Monthly current affairs for August 2026

President Droupadi Murmu has granted assent to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which amends Section 3 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.

The amendment criminalises the intentional disruption or prevention of the singing of the national song, “Vande Mataram”. It is to be noted that this legislation extends the same legal protection to the national song, “Vande Mataram”, as is currently afforded to the national anthem, “Jana Gana Mana”.

According to the “Ecowrap” report released by the Economic Research Department (ERD) of the State Bank of India (SBI), the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of India is projected to rebound to 8% in the first quarter (Q1: April to June) of the FY27.

The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has granted an Investment Banking licence to Nexent Capital IFSC Pvt Ltd to operate from the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

India has hosted the 10th BRICS Industry Ministers Meeting in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The meeting focused on the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR) initiatives and concluded with the adoption of a Joint Declaration.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), through the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), hosted the 'BRICS WAVES Bazaar 2026' in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The event featured the India-Russia co-production 'KOROVA', the launch of the BRICS Independent Producers Alliance (BIPA), and the signing of several agreements.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh has flagged off the All India Girls High Altitude Long Trek Aparajita - Parang La 2026, a flagship adventure activity of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), in New Delhi.

The trek will traverse the Parang La Pass, which connects the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh with the Changthang region of Ladakh. The expedition team, comprising 28 Girl Cadets with an average age of 19 years, will be led by three women officers representing the three defence services.

Bank of America Corporation (BofA) has entered into a Joint Venture (JV) agreement with Jio Financial Services Ltd (JFSL). Under the JV, BofA will acquire up to a 49.9% stake in Jio Credit Ltd (JCL).

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of a 23% equity shareholding in TM International Logistics Ltd by Tata Steel Ltd.

Additionally, the CCI has approved the acquisition of a specific equity shareholding in Bharti Life Insurance Company Ltd by Prudential Corporation Holdings Ltd.

Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) has delivered 'MS Maria', the second of eight Multi-Purpose Vessels (MPVs) in the 'HS EcoFreighter' series, to the Germany-based shipping firm HS Schiffahrts UG & Co KG.

The vessel was designed by the Netherlands-based Groot Ship Design and constructed by CSL in compliance with the classification rules of Det Norske Veritas (DNV). It is a 7,000 Deadweight Tonnage (DWT) ice-class vessel featuring a raked stem with the 'Groot Crossbow' design.

OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT for Teens, a specialized version featuring parental controls and enhanced security measures to address risks associated with AI chatbots.

The platform automatically activates when a user is estimated to be under 18 years of age (or self-identifies their age as between 13 and 17 years).

SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corporation) has launched two Falcon 9 rockets, setting a company record with the shortest launch gap of 38.5 minutes.

The first rocket carried 8 Globalstar satellites and was launched from the Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA. The second rocket carried the classified United States Space Force (USSF)-366 mission for the USSF and was launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA.

The Karnataka Cabinet has approved the ‘Sandhya Kiran’ scheme, a contributory cashless healthcare initiative under the Ayushman Bharat–Arogya Karnataka (AB-ArK) program.

The scheme is designed for state pensioners below 70 years of age and their families in Bengaluru. It will cover 4.93 lakh beneficiaries, providing an annual family health cover of ₹5 lakh along with standardized treatment packages and rates.

Natarajan Chandrasekaran will step down as the Executive Chairman of Tata Sons on February 20, 2027, upon the completion of his tenure.

It is to be noted that he first assumed the role of Chairman in 2017, succeeding Cyrus Mistry, and was re-appointed for a second term in 2022.

The National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has launched a national-level hackathon named “Cyber Kushti 2026”. The hackathon focuses on the fields of cybersecurity and AI.

The initiative was introduced during the 3rd National Conference on Cyber Security, Digital Forensics and Intelligence (NCCDFI 2026) held at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh has virtually inaugurated the Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI) Diabetes Rural Outreach Digital Portal and launched the Video Information and Health Education for Awareness and Self-Management (VISHWAS) Diabetes Awareness Video Library.

The digital portal is designed by RSSDI to support its rural outreach initiative, under which its members adopt villages to improve diabetes diagnosis, follow-up care, and early prevention. The VISHWAS video library will serve as a dedicated digital repository to enhance health literacy and self-management directly among diabetes patients and local caregivers.

The Qatar-India Postal Remittance Service, utilizing PosTransfer powered by the UPI, has been operationalized in Doha, Qatar to facilitate faster, secure, and cost-effective cross-border remittance services between both countries.

The RBI has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹59.2 lakh on IndusInd Bank Ltd for non-compliance with regulatory directions regarding ‘Interest Rate on Deposits’ and ‘Securitisation of Standard Assets’.

Somanath Panicker, the former Chairman of the ISRO, has been appointed as a part-time, non-official director on the Central Board of the RBI) for 4 years, starting August 20, 2026. Anand Mahindra has also been re-appointed to the board for another 4 years.

It is to be noted that other non-official directors on the board include Venu Srinivasan (Chairman Emeritus of TVS Motor Company), Pankaj Ramanbhai Patel (Chairman of Zydus Lifesciences), and Dr Ravindra H Dholakia.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has signed MoUs with PhonePe and Shell India Pvt Ltd to bolster the support infrastructure for DPIIT-recognised startups and to accelerate innovation across strategic sectors of the Indian economy.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi held bilateral discussions to strengthen the defence relations between India and Japan. Both nations signed a Memorandum of Arrangement (MoA) on Maritime Security Cooperation to enhance strategic engagement in the maritime domain.

India and Nepal have signed MoUs for the implementation of 8 High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal.

The projects, focusing on the sectors of education, health, and agriculture, will be supported through grant assistance worth NPR 803 million from the Government of India.