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Daily DigestArchive
Current Affairs — Sunday, 9 August 2026
35 items
Tamil Nadu
- CM Vijay inaugurates handloom expo
— Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay inaugurated a handloom exhibition, continuing the state government's focus on promoting traditional weaving industries and artisan livelihoods. (GS: State govt. schemes, textile sector) - CM Vijay writes to PM Modi opposing common entrance test for veterinary courses
— In a letter to the Prime Minister, CM Vijay urged him to advise the Veterinary Council of India to withdraw its decision to introduce a common entrance exam, asserting that admission criteria should remain under state jurisdiction. (GS: Centre-State relations, Article 246, federal structure) - Speaker refers DMK MLA's remarks against CM Vijay to Privileges Committee
— MLA Markandayan, who was arrested for remarks against the Chief Minister and is out on bail, was participating in Budget debate when the Speaker decided to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee. (GS: Legislative procedures, parliamentary privileges) - Tamil Nadu Budget 2026-27 — TVK government's first financial blueprint
— The TVK-led government faces fiscal consolidation challenges while meeting election promises including liquor shop closures, free electricity, and 8 grams of gold for women. (GS: State finances, welfare schemes) - Tamil Nadu to move KMUT beneficiaries above 60 to pension scheme, hike aid to ₹1,500
— The state government announced a transition of Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam beneficiaries aged above 60 to the pension scheme with enhanced financial assistance. (GS: Social welfare, women's empowerment schemes) - TASMAC begins online liquor bookings amid technical snags
— TASMAC launched an online booking portal that saw around 700 bookings on the first day, but billing machine problems and broken bottles in deliveries caused disruption. (GS: State excise policy, e-governance)
India — National
- IAF officer arrested for alleged leak of sensitive information to Pakistan-based operative
— An IAF officer came under surveillance after suspicious social media interactions with a woman linked to a Pakistan-based operative; security agencies were alerted by IAF intelligence. (GS: Internal security, espionage, defence) - Rahul Gandhi and Kiren Rijiju spar over linking women's quota law to delimitation
— Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi questioned why implementation of the women's reservation legislation had been held up for three years and unnecessarily linked to the delimitation exercise. (GS: 106th Constitutional Amendment, women's reservation, Parliament) - Government introduces Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026
— The Bill proposes to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act 2007, Income-tax Act 2025, and Finance Act 2026, aimed at easing business, attracting FDI, and enhancing Make in India. (GS: Parliamentary legislation, ease of doing business) - Manipur government reopens national highways after three years
— The state government announced free movement for all on national highways that had been blocked for three years amid ethnic conflict. (GS: Internal security, Northeast India, Article 355) - India sends peacocks to UN office in Geneva after 45 years
— India resumed the tradition of gifting peacocks — the national bird — to the United Nations office in Geneva, a symbolic diplomatic gesture after a 45-year gap. (GS: India's foreign policy, national symbols, soft diplomacy) - Railway Board directs officers to camp at accident sites to expedite probe
— A safety review by the Railway Board exposed delays in finalising accident inquiries across multiple cases and mandated officer presence at sites. (GS: Railway safety, governance) - Assam records world's first-ever release of captive-bred slender-billed vultures
— India achieved a global first by releasing captive-bred slender-billed vultures (Gyps tenuirostris) into the wild; India's Gyps vulture population has declined by 99% over the last 20 years due to veterinary use of diclofenac. (GS: Wildlife conservation, biodiversity, Environment Protection Act)
Economy & Finance
- India's Manufacturing PMI falls to 5-year low in July 2026
— The HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index declined amid challenging market conditions including weak new orders and output, signalling a slowdown in the sector. (GS: Economic indicators, industrial output) - Central government's capex surges 66% in June; subsidy bill also jumps
— Capital expenditure by the Centre saw a sharp 66% year-on-year rise in June 2026, even as the subsidy bill rose simultaneously, reflecting dual fiscal pressures. (GS: Union Budget, fiscal policy) - Inflation crossed 4% in June after 16 months amid fuel price hikes and weak monsoon
— Consumer price inflation breached the RBI's 4% target after 16 months, driven by fuel price increases and rainfall deficits affecting food prices. (GS: Monetary policy, RBI mandate, inflation targeting) - India proposes extending tax breaks for contract manufacturers — Apple beneficiary
— The government proposed tax relief conditions to ensure Apple's contract manufacturers in India are not exposed to taxes on iPhone profits, boosting the Make in India electronics push. (GS: FDI policy, PLI scheme, corporate taxation) - Export levy on petrol, diesel, and ATF hiked
— The government raised the windfall tax/export duty on petrol, diesel, and aviation turbine fuel following fortnightly reviews since the West Asia conflict peak in late March 2026. (GS: Energy policy, taxation)
Science & Technology
- NASA astronaut Anil Menon completes first spacewalk; joins Jessica Meir for ISS upgrade
— Indian-American astronaut Anil Menon undertook his first-ever spacewalk (281st in ISS support history) on August 5, 2026, alongside veteran astronaut Jessica Meir, to upgrade the International Space Station. (GS: Space exploration, Indian diaspora achievements) - AI4Bharat at IIT Madras collecting voices across India to build multilingual AI
— Researchers at IIT Madras's AI4Bharat initiative are documenting India's linguistic diversity to train AI systems capable of understanding and speaking Indian languages. (GS: Artificial intelligence, language technology, IITs) - Centre weighs regulations on AI autonomy and consent rules for deepfakes
— The government is considering new legal provisions under a proposed law to curb AI autonomy and mandate consent for deepfake creation. (GS: IT policy, digital governance, data protection) - Bio-fortified pearl millet safe for toddlers' gut health — India-US study
— A nine-month study conducted in Mumbai's urban slums found that iron- and zinc-fortified pearl millet did not harm gut health in toddlers, supporting its use to address micronutrient deficiency. (GS: Nutrition, food security, health research)
Environment
- Assam achieves world's first captive-bred slender-billed vulture release
— India's first-ever release of captive-bred slender-billed vultures marks a landmark in conservation; the species' population has crashed by 99% due to diclofenac, a veterinary painkiller. (GS: Biodiversity, wildlife conservation, Project Vulture) - Budget 2026-27: Air quality management outlay cut by 10%; pollution control also reduced
— The Union Budget 2026-27 reduced allocations for air quality management and pollution control, raising concerns among environmental experts about urban air quality. (GS: Environment policy, budget allocations) - Kerala reports decline in winter migratory birds due to climate change and habitat loss
— Long-term surveys and bird censuses confirm falling numbers of migratory species visiting Kerala in winter, with scientists citing climate change and degraded wetlands as causes. (GS: Biodiversity, climate change, wetland conservation)
Sports
- Shubman Gill skips practice match vs SLC XI due to finger injury; KL Rahul leads
— India's vice-captain Gill sustained a finger niggle in training ahead of the Sri Lanka tour; KL Rahul led the side in his absence during the warm-up game. (GS: Sports current affairs, cricket) - AFI chief Sumariwalla backs Neeraj Chopra after silver; celebrates decade of consistency
— Athletics Federation of India president Adille Sumariwalla praised Neeraj Chopra's global consistency since his junior world record of 86.48m in 2016, calling a silver medal still extraordinary. (GS: Athletics, Indian sports achievements) - Hockey legend Baskaran expresses confidence in India's Hockey World Cup prospects
— The 75-year-old Olympic gold medal-winning captain backed the Indian hockey team coached by Craig Fulton ahead of the upcoming World Cup. (GS: Hockey, Indian sports) - FIFA warns of efforts to undermine Infantino amid leadership crisis
— FIFA flagged attempts to destabilise President Gianni Infantino's leadership as a row over selling commercial rights worth $4.2 billion deepened the governance crisis at football's global body. (GS: International sports governance)
Appointments & Awards
- Justice M. Fathima Beevi — India's first woman Supreme Court judge — passes away; conferred Padma Bhushan
— Justice M. Fathima Beevi, the first woman to be appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of India, passed away and was posthumously honoured with the Padma Bhushan. (GS: Supreme Court history, women's firsts, Padma Awards) - Justice K.T. Thomas conferred Padma Vibhushan
— Former Supreme Court judge K.T. Thomas, known for significant judgments including the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, was awarded the Padma Vibhushan. (GS: Padma Awards, judiciary) - Spain moves to replace its India envoy over financial misconduct
— Spain initiated diplomatic action to recall and replace its ambassador to India following allegations of financial misconduct, a rare diplomatic development. (GS: Diplomacy, bilateral relations)
International
- Indo-Japan relations described as critical to Indo-Pacific stability
— Experts at a conference noted that the bilateral relationship between India and Japan will be pivotal to maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific region in the coming decade. (GS: India's foreign policy, Indo-Pacific strategy, Quad) - AMFI chairman: India will be Japan's biggest capital destination in a decade
— Sundeep Sikka, chairman of AMFI, stated that India's booming SIP culture has made it the top destination for Japanese capital, creating domestic buffers against foreign outflows. (GS: Foreign investment, capital markets, mutual funds) - Canadian PM Carney describes US trade talks as 'nasty' amid Trump criticism
— Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney acknowledged tense trade negotiations with the US, framing them as a matter of Canadian jobs and economic sovereignty. (GS: Global trade, US-Canada relations, impact on Indian exports)
- Quick Revision:
- 🔑 World's First: Assam released captive-bred slender-billed vultures (Gyps tenuirostris) into the wild — a global first; India's vulture population fell 99% due to diclofenac use in livestock
- 🔑 Historic First (Obituary): Justice M. Fathima Beevi — India's first woman Supreme Court judge — passed away and was conferred the Padma Bhushan
- 🔑 Space Milestone: Indian-American NASA astronaut Anil Menon completed his first spacewalk on August 5, 2026 — the 281st spacewalk in support of the International Space Station