IIT Hyderabad launched ANUGYAN on 3 August 2026 as India's first industry-academia orientation programme for the civil nuclear energy sector. The programme has been developed with Crimson Energy Experts Private Limited. It aims to build skilled human resources for the expansion of India's civil nuclear energy ecosystem.

Key Points:
•   ANUGYAN is titled the Nuclear Technology Orientation Programme and is a three-month fully residential course.
•   The course combines academic learning with industrial exposure in the civil nuclear energy sector.
•   It supports India's target of increasing nuclear power capacity from 8.8 GWe to 100 GWe by 2047.
•   The curriculum covers reactor physics, thermal hydraulics and Small Modular Reactors.
•   It includes AERB compliance, radiation safety, quality assurance and simulator-based training.
•   The programme includes the Centre of Design Excellence in Nuclear Engineering for simulation and research.

Additional Information:
•   IIT Hyderabad was established in 2008 and is located in Sangareddy, Telangana.
•   Small Modular Reactors have a power capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit.
•   AERB ensures that nuclear energy and ionising radiation do not create undue risk to health and the environment.

Astrophysicist Annapurni Subramaniam received the COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal 2026 on 3 August 2026 during the 46th COSPAR Scientific Assembly in Florence, Italy. She is the Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. The award recognises outstanding space research contributions by scientists from developing countries.

Key Points:
•   Annapurni Subramaniam became the first Indian woman scientist to receive the Vikram Sarabhai Medal.
•   She is the fourth Indian recipient and the third female recipient globally of this medal.
•   The medal is jointly awarded by COSPAR and ISRO.
•   She served as calibration scientist for the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope on AstroSat in 2015.
•   She has also been associated with the international Thirty Metre Telescope project.
•   Her research areas include stellar physics, star clusters and nearby galaxies.

Additional Information:
•   COSPAR was established in 1958 and holds scientific assemblies every two years.
•   The Vikram Sarabhai Medal was constituted in 1990.
•   AstroSat is India's first dedicated multi-wavelength space-based observatory, launched in 2015.

Nathan Thomas was recognised by Guinness World Records as the world's youngest male professor on 5 August 2026. At the age of 18 years and 346 days, he joined Miami Dade College as an Engineering Instructor. He broke a record that had been held for 306 years by Scottish mathematician Colin Maclaurin.

Key Points:
•   Nathan Thomas became the world's youngest male professor at the age of 18 years and 346 days.
•   He works as an Engineering Instructor at Miami Dade College in Florida.
•   He teaches COP 2270: C for Engineers, covering C programming and computational problem-solving.
•   He broke the 306-year-old record held by Colin Maclaurin, who became a professor at 19 in 1717.
•   Thomas entered college through dual enrolment at the age of 10.
•   He completed bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering by age 14.

Additional Information:
•   Guinness World Records was established in 1955 and is headquartered in London.
•   Miami Dade College was established in 1959 and is located in Miami, Florida.
•   Colin Maclaurin is known for contributions to calculus and geometry, including the Maclaurin series.

Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh secured investment commitments of Rs 5,500 crore for India's first Telecom Manufacturing Zone. The investment was consolidated during the second Investors' Meet co-chaired by Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in Mumbai on 4 August 2026. The zone will create a dedicated telecom manufacturing ecosystem.

Key Points:
•   Gwalior will host India's first and only dedicated Telecom Manufacturing Zone.
•   Total investment commitments have reached Rs 5,500 crore, including Rs 2,000 crore secured at the Mumbai meet.
•   The earlier New Delhi roundtable contributed commitments worth Rs 3,500 crore.
•   The overall investment target for the project is Rs 10,000 crore.
•   The project is expected to generate more than 18,000 job opportunities.
•   The zone will support research, testing, semiconductors, optical fibre and manufacturing facilities.

Additional Information:
•   The project will be implemented through an SPV with DoT and Madhya Pradesh government representatives.
•   DoT is the nodal department under the Ministry of Communications.
•   The Agra-Gwalior Greenfield Expressway is expected to reduce Delhi-Gwalior travel time to under three hours.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan dedicated India's first indigenous African Swine Fever vaccine to the nation on 4 August 2026 during the ICAR Foundation Day. The vaccine was developed by ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal. It is intended to provide a preventive tool against a highly fatal viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs.

Key Points:
•   The vaccine was developed by ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal.
•   It uses an MA-104 cell line-based live attenuated platform derived from ASFV Genotype II.
•   The technology allows cost-effective large-scale production without dependence on proprietary cell lines.
•   It is recommended for healthy pigs older than eight weeks of age.
•   The vaccine is administered through a 1 mL intramuscular injection followed by a booster after 14 days.
•   African Swine Fever has mortality rates approaching 100 percent and was first detected in India in 2020.

Additional Information:
•   ICAR was established on 16 July 1929 and is headquartered in New Delhi.
•   ICAR-NIHSAD is located in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
•   African Swine Fever is a highly contagious disease of domestic and wild pigs.

The Department of Posts released a commemorative postage stamp on 3 August 2026 to mark the birth centenary of Satish Gujral. The ceremony took place at Bikaner House in New Delhi. The stamp release honoured Gujral's contribution as a painter, sculptor, architect and muralist whose work influenced Indian visual art for decades.

Key Points:
•   The commemorative stamp was released by Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia.
•   The release event was held at Bikaner House in New Delhi in the presence of Director General Postal Services Jitendra Gupta.
•   The stamp was designed by Anuj Kumar on the proposal of Raseel Gujral Ansal.
•   It features Satish Gujral with a paintbrush against a purple and blue background.
•   Gujral earlier designed a commemorative stamp for the 125th anniversary of VSNL.
•   He also designed the Financial Inclusion stamp through symbolic visual imagery.

Additional Information:
•   Satish Gujral was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award.
•   His career as an artist, sculptor, architect and muralist continued for more than seven decades.
•   The Department of Posts functions under the Ministry of Communications.

Centre for Development of Advanced Computing and Geological Survey of India signed an umbrella MoU on 4 August 2026. The partnership will use high-performance computing and artificial intelligence for geoscience, mineral exploration and disaster management. It aims to improve the discovery of critical minerals and strengthen predictive capabilities for natural hazards.

Key Points:
•   The collaboration will integrate high-performance computing and artificial intelligence in earth science applications.
•   It will support high-resolution three-dimensional subsurface mapping and predictive modelling for mineral targeting.
•   A domain large language model will be developed to process decades of unstructured geological records.
•   The partnership includes slope-scale landslide monitoring through Synthetic Aperture Radar technology.
•   It will also help create early warning systems for Glacier Lake Outburst Floods.
•   The focus includes faster discovery of critical minerals and rare earth elements.

Additional Information:
•   C-DAC is a premier research and development organisation under MeitY.
•   C-DAC was established in 1988 and is headquartered in Pune.
•   GSI was established in 1851 and is headquartered in Kolkata.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified hydrochlorothiazide, voriconazole and tacrolimus as Group 1 carcinogenic to humans agents on 5 August 2026. The assessment was published in Volume 137 of the IARC Monographs. The classification highlights cancer risks associated with these medicines and the biological mechanisms linked to such risks.

Key Points:
•   Hydrochlorothiazide is mainly used for treating hypertension or high blood pressure.
•   Voriconazole is used for the treatment of serious fungal infections, while tacrolimus is used to prevent transplant rejection.
•   Hydrochlorothiazide and voriconazole are associated with squamous cell skin carcinoma and lip cancer risks.
•   Tacrolimus is linked with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder.
•   The first two medicines can increase sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation, which may cause DNA damage.
•   Tacrolimus can weaken the immune system's ability to remove abnormal cells.

Additional Information:
•   IARC is the specialised cancer agency of the World Health Organization.
•   It was established in 1965 and is headquartered in Lyon, France.
•   Group 1 is IARC's highest carcinogen category, where there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued draft notifications on 3 August 2026 to amend the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. The proposed changes cover two-wheeled road ambulances and vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems. The measures aim to improve emergency response and road safety through modern transport technology.

Key Points:
•   Two-wheeled road ambulances will be governed by the new AIS-209 Part 1: 2026 standard.
•   The rules will apply to L2 category vehicles manufactured on or after 1 October 2027.
•   These ambulances will require mandatory fitness inspections every two years.
•   V2V systems will use C-V2X technology in the 5.875 GHz to 5.925 GHz frequency band.
•   V2V communication will be mandatory for newly manufactured L, M and N category vehicles from 1 October 2028.
•   Safety applications include emergency brake alert, forward collision warning and wrong-way driving alert.

Additional Information:
•   CMVR, 1989 was framed under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
•   MoRTH administers national highways and road transport research.
•   C-V2X enables vehicles to communicate with each other and nearby infrastructure.

The Ministry of Finance tabled a bill in Parliament on 4 August 2026 to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. The proposal allows the government to levy Merchant Discount Rate on selected electronic payment modes, including UPI. The move seeks to create a sustainable revenue model for digital-payment infrastructure while protecting small merchants.

Key Points:
•   The bill proposes to remove the structural guarantee of zero-MDR status for UPI, which has been in place since January 2020.
•   The proposed charges are intended for large commercial entities and e-commerce platforms with turnover above Rs 50 crore.
•   Small businesses and neighbourhood vendors with annual turnover up to Rs 1.5 crore will remain exempt.
•   The government is considering an MDR below 0.5 percent for transactions above Rs 2,000.
•   UPI currently facilitates 88 percent of all digital transactions in India.
•   The platform processes more than 23 billion transactions every month with a value of around Rs 30 lakh crore.

Additional Information:
•   MDR is the fee charged to merchants by banks and payment service providers for processing digital transactions.
•   The Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 provides the legal framework for regulating payment systems.
•   The Reserve Bank of India is the designated authority for overseeing payment systems.

The Ministry of Home Affairs included heatwaves and lightning in the list of notified natural calamities under NDRF and SDRF protocols on 5 August 2026. The decision follows the recommendation of the 16th Finance Commission and enables states to use the State Disaster Response Fund for relief and assistance to affected people.

Key Points:
•   The 16th Finance Commission recommended the inclusion for its 2026-31 award period.
•   The addition expands the existing list of 12 notified disasters.
•   States can now use SDRF funds for relief and assistance related to heatwaves and lightning.
•   Telangana reported the highest number of cases at 915.
•   West Bengal reported 733 cases and Chhattisgarh reported 660 cases.

Additional Information:
•   NDRF was established under Section 46 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
•   SDRF is the primary fund for immediate relief for notified disasters in states.
•   The 16th Finance Commission is chaired by Arvind Panagariya.

Veteran actor Pradeep Rawat passed away on 4 August 2026 at the age of 74 after a cancer relapse. He was widely known for portraying Ashwatthama in the 1988 television series Mahabharat. His career spanned more than four decades and covered Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam cinema.

Key Points:
•   Pradeep Rawat gained nationwide recognition through the role of Ashwatthama in B. R. Chopra's Mahabharat.
•   He played antagonist Ghajini Dharmatma in the Tamil film Ghajini and its 2008 Hindi remake.
•   He played Deva, a Sikh sepoy, in the Oscar-nominated film Lagaan released in 2001.
•   Rawat made his acting debut through the 1985 film Aitbaar.
•   He worked across multiple Indian film industries for over four decades.

Additional Information:
•   Mahabharat was created by B. R. Chopra and aired on Doordarshan.
•   Lagaan was directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and was Oscar nominated.
•   Ghajini was the first Indian film to enter the Rs 100 crore domestic box-office club.

India hosted the 13th BRICS Education Ministers Meeting and the third BRICS Senior Officials Meeting in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, from 5 to 7 August 2026. The meetings were organised under India's BRICS Chairship 2026. The agenda focused on education cooperation, vocational training, recognition of qualifications, research and innovation.

Key Points:
•   The meetings were organised in Bhubaneswar under India's BRICS Chairship 2026.
•   The Chairship theme is Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.
•   The agenda includes strengthening Early Childhood Care and Education.
•   The BRICS TVET Cooperation Alliance will be expanded for vocational education and training.
•   The meeting will advance the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications framework.
•   A student-focused Model BRICS platform was launched to familiarise youth with multilateral diplomacy.

Additional Information:
•   BRIC was established by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2006.
•   South Africa joined the grouping in 2010.
•   Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and UAE joined BRICS in January 2024.

Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Khanna presented a supplementary budget of Rs 59,019 crore for 2026-27 in the state legislature on 5 August 2026. The additional allocation increased the total state budget to over Rs 9.71 trillion. The budget focuses on industrial development, agriculture, energy and medical sectors.

Key Points:
•   The supplementary budget amount is Rs 59,019 crore for the financial year 2026-27.
•   The total state budget has increased to more than Rs 9.71 trillion after the additional allocation.
•   Capital expenditure is over Rs 41,620 crore, while revenue expenditure is over Rs 17,388 crore.
•   Industrial development received the highest allocation of Rs 22,000 crore.
•   Agriculture received Rs 15,300 crore and energy received Rs 7,000 crore.
•   Rs 1,500 crore has been allocated to the Atal Industrial Infrastructure Mission.

Additional Information:
•   Uttar Pradesh has a bicameral legislature consisting of the Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad.
•   Supplementary budgets are provided for states under Article 205 of the Constitution.
•   Such budgets seek legislative approval for additional and unforeseen expenditure.

The RBI Monetary Policy Committee concluded its review on 5 August 2026 and retained the policy repo rate at 5.25 percent for the fourth consecutive time. The committee maintained a neutral policy stance and raised the real GDP growth forecast for FY27 from 6.6 percent to 6.7 percent.

Key Points:
•   The Monetary Policy Committee unanimously retained the repo rate at 5.25 percent.
•   The committee continued with a neutral stance.
•   Real GDP growth forecast for FY27 was raised from 6.6 percent to 6.7 percent.
•   Quarterly GDP estimates are 7 percent for Q1, 6.4 percent for Q2, 6.5 percent for Q3 and 6.8 percent for Q4.
•   CPI inflation for FY27 was projected at 5 percent.
•   The RBI announced its aim to introduce plastic notes by the next financial year.

Additional Information:
•   RBI was established on 1 April 1935 under the RBI Act, 1934.
•   It was nationalised on 1 January 1949 and is headquartered in Mumbai.
•   The MPC has six members, including three from RBI and three appointed by the Central Government.