Current affairs
News for UPSC, SSC and defence exams, with the reason it matters.
Seven-judge Bench to decide if legislative privilege overrides free speech
- A seven-judge Constitution Bench will start hearing on 6 October 2026.
- It will decide if legislative privilege can override free speech under Article 19(1)(a).
- A three-judge Bench headed by CJI Surya Kant passed the order.
Why it matters
[Polity] Articles 105 and 194 give privileges to Parliament and State Legislatures. These privileges are still not codified. Earlier cases like Keshav Singh (1965) left the conflict with free speech unsettled.
Asked before: CDS II 2020 asked whether MPs' privileges are fettered by Article 19(1)(a).
Retail inflation rises to a 19-month high of 4.45% in July 2026
- CPI inflation rose to 4.45% in July 2026, up from 4.38% in June.
- It is the highest level in 19 months.
- Food and beverages inflation rose to 5.2%.
Why it matters
[Economy] CPI is the RBI's inflation target measure. The target is 4%, with a band of 2% to 6%. Inflation is still inside the band but rising.
Asked before: UPSC Prelims 2015 asked which body brings out the CPI for Industrial Workers.
Parliament passes NCDC (Amendment) Bill to widen lending to the cooperative sector
- The Lok Sabha passed the Bill on 11 August and the Rajya Sabha on 12 August 2026.
- It amends the National Co-operative Development Corporation Act, 1962.
- NCDC can now give loans and grants directly to cooperative societies.
Why it matters
[Economy] Many agencies that help cooperatives are not registered as cooperatives. NCDC could not fund them before. The change widens credit for the cooperative sector without new budget support.
Three new cascade frog species found in Northeast India; one named after Padmini Varkey
- Scientists described three new cascade frog species of the genus Amolops.
- They are Amolops ammachi (Tripura), Amolops sendenyu (Nagaland) and Amolops bella (West Bengal).
- Five more cascade frog species were recorded in India for the first time.
Why it matters
[Environment] Cascade frogs live in fast-flowing forest streams. The finds came from over 15 years of fieldwork. They show how rich the Northeast's biodiversity is.
Government approves one billion polymer banknotes each of ₹10 and ₹20 for field trials
- The government approved polymer banknotes of ₹10 and ₹20 for field trials.
- One billion pieces of each note will be printed for the trial.
- The RBI sent the proposal under Section 25 of the RBI Act, 1934.
Why it matters
[Economy] Polymer notes last longer than paper notes. They are also harder to fake. Section 25 of the RBI Act lets the Centre approve a note's design, form and material.
Asked before: NDA II 2017 asked which waves are used to detect forgery in currency notes.
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.
Supreme Court orders Rajasthan to set up river authority to revive polluted Jojari-Bandi-Luni rivers
- The Supreme Court ruled on 7 August 2026 in a suo motu case on the Jojari river.
- It asked Rajasthan to form a coordination group under the Chief Secretary.
- Rajasthan must also set up an independent River Rejuvenation Authority.
Why it matters
[SC Ruling] The Jojari flows into the Luni, the main river of the Thar region. The Luni ends in the Rann of Kutch, not the sea. The case was titled "2 Million Lives At Risk".
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%.
ICAR develops India’s first indigenous vaccine against African swine fever
- ICAR announced India's first indigenous African swine fever vaccine for pigs.
- ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal developed it.
- It is a live attenuated vaccine grown in the MA-104 cell line.
Why it matters
[First] African swine fever is a deadly viral disease of pigs. It does not infect humans. India first reported it in 2020, in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
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 approves Samudra Manthan, an ₹84,084 crore national offshore oil and gas exploration scheme
- The Union Cabinet approved Samudra Manthan on 31 July 2026.
- It is a Central Sector Scheme with ₹84,084 crore up to 2030-31.
- About ₹43,200 crore goes to drilling 60 deepwater wells.
Why it matters
[Economy] India imports most of the crude oil it uses. Its offshore basins are still largely unexplored. The scheme is run by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
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.
MSME Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 introduced in Rajya Sabha to tackle delayed payments
- The Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 28 July 2026.
- It amends the MSME Development Act, 2006.
- Central public sector firms must settle MSME invoices through the TReDS platform.
Why it matters
[Economy] Late payment by big buyers is a major problem for small firms. TReDS lets an MSME sell its unpaid invoices to banks and get cash quickly. The Bill later passed both Houses in August 2026.
Supreme Court seeks Centre’s reply on plea challenging the ‘merger’ exception in the anti-defection law
- The Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre on 28 July 2026.
- The plea was filed by Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal.
- It challenges how Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule is read.
Why it matters
[Polity] The Tenth Schedule was added by the 52nd Amendment in 1985. The 91st Amendment in 2003 removed the 'split' exception. The 'merger' exception still remains.
Cabinet approves ₹3,030 crore BHAVYA Rasayan scheme to build three chemical parks
- The Union Cabinet approved the scheme on 24 July 2026.
- BHAVYA stands for Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana.
- Its outlay is ₹3,030 crore, from 2026-27 to 2030-31.
Why it matters
[Economy] The parks will offer ready shared facilities, like effluent treatment plants and pipelines. Firms can set up quickly without building these themselves. This should cut costs and pollution in the chemical sector.
Madhya Pradesh Assembly passes Uniform Civil Code Bill, the fourth state to do so
- The Madhya Pradesh Assembly passed the UCC Bill on 21 July 2026 by voice vote.
- It is the fourth state after Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Assam.
- It bans polygamy and makes registration of marriages compulsory.
Why it matters
[Polity] Article 44, a Directive Principle, asks the State to try to secure a uniform civil code. A state can make such a law because marriage and succession are in the Concurrent List. The Bill still needs the Governor's assent.
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.
Cabinet approves ₹62,500 crore Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme to succeed PLI
- The Union Cabinet approved the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) on 15 July 2026.
- It has an outlay of ₹62,500 crore. It runs for five years, from 2026-27 to 2030-31.
- Firms get 2.25% to 5% incentive on eligible sales. Extra incentives reward local components and Indian brands.
Why it matters
[Economy] PLI mainly helped phone assembly in India. MPMS shifts the focus to making components and doing design and research at home. This raises domestic value addition.
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.
Third India-Australia Annual Summit in Melbourne: uranium supply, A$500 million AustralianSuper investment
- PM Modi and Australian PM Anthony Albanese held the third India-Australia Annual Summit in Melbourne.
- The visit opened the way for Australian uranium supply to India.
- AustralianSuper announced a A$500 million investment in India's National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF).
Why it matters
[International Relations] Australia holds the world's largest uranium reserves. India needs uranium to reach 100 GW of nuclear power by 2047.
Four Narmada states settle decades-old displacement and compensation dispute
- Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra reached an agreement on pending Narmada Project issues on 7 July 2026.
- The deal settles a decades-old dispute over people displaced from flood-affected areas and land compensation.
- It was reached in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, with the four Chief Ministers.
Why it matters
[Geography] The Narmada Project centres on the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat. Displacement of families was the core issue raised by the Narmada Bachao Andolan.