Current Affairs 8 August 2026

EnvironmentMediumquizQuiz

Assam to Seek Site-Specific Eco-Sensitive Zone for Kaziranga in Place of 10-km Default

•Assam plans to ask the Union Environment Ministry to notify a site-specific Eco-Sensitive Zone of 1-3 km around Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve instead of the 10-km default now in force.
•Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the move at Bokakhat on 8 August 2026, saying the proposal would be sent to the Centre within two months.
•Kaziranga has never had a final ESZ notified; in the absence of one, the Supreme Court's 2022 order keeps a 10-km buffer operating as an interim default.

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DefenceMediumquizQuiz

Indian Army Concludes 14-Day Tactical Training for CISF at Agartala Airport

•The Indian Army concluded a 14-day specialised training programme for Central Industrial Security Force personnel at Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport, Agartala, on 8 August 2026.
•The programme ran from 27 July to 8 August 2026 and was organised under the Spear Corps and its Red Shield Division.
•Modules covered industrial security, Quick Reaction Team drills, vital area protection, access control, perimeter hardening, counter-sabotage and counter-drone measures.

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History & CultureLowquizQuiz

Vice-President Pays Tribute at Cellular Jail During Andaman and Nicobar Visit

•Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan visited the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and paid homage to the freedom fighters imprisoned there.
•He laid a wreath at the Martyr's Column and visited Veer Savarkar's cell, Swatantra Jyoti, the Central Tower, the Gallows and the Museum and Exhibition Gallery.
•He arrived at INS Utkrosh, Sri Vijaya Puram, and was received by the Lieutenant Governor, Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi (Retd.), on a two-day visit that also includes the launch of 'Har Ghar Tiranga' and a visit to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Island.

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Schemes & CommitteesLowquizQuiz

Dr. Ambedkar Foundation's Inter-Caste Marriage and Atrocity Relief Schemes Merged into CSS

•Two Dr. Ambedkar Foundation schemes — for social integration through inter-caste marriages and for relief to SC/ST victims of atrocities — were merged with a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with effect from 31 March 2023, to avoid duplication.
•They were merged into the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for implementation of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 and the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
•A special initiative to clear the resulting backlog released inter-caste marriage incentives in 385 cases, amounting to approximately ₹9 crore.

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EconomyMediumquizQuiz

E-Samudra Launched as Single Digital Window for India's Maritime Services

•Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched E-Samudra in Mumbai, a comprehensive digital platform integrating services for seafarers, shipping companies, ports and other maritime stakeholders.
•The platform was inaugurated at a national stakeholder interaction organised by the Directorate General of Maritime Administration under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
•E-Samudra brings maritime services into a single digital window with end-to-end workflows, online payments, real-time tracking and digitally issued certificates.

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Banking & FinanceHighquizQuiz

Finance Ministry Rules Out UPI Charges for Users; MDR Only Above a Threshold

•The Government stated categorically that consumers making UPI payments will face no transaction charges and that all Person-to-Person transactions will remain free.
•Any Merchant Discount Rate, when introduced, will apply only to a limited set of merchant transactions above a threshold, at a nominal rate far lower than debit or credit card MDRs.
•The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 proposes to amend Section 10A of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 as an enabling provision.

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Summits & ConferencesMediumquizQuiz

XI BRICS Culture Ministers' Meeting Adopts Bhopal Declaration Under India's Chairship

•The XI BRICS Culture Ministers' Meeting concluded in Bhopal under India's BRICS Chairship with the adoption of the Bhopal Declaration.
•Fourteen countries took part — 10 BRICS member countries and 4 partner countries — with 55 delegates in all.
•The Declaration covers creative industries, UNESCO multinational nominations, restitution of cultural property, traditional knowledge systems and creators' rights in the context of Artificial Intelligence.

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EconomyLowquizQuiz

OMCs Report E20 Petrol Chloride Within Limits After Nationwide Testing Drive

•Oil Marketing Companies conducted nationwide intensive testing across the entire E20 petrol supply chain after media reports alleging moisture and high chloride content.
•Claims of 500 ppm chloride and the presence of moisture were not validated: chloride at refineries was at or below 1 ppm, and retail outlet samples ranged from 0 to 3 ppm.
•Around 90,000 retail outlets began mandatory inspection of underground storage tanks 8 to 12 times daily, with no water ingress detected.

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Science & TechLowquizQuiz

DigiLocker Powers 'AAERI Verify' for Indian Students Applying to Australia

•The National e-Governance Division under MeitY has partnered with the Association of Australian Education Representatives in India to launch 'AAERI Verify', a DigiLocker-integrated document verification platform.
•The platform was unveiled at the AAERI Annual Convention in New Delhi on 7 August 2026 and works in two stages — a Student Check before application and a Sponsor Check after an admission offer.
•With the student's explicit consent, DigiLocker gives Australian universities direct access to digitally signed records from the original issuing authorities.

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Banking & FinanceHighquizQuiz

Amit Shah Launches Cyber Security Centre and 'Bank in a Box' for Urban Cooperative Banks

•Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah inaugurated NUCFDC's new premises in Mumbai and addressed the 'Sahkar Nav-Kranti' programme at the BSE International Convention Centre.
•He launched a Security Operations Centre for cyber surveillance of Urban Cooperative Banks, along with 'Bank in a Box' providing core banking, digital payments, cloud and compliance services at affordable rates.
•An MoU was exchanged between the National Forensic Sciences University and NUCFDC to extend forensic science support to the online banking operations of even the smallest UCBs.

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BusinessLowquizQuiz

10th India International Footwear Fair Concludes at Bharat Mandapam

•The 10th India International Footwear Fair (IIFF) 2026 was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from 6 to 8 August 2026.
•The three-day business-to-business exhibition was organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
•It was held in association with the Confederation of Indian Footwear Industries (CIFI).

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State NewsMediumquizQuiz

Bengaluru Police Launch Operation Mukta to Trace Illegal Immigrants

•The Bengaluru City Police launched Operation Mukta on 8 August 2026 to identify and track suspected illegal immigrants across the city.
•More than 500 police personnel were deployed in the Whitefield division alone, covering over 30 locations under six police station limits.
•About 40 people were taken into custody in Whitefield for verification, of whom four were identified as Bangladeshi nationals staying illegally.

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InternationalMediumquizQuiz

ASEAN Day 2026 Observed as Grouping Marks 59 Years Since Bangkok Declaration

•ASEAN Day is observed on 8 August each year, marking the signing of the Bangkok Declaration in 1967 that founded the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
•The Philippines holds the ASEAN Chairmanship for 2026 under the theme 'Navigating Our Future, Together'.
•ASEAN now has 11 member states after Timor-Leste joined on 26 October 2025.

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History & CultureHighquizQuiz

Quit India Movement Day 2026 Marks 84 Years of the August Kranti

•Quit India Movement Day, also called August Kranti Diwas, was observed on 8 August 2026, marking 84 years since the movement was launched in 1942.
•The Quit India Resolution was passed by the All India Congress Committee at Gowalia Tank Maidan, Bombay, on 8 August 1942, where Mahatma Gandhi gave the 'Do or Die' call.
•The phrase 'Quit India' is attributed to Congress leader Yusuf Meherally, while Gandhi's own call to the nation was 'Do or Die'.

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NationalHighquizQuiz

MHA Bars New Renewable Energy Projects Within 1 km of India's Borders

•The Ministry of Home Affairs issued national security guidelines on 8 August 2026 regulating solar, wind and hybrid renewable energy projects near India's land frontiers.
•New projects are banned outright within 1 km of the International Border, the Line of Control and the Line of Actual Control.
•The belt up to 50 km from these borders is classified as a sensitive area where every project needs MHA security clearance on a case-by-case basis.

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