held in July 2026 during Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's visit to India.

Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited the Western Naval Command and the indigenous stealth destroyer INS Chennai in Mumbai during his maiden official visit to India.

The 4th India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable and 4th India-Singapore Business Roundtable were held in Singapore on 20 August 2026; Singapore was India's largest source of FDI in FY2025-26 with USD 19.8 billion.

India-Singapore bilateral trade rose from USD 6.7 billion in FY2004-05 to USD 36.1 billion in FY2025-26, and cumulative FDI from Singapore reached USD 194.68 billion between April 2000 and March 2026.

The BRICS Summit 2026 is scheduled to be held in Delhi on 12-13 September 2026; the theme of India's BRICS chairship is 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'.

India will host the 12th BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting in Pune on 21 August 2026, chaired by Jyotiraditya Scindia under the theme 'Innovate, Cooperate and Transform (ICT) for a Resilient Future'; the Digital BRICS Forum and Expo was held in Pune on 20 August 2026.

The 8th BRICS Ocean and Polar Science and Technology Working Group meeting was held in Goa from 12–14 August 2026, hosted by NCPOR during India's BRICS Presidency.

The BRICS Youth Council Meeting and Youth Summit 2026 were held in Gandhinagar on 19–20 August 2026 under India's BRICS Chairship; delegates visited the Statue of Unity.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Hakainde Hichilema on his re-election as President of Zambia; Hichilema secured more than 2.9 million votes and was declared winner by the Electoral Commission of Zambia.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was elected Bangladesh's 23rd President, securing 255 votes against Oli Ahmad's 88 in the first contested Bangladeshi presidential election in 35 years.

Somanath Sreedhara Panicker was appointed and Anand Gopal Mahindra was re-appointed as part-time, Non-official Directors on the Central Board of RBI for four years with effect from 20 August 2026.

The newly reconstituted National Commission for Minorities held its first meeting under Chairperson Harjit Singh Grewal on 20 August 2026.

Index of Core Industries grew by 5.4% year-on-year in July 2026; cumulative growth in April-July 2026 was 4.3%, while June 2026 final growth was revised to 6.0%.

India achieved record fish production of 198 lakh tonnes and seafood exports worth ₹73,890.46 crore.

CMLRE released the National Report on Deep-Sea and Distant-Water Fishery Resources of the Indian EEZ, covering India's 2.37 million sq km Exclusive Economic Zone.

Chhattisgarh became the first inland state to initiate exports of value-added Tilapia products.

The Union Cabinet decided to enable sitting of a bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir in Ladakh to improve access to justice.

The Union Cabinet approved four railway multitracking projects covering about 410 km across West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, with an estimated cost of ₹9,450 crore and completion targeted by 2030-31, as part of total approved projects worth ₹13,041 crore.

The Union Cabinet approved upgradation of the 82.57-km Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa section of NH-22 in Bihar to four-lane standard under Hybrid Annuity Mode at a capital cost of over ₹3,590 crore.

ICF, RCF and MCF will manufacture 238 AC EMU rakes for Mumbai Suburban Railway, with supply planned to begin in 2027 and complete by 2030.

Under Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission, 4,172 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras have been sanctioned linking 12.48 lakh tribal members, and MSP has been notified for 87 Minor Forest Produce items.

Under Post-Matric Scholarship for Scheduled Castes, actual expenditure was ₹6,208.08 crore in 2025-26 against revised estimate of ₹6,000 crore; DBT disbursal directly into Aadhaar-seeded accounts began in 2021-22.

The 63rd Governing Body Meeting of Sports Authority of India, chaired by Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, approved the establishment of the National Coach Accreditation Board under the revamped Khelo India Scheme.

As per UDISE+ 2025-26, India has nearly 14.67 lakh schools, 1.03 crore teachers and over 24.72 crore students, with an overall pupil-teacher ratio of 24:1; girls constitute 48.4% of enrolment and women account for 54.9% of teachers.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said India accounts for 20% of the global semiconductor design workforce, has the world's second-largest 5G ecosystem, and around 250 GW of power generation capacity now comes from renewables; railway freight volumes rose to 1,670 million tonnes.

Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said UPI connects 720 banks, accounts for 85% of India's digital transactions and nearly 49% of global real-time payment volumes, and has expanded to nine partner countries.

At the BRICS ICT Track Thematic Panel Discussion in Pune, Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said Direct Benefit Transfer integrates 318 schemes across 56 ministries and DigiLocker has over 700 million users with over 9 billion verifiable credentials issued.

India has deployed more than 500,000 5G base stations under one of the world's fastest 5G rollouts; the USD 17 billion BharatNet programme is expanding optical fibre connectivity, and 4G coverage reaches nearly 99% of villages.

Researchers at IIIT Delhi, NIPER Guwahati and CSIR-IGIB developed 'MutAIverse', described as the first-of-its-kind generative AI platform to trace likely cancer roots, expanding DNA adduct reference libraries from fewer than 400 to over three lakh.

Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University in Nanded received an Indian patent for a nanostructured delivery device for poorly water-soluble anti-tubercular drugs, granted for 20 years.

National Medical Commission Chairperson Dr Abhijat Chandrakant Seth said India now has more than 820 medical colleges, and nearly 50,000 doctors completed structured online AI training in 2026.

SEBI allowed Foreign Portfolio Investors to submit digitally signed Powers of Attorney under the Information Technology Act, 2000, removing the need for physical notarisation, apostillisation or consularisation.

The government allowed duty-free imports of up to 10 lakh metric tonnes of raw sugar until 31 October 2026 under a tariff rate quota.

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026 was notified on 17 August 2026 to provide clarity and uniformity in mineral taxation.

A nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, upheld the broad interpretation of industry laid down in the 1978 Bangalore Water Supply judgment under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947; future disputes will be governed by the Industrial Relations Code, 2020.

The Supreme Court constituted a five-member High-Powered Enquiry Committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice R Subhash Reddy to independently examine allegations of violence during student demonstrations at Jantar Mantar and other locations.

At a UNSC Open Debate on Working Methods, India's Charge d'Affaires Yojna Patel called for urgent UN Security Council reforms, including expansion in both permanent and non-permanent membership and greater representation for the Global South.

The 14th India-Nepal Joint Working Group meeting on border management began in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, with the Indian delegation led by Pausumi Basu and the Nepali delegation led by Anand Kafle.

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh concluded a two-day visit to Armenia, during which India and Armenia signed an MoU on defence innovation and research and exchanged Terms of Reference for Joint Services Staff Talks.

India and Mauritius held the 4th Special Capacity Building Programme for Senior Civil Servants of Mauritius from 17 to 22 August 2026 in New Delhi, organised by NCGG; NCGG signed an MoU with Mauritius in March 2025 to train 500 civil servants over five years.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, on 20 August 2026.

Ministry of Jal Shakti released the Policy on Data Sharing, Interoperability and Stakeholder Access under Sujalam Bharat Digital Public Infrastructure.

The 35th Nepali Language Constitutional Recognition Day was observed on 20 August 2026; on 20 August 1992, the 71st Constitutional Amendment included Nepali, Manipuri and Konkani in the Eighth Schedule.

The 35th Manipuri Language Day was celebrated across Manipur on 20 August 2026 with the theme 'State Song Sana Leibak Manipur for Peace, Unity and Integrity'.

Under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0 campaign, 50 lakh trees and saplings have been planted so far, while Delhi has planned to plant 70 lakh saplings under Mission Green Delhi.

The PIB Fact Check Unit said the takedown time for unlawful online content was reduced from 36 hours to 3 hours by an amendment in February 2026 to the IT Intermediaries Rules 2021.

The Global Digital Capacity Building Alliance, launched on 20 February 2026 at the India AI Impact Summit, New Delhi, completed six months on 20 August 2026.

A workshop on AIKosh, the national datasets and models platform under IndiaAI Mission, was organised in New Delhi on 20 August 2026.

The US Treasury Department on 20 August 2026 redesignated Hezbollah for acting on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force; Hezbollah was first designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 1997 and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2001.

US President Donald Trump announced a sweeping new economic warfare campaign against Iran, warning of economic consequences for countries providing support to Tehran.

The Manipur government ordered closure of all schools, colleges and higher education institutions across the state from 20 to 22 August 2026 amid the law-and-order situation linked to NRC and Census protests.

China Evergrande Group founder Hui Ka Yan was sentenced to life in prison by a Chinese court; Evergrande was fined 8.82 billion yuan, and five other senior executives received prison terms of six to eighteen years.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence busted a wildlife trafficking syndicate in Lucknow and seized 54 ivory artefacts, with four arrested members handed over to the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department.

The West Bengal Cabinet approved the formation of an Anti-Narcotics Task Force and four Anti-Narcotics Police Stations in Durgapur, Malda, Kharagpur and Nadia, with 591 new posts approved.

The Jharkhand High Court stayed the state government's decision to cancel appointments made through the 11th to 13th JPSC Civil Services examinations and Food Safety Officer recruitment, ordering reinstatement of selected candidates.

The Ministry of Education extended the online registration deadline for Yuva Sangam Phase VII to 31 August 2026; eligible youth aged 18 to 30 can register through the Yuva Sangam portal.

Tamil Nadu's Overseas Higher Education Scholarship Scheme has provided scholarships to 362 SC/ST students for Masters and PhD programmes abroad, with ₹131 crore approved for the scheme.

The Subarnarekha river at Rajghat in Odisha flowed at 11.80 metres against a danger level of 10.36 metres, affecting around 2.8 lakh people; IMD issued a Yellow Warning for Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan paid tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary on 20 August 2026.

India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand beat world No. 4 Chinese pair Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian 16-21, 21-15, 21-13 to enter the BWF World Championships 2026 women’s doubles semifinals in New Delhi, assuring India’s first women’s doubles medal since 2011 and only the second ever by an Indian women’s doubles pair.

India’s Kajal Dhochak won her second consecutive U20 World Wrestling Championships title in women’s 76 kg, defeating China’s Jingru Sun 7-0 in the final; Tanu Sharma (72 kg) and Savita (62 kg) won silver medals.

The Indian women’s hockey team, led by Salima Tete, will face the Netherlands in its first match of the second pool phase of the FIH World Cup at Amstelveen; India advanced after a goalless draw against England.

At the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will face China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in the men’s doubles quarterfinals; PV Sindhu lost to third seed Wang Zhi Yi in the women’s singles pre-quarterfinals.

US Open 2026 announced a record $108 million prize purse; men’s and women’s singles champions will earn $5.5 million each, and first-round prize money rises 27% to $140,000.

President Droupadi Murmu will confer National Teachers Awards on 48 school teachers at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 5 September 2026; awardees include 26 males and 22 females from 27 States, 7 Union Territories and 6 Central Government organisations.

Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan inaugurated ‘MALHAR 2026’, a youth-centric monsoon-themed Indian classical music celebration by Antar Hriday Connect, in New Delhi and presented the Antar Hriday Cultural Diplomacy Award to Saurav Sharma of Nepal.

Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth was conferred the rank of Honorary General of Nepal during his visit to Nepal.

AgriStack won Gold and e-Jagriti won Silver at the National Awards for e-Governance 2026, showcased during the 20th National e-Governance Webinar on Government Process Re-engineering for Digital Transformation.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology notified the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) with an outlay of ₹62,500 crore for FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31; large manufacturers get 2.25% to 5% incentives, Indian brands get 5% plus 3% for Indian design/R&D, and up to 1.5% for domestic sourcing. India is the world’s second-largest mobile phone manufacturer, with 99.2% phones made in India, and smartphones became its largest export category in 2025.

The Ministry of Rural Development launched National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II under DAY-NRLM from 21 August to 21 November 2026, targeting creation of 6 crore Lakhpati Didis and training of 5 lakh SHG women.

The Territorial Army and CyberPeace launched Terrier Cyber Quest 2026 (TCQ 3.0), a national-level hackathon with Bug Hunting, AI Kavach and Creators Challenge tracks; the Grand Finale will be held in New Delhi from 6 to 8 October 2026 and registration is open till 31 August.

The Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) has a Budget allocation of ₹7,200 crore for 2026-27 and comprises Price Support Scheme, Price Stabilization Fund, Price Deficiency Payment Scheme and Market Intervention Scheme.

PM Narendra Modi said more than 50 lakh families are associated with PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, with ₹22,000 crore provided to households for rooftop solar systems.

Union New and Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi chaired a meeting on the next phase of PM-KUSUM; the scheme has solarised over 27 lakh pumps, added 15.8 GW renewable energy capacity and saves about 806 million litres of diesel annually.

The Ken-Betwa Link Project has a total cost of ₹44,605 crore; PM Narendra Modi laid its foundation stone on 25 December 2024 and it is scheduled for completion in 2030, featuring a 96.7-metre Daudhan Dam and a 216.465-km link canal. It will irrigate 10.62 lakh hectares, provide drinking water to about 62 lakh people and generate 103 MW hydropower and 27 MW solar power.

The Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Civil Aviation met in Mysuru on 21 August 2026 for the first time outside Delhi since 2017; it discussed the next phase of UDAN with an unprecedented award of ₹28,840 crore.

Under Mission Shakti, 991 functional One Stop Centres have assisted over 15.20 lakh women; 4.60 crore mothers have received maternity benefits worth over ₹21,343 crore under Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana.

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries will organise the PMFME Conclave in New Delhi from 24 August 2026; over 2 lakh micro food processing enterprises have benefited from the Credit Linked Subsidy component, with women entrepreneurs over 44% and 11-12 lakh jobs created.

The Union Cabinet approved the establishment of a Bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in Ladakh to enhance access to justice in remote areas.

Indian Railways approved a third Vande Bharat Express between Jammu Tawi and Srinagar via Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan Udhampur, as announced by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis will celebrate its 32nd Foundation Day on 23 August 2026 at Mavalankar Auditorium, New Delhi, and will release the NCSK Missed-Call Facility Number.

Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated seven infrastructure projects worth ₹427.80 crore at Paradip Port, Odisha, marking the port’s 18.5-metre deep-draft capability, and signed concession agreements worth ₹1,580.36 crore for 100% berth mechanisation by 2030.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated and laid foundation stones for SSB projects worth about ₹179 crore at Siliguri and inaugurated the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate building; he announced that the three new criminal laws have been fully implemented in West Bengal and persecuted minorities from Bangladesh will get citizenship within six months under CAA.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with CEOs and Founders of 20 space startups at Seva Teerth on 21 August 2026 and suggested collaboration between space companies and Atal Tinkering Labs.

The 25th India-UK Defence Consultative Group Meeting was held in New Delhi on 21 August 2026, co-chaired by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and UK Permanent Under Secretary for Defence Jeremy Pocklington; it reviewed India-UK Vision 2035 and the Ten-year Defence Industrial Roadmap.

Jeremy Pocklington made his first visit to India as UK Permanent Under Secretary for Defence, met Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani and laid a wreath at the National War Memorial.

India airlifted the first tranche of 20 metric tonnes of humanitarian aid to Colombia following the 10 August 2026 earthquake; the 7.4 magnitude quake killed 319 people and affected 476 municipalities across 15 departments.

CMLRE released the National Report on Deep-Sea and Distant-Water Fishery Resources of the Indian EEZ; India’s Exclusive Economic Zone covers 2.37 million square kilometres, and the report identified Kollam Bank, Angria Bank, the deep-sea slope off Mangaluru and the terrace off Thiruvananthapuram as ecologically important marine areas.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir took oath as the 23rd President of Bangladesh at Bangabhaban, Dhaka on 21 August 2026; he was elected after securing 255 votes against Oli Ahmed’s 88 in Parliament.

Ms. Muanpuii Saiawi (IFS: 2005), currently High Commissioner of India to New Zealand, was concurrently accredited as the next High Commissioner of India to Niue, with residence in Wellington, on 21 August 2026.

The Supreme Court reduced the mandatory 3-year legal practice requirement for entry-level judicial service examinations to one year; a 2:1 Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice A.G. Masih and Justice K. Vinod Chandran ruled that candidates notified between 25 May 2025 and 31 March 2027 remain eligible regardless of prior experience.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was shifted back to Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on 21 August 2026 after medical evaluation; he is serving a 14-year sentence in the Toshakhana case.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Hakainde Hichilema on being re-elected as the President of Zambia.

The 12th BRICS Communications Ministers’ Meeting was held in Pune on 21 August 2026 under India’s BRICS Chairship, chaired by Communications Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia; the ICT Track theme was ‘Innovate, Cooperate and Transform (ICT) for a Resilient Future’.

India and Brazil signed an MoU in Pune to strengthen cooperation in telecommunications and ICTs, covering AI, 5G/6G, Open RAN, IoT, Direct-to-Device connectivity, LEO satellites and Non-Terrestrial Networks.

The 14th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting was held in Chennai on 21 August 2026; India’s 2026 BRICS Presidency theme is ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’.

The BRICS Tourism Ministers’ Meeting concluded in Jaipur with the adoption of the BRICS Tourism Ministers’ Communiqué 2026 (Jaipur Declaration), chaired by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

India will host the BRICS Youth Ministers’ Meeting on 22 August and BRICS Sports Ministers’ Meeting on 23 August 2026 in Visakhapatnam, chaired by Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, with 11 BRICS member countries participating.

The 14th India-Nepal Joint Working Group meeting on border management was held in Dehradun on 20-21 August 2026; the Indian delegation was led by Pausumi Basu and the Nepali delegation by Ananda Kafle, and the next meeting will be held in Nepal.

The 4th India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable was held in Singapore on 20 August 2026 and reviewed the India-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership under six pillars—Advanced Manufacturing, Connectivity, Digitalization, Healthcare and Medicine, Skills Development, and Sustainability; two MoUs and one Letter of Intent were exchanged.

The 4th Singapore-India Hackathon will be held in Singapore from 15 to 17 November 2026, and the National Centre of Excellence for Skilling is being developed in Chennai under the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable.

India and the Asian Development Bank signed a $230 million loan for the Chennai Climate-Resilient Water Security and Sewerage Project; Chennai will become the first Indian city to implement a comprehensive ring-main water supply solution, with over 170 km of pipes and upgrades to 7 water and 38 sewer pumping stations.

Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed co-development and co-production under ‘Make in India’; PM Modi recalled the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit held in July 2026 with Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said critical minerals are a central pillar of India-Japan cooperation and will lead a business delegation to Japan from 24 to 27 August 2026, anchored by a 10 trillion yen Japanese investment commitment.

At the UP-Japan Investment Meet 2026 in Lucknow, Yamanashi Governor announced a ₹600 crore fund for Yamanashi MSME companies to invest in Uttar Pradesh; an MoU was signed between the Yamanashi Prefectural Assembly and UP Legislative Assembly, and a dedicated Yamanashi Desk will be set up at Invest UP.

India and Mauritius are set to expand energy cooperation to clean and sustainable fuels; Mauritius, a founding member of the Global Biofuels Alliance, has developed its National Biofuel Policy Framework with the Alliance’s support.

India’s MEA Secretary Sripriya Ranganathan visited Palestine and handed over a consignment of life-saving medicines to the Palestinian government.

Addressing the Economic Times World Leaders Forum 2026, PM Narendra Modi said the PLI scheme has attracted ₹2.5 lakh crore investment, generated ₹22 lakh crore in production and sales, ₹15 lakh crore in exports and over 14 lakh jobs; he also said India has lifted 25 crore citizens out of poverty and IMF forecasts India will remain the world’s fastest-growing major economy.

PM Narendra Modi addressed the Economic Times World Leaders Forum 2026, whose theme was ‘Shared Futures’; he said India has moved from ‘Production Linked Punishment’ to ‘Production Linked Incentives’ and from ‘prohibited unless permitted’ to ‘permitted unless prohibited’, recalled the ‘Saptadhara’ seven focus sectors including manufacturing, technology, food processing, and green and blue economy, and recalled the G20 Presidency mantra ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.

MoSPI’s Quarterly Bulletin on Unincorporated Sector Enterprises reported 9.2% year-on-year growth in April-June 2026, with 8.67 crore establishments and 13.70 crore workers; women accounted for over 30% of employment and about 80% establishments adopted cashless transactions.

HSBC Flash India Composite PMI Output Index rose to 54.6 in August 2026 from 54.3 in July; services PMI rose to 54.5 while manufacturing PMI fell to 52.9, recording a third consecutive monthly decline.

Thomas Cook India Forex Report 2026 says Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities now drive 53% of India’s forex demand; the US dollar accounts for 49% and digital transactions account for 25% of forex purchases.

India’s foreign exchange reserves rose by US$9.90 billion to US$716.9 billion during the week ended 14 August 2026; foreign currency assets stood at US$581.85 billion and gold reserves at US$111.41 billion.

The Government said sugar production in 2025-26 is expected to be around 306 LMT against an initial estimate of 343 LMT, and the global sugar deficit for 2026-27 is estimated at around 33 LMT.

Under the revised FDI framework, 29 investments worth ₹4,895.65 crore were reported up to 20 August 2026; Press Note 2 of 2026, notified on 1 May 2026, allows non-controlling Land Bordering Country beneficial ownership of up to 10% to invest through the automatic route.

The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) was the world’s largest derivatives exchange by trading volume for calendar year 2025, as per the Futures Industry Association.

As per RBI weekly data, scheduled commercial banks’ aggregate deposits stood at ₹2,69,41,367 crore and bank credit at ₹2,20,78,095 crore as on July 31, 2026, with year-on-year growth of 15.4% and 19.3% respectively.

The Income Tax Department said over 6.5 crore Income Tax Returns have been filed for Assessment Year 2026-27, and the last date for filing ITR-3, 4, 5 and 7 is 31 August 2026.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda reviewed H1N1 influenza preparedness in New Delhi on 21 August 2026; Delhi Health Minister Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh attended.

Google announced a 12-month free Google AI Plus plan for eligible college students outside the US for academic year 2026, along with AI learning tools for JEE and NEET preparation and a Student Hub in Gemini.

AgriStack’s Digital Crop Survey is operational across 31.36 crore plots in 648 districts; more than 10 crore unique Farmer IDs have been created and 5.52 lakh geo-referenced village maps completed.

IUCN reported that countries have restored 124.3 million hectares, only 10.4% of the collective 1.2 billion hectares restoration target, ahead of the Ulaanbaatar land restoration meeting; Mongolia has 77% degraded land.

Odisha floods affected over 13 lakh people across seven districts and more than 1,700 villages; 4,87,000 people were evacuated to 880 relief shelters and 126 response teams deployed.

NTA clarified that the ₹200 per question answer key challenge fee is refundable when a challenge is upheld, and one accepted challenge applies to all candidates who appeared for the examination.

The Department of Health and Family Welfare secured third rank in Sadhana Saptah in the 50,000+ employees category at the two-day National Conference of MDOs held at NIHFW, New Delhi on 20-21 August 2026.

India’s Flying Training Organisation ecosystem expanded from 32 FTOs in 2020 to 41 in 2026, while flying bases increased from 32 to 63.

Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth described the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment (MMDR) Bill, 2026 as historic; nearly 90% of mineral revenue will continue to go to states, and Jharkhand’s mineral revenue increased from about ₹4,662 crore before 2014 to ₹33,494 crore in 2025-26, a rise of 618%.

RBI imposed a monetary penalty of ₹2.70 lakh on Progfin Private Limited and ₹8.10 lakh on Shri Ram Finance Corporation Private Limited on 19 August 2026 for non-compliance with RBI KYC and governance directions.

The 624th meeting of the Central Board of Directors of RBI was held in Chennai on 21 August 2026 under the chairmanship of Governor Sanjay Malhotra.

RBI released the Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB) Scheme calendar for premature redemption during October 2026–March 2027; premature redemption is permitted after five years from the date of issue.

Legendary actress Sowcar Janaki passed away in Chennai at the age of 94; she acted in nearly 400 South Indian films and was a recipient of Padma Shri, Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, two Nandi Awards and a Kalaimamani Award.

Legendary Odia playback singer Pranab Patnaik passed away in Bhubaneswar at the age of 88; he sang in over 200 films, was a seven-time Odisha State Film Award winner and received the Jayadev Puraskar.

The Jharkhand High Court stayed the state government’s order cancelling the 11th to 13th JPSC examinations and appointments, and also imposed an interim stay on cancellation of appointments from JSSC-CGL and CDPO examinations.

Neeraj Chopra finished second at Lausanne Diamond League with a season-best throw of 88.05 metres; Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage won with 88.14 metres.

At the U20 World Wrestling Championships 2026 in Slovakia, Kajal Dhochak won gold in women's 76kg; Mansi Lather (68kg), Tanu Sharma (72kg) and Savita (62kg) won silver; Tanvi Gundesh Magdum (57kg) and Komal (59kg) won bronze.

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand won the women's doubles bronze medal at the BWF Badminton World Championships in New Delhi, becoming only the second Indian women's doubles pair to win a World Championship medal after Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa.

The Sports Ministry approved a 492-member Indian contingent for the Asian Games to be held in Japan, comprising 265 male and 227 female athletes; athletics has the largest share with 73 participants.

India lost 0-2 to defending champions the Netherlands in the FIH Women's Hockey World Cup 2026 at Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen; Yibbi Jansen and Frederique Matla scored for the Netherlands.

President Droupadi Murmu will confer National Teachers' Awards on 48 school teachers at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on September 5, 2026; the awardees include 26 male and 22 female teachers from 27 States, 7 Union Territories and 6 Central Government organisations.

Mohd Ayaz Raina, a Botany lecturer from Rajouri, is the only awardee from Jammu and Kashmir for the National Award to Teachers 2026; Sushma Tamang, a PGT Chemistry teacher at PM SHRI Government Senior Secondary School Dikling, has also been selected.

The Indian Air Force concluded Exercise Pitch Black 2026 in Australia, hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force, with over 20 participating nations and IAF Rafale aircraft.

The Indian Air Force concluded Exercise Udara Shakti 2026 at Subang, Malaysia, with the Royal Malaysian Air Force, flying alongside Su-30MKM and F/A-18 Hornet aircraft.

Cochin Shipyard Limited delivered 'Mangrol', the third Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft, to the Indian Navy on 21 August 2026; it has over 80% indigenous content.

The Indian Army raised its first Baaz Battalion of sophisticated drones in Punjab under the Vajra Corps (11 Corps).

The 25th India-UK Defence Consultative Group meeting was co-chaired in Delhi by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and UK Permanent Under Secretary Jeremy Pocklington.

India raised with Somali authorities the hijacking of MT Sibu 1 and MV Lutuf, which together carried 22 Indian sailors; MT Sibu 1 was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden on August 20 and MV Lutuf off Somalia on August 17.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority commenced its first long-haul double-stack Dedicated Freight Corridor rake operation, carrying 360 TEUs of import cargo.

The 14th BRICS Science Ministerial Meet chaired by India adopted the 'Chennai Declaration' unanimously; it was announced by Dr Jitendra Singh.

The BRICS Youth Ministers' Meeting 2026 concluded in Visakhapatnam with a Joint Statement; the MY Bharat platform has over 25 million registered youth.

The BRICS Tourism Ministers' Meeting in Jaipur adopted the Jaipur Declaration under India's Chairship; its theme was Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.

During Hardeep Singh Puri's Mauritius visit, India and Mauritius signed an MoU on oil and gas cooperation; IOCL signed a five-year agreement with STC Mauritius to supply its entire import requirement of Motor Spirit, High Speed Diesel and Aviation Turbine Fuel.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will visit Russia on 23-24 August 2026 to co-chair the 27th IRIGC-TEC; he will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The 14th India-Nepal Joint Working Group meeting on border management concluded in Dehradun.

Maharashtra and the German state of Hesse signed an MoU in Mumbai for cooperation in investment, industry, innovation, employment and skill development.

Manoj Sinha is Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir as of 22 August 2026.

Suvendu Adhikari is Chief Minister of West Bengal as of 22 August 2026.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was sworn in as the 23rd President of Bangladesh after winning 255 votes; it was the first contested Bangladeshi presidential election in 35 years.

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant addressed the 11th BRICS Legal Forum in New Delhi, noting that India moved from the bottom quarter of the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business rankings to the top 100.

Amit Shah announced a committee under Interlocutor Pankaj Kumar Singh to resolve the Gorkha issue after a Siliguri meeting with Gorkha leaders.

EPFO notified the Employees' Enrolment Campaign 2026, effective 29 June 2026 and open till 31 October 2026, for eligible employees left out of EPF during 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2026.

A national workshop on 'Mission Zero – Ending Fatalities in Sanitation Work' was held in Bhubaneswar; the NAMASTE scheme has been extended till 2031 and the GARIMA scheme promotes occupational safety.

The government restricted manufacture, sale and distribution of all fixed dose combinations containing Chlorpheniramine Maleate and Phenylephrine Hydrochloride for use in children below four years under Section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

The National Animal Disease Control Programme has administered 147.16 crore FMD vaccine doses and benefited 8.04 crore farmers; FMD outbreaks declined from 132 in 2019 to 40 by 2025.

At the third IIMA Healthcare Summit 2026 themed 'Advancing AI in Healthcare', Anupriya Patel highlighted the ₹5,000 crore PRIP scheme and ₹10,000 crore Biopharma SHAKTI mission.

Centres of Excellence for AI in healthcare have been established at AIIMS New Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh and AIIMS Rishikesh.

Telangana hosted the PM GatiShakti and LEADS 2025 Dissemination Workshop for Southern States in Hyderabad; the state has been rated a High Performer among landlocked states in LEADS.

The Empowered Committee of the Ministry of Rural Development reviewed four incubator proposals under DAY-NRLM from Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, with IIT Patna, IIM Jammu, IIM Lucknow and IIT Gandhinagar as incubator partners.

The Central Government removed the 12-minute advertisement duration cap for television channels by amending the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.

The government imposed a stock limit of 400 tonnes on sugar dealers from 1 August to 30 November 2026.

NTA issued a show-cause notice to Eduquity Career Technologies Private Limited and suspended its empanelment over lapses in the AIAPGET exam; re-examination for 49 affected candidates will be held on 1 September 2026 in Jaipur.

The Supreme Court settled more than 400 cases on the first day of the three-day Special Lok Adalat under the Samadhan Samaroh initiative.

Tripura recorded an Infant Mortality Rate of 15 per 1,000 live births, the lowest ever in the state, according to the Sample Registration System Bulletin published in September 2025.

The National Biodiversity Authority released ₹2.82 crore under the Access and Benefit-Sharing mechanism, including ₹2.80 crore to 27 State Biodiversity Boards and 3 Union Territory Biodiversity Councils.

RBI said its special USD-INR forex swap facility received inflows of 72.85 billion dollars till 21 August 2026, with FCNR-B deposits accounting for 65.4 billion dollars.

As of 20 August 2026, 29 FDI proposals worth over ₹4,800 crore were reported under the revised FDI framework notified on 1 May 2026 for non-controlling ownership by land bordering countries up to 10 per cent.

Odisha's floods affected more than 13.44 lakh people in seven districts, with nearly 4.87 lakh evacuated and 13 deaths reported.

CSIR-NIScPR organised the Platinum Jubilee Ceremony of the Hindi science magazine 'Vigyan Pragati', completing 75 years.

Indian hockey player Lalremsiami has been selected for the Arjuna Award 2026.

East Bengal FC won the Durand Cup 2026 for a record-equalling 17th time, defeating Mohun Bagan Super Giant 4-1 at Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata; Edmund Lalrindika scored a first-half hat-trick.

East Bengal women's football club qualified for the AFC Women's Champions League 2026-27 main draw by beating Malaysia's Sabah Football Club 2-0 in Kota Kinabalu.

On Day 1 of the second Test in Colombo, India finished at 300/5; Devdutt Padikkal scored his second consecutive Test century (117 off 193 balls) and Saransh Jain made his Test debut.

The Sports Ministry approved a 492-member Indian contingent for the Asian Games in Japan, comprising 265 male and 227 women athletes; athletics has the largest share with 73 participants including Neeraj Chopra.

At the World Athletics Silver Level Continental Tour in Bhubaneswar, Rohit Yadav won javelin throw with a personal best of 87.68m (fourth-best in the world this season); Murali Sreeshankar won men's long jump with 8.07m.

At the U20 World Wrestling Championships 2026 in Slovakia, Mansi Lather won silver in women's 68kg, while Tanvi Gundesh Magdum (57kg) and Komal (59kg) won bronze medals.

At the 2026 Cincinnati Open, Jessica Pegula beat Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff beat Sara Bejlek to set up an all-American women's final; Frances Tiafoe and Arthur Fils reached the men's final.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah met the Divyang Men's Cricket Team of India after its return from the India-England Men's Mixed Disability T20I Series 2026.

India observed National Space Day 2026 on 23 August under the theme 'Towards Viksit Bharat: Innovating, Collaborating and Aspiring to Global Space Leadership', marking Chandrayaan-3's soft landing near the Moon's south pole on 23 August 2023 (India became the first country to reach the lunar south polar region and the fourth to achieve a soft lunar landing). The main event in Ahmedabad saw ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan state that India is number one in nine space areas.

Skyroot Aerospace, described as India's first space-tech unicorn, successfully launched India's first private rocket on 18 July 2026 and has the capacity to produce one rocket per month.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with CEOs and founders of 20 space startups and stressed creating trust through consistent government policy for risk-taking in the private space sector.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid foundation stones for five expansion projects of GRSE and Yantra India Limited worth about ₹3,500 crore in Kolkata on 23 August 2026; GRSE is also building a cargo ship for Germany.

The Indian Air Force concluded its participation in Exercise Pitch Black 2026 in Australia, flying Rafale jets with over 20 nations, and Exercise Udara Shakti 2026 in Malaysia with the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

Indian Navy sail training ship INS Sudarshini arrived at Lisbon, Portugal on 22 August 2026 as part of Lokayan 26; Lisbon was its 15th port visit in seven months.

Panama-flagged cargo ship MV Ocean Winner with 24 crew members sank about 240 nautical miles off the Odisha coast; the Indian Coast Guard and Navy launched a rescue operation for the crew, which included 20 Chinese, three Myanmarese and one Bangladeshi.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the 9th National Security Strategies Conference in New Delhi on 24 August 2026; the two-day hybrid conference will see participation of over 850 security and police officers.

NSDC and Cultus Education, with Amazon Web Services, launched a nationwide cloud and AI skilling initiative, targeting 1,50,000 learners for foundational cloud literacy and 10,000 trainees for job-ready skills via AWS re/Start.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs will organise a three-day National Conclave on Tribal Languages & Museums in Mysuru from 24-26 August 2026; it will upgrade Adi Vaani with five new languages, launch the Adi Vaani iOS app and launch the Tribot platform.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has sanctioned 11 Tribal Freedom Fighter Museums across 10 States; four of them have been inaugurated.

The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis celebrated its 33rd Foundation Day on 23 August 2026; compensation has been provided to 1,223 of 1,377 reported sewer and septic tank death families, and it released a missed-call facility and Annual Calendar 2026.

The 87th edition of Fit India Sundays on Cycle, with theme 'Unnat Bharat Abhiyan', was led by Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and MoS Raksha Khadse in Visakhapatnam; the initiative was organised in nearly 1,800 cities with about 5 million young participants.

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan will launch India's first non-GMO high-expansion popcorn maize hybrid seed at Gourmet Popcornica Factory, Musunuru, Eluru district, Andhra Pradesh on 24 August 2026.

The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Sikkim's Nathu La route concluded with 464 pilgrims completing the pilgrimage in 10 batches; the yatra began on 20 June 2026.

Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal announced that a national memorial dedicated to Gangu Baba, a Valmiki community hero associated with the 1857 uprising, will be developed.

Minister of State Anupriya Patel said India must move from 'Pharmacy of the World' to 'Laboratory of the World' at the 3rd IIMA Healthcare Summit 2026 and highlighted the ₹5,000 crore PRIP scheme.

The Centre notified the removal of the 12-minute advertisement duration cap for television channels through an amendment to the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.

At the 50th Foundation Day of NBSS & LUP in Nagpur, ICAR Director General Dr M.L. Jat said the bureau has developed India's first soil texture map using remote sensing and satellite data.

BRICS Sports Ministers' Meeting 2026 adopted the BRICS Sports Joint Declaration in Visakhapatnam under India's BRICS Chairship; it proposed the first BRICS Sports Manufacturing Conclave in Udaipur in November 2026 and BRICS Traditional and Indigenous Sports Demonstration Games in Ahmedabad in October 2026.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will lead India's largest-ever business delegation to Japan from 24 to 27 August 2026, covering Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka; he will hold bilateral talks with Japan's METI Minister Akazawa Ryosei and address Keidanren.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reached Moscow on a two-day visit to co-chair the 27th India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov.

More than 70 British Parliamentarians wrote to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urging intervention over the worsening situation in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).

The DR Congo government and the M23 rebel group agreed on a roadmap for peace negotiations during meetings held in Switzerland from 17 to 21 August 2026 under the Doha peace process.

As of March 2026, natural farming clusters covered 8.80 lakh hectares with 18.19 lakh enrolled farmers; 25.89 crore Soil Health Cards had been generated, and 109 lakh hectares were under Per Drop More Crop as of May 2026.

India's agriculture and allied sectors recorded a decadal growth of 4.45% during FY16-FY25, the highest among previous decades.

Foreign Portfolio Investors invested ₹23,544 crore in Indian equities in August 2026, including ₹14,118 crore through stock exchanges and ₹9,426 crore through the primary market.

In the week ending 22 August 2026, MCX October gold futures settled at ₹1,62,438 per 10 grams and September silver futures at ₹2,46,597 per kg, rising for the third consecutive week.

Canada announced dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs on U.S. steel, electronics and other goods effective 8 September 2026 after the U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on Canadian imports.

ICMR clarified that no new H1N1 strain has been identified in India; currently circulating influenza strains are well matched with Northern Hemisphere vaccine strains and have been in circulation since 2025.

Australia confirmed its first case of H5N1 bird flu in a mammal after the virus was found in a long-nosed fur seal at Beachport, South Australia; over 13,000 baby seals were killed by H5N1 on sub-Antarctic Heard Island.

Russia's parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held from 18 to 20 September 2026.

BJP president Nitin Nabin welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BJP headquarters for the PM's first interaction with the newly appointed 65-member national office-bearers team, which includes 51 new faces.

Indian men's hockey team lost 3-5 to Argentina and crashed out of the semifinal race at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 in Amstelveen, Netherlands on 24 August 2026.

Indian women's hockey team played a goalless draw against Australia and was knocked out of semifinal contention at the FIH Women's World Cup 2026 in Amstelveen, Netherlands on 24 August 2026.

Rishabh Pant became India's highest run-scorer as a designated wicketkeeper in away/neutral Tests with 2,534 runs, surpassing MS Dhoni's 2,496; India declared at 503/9 in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo, with centuries by Devdutt Padikkal (117) and Dhruv Jurel (115*).

India's 19-year-old Grandmaster Pranesh M won the Group A title at the Kanizsa Open 2026 in Nagykanizsa, Hungary, with 7 points from 9 rounds.

President Droupadi Murmu will confer National Awards to Teachers 2026 on 21 teachers/faculties of higher education institutions and polytechnics at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on Teachers' Day, 5 September 2026; the awardees include 15 men and 6 women.

On National Sports Day 2026, the 'Khelo India Dialogue – Khel Ki Baat, PM Modi Ke Saath' will be held on 27 August 2026 across more than 1,500 educational institutions; PM Narendra Modi will address young athletes virtually.

UPI completed 10 years on 25 August 2026; launched on 25 August 2016 by NPCI, it was recognised by IMF as the world's largest real-time payment system; annual transactions rose from 1.78 crore in FY 2016-17 to over 24,162 crore in FY 2025-26, transaction value rose from ₹0.07 lakh crore to around ₹314 lakh crore, UPI is operational in 11 countries, and it processed a record 2,366 crore transactions in July 2026.

Communications Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia launched upgraded Dak MITRA and Dak Sewa mobile applications and inaugurated 14 renovated Post Office buildings on 24 August 2026; Dak Sewa is available in 23 Indian languages.

All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, introduced the six-month offline Garbhini Mitra Course for 2026-27 to train maternal wellness support workers; last date to apply is 31 August 2026.

MeitY Startup Hub launched GENESIS Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Cohort 3 at the GENESIS NextGen Startup Summit in Coimbatore; the scheme offers up to ₹10 lakh funding and has an outlay of ₹490 crore.

Union Food Processing Minister Chirag Paswan inaugurated the PMFME Conclave 2026 and PMFME Bazaar at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi; over 2 lakh micro food processing enterprises have benefited from PMFME, with 44% women entrepreneurs and 10 lakh direct employment.

Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan launched India's first non-GMO, high-expansion popcorn maize hybrid seed developed by Gourmet Popcornica at Musunuru in Eluru district, Andhra Pradesh; over 17,500 farmers across eight states cultivate nearly 40,000 acres.

The PM Rahat scheme provides cashless treatment of up to ₹1.5 lakh for up to 7 days from the date of accident to all road accident victims irrespective of insurance status.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced ELC 2.0 to transform Electoral Literacy Clubs at a conference in Lucknow; ELC 2.0's tagline is 'Learn Democracy. Lead Democracy.'

A three-day National Conclave on Tribal Languages & Museums began in Mysuru, Karnataka; Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched Adi Vaani Platform, iOS app, AI bot 'Jago' and signed MoU with Central Institute of Indian Languages.

Union Health Ministry proposed amendments to Medical Devices Rules, 2017 to remove loan licensing for outsourced sterilization, include European Union among recognised stringent regulatory jurisdictions for clinical investigation waivers, and introduce uniform testing fees.

The Zero Fatality District (ZFD) initiative has been expanded nationally with 100 critical districts identified across 15 states.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval arrived in Beijing for the 25th round of India-China Special Representatives Talks on the boundary question, scheduled with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 25 August 2026; he will also call on Vice President Han Zheng.

India condemned the attack on UN peacekeepers with UNMISS in South Sudan that killed 2 and injured 7; India was the top troop contributor to UNMISS with 1,775 personnel as of April 2026 and is second-largest contributor to UN peacekeeping with over 4,200 uniformed personnel.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the 9th two-day National Security Strategies (NSS) Conference-2026 in New Delhi, attended by over 850 participants; he directed AI-based analysis of Multi-Agency Centre data and training for PRAHAAR scheme.

Under 'Operation Black Hawk', Central Bureau of Narcotics seized 18.64 kg of crude heroin and arrested three members of an inter-state trafficking network near Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

Security forces recovered 23 weapons, 492 live rounds, 240 gelatin sticks, 18 kg gunpowder and five country-made hand grenades from a Maoist hideout in Sukma, Chhattisgarh.

Government appointed Janmejaya Kumar Sinha, Syed Akbaruddin and Annie George Mathew as part-time, Non-official Directors on the Central Board of RBI for four years from 24 August 2026.

50 Indian Foreign Service Officer Trainees of the 2025 Batch called on PM Narendra Modi at Seva Teerth on 24 August 2026; PM suggested leveraging the 'Bharat ko Janiye' Quiz.

President Droupadi Murmu accepted credentials from envoys of South Sudan, UAE, Nigeria, Moldova, Germany and Sweden at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 24 August 2026.

EAM S. Jaishankar called on Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, handed over PM Modi's message, and co-chaired the 27th India-Russia IRIGC-TEC; both sides discussed achieving $100 billion bilateral trade by 2030.

Third India-Cambodia Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment (JWGTI) met in Phnom Penh; bilateral trade grew over 36% to USD 406.78 million in 2025-26, making Cambodia India's 8th largest ASEAN trade partner; BIT negotiations completed and UPI accepted at KHQR merchants.

MoS Jitin Prasada is visiting Morocco to co-chair the 7th India-Morocco Joint Commission on 24-25 August 2026; India and Morocco are expected to sign an MoU between ONSSA and FSSAI on food safety and a Cultural Exchange Programme 2026-2030.

MoS Pabitra Margherita will visit Vietnam, Lao PDR and Palau from 26 August to 2 September 2026; he will attend the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Meeting in Palau; India-Vietnam ties are Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and India-Laos are marking 70 years of diplomatic ties.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal addressed Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) in Tokyo; India and Japan designated 2026 as 'India-Japan Year of Shared Horizons' marking 75 years of diplomatic ties.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said India is negotiating 8-9 more FTAs covering additional USD 15 trillion GDP, and India's free trade agreements will eventually cover about 75% of global trade.

India will train 500 Mauritian civil servants over five years through the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), with the first batch already training at Mussoorie.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will visit Canada and USA from 25 August to 2 September 2026; she will attend the inaugural India-Canada Economic and Financial Dialogue in Toronto and lead India at G20 FMCBG under US presidency.

18th BRICS Academic Forum was held in Lucknow from 23-25 August 2026 under theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'; BRICS Sherpa Sudhakar Dalela said India's Chairship is guided by 'Humanity First'.

India and GCC discussed FTA negotiations; total India-GCC trade was about USD 178 billion in FY 2024-25; GCC was established in 1981 among six countries.

Ministry of Commerce released Service Producer Price Index for Q1 FY27 (base 2022-23); air passenger service prices surged 31.94% year-on-year, the sharpest increase among seven tracked services.

As on 21 August 2026, all-India Kharif crop area sown stood at 1056.70 lakh hectares, down 16.07 lakh hectares from 1072.77 lakh hectares in 2025-26; rice area was 405.10 lakh hectares, down 13.19 lakh hectares.

RBI's All-India House Price Index for Q1:2026-27 rose 1.1% quarter-on-quarter to 117.5 (base 2022-23) with annual growth of 3.6%, covering 18 major cities.

At UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (theme 'Restoring Land. Restoring Hope'), Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said India restored 21.76 million hectares of land during 2011-2020 against an enhanced Bonn Challenge target of 26 million hectares by 2030; Green Credit Programme issues credits after five years and at least 40% canopy density.

At the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, Chinese humanoid robot X-Humanoid set a 100m sprint record of 9.39 seconds, beating Usain Bolt's 9.58, and a standing high jump record of 2.88m.

New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon proposed banning social media for children under 16 with fines up to 10% of global revenue; Australia became the first country to ban social media for under-16s in December 2025.

RBI's special USD-INR forex swap facility launched on 8 June 2026 mobilised USD 73 billion as on 21 August 2026, including USD 65.40 billion in FCNR(B) deposits; closure advanced from 30 September to 31 August 2026 and surpassed 2013 FCNR(B) swap of USD 26 billion.

Government lifted export restrictions on wheat flour and related products; DGFT moved specified wheat and durum wheat from prohibited to free category with immediate effect.

Union Chemicals Minister J.P. Nadda chaired CEO Roundtable on 'India's Chemicals Sector: Charting the Path to USD 1 Trillion by 2040'; CHEMCONNECT 2026 will be held at IIT Madras on 25 August 2026.

Talabira II & III Open Cast Coal Mine in Odisha, allocated to NLC India Ltd, achieved highest-ever annual coal production of 19.14 MT in FY 2025-26 with 11.28% YoY growth; its highest daily production was 1,26,138.07 tonnes on 21 March 2026.

India Post recorded over ₹4,000 crore revenue in Q1 FY2026-27, 22% YoY growth; it holds 40 crore Post Office Savings Accounts with deposits of ₹24 lakh crore and 4 crore Sukanya Samriddhi Accounts with deposits of ₹2.5 lakh crore.

Government announced sale (re-issue) of 6.94% GS 2036 for ₹34,000 crore, auction on 28 August 2026 and settlement on 31 August 2026, with additional subscription option up to ₹2,000 crore.

As on 23 August 2026, RBI's Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate stands at 5.50% and Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rate at 5.00%.

The Indian rupee depreciated by 3 paise to close at ₹95.74 against the US dollar on 24 August 2026.

Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) and PHARMEXCIL signed an MoU at CBN Headquarters in Gwalior to boost legitimate pharmaceutical exports and strengthen regulatory cooperation.

Prize distribution of the 58th Youth Parliament Competition 2025-26 will be held on 25 August 2026 at GMC Balayogi Auditorium, Parliament Library Building, New Delhi; Bal Bharti Public School, Pitampura, Delhi stood first.

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra 2026 via Lipulekh Pass route in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand concluded successfully with 477 pilgrims in ten batches; it began on 4 July 2026.

West Bengal government announced 20% reservation for Agniveers in Fire and Emergency Services, Forest Department, Police and Disaster Management; new disaster-response force 'Arjun Bahini' to become operational in September 2026 with 200 personnel initially.

Tamil Nadu announced free travel for women, girl students and transgenders in state-run buses from 2 October 2026 on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary at a cost of ₹6,000 crore.

BJP announced it will contest all 117 seats in the Punjab Legislative Assembly election due in February 2027; BJP General Secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santosh addressed the first zonal meeting in Patiala.

Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini said MoUs worth over ₹66,000 crore were expected during 'Happening Haryana 2.0' investor summit held from 23-25 August 2026.

MP CM Mohan Yadav inaugurated Samriddh Madhya Pradesh–2047 conclave in Bhopal; 13 MoUs signed and One Institute-One Promise initiative highlighted with 130 central institutions including IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, ISRO and DRDO.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis ordered a high-level inquiry into Amravati District Women's Hospital fire that killed 3 newborns and announced ₹5 lakh assistance per family; 36 of 39 infants were rescued.

First session of the 16th Puducherry Legislative Assembly began with Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan's address; Puducherry's GSDP growth recovered from -2.21% in 2020-21 to 8.12% in 2025-26, with per capita income ₹3,44,926.

Union Government empowered West Bengal to conduct CAA hearings and issue citizenship certificates; as of 24 August 2026, 23,000 of about 2,30,000 applicants were recognised as eligible.

In Odisha, Baitarani river crossed danger mark at Anandapur and Hirakud Dam released water through 12 gates; Joda recorded 169.4 mm rainfall in 24 hours.

IMD issued red warning for five Odisha districts—Cuttack, Angul, Dhenkanal, Kalahandi and Nabarangpur—for very heavy rainfall and orange warnings for 18 districts.

Bihar urged West Bengal to open all gates of Farakka Barrage as Ganga's water level rose above danger mark at major ghats in Patna.

Jharkhand High Court stayed the state government's decision to cancel the JPSC examination and directed the government to file response by 15 September 2026.

Tamil Nadu CM C. Joseph Vijay announced proposed Parandur Greenfield airport dropped; state will partner with AAI to develop fifth terminal of Chennai Airport to handle 55 million passengers annually.

Punjab completed 17,000 houses under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin with financial assistance of ₹478.45 crore out of 36,792 sanctioned since 2024-25.

Enforcement Directorate searched nine premises in UP and Haryana in bogus Input Tax Credit case involving Jambudwip Exports and Imports Ltd, with fraudulent ITC of ₹9.63 crore and over ₹10 crore passed on.

India lost 3-5 to Argentina in their final Pool E match of the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2026 at Wagener Stadium, ending semifinal hopes; India will play Belgium for 7th-8th place and last won the World Cup in 1975.

Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting won seven honours at the Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP) Awards for Excellence in Book Production 2026.

Bal Bharti Public School, Pitampura, Delhi won the first prize in the 58th Youth Parliament Competition 2025-26; prizes were distributed by Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 53rd PRAGATI meeting at Seva Teerth on 25 August 2026, reviewing six infrastructure projects across Railway, Road and Power sectors in nine States worth over ₹30,000 crore; he also reviewed AgriStack under Digital Agriculture Mission and stressed using AI for agricultural data.

The 36th Annual Conference of Vice Chancellors of Agricultural Universities was inaugurated in New Delhi with the theme 'Reimagining Agricultural Higher Education for ViksitBharat@2047' by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched Mission Samriddh Gaon at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi on 25 August 2026 to develop poverty-free, employment-rich villages.

The National Shipping Board held its first 'Sagar Samvad' with the theme 'Charting the Roadmap Towards Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047'; Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced India will add 100 ships in five years to cut the USD 75 billion foreign freight bill.

Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy launched the Critical Minerals Innovation Hackathon 2026, organised by JNARDDC Nagpur; idea submission deadline is 20 September 2026 and winners will be announced during India Mining Week 2026 (15-17 November).

The e-Shram Portal completed five years on 26 August 2026; launched on 26 August 2021, it has over 31.89 crore registrations and its One-Stop Solution was launched on 21 October 2024.

The Department of Posts launched upgraded Dak MITRA and Dak Sewa mobile applications; Dak MITRA will serve 1.4 lakh Branch Post Offices and Dak Sewa supports 23 Indian languages via BHASHINI.

The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals organised the 1st edition of CHEMCONNECT 2026 at IIT Madras and launched the Centre of Excellence on Biodegradable Packaging Materials (BioPack).

Delhi Government signed an MoU with EkStep Foundation and launched the Data DHARA (Data Harnessed for AI-Ready Advancements) toolkit; Chief Minister Rekha Gupta chaired the workshop on 25 August 2026.

Puducherry Government introduced the Puducherry Business Reforms Bill 2026 proposing a five-year MSME approval exemption with one-year extension and Invest Puducherry as single point of contact.

West Bengal announced the formation of Arjun Bahini, a disaster-response force with Agniveers; 200 personnel have been selected, with 20% reservation for Agniveers in Fire, Forest, Police and Disaster Management.

The indigenous AK-203 assault rifle named 'Sher', manufactured by Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited at Korwa, Amethi, is ready for Indian Army induction and planned for delivery one year ahead of the 2032 deadline.

Goa Shipyard Limited handed over ICGS Ajit, a Fast Patrol Vessel, to the Indian Coast Guard; built with over 65% indigenous content and top speed over 27 knots.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved the Transfer of Technology of DRDO-developed conventional missile systems to Indian defence industry.

Indian Navy is set to commission Nipun, the second Nistar-class Diving Support Vessel, on 31 August 2026 at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai; built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam.

Secretary, Department of Defence Production Sanjeev Kumar said India's domestic defence production surged to a record ₹1.78 lakh crore in FY 2025-26, up from ₹43,000 crore in 2013-14.

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a $4 billion flagship observatory, is scheduled to launch aboard SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center to probe dark energy, dark matter and exoplanets and survey over two billion galaxies.

CSIR-NAL unveiled three indigenous Micro and Small Gas Turbine Engines—NJ-05 (5 kg thrust), NJ-50 (50 kg thrust) and NJ-100 (100 kg thrust)—for UAVs, drone interceptors and compact missiles.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said India has approximately 970 million voters and 15 million polling personnel, making it the largest electoral organisation; he described Booth Level Officers as the foundation of democracy, and Uttar Pradesh's final electoral roll has 13.39 crore electors prepared by 1.77 lakh BLOs.

Justice Sunil Balkrishna Shukre was sworn in as Chairman of the Maharashtra Lokayukta Institution by Governor Jishnu Dev Varma; term is 5 years or till age 70.

Shri Nagesh Singh (IFS:1995), currently High Commissioner to Australia, was concurrently accredited as the next High Commissioner of India to Naoero, with residence in Canberra.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal chaired the India-Japan Industry Roundtable on Semiconductors and AI in Tokyo; India's semiconductor demand is projected to reach USD 150 billion by 2032, with USD 10 billion under Semicon India 1.0 and USD 15 billion under Semicon India 2.0.

India and Japan seek to mobilise 10 trillion yen in Japanese private investment in India over the next decade; India recorded 7.7% growth last year.

The 27th India-Russia IRIGC-TEC was held in Moscow on 25 August 2026; EAM S. Jaishankar co-chaired with Denis Manturov and called on President Putin; bilateral trade rose from USD 13 billion in 2021-22 to nearly USD 60 billion in 2025-26, with a USD 100 billion target by 2030.

NSA Ajit Doval co-chaired the 25th round of India-China Special Representatives' Talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing (24-25 August 2026); the mechanism was established in 2003 and covers the 3,488 km border, with progress noted on Kailash Manasarovar Yatra and border trade.

India and New Zealand held the 2nd Defence Strategic Dialogue in Wellington on 24 August 2026; co-chaired by Amitabh Prasad and Richard Schmidt, focusing on the Strategic Partnership Roadmap 2030 and maritime security.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman began an official visit to Canada and the US; she will participate in the inaugural Economic and Financial Dialogue with Canadian counterpart François-Philippe Champagne in Toronto.

NITI Aayog released the report 'Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047'; it refers to 8.7 crore NEET youth (15-29 years) based on NSS 78th Round; Budget 2026-27 introduced ₹600 crore Integrated Scheme in Skilling Architecture (ISSA).

MoSPI's PAIMANA platform is monitoring 1,775 central sector infrastructure projects worth ₹37.11 lakh crore as of July 2026, with cumulative expenditure ₹19.26 lakh crore; Transport & Logistics accounts for 1,246 projects.

At CoP17 of UNCCD in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav called for a shift from drought response to drought resilience.

The Ministry of Rural Development represented India at World Water Week 2026 in Stockholm, highlighting India's Water Vision @2047 and the National Initiative on Water Security.

C-DOT celebrated its 43rd Foundation Day and unveiled indigenous Quantum Key Distribution and Post-Quantum Cryptography solutions; Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said India seeks to lead in 6G, AI, quantum communications and cyber security.

The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission launched seven Nitrosamine Impurities Reference Standards for the first time at Central Drugs Laboratory, Kolkata.

A GEER Foundation study recorded four active Black-necked Stork nests and eight fledglings at Khijadia Bird Sanctuary, a Ramsar wetland in Jamnagar, with 100% fledging success during July 2024–March 2025.

UPI completed 10 years on 25 August 2026; launched by NPCI on 25 August 2016, annual transactions rose from 1.78 crore in FY17 to 24,162 crore in FY26, and July 2026 recorded 2,365.8 crore transactions worth ₹29.87 lakh crore; UPI is operational in 11 countries.

Regional Rural Banks recorded all-time high net profit of ₹10,176 crore in FY 2025-26, with total business crossing ₹13.5 lakh crore; GNPA at 5.3% and NNPA at 2.1%.

India's crude steel production rose 2.4% YoY to 56.2 million tonnes in April-July 2026; finished steel production rose 4.7% to 54.7 million tonnes and consumption rose 7.9% to 56 million tonnes; China was the top import source and Vietnam the top export destination.

DGFT lifted export restrictions on wheat flour and related products such as atta, maida and semolina; specified wheat and durum categories changed from prohibited to free.

Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said India is the third-largest energy consumer and refiner and fourth-largest LNG importer; energy demand is expected to grow 2.5 times by 2047, about 25% of incremental global demand.

In Men's Cricket, India declared at 503 in the Colombo Test; Sri Lanka were 265/8 trailing by 238 on Day 3, with India leading the two-match series 1-0 and needing a win to move to fourth in the 2025-27 World Test Championship final race.

Amit Shah inaugurated the 9th National Security Strategies Conference; he said 100% implementation of three new criminal laws will be achieved within one year, conviction rate will rise by 25%, and 274 fugitives were brought to India during 2019-2026.

NIA conducted searches across five states in the Cyber Terrorism Gujarat Case; accused allegedly carried out DDoS attacks against 54 websites of Central Government entities during Operation Sindoor.

The Centre empowered West Bengal to conduct CAA hearings and issue citizenship certificates; 23,000 of about 2,30,000 applicants have so far been issued citizenship certificates.

BJP will contest all 117 Punjab Assembly seats; BJP General Secretary BL Santosh said the party will form the government in Punjab.

BJP described PM Modi's Saptadhara as a roadmap for developed India; the seven streams are Manufacturing Power, Agriculture and Food Processing, Technology and Innovation, Gati Shakti, Defence Shakti, Green and Blue Economy, and soft power.

Supreme Court directed former Tehelka Chief Editor Tarun Tejpal to surrender within three weeks and file a surrender certificate before 22 September 2026 in the 2013 rape case.

NHRC took suo motu cognizance of spurious liquor deaths in Bhavnagar, Gujarat where at least 9 died and 39 were critically ill; notices issued to Gujarat Chief Secretary and DGP.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate end to attacks on commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure and protection for seafarers in the Black Sea, Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea.

India condemned the attack on UNMISS peacekeepers in Jonglei State, South Sudan, in which two peacekeepers were killed and seven injured; India urged adherence to UNSC Resolution 2589.

The US Department of Homeland Security proposed an additional $103,265 fee for H-1B cap-subject petitions, projected to generate about $8.8 billion annually based on 85,000 petitions.

Iran said it has a two-year plan to withstand expanded US sanctions after the US Treasury announced economic 'D-Day' targeting oil shipping, aviation, technology, gold and digital assets.

Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu said air cargo operations have grown nearly 40%; FedEx and GMR Airport will set up a dedicated cargo facility at Delhi; AAIB is probing the Air India Phuket-Delhi incident where the aircraft lost about 300 feet altitude on 4 August 2026.

Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma said stunting among children under five declined from 46% to 36% in three years and maternal mortality declined 55%, crediting Poshan Abhiyaan, Saksham Anganwadi and the 1000-Days Programme.

India finished fourth at the 23rd Commonwealth Games with 39 medals — 13 gold, 17 silver and 9 bronze; Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini felicitated 24 state athletes with cash awards totalling ₹13.97 crore at Panchkula.

The Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List at the 48th World Heritage Committee session in Busan, taking India to 45 UNESCO World Heritage properties — sixth globally and second in Asia-Pacific.

On 26 Aug 2026, a flash flood in Nepal — suspected to be a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood triggered by a Tibet earthquake — killed nearly 100 people and left over 750 missing, including around 133 Indian nationals; India dispatched 10 tonnes of HADR and medicines by IAF C-130J, NDRF was placed on high alert, and PM Narendra Modi assured Nepal PM Balendra Shah of all possible help.

PM Narendra Modi will address the Khelo India Dialogue via video conferencing on 27 Aug 2026 at 11 AM; organised by Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) as part of National Sports Day 2026, it focuses on five themes — Sports, Olympic Aspirations, Youth Leadership, Viksit Bharat and Nasha Mukt Yuva.

The 25th India-China Special Representatives Talks on the Boundary Question were held in Beijing on 25 Aug 2026; NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese Special Representative Wang Yi reached an eight-point consensus, reaffirmed the 2005 Agreement, agreed to add two meeting points/hotlines, increase Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra batches, and hold the next trans-border rivers expert-level meet in September 2026.

The 7th India-Morocco Joint Commission was held in Morocco on 24-25 Aug 2026, co-chaired by MoS Jitin Prasada and Moroccan Secretary of State Omar Hejira; bilateral trade is about USD 4 billion, both sides agreed to double trade in five years and mark 70 years of diplomatic ties in 2027, with the 8th session in New Delhi.

At the India-Japan Startup Roundtable in Tokyo on 26 Aug 2026, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said India is the world's third-largest startup ecosystem with nearly 250,000 startups and proposed a four-pillar framework plus a second Fund of Funds of about US$1 billion for deep-tech enterprises.

PM Narendra Modi chaired the 53rd PRAGATI meeting and reviewed six infrastructure projects in Railways, Road and Power sectors across nine States with cumulative cost over ₹30,000 crore; he asked Ministries/States to explore common utility corridors.

The Government began calibrated release of onion buffer stock on 26 Aug 2026 with retail sale at ₹35 per kg through NCCF, NAFED, Kendriya Bhandar and Safal; the first Kanda Express left Nashik for Delhi-NCR, and for 2026-27 Rabi onion buffer target is 2.00 LMT with CWC as storage agency for the first time.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah set a one-year deadline for 100% implementation of the three new criminal laws, aiming to resolve criminal cases up to the Supreme Court within three years and raise the conviction rate by 25%; 274 fugitives were brought back to India during 2019-2026.

In the second India vs Sri Lanka Test at SSC, India declared at 503/9 with centuries from Devdutt Padikkal (117) and Dhruv Jurel (115) and leads the two-match series 1-0; Sonal Dinusha became the third batter after Zaheer Abbas and Everton Weekes to score 80+ in each of his first three Test innings against India.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Toronto called India the fastest-growing major economy and said UPI is the world's largest real-time payments system by transaction volume; India and Canada aim to more than double two-way trade to CAD 70 billion by 2030.

The e-Shram Portal of the Ministry of Labour and Employment completed five years on 26 Aug 2026; launched in 2021, it has over 31.89 crore registrations and integrates 15 social security and welfare schemes for unorganised workers.

India is the world's second-largest sugarcane producer, with production at 500 MMT in 2025-26; FRP for sugar season 2026-27 has been fixed at ₹365 per quintal at 10.25% recovery, and sugar exports rose to 8 lakh MT in 2025-26.

NSE Indices Limited launched the Nifty500 Growth 50 Index on 26 Aug 2026; it tracks the top 50 Nifty500 companies by growth score, with base date 1 April 2005, base value 1000, and semi-annual reconstitution in June and December.

At UNCCD CoP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav called for community-led restoration of rangelands and cited India's 25,000 community-protected sacred groves covering about 0.6 million hectares.

India and Seychelles held a high-level bilateral meeting in New Delhi on 25 Aug 2026 to strengthen fisheries, aquaculture and blue economy cooperation; India's fish production is 19.7 million tonnes and seafood exports are USD 8.46 billion.

SIDBI organised a conclave of heads of all 28 Regional Rural Banks in New Delhi on 26 Aug 2026, chaired by DFS Secretary Sanjay Lohiya, to expand the SIDBI-RRB MSME Co-Lending arrangement.

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries hosted the PMFME Bazaar on 24-25 Aug 2026 at India Habitat Centre with exhibitors from 25 States/UTs; the PMFME scheme, launched on 29 June 2020, offers 35% credit-linked capital subsidy up to ₹10 lakh per unit.

India rejected the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination report as politically motivated after its 11th periodic review under ICERD in Geneva on 11-12 Aug 2026; the Indian delegation was led by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

Canada announced retaliatory tariffs on about US$20 billion of US imports effective 8 Sep 2026, with duties of 15%, 25% and 50% on around 700 products, along with a C$7.5 billion support package for businesses and workers.

The US Department of Homeland Security proposed permanently raising H-1B visa fees to $103,265 from the current $2,000-$5,000; H-1B visas were created by the US Congress in 1990.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said India's semiconductor strategy aims to build an ecosystem from chip design to manufacturing; the global electronics industry is estimated at $4.3 trillion.

Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Ajit Kumar Mohanty met US Energy Secretary Chris Wright in Washington to discuss bilateral civil nuclear cooperation ahead of IAEA's small modular reactor initiative for civilian ships.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Indian Railways is moving towards four-laning seven high-density routes of nearly 11,000 km, which carry about 41% of railway traffic on 16% of the network.

Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) and Netflix announced scholarships for 100 students with up to 80% financial support across six AVGC programmes under the Netflix India Storytelling Initiative; it follows PM Modi's meeting with Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos on 5 Aug 2026.

EPFO credited August 2026 pension to 4,40,901 pensioners in Keralam Zone on 26 Aug 2026 ahead of Onam through the Centralized Pension Payment System (CPPS).

Under Operation Clean Air, CAQM inspected 28 industrial premises in Loni, Ghaziabad on 25 Aug 2026 and sealed 16 units for violating environmental norms.

The 7th High-Level Meeting between Indian Coast Guard and Vietnam Coast Guard was held in Chennai on 25 Aug 2026; joint exercise SAHYOG-HOPTAC is scheduled at sea on 27 Aug 2026.

Indian Navy sail training ship INS Sudarshini concluded its three-day port call at Lisbon, Portugal on 25 Aug 2026 as part of the Lokayan 26 transoceanic expedition.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the re-developed Hutatma Smruti Smarak at Patradevi, Goa on 26 Aug 2026, associated with Goa's liberation struggle from Portuguese rule.

NTA will release final answer keys and results this week for UGC-NET (84 subjects), CSIR-NET, ICAR AIEEA PG and AICE PhD 2026.

The Indian Medical Association issued a public health advisory on seasonal H1N1 influenza, saying most infections are mild and self-limiting and advising against self-medication with azithromycin.

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa entered the final of the Grand Chess Tour's last leg after a 19-9 win over Germany's Vincent Keymer; he will face defending champion Fabiano Caruana of the USA.

Delhi Government handed over approval letters to 4,000 women under Delhi Lakshmi Yojana; each eligible beneficiary will receive ₹2,500 per month, with an outlay of ₹5,110 crore in the 2026-27 Delhi Budget.

Meghalaya launched the CM-IMPACT Read & Rise Meghalaya programme, aiming for every child to read and write by age seven under the Meghalaya Universal Reading Readiness Mission.

The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a Government Resolution opposing uranium mining and processing in the state, specifically the Kylleng-Pyndengsohiong-Mawthabah project in West Khasi Hills.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari approved ₹256.7 crore for six roads in Mizoram with combined length 82.89 km under the Central Road Infrastructure Scheme.

Mizoram declared 79 monuments and archaeological sites as State Protected Monuments; Kawtchhuah Ropui and Ralven Puk, and Lianpui Hmun-Lungphun Ropui in Champhai district are ASI Monuments of National Importance.

Mumbai Police arrested six persons, including three Maharashtra Public Service Commission officials, in the MPSC Drug Inspector exam paper leak case; MPSC cancelled the recruitment process and said a fresh examination will be held soon.

Haryana Government announced free travel for women on Haryana State Transport ordinary buses from 12 PM on 27 Aug to midnight on 28 Aug 2026 on Raksha Bandhan; accompanying children up to age 15 also travel free.

Randhir Jaiswal is the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs as on 26 Aug 2026.

At the UN Security Council open debate 'Food Under Fire', India's Permanent Representative P Harish called for safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access.

The International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) issued its first compliance certificate for a 15-metre multi-axle sleeper bus to Synaty Automotive Pvt. Ltd. under AIS-119 and AIS-153 standards.

Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances has been selected for the Rajbhasha Utkrishtta Samman 2025-26, to be presented on Hindi Diwas, 14 September 2026, at Navi Mumbai.

Samarthak, the first indigenous Multi-Purpose Vessel of the Indian Navy, built by Larsen & Toubro at Kattupalli with over 75% indigenous content, was delivered on 27 August 2026.

The first Mahila Commando Conversion Course has been launched at the NSG Training Academy, Manesar, to train women personnel from State Police Forces and CAPFs in weapons, tactical intervention, hostage rescue and counter-terrorism operations.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana completed 12 years on 28 August 2026; 59.09 crore accounts opened, deposits ₹3.17 lakh crore, and over 41.29 crore RuPay cards issued, with 55.7% women account holders.

PM SVANidhi's restructured phase, approved on 27 August 2025, extends lending up to 31 March 2030 and aims to benefit 1.15 crore street vendors, including 50 lakh new beneficiaries.

Under Union Budget 2026-27 health sector announcements, 160 District Hospitals will be strengthened in Phase I by March 2027, out of 613 hospitals categorised for phased implementation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a national Talent Hunt targeting children aged 5 to 15 and outlined India's long-term strategy for the 2036 Olympics at the Khelo India Dialogue on 27 August 2026; National Sports Day on 29 August honours Major Dhyan Chand.

India clinched the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka 1-0; the second Test in Colombo ended in a draw on 27 August 2026, with Shubman Gill leading India.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav performed Bhoomi Pujan for the ₹472 crore T-Series Tanks Overhaul Project at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur; the facility will overhaul 80 T-72 and T-90 tanks annually.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said defence production has nearly quadrupled to around ₹1.8 lakh crore and defence exports have surged to nearly ₹39,000 crore over the last decade.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic from 29 August to 1 September 2026; he will attend the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek on 31 August–1 September, marking SCO's 25th anniversary.

India will host the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi on 12–13 September 2026 under the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'; this is India's fourth BRICS Chairship and BRICS' 20th anniversary.

At the 7th India-Morocco Joint Commission held on 24–25 August 2026, India and Morocco agreed to double bilateral trade in five years and set up a Joint Working Group to explore a preferential trade pact.

Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita called on Vietnam's Prime Minister Le Minh Hung in Hanoi; India-Vietnam ties were elevated to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal concluded his Japan visit, urging JPY 10 trillion Japanese private investment in India over the next decade and outlining India's six-pillar semiconductor strategy; India's semiconductor demand is projected at USD 150 billion by 2032.

India participated in the Russian-Indian Roundtable Meeting on Snow Leopard Study and Conservation in Moscow on 26 August 2026, under the International Big Cat Alliance partnership.

India's installed non-fossil fuel capacity crossed 300 GW (about 302-303 GW), and solar capacity increased from 2.8 GW to 165 GW over 12 years.

Bharat Renewable Energy Summit & Expo 2026 will be held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from 2 to 5 November 2026, combining the 9th General Assembly of the International Solar Alliance and the 4th International Conference on Green Hydrogen.

India's Financial Inclusion Index improved from 53.9 in 2018 to 67 in 2026, as per the PM Jan Dhan Yojana 12-year backgrounder.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai emerged as the world's fastest-growing container port, reaching 21st position globally with 13.6% growth in container throughput in the first half of 2026.

Nepal flash floods on 26 August 2026 killed at least 359 people and left over 1,300 missing, including about 285 Indian tourists; India sent a second tranche of 37.5 tonnes of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief material, set up a 24x7 MEA control room, and rescued 84 Indians.

Over 40.58 crore land parcels in India have been assigned Bhu-Aadhaar (ULPIN) under the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Gujarat Gaurav Sarovar in Amreli, Gujarat, spanning 21 acres with a capacity of 400 million litres.

Centre began release of buffer onions at ₹35 per kg through retail outlets and mobile distribution points in Delhi-NCR; Kanda Express transported about 88,000 MT through 86 railway rakes to 16 cities in 2025-26.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath launched the Uttar Pradesh Startup Mission portal and UP Startup Policy-2026; the state has over 24,000 startups including 8 unicorns, and ₹3.42 crore incentives were distributed to 107 startups.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said over 3.4 crore women have become 'Lakhpati Didis' and the target is 6 crore; a roadmap provides ₹10 lakh crore bank linkage to SHGs over five years.

Chirag Bhanu was appointed as Judge and Bhupesh Sharma and Yogesh Jaswal as Additional Judges of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.

Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan released the book 'Sankalp Se Siddhi Ka Modi Yug' authored by Rajya Sabha MP Ghanshyam Tiwari at Uprashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, on 27 August 2026.

A. Balakrishnan, All India President of Vivekananda Kendra, passed away; he devoted more than five decades to the ideals of Swami Vivekananda and nation-building.

NHRC issued a notice to the Maharashtra Chief Secretary over the death of three newborns in a fire at the Sick Newborn Care Unit of District Women's Hospital, Amravati, on 24 August 2026.

Election Commission of India organised its third regional conference on Electoral Literacy Clubs 2.0 and ECINET in Chennai; the ELC 2.0 tagline is 'Learn Democracy. Lead Democracy.'

India's sugarcane production reached 500 million tonnes in 2025-26; the Fair and Remunerative Price for the 2026-27 sugar season has been fixed at ₹365 per quintal at 10.25% recovery.

Ministry of Panchayati Raj launched DAANVEER, a computer crowdsourcing initiative enabling citizens to donate desktops to verified Gram Panchayats through the Meri Panchayat App and DigiHaat.

The National De-addiction and Tele-counselling Helpline is 14446; Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan was launched on 15 August 2020 under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction.

Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa became the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour title, defeating defending champion Fabiano Caruana 15-13 in the final at St. Louis and winning USD 2,00,000.

Neeraj Chopra qualified for the 2026 Diamond League Finals in Brussels with 12 points and a season-best throw of 88.05m at Lausanne.

In the FIH Hockey World Cup, Netherlands and Argentina will meet in the final; Netherlands beat Belgium 1-0 and Argentina beat Australia 1-0 in the semifinals, a rematch of the 2022 title clash.

The Indian women's hockey team defeated Germany 3-1 in the fifth-place match at the FIH World Cup in Amstelveen, securing its best World Cup finish in 52 years.

Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana completed 12 years on 28 August 2026; over 59 crore accounts have been opened with deposits of ₹3.1 lakh crore, and India's Financial Inclusion Index rose from 53.9 in 2018 to 67 in 2026.

The PARIVARTAN Scheme, approved by the Union Cabinet on 3 June 2026 with an outlay of ₹9,585 crore and launched on 14 July 2026, aims to replace over 2 lakh BS-IV or older trucks and buses in Delhi-NCR with BS-VI or electric vehicles.

Sanchar Saathi, the Department of Telecommunications' citizen-centric initiative, recovered a record 77,692 lost or stolen mobile handsets in July 2026.

Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan launched 'Gnani Artha', a sovereign AI stack comprising the large language model Evon 3.3 and the platform Plexus, developed by GNANI AI, at Uprashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi on 28 August 2026.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu approved the establishment of India's first dedicated Quantum and AI University campus in Amaravati by NIELIT, with a proposed investment of ₹730.7 crore over five years.

Assam launched Project S.W.I.F.T (Sustainable Wetland and Integrated Fisheries Transformation) with ₹796.88 crore, supported by the Asian Development Bank, to rejuvenate 71 waterbodies across 23 districts covering around 4,000 hectares.

The inaugural India-Kuwait Joint Defence Committee (JDC) meeting was held in New Delhi on 28 August 2026, co-chaired by Joint Secretary Amitabh Prasad and Brigadier General Raed Alsakran; India and Kuwait upgraded ties to a Strategic Partnership in December 2024.

The Ministry of Defence simplified the Defence Export SOP and Open General Export Licence (OGEL) framework; OGEL validity was increased from two to three years and coverage expanded from 41 to all countries except negative/sensitive nations and those under UN Security Council sanctions or arms embargoes.

India operates 24 nuclear power reactors with a total installed capacity of 8.78 GW; nine more reactor units of 7.5 GW are under construction, and India aims to achieve 100 GW nuclear power capacity by 2047.

The Union Budget 2025-26 allocated ₹20,000 crore for indigenous Small Modular Reactors (SMRs); the Nuclear Energy Mission for Viksit Bharat and SHANTI Act, 2025 support expansion of India's nuclear programme towards 100 GW by 2047.

The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam attained first criticality in April 2026, marking a milestone in the second stage of India's three-stage nuclear power programme.

Justice V. Ramasubramanian is the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC); NHRC held a two-day Open Hearing and Camp Sitting at Gandhinagar, Gujarat on 2-3 September 2026.

The High-Powered Task Force (HPTF) on public examination reforms, chaired by Nandan Nilekani, invited public suggestions till 13 September 2026 through examreforms-taskforce.dopt.gov.in.

Justice Biswaroop Chowdhury was appointed a permanent Judge of the Calcutta High Court; six Additional Judges were appointed for a fresh six-month term with effect from 31 August 2026.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake his fourth visit to Uzbekistan on 29-30 August 2026 for talks with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit will be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic from 31 August to 1 September 2026; the Summit marks the SCO's 25th anniversary, and India has been a full member since 2017.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the Opening Ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games during his visit to the Kyrgyz Republic.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman began a six-day visit to the US on 28 August 2026; she will lead India at the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting under the US G20 Presidency on 31 August-1 September 2026.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal visited Japan from 24 to 27 August 2026; India and Japan have set a target of JPY 10 trillion in Japanese private investment in India over the next decade.

India's Index of Industrial Production (IIP) grew 6.7% year-on-year in July 2026; manufacturing grew 7.3% and electricity and gas supply grew 8.7%, with the Quick Estimate at 124.8.

India's foreign exchange reserves rose by USD 12.4 billion to a record USD 729.3 billion in the week ended 21 August 2026, as per RBI data.

India recorded a nearly 80% decline in malaria cases and deaths between 2015 and 2025; high-burden districts decreased from 155 to 33, and 160 districts reported zero indigenous malaria cases during 2022-2025.

The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) launched seven Indian Pharmacopoeia Phytochemical Reference Standards (IPPRS) and five Indian Pharmacopoeia Botanical Reference Standards (IPBRS) at NIPER Guwahati on 27 August 2026, the first-ever such standards by the Commission.

The Government introduced a fortnightly sugar allocation system from September 2026, replacing the monthly quota; mills must sell at least 40% of allocation in the first week, and ex-mill sugar prices declined by around 20%.

India's total telephone subscribers stood at 1,354.28 million at the end of July 2026, with an overall tele-density of 94.68%.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) signed a strategic five-year agreement with C-DOT to establish an End-to-End Optical Network Testbed at C-DOT Campus, New Delhi on 27 August 2026.

World Sanskrit Day was observed on Shravana Purnima, 28 August 2026.

Raksha Bandhan was celebrated across India on 28 August 2026; President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the nation on the occasion.

The 172nd birth anniversary of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru was observed on 28 August 2026; Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah paid tributes to him.

King Harald V of Norway passed away; his son Crown Prince Haakon succeeds him as king.

The 57-day Amarnath Yatra concluded on 28 August 2026, with over 4.8 lakh devotees performing the pilgrimage; the Chhari Mubarak was led by Mahant Deependra Giri.

Delhi Police Special Cell busted an alleged ISI-backed, Pakistan-based espionage network and arrested a Delhi-based couple accused of procuring Indian SIM cards for Pakistani intelligence operatives since 2024.

India sent a third tranche of 10 tonnes of relief supplies to flood-hit Nepal on 28 August 2026; 84 Indians have been rescued, while 290 remain uncontactable.

The National Test House (NTH), Department of Consumer Affairs, celebrated its 115th Foundation Day on 29 August 2026 in Bengaluru; Union Minister Pralhad Joshi was the Chief Guest and the NTH Suvidha mobile app was launched.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed Gujarat Vidyapith's 72nd convocation and stated that the National Education Policy 2020 rests on five pillars - mother tongue, skills, multidisciplinary education, Indian knowledge tradition and holistic personality development.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the 137th episode of Mann Ki Baat on Akashvani at 11 AM on Sunday.

India finished eighth at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 after losing 3-4 to hosts Belgium in the shootout in the 7th-8th place classification match; Harmanpreet Singh finished with 8 goals, tied at the top of the scoring chart.

The Indian Women's Hockey Team finished fifth at the FIH Hockey Women's World Cup 2026 in Belgium and the Netherlands, its best finish since 1974; Hockey India announced a cash award of Rs 50 lakh for the team.

National Sports Day 2026 was observed on 29 August to commemorate the 121st birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand; the nationwide initiative 'Ek Ghanta Khel Ke Maidan Mein' was held, and Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya led celebrations at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a four-day visit to Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic on 29 August 2026; he first held a State Visit in Tashkent at the invitation of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, his fourth visit to Uzbekistan.

At the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the summit marking 25 years of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation; India has been an SCO member since 2017, and the theme was '25 Years of the SCO: Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development, and Prosperity'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games in the Kyrgyz Republic and visited the Shastri Memorial and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies.

US President Donald Trump presented the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the Artemis II crew at NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston on 28 August 2026; he announced a US Space Academy and praised Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon, who completed a spacewalk the previous week.

India signed a deal with the US to procure Javelin anti-tank guided missile systems for the Indian Army; the Indian Army signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance.

The Central Bureau of Narcotics seized 66,79,980 psychotropic tablets (Alprazolam, Tramadol, Nitrazepam and Clonazepam) under Operation Vajra 2.0 on the Chandigarh-Baddi route on 27-28 August 2026; one person was arrested.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized about 14.9 kg amphetamine at Bengaluru and 2.53 kg amphetamine plus 878 grams MDMA at Pune on 25 August 2026; four persons were arrested.

At the 115th Foundation Day of the National Test House, Union Minister B L Verma said Operation Sindoor showcased India's indigenous weapons and missile systems; NTH, founded in 1912 at Alipore, Kolkata, inaugurated a new Bengaluru facility.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh laid foundation stones for 110 PMGSY-IV Batch-I roads covering 598.455 km with sanctioned cost of Rs 1,503.53 crore in the Udhampur-Kathua-Doda-Kishtwar region, expected to benefit 46,972 people.

Under the GOBARdhan Scheme, the revised procurement price of Compressed Biogas has been fixed at Rs 2,110 per MMBtu, up from Rs 1,478 per MMBtu, with government affordability support of Rs 10 per kg.

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana has been allocated Rs 12,200 crore in Union Budget 2026-27; from Kharif 2016 to Rabi 2025-26 it insured more than 92.46 crore farmer applications and settled claims exceeding Rs 2.06 lakh crore.

The Per Drop More Crop scheme has brought over 115 lakh hectares under micro-irrigation as of July 2026; small and marginal farmers get 55 per cent financial assistance and other farmers get 45 per cent, under PM-RKVY since 2022-23.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the third Vande Bharat train between Jammu and Srinagar will be launched soon; the Ministry of Railways approved a halt at Udhampur and the world's highest railway bridge over the Chenab River is in Reasi.

Haryana signed an MoU to set up four integrated waste-to-energy plants in Hisar, Ambala, Faridabad and Gurugram with a total capacity of 5,000 tonnes per day and 50 MW, operational by October 2028.

The 4th India-Argentina Joint Trade Committee meeting was held on 24 August 2026 at Palacio San Martín, Buenos Aires; bilateral trade crossed USD 6.5 billion in 2025, making India Argentina's fifth-largest trading partner; KABIL completed Phase II lithium drilling in Catamarca and Argentina committed to upgrade India from Annex II to Annex I for pharmaceuticals.

Kiren Rijiju led the Indian delegation at the High-Level Commemorative Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in Belgrade, Serbia on 31 August-1 September; the theme was 'The Legacy of Non-Alignment: Lessons for Today's World', marking 65 years of the first NAM conference; India is a founding member of NAM, which has 121 developing countries.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrived in the US to attend the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, on 31 August-1 September 2026, under US presidency.

India's Index of Industrial Production (IIP) growth was 6.7% in July 2026; manufacturing grew 7.3%, electricity and gas supply grew 8.7%, while mining contracted 0.9%.

The Finance Ministry began preparations for Union Budget 2027-28; pre-Budget meetings are scheduled from 12 October 2026, and ministries must submit projections by 6 October 2026.

Flash floods in Nepal's Rasuwa district killed 669 people and left over 2,000 missing, including 287 Indian nationals; 108 Indian nationals had been rescued as of 29 August 2026. India sent 57.6 tonnes of relief material and an 11-member team, and the IAF airlifted about 57.5 tonnes in three sorties.

IMD issued a heavy to torrential rainfall alert for 21 states on 29 August 2026, with strong winds gusting up to 85 kmph.

US President Donald Trump announced the US-Venezuela oil deal, giving the US majority control over more than 65 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, covering 17 strategic oil fields with over $100 billion investment.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran's foreign trade shrank nearly 35% due to US sanctions and naval blockade, and annual inflation hit 66%; Iran's IRGC claimed decisive control over the Strait of Hormuz, and Tehran said it is open to negotiations with the US.

At least 37 people were killed in a Russian attack on Bucha district near Kyiv, Ukraine, and 50 residential buildings were damaged.

India's Velavan Senthilkumar won the PSA Budapest Squash Open title in Hungary, defeating Balazs Farkas 3-0 in the final.

Ariha Pangambam became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the 10th Aerobic Gymnastics Asian Championships held in the Philippines.

Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar was elected President of the Esports Games Federation (ESGF); India has around 52 crore gamers.

NTA declared UGC-NET June 2026 results for 84 subjects; over 4,000 candidates qualified for Junior Research Fellowship, and re-examinations for English, Commerce and Sociology papers will be held on 9-10 September.

Murshidabad became the first district in West Bengal to complete 100% land handover to BSF for India-Bangladesh border fencing; 334.24 acres were handed over for fencing about 48 km.

Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan inaugurated the centenary celebrations of former Karnataka Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde in Bengaluru.

Union Budget 2026-27 allocated over Rs 4,400 crore to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, compared to about Rs 1,200 crore in 2013-14; India won a record 107 medals at the 2023 Asian Games and a best-ever 29 medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.

Germany defeated Spain 1-0 in the final of the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2026 at Wavre, Belgium; Michel Struthoff scored the only goal as Germany won its fourth title.

Argentina defeated the Netherlands 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out in the Women's FIH Hockey World Cup final at Amstelveen to win its third title, ending the Netherlands' bid for a fourth consecutive and 10th overall title.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the 'Oliy Darajali Do'stlik' Order (Order of Highest Friendship), Uzbekistan's highest honour for foreign leaders, by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent on 30 August 2026.

India and Uzbekistan elevated their Strategic Partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during PM Modi's State Visit; they agreed on a long-term uranium supply framework, set a bilateral trade target of USD 5 billion by 2030, and decided to raise the Inter-Governmental Commission to ministerial level.

PM Modi announced the Lal Bahadur Shastri Scholarship for Hindi language for Uzbek students, comprising 100 scholarships; 2026 marks 80 years of Hindi teaching at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies.

PM Modi laid a wreath at the Shastri Memorial in Tashkent on 30 August 2026, marking the 60th anniversary of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's death in Tashkent.

India announced a USD 1 million grant for environmental rehabilitation and afforestation in the Aral Sea region of Uzbekistan, linking India's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' with Uzbekistan's 'Yashil Makon' green initiative.

NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) signed a commercial agreement with Uzbekistan's National Interbank Processing Centre (NIPC) to enable Indian UPI apps to scan UZQR for merchant payments in Uzbekistan.

India and Uzbekistan signed a Letter of Intent for restoration and conservation of the Buddhist sites Fayaz Tepa and Kara Tepa, and an MoU to set up an ICCR Sanskrit Chair at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies.

Prime Minister Modi will participate in the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Kyrgyzstan on 31 August–1 September 2026; India's priorities are 'Security, Connectivity and Opportunity', and the summit marks the 25th anniversary of SCO.

India will host the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi on 12-13 September 2026.

The Department of Consumer Affairs notified the Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2026 on 27 August; IST will be the common time reference, and a White Rabbit Technology-based IST dissemination network was commissioned at RRSL Bengaluru under 'One Nation, One Time'.

According to AISHE 2023-24, universities in India increased from 760 in 2014-15 to 1,289, and Gross Enrolment Ratio rose from 23.7% to 30%; NEP 2020 targets 50% GER by 2035.

AISHE 2023-24 shows female enrolment in higher education grew 42.2% from 1.57 crore in 2014-15 to 2.24 crore, and PhD enrolment grew 192.89% from 1.17 lakh to 3.43 lakh.

NEET-PG 2026 was conducted by NBEMS on 30 August 2026 in 1,111 centres across 339 cities for 2,73,096 candidates; PIB Fact Check debunked a fake paper-leak claim, and the re-exam for 2,445 Jaipur-affected candidates will be on 5 September 2026.

Flash floods in central Nepal killed 781 people and left over 2,500 missing by 30 August 2026; India sent 68.5 tonnes of relief materials and technical/rescue teams, and WHO released $150,000 from the SEARHEF.

NASA launched the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from Florida; the $4.3 billion observatory has a 2.4-metre primary mirror and a coronagraph to study exoplanets and dark energy.

The 4th Tri-Services Future Warfare Course concluded at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi on 30 August 2026; the 5th edition will be held from 16 November to 11 December 2026.

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh performed Bhoomi Pujan for 14 development projects worth over ₹100 crore at Lucknow Cantonment; Royal Artillery Bazar was renamed Ekta Bazar and British Cavalry Bazar renamed Uda Devi Bazar.

Rajnath Singh addressed the PM-SETU Industry Conclave in Lucknow; under the scheme, 1,000 Government ITIs are being upgraded on a 200 hubs and 800 spokes model.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy claimed 'decisive control' over the Strait of Hormuz, rejecting US CENTCOM's claim that the sea route was open; under Operation Economic Outcast, the US Treasury proposed revoking Banque Misr UAE's correspondent access over $1.8 billion linked to Iranian shadow banking.

Iceland's voters rejected a proposal to resume EU membership negotiations, with 53% voting against it in a referendum on 30 August 2026.

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) disbursed ₹5.68 crore under the Access and Benefit-Sharing mechanism, including ₹3.51 crore for Okra to 32 State Biodiversity Boards/UT Biodiversity Councils.

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan will release the 'Mission Rangeen Machhli 2031' Strategic Action Plan for Ornamental Fisheries Development at Agatti, Lakshadweep on 31 August 2026; Lakshadweep's EEZ is nearly 4 lakh sq km.

The Integrated Fertilizer Management System (iFMS) connects over 14 crore Aadhaar-linked buyers and 2.5 lakh retailers, covering about 7 crore metric tonnes of annual fertilizer sales and nearly ₹2 lakh crore subsidy.

Foreign Portfolio Investors invested ₹30,919 crore in Indian stock markets in August 2026 so far—₹18,791 crore via stock exchanges and ₹12,128 crore via the primary market.

President Droupadi Murmu will be the Chief Guest at the NIFT Combined Convocation 2026 in New Delhi on 31 August; NIFT was established in 1986 under the Ministry of Textiles.

In the 137th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat', PM Modi said women account for about 46% of PM SVANidhi beneficiaries, translating to around 35 lakh women.

PM Modi highlighted Mission ShaktiSAT in 'Mann Ki Baat', under which around 12,000 girl students from 108 countries are learning satellite technology; its second phase was launched at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida on National Space Day.

Prime Minister Modi launched the 'Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan' on 2 August 2026, connecting over 28,000 locations with more than 1 crore youth; it aims for a drug-free India by 2047.

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan inaugurated the Aranmula Uthrittathi Vallamkali on the River Pamba on 30 August 2026; the Onam-associated festival features over 100 oarsmen rowing decorated Palliyodams.

Kerala Kaumudi, founded in 1911 by C.V. Kunhiraman, celebrated its 115th anniversary at Alappuzha; Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan presented the Kerala Kaumudi Excellence Awards.

The Bill to rename Kerala as 'Keralam' was passed in Rajya Sabha on 12 August 2026, with Vice President and Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan presiding.

Lallianzuala Chhangte was named Indian Footballer of the Year 2026; the 29-year-old moved from Mumbai FC to Mohun Bagan, and the award was organised by the Football Players Association of India.

India began its Women's T20 Asia Cup campaign against Thailand at Dubai International Cricket Stadium; Harmanpreet Kaur leads India and Smriti Mandhana is vice-captain, with India the most successful team with three titles in five editions.

India's Operation Sindoor targeted Pakistan Air Force installations, including destroying two mobile mission control centre units at Nur Khan Airbase.

Between 19-21 August 2026, Turkish and Chinese military transport aircraft conducted a 60-hour airlift into Pakistan, delivering Bayraktar TB-2/Akinci UAVs and HQ-series surface-to-air missile systems; earlier, Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on 7 August 2026.