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Daily DigestArchive
Current Affairs — Tuesday, 18 August 2026
35 items
Tamil Nadu
- CM Vijay extends Free Breakfast Scheme to Middle School students
— The TVK government announced expansion of the erstwhile DMK-era scheme (originally for primary school students) to middle school students, broadening its beneficiary base significantly. (GS: State welfare schemes, education policy) - TN government to launch health insurance for the elderly
— The state plans a dedicated health insurance scheme for senior citizens alongside a proposal to replace the 87-year-old Tamil Nadu Public Health Act, 1939, with a modern comprehensive law. (GS: Health policy, state legislation) - Cooperative crop loan waiver revised up to ₹75,000; expanded to all farmers
— Tamil Nadu government widened the cooperative crop loan waiver scheme, raising the ceiling to ₹75,000 and extending it to all farmers regardless of land holding category. (GS: Agricultural finance, state schemes) - TN to move KMUT beneficiaries above 60 to pension scheme; aid hiked to ₹1,500
— Beneficiaries of the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam (KMUT) aged over 60 will be shifted to the pension scheme, with assistance increased to ₹1,500/month. (GS: Social security, women welfare schemes) - TN to file review petition against eviction from Megamalai region
— The state government decided to challenge in court the eviction order affecting people living in the Megamalai forest region. (GS: Tribal rights, forest policy, Article 21) - DRI uncovers fraudulent arecanut imports under SAFTA; customs duty evasion exceeds ₹2,500 crore
— The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence found illegal misuse of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement to import arecanut and evade customs duty worth over ₹2,500 crore. (GS: Trade agreements, revenue enforcement, SAFTA)
India — National
- Supreme Court: No State can block traditional elephant corridors
— The SC directed the Centre to conduct a national survey to identify and remove obstructions from elephant corridors, and banned the use of firecrackers in these routes to reduce human-animal conflict. (GS: Wildlife protection, SC judgments, Environment) - Jharkhand cancels JSSC-CGL exam; CM orders probe into irregularities since 2014
— The Jharkhand government cancelled the State Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level exam amid paper leak allegations; State CID searched JSSC offices and made arrests, though students continue demanding a CBI inquiry. (GS: Exam integrity, state governance) - Left parties demand scrapping of NTA and NEP after UGC-NET paper errors
— CPI(M), CPI, and CPI(ML) called for dismantling the National Testing Agency and overhauling the National Education Policy following the announcement of a UGC-NET retest due to paper errors. (GS: Education policy, NEP 2020) - Odisha floods affect 7.85 lakh people across 6 districts
— CM Mohan Charan Majhi visited Jajpur district to assess flood relief; Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari accompanied the visit. (GS: Disaster management, state governance) - Over 2.07 crore voter enumeration forms uncollected in Maharashtra
— NCP-SP's Rohit Pawar alleged Booth Level Officers conducted surveys from desks with BJP inputs, raising concerns about Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. (GS: Electoral rolls, Election Commission, democracy) - 73.39 lakh voters dropped in Telangana SIR draft rolls; 92 lakh to receive notices
— The draft Special Intensive Revision rolls in Telangana show significant voter deletions, raising concerns about enfranchisement. (GS: Electoral process, voters' rights) - Government rolls out foreign asset disclosure scheme for small taxpayers
— Undisclosed foreign assets declared under the new scheme attract 30% tax plus an equal penalty amount, effectively a 60% levy. (GS: Tax compliance, black money, foreign assets)
Economy & Finance
- Government to announce high-level panel on 'Banking for Viksit Bharat'
— Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met bankers to discuss deposit mobilisation and banking for Gen Z; the Budget had proposed this committee to align the banking sector with India's 2047 growth vision. (GS: Banking reforms, Budget 2026-27, Viksit Bharat) - Central government capex surges 66% in June; subsidy bill also rises
— Capital expenditure jumped 66% year-on-year in June 2026, signalling accelerated infrastructure push, though the subsidy outlay also increased simultaneously. (GS: Fiscal policy, public expenditure) - Government reduces export duty on petrol to nil; diesel and ATF duty also cut
— The fortnightly fuel duty review led to a nil export duty on petrol and reductions on diesel and aviation turbine fuel (ATF) to ensure domestic availability. (GS: Petroleum policy, taxation, energy) - Inflation crossed 4% in June after 16 months; RBI rate panel likely to hold rates
— Fuel price hikes and weak monsoon rains pushed retail inflation above the 4% RBI target for the first time in 16 months; the Monetary Policy Committee is expected to keep repo rate unchanged. (GS: RBI, MPC, CPI inflation, monetary policy) - MDR charge on UPI under government consideration; cash usage quickening
— The government is weighing a Merchant Discount Rate on UPI transactions; data shows UPI growth consistently slowing since 2021-22 while cash usage is rising again. (GS: Digital payments, fintech policy, RBI)
Science & Technology
- Maharashtra earthquake swarm explained
— A pattern of multiple small earthquakes over a fortnight in Maharashtra is termed an "earthquake swarm" by seismologists; the state has experienced such swarms before due to reservoir-induced seismicity and tectonic stress. (GS: Geophysics, disaster preparedness) - Unusual black hole at universe's dawn discovered
— An international team found a young, rapidly growing black hole surrounded by dust at the early universe, potentially explaining "red dot" astronomical anomalies observed by the James Webb Space Telescope. (GS: Space science, astronomy) - Centre weighs consent rules for deepfakes and curbs on AI autonomy under new law
— The government is formulating provisions under a new legal framework to regulate AI-generated deepfakes and autonomous AI decision-making, requiring user consent. (GS: AI regulation, IT law, data protection) - AI wildlife visuals raise conservation concerns
— Conservationists warn that AI-generated images portraying wild animals as cute fuel exploitation and make it difficult for the public to distinguish real wildlife behaviour from fiction. (GS: Technology & conservation, social media policy)
Environment
- Supreme Court bans obstruction of elephant corridors; orders national survey
— The court ruled no state can block traditional elephant migratory routes and directed the Centre to map all corridors nationally and prohibit firecrackers in these zones. (GS: Wildlife Protection Act, human-animal conflict, SC directives) - Budget 2026-27: Air quality management outlay cut 10%; pollution control also reduced
— The Union Budget reduced allocations for air quality management and pollution control, drawing criticism from environmentalists amid ongoing urban air pollution crises. (GS: Budget, environment policy, NCAP) - Tamil Nadu files review petition against Megamalai evictions
— TN challenged court-ordered evictions from the Megamalai forest region, reflecting ongoing tension between forest conservation mandates and the rights of forest-dwelling communities. (GS: Forest Rights Act, tribal rights, Article 21)
Sports
- Hockey World Cup: England beats India 4-2; India advances questioned
— India showed tactical deficiencies inside the striking circle as England rallied to win 4-2; head coach Craig Fulton admitted defensive lapses. (GS: Sports, Hockey World Cup 2026) - Galle Test: India takes big lead; Sri Lanka all out for 284 in response to 462
— Axar Patel's Suthar claimed a four-wicket haul and Ravindra Jadeja scalped wickets as Sri Lanka posted 284, with Dinusha and Dickwella adding 146 for the sixth wicket. (GS: Cricket, India tour of Sri Lanka) - TNPL 2026: Net Run Rate separates second and fifth placed teams
— The Tamil Nadu Premier League's second phase shifts to Chennai with very tight standings among the top five teams. (GS: State-level cricket, sports)
Appointments & Awards
- Justice M. Fathima Beevi conferred Padma Bhushan
— India's first female Supreme Court judge, Justice M. Fathima Beevi, was awarded the Padma Bhushan, recognising her landmark judicial career. (GS: Padma Awards, judiciary, women firsts) - Former CJI J.S. Khehar receives Padma award
— Justice J.S. Khehar, who headed the nine-judge bench on privacy as a fundamental right and often ruled against the government, received the recognition. (GS: Padma Awards, Supreme Court, Right to Privacy – Justice K.S. Puttaswamy case) - Justice K.T. Thomas awarded Padma Vibhushan
— The former Supreme Court judge who had urged then-Congress president Sonia Gandhi to show clemency toward Rajiv Gandhi's assassins received the Padma Vibhushan. (GS: Padma Vibhushan, Supreme Court judges) - Deepak Mhaskey named BJP's new national social media convener
— The 58-year-old Chemistry professor-turned-politician from Chhattisgarh was appointed to head BJP's national social media strategy. (GS: Political appointments, BJP organisation)
International
- Turkey's Erdogan urges Trump to pursue diplomacy with Iran amid Strait of Hormuz tensions
— As West Asia tensions escalate, Turkish President Erdogan offered to mediate between the US and Iran; 16 Indian sailors aboard AM Pioneer face pressure to transit the high-risk Strait of Hormuz. (GS: India's maritime interests, West Asia, Strait of Hormuz) - Russia strikes Ukraine's Izmail and Odesa ports
— Overnight Russian strikes targeted Izmail (Ukraine's largest Danube port, near the Romanian border) and Odesa, threatening grain export routes critical to global food security. (GS: Russia-Ukraine war, global food security, international relations) - Afghan Embassy in Delhi marks 5 years of Taliban rule
— The Taliban, which took power on August 15, 2021, celebrated its fifth anniversary; aid groups warned of an escalating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. (GS: India-Afghanistan relations, Taliban, South Asia)
- Quick Revision:
- 🔑 Justice M. Fathima Beevi — India's first female Supreme Court judge, awarded Padma Bhushan (2026)
- 🔑 DRI uncovered fraudulent SAFTA misuse in arecanut imports; customs duty evasion exceeds ₹2,500 crore
- 🔑 Supreme Court directed Centre to conduct a national survey of elephant corridors and banned firecrackers in those zones — no state can legally obstruct traditional elephant migratory routes