PIB Current Affairs 21 August 2026

EconomyLowquizQuiz

CCI penalises agro-input trade associations and tyre bidders for cartelisation

•The Competition Commission of India passed an order on 21 August 2026 under Section 27 of the Competition Act, 2002 against the Agro Input Dealers Association (AIDA), the Agro Input Welfare Association (AIWA) and two office-bearers, holding them in contravention of Section 3(3)(b) read with Section 3(1) for cartelisation, and imposing monetary penalties along with a cease-and-desist direction.
•A separate CCI order of the same date penalised Rekha Agencies and SS Marketing for bid rigging in the Himachal Pradesh Tender 2013 for procurement of tyres, a contravention of Section 3(3)(d) read with Section 3(1) established from pre-bid email exchanges of commercially sensitive price information.
•Both orders used Section 48 to fasten individual liability on office-bearers and officials, and the agro-input order additionally directed the associations to run a competition compliance training programme under Section 27(g) — a behavioural remedy rather than a purely monetary one.

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Awards & HonoursLowquizQuiz

President to confer National Teachers Awards on 48 school teachers on 5 September

•President of India Smt Droupadi Murmu will confer the National Teachers Awards on 48 school teachers at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on 5 September 2026.
•The 48 awardees come from 27 States, 7 Union Territories and 6 organisations of the Central Government, and include 26 men and 22 women; they were selected through a three-stage process at district, state and national levels by the Department of School Education & Literacy.
•Online self-nominations were invited from 15 June 2026 to 20 July 2026; the ceremony will be telecast on Doordarshan and the Ministry's SWAYAM PRABHA channels and streamed live at webcast.gov.in/moe.

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NationalLowquizQuiz

Health Minister reviews H1N1 influenza preparedness; focus on ILI and SARI surveillance

•Union Health Minister Shri J P Nadda reviewed the H1N1 influenza situation and preparedness on 21 August 2026, with particular focus on the National Capital; Delhi Health Minister Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh attended.
•The review covered the national surveillance and epidemiological situation, influenza-like illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) trends, testing and laboratory surveillance, and hospital readiness - beds, critical care, oxygen-supported beds, ventilators, medicines and diagnostics.
•The Union Health Secretary had already written to all States and Union Territories on 10 July 2026 asking them to strengthen preparedness and surveillance for Acute Respiratory Illness (ARI); the Minister also stressed control of Dengue and Malaria and the role of local bodies.

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Science & TechLowquizQuiz

PM meets founders of 20 space startups; spotlight on India's private space ecosystem

•Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the CEOs and founders of 20 space startups at Seva Teerth in New Delhi on 21 August 2026.
•The startups work across rockets and reusable semi-cryogenic launch vehicles, avionics, satellites, advanced propulsion, space and defence intelligence, space debris removal and AI-powered hyperlocal weather intelligence.
•The Prime Minister asked the sector to widen the everyday applications of space technology, to collaborate with other sectors such as environment and agriculture, and to work with Atal Tinkering Labs to build interest in space among schoolchildren.

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DefenceLowquizQuiz

India and UK hold 25th Defence Consultative Group meeting in New Delhi

•Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and the UK's Permanent Under Secretary for Defence, Jeremy Pocklington, co-chaired the 25th India-UK Defence Consultative Group meeting in New Delhi on 21 August 2026 - Pocklington's first India visit in that capacity.
•The two sides reviewed defence industrial cooperation with emphasis on research and development, under the India-UK Vision 2035 and the Ten Year Defence Industrial Roadmap, and agreed to expand joint exercises, training and capacity building.
•They acknowledged maritime security collaboration in the Indo-Pacific, including the establishment of the Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence (RMSCE) under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.

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EconomyLowquizQuiz

29 FDI proposals worth Rs 4,895.65 crore under revised land-border FDI framework

•29 FDI investments have been reported under the revised land-bordering-country framework up to 20 August 2026, involving proposed FDI of Rs 4,895.65 crore.
•The revised framework removes the need for prior government approval where non-controlling ownership from a land bordering country (LBC) is up to 10%, allowing such investment through the automatic route subject to sectoral caps and post-facto reporting.
•It rests on Press Note 2 of 2026 and the consequent amendment to the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) Rules, 2019, notified on 1 May 2026, which applies the beneficial ownership test at the level of the investor entity.

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Schemes & CommitteesMediumquizQuiz

Rural Development launches National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II under DAY-NRLM

•The Ministry of Rural Development launched the 'National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II' under DAY-NRLM for three months, from 21 August to 21 November 2026, widening the first phase to cover farm enterprises, non-farm enterprises and the marketing of SHG products.
•Secretary, Department of Rural Development, Sh. Rohit Kansal, also released the first edition of 'Sankalp Shakti', the Rural Enterprise Technical Bulletin of DAY-NRLM, which will now be a monthly publication.
•The campaign is pitched at the vision of 6 crore Lakhpati Didis, and shifts emphasis to intensive enterprise handholding, formalisation, producer institutions and simpler implementation processes.

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EconomyMediumquizQuiz

PM at ET World Leaders Forum: from 'prohibited unless permitted' to 'permitted unless prohibited'

•The Prime Minister addressed the Economic Times World Leaders Forum 2026 on 21 August 2026, on the theme 'Shared Future', setting out a roadmap of governance-level and policy-level reforms.
•He framed the central shift as one of regulatory philosophy - from 'prohibited unless permitted' to 'permitted unless prohibited' - arguing that the government-citizen relationship must rest on trust rather than suspicion.
•He contrasted what he called 'Production Linked Punishment' under the licence raj, when output beyond a fixed limit invited penalty, with the Production Linked Incentive scheme, citing about Rs 2.5 lakh crore of investment, over Rs 22 lakh crore of production and sales, over Rs 15 lakh crore of exports and more than 14 lakh direct and indirect jobs from that one scheme.

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EconomyMediumquizQuiz

DGGI busts pan masala and gutkha network in Uttar Pradesh, detects Rs 185 crore evasion

•The Lucknow Zonal Unit of the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) busted a clandestine pan masala, scented jarda and gutkha manufacturing network spread across six premises in the Chitrakoot and Banda districts of Uttar Pradesh, after coordinated searches begun around midnight on 18 August 2026.
•Twenty-seven undeclared pouch-packing machines were found - 6 for scented jarda, 9 for pan masala and 12 for dohara/desi gutkha - along with 15,50,922 pouches of finished goods; evasion of GST, HSNS Cess and central excise duty of about Rs 185 crore has been detected so far.
•The proprietor of the manufacturing firm was arrested on 19 August 2026 under Section 26 of the HSNS Cess Act, 2025 and Section 13 of the Central Excise Act, 1944, and was remanded to judicial custody by the Special Chief Judicial Magistrate (Customs), Lucknow.

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NationalMediumquizQuiz

Home Minister launches Rs 189-crore SSB projects in Siliguri, opens new criminal laws exhibition

•The Union Home Minister inaugurated and laid foundation stones for Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) projects worth Rs 189 crore at Siliguri, West Bengal, covering the SSB Frontier Headquarters administrative building on 80 acres, the 19th Battalion at Thakurganj, an e-foundation stone for the 12th Battalion at Kishanganj and a transit camp at New Jalpaiguri.
•He described the Siliguri Corridor as linked to eight states and adjoining three international borders - Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh - and said the Centre is securing it through a triangular security grid; 560 acres sought by central agencies has received in-principle approval and 1,129 acres has been made available for fencing.
•Separately in Siliguri he opened an exhibition on the three new criminal laws, highlighting Zero FIR, e-FIR, mandatory forensic examination in offences carrying more than seven years' punishment and judicial acceptance of electronic documents.

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EconomyMediumquizQuiz

Paradip Port gets 18.5-metre draft, signs Rs 1,580 crore mechanisation concessions

•Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated seven infrastructure projects worth Rs. 427.80 crore at Paradip Port Authority in Odisha.
•Capital dredging worth Rs. 352 crore has given the port an 18.5-metre deep-draft capability, letting it handle fully laden Capesize vessels in its inner harbour.
•Concession agreements worth Rs. 1,580.36 crore were signed for three mechanisation projects, part of a plan to reach 100% berth mechanisation by 2030 from the present 80%.

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Agreements & MoUsMediumquizQuiz

India, ADB sign $230 million loan for Chennai water security and sewerage project

•The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank signed a $230 million loan to modernise and expand Chennai's water supply and sanitation infrastructure.
•The money funds the Chennai Climate-Resilient Water Security and Sewerage Project, which will lay over 170 km of water supply and sewer pipes and upgrade seven water pumping stations and 38 sewer pumping stations.
•Chennai will become the first Indian city to implement a comprehensive ring-main solution - a closed-loop system that keeps water pressure balanced across service areas.

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Schemes & CommitteesMediumquizQuiz

Mission Shakti review: 991 One Stop Centres functional, PMMVY crosses 4.60 crore mothers

•The Consultative Committee of Members of Parliament attached to the Ministry of Women and Child Development met at Kolkata, West Bengal, chaired by Union Minister Smt. Annpurna Devi, and reviewed three components of Mission Shakti: One Stop Centres, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and SANKALP: Hub for Empowerment of Women.
•Of 1,033 One Stop Centres approved since the scheme began on 1 April 2015, 991 are functional and have assisted more than 15.20 lakh women; OSCs are funded from the Nirbhaya Fund.
•PMMVY has disbursed more than Rs. 21,343 crore to more than 4.60 crore beneficiaries since it went pan-India on 1 January 2017.

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EconomyMediumquizQuiz

Government Caps Sugar Stocks and Clears 10 LMT Duty-Free Raw Sugar Imports

•Retail sugar prices rose from Rs 48.18 per kg on 20 July 2026 to Rs 55.70 per kg on 20 August 2026, prompting a set of supply and anti-hoarding measures ahead of the festive season.
•A stock limit of 400 tonnes has been imposed on sugar dealers across the country from 1 August to 30 November 2026, and from 1 September bulk consumers may not hold more than 15 days of consumption.
•The Government has permitted duty-free import of 10 LMT of raw sugar as a precaution, and advised states and mills to begin crushing from 15 October 2026.

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Ranks & ReportsMediumquizQuiz

QBUSE April-June 2026: Unincorporated Establishments Rise 9.2% to 8.67 Crore

•The National Statistics Office under MoSPI released the Quarterly Bulletin on Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (QBUSE) for April-June 2026, the quarterly edition of the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE).
•Estimated establishments rose 9.20 per cent year-on-year to 8.67 crore, while employment grew 6.55 per cent to 13.70 crore.
•Other Services drove the growth with a rise of over 21 per cent in both establishments and workers, while the unincorporated trade segment contracted by 7.88 per cent in establishments and 10.29 per cent in employment.

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Summits & ConferencesHighquizQuiz

BRICS Tourism Ministers Adopt Jaipur Declaration as India's 2026 Chairship Ministerials Converge

•The BRICS Tourism Ministers' Meeting under India's Chairship concluded in Jaipur on 21 August 2026 with the adoption by consensus of the BRICS Tourism Ministers' Communique 2026, known as the Jaipur Declaration.
•The same day saw the 12th BRICS Communications Ministers' Meeting in Pune and the 14th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting in Chennai, with the Youth and Sports Ministers' Meetings set for Visakhapatnam on 22 and 23 August.
•India and Brazil signed a Memorandum of Understanding on telecommunications and ICT cooperation on the sidelines of the BRICS ICT Track meeting in Pune.

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EconomyHighquizQuiz

Rs 62,500 Crore Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme Notified to Succeed Electronics PLI

•The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology notified the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) on 21 August 2026 with a budgetary outlay of Rs 62,500 crore.
•It succeeds the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing, whose tenure ended on 31 March 2026, and runs for five years from FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31.
•The scheme has two target segments: TS1 incentivises mobile phone manufacturing generally at 2.25 to 5 per cent, while TS2 supports Indian-owned brands at 5 per cent with an additional 3 per cent for Indian design and R&D.

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Schemes & CommitteesHighquizQuiz

PM-AASHA Explained: Four Price-Support Components and Rs 7,200 Crore for 2026-27

•A PIB Backgrounder of 21 August 2026 sets out the architecture of Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA), the umbrella framework for delivering the Minimum Support Price and curbing distress sales, launched in September 2018.
•PM-AASHA has four components - Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Stabilization Fund (PSF), Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) and Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) - each triggered by different crop and market conditions.
•Budget allocation has risen from an actual expenditure of Rs 5,437.99 crore in 2024-25 to Rs 6,941.36 crore in 2025-26 and Rs 7,200 crore in 2026-27.

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EnvironmentHighquizQuiz

Ken-Betwa Link Project: Daudhan Dam, Rs 44,605 Crore Cost and 2030 Deadline

•A PIB Backgrounder issued on 21 August 2026 sets out the status of the Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP), the first project under the National Perspective Plan for Interlinking of Rivers to reach the implementation stage.
•Water is transferred from the Ken basin to the Betwa basin through the 96.7-metre-high Daudhan Dam in Panna and Chhatarpur districts of Madhya Pradesh and a 216.465-km link canal ending at Barua Sagar near Jhansi.
•Total project cost is Rs 44,605 crore; the foundation stone was laid on 25 December 2024 and completion is scheduled for 2030.

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Current Affairs Pulse

PIB Current Affairs — 21 August 2026

CCI penalises agro-input trade associations and tyre bidders for cartelisation

President to confer National Teachers Awards on 48 school teachers on 5 September

Health Minister reviews H1N1 influenza preparedness; focus on ILI and SARI surveillance

PM meets founders of 20 space startups; spotlight on India's private space ecosystem

India and UK hold 25th Defence Consultative Group meeting in New Delhi

29 FDI proposals worth Rs 4,895.65 crore under revised land-border FDI framework

Rural Development launches National Campaign on Entrepreneurship-II under DAY-NRLM

PM at ET World Leaders Forum: from 'prohibited unless permitted' to 'permitted unless prohibited'

DGGI busts pan masala and gutkha network in Uttar Pradesh, detects Rs 185 crore evasion

Home Minister launches Rs 189-crore SSB projects in Siliguri, opens new criminal laws exhibition

Paradip Port gets 18.5-metre draft, signs Rs 1,580 crore mechanisation concessions

India, ADB sign $230 million loan for Chennai water security and sewerage project

Mission Shakti review: 991 One Stop Centres functional, PMMVY crosses 4.60 crore mothers

Government Caps Sugar Stocks and Clears 10 LMT Duty-Free Raw Sugar Imports

QBUSE April-June 2026: Unincorporated Establishments Rise 9.2% to 8.67 Crore

BRICS Tourism Ministers Adopt Jaipur Declaration as India's 2026 Chairship Ministerials Converge

Rs 62,500 Crore Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme Notified to Succeed Electronics PLI

PM-AASHA Explained: Four Price-Support Components and Rs 7,200 Crore for 2026-27

Ken-Betwa Link Project: Daudhan Dam, Rs 44,605 Crore Cost and 2030 Deadline