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Current Affairs — Tuesday, 4 August 2026
32 items
Tamil Nadu
- TN CM Vijay extends Free Breakfast Scheme to Middle School students
— The TVK government announced expansion of the scheme (originally launched under the previous DMK government) to cover middle school students, widening its reach beyond primary classes. (Welfare schemes, GS Paper II) - Tamil Nadu to move KMUT beneficiaries above 60 to pension scheme, hike aid to ₹1,500
— Elderly beneficiaries of the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam will be transitioned to the pension scheme with an enhanced monthly assistance of ₹1,500. (Social security, state welfare) - TN government to maintain two-language policy
— A Tamil Nadu minister confirmed the TVK government will continue the long-held two-language (Tamil and English) policy, ruling out any change. (Language policy, GS Paper II) - Cauvery water received by Tamil Nadu in July hits 50-year low
— Biligundulu recorded only 0.698 tmcft against the state's stipulated share of 31.24 tmcft; DMK members walked out of both Houses of Parliament in protest. (Interstate water disputes, River Boards Act) - Revised DPR for Cauvery project not yet received by Tribunal
— Minister of State Choudhury informed Kamal Haasan in Parliament that the Cauvery Water Management Authority is yet to receive the revised Detailed Project Report from Tamil Nadu. (Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal) - TNEA 2026 second round choice filling begins
— Choice filling for the second round of Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions counselling opened, with the window closing at 5 p.m. on August 5; Computer Science and ECE remain the most preferred branches. (Education, state admissions)
India — National
- Lok Sabha passes Bill to increase number of Supreme Court judges
— The Bill, passed amid Opposition disruptions in both Houses, will raise the sanctioned strength of SC judges; strengthens judicial capacity. (Article 124, Constitution of India, GS Paper II) - Prashant Kishor wins Bankipur bypoll; BJP chief Nitin Nabin's bastion falls in Bihar
— Jan Suraaj's Prashant Kishor stormed into the Bihar Assembly from Bankipur, a traditional BJP stronghold, signalling a significant political shift ahead of Bihar elections. (Electoral politics, GS Paper II) - Government to sell 6.5% stake in LIC at ₹382/share, expected to raise ₹31,000 crore
— The OFS of over 82.22 crore shares is part of the government's disinvestment programme for FY2026-27. (Disinvestment, GS Paper III) - Maharashtra Special Intensive Revision (SIR): Over 93% enumeration forms distributed, 72.89% digitised
— Wardha and Hingoli recorded 100% distribution; major cities like Pune, Mumbai Suburban lagged; process aimed at electoral roll updation. (Election Commission, GS Paper II) - ISRO issues memo to halt exodus of scientists from Gaganyaan and key missions
— ISRO will not accept voluntary retirement or resignation requests from Group A scientific and technical personnel associated with Gaganyaan and other critical projects until completion. (Space policy, GS Paper III) - Delhi Police moves against social media handles over misleading Jantar Mantar protest videos
— Meta and X have been asked to remove videos falsely portraying a concluded protest as ongoing; accounts identified for possible legal action under IT Act. (IT Act, Cybercrime) - Vikram Sarabhai Medal awarded to Astrophysicist Annapurni Subramaniam
— The prestigious award, given for outstanding contributions to space science, was conferred on the noted Indian astrophysicist. (Science awards, Space)
Economy & Finance
- RBI Monetary Policy Committee likely to keep interest rates unchanged on August 5
— The MPC is expected to hold the repo rate steady amid oil price volatility and inflation risks that saw CPI cross 4% in June for the first time in 16 months. (RBI MPC, monetary policy, GS Paper III) - India's Manufacturing PMI falls to 5-year low in July
— The HSBC India Manufacturing PMI declined sharply, reflecting challenging market conditions in new orders, output, and employment. (Economic indicators, GS Paper III) - FPIs reverse four-month selling trend with ₹20,200 crore net inflow in July
— Foreign Portfolio Investors returned to Indian markets citing stable domestic conditions, reasonable valuations, and improving earnings prospects. (Capital markets, GS Paper III) - Government proposes extending tax breaks for contract manufacturing to boost Apple supply chain
— India proposes clarifying tax laws so Apple's supply of machinery to Indian contract manufacturers does not create a "business connection" attracting Indian taxes on iPhone profits. (FDI, Make in India, GS Paper III) - Central government capex surges 66% in June; subsidy bill also jumps
— The sharp rise in capital expenditure signals increased public investment, though the parallel jump in subsidies raises fiscal concerns. (Union Budget, fiscal policy)
Science & Technology
- ISRO chief Somanath calls for more funding; says science must be priority of space missions
— ISRO's chairman stated that the agency's role is to mentor the private space ecosystem and the new space policy will support private players. (Space policy, IN-SPACe) - India proposes consent rules and curbs on AI autonomy under new law
— The Centre is weighing regulations on deepfakes and AI decision-making as part of a forthcoming digital governance law. (Digital India, IT regulation, GS Paper II) - Gig workers on Zomato, Urban Company embrace NPS; 1.5 lakh PRANs created via e-Shram
— HDFC Pension's CEO confirmed that the e-Shram–NPS integration enabled bulk PRAN creation for gig workers, marking a social security milestone for the informal sector. (Social security, gig economy, GS Paper II)
Environment
- Budget 2026-27: Air quality management outlay cut by 10%; pollution control also sees dip
— Reduced allocation for air quality management and pollution control raises concerns about India's ability to meet ambient air quality standards in major cities. (Environment budget, GS Paper III) - Greece wildfires: Over 12,000 hectares burned; 'water bombers' deployed
— EU's Copernicus programme confirmed the scale of destruction; relevant for understanding climate-linked disaster management. (Climate change, disaster management)
Sports
- Pochettino to remain USA head coach until 2030 FIFA World Cup
— Mauricio Pochettino, who led USA to the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup (co-hosted by USA, Canada, Mexico), has had his contract extended through the 2030 edition. (FIFA World Cup 2026/2030) - UEFA threatens FIFA with legal action over shelved World Cup stake-sale plan
— UEFA's letter named 18 FIFA executives, including president Infantino, to preserve evidence in anticipation of potential litigation over the failed commercialisation plan. (FIFA governance, Sports law) - Jordan Henderson joins Chelsea on 2-year deal after Brentford exit
— The 36-year-old becomes Chelsea's oldest signing since BlueCo's 2022 takeover. (Football transfers)
Appointments & Awards
- Justice M. Fathima Beevi conferred Padma Bhushan
— India's first female Supreme Court judge (appointed 1989) was awarded the Padma Bhushan, recognising her historic contribution to the judiciary. (Padma Awards, Article 124, GS Paper II) - Justice K.T. Thomas recommended for Padma Vibhushan
— The former Supreme Court judge, known for his judgments in high-profile cases, is set to receive India's second-highest civilian honour. (Padma Awards) - Justice Manikumar appointed as new State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) Chairman
— The appointment is relevant for understanding the structure of human rights protection bodies at state level. (SHRC, Protection of Human Rights Act, GS Paper II)
International
- Trump declares new Iran talks are "last chance" to avoid U.S. strikes; Iran denies negotiations
— Trump stated talks aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing Iran's nuclear programme are underway, but Iran's Foreign Ministry denied this, creating diplomatic uncertainty. (Iran nuclear deal, Strait of Hormuz, GS Paper II) - UN peace envoy meets Netanyahu on Gaza disarmament deal
— Nikolay Mladenov, High Representative for Gaza, pressed Israel to halt strikes as negotiations on Hamas weapons decommissioning continued. (West Asia conflict, UN peace process) - FM Nirmala Sitharaman at France panel: Middle-class consumption powering India's growth
— The Finance Minister, speaking at an international forum in France, highlighted India's domestic consumption story and urged Global Capability Centres (GCCs) to focus on innovation. (India's economic diplomacy)
- Quick Revision:
- 🔑 Cauvery July inflow hit a 50-year low — Tamil Nadu received only 0.698 tmcft at Biligundulu against its stipulated share of 31.24 tmcft
- 🔑 Lok Sabha passed a Bill to increase the number of Supreme Court judges (judges' strength governed by Article 124 of the Constitution)
- 🔑 Justice M. Fathima Beevi — India's first female Supreme Court judge — awarded Padma Bhushan in 2026