Current Affairs 5 August 2026

InternationalMediumquizQuiz

India-China Border Trade Resumes Through Lipulekh Pass After Six Years

•Indian traders crossed the Lipulekh Pass into Tibet on 5 August 2026 and reached the market town of Taklakot, the first crossing on this route in close to seven years.
•The crossing followed the formal resumption of India-China border trade on 1 August 2026 through three Himalayan passes - Nathu La in Sikkim, Shipki La in Himachal Pradesh and Lipulekh in Uttarakhand - after a six-year suspension.
•Lipulekh sits at about 5,334 metres (roughly 17,500 feet) in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand's Kumaon region, at the tri-junction of India, Nepal and China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

UPSCSSCDefence

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Science & TechHighquizQuiz

IXPE Finds Best Evidence Yet for Vacuum Birefringence Around a Magnetar

•A study published in Nature on 5 August 2026 reported the strongest evidence so far for vacuum birefringence, a prediction of quantum electrodynamics that empty space behaves like a crystal when an extreme magnetic field passes through it.
•The evidence comes from the radio-emitting magnetar 1E 1547.0-5408, observed for more than 140 hours between March and April 2025 by NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), together with NASA's NICER telescope and Murriyang, CSIRO's Parkes radio telescope in Australia.
•The X-ray emission showed a polarisation degree of about 65 per cent at 2 keV, rising to nearly 80 per cent at certain rotation phases - almost three times higher than in comparable sources and higher than standard emission models can produce.

UPSCSSC

Read Analysisarrow_forward

EconomyMediumquizQuiz

India Weighs Decade-Long Strategic Fuel Programme Covering Crude, LNG and LPG

•Supply disruptions linked to West Asia have pushed the government to consider a decade-long strategic fuel programme that would, for the first time, extend India's strategic reserves beyond crude oil.
•The programme under consideration would add roughly 28 million tonnes of crude storage, 9 million tonnes of LNG storage and 4 million tonnes of LPG storage over ten years.
•The reserves are intended to cover about two months of crude and LNG demand and about six weeks of LPG demand.

UPSCBankingSSC

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Polity & GovernanceMediumquizQuiz

Kerala High Court Holds Lakshadweep Cowledars Are Owners of Pandaram Land

•The Kerala High Court, in a judgment delivered on 5 August 2026 by Justice T R Ravi in Fathima Holithithige versus Union Territory of Lakshadweep, settled a long-running dispute over who owns pandaram land in Lakshadweep.
•The court held that persons in possession of pandaram land and recorded as cowledars when the Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands Land Revenue and Tenancy Regulation, 1965 came into force are landowners under that Regulation.
•It quashed the Lakshadweep Collector's order of 27 June 2024, which sought to resume pandaram land while paying compensation only for improvements made on the property, holding that the Collector had no such power under the 1965 Regulation.

UPSCSSC

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Agreements & MoUsMediumquizQuiz

MSME Ministry and DPIIT Sign MoU to Widen Market Access for GI Products

•The Ministry of MSME and DPIIT signed a Memorandum of Understanding on August 5, 2026 at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi.
•The MoU aims to widen market access for Geographical Indication products.
•GI collectives and authorised users will be onboarded on ONDC and GeM under a 'Bharat GI' banner.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Summits & ConferencesLowquizQuiz

GI and Beyond 2.0 Summit Showcases India's GI-Tagged Handloom and Handicraft

•The GI and Beyond 2.0 Summit concluded at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.
•It was organised by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, with the Handloom Export Promotion Council.
•The Summit showcased India's GI-tagged handloom and handicraft products to overseas buyers and exporters.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Agreements & MoUsLowquizQuiz

Tourism Ministry Launches 'As Seen on Netflix' Section on Incredible India Portal

•The Union Minister for Culture and Tourism launched an 'As Seen on Netflix' section on the Incredible India portal.
•It is part of an ongoing collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and Netflix India.
•The section lets audiences discover the real locations, cultural traditions and experiences featured in Netflix India's films and series.

UPSCSSCBanking

Read Analysisarrow_forward

History & CultureLowquizQuiz

Lalit Kala Akademi Marks 72nd Foundation Day at Rabindra Bhavan

•Lalit Kala Akademi, the National Academy of Art under the Ministry of Culture, celebrated its 72nd Foundation Day at Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi.
•The Chief Guest was Shri K.K. Mishra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, who paid floral tributes at the statue of Rabindranath Tagore at the venue.
•A Timeline Exhibition depicted the Akademi's legacy and milestones across seventy-two years of service to Indian visual arts.

UPSCSSCRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Awards & HonoursLowquizQuiz

Twelve Rat Miners Receive Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak for Silkyara Tunnel Rescue

•Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari conferred the Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak on 12 rat miners for their role in the Silkyara Tunnel Rescue Operation.
•The investiture ceremony was held in New Delhi in the presence of the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and the Managing Director of NHIDCL.
•The rescue drew on the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, NHIDCL, the Border Roads Organisation, the Indian Army, the Government of Uttarakhand and technical specialists.

UPSCSSCRailwayDefence

Read Analysisarrow_forward

BusinessLowquizQuiz

CCI Clears Merger of Six Hotel Entities Into InterGlobe Hotels

•The Competition Commission of India has approved a proposed combination involving share acquisitions and the merger of several entities into InterGlobe Hotels Private Limited.
•The merging entities include AAPC India Hotel Management, Caddie Hotels, Triguna Hospitality Ventures, Srilanand Mansions, Techpark Hotels and Accent Hotels.
•InterGlobe Enterprises is an investment holding company owned and controlled by the Bhatia Family.

UPSCBankingSSC

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Polity & GovernanceLowquizQuiz

Cinematograph (Amendment) Act 2023 Empowers Takedown of Pirated Films Online

•The Cinematograph Act, 1952 was amended by the Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 2023 to introduce provisions curbing unauthorised recording and exhibition of films.
•The newly inserted Section 7(1B)(ii) empowers the Government to act against intermediaries hosting pirated content, using Section 79(3) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
•Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act allows appropriate Governments to notify intermediaries to remove or disable access to unlawful content.

UPSCSSCBanking

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Science & TechLowquizQuiz

INSPIRE Awards 12,000 Scholarships a Year Across Four Talent-Nurturing Components

•The INSPIRE programme of the Department of Science and Technology nurtures scientific talent through four components spanning school to postdoctoral stages.
•INSPIRE MANAK promotes innovation among students aged 10 to 17, in Classes VI to XII.
•INSPIRE Scholarship for Higher Education awards 12,000 scholarships annually of Rs 80,000 per year each, to students aged 17 to 22 in natural and basic sciences.

UPSCSSCRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Polity & GovernanceLowquizQuiz

8.56 Lakh Forest Rights Claims Filed in Three Years; 2.34 Lakh Titles Distributed

•Between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2026, 8,56,159 claims were filed under the Forest Rights Act - 8,21,908 individual and 34,251 community.
•Of these, 2,34,352 claims were approved and titles distributed, comprising 2,18,899 individual and 15,453 community titles.
•A total of 14,462 claims were rejected - 13,756 individual and 706 community.

UPSCSSCRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Ranks & ReportsMediumquizQuiz

NITI Aayog Report Seeks Professional Cadre of Caregivers for Viksit Bharat 2047

•NITI Aayog released 'Reimagining Care: Strategies for Empowering Caregivers in Viksit Bharat@2047'.
•The report positions caregiving as a skilled, dignified and valued profession rather than informal family labour.
•It calls for building a cadre of trained caregivers to meet current and future demand for care services.

UPSCSSCBanking

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Schemes & CommitteesMediumquizQuiz

2024-25 Survey Finds No Manual Scavengers, But 182 Died Cleaning Sewers Since 2023

•A fresh nationwide survey during 2024-25 under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 did not identify any manual scavengers in any district.
•Earlier surveys in 2013 and 2018 identified 58,098 manual scavengers, all of whom received One-Time Cash Assistance of Rs 40,000 each.
•The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis reported 182 sanitation worker deaths from hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks between 1 January 2023 and 30 June 2026.

UPSCSSCBanking

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Polity & GovernanceMediumquizQuiz

Government Restates EWS Criteria: Rs 8 Lakh Income Ceiling With Asset Exclusions

•The Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019 inserted Articles 15(6) and 16(6), enabling up to 10 per cent reservation for Economically Weaker Sections.
•EWS reservation applies to admissions in educational institutions and appointments in civil posts and services.
•The income criterion is a gross annual family income below Rs 8 lakh, and applicants must not be covered by existing SC, ST or SEBC reservations.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Science & TechMediumquizQuiz

Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission Recognised by WHO SEARN in Pharmacovigilance

•The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission has been recognised by the WHO South-East Asia Regulatory Network as a Regional Centre of Excellence in Pharmacovigilance and a Technical Centre in Quality of Medicines.
•The recognition came at SEARN's 10th Anniversary Meeting held in Kathmandu, Nepal on 4-5 August 2026.
•SEARN was established by the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office in 2016 to strengthen regulatory systems across Member States.

UPSCSSCBanking

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Schemes & CommitteesMediumquizQuiz

White Revolution 2.0 Forms 24,097 New Dairy Cooperatives Against 75,000 Target

•White Revolution 2.0 targets the formation of 75,000 new Dairy Cooperative Societies and the strengthening of 46,422 existing ones.
•So far 24,097 new societies have been formed and 31,394 existing societies strengthened to enhance cooperative milk procurement.
•Two new multi-state cooperative societies have been created to promote circularity and sustainability - Gomay Sahkari Samiti Multi-State Limited and National Cooperative Inputs and Services Delivery Multi-State Limited.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Schemes & CommitteesMediumquizQuiz

Sex Ratio at Birth Rises to 929 as BBBP Expands Across All Districts Under Mission Shakti

•Beti Bachao Beti Padhao was launched on 22 January 2015 from Panipat, Haryana, as a joint effort of the Ministries of Women and Child Development, Education, and Health and Family Welfare.
•Sex Ratio at Birth at the national level rose from 918 in 2014-15 to 929 in 2025-26 (provisional), per the Health Management Information System.
•Gross Enrolment Ratio of girls at the secondary level rose from 75.51 per cent in 2014-15 to 83.4 per cent in 2025-26, per UDISE.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Polity & GovernanceMediumquizQuiz

POCSO, BNS and IT Rules Form Coordinated Framework Against Online Child Sexual Abuse

•The Ministries of Women and Child Development, Electronics and IT, and Home Affairs have put in place a coordinated framework against online sexual abuse and exploitation of children.
•POCSO Act, 2012 covers online offences through Section 11 and 12 on sexual harassment, Section 13 on use of a child for pornographic purposes, Section 14 on punishment, and Section 15 on storage or possession.
•Section 14 prescribes imprisonment of not less than five years for a first offence and not less than seven years for a second or subsequent conviction, with fine.

UPSCSSCBanking

Read Analysisarrow_forward

NationalMediumquizQuiz

Railways Spends Rs 1.14 Lakh Crore by July; Kavach Version 4.0 Approved by RDSO

•Indian Railways had spent Rs 1,14,973 crore of its Rs 2,93,030 crore budget grant for 2026-27 by July 2026, about 39 per cent.
•Expenditure on safety-related activities has risen from Rs 39,200 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 1,20,389 crore budgeted in 2026-27.
•Kavach, the indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection system, was adopted as the National ATP system in July 2020.

UPSCSSCRailwayBanking

Read Analysisarrow_forward

NationalMediumquizQuiz

Vision Document on Narcotics Control 2026-2029 Released with Three-Year Roadmap

•A Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026-2029) was released on 26 June 2026, setting a three-year roadmap with time-bound targets under a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
•Enforcement runs through the Narcotics Control Bureau, Drug Law Enforcement Agencies and State Police under the NDPS Act, 1985, with preventive detention under the PITNDPS Act, 1988.
•A four-tier Narco-Coordination Centre mechanism coordinates Central and State drug law enforcement agencies, supported by an NCORD portal developed by the NCB.

UPSCSSCBankingDefence

Read Analysisarrow_forward

NationalMediumquizQuiz

Government Says No District Now LWE-Affected; 38 Classified 'Legacy and Thrust'

•The Government has told Parliament that no district in Chhattisgarh or any other State is currently Left Wing Extremism affected.
•38 districts, of which 13 are in Chhattisgarh, are now categorised as 'Legacy and Thrust' districts - no longer LWE affected but requiring continued security and development support to prevent relapse.
•The National Policy and Action Plan to address LWE was approved in 2015, adopting a whole-of-government approach combining security measures, development interventions and community rights.

UPSCSSCDefenceRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

EconomyMediumquizQuiz

Centre Notifies Inventory-Based Cross-Border E-Commerce Export Framework Under FTP 2023

•The Government operationalised the Inventory-based Cross-border E-Commerce Export Framework under the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 through Notification No. 27/2026-27 and Public Notice No. 25/2026-27, both dated 5 August 2026.
•It follows an FDI Policy amendment through Press Note No. 3 (2026 Series), which permits inventory-based e-commerce operations exclusively for exports.
•Eligible e-commerce entities may undertake export-only inventory operations through a registered Exporter-on-Record, which procures from Indian Sellers-on-Record against confirmed overseas orders.

UPSCSSCBanking

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Polity & GovernanceMediumquizQuiz

Seven Years Since Abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A on 5 August 2019

•The Prime Minister marked seven years since the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A on 5 August 2019.
•The abrogation extended the full Constitution of India to Jammu and Kashmir.
•The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 bifurcated the erstwhile State into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

UPSCSSCBankingRailwayDefence

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Schemes & CommitteesMediumquizQuiz

SVAMITVA Drone Survey Covers 3.30 Lakh Villages; Property Cards Back Rs 1,713 Crore in Loans

•SVAMITVA provides a Record of Rights to property owners in rural inhabited (abadi) areas using drone survey and Continuously Operating Reference Stations technology.
•Drone survey has been completed in 3.30 lakh villages.
•11,147 loans worth Rs 1,713 crore have been disbursed against SVAMITVA property cards.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

EconomyMediumquizQuiz

Coking Coal Notified a Critical Mineral as Coal Auctions Move to Revenue-Share Model

•Commercial coal mining was opened in 2020 with no restriction on sale or end-use, no technical or financial eligibility conditions, and 100 per cent FDI allowed under the automatic route.
•Coal auctions have migrated from allotment to a percentage revenue-share model, supported by the National Coal Index for market-linked pricing.
•Coking coal has been notified as a Critical and Strategic Mineral under the MMDR Act, 1957, expediting environment and forest clearances for coking coal projects.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Science & TechMediumquizQuiz

Centre Deploys National Joint Outbreak Response Team for Chandipura Virus in Gujarat, Rajasthan

•The Union Health Ministry has deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response Team to Gujarat and Rajasthan for the ongoing Chandipura Virus Disease outbreak.
•The team comprises experts from the National Centre for Disease Control, the Indian Council of Medical Research and the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
•NCDC's Public Health Emergency Operations Centre has been activated to support the response.

UPSCSSCBanking

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Polity & GovernanceMediumquizQuiz

iGOT Karmayogi Crosses 1.70 Crore Users; CPGRAMS Disposal Time Falls to 13 Days

•Mission Karmayogi, the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building, was approved in September 2020 to move civil service HR from rule-based to role-based systems.
•The iGOT Karmayogi platform now has more than 1.70 crore registered users and hosts over 5,600 courses in 23 Indian languages including English and Hindi.
•It carries 218 courses on artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, which have recorded more than 7.3 crore enrolments and 3.35 crore completions.

UPSCSSCBanking

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Science & TechMediumquizQuiz

ISRO Executed 20 Collision Avoidance Manoeuvres in 2025 as Debris Risk Rises in LEO

•ISRO executed 20 Collision Avoidance Manoeuvres in 2025 and nine so far in 2026 to protect satellites from debris.
•Of India's 22 active satellites, 20 operate in Low Earth Orbit below 2,000 km, where the object population is densest and collision risk highest.
•The optical telescope at Hanle in Ladakh, under Project NETRA, is nearing completion and will track objects of 30 cm or larger at geostationary altitude.

UPSCSSCBankingDefence

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Science & TechMediumquizQuiz

Deep Ocean Mission Collects 100 kg Cobalt-Rich Nodules from 1,173 m in Andaman Sea

•The Deep Ocean Mission, launched in 2021 with an outlay of about Rs 4,077 crore, operates across six verticals under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
•Design and system engineering of MATSYA-6000, India's flagship human submersible, are complete, with crewed and uncrewed wet harbour trials at 8 metres conducted at Kattupalli near Chennai from 22 January to 14 February 2025.
•NIOT scientists gained pilot experience on the French submersible NAUTILE in August 2025.

UPSCSSCBankingRailwayDefence

Read Analysisarrow_forward

EnvironmentMediumquizQuiz

INCOIS Puts El Nino Persistence at 70-90% to February 2027; IMD Cuts Monsoon to 90% of LPA

•INCOIS assesses that El Nino conditions, which developed in May 2026, are likely to persist from June 2026 to February 2027 with forecast probabilities of 70 to 90 per cent.
•IMD's First Stage Long Range Forecast of 13 April 2026 put seasonal rainfall at 92 per cent of the Long Period Average, revised in the Second Stage forecast to 90 per cent.
•Since 1950 there have been 16 El Nino years, of which only 7 saw below-normal Indian monsoon rainfall - and the inverse relationship is strongest in the later half of the season, particularly September.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Schemes & CommitteesHighquizQuiz

Four AI Centres of Excellence Funded; UGC Lists 32 Fake Universities

•Four Centres of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence are now funded - Agriculture at IIT Ropar, Sustainable Cities at IIT Kanpur and Healthcare at IISc Bengaluru with a combined outlay of Rs 990 crore, plus AI for Education at IIT Madras with Rs 500 crore.
•The Department of Higher Education's expenditure rose from Rs 34,006.39 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 50,747.66 crore in 2025-26.
•Gross Expenditure on Research and Development more than doubled from Rs 60,196.75 crore in 2010-11 to Rs 1,27,380.96 crore in 2020-21.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Schemes & CommitteesHighquizQuiz

54,707 PACS Now e-PACS as Cooperative Computerisation Crosses 51 Crore Transactions

•Under the PACS computerisation project with an outlay of Rs 2,925.39 crore, 79,630 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies have been sanctioned and 63,707 onboarded onto common ERP software.
•A total of 54,707 PACS have been declared e-PACS, with 51.58 crore transactions completed through the software as on 15 July 2026.
•Model Bye-laws allowing PACS to undertake more than 25 business activities have been adopted by 32 States and Union Territories.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Schemes & CommitteesHighquizQuiz

PMKVY Evaluation Shows Employment Rising From 26.6% to 45.4% After Training

•A third-party evaluation of PMKVY 4.0 by the Arun Jaitley National Institute of Financial Management found the combined employed and self-employed share of short-term training candidates rose from 26.6 per cent before training to 45.4 per cent after - an 18.8 percentage point gain.
•Across PMKVY 1.0 to 3.0, from FY 2015-16 to FY 2021-22, a total of 1.11 crore candidates were certified, of whom 24.38 lakh were reported placed under short-term training.
•A 2025 evaluation of the Jan Shikshan Sansthan scheme found 33.94 lakh enrolled, 32 lakh trained and 31.52 lakh certified - a 99 per cent success rate - with women forming 82 per cent of participants.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Schemes & CommitteesHighquizQuiz

479 of 728 Eklavya Schools Functional; 4,172 Van Dhan Kendras Serve 12.48 Lakh Members

•The Ministry of Tribal Affairs listed thirteen major schemes for Scheduled Tribes, with five years of State-wise funds and outcomes.
•Against a target of 728 Eklavya Model Residential Schools, 479 are functional, with cumulative enrolment rising from 92,075 in 2020-21 to 1,38,336 in 2024-25.
•Under Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission, 4,172 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras have been sanctioned benefiting 12,48,067 members; a further 540 VDVKs under PM-JANMAN benefit 46,042 persons.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Science & TechMediumquizQuiz

PFBR at Kalpakkam Attains First Criticality, Opening Stage Two of Nuclear Programme

•The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu attained first criticality on 6 April 2026.
•The PFBR is the forerunner of the second stage of Homi Bhabha's three-stage nuclear power programme.
•It uses Uranium-Plutonium Mixed Oxide fuel with a Uranium-238 blanket to breed fissile Plutonium-239, generating more fuel than it consumes.

UPSCSSCBankingDefence

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Science & TechHighquizQuiz

Nuclear Energy Mission Allots Rs 20,000 Crore for Five Indigenous SMRs by 2033

•The Nuclear Energy Mission, announced in the Union Budget 2025-26, carries a budgetary provision of Rs 20,000 crore for the design, development and deployment of Small Modular Reactors.
•The Mission targets at least five indigenous SMRs operational by 2033 and a nuclear power capacity of 100 GW by 2047.
•BARC is developing three demonstration units - the 220 MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200), the 55 MWe SMR-55, and a High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor of up to 5 MWth for hydrogen production.

UPSCSSCBankingDefence

Read Analysisarrow_forward

EconomyHighquizQuiz

India's EV Sales Grow 46 Times Since 2016; Adoption Reaches 8.26 Per Cent

•India's EV sales grew about 46 times between 2016 and 2025 - from roughly 50,000 units to 2.3 million - outpacing global growth of about 20 times over a comparable period.
•EV adoption rose from 0.08 per cent in FY 2015-16 to 8.26 per cent in FY 2025-26, with registrations growing at a CAGR of over 62 per cent.
•EV exports rose from USD 1.2 million in 2020 to USD 84 million in 2024, with Nepal, Indonesia and Japan the top destinations.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

State NewsMediumquizQuiz

Telangana Seeks Centre's Help to Raise Tummidihatti Barrage Height on Pranahita

•Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy met Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil on 5 August 2026 and sought the Centre's help in resolving the Tummidihatti barrage height dispute with Maharashtra.
•Telangana wants the proposed barrage on the Pranahita river raised from the agreed 148 metres to 150-152 metres.
•The state argues that a 148-metre structure would not deliver sufficient water by gravity flow.

UPSCSSCRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

State NewsHighquizQuiz

Tamil Nadu Tables Maiden TVK Budget with Rs 44,527 Crore for School Education

•Tamil Nadu Finance Minister N. Marie Wilson tabled the state Budget for 2026-27 in the Legislative Assembly on 5 August 2026 — the maiden Budget of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.
•School education received the single largest highlighted allocation at Rs 44,527 crore, with social welfare allocated Rs 9,818 crore.
•The Budget sets a liquor cess target of Rs 16,000 crore in additional revenue and frames a long-term goal of a 1.5 trillion dollar state economy.

SSCBankingRailwayUPSC

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Summits & ConferencesMediumquizQuiz

India Hosts 13th BRICS Education Ministers' Meeting in Bhubaneswar

•India is hosting the 13th BRICS Education Ministers' Meeting along with the 3rd BRICS Senior Officials' Meeting in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, from 5 to 7 August 2026.
•The meetings are being convened by the Ministry of Education as part of India's BRICS chairship for 2026.
•Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi is leading the Indian side, with more than 200 delegates and around 40 senior officials expected.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

EnvironmentMediumquizQuiz

Himalayan Serow Recorded in Dalhousie Forests After Two Decades

•The Himalayan serow has been recorded on camera in the Dalhousie catchment forests of Himachal Pradesh for the first time in about two decades.
•Forest field staff captured the animal on video during a routine patrol, giving the first confirmed visual record from the Dalhousie landscape.
•The forests adjoin the Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary in Chamba district; a 2021 study had recorded the species there last in 2005-06.

UPSCSSCRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

EconomyMediumquizQuiz

Centre Auctions Six Coal Blocks Across Four States, Projecting Rs 1,984 Crore Annual Revenue

•The Ministry of Coal has successfully auctioned six coal blocks under the 15th round of commercial coal mine auctions together with the second attempt of the 13th round.
•The blocks are spread across four states — Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh — and the bidding was conducted on 3 and 4 August 2026.
•Four of the six blocks are fully explored and two are partially explored, with combined geological reserves of about 1,503.93 million tonnes.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Polity & GovernanceHighquizQuiz

Supreme Court Extends Mandatory Third-Party Cover to Four Years for Cars, Six for Two-Wheelers

•The Supreme Court has directed that the mandatory third-party insurance bought at the time of purchase be extended by one year for new vehicles.
•New private cars must now carry four years of third-party cover instead of three, and new two-wheelers six years instead of five.
•The Court directed the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India to issue the necessary instructions immediately.

UPSCBankingSSCRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

AppointmentsMediumquizQuiz

Cabinet Secretary Somanathan and Home Secretary Govind Mohan Get One-Year Extensions

•The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has granted one-year extensions to Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan and Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan.
•Somanathan, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, continues as Cabinet Secretary beyond 30 August 2026; he took charge on 30 August 2024, succeeding Rajiv Gauba.
•Govind Mohan, a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Sikkim cadre, continues as Union Home Secretary beyond 22 August 2026.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Science & TechMediumquizQuiz

IARC Classifies Hydrochlorothiazide, Voriconazole and Tacrolimus as Group 1 Carcinogens

•The International Agency for Research on Cancer has placed three widely prescribed medicines — hydrochlorothiazide, voriconazole and tacrolimus — in Group 1, its highest category of carcinogenic hazard.
•Group 1 means there is sufficient evidence that the agent causes cancer in humans; it is the same category that holds tobacco smoke and asbestos.
•Hydrochlorothiazide is linked to non-melanoma skin cancers, particularly squamous cell carcinoma of the skin and lip cancer.

UPSCSSCRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

State NewsMediumquizQuiz

Maharashtra Bans Analogue Paneer for One Year After 35.4% of Samples Fail Tests

•Maharashtra has banned the manufacture and sale of analogue paneer across the state for one year on food safety grounds.
•The decision followed testing of 308 paneer samples collected between April 2025 and March 2026, of which 109 — or 35.4% — failed to meet standards.
•Of the failed samples, 79 were sub-standard and 30 were declared unsafe for human consumption.

SSCRailwayBankingUPSC

Read Analysisarrow_forward

EnvironmentMediumquizQuiz

Supreme Court Extends 10-km Mining Buffer to All Wetland Conservation Reserves

•The Supreme Court has clarified that its 10-km mining restriction around the Asan Wetland Conservation Reserve applies to wetland conservation reserves across the country, not just to that one site.
•The restriction traces back to an interim order of 14 February 2024, which barred mining within 10 km of the Asan reserve without prior clearance.
•Any mining project inside the buffer must first obtain permission from the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife and the Environment Ministry.

UPSCSSCRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

EnvironmentHighquizQuiz

Centre Adds Heatwave and Lightning to Notified Disaster List, Taking Total to 14

•The Centre has added heatwave and lightning to the official list of notified disasters eligible for relief funding, taking the total from 12 to 14.
•The move follows a recommendation of the 16th Finance Commission, which held that both hazards are large enough in scale to exceed the coping capacity of affected communities.
•Notified status lets states draw on the main 80% relief component of the State Disaster Response Fund instead of being confined to the 10% window reserved for locally notified disasters.

UPSCSSCRailwayBanking

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Banking & FinanceHighquizQuiz

RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% in August Policy, Raises FY27 Growth Forecast to 6.7%

•The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee kept the policy repo rate unchanged at 5.25% at its August 2026 review, with the decision taken unanimously.
•The MPC also retained the 'neutral' policy stance, leaving it free to move in either direction as data evolves.
•Real GDP growth for 2026-27 was revised upward to 6.7% from the earlier 6.6%, while CPI inflation for the year was trimmed to 5.0% from 5.1%.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward