August 5, 2026Daily Current Affairs Digest

Why in News / Context: In August 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that protection against domestic cruelty extends to women in live-in relationships under specific criminal and civil law frameworks.

Core Facts:

• Section 498A IPC (Section 85 of BNS): Extends penal deterrence against domestic cruelty to women in non-marital unions, using a purposive interpretation of the law to adapt to changing social realities.
• The Evidentiary Threshold: Crucially, to invoke Section 498A in a non-marital setup, the couple must share a clear 'intent to marry' and have a relationship 'in the nature of marriage' (characterized by pooling finances, shared domestic setup, and holding themselves out as spouses), rather than mere cohabitation.
• Onus of Proof: The initial burden of proof to establish this 'intent to marry' lies strictly on the female partner.
• Criminal vs Civil Distinction: While the Domestic Violence (DV) Act, 2005 provides civil remedies (like maintenance) for domestic relationships, Section 498A/Section 85 BNS acts as a penal deterrent.

Why in News / Context: In August 2026, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) conducted its first 'straw poll' to recommend candidates for the next UN Secretary-General for a term starting January 1, 2027.

Core Facts:

• Constitutional Basis: Governed strictly by Article 97 of the UN Charter, which mandates that the General Assembly (UNGA) appoints the UN Secretary-General upon the recommendation of the Security Council (UNSC).
• UNSC Recommendation Primacy: The UNSC holds primacy in the appointment because it only forwards a single name to the UNGA for endorsement.
• The Straw Poll Mechanism: Secret voting process using slips marked with 'encourage', 'discourage', or blank to gauge candidate support among the 15 UNSC members.
• P5 Veto Power: In final rounds, P5 members use colored voting slips. Any single 'discourage' vote on a colored slip indicates a veto; a candidate requires a 9/15 majority and zero colored 'discourage' slips to be recommended.

Why in News / Context: In August 2026, analysts evaluated the strategic transformation of NATO into 'NATO 3.0' and its implications for the Indo-Pacific region and India.

Core Facts:

• The Transatlantic Shift: The US is shifting away from being the sole military backbone of Europe, requesting European allies to assume primary responsibility for conventional defense to redirect US attention to the Indo-Pacific.
• The Three Phases: NATO 1.0 (1949-1991) relied on US nuclear power to deter Soviet aggression; NATO 2.0 (1991-2022) saw out-of-area military interventions (Bosnia, Afghanistan); NATO 3.0 (2022 onwards) refocuses on European self-defense and Indo-Pacific cooperation.
• Burdensharing Statistics: The US spends $967 billion on defense (65% of total NATO expenditure) while European allies collectively spend $506 billion, with a Wales Summit target of increasing spending to 5% of respective GDP (per today's handouts).
• India's Balancing Act: India rejects the 'NATO Plus' template but engages in trade and defense imports with the West (FTA talks, 30% defense imports from France, 13% from US) while maintaining robust energy and strategic ties with Russia (40% defense imports, 33-35% oil imports).

Why in News / Context: In August 2026, the Supreme Court banned mining within a 10-km radius of Uttarakhand's Asan Wetland Conservation Reserve, applying this rule nationwide for parity.

Core Facts:

• SC Directive: Mandates a strict 10-km mining buffer zone around all designated wetland reserves across the country to maintain environmental parity.
• Legal Inconsistency: India's Wetlands Conservation & Management Rules 2017 (Rule 2(g)) excludes man-made structures for irrigation, aquaculture, and paddy fields. This is weaker than the Ramsar Convention 1971 definition which includes natural or artificial, temporary or permanent wetlands.
• India vs China Ramsar Count: India has 99 sites, surpassing China's 82 sites as of 2026. The UK has the highest global count with 175 sites.
• National Statistics: Tamil Nadu leads India with 20 Ramsar sites, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 12. The largest site in India is Sundarbans; the smallest is Renuka Lake in Himachal Pradesh.

Why in News / Context: In August 2026, the Ministry of Health evaluated introducing a hexavalent (six-in-one) vaccine into India's Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).

Core Facts:

• Hexavalent Vaccine Definition: A combination shot that protects infants against six diseases in a single injection: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Hepatitis B, polio, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib).
• UIP Scale & Targets: Targets 3 crore+ pregnant women and 2.7 crore+ newborns annually, operating as a critical public health initiative.
• Constitutional Domains: Public health is under Entry 6 of the State List, while prevention of contagious diseases across state borders falls under Entry 29 of the Concurrent List.
• Immunization Progress: Childhood DPT coverage globally and in India has increased significantly, with smallpox eradicated by 1980 and polio eradicated by 99% globally.

Why in News / Context: In August 2026, the Supreme Court directed the Central Government and states to adopt Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to curb the rapid rise of fraudulent 'digital arrest' scams.

Core Facts:

• SC Directive: Ordered the framing and implementation of robust Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) within four weeks across all States and Union Territories.
• Mule Accounts Threat: The directives prioritize identifying and freezing 'mule accounts' used by cybercriminals to transfer and launder defrauded funds.
• Institutional Coordination: Focuses on setting up real-time coordination mechanisms between commercial banks, financial intelligence units, and state cyber cell wings to prevent delay-induced asset loss.

Why in News / Context: In August 2026, newly compiled data from the Department of Science & Technology (DoST) highlighted investment trends in India's R&D and pharmaceutical sectors.

Core Facts:

• Publishing Body: Department of Science & Technology (DoST), Government of India.
• R&D Spending Density: India's national spending on R&D stands at 0.83% of GDP, with the private sector contributing 45.5% of national R&D expenditure.
• Sectoral Leaders: Research is led by transport, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology sectors.
• Pharmacy of the World Status: India supplies over 60% of global vaccine demand and exports pharmaceuticals to over 200 countries, with exports projected to reach $130 billion by 2030 and a $1 trillion industry by 2047.
• Policy Drivers: Key enabling frameworks include PLI schemes for complex generics, 100% FDI through the automatic route, Bulk Drug Parks, and advanced research at NIPER.

Why in News / Context: In August 2026, the Ministry of Jal Shakti highlighted advanced digital public infrastructure and community-led pilots deployed for groundwater security.

Core Facts:

• Core Objectives: To map, monitor, and scientifically manage groundwater basins while shifting from supply expansion to participatory demand-side water budgeting.
• Target Beneficiaries: Over 8,203 water-stressed Gram Panchayats across 229 blocks in 7 states (Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, MP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, UP) under the Atal Bhujal Yojana.
• 3D GIS Aquifer Mapping: central ground water board (CGWB) NAQUIM 2.0 maps over 25 lakh sq km of underground rock structures to identify precise artificial recharge zones.
• Digital Telemetry Monitoring: A network of over 24,000 Digital Water Level Recorders (DWLRs) installed under the National Hydrology Project transmits real-time groundwater fluctuations.
• Central Databases: Integrates IN-GRES (India-Groundwater Resource Estimation System) and WIMS (Water Information Management System) to support decentralized crop planning and village water budgets.

Why in News / Context: In August 2026, the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) Annual Report recorded milestone growth in transplants performed across India.

Core Facts:

• Publishing Body: National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA) 1994.
• Core Findings: India performed a record 20,138 organ transplants in 2025 (up from 4,990 in 2013). Deceased donor transplants grew over fourfold, rising from 837 in 2013 to 3,526 in 2025.
• State Leadership: Tamil Nadu registered the highest number of deceased organ donors (266), while Delhi led in total transplants performed.
• Organ Share: Kidney transplants dominated, accounting for 62% of all surgeries, followed by liver transplants at 20%.
• Governance Pushes: Launch of the Jug Jug Jiyo Abhiyaan, NOTTO Mobile App, and streamlined Brain Stem Death and Swap Transplantation Guidelines helped India cross 5 lakh Aadhaar-verified organ pledges.

Why in News / Context: In August 2026, renowned Indian astrophysicist Professor Annapurni Subramaniam was awarded the prestigious COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal.

Core Facts:

• Conferring Body: Jointly awarded biennially by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) since its inception in 1990.
• Selected Recipient: Professor Annapurni Subramaniam (Director of Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru) is the first Indian woman and only the third woman globally to receive the medal.
• Scientific Achievements: Conferred for her stellar population and galaxy evolution research and her role as the calibration scientist for the UVIT (Ultra-violet Imaging Telescope) instrument aboard AstroSat, India's first space telescope.
• Historical Precedent: Past Indian recipients of this medal include U.R. Rao (1996), Gurbax Singh Lakhina (2014), and Anil Bhardwaj (2024).

Why in News / Context: In August 2026, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) issued a draft notification proposing a standardized regulatory timeline for V2V systems under AIS-230.

Core Facts:

• Definition: An advanced wireless communication technology that enables nearby motor vehicles to continuously broadcast and receive real-time data regarding speed, location, trajectory, and braking status directly using a peer-to-peer data mesh over several hundred meters without relying on cellular towers or cloud servers.
• Significance: Proactively prevents multi-car pileups and blind corner collisions using Applications like Emergency Electronic Brake Lights (EEBL) and Forward Collision Warning (FCW), functioning effectively in non-line-of-sight conditions.
• Rollout Timeline: Voluntary compliance with AIS-230 rules begins October 1, 2027, and becomes mandatory for all new L, M, and N category vehicles on October 1, 2028.
• Spectrum and Technology: Operates on the dedicated, license-exempt 5.875 GHz to 5.925 GHz (5.9 GHz) band using direct Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) channels.

Why in News / Context: On August 3, 2026, Indian stock exchanges launched the Closing Auction Session (CAS) for cash market equity stocks with active derivatives contracts, following a SEBI directive.

Core Facts:

• The Mechanism: A 20-minute daily auction session (from 3:15 PM to 3:35 PM) that aggregates buy and sell orders to discover a single, volume-maximizing equilibrium closing price, rather than calculating a continuous volume-weighted average price.
• Core Objectives: Designed to curb end-of-day price manipulation, enhance price discovery, and establish precise benchmarks for mutual fund portfolio NAV calculations and derivatives settlement.
• Phase 1 (3:15 PM - 3:20 PM): Continuous trading ends at 3:15 PM. System computes a reference price based on the VWAP from 3:00 PM to 3:15 PM, applying a strict ±3% price band.
• Phase 2 (3:20 PM - 3:30 PM): Order entry window. Orders are accepted, but modifications are restricted after 3:25 PM, and the entry window closes at a random time between 3:28 PM and 3:30 PM to prevent order spoofing.
• Phase 3 (3:30 PM - 3:35 PM): Orders are matched. Stop-loss, iceberg, and revealed-quantity orders are prohibited during CAS, and separate books run on NSE and BSE.

Why in News / Context: In August 2026, the Supreme Court clarified that State governments remain free to close or withdraw minor criminal cases against student protesters during mass agitations, provided they strictly follow the BNSS.

Core Facts:

• No Direct Executive Cancellation: An FIR cannot be unilaterally expunged or cancelled by an executive order passed by a government or minister; it requires police filings or judicial approval.
• Route One (Police Closure Report - Section 193): Filed by the investigating agency when evidence is insufficient. The jurisdictional Magistrate holds full supervisory authority to accept or reject the report.
• Route Two (Withdrawal from Prosecution - Section 360): Public Prosecutor can seek withdrawal before judgment. Crucially, the decision must stem from the Prosecutor's independent judgment, and the court must grant explicit consent after hearing victims and verifying public interest.
• Route Three (Quashing by High Court - Section 528): High Courts can exercise inherent powers to quash an FIR to prevent abuse of the process of court or to secure the ends of justice.

Why in News / Context: On ICAR Foundation Day in August 2026, the Union Government dedicated India's first indigenous vaccine against African Swine Fever (ASF) to the nation.

Core Facts:

• Vaccine Technology: India's first MA-104 cell line-based live-attenuated vaccine developed to immunize pigs against ASFV Genotype II (the predominant strain in Indian outbreaks since 2020).
• Lead Developer: ICAR–National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (ICAR-NIHSAD), Bhopal.
• Technical Specifications: Recommended for healthy pigs over 8 weeks of age, administered as a 1 mL intramuscular injection followed by a single booster dose 14 days after.
• Significance: Eliminates reliance on expensive foreign vaccines, avoids patented proprietary manufacturing platforms, reduces the need for mass culling, and safeguards tribal livelihoods in Northeast India.

Why in News / Context: On International Clouded Leopard Day in August 2026, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched a comprehensive Conservation Action Plan (CAP).

Core Facts:

• Standardized Population Monitoring: The CAP mandates non-invasive technologies—including environmental DNA (eDNA), camera traps, and genetic sampling—to map a reliable population baseline across 14 priority landscapes in Northeast India, northern West Bengal, and Bihar.
• Biological Classification: The Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and under Schedule I of India's Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• Morphological Adaptations: Features unique, specialized backward-rotating ankle joints that enable it to climb down tree trunks headfirst, and possesses the longest canine-to-skull ratio among living feline species.
• Vocal Capabilities: Lacks a fully ossified hyoid bone, meaning it cannot roar like big cats (Panthera), nor can it purr continuously like small felines; it vocalizes via growls, chuffs, and growling growls.

Why in News / Context: In August 2026, India and Uzbekistan held high-level bilateral talks in New Delhi to deepen their strategic partnership, focusing on critical minerals, energy, and defense.

Core Facts:

• Geographical Status: Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked sovereign nation in Central Asia, bordered by five landlocked countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan.
• Major Rivers: Lies primarily between the Amu Darya to the southwest and the Syr Darya to the northeast.
• Key Geological Structures: Western region comprises lowlands like the Turan Plain, the Ustyurt Plateau, and the Kyzylkum Desert. The eastern region features rugged ranges, including the Beshtor Peak (4,299 m) and the fertile Fergana and Zeravshan Valleys.
• Aral Sea Basin: Features the desiccated, highly saline Aral Sea Basin, which has lost over 90% of its volume due to historic river diversions.
• Strategic Value: Connects India to Central Asia and Eurasia via the Chabahar Port and INSTC, and possesses rich reserves of uranium, gold, copper, and rare earths.

Why in News / Context: In August 2026, the Union Home Ministry reported that India has brought back 274 fugitive criminals from 36 countries over the past seven years, making extradition a national priority.

Core Facts:

• FEOA 2018 Threshold: Applies to offenders who left India to avoid prosecution for financial crimes involving ₹100 crore or more, allowing the ED to file a confiscation application before a Special Court.
• The Extradition Act 1962: Regulates extraditions to foreign states, functioning via bilateral treaties (India has treaties with 48 countries) or reciprocal arrangements with non-treaty states.
• The Dual Criminality Principle: Under the 1962 Act, a fugitive can only be extradited if the alleged offense is recognized as a crime in both the requesting and requested states.
• Grounds for Refusal: Extradition requests are refused under certain conditions, such as if the offence is classified as 'political' in nature or if there is a risk of an unfair trial in the requesting country.

Why in News / Context: In August 2026, India concluded a historic Commonwealth Games campaign in Glasgow, Scotland, finishing 4th overall in the final medal standings.

Core Facts:

• Publishing Body: Commonwealth Games Federation (Glasgow 2026, Mascot: Finnie).
• India's Final Medal Standing: Ranked 4th overall with a total of 39 medals: 13 Gold, 17 Silver, and 9 Bronze.
• Core Gold Contributors: Boxing led with 7 gold medals, followed by Para Athletics (2 gold), Judo (2 gold), and Weightlifting (1 gold).
• Mirabai Chanu's Milestone: Completed a historic gold medal hat-trick in the Women's 48kg weightlifting division.
• Judo and Para Athletics Golds: Historic individual golds won in Judo by Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh, and in Para Athletics by Dilip Gavit, Soman Rana, and Sharmila Dhankar.
• Future Host: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India is slated to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

Why in News / Context: In August 2026, Parliament passed the Registration of Births and Deaths Amendment Bill to update registration procedures and establish digital civic databases.

Core Facts:

• National and State Databases: Mandates the creation of a centralized national database and corresponding state-level databases to streamline civic registrations of births and deaths.
• Single Document Utility: Birth certificates are positioned to serve as a singular, authoritative document for various civic processes, such as school admissions, driving licenses, voter lists, and passport issuance.
• Compulsory Reporting: Elevates the reporting requirements for healthcare institutions and designated local authorities, optimizing overall demographic data accuracy.

Why in News / Context: In August 2026, newly released parliamentary data showed that case registrations and enforcement actions by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the PMLA reached a four-year high.

Core Facts:

• ED Workload Trends: ED cases registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) surged to a four-year high in FY26, reflecting intensified nationwide financial crime investigations.
• Asset Attachment Procedures: Parliament discussed the strict protocols implemented by the ED to freeze and attach proceeds of crime during initial investigation stages.
• Judicial Oversight: Debates focused on judicial backlogs, trial speeds, overall conviction and acquittal rates, and ensuring procedural safeguards under PMLA frameworks.

Why in News / Context: In August 2026, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers highlighted achievements and subsidy savings generated through the PM-PRANAM scheme.

Core Facts:

• Core Objectives: To incentivize States and Union Territories to promote the balanced use of chemical fertilizers (like urea) in combination with alternative, organic, and natural farming nutrients to restore soil health.
• Target Beneficiaries: Farmers, rural agricultural communities, and cooperative institutions across India.
• Subsidy Saving Reinvestment: Under the scheme, 50% of the fertilizer subsidy savings achieved by a State is returned to that State as a grant for rural asset creation and sustainable technology deployment.
• Soil Health Restoration: Focuses on reducing the soil chemical footprint, mitigating nitrate groundwater contamination, and promoting eco-friendly farming practices.