Current affairs
News for UPSC, SSC and defence exams, with the reason it matters.
Supreme Court tells 19 States and UTs to declare cancer a notifiable disease
- The Supreme Court gave the order on 11 August 2026.
- Only 17 of 36 States and UTs had notified cancer so far.
- The remaining 19 must now declare it a notifiable disease.
Why it matters
[Governance] A notifiable disease must be reported to the government. That builds better cancer data and helps early detection. The PIL linked this to the right to health under Articles 14 and 21.
President gives assent to law protecting Vande Mataram like the National Anthem
- President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the Bill on 11 August 2026.
- It is the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026.
- Intentionally disrupting or preventing the singing of Vande Mataram is now a crime.
Why it matters
[Polity] The 1971 Act earlier protected only the Flag, the Constitution and the National Anthem. Vande Mataram is now covered too. The Constitution itself names only the Anthem and the Flag under Fundamental Duties.
Government notifies 11 more international ports for e-Visa entry, taking the total to 88
- The Home Ministry notified 11 more ports for foreigners holding an e-Visa.
- The new ports are 9 land ports and 2 airports, Bhopal and Tirupati.
- New land ports include Attari (Road), Moreh, Dawki, Agartala and Gede.
Why it matters
[Policy] More land ports help visitors from neighbouring countries. India now issues about 78% of its visas as e-Visas. The facility began in 2014 for 43 countries.
Amit Shah presents the President’s Colours to Puducherry Police
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah presented the President's Colours to Puducherry Police on 9 August 2026.
- Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan and Chief Minister N. Rangasamy attended the ceremony.
- Puducherry Police now joins the forces that hold this honour.
Why it matters
[Security] The President's Colours, or Nishaan, is the highest honour for a military unit or police force. The Indian Navy was the first to receive it, in 1951.
Agni-4 medium-range ballistic missile successfully test-fired from Chandipur
- India test-fired the Agni-4 missile on 6 August 2026.
- The launch took place at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha.
- The Strategic Forces Command carried out the test.
Why it matters
[Security] Agni-4 is a nuclear-capable missile with a range of about 4,000 km. It is a two-stage, solid-fuel, road-mobile missile. The Strategic Forces Command manages India's nuclear arsenal.
RBI keeps repo rate unchanged at 5.25%, raises FY27 growth forecast to 6.7%
- The RBI's Monetary Policy Committee kept the repo rate at 5.25% on 5 August 2026.
- The vote was unanimous, and the stance stayed neutral.
- The SDF rate stays at 5.00%, and the MSF and Bank Rate at 5.50%.
Why it matters
[Economy] The repo rate is the rate at which the RBI lends to banks. The six-member MPC sets it. The inflation target is 4%, with a band of 2% to 6%.
Astrophysicist Annapurni Subramaniam becomes first Indian woman to win COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal
- Annapurni Subramaniam received the COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal 2026 on 3 August in Florence, Italy.
- She got it at the 46th COSPAR General Assembly.
- She is the fourth Indian and first Indian woman to win it.
Why it matters
[First] ISRO and COSPAR give this medal every two years. It honours space research in developing countries. Earlier Indian winners include U.R. Rao and Anil Bhardwaj.
Cabinet extends PM-KISAN till 2030-31 with an outlay of about ₹3.15 lakh crore
- The Cabinet approved PM-KISAN for five more years, from 2026-27 to 2030-31.
- The total outlay is ₹3,15,614 crore.
- Eligible farmer families get ₹6,000 a year in three equal instalments.
Why it matters
[Policy] PM-KISAN began in February 2019. It is a Central Sector Scheme, so the Centre pays the full cost. The money goes straight to bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer.
Parliament passes Public Examinations Amendment Bill, 2026 with tougher penalties for exam cheating
- The Rajya Sabha passed the Bill on 30 July 2026, a day after the Lok Sabha.
- Jail for using unfair means rises to 5–10 years, with fines up to ₹50 lakh.
- Organised exam crime now gets at least 7 years and a minimum ₹10 crore fine.
Why it matters
[Polity] The Bill amends the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. That Act covers exams by UPSC, SSC, railway boards, IBPS and the NTA. Service providers caught cheating can now be barred for eight years.
Monsoon Session opens; Bill introduced to raise Supreme Court judges’ strength from 34 to 38
- Parliament's Monsoon Session began on 20 July 2026.
- Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill that day.
- It raises the number of judges, other than the CJI, from 33 to 37.
Why it matters
[Polity] Article 124 lets Parliament fix the number of Supreme Court judges by law. That number is set in the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. An ordinance lapses six weeks after Parliament reassembles unless replaced by a law.
Skyroot’s Vikram-1 becomes India’s first privately built rocket to reach orbit
- Skyroot Aerospace launched Vikram-1 on 18 July 2026 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
- The mission was named 'Aagaman'. The rocket placed its payloads in a 450 km low-Earth orbit.
- It carried Skyroot's own SCOPE satellite and customer payloads from Grahaa Space, Cosmoserve and DCubed.
Why it matters
[Science] Skyroot, based in Hyderabad, was founded in 2018 by two former ISRO engineers. The 2020 space reforms opened rocket launches to private firms. Its suborbital Vikram-S flew in November 2022.
PM Modi flags off India’s first hydrogen-powered train on Jind–Sonipat route in Haryana
- PM Narendra Modi flagged off the train at Jind railway station, Haryana, on 17 July 2026.
- It runs on the 89 km Jind–Gohana–Sonipat section of Northern Railway.
- The train has two power cars and eight passenger cars. It can carry about 2,600 passengers.
Why it matters
[Science] A hydrogen fuel cell makes electricity from hydrogen and oxygen. Its only exhaust is water vapour. Such trains suit routes that have no overhead electric lines.
ONGC completes two deep geothermal wells at Puga, Ladakh, for India’s first geothermal power project
- ONGC Energy Centre completed two geothermal wells, GT-02 and GT-03, at Puga Valley in Ladakh.
- Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena unveiled a plaque at the site on 17 July 2026.
- The wells will feed a planned 1 MW pilot plant. It is meant to be India's first demonstration-scale geothermal power project.
Why it matters
[Environment] Geothermal energy uses heat from inside the Earth. Unlike solar and wind, it can give power all day and night. Puga sits high in the Himalayas, near the meeting zone of two tectonic plates.
National Anti-Doping Act, 2022 and its 2025 Amendment come into force after four years
- The Sports Ministry brought the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022 into force from 15 July 2026.
- The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Act, 2025 came into force the next day, 16 July 2026.
- The Act makes NADA a statutory body. NADA handles testing, investigations and anti-doping education.
Why it matters
[Polity] Parliament passed the Act in August 2022. The World Anti-Doping Agency objected that it gave government too much control. India amended the law in 2025 before switching it on.
Cabinet approves Semicon 2.0 with ₹1,27,500 crore outlay for chip design and manufacturing
- The Union Cabinet approved Semicon 2.0 on 15 July 2026. Its outlay is ₹1,27,500 crore.
- It covers six areas: chip design, equipment and materials, fabs, assembly and packaging, R&D, and workforce training.
- Under Semicon 1.0, 12 manufacturing units were approved, with ₹1.64 lakh crore of investment.
Why it matters
[Economy] Semicon 1.0 was the India Semiconductor Mission, launched in 2021 with ₹76,000 crore. Semicon 2.0 moves beyond building plants to equipment, materials and design.
INS Mahendragiri, sixth Project 17A stealth frigate, commissioned at Visakhapatnam
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned INS Mahendragiri at Visakhapatnam on 11 July 2026.
- It is the sixth Project 17A stealth frigate and joins the Eastern Fleet.
- Over 75% of its content is indigenous.
Why it matters
[Science and Technology] Project 17A frigates follow the Shivalik class (Project 17). The ships are named after Indian hill ranges.