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Daily DigestArchive
Current Affairs — Wednesday, 26 August 2026
35 items
Tamil Nadu
- CM Vijay extends Free Breakfast Scheme to Middle School students
— The TVK government announced expansion of the existing scheme (launched under the previous DMK government) to cover middle school students, significantly widening its reach across Tamil Nadu. (Welfare scheme; GS Paper II — State government initiatives) - TN IT Minister announces app for 500 government services
— The app will allow citizens to directly access services including birth certificates, family cards (ration cards), and driving licence renewals through a single platform. (e-Governance; Digital India angle) - CM Vijay's Rule 110 announcements — policy cost analysis
— Key welfare promises including closure of liquor shops, free electricity, and 8 gm of gold to women are under scrutiny for fiscal impact; the government reaffirmed commitment to implementation. (State finance; GS Paper II) - TN government reaffirms two-language policy, rejects PM SHRI three-language scheme
— A Tamil Nadu minister stated the TVK government will follow the state's long-held two-language policy; MDMK chief Vaiko also urged CM Vijay to reject the PM SHRI scheme citing Hindi imposition concerns. (Language policy; Centre-State relations) - TNCC president accuses Centre of withholding ₹2,087 crore in MGNREGS funds
— Congress leader Manickam Tagore, citing RTI data, alleged the Centre is denying Tamil Nadu its due funds under MGNREGS, calling it "step-motherly treatment." (Centre-State fiscal relations; MGNREGS) - Mordhana Dam canals desilted ahead of water release in Vellore
— WRD confirmed canal desilting completed; dam currently holds 235.03 mcft against a capacity of 261.3 mcft. (Water resource management; Tamil Nadu infrastructure)
India — National
- Former CDS Anil Chauhan: loitering munition may have hit Kirana Hills during Operation Sindoor
— Kirana Hills near Sargodha hosts Pakistan's nuclear-related facilities; the statement raises significant strategic and escalation concerns about India's May 2026 military operation. (Defence; Operation Sindoor; GS Paper III — Internal Security) - Ajit Doval and Wang Yi meet to make progress on boundary delimitation
— India's National Security Advisor and China's top diplomat discussed advancing the border demarcation process, signalling continued diplomatic engagement post-disengagement. (India-China relations; GS Paper II — IR) - UN Committee calls on India to urgently address hate speech and hate crimes
— The UN body urged India to ensure accountability for discrimination violations and also called for suspension and review of the NRC. (Human rights; Constitutional rights; GS Paper II) - Amit Shah urges security agencies to identify and eliminate threats early
— The Home Minister stated India's security policy must account for geopolitical instability, energy insecurity, rising radicalisation, and cyber misinformation. (Internal security; GS Paper III) - PM Modi reviews cyber fraud cases, calls for regular capacity building
— The PM directed security and law enforcement agencies to build regular capacity to tackle the rising threat of cyber fraud. (Cybersecurity; GS Paper III) - NITI Aayog flags weak job linkages in 'generic degrees' like BA, B.Sc, B.Com
— The policy body recommended reforms to make undergraduate programmes more employment-oriented. (Education policy; NEP; GS Paper II) - Centre weighs consent rules for deepfakes and curbs on AI autonomy under new law
— The government is considering legislation to regulate deepfakes and limit AI decision-making autonomy, relevant to India's emerging digital governance framework. (IT law; AI regulation; GS Paper III)
Economy & Finance
- UPI completes 10 years — transaction volume surges 13,000-fold
— Annual UPI transaction volume rose from 1.78 crore in 2016–17 to over 24,162 crore in 2025–26; value rose 4,000-fold, according to the Finance Ministry. (Digital payments; fintech; GS Paper III — key statistics) - Infrastructure projects see cost overrun of ₹3.4 lakh crore: MoSPI
— Of 1,775 ongoing projects across 17 central ministries, the revised total cost stands at ₹37.1 lakh crore against original estimates; a major fiscal accountability concern. (Public expenditure; GS Paper III) - Government appoints three more members to RBI Central Board
— The appointments strengthen the governance structure of the Reserve Bank of India. (RBI governance; GS Paper III — Banking) - Sugar ex-mill prices fall 18% to ₹55/kg after government intervention
— Food Secretary confirmed prices dropped after import moves and curbs on hoarding; annual domestic demand is 280–285 lakh tonnes. (Food inflation; commodity prices; GS Paper III) - NASSCOM strongly opposes U.S. DHS proposal to fix H-1B visa fee at $1,03,265
— NASSCOM argued Indian tech firms have steadily expanded local U.S. hiring and the fee hike would harm the bilateral tech relationship. (IT industry; India-US trade; GS Paper II) - Central government capex surges 66% in June; subsidy bill also rises
— The dual surge indicates continued infrastructure push alongside fiscal pressure from welfare commitments. (Union Budget; fiscal policy; GS Paper III)
Science & Technology
- China abruptly postpones Chang'e-7 lunar mission launch
— The mission, aimed at the lunar south pole and originally set for imminent launch from Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan, has been postponed without a new date. (Space; GS Paper III — international science) - RBI forex swap window draws $72.85 billion inflows till August 21
— The central bank's dollar-rupee swap window has attracted substantial inflows, helping manage rupee liquidity. (Monetary tools; RBI operations; GS Paper III) - Study links India's street-dog population to predictable food availability
— Research found sterilisation and vaccination alone have limited impact without addressing the root demographic driver — subsidised food sources including garbage access. (Public health; animal management policy) - UK forecasts 'biggest-ever' El Niño likely to break records and drive hottest year
— El Niño typically causes drier conditions in South/Southeast Asia and Australia, with direct implications for India's monsoon and agriculture. (Climate; GS Paper I — Geography)
Environment
- State of India's Environment 2026 Report highlights rising climate risks, wildlife conflicts, and pollution monitoring gaps
— The report flags increasing human-wildlife conflict, growing climate vulnerability, and inadequate pollution tracking infrastructure across Indian states. (Environment policy; GS Paper III) - Iran and Oman hold talks on managing Strait of Hormuz amid regional tensions
— A joint framework proposes a navigational corridor and mine-clearance cooperation; critical for India given its energy imports through the strait. (Geopolitics; energy security; GS Paper II)
Sports
- India women's cricket team to play UAE Asia Cup T20 and Asian Games
— Fresh from winning India's first-ever women's Test match at Lord's against England, captain Harmanpreet Kaur says the team is "hungry for more." (Cricket; women's sports; key first) - Roger Federer returns to US Open for exhibition match against Andy Roddick
— Five-time US Open champion Federer played a farewell exhibition at Arthur Ashe Stadium against long-time rival Roddick. (Tennis; sports history) - TNPL: Grand Cholas vs Kovai Kings match-up set
— The Tamil Nadu Premier League clash is billed as a contest between two evenly matched sides. (State cricket; TNPL)
Appointments & Awards
- Justice M. Fathima Beevi — India's first female Supreme Court judge — conferred Padma Bhushan
— The historic jurist, who broke the gender barrier in the Supreme Court, has been recognised with India's third-highest civilian honour. (Padma Awards; judiciary; key first — exam-important) - Padma Vibhushan awarded to Justice K.T. Thomas
— The former Supreme Court judge, known for independent judgments, receives India's second-highest civilian honour. (Padma Awards; judiciary) - Padma awardee Justice J.S. Khehar recognised
— The former Chief Justice of India, known for rulings that often contradicted government positions, has received a Padma honour. (Judiciary; CJI history) - Justice Manikumar appointed as new State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) Chairman
— The appointment is relevant to Tamil Nadu's human rights institutional framework. (Appointments; SHRC; Tamil Nadu)
International
- NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani opposes RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's Madison Square Garden event
— The mayor cited his vision of India as a pluralistic secular republic; protests under "No Platform for Hate" banner were also held by Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Dalit and interfaith groups. (India-US relations; diaspora politics; GS Paper II) - U.S. Treasury announces 'Operation Economic Outcast' — new Iran sanctions hit four India-based companies
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced sanctions targeting all revenue sources for Iran; four Indian firms are affected, raising trade compliance concerns. (India-US-Iran; sanctions; GS Paper II) - U.S. military strikes vessel in Caribbean killing four — human rights groups call it unlawful
— Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and UN experts have condemned the strikes; raises issues of international humanitarian law. (International law; GS Paper II)
- Quick Revision:
- 🔑 UPI turns 10: Transaction volume grew from 1.78 crore (2016–17) to 24,162 crore (2025–26) — a 13,000-fold surge; value rose 4,000-fold
- 🔑 Justice M. Fathima Beevi — India's first woman Supreme Court judge — awarded Padma Bhushan (2026)
- 🔑 Operation Sindoor: Former CDS Anil Chauhan revealed a loitering munition may have struck Kirana Hills near Pakistan's Sargodha — site of nuclear-related facilities