Current affairs — 9 August 2026

Prelims pointers

• CCI organised the BRICS competition-authorities meeting in Udaipur, Rajasthan, on 8 August 2026 under India's BRICS Chairship.
• Participants discussed domestic enforcement initiatives, institutional developments and emerging competition-law and policy challenges.
• CCI steered a collaborative study titled ‘Emerging Competition Landscape in the Renewable Energy Sector in BRICS’.
• The authorities adopted a joint statement on strengthening cooperation and promoting fair competition, including in renewable-energy markets.
• Brazil's CADE briefed the meeting on the tenth BRICS International Competition Conference scheduled for Brazil in 2027.

Prelims pointers

• The National Biodiversity Authority disbursed close to ₹3.79 crore through Access and Benefit Sharing.
• The release locates India’s ABS framework under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and aligns it with the Nagoya Protocol.
• Covered resources included vegetable and oilseed genetic material and deep-frozen Sahiwal cattle semen.
• Where original access sources were unidentifiable, NBA used modalities prepared by an Expert Committee and approved by the Authority.
• Crop-related proceeds were distributed using cultivation-area data published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Prelims pointers

• Non-fossil installed electricity generation capacity reached 300.50 GW as of 31 July 2026.
• Solar accounted for 164.59 GW, while wind accounted for 58.14 GW and large plus small hydro for 57.24 GW.
• Non-fossil sources made up over 54% of the country’s total installed electricity capacity of around 552 GW.
• A record 55.29 GW of non-fossil capacity was installed in 2025–26, including 44.6 GW solar and 6 GW wind.
• Renewable electricity generation increased from 190.96 billion units in 2014–15 to 477.79 billion units in 2025–26.

Prelims pointers

• BioE3 is expanded in the source as Biotechnology for Economy, Employment and Environment.
• The source names BioE3, the National Quantum Mission and the India AI Mission as frontier-technology initiatives.
• The Minister said the space sector was opened to private participation in 2020.
• India’s space economy was stated to be around USD 9 billion, with a projection of USD 40–45 billion in eight to nine years.
• The Minister called for a whole-of-government plus whole-of-nation approach and closer government-industry collaboration.

Prelims pointers

• DAPSC was earlier known as the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan and is governed by NITI Aayog guidelines issued in 2017.
• Thirty-eight Union Ministries and Departments earmark funds across schemes for Scheduled Caste welfare and development.
• Actual DAPSC expenditure was below the Revised Estimates in every financial year from 2020–21 through 2025–26.
• Utilisation of Revised Estimates peaked at 93.83% in 2023–24 before falling to 85.65% in 2025–26.
• All 38 DAPSC-obligated Ministries and Departments have nominated nodal officers for financial and physical monitoring.

Prelims pointers

• The central share released to Karnataka beneficiaries over 2023–24 to 2025–26 totalled ₹1,178.20 crore.
• Annual releases were ₹421.08 crore, ₹422.90 crore and ₹334.22 crore across the three financial years respectively.
• The Post-Matric Scholarship for SC students is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented through States and Union Territories.
• The scholarship has operated through Direct Benefit Transfer mode with effect from 2021–22.
• Central-share release depends on finally verified State or UT-paid data shared through the National Scholarship Portal.

Prelims pointers

• CPGRAMS is available 24×7 and links Central ministries, departments, State Governments and Union Territories through one portal.
• August 2024 guidelines reduced the prescribed grievance-resolution timeline from 30 days to 21 days.
• Average disposal time in Central ministries and departments fell from 157 days in 2014 to 15 days in 2025.
• CPGRAMS supports submissions in 22 scheduled languages besides English and uses BHASHINI for language assistance.
• The AI-enabled ‘Samadhan Didi’ voice chatbot was launched on 30 May 2026 for spoken grievance registration.

Prelims pointers

• More than 1.25 crore houses have been sanctioned under PMAY-U and PMAY-U 2.0, with over 1 crore completed and delivered.
• The eighth CSMC meeting approved over 2.09 lakh PMAY-U 2.0 houses for EWS families across sixteen States and Union Territories.
• Around 1.42 lakh latest sanctions were under BLC, which provides assistance up to ₹2.5 lakh for building on a beneficiary’s own land.
• Affordable Housing in Partnership accounted for 67,045 latest sanctions and involves projects developed by public or private agencies with States or UTs.
• Of the latest 2.09 lakh houses approved, 2.03 lakh were allotted to women and 16,662 to senior citizens.

Prelims pointers

• The Vice-President launched Har Ghar Tiranga at Flag Point in Sri Vijaya Puram on August Kranti Diwas.
• The release connects August Kranti Diwas with the Quit India Movement of 1942.
• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose hoisted the Tricolour in the islands on 30 December 1943, according to the release.
• Mahatma Gandhi’s “Do or Die” call on 8 August 1942 was recalled as giving decisive impetus to the freedom struggle.
• The Vice-President paid tribute to Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and other patriots who suffered in the Cellular Jail.

Prelims pointers

• The bilateral EOD exercise was scheduled at Southern Naval Command, Kochi, from 10 to 14 August 2026.
• It brings together specialist diving and Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams of the Indian and US navies.
• Planned activities include expert exchanges, cross-training, equipment demonstrations and scenario-based exercises.
• The Indian and US navies have conducted joint Salvage and EOD exercises since 2005.
• The 2026 engagement is the eighth edition of this specialised bilateral training exercise.