Monthly current affairs for August 2026

Indel Remit, the foreign exchange division of Indel Money Ltd, has secured a perpetual Authorised Dealer-II (AD-II) licence from the RBI to offer trade remittance services.

Under RBI directions, the company is restricted from processing gifts, donations, and transactions exceeding ₹25 lakh.

Indian Bank approved nearly ₹500 crore in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) loans to 128 beneficiaries during a Credit Outreach Programme in New Delhi.

Credit proposals worth nearly ₹1,250 crore were mobilised during the event, which was held as part of the 120th Foundation Day Fortnight Celebrations of the bank. The programme also marked the launch of the Unified MSME Portal, a digital platform designed to provide seamless and integrated lending services for MSME customers.

The RBI has identified 17 Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) for inclusion in the Upper Layer (NBFC-UL) for FY27, based on their financial position as of March 31, 2026.

Tata Sons continues to be categorized under the upper-layer list. The new entities added to the list include Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) Ltd, Power Finance Corporation (PFC) Ltd, Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) Ltd, and Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) Ltd.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye have signed a mutual defence pact named the ‘Mecca Joint Defence Agreement’.

Under the foundational principle of the agreement, an armed attack against any one of the 3 signatory states will be treated as an attack against all three.

Typhoon Dolphin has been identified as the strongest tropical cyclone to strike China in the current year, causing widespread devastation and historic rainfall across multiple provinces.

NASA has invited ISRO to join its Moon Base programme, which aims to establish the first permanent human outpost near the lunar South Pole.

The invitation was extended during the 9th India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group (CSJWG) meeting held at the ISRO Headquarters in Bengaluru.

The Tamil Nadu government has launched the ‘Vetri Vaanmagal’ scheme to train women farmers in drone operation, promote precision agriculture, and create high-tech employment opportunities in the rural economy.

Ariha Pangambam from Manipur has won the first-ever individual gold medal for India at the 10th Senior Women’s individual event in the Aerobic Gymnastics Asian Championships held in Tagaytay City, Philippines. She achieved the gold medal with a top score of 19.1 points.

PM Narendra Modi has released the autobiography of Ram Nath Kovind, the 14th President of India, titled “Triumph of the Indian Republic: My Life, My Struggles” at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.

MP Parameswaran, a renowned Indian nuclear scientist and Marxist theorist, passed away at the age of 92.

National Handloom Day

Day – August 07

Observed since – 2015

Commemorating – To commemorate the Swadeshi Movement, launched in 1905

National Javelin Day

Day – August 07

Observed since – 2022

Commemorating – Neeraj Chopra’s historic gold medal victory in the Men’s Javelin Throw event at the Tokyo Olympics 2020

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.