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Current Affairs — Tuesday, 25 August 2026
33 items
Tamil Nadu
- CM Vijay extends Free Breakfast Scheme to Middle School students
— The TVK government announced expansion of the existing free breakfast programme (launched under the previous DMK administration) to cover middle school students, broadening its reach significantly. (Welfare scheme; GS Paper II — State govt schemes) - TN government unveils ₹107-crore Rabies Control Project
— Minister Rajmohan announced the first phase will cover municipal corporations, municipalities, and town panchayats, making it one of the largest state-level rabies control initiatives. (Public health; GS Paper II — Health policy) - ₹41-crore stormwater drain project for Chennai's western areas
— Flood mitigation work covers Villivakkam, Ambattur, Korattur, Padi, and Anna Nagar West; sewage treatment plant at Tiruvottiyur to be upgraded for ₹42 crore. (Urban infrastructure; GS Paper I — Urbanisation) - WRD to complete Ennore backwaters dredging by October
— Work targeting invasive mussel species between Kattupalli and Puzhuthivakkam is aimed at restoring the ecological health of the backwaters. (Environment-infrastructure; GS Paper III — Environment) - TN government reaffirms two-language policy; rejects PM SHRI three-language scheme
— A state minister confirmed the TVK government will continue Tamil Nadu's long-held two-language policy; MDMK's Vaiko also urged CM Vijay to reject the scheme, citing Hindi imposition concerns. (Language policy; GS Paper II — Centre-State relations) - M.K. Stalin moves Madras High Court over Kolathur constituency election
— Former CM Stalin urges the court to order 100% VVPAT slip counting and nullify the election of TVK MLA V.S. Babu from Kolathur. (Electoral law; GS Paper II — Elections; Article 329)
India — National
- Simultaneous polls possible in 2029, says panel chief
— The panel overseeing 'One Nation One Election' indicated 2029 as a feasible target, keeping the constitutional and legislative reform agenda active. (GS Paper II — Constitutional reform; Kovind Committee) - NIA raids 5 locations in Operation Sindoor-linked cyber terrorism case
— The National Investigation Agency conducted searches across the country targeting individuals allegedly involved in cyber terrorism connected to Operation Sindoor. (Internal security; GS Paper III — Terrorism) - 23,000 CAA certificates issued; 2.07 lakh applications pending in West Bengal
— West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari said 2.3 lakh total applications were made under the Citizenship Amendment Act, with the bulk still pending processing. (GS Paper II — Citizenship; CAA 2019) - 9th National Security Strategies Conference commences
— The conference addressed key security challenges facing India, bringing together defence and intelligence stakeholders. (GS Paper III — Internal security) - Allahabad High Court refers Divisional Commissioner's conduct for criminal contempt
— The HC took serious exception to alleged attempts by an IAS officer to influence a civil judge through repeated phone calls, deepening a judicial-executive confrontation in UP. (GS Paper II — Judiciary; Rule of law) - Central government capex surges 66% in June; subsidy bill also jumps
— The sharp rise in capital expenditure signals renewed government spending push, though the simultaneous rise in subsidies raises fiscal management questions. (GS Paper III — Indian Economy; Fiscal policy) - Centre weighs curbs on AI autonomy and consent rules for deepfakes under new law
— The government is considering regulations mandating consent for AI-generated deepfakes, part of emerging digital governance framework. (GS Paper II/III — IT policy; Digital India)
Economy & Finance
- Government appoints three more members to RBI Central Board
— The fresh appointments to the Reserve Bank of India's Central Board strengthen its oversight capacity; RBI Board composition is a recurring exam topic. (GS Paper III — Banking; RBI governance) - RBI forex swap window draws $72.85 billion inflows till August 21
— The strong inflows into RBI's foreign exchange swap facility signal robust liquidity management and investor confidence. (GS Paper III — Monetary policy; Forex reserves) - Piyush Goyal: India negotiating FTAs with 8–9 more blocs, aims to cover 75% of global trade
— Commerce Minister announced India's FTA strategy targeting 75% of global trade coverage to position India as a key node in global value chains. (GS Paper II/III — International trade; Economic diplomacy) - PNGRB authorises ~1,800 km LPG pipeline infrastructure with ₹7,000 crore investment
— The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board's approval will expand India's LPG pipeline network by approximately 24%. (GS Paper III — Energy infrastructure; PNGRB) - Sugar prices rise sharply; Opposition blames ethanol diversion
— The diversion of sugarcane for ethanol blending under the National Biofuel Policy is cited as a key driver of sugar price inflation, affecting food CPI. (GS Paper III — Inflation; Ethanol blending programme)
Science & Technology
- PM Modi urges space startups to make India a global talent and investment hub
— Modi called on space startups to integrate with agriculture, livestock, and environmental sectors, signalling a whole-of-economy approach to the space economy. (GS Paper III — Space policy; IN-SPACe) - Gaganyaan Crew Escape System detailed — ISRO's last line of defence for astronauts
— The Crew Escape System uses powerful motors to pull the crew module away from a failing rocket during launch, a critical safety feature of India's first human spaceflight mission. (GS Paper III — ISRO; Gaganyaan) - UK forecasts 'biggest' El Niño on record, likely to spark hottest year globally
— El Niño brings drier conditions to Southeast Asia, Australia, and southern Africa, and poses significant agricultural and monsoon risks for India. (GS Paper I — Climatology; El Niño-Southern Oscillation) - Thunderquakes: New study shows lightning strikes generate seismic waves for urban seismology
— Researchers demonstrated that thunder-generated seismic waves can be used to map subsurface urban geology, a novel application of urban seismology. (GS Paper I — Science; Seismology)
Environment
- State of India's Environment 2026 Report flags rising climate risks, wildlife conflicts, and pollution monitoring gaps
— The annual report highlights increasing human-wildlife conflict, climate vulnerability, and inadequate air/water pollution monitoring infrastructure across India. (GS Paper III — Environment; Biodiversity) - Bihar pushes for Farakka Barrage Treaty to be scrapped, putting Centre in a bind
— Bihar's demand to renegotiate or scrap the 1996 India-Bangladesh Farakka Treaty stems from flooding concerns; complicates India's diplomatic ties with Bangladesh. (GS Paper II — Centre-State; India-Bangladesh relations)
Sports
- India's Sriram Balaji and Anirud Chandrasekar win Cancun Country Open Doubles title
— The Indian pair earned 125 ATP ranking points and a $9,900 prize, marking a notable achievement for Indian tennis on the ATP Challenger circuit. (GS Paper — Sports; Indian achievers) - Praggnanandhaa beats Keymer at GCT Grand Finale, stakes claim for finals
— R. Praggnanandhaa's win in the Global Chess Tour Grand Finale positions him as a strong contender for the championship finals. (GS Paper — Sports; Chess) - Pratitee takes sole lead in chess tournament with 6/7 points
— Indian player Pratitee holds sole lead, half a point ahead of nearest challengers, in an ongoing international chess event. (Indian sports achievement)
Appointments & Awards
- Justice M. Fathima Beevi conferred Padma Bhushan
— India's first female Supreme Court judge, Justice Fathima Beevi, was honoured with the Padma Bhushan, recognising her historic contribution to the judiciary. (GS Paper II — Judiciary; Firsts in India) - Padma Vibhushan announced for Justice K.T. Thomas
— The former Supreme Court judge, known for independent judgements including in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, is to receive India's second-highest civilian honour. (Appointments & Awards — Padma) - Padma awardee Justice J.S. Khehar noted for decisions often contradicting government positions
— The former Chief Justice of India, recipient of a Padma award, is highlighted for landmark judgements upholding judicial independence. (GS Paper II — Judiciary; CJI list)
International
- EAM Jaishankar meets Russian President Putin; focus on trade, energy, fertilisers, and high-tech
— The high-level meeting signals India's continued engagement with Russia on strategic economic sectors despite global geopolitical pressures. (GS Paper II — India's foreign policy; India-Russia relations) - India-China talks: Chinese scholar says 'structural differences have not disappeared'
— Leading Chinese strategic affairs analyst Hu Shisheng stated that border talks should focus on institutionalising stability rather than seeking dramatic settlements. (GS Paper II — India-China relations; Border disputes) - Canada announces retaliatory tariffs against the US on August 25
— PM Mark Carney signalled a shift from dollar-for-dollar matching to targeted retaliation, escalating the Canada-US trade war with implications for global supply chains. (GS Paper II — International relations; Global trade)
- Quick Revision:
- 🔹 Justice M. Fathima Beevi — India's first female Supreme Court judge, conferred Padma Bhushan (2026 Padma Awards)
- 🔹 PNGRB authorised ~1,800 km LPG pipeline infrastructure worth ₹7,000 crore, expanding India's LPG network by 24%
- 🔹 Tamil Nadu unveiled a ₹107-crore Rabies Control Project (Phase 1: municipal corporations, municipalities, town panchayats) and extended the Free Breakfast Scheme to Middle School students under CM Vijay's government