PIB Current Affairs 29 August 2026

Schemes & CommitteesLowquizQuiz

Foundation Stone Laid for 110 PMGSY-IV Roads Worth Rs 1,503 Crore in Udhampur Constituency

•Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh laid the foundation stone for 110 road projects under PMGSY-IV Batch-I of 2026-27 in the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency, covering 598.455 km at a sanctioned cost of Rs 1,503.53 crore and expected to benefit 46,972 people.
•The projects are spread across five districts - Udhampur (44 roads, 235.040 km, about Rs 554.90 crore), Kathua (24 roads, 128.925 km, about Rs 307.12 crore), Kishtwar (16 roads, 83.950 km, about Rs 224.88 crore), Ramban (13 roads, 60.360 km, about Rs 154.97 crore) and Doda (13 roads, 90.180 km, about Rs 260.66 crore).
•A notable feature recorded in the project statement is the use of waste plastics in road construction across several packages; the Minister also noted that the constituency had earlier received Rs 1,524 crore of Jammu & Kashmir's Rs 3,566 crore PMGSY allocation, about 43 per cent.

UPSCSSCRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

NationalMediumquizQuiz

DRI Seizes 18 kg Amphetamine and MDMA as CBN's Operation Vajra 2.0 Nets 66.8 Lakh Tablets

•The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized more than 18 kg of synthetic drugs in two intelligence-led operations on 25 August 2026 - about 14.9 kg of Amphetamine at Bengaluru and about 2.53 kg of Amphetamine plus 878 grams of MDMA tablets at Pune - and arrested four persons under the NDPS Act, 1985.
•Both consignments moved by train from Delhi: one carrier was intercepted at KSR Bengaluru Railway Station travelling from New Delhi, the other at Pune Junction travelling from Hazrat Nizamuddin, with follow-up action in the Bengaluru case leading to two more arrests down the delivery chain.
•Across a fortnight the DRI has seized around 150 kg of Amphetamine Type Stimulant drugs in five operations, including 76 kg of Methamphetamine tablets along the north-eastern frontier and 55.86 kg of Methamphetamine mixed into a maize/corn export consignment destined for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

UPSCSSCBankingDefence

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Important DaysMediumquizQuiz

National Sports Day 2026 Marks Dhyan Chand's 121st Birth Anniversary

•National Sports Day was observed on 29 August 2026 to commemorate the 121st birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, with the national event held at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, India Gate, New Delhi.
•Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya and Union Minister of Law and Justice Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal led the celebrations, which began with floral tribute at Major Dhyan Chand's statue.
•The celebrations centred on the nationwide 'Ek Ghanta Khel Ke Maidan Mein' initiative, urging citizens and especially young people to dedicate at least one hour to sports and physical activity - presented by the Minister as a push for the Fit India Movement.

UPSCSSCRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

EconomyMediumquizQuiz

Petroleum Ministry Defends Rs 2,110 per MMBtu CBG Price Under GOBARdhan Scheme

•The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas rejected a newspaper claim that the revised Compressed Biogas (CBG) price under the GOBARdhan Scheme would place a significant additional burden on CNG and household PNG consumers, calling the calculation a product of select inconsistent assumptions.
•Under the existing system the price paid to CBG producers was linked to 85 per cent of the retail selling price of CNG, working out to about Rs 1,478 per MMBtu; under GOBARdhan it has been fixed at Rs 2,110 per MMBtu, an increase of roughly 43 per cent.
•Government affordability support of Rs 10 per kg of CBG - about Rs 215 per MMBtu for CBG with 95 per cent methane content - brings the effective cost to be recovered from gas consumers down to about Rs 1,895 per MMBtu, an effective increase of about 28 per cent.

UPSCSSCBanking

Read Analysisarrow_forward

InternationalMediumquizQuiz

India and Argentina Hold 4th Joint Trade Committee Meeting in Buenos Aires

•The Fourth Meeting of the India-Argentina Joint Trade Committee was held on 24 August 2026 at Palacio San Martin, Buenos Aires, with Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal leading India and Ambassador Fernando Brun, Secretary for International Economic Relations, leading Argentina.
•Bilateral trade crossed USD 6.5 billion in 2025 with consistent annual growth of over 17 per cent; India is now Argentina's fifth-largest trading partner.
•KABIL's lithium project in Catamarca province - the first lithium mining initiative by an Indian company in Argentina - has completed Phase II drilling, with the provinces of Salta and Jujuy being explored next.

UPSCSSCBanking

Read Analysisarrow_forward

InternationalMediumquizQuiz

PM Visits Uzbekistan and Kyrgyz Republic, to Attend 26th SCO Summit at Bishkek

•The Prime Minister's departure statement, issued on 29 August 2026, sets out a visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic from 29 August to 1 September 2026.
•He visits Tashkent on 29-30 August for a State Visit at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, with talks on trade and investment, digital connectivity, defence and energy, framed around the two countries' 'Viksit Bharat' and 'Yangi Uzbekistan' visions.
•In Tashkent he is to visit the Shastri Memorial and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Schemes & CommitteesHighquizQuiz

PMFBY Completes a Decade: 92.46 Crore Applications Insured, ₹2.06 Lakh Crore Paid

•A PIB Backgrounder issued on 29 August 2026 reports that from Kharif 2016 to Rabi 2025-26, more than 92.46 crore farmer applications have been insured under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and over 26.33 crore applications have received claims exceeding ₹2.06 lakh crore.
•The Union Budget 2026-27 allocates ₹12,200 crore to PMFBY, which is being implemented by 25 States and Union Territories in Kharif 2026.
•Farmers pay a maximum of 2% of the sum insured for kharif foodgrain and oilseed crops, 1.5% for rabi and 5% for commercial and horticultural crops; the balance premium is shared by the Centre and states 50:50, and 90:10 for North-Eastern and Himalayan States and UTs.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Schemes & CommitteesHighquizQuiz

Per Drop More Crop Covers 115 Lakh Hectares Under Micro Irrigation

•A PIB Backgrounder issued on 29 August 2026 records that the Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) scheme has brought more than 115 lakh hectares under micro irrigation as of July 2026 — about 8.11% of India's net sown area.
•Central assistance of ₹8,123.24 crore has been released under PDMC over the last three years. During 2025-26, ₹8,957.72 crore was released or sanctioned for PM-RKVY, of which ₹3,226.36 crore was dedicated to PDMC.
•Assistance covers up to five hectares per beneficiary — 55% for small and marginal farmers and 45% for other farmers — and the same land becomes eligible again after seven years.

UPSCSSCBankingRailway

Read Analysisarrow_forward

Current Affairs Pulse

PIB Current Affairs — 29 August 2026

Foundation Stone Laid for 110 PMGSY-IV Roads Worth Rs 1,503 Crore in Udhampur Constituency

DRI Seizes 18 kg Amphetamine and MDMA as CBN's Operation Vajra 2.0 Nets 66.8 Lakh Tablets

National Sports Day 2026 Marks Dhyan Chand's 121st Birth Anniversary

Petroleum Ministry Defends Rs 2,110 per MMBtu CBG Price Under GOBARdhan Scheme

India and Argentina Hold 4th Joint Trade Committee Meeting in Buenos Aires

PM Visits Uzbekistan and Kyrgyz Republic, to Attend 26th SCO Summit at Bishkek

PMFBY Completes a Decade: 92.46 Crore Applications Insured, ₹2.06 Lakh Crore Paid

Per Drop More Crop Covers 115 Lakh Hectares Under Micro Irrigation