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Daily DigestArchive
Current Affairs — Thursday, 13 August 2026
33 items
Tamil Nadu
- CM Vijay mandates private schools to publicly display government-approved fee structures
— A strict directive aimed at eliminating hidden charges and unauthorised fee hikes, bringing transparency to school admissions; relevant to State Education Policy and Consumer Rights. - TN Finance Minister Marie Wilson states CM Vijay is determined to limit borrowings
— Government asserts that public welfare schemes remain funded despite fiscal caution; relevant to State Finance and Fiscal Federalism (GS Paper 3). - Tamil Nadu to transition KMUT beneficiaries above 60 to pension scheme, hike aid to ₹1,500
— Beneficiaries of the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam (erstwhile DMK-era scheme) aged above 60 will be moved to a pension framework with enhanced support; relevant to Social Security schemes. - TVK government confirms no change in two-language policy
— A minister clarified that the state will continue its long-held two-language (Tamil and English) policy, distancing itself from NEP's three-language formula; relevant to Language Policy and Centre-State relations. - PIL filed in Madras High Court against TASMAC's online liquor booking facility
— PMK-affiliated advocate K. Balu challenges the digital liquor booking system; relevant to Judicial Review, State Excise Policy, and TASMAC regulation. - NIA searches 13 locations across Tamil Nadu and Mizoram following methamphetamine seizure
— Eight Tamil Nadu and five Mizoram locations searched; ₹71 lakh cash, $53,500, and 1,50,000 Myanmar Kyat seized along with digital devices; relevant to NIA jurisdiction and drug trafficking laws.
India — National
- FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026 referred to Joint Parliamentary Committee
— Lok Sabha adopts motion to send the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill to a JPC following appeals by minority groups; relevant to Parliament procedures and civil society regulation. - Parliament passes Bill to rename Kerala as 'Keralam'
— Constitutional amendment for official renaming of the state; relevant to Article 3 of the Constitution (renaming of states) and linguistic identity. - National Cooperative Development Corporation Bill receives Lok Sabha approval
— Strengthens the statutory framework for cooperative development; relevant to Cooperative Movement, Article 43B (Directive Principles), and 97th Constitutional Amendment. - NIA arrests first accused in Manipur IED attack case that killed two children
— Marks a significant breakthrough in tackling insurgency-linked violence in Manipur; relevant to Internal Security, NIA Act. - Faith healing outbreak kills seven tribal Baiga children in Madhya Pradesh
— A Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) community's reliance on faith healing over modern medicine led to the tragedy; relevant to PVTG policy, tribal welfare, and public health administration. - Rajya Sabha disrupted over 'lungiwala' remark against CPI(M) MP John Brittas
— BJP MP Sushmita Dev's remark triggers uproar; Chair calls for respect of regional identities; relevant to Parliamentary privileges and decorum. - Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann seeks parole for Hawara, convicted in ex-CM Beant Singh assassination case
— Mann wrote to the Punjab Governor requesting 10-day parole on humanitarian grounds after 31 years of imprisonment; relevant to Governor's powers and parole provisions.
Economy & Finance
- Retail inflation rises to 19-month high of 4.45% in July 2026
— Driven by food, restaurant, accommodation, and transport costs; healthcare and recreation inflation cooled marginally; relevant to CPI data, RBI monetary policy (GS Paper 3). - Net direct tax collections grow 23% to ₹8.11 lakh crore
— Growth driven by higher non-corporate taxes; refund issuances grew a modest 3.8% to ₹1.43 lakh crore; relevant to Union Budget, fiscal health. - Government mulls MDR charge or 'tiered incentives' to make UPI financially self-sustaining
— Parliamentary Standing Committee flags ₹18,700 crore gap between ₹2,000 crore allocation and ₹20,700 crore operational cost; relevant to Digital Payments Policy and FinTech regulation. - Central government capital expenditure surges 66% in June; subsidy bill also rises
— Signals accelerated infrastructure push alongside rising welfare spending burden; relevant to Union Budget execution and fiscal management. - Fitch retains India's BBB- sovereign rating citing robust growth; flags fiscal risks from youth protests
— India has held BBB- (lowest investment grade) since 2006; relevant to Sovereign Credit Rating and macroeconomic stability. - Public sector banks' bad loan write-offs shrink as recoveries improve
— Large industries no longer the primary category of written-off loans; signals improving NPA management in PSBs; relevant to Banking Sector Reforms.
Science & Technology
- NASA officially invites ISRO to collaborate on Moon Base programme
— Invitation extended at the ninth India-U.S. Civil Space meeting; marks a major milestone in India-U.S. space cooperation; relevant to Space Policy, bilateral relations, and ISRO's global role. - Three new cascade frog species discovered in Northeast India
— One species named in honour of Kerala social worker Padmini Varkey; five additional species documented in India for the first time; relevant to Biodiversity and Wildlife conservation. - Chennai hospital launches 5G-enabled continuous care ambulance fleet
— First-of-its-kind initiative integrating 5G connectivity for real-time patient monitoring during transit; relevant to Health Technology and Digital India. - Western Europe's first total solar eclipse in 27 years observed over Iceland and northern Spain
— Raman Research Institute (RRI) scientists predicted 'petal-like' structures in the Sun's corona; relevant to Astronomy and scientific research.
Environment
- Budget 2026-27 sees 10% cut in air quality management outlay; pollution control spending also dips
— Reduction raises concerns about India's commitment to clean air targets under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP); relevant to Environment Policy and Budget priorities. - India revives trade pact talks with Southern African Customs Union (SACU)
— SACU comprises South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini; earlier five rounds (2002–2010) had failed; relevant to India's trade diplomacy and natural resource access.
Sports
- Praggnanandhaa beats Sindarov at Sinquefield Cup
— Indian chess prodigy R. Praggnanandhaa secured a clinical endgame victory in the prestigious Sinquefield Cup; relevant to Indian chess achievements in international competition. - Indian fencing team wins five more medals at Commonwealth Fencing Championships
— Strong performances in senior women's foil, senior men's epee, and senior men's sabre; India's combined medal tally becomes extraordinary on Day 3; relevant to Commonwealth sports and Indian fencing achievements.
Appointments & Awards
- Justice M. Fathima Beevi — India's first female Supreme Court judge — conferred Padma Bhushan
— Historic recognition for the trailblazing jurist who broke the glass ceiling in India's apex judiciary; relevant to Padma Awards and Judicial milestones. - Former Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar conferred Padma award
— Known for judgments that often contradicted the government's stance; relevant to Judiciary independence and Padma Awards. - Former Supreme Court Justice K.T. Thomas conferred Padma Vibhushan
— Notable for urging clemency for Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts; relevant to Padma Awards and Judicial history.
International
- India and Southern African Customs Union (SACU) revive Free Trade Agreement talks
— Talks resume after five failed rounds between 2002–2010; SACU members are South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini; relevant to India's trade diplomacy and Africa outreach policy. - U.S. helicopter fires on ship attempting to break Iran port blockade
— Third such incident since the U.S. reinstated Iran port blockade on 14 July 2026; India's LPG supply from U.S. assumes importance amid Strait of Hormuz tensions; relevant to India's energy security. - India-U.S. trade tensions: RSS economic wing Swadeshi Jagaran Manch urges Centre to resist U.S. tariff pressure
— SJM argues trade negotiations must be based on equality, reciprocity, and mutual respect; relevant to India-U.S. trade relations and economic nationalism.
- Quick Revision:
- 🔹 Parliament passed a Bill renaming Kerala as 'Keralam' under Article 3 of the Constitution — a first for the state and highly exam-probable.
- 🔹 Retail inflation hit a 19-month high of 4.45% in July 2026, driven by food and transport costs — key data point for RBI and economy questions.
- 🔹 NASA invited ISRO to join its Moon Base programme at the 9th India-U.S. Civil Space meeting — important for Space Policy and India-U.S. bilateral relations questions.