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Daily DigestArchive
Current Affairs — Wednesday, 5 August 2026
34 items
Tamil Nadu
- CM Vijay virtually inaugurates health facilities in Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, and Tirupattur
— New health centres replace three-decade-old tribal area facilities; inaugurated remotely by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. (State health infrastructure; CM Vijay government) - Tamil Nadu to extend Free Breakfast Scheme to Middle School students
— The TVK government expands the existing free breakfast programme, previously covering primary students, to middle school level across the state. (Social welfare scheme; 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 Thogai scheme aged above 60 will be migrated to pension coverage with enhanced financial assistance. (State welfare policy) - Udhayanidhi Stalin arrested for 'misogynist' remarks, released on bail
— DMK leader and Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested by Tamil Nadu Police over alleged misogynist remarks but was released on bail following Madras High Court directions. (Polity; judiciary; Article 21) - TVK government reaffirms two-language policy
— Tamil Nadu minister stated there will be no change to the state's two-language policy, maintaining the long-held Tamil Nadu position against the three-language formula. (Language policy; federalism) - Satyabrata Sahoo posted as Commissioner of Economics and Statistics
— IAS officer Satyabrata Sahoo has been appointed to the key statistical governance post in Tamil Nadu. (State appointments)
India — National
- Rajya Sabha passes Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill
— The Bill was passed amid Opposition protests; it aims to create a centralised national database of births and deaths. (Parliament; GS Paper II; Ministry of Home Affairs) - Article 370 abrogation: Security heightened as August 5 marks 7th anniversary
— Congress, PDP, and NC observed August 5 as 'Black Day'; police, Army and CRPF deployed across J&K with increased surveillance. (Constitutional history; Article 370; GS Paper II) - Assam floods linked to Nagaland mining; death toll reaches 87
— CM Himanta Biswa Sarma blamed illegal mining in Nagaland for triggering floods in Assam and said damage assessment begins August 9; Nagaland organisations denied the allegation. (Disaster management; inter-state relations) - Gujarat deploys 6,868 medical camps and 18,000 surveillance teams after floods
— Massive health response mounted across flood-affected Gujarat districts. (Disaster management; public health) - Hexavalent vaccine could strengthen Universal Immunisation Programme: Health Ministry study
— Introducing the hexavalent vaccine (covering 6 diseases in one shot) would reduce injections and ease pressure on healthcare workers, per a Union Health Ministry-backed study. (Health policy; UIP; GS Paper II) - Pellet gun debate reignited after Delhi protests
— Delhi Police denied using pellet guns at Parliament march but allegations against the Rapid Action Force revived legal questions about non-lethal crowd-control weapons in India. (Internal security; polity) - Chhattisgarh UCC panel invites public suggestions on proposed Uniform Civil Code
— The state-level Uniform Civil Code committee has asked civil society, political parties and religious groups to submit views. (Constitutional law; Article 44; GS Paper II)
Economy & Finance
- Government introduces Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026
— The Bill amends the Payment and Settlement Systems Act 2007, Income-tax Act 2025, and Finance Act 2026 to ease doing business, attract FDI, and boost Make in India. (Economic legislation; GS Paper III) - India's Manufacturing PMI falls to 5-year low in July
— The HSBC India Manufacturing PMI dropped sharply in July amid challenging market conditions, signalling slowing factory activity. (Economy; index; GS Paper III) - Central government capex surges 66% in June; subsidy bill also rises
— Capital expenditure saw sharp acceleration in June, though rising subsidy outgo signals fiscal pressure. (Union Budget; fiscal policy) - Export levy on petrol, diesel, and ATF hiked
— Government raised windfall taxes on fuel exports following fortnightly review; triggered by evolving West Asia conflict dynamics. (Energy policy; taxation) - RBI Monetary Policy Committee likely to hold interest rates unchanged
— MPC meeting on August 5 expected to keep repo rate steady amid oil price and inflation concerns. (RBI; monetary policy; GS Paper III)
Science & Technology
- New seahorse species discovered by Kerala researchers, named after marine biologist Amanda Vincent
— The new species was found in fish bycatch at Tuticorin fisheries harbour; identified and named by Kerala marine researchers. (Biodiversity; science; Tamil Nadu/Kerala angle) - SpaceX rocket stage expected to strike Moon near Einstein Crater
— The spent rocket stage was projected to impact the lunar surface on August 5 at 12:05 pm IST; astronomers globally prepared to observe. (Space; GS Paper III) - 'India can reach AI frontier in one year with $10-billion push'
— Experts called for a focused ₹83,000-crore investment push to position India at the cutting edge of Artificial Intelligence within 12 months. (Technology policy; Digital India) - Previously unknown alloy found in Hiroshima atomic bomb debris
— Scientists identified a high-entropy alloy with quasicrystal characteristics in 1945 blast remnants, offering new engineering insights. (Material science; world history)
Environment
- Assam floods cause severe damage; 87 dead, Nagaland mining blamed
— CM Sarma linked flooding to coal mining activity across the Nagaland border; damage assessment set to begin August 9. (Environment-disaster linkage; mining regulation) - Greece battles wildfires; over 12,000 hectares burned
— EU's Copernicus programme confirmed scale of destruction as water bomber aircraft were deployed; highlights climate-linked fire risks. (Climate change; international environment) - Madras High Court adjourns Pallikaranai construction ban cases to August 20
— Chief Justice's bench sought suggestions to balance environmental protection of the wetland with infrastructure development needs. (Environmental law; wetland conservation; Tamil Nadu)
Sports
- Sachin Siwach wins gold (60 kg), Preeti Pawar wins medal at CWG 2026 Boxing
— Both Indian boxers achieved record-breaking performances at the Commonwealth Games 2026 and are now targeting Asian Games gold. (Indian sports achievement; CWG 2026) - FIFA executive Arsene Wenger backs scrapping Gianni Infantino's World Cup 'sell-off' plan
— Wenger supported the decision to drop the controversial proposal to commercialise World Cup hosting rights, amid UEFA legal threats to Infantino. (FIFA governance; international sports) - Khelo India Scheme enters new phase; editorial calls for upgraded infrastructure and coach training
— The Hindu editorial highlighted the need for systemic investment in coaching and sports infrastructure under the revamped Khelo India programme. (Government scheme; sports policy)
Appointments & Awards
- Justice M. Fathima Beevi, first woman judge of the Supreme Court of India, passes away
— Justice Beevi, who made history as India's first female Supreme Court judge (appointed 1989), was posthumously conferred the Padma Bhushan. (Historic first; judiciary; GS Paper II) - Justice K.T. Thomas conferred Padma Vibhushan
— Retired Supreme Court judge K.T. Thomas, known for landmark judgments, was awarded the Padma Vibhushan. (National awards; judiciary) - Justice Manikumar appointed Chairman of State Human Rights Commission
— Justice Manikumar has been named the new chairman of the SHRC. (Appointments; human rights institutions)
International
- Indian-flagged vessel attacked in Red Sea; all 13 Indian nationals rescued
— MEA confirmed all crew members were safe; Indian Embassy in Riyadh coordinated with Yemeni authorities. (Maritime security; MEA; Indian diaspora) - Lebanon and Israel hold direct talks in Rome
— Delegations from both countries met at the US Embassy in Rome in a new round of direct negotiations, scheduled through August 6. (West Asia diplomacy; India's foreign policy context) - Bangladesh proposes death penalty for enforced disappearances
— A post-Sheikh Hasina commission recorded 1,569 cases of enforced disappearances during her tenure; Bangladesh legislature now proposes capital punishment for the crime. (South Asia; human rights; GS Paper II)
- Quick Revision:
- 🔑 Justice M. Fathima Beevi — India's first woman Supreme Court judge (1989), passed away; awarded Padma Bhushan posthumously
- 🔑 India Manufacturing PMI fell to a 5-year low in July 2026 (HSBC India Manufacturing PMI)
- 🔑 Rajya Sabha passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill on August 5, 2026, enabling a centralised national births/deaths database