Daily briefing
Current Affairs — 13 August 2026
The day's source-attributed current affairs for UPSC, organized for fast revision.
Articles from 13 August 2026
- IMD strengthens early warning systems under Mission Mausam: Doppler radars, AWS, flood forecasting, tsunami alertsIMD strengthened multi-hazard early warning under Mission Mausam using 50 Doppler Weather Radars, 1,008 Automatic Weather Stations, 6,885 rain gauge stations, flood forecasting desks, and INCOIS tsunami alerts.Read analysis →
- Supreme Court clarifies scope of police custody under BNSSSupreme Court clarified how Section 187(2) of the BNSS lets police custody be sought in a 15-day total window in parts, without an absolute non-extendable first-stage cap.Read analysis →
- A timely reset for the Food Security ActIndia’s draft National Food Security (Amendment) Bill, 2026 is debated for shifting grain entitlements from a household-based rule to a per-person cap—while nutrition security and NCD risk remain insufficiently addressed.Read analysis →
- Will have to see if there was split in Shiv Sena: SCSupreme Court adjourns hearing on Shiv Sena (UBT) petitions challenging the Election Commission’s 17 February 2023 order over party split and anti-defection determination.Read analysis →
- SC says it will examine whether Shiv Sena split percolated from legislature party to organisation and primary membershipSupreme Court proceedings in the Shiv Sena UBT challenge to Election Commission recognition of the Shinde faction focused on how a Tenth Schedule split should be assessed across legislature and party organisation.Read analysis →
- SOFTENED STANCE / Editorial and Opinion package (preview)The proposed amendments to India’s Foreign Contribution (Regulation) regime are criticised for linking renewal outcomes and certificate lapse to revocation-linked consequences for foreign-funded assets and limited hearing.Read analysis →
- RBI propose new interest-rate frameworkReports say the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has floated a new interest-rate framework to improve rate-setting clarity and interest-rate transmission.Read analysis →
- Top court orders CBI probe into Chhattisgarh custodial deathSupreme Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe a custodial death in Chhattisgarh after allegations questioned how the person died in custody and the court found existing explanations unsatisfactory.Read analysis →
- Affordable and Accessible Healthcare for AllPIB backgrounder lists expanded coverage, infrastructure, and digital systems across Ayushman Bharat, NHM and ABDM, with reported outcome indicators up to mid-2026.Read analysis →
- NDMA framework and preparedness measures for biological biosecurity threats in IndiaMoHFW has been designated nodal for biological disasters, with NDMA’s 2008 biological-disaster guidelines and the NDM Plan 2019 covering prevention, preparedness, early detection, containment and coordinated response.Read analysis →
- Government to protect children online while enabling safe access to digital technologiesThe Ministry of Women and Child Development outlined legal and institutional safeguards for children’s online safety under India’s IT and data protection framework.Read analysis →
- Landscape-level governance: Management Effectiveness Evaluation and Regional Action Plans for elephant-bearing regionsThe Government of India is rolling out the Management Effectiveness Evaluation framework for Elephant Reserves and developing Regional Action Plans for all elephant-bearing regions.Read analysis →
- Centre softens stance on FCRA Bill; following appeals, Lok Sabha refers Bill to Joint Parliamentary CommitteeThe Lok Sabha referred the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) after a motion moved by the Minister of State for Home Affairs was adopted despite opposition uproar.Read analysis →
- Charges against Justice Varma 'proved': panelA Lok Sabha Speaker-constituted three-member inquiry committee concluded that charges against former Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Verma were “proved” in a burnt-currency case linked to a fire at his official residence.Read analysis →
- Reforming India’s Tribunal SystemParliament passed the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026 to shift tribunal appointments and oversight to a judiciary-led National Tribunals Commission (NTC).Read analysis →
- Putin threatens to seize EU ships if Europe targets Russian vesselsVladimir Putin warned that Russia could seize EU ships if European countries target Russian vessels, raising Black Sea maritime escalation risk.Read analysis →
- Financial Inclusion in India: Banking Every Citizen, Empowering Every HouseholdPIB backgrounder reports major gains in India’s financial inclusion using RBI’s Financial Inclusion (FI) Index, World Bank Global Findex, and coverage through bank branches, Business Correspondents, and India Post Payments Bank (IPPB).Read analysis →
- Himalayan hazard and glacier monitoring; sea-level rise research and coastal observation networksMoES institutions are running Himalayan glacier and flood monitoring and building coastal observation and sea-level rise research under the Deep Ocean Mission.Read analysis →
- World Elephant Day: India’s elephant conservation initiativesWorld Elephant Day (12 August) spotlights India’s wildlife monitoring and habitat protection for Asian elephants through Project Elephant, elephant reserves, and corridor conservation.Read analysis →
- Nicobar project: tribal council says its concerns are being overlookedThe Tribal Council of Great and Little Nicobar alleges the Andaman and Nicobar administration is linking Shompen “modern lifestyle” guidance to the Great Nicobar Island (GNI) project without resolving consent and relocation concerns.Read analysis →
- RBIs (Reserve Bank of India) interest-rate frameworkReserve Bank of India (RBI) interest-rate framework explains how RBI policy-rate changes are expected to influence inflation through monetary transmission.Read analysis →
- Higher education faces three fault linesIndia’s higher education reform is under stress because governance, learning outcomes, and research-to-employability links are not aligned.Read analysis →
- What was promised by NREGAs investors, where pensionerson?An opinion in The Indian Express argues that NREGA delivery weaknesses—payment delays, poor responsiveness, and weak accountability—have eroded trust among beneficiaries.Read analysis →
- Approval of Vibrant Villages Programme-II (VVP-II) for border village developmentMinistry of Home Affairs approved Vibrant Villages Programme-II (VVP-II) for development of 1954 border villages under a central sector plan.Read analysis →
- Parliament Question: Government schemes and missions for Artificial Intelligence, Research and InnovationPIB answered a Parliament question on Government schemes and missions for artificial intelligence, quantum technology, semiconductors, and research-and-innovation funding.Read analysis →
- IMD updates: 2026 Southwest Monsoon rainfall below-normal; El Niño impact highlighted in Lok SabhaIMD’s April–August 2026 monsoon forecasts show 2026 Southwest Monsoon rainfall below normal, linked to El Niño developing into moderate strength.Read analysis →
- RBI proposes new loan-rate frameworkThe Reserve Bank of India has proposed a new framework for structuring and benchmarking loan interest rates to improve transparency for borrowers.Read analysis →
- Government promotes sustainable growth of data centres via energy efficiency, clean energy and standardsUnion Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada informed Parliament that India is pushing energy efficiency, clean power and standards for data centres.Read analysis →
- Lok Sabha Written Reply: National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS)DST is implementing NM-ICPS with a total outlay of Rs 3660 crore for nine years.Read analysis →
- Lok Sabha question: Schemes and statistics on women’s career progression in STEM researchIn a Lok Sabha written reply, the Government cited national STEM participation statistics for women and listed schemes that support women’s research re-entry after career breaks.Read analysis →