Daily Current Affairs 14 August 2026

Union Minister Amit Shah has launched the 'Gramin Gyan Setu', an mobile application, via video conferencing to interconnect libraries across the Gandhinagar constituency in Gujarat.

The objective of the initiative is to establish a library in every village to encourage reading habits among children.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal has felicitated top buyers and leading sellers during the 10th foundation day celebration of the Government e Marketplace (GeM) held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

During the event, GeM launched a nationwide 5-digit short code helpdesk number '14550' to improve its support services. A customized 'My Stamp' and a commemorative film showcasing the 10-year journey of GeM were also launched.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has mandated specific response timelines and financial penalties for ambulances deployed on national highways.

Ambulances must reach accident sites within 10 minutes if the crash occurs within a 10 km radius, failing which an automated penalty of ₹10,000 will be imposed.

They are also required to transport victims to the nearest hospital within 1 hour, with a fine of ₹10,000 for failing to meet the deadline.

IndusInd Bank and dining platform EazyDiner have jointly launched a lifetime-free co-branded credit card named 'EazyDiner IndusInd Bank Platinum RuPay Credit Card'.

The card offers dining discounts, entertainment benefits, and UPI payment functionality.

Muthoot FinCorp Ltd, a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), has secured a perpetual Authorised Dealer Category-II (AD-II) foreign exchange (Forex) licence from the RBI. The licence enables the NBFC to offer a wider range of regulated forex services.

The RBI has extended the implementation timeline of its revised framework governing loan recovery and engagement of recovery agents from October 1, 2026 to January 1, 2027.

Under the revised directions, existing recovery agents who were not previously covered are granted a 1-year transition window to obtain certification from the Indian Institute of Banking and Finance (IIBF) or an affiliated institute.

The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with NITI Aayog to advance multilingual, voice-first AI solutions under the 'BHASHINI for Seva/Sanchalan' initiative.

The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) under the Ministry of AYUSH has signed an MoU with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in New Delhi to promote quality standards, conformity assessment, scientific research, and capacity building in the AYUSH sector.

It is to be noted that this marks the 100th MoU signed by the BIS and its first with an AYUSH organisation.

India has signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) with the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) for negotiations towards a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).

The negotiations cover 8 chapters, including trade in goods, market access for goods, and rules of origin. Through this cooperation, India can support affordable medicines, Information Technology (IT) talent, and global supply chain integration in the SACU region.

VinSpace, the aerospace unit of Vietnam-based Vingroup, has signed a launch agreement with SpaceX to deploy its first satellites in 2027 via the Transporter Rideshare Mission of the latter.

Lebanon becomes the first nation in the Arab world to completely abolish the death penalty, replacing it with life imprisonment.

Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has become the first woman fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to successfully complete the Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.

With this achievement, she became the first woman graduate of the elite ‘Top Gun’ school of the IAF, where only about 1% of pilots are selected for the 20-week advanced combat programme.

Adani Airport City Ltd (AACL), a step-down wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL), has incorporated AACL Global IFSC Ltd as a new wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL).

The Lucknow-Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express, operated by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), is set to become India’s first privately branded passenger train.

The semi-high-speed train will be temporarily renamed as the ‘Sprite’ Tejas Express for a duration of 6 months.

Dr Padma Gurmet has been conferred the Ladakh State Award for the year 2025 in recognition of his contributions to the preservation, promotion, and development of the Sowa-Rigpa system of medicine.

President Droupadi Murmu has presented the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships (Akademi Ratna) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for the years 2024 and 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

A total of 115 eminent artists were conferred with the awards and fellowships during the investiture ceremony, including 7 artists who were awarded the Akademi Fellowship. It is to be noted that the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship is restricted to a maximum of 40 living individuals at any given time.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) has officially suspended the recognition of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI).

The suspension was enforced due to the failure of the TTFI to conduct organizational elections within the mandated timeframe and severe delays in adopting and uploading audited financial statements.