Daily briefing
Current Affairs — 8 August 2026
The day's source-attributed current affairs for UPSC, organized for fast revision.
Articles from 8 August 2026
- Pay wall: Removing UPI’s free nature will not only be unpopular but also unfairParliament passed a bill that amends the Payments and Settlements Systems Act, enabling charges on some UPI transactions.Read analysis →
- SC directs Rajasthan to set up coordination group, commission to restore polluted riversSupreme Court ordered Rajasthan to form a Chief Secretary–headed coordination group within 7 days and a new State river commission to restore the Jojari, Bandi and Luni river system.Read analysis →
- SC to decide on Tamil Nadu’s quota for converted MuslimsThe Supreme Court has reserved its decision on a Tamil Nadu appeal against a Madras High Court ruling on reservation eligibility for converted Muslims.Read analysis →
- SC asks two Ghaziabad hospitals to pay ₹12 lakh to father of rape victimSupreme Court directed two private hospitals in Ghaziabad to pay ₹12 lakh to the family of a four-year-old rape victim who died after alleged delay in emergency medical treatment.Read analysis →
- Despite ruling, Trump signs orders to curtail birthright citizenshipDonald Trump signed two executive orders aimed at narrowing birthright citizenship after the US Supreme Court rejected his prior attempt on June 30.Read analysis →
- Meta ramps up censorship of protest, political reelsMeta is reported to have rapidly removed or blocked Instagram protest and political posts after Meta leadership meetings with the Union government.Read analysis →
- Is data protection law crippling RTI, asks SCThe Supreme Court agreed to examine how the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 interacts with RTI disclosures for “personal” information.Read analysis →
- Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 passed by ParliamentThe Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was passed by Lok Sabha on 7 August 2026 after Rajya Sabha approval on 3 August 2026, amending the MSMED Act for delayed-payment and dispute-resolution reforms.Read analysis →
- Expansion of Medical Education Infrastructure: Increase in Medical Colleges, MBBS and PG Seats; Key Schemes and Projects ApprovedPIB said medical education infrastructure in India expanded from 387 medical colleges (pre-2014) to 846, with MBBS and PG seats rising sharply between pre-2014 and the present.Read analysis →
- 48 projects approved under PLI Scheme for Bulk Drugs (KSMs/DIs/APIs)The Department of Pharmaceuticals approved 48 PLI Scheme for Bulk Drugs projects for KSMs/DIs/APIs under an outlay of ₹6,940 crore.Read analysis →
- No renewable energy project within 1 km of border: govt.Ministry of Home Affairs security guidelines ban renewable energy activity within 1 km of the international border and require security clearance up to 50 km.Read analysis →
- Paying for UPI: removing the free nature would be both unpopular and unfairA 2026 amendment-linked framework would let the government specify which UPI transaction types can be charged.Read analysis →
- 412th Report of Rajya Sabha Dept.-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change on Forest Fires in the Himalayan RegionRajya Sabha Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee tabled the 412th Report on Himalayan forest fires on 7 August 2026.Read analysis →
- The Digital Transformation of the Indian JudiciaryPIB Backgrounder highlights the e-Courts Mission Mode Project expanding digitisation, e-filing, e-Sewa Kendras, virtual courts, and AI pilots in the Indian judiciary.Read analysis →
- DRI and Assam Rifles recover 11 MT of smuggled foreign-origin poppy seeds in Assam godownDRI and Assam Rifles recovered around 11 MT of foreign-origin poppy seeds from a godown in Badarpur, Karimganj district, Assam during the night of 5–6 August 2026.Read analysis →
- Amrit Bharat Station Scheme progress in Jammu & Kashmir: redevelopment works at Budgam, Jammu Tawi, Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan; Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra in master planningRailway redevelopment under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is progressing across four Jammu & Kashmir stations, with three stations showing completed works and one station under master planning.Read analysis →
- RBI should hold rates, but inflation risks from global shocks remainRBI held the repo rate at 5.25% for the fourth straight MPC meeting despite June headline CPI inflation at 4.38%.Read analysis →
- Prudent approachRBI kept the repo rate at 5.25% in its August MPC amid crude-price-led inflation pressure and a focus on liquidity and foreign exchange resilience.Read analysis →
- Steps taken to strengthen food safety enforcementFSSAI and State/UT food safety authorities strengthened food safety enforcement through more testing capacity and consumer awareness tools.Read analysis →
- SECL leads India in scientific mine closure and repurposes reclaimed mines into community and renewable-energy assetsSECL reported scientific closure of 28 abandoned mines, and repurposed reclaimed sites into community facilities and renewable-energy projects in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.Read analysis →
- ROB/RUB construction and sanction status on Indian Railways in context of Jammu & Kashmir; measures to expedite worksMinistry of Railways announced ROB/RUB sanction and commissioning status and coordination steps to speed up works in Jammu & Kashmir.Read analysis →
- Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health & Family Welfare presents 175th, 176th and 177th ReportsRajya Sabha’s Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare presented the 175th, 176th and 177th reports on vector-borne diseases, healthcare affordability/access, and chronic kidney disease on 7 August 2026.Read analysis →
- Ministry of Ayush strengthens pharmacovigilance and regulatory actions to curb misleading advertisements for Ayush drugsAYUSH launched the IT-enabled “Ayush Suraksha” portal for tracking misleading/objectionable advertisements of Ayush drugs and reported actions, under its pharmacovigilance work.Read analysis →
- Too big to be cosy: the cracks within BJP’s expansion plans are showingBJP’s Sangh Parivar-linked organisational HR and expansion plan is paired with signals of internal friction, linked by the analysis to Bihar electoral loss and worker-level dissatisfaction.Read analysis →
- Implementation of AgriStack and Digital Agriculture MissionIndia’s Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare reports progress on integrating AgriStack farmer registries and crop estimation systems with farmer services and crop insurance initiatives.Read analysis →
- Ministry of Ayush: National AYUSH Mission activities and fund release for Ladakh (Leh and Kargil)PIB reports Ministry of Ayush funding and scheme activities under National AYUSH Mission (NAM) for Ladakh (Leh and Kargil) and a five-year utilisation gap.Read analysis →
- NMPB support for conservation and value-chain development of high-altitude medicinal plants in Ladakh; e-CHARAK marketing portalLadakh’s high-altitude medicinal plant cultivation and marketing support is implemented through NMPB’s CSS and the e-CHARAK portal.Read analysis →
- Regulatory and quality measures for AYUSH products: WHO-CoPP facilitation, AYUSH Standard/Quality marks, ISO work, and standardization efforts in KeralaGovernment of India announced steps to strengthen regulation, quality certification, and international standardisation for AYUSH products, with Kerala as a focus through ISO, QCI marks, and standardisation bodies.Read analysis →
- Government financial assistance to Kerala under National AYUSH Mission and support for medicinal plants and AYUSH CoEsKerala received Government financial assistance under the National AYUSH Mission and Ayurswasthya Yojana Centres of Excellence approvals, alongside NMPB-linked medicinal plants research support.Read analysis →
- Kerala’s AYUSH research and clinical initiatives: CCRAS/CCRUM/CCRH/CCRS units and ongoing research programmesKerala’s AYUSH research and clinical work is delivered through AYUSH Research Councils’ institutes across mental health, Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha medicine.Read analysis →