3 Aug – 9 Aug 2026

National Monument Status

• Mangarh Dham: Rajasthan's Mangarh Dham doesn't make the cut for national monument status.

Handloom Heritage and Day

• National Handloom Day: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon citizens to celebrate National Handloom Day on August 7th by promoting India's rich and diverse handloom traditions.

Health

• Monsoon toll mounts in Gujarat: Gujarat has reported 184 suspected cases of the virus so far
• Chandipura virus claims 22 young lives: The Chandipura virus has claimed 22 young lives

Cellular Jail

• VP Visits Cellular Jail: The Cellular Jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a National Memorial.
• Veer Savarkar's Cell: Veer Savarkar was imprisoned at the Cellular Jail for his role in India's freedom struggle.

Freedom Fighters Honoured

• VP Pays Homage to Freedom Fighters: The Vice-President of India, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan today visited the Cellular Jail in Andaman and Nicobar islands and paid homage to the freedom fighters who endured immense suffering for India's independence.

Veer Savarkar

• Savarkar Ji Never Got Demoralized: Savarkar ji never got demoralized despite harsh treatment in the Cellular Jail.

Cancer Care and Health

• Oncology in India: Systems in India currently do not take into account the gender disparities in cancer care.

Scheduled Caste Empowerment

• Over 2.65 Lakh Scheduled Caste Beneficiaries Covered: The Central Government is implementing the Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY) to promote the educational and socio-economic development of Scheduled Caste communities.
• Empowering Rural Dairy Entrepreneurship: CR Infrabuild Private Limited, a company based in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, promoted by Mr. Govind Kahare, a Scheduled Caste entrepreneur.

Scheduled Tribes Empowerment

• Partnerships to reach approximately 1,000 Scheduled Tribes Entrepreneurs: The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) signed and exchanged MoUs with Ten State & Technology Business Incubators.
• Centre accepts tribal concerns over Ken-Betwa dam project: Rahul Gandhi questions Ken-Betwa river link impact on tribals, Centre acknowledges complaints.

Disability Rights and Empowerment

• Panel urges Kerala to lead the way in empowering disabled youth: The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has recommended a rights-based approach to children with disabilities.

Education

• Mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test: The information regarding teachers appointed prior to 2013 who may be affected by the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) requirement is maintained by
• Nutrition Equivalence in PM POSHAN Substitutions: PM POSHAN Scheme is implemented in partnership with the State Governments and UT Administrations.
• Strengthening Higher Education for Emerging Technologies: The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 lays emphasis on multidisciplinarity, imaginative & flexible curricular structures,
• EXPANSION OF ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION: The Government is implementing various scholarship schemes for providing financial assistance to eligible students from economically weaker families.
• Student Composition in IITs, IIMs, IISERs and Central Universities: As per All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), 2023-24, total intake and gender-wise total enrolment in Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) is as under:
• Measures to Expand Access to Education: Under the Centrally Sponsored schemes like Samagra Shiksha, STARS and PM SHRI, States/UTs are supported for strengthening of existing government schools,

Scholarships

• Government Strengthens Scholarship Delivery Through DBT; Over 47.53 Lakh Post-Matric and 26.79 Lakh Pre-Matric Scholarships Awarded in 2025-26: The Central Government is implementing the Post-Matric Scholarship (PMS) for Scheduled Castes and Pre-Matric Scholarship for Scheduled Castes & Others as Centrally Sponsored Schemes.

Health

• Government Strengthens Drug De-addiction and Awareness Initiatives in Jammu & Kashmir Under Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan:

BRICS Meetings and Events

• 10th BRICS Industry Ministers' Meeting: The meeting brought together Industry Ministers and senior representatives from BRICS member countries to culminate the ministerial engagement under the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR).
• 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting: The Meeting will deliberate on key priorities including Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), skill development, research and innovation, mutual recognition of qualifications and academic leadership.
• BRICS-TCA Symposium and JMC Meeting Convenes under the Guidance of MSDE, Government of India: The event was held under the theme 'Sustainable and Digitally Enabled TVET: The BRICS Perspective'.

India's Interests in International Relations

• Don’t renew Farakka Water Treaty without safeguarding Bihar’s interests, JD(U) tells Centre: JD(U) tells Centre to not renew the Farakka Water Treaty without safeguarding Bihar's interests.
• India seeks return of priceless Vagdevi idol at BRICS summit: Union Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal is leading India's efforts to bring back the Vagdevi idol.

International Relations and Alliances

• Philippines' growing alliance with EU sparks Indo-Pacific implications: The European Union has provided $17 million in maritime aid to the Philippines through an upgraded partnership that signals its intent to diversify its Indo-Pacific strategy beyond trade and into the security arena.

Human-Wildlife Conflict

• Kerala's wildlife conflict hotspots get AI-powered reprieve: The state of Kerala has deployed AI-driven digital sentry systems across six high-risk forest zones to reduce human-wildlife conflict.
• Odisha readies for its next big cat relocation: The Odisha government aims to introduce genetic diversity into the Similipal tiger population through tiger translocation.

Tiger Conservation

• Odisha readies for its next big cat relocation: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has granted technical permission for tiger introduction in Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Glaw Lake becomes Arunachal Pradesh’s First Ramsar Site; India’s Ramsar Sites tally reaches 101: India's Ramsar Sites tally now stands at 101.

Climate Change and its Impacts

• Climate Change May Amplify Turbulence, Causing Flight Disruptions: Clear air turbulence is becoming more common and is a major contributor to mid-flight turbulence.
• 27,000 in flood relief camps: How one climate disaster in Kerala is worsening the next: At least 26 people have died due to rain-related disasters in Kerala.

Google Maps and Geotagging

• Google Maps to exclude select Kerala forests from online listings at state's request: The Kerala Forest Department has decided to remove illegally geotagged forest locations from online maps.

Ramsar Sites

• Glaw Lake becomes Arunachal Pradesh’s First Ramsar Site; India’s Ramsar Sites tally reaches 101:

India's Space Ambitions

• ISRO chief Somanath calls for prioritizing science in space missions: ISRO chief says the agency’s role is to mentor and develop the industry ecosystem in India, and the new space policy will aid private companies
• Space Station Upgrade Mission Gets Underway as Astronauts Menon and Meir Embark on Historic Spacewalk: The purpose of the spacewalk was to upgrade the ISS's power systems.

Research Funding

• Industry overtakes public sector as India's biggest research funders: Private industry accounted for 51.8% of national research spending in 2023-24.
• Manufacturing gets boost as private sector urged to redirect R&D funds: The government is finalizing a ₹1 lakh crore fund to encourage private sector investment in core research and development (R&D).

Vaccine Development

• Scientists at ICAR-NIHSAD create homegrown vaccine to combat African swine fever: Scientists at ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (ICAR-NIHSAD), Bhopal, have developed the vaccine using a novel attenuated ASFV Genotype II virus
• Study suggests hexavalent vaccine to streamline India's immunization drive: Introducing the hexavalent vaccine under the Universal Immunisation Programme could reduce the number of injections

Research Hierarchy

• Rigid lab hierarchies hinder India's ability to hold onto top talent: Many of India’s laboratories continue to operate within rigid hierarchies

Government Initiatives

Missile Testing

• Agni-4 Missile Hits Mark in Precision Test-Firing: The Agni-4 missile was successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha, on August 06, 2026.
• Agni-4 Missile Hits Mark in Precision Test-Firing: The launch validated all operational and technical parameters of the Agni-4 missile.

Defence Deals

• Defence deal signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey sparks intrigue over intentions: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey sign defence pact

RDI Fund

• TDB defends dual roles of funding panel members: The RDI Fund has a corpus of ₹1 lakh crore.

Technology Development Board (TDB)

• TDB defends dual roles of funding panel members as government faces criticism over RDI Fund ties: The TDB Investment Committee has 12 members, including 11 private-sector experts and one non-voting government representative.

Government Response

• TDB defends dual roles of funding panel members as government faces criticism over RDI Fund ties: The Government is defending the overlap between TDB investment committee members and companies backed under ₹1 lakh crore RDI Fund.

Conflict of Interest

• TDB defends dual roles of funding panel members as government faces criticism over RDI Fund ties: Nine out of the 22 firms funded in the first round are linked to the panel chairman.