Current affairs — 22 August 2026

Prelims pointers

• John Scanlon, who led CITES from 2010 to 2018, will chair Vantara's new governing council.
• The governing council will have authority over decisions concerning animal acquisitions.
• Vantara withdrew all pending applications to import live animals as part of voluntary commitments submitted to CITES.
• The centre imposed a minimum one-year moratorium on animal imports lasting until June 2027.
• The 3,500-acre Vantara facility at Jamnagar was inaugurated in 2025 and houses more than 260 Asian elephants.

Prelims pointers

• The notified amounts are ₹9,000 crore for 91-day, ₹8,000 crore for 182-day and ₹7,000 crore for 364-day bills.
• The Treasury Bill auction is on August 27, 2026, and settlement is on August 28, 2026.
• The auction is price-based and follows the multiple-price method.
• Retail investors may bid non-competitively through Retail Direct, with allocation capped at 5% of the notified amount.
• Competitive E-Kuber bids close at 11:30 a.m.; non-competitive bids close at 11:00 a.m.

Prelims pointers

• RBI scheduled the Variable Rate Reverse Repo auction for Monday, August 24, 2026.
• The notified auction amount is ₹2,50,000 crore and the tenor is seven days.
• The auction window runs from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on August 24, 2026.
• The reversal date for the liquidity operation is Monday, August 31, 2026.
• Operational guidelines from RBI Press Release 2019-2020/1947 dated February 13, 2020 remain unchanged.

Prelims pointers

• The petition sought delayed MGNREGA wages and compensation and was filed by activist Aruna Roy.
• The petition also sought to connect the rural-work guarantee with Article 21's right to life.
• Justice Joymalya Bagchi located the constitutional aspiration of right to work in Part IV, not among fundamental rights.
• The successor VB-G RAM G Act increased guaranteed work from 100 to 125 days per household annually.
• The report says the Centre-State funding ratio shifted from 90:10 under the old framework to 60:40 under the new law.

Prelims pointers

• The Supreme Court reduced mandatory prior legal practice for entry-level judicial exams from three years to one year.
• The decision was a 2:1 ruling by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices A.G. Masih and K. Vinod Chandran.
• Exams notified from May 25, 2025 through March 31, 2027 receive transitional eligibility regardless of experience.
• Selected transition-period candidates will serve one year as trainee judicial officers and complete a further one-year clerkship.
• The revised one-year prior-practice arrangement applies to examinations notified after April 1, 2027.

Prelims pointers

• The seven participating States offered securities with an aggregate face value of ₹20,100 crore.
• The auction is scheduled through RBI’s E-Kuber system on August 25, 2026.
• Up to 10% of each stock may be allotted under the non-competitive facility, with a 1% single-bid cap per stock.
• State Government Stock is issued in a minimum nominal amount of ₹10,000 and multiples of ₹10,000 thereafter.
• The securities count towards banks’ SLR under Section 24 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

Prelims pointers

• The National Commission for Safai Karmacharis plans to launch the missed-call facility on August 23.
• The facility will begin as a pilot measuring grievance volume before a possible NCSK call centre.
• NCSK is engaging the Labour Ministry on wage parity with skilled or semi-skilled workers.
• Profiling of sewer and septic-tank workers under NAMASTE was reported to be stalled at about 90,000 workers.
• In May, NCSK sought occupational insurance and directions against 5 a.m. shifts for women cleaners.

Prelims pointers

• The new ruling was delivered by a nine-judge Bench of the Supreme Court.
• The earlier expansive interpretation came from the 1978 Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board v. R. Rajappa case.
• The 1978 ruling was by a seven-judge Bench led by Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer.
• The quoted triple test includes systematic activity, an employer-employee relationship, and goods or services for human wants.
• AITUC raised concerns about the exclusions contained in Section 2(p) of the Industrial Relations Code.

Prelims pointers

• INS Mangrol is the third vessel in a planned series of eight anti-submarine warfare shallow watercraft.
• The vessel was indigenously designed and constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited.
• INS Mangrol is named after the coastal township of Mangrol in Gujarat.
• Its systems include lightweight torpedoes and indigenous anti-submarine warfare rockets.
• The vessel also carries advanced shallow-water sonars, according to the shipyard communication.

Prelims pointers

• The proposed solar plant has an initial capacity of 20 MW and is Nagaland's first private-sector solar plant.
• The project site is Lapa Lampong village at Tizit in Nagaland's Mon district.
• The power purchase agreement runs for 25 years and provides a commissioning period of 20 months.
• The fixed tariff is ₹4.12 per kWh, approved by the Nagaland Electricity Regulatory Commission.
• Nagaland's peak demand is 203 MW and is projected to reach 482 MW by 2034-35.

Prelims pointers

• The Cauvery Water Management Authority was set up by the Union government in June 2018.
• The CWMA handles Cauvery sharing among Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.
• Tamil Nadu's annual Cauvery quota is 177.25 TMC feet, of which 123.14 TMC feet is due during the south-west monsoon.
• Karnataka asked for daily releases to Tamil Nadu to be reduced from 12,000 cusecs to 10,000 cusecs.
• Tamil Nadu did not open the Mettur dam on June 12; its level was about 85 feet against a 120-foot capacity.

Prelims pointers

• Siddhavatam Fort stands on the left bank of the Penna or Pinakini River in Kadapa district between the Palakonda and Veligonda ranges.
• A 1233 CE Tamil-Grantha inscription associated with Chola ruler Rajendra III records construction of the Siddheswara temple's western gopuram.
• An ASI record attributes the fort's initial construction in 1303 CE to Ananta Raja of the Matli rulers.
• Control passed through Mir Jumla II around 1682, Abdul Nabi Khan in 1714, Hyder Ali in 1779–80 and the British by 1800.
• Siddhavatam served as the British administrative headquarters of Cuddapah district from 1807 to 1812 before Penna floods prompted relocation.

Prelims pointers

• Uttar Pradesh and Yamanashi advanced four MoUs covering skills, technical training, tourism and Japanese global capability centres.
• Yamanashi announced a ₹600-crore fund intended to support the micro, small and medium enterprise sector in Uttar Pradesh.
• A dedicated Yamanashi Desk at Invest U.P. is intended to provide a focused channel for investors and businesses from the prefecture.
• Regular coordination with JETRO and JICA is intended to identify opportunities, address investor concerns and accelerate projects.
• The announcements were made at a Japan–India Business Networking Event in Lucknow attended by Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki.

Prelims pointers

• Madraspatnam was established in the 17th-century coastal landscape between the Cooum and Adyar rivers and grew around Fort St. George.
• Chennai's artificial harbour, constructed in the late 19th century, interrupted longshore sand movement along the coast.
• Sediment trapped south of the harbour gradually helped form the broad modern Marina, while reduced sand supply contributed to erosion northward.
• Kamarajar Port, formerly Ennore Port, and Kattupalli added more breakwaters and structures along Chennai's northern coast.
• Sea-level rise, intense storms and continued development are expected to add pressure to Chennai's already modified shoreline.

Prelims pointers

• A shipment of 16,250 Ervebo vaccine doses reached the DRC on August 21, 2026.
• WHO made 70,000 doses available: 50,000 for frontline and health workers and 20,000 for a clinical trial.
• Ervebo is approved against the Zaire strain, not the Bundibugyo strain circulating in the DRC outbreak.
• The outbreak had caused 2,516 deaths among 5,290 confirmed cases in the cited Congolese data.
• The DRC's 17th Ebola outbreak was declared on May 15, although transmission may have begun earlier.

Prelims pointers

• The Ladakh administration said cases against 25 people with limited or no involvement in the September 2025 violence would be withdrawn lawfully.
• Charge sheets were filed against nine people where evidence was available, and those cases will remain before competent courts.
• A total of 87 people were booked after the September 24, 2025 violence in Leh; four civilians died and about 90 people were injured.
• The Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance are key civil-society groups participating in the dialogue with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Demands discussed in the Ladakh dialogue include statehood, a legislature, Sixth Schedule safeguards and Article 371-like special provisions.

Prelims pointers

• The August 21 review examined H1N1 preparedness nationally, with particular focus on the National Capital.
• The surveillance review covered influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory infection trends, testing and laboratory surveillance.
• Delhi's preparedness assessment included hospital-bed availability, critical-care facilities and other necessary supplies.
• The Ministry advised respiratory and hand hygiene and prompt medical advice for severe symptoms or breathing difficulty.
• The Health Ministry said it was coordinating with States, Union Territories, hospitals and laboratories for early detection and timely clinical management.

Prelims pointers

• Karnataka administered 4,15,939 of 5,08,030 allocated single-dose HPV vaccine vials by August 20, 2026, achieving 81.9% coverage.
• The nationwide HPV vaccination programme was formally launched on February 28, 2026, in Ajmer, Rajasthan; Karnataka began its rollout the same day.
• The current campaign covers girls aged 14–15, and Karnataka delivers the vaccine through public primary, community, district and teaching-health facilities.
• Karnataka reported one minor adverse event following immunisation among more than four lakh doses administered in the State.
• Vijayanagar had Karnataka's highest district coverage at 98.3%, while Dakshina Kannada had the lowest at 47.6%.

Prelims pointers

• The challenged amendment modifies the River Ganga Authorities Order, 2016 and was notified through the National Mission for Clean Ganga.
• The active floodplain is now tied to a one-in-five-year flood return period.
• The regulatory zone covers five-to-25-year flooding, while the warning zone covers 25-to-100-year flooding.
• A 2017 six-member NGT Bench treated 100 metres from the river edge as a no-development zone from Haridwar to Kanpur.
• NGT sought replies and listed the case for October 27, 2026, but did not stay the amendment.

Prelims pointers

• Odisha’s sugar price was ₹64.72 per kilogram on August 21, 2026, while the national average was ₹58.23.
• Current-season sugar production was expected at 306 LMT, below the initial State estimate of 343 LMT.
• Sugar diverted to ethanol declined from about 12% in 2022-23 to about 9% in 2025-26.
• A 400-tonne stock limit applies to sugar dealers nationwide from August 1 to November 30.
• The government permitted duty-free import of 10 LMT of raw sugar to increase domestic availability.

Prelims pointers

• Bangalore Water Supply v. A. Rajappa (1978) established a triple test for ‘industry’ under Section 2(j) of the Industrial Disputes Act.
• The triple test examines systematic activity, employer-employee cooperation and production or distribution of goods or services satisfying human wants.
• The 2026 majority said pending old-Act cases must still follow the 1978 interpretation.
• Section 2(p) of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 is not controlled by the old Act’s Section 2(j) interpretation.
• Justice B.V. Nagarathna dissented; Justices Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan also found reconsideration of the 1978 verdict unnecessary.

Prelims pointers

• Section 354(5) CrPC, corresponding to Section 393(5) BNSS, prescribes hanging as the method of execution.
• Deena v. Union of India (1983), decided by a three-judge Bench, upheld hanging as constitutionally valid.
• Shashi Nayar v. Union of India (1992), a Constitution Bench case, approved the position in Deena.
• The 2026 case was heard by Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta and decided on August 18.
• The Court found no conclusive scientific or empirical evidence that lethal injection is demonstrably more humane.

Prelims pointers

• NADCP targets biannual FMD vaccination and one lifetime brucellosis vaccination for female bovine calves aged four to eight months.
• The programme has administered 147.16 crore FMD vaccine doses and benefited 8.04 crore farmers.
• Reported FMD outbreaks declined from 132 in 2019 to 40 in 2025; brucellosis outbreaks fell from 22 to 15.
• More than 39 crore livestock were registered on the Bharat Pashudhan Portal by July 2026 with unique 12-digit tag IDs.
• The revised LHDCP has a ₹2,010 crore outlay for 2026-27 and subsumes NADCP, LH&DC and Pashu Aushadhi.

Prelims pointers

• The five-year IOCL-STC agreement covers Mauritius’s full import requirement for motor spirit, high-speed diesel and aviation turbine fuel.
• The oil-and-gas MoU covers fuel supply, training and capacity building, and biofuels cooperation.
• Indian Oil (Mauritius) Limited is developing a 27.5 TMT bunker marine-fuel storage facility at Mer Rouge, Port Louis.
• India has annual refined-petroleum output of 267 MMT from 23 refineries, according to the release.
• Mauritius is a founding member of the Global Biofuels Alliance, launched during India’s G20 presidency.

Prelims pointers

• The incubator proposals fall under the Non-Farm Livelihoods component of DAY-NRLM.
• Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat were paired respectively with IIT Patna, IIM Jammu, IIM Lucknow and IIT Gandhinagar.
• The four proposed programmes together would support more than 600 high-potential rural enterprises.
• Fourteen incubator programmes currently operate across 13 States and support around 2,100 rural SHG enterprises.
• The committee also considered expansion of SVEP in West Bengal and Goa.

Prelims pointers

• The restriction covers all fixed-dose combinations containing both chlorpheniramine maleate and phenylephrine hydrochloride.
• The mandatory warning says that the fixed-dose combination shall not be used in children below four years of age.
• Manufacturers must display the warning on the label, package insert and promotional literature.
• The decision followed recommendations of an Expert Committee and the Drugs Technical Advisory Board.
• The notification was issued under Section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and applies from Gazette publication.

Prelims pointers

• EEC 2026 was notified with effect from June 29, 2026, and remains open until October 31, 2026.
• The campaign covers eligible employees omitted from EPF coverage between April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2026.
• A declared employee must be alive and continuing with the establishment on the date of declaration.
• A Face Authentication-based UAN must be generated through the UMANG App for each declared employee.
• Contributions for declared employees are to be remitted through the Electronic Challan-cum-Return.

Prelims pointers

• The selected site covers two hectares in Khalingduar Reserve Forest under Assam’s Dhansiri Forest Division.
• The project targets Lantana camara, Chromolaena odorata and Mikania micrantha.
• Aaranyak is implementing the project with support from the International Elephant Foundation.
• Biochar is made by heating organic waste in a controlled environment with little or no oxygen.
• The project combines manual invasive-plant removal, seed-ball-assisted regeneration, biochar conversion and repeat monitoring.

Prelims pointers

• The report defines El Niño when tropical eastern Pacific water temperatures are at least 0.5 degrees Celsius above baseline.
• The 2026 event was forecast to peak above three degrees Celsius, described as unprecedented in modern climate records.
• Aggregated forecasts indicated a possible November anomaly of 3.9 degrees Celsius, above the three-degree anomaly in 2015.
• The pattern typically brings dryness to Southeast Asia and Australia but wetter conditions to Peru and Ecuador.
• El Niño events recur irregularly every two to seven years, and the opposite cooling pattern is La Niña.

Prelims pointers

• The Supreme Court’s April 14, 2019 order barred mining and quarrying along Kaziranga’s southern boundary.
• The same order prohibited new construction on private land within nine identified wildlife and animal corridors.
• The Central Empowered Committee met Assam officials on March 3, 2022 to discuss implementation of the order.
• The CEC said it had received no requested information from Assam despite reminders in April 2022 and March 2026.
• Assam’s environment department refused a July RTI response on the ground that the matter was sub judice, without naming the case.

Prelims pointers

• RBI introduced the special USD-INR forex swap facility on 8 June 2026.
• Authorised Dealer Banks reported total inflows of USD 72,848 million through 21 August 2026.
• FCNR(B) deposits accounted for USD 65,397 million of the reported inflows.
• OFCB and ECB inflows were USD 4,860 million and USD 2,591 million, respectively.
• The scheme closes on 31 August 2026 for FCNR(B) deposits and 31 December 2026 for ECBs and OFCBs.

Prelims pointers

• Exercise Pitch Black 2026 was hosted in Australia by the Royal Australian Air Force.
• The IAF deployed frontline Rafale aircraft alongside air forces from over 20 participating nations.
• Pitch Black included Large Force Employment missions in a high-threat, multi-domain environment.
• Exercise Udara Shakti 2026 took the IAF contingent directly to Subang in Malaysia.
• IAF crews flew with and against Su-30MKM and F/A-18 Hornet aircraft during the Malaysian engagement.

Prelims pointers

• Mangrol was delivered to the Indian Navy on 21 August 2026 by Cochin Shipyard Limited.
• It is the third Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft built by the Kochi shipyard.
• The ship has over 80 per cent indigenous content and is propelled by waterjets.
• Its stated roles include coastal anti-submarine warfare, underwater surveillance and mine warfare.
• Mangrol preserves the name of a former Indian Naval minesweeper that served until 2004.

Prelims pointers

• The security review included MHA, MoRTH, Army, BSF, SSB and RPF officials.
• The Multi Agency Centre's standing focus group presented progress and recommendations on the corridor.
• The Home Minister directed time-bound completion of pending infrastructure works in the corridor.
• Agencies were told to secure vital installations and keep the corridor free of encroachments.
• The West Bengal government was urged to strengthen Civil Defence and Home Guards in the corridor.

Prelims pointers

• The Chennai Declaration was adopted unanimously at the 14th BRICS Science Ministerial Meet.
• The Chennai Consensus places a people-centred and humanity-first approach at the centre of STI cooperation.
• BRICS STI cooperation has sustained activity across 14 thematic working groups.
• BRICS GRAIN concerns greater access and collaboration around research infrastructure.
• The next BRICS STI Ministerial Meeting is scheduled under China's chairship in 2027.

Prelims pointers

• The national Mission Zero workshop was held at Lokseva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
• Its overarching objective was to achieve zero fatalities in sanitation work.
• The workshop focused on institutional mechanisms, appropriate technology and mechanised sanitation services.
• Participants included Urban Local Bodies, sanitation workers, civil society and technology providers.
• The Mission Zero approach includes worker safety, social security and livelihood support.

Prelims pointers

• NBA disbursed ₹2.82 crore under the Access and Benefit-Sharing mechanism.
• ₹2.80 crore was released to 27 State Biodiversity Boards and three UT Biodiversity Councils.
• ICAR-IIHR is receiving ₹2.01 lakh linked to two microbial strains sourced from the institution.
• Board and council uses include People's Biodiversity Registers and in-situ and ex-situ conservation.
• The source links the disbursement to Target 13 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Prelims pointers

• The Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on July 24, 2026 and passed there on July 29, 2026.
• The Lok Sabha passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill on July 30, 2026.
• The 1971 Act penalises insults to the national flag, the Constitution of India and the national anthem.
• Intentional prevention of anthem singing or disturbance of an assembly singing it can attract up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
• The Bill extends the anthem-related provisions to the national song, Vande Mataram.

Prelims pointers

• The Bill raises punishment for a person using unfair means to five-to-10 years and a fine up to Rs 50 lakh.
• A service provider engaging in unfair means may be fined up to five crore rupees and debarred for eight years.
• The central government may create a special task force, and investigation must be completed within two months.
• Each state and Union Territory must designate a Court of Session as a Special Fast Track Court under the Bill.
• Appeals from these special courts will lie before a two-judge High Court bench and are subject to stated filing timelines.

Prelims pointers

• The Bill empowers the central government to classify MSMEs using investment and turnover, with thresholds specified by notification.
• Filing a registration memorandum would be voluntary for all MSMEs through notified central or state digital platforms.
• Every CPSE must settle invoices for goods or services procured from MSMEs through the RBI-regulated TReDS platform.
• Mediation must finish within 90 days from first appearance; failed mediation must be referred to arbitration within 30 days.
• The Development Commissioner will adjudicate specified penalties, and appeals will lie before the MSME Secretary.

Prelims pointers

• The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 29, 2026 and passed there on July 31, 2026.
• The Rajya Sabha passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill on August 4, 2026.
• The Bill seeks to amend the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969.
• Under the existing provision described, information given after one year requires an order following verification and payment of a prescribed fee.
• For a delay exceeding two years, the Bill permits only a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class to issue the order.

Prelims pointers

• The Ministry of Home Affairs notified the FCRA Amendment Rules, 2026 on 22 June 2026.
• The amendment Rules specify 105 permitted purposes across five programme categories.
• Applicants must identify states of operation; multiple purposes cost ₹300 per purpose, and operation areas cost ₹300 per state or union territory.
• Reasonable activity is defined as utilising at least ₹10 lakh of foreign contribution in the previous two financial years.
• The Rules require registration forms to disclose organisational social-media accounts and recent activity and funding details.

Prelims pointers

• The Bill seeks to amend the National Co-operative Development Corporation Act, 1962.
• It defines co-operative development as assistance provided to co-operative societies directly or through an intermediary.
• The Bill expands foodstuffs to include processed food and other edible products.
• It removes the rural-location requirement attached to specified producers of industrial goods.
• The Corporation may exchange credit or other information with RBI, the central government, banks and notified financial institutions.

Prelims pointers

• The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on 10 August 2026.
• Lok Sabha passed the Bill on 11 August 2026.
• Rajya Sabha passed the Bill on 12 August 2026.
• The Bill seeks to replace the state name Kerala with “Keralam” in the First Schedule of the Constitution.
• The Kerala Legislative Assembly passed a resolution on the proposed name change in June 2024.

Prelims pointers

• The Bill seeks to repeal the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021.
• The proposed National Tribunals Commission would conduct vacancy selection and maintain a National Tribunals Data Grid.
• The Commission would have one chairperson, two judicial members and two technical members.
• Technical members must have at least 25 years of experience in specified fields.
• The central government must make a tribunal appointment within three months of the committee recommendation.

Prelims pointers

• The Bill seeks to replace the Income-tax Amendment Ordinance issued on 5 June 2026.
• FII and BIS exemptions cover interest and capital gains from government securities arising on or after 1 April 2026.
• Specified rough-diamond and electronics warehousing exemptions run from 1 October 2026 through 31 March 2041.
• The Bill removes several conditions for eligible offshore investment funds managed from India.
• It raises the surcharge for a special-purpose vehicle of a business trust from 10% to 25%.

Prelims pointers

• The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on 3 August 2026 and seeks to replace the ISI Act, 1959.
• It would convert ISI from a registered society into a not-for-profit body corporate.
• The President of India would be the Visitor of the Institute.
• The Board of Governors would be ISI’s principal policy-making executive body.
• The Bill creates an academic council, a finance committee and a management council for each centre.

Prelims pointers

• The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 3, 2026 and passed by the Rajya Sabha on August 10, 2026.
• It seeks to repeal and replace the Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 1891 while retaining most of its provisions.
• Qualifying electronic or digital records of a banker’s book may be admissible, valid and legally enforceable as evidence.
• A bank officer generally cannot be compelled to produce books or testify when the bank is not a party, except by court order for special cause.
• The central government may extend the Bill’s provisions to other financial-sector entities through a notification.

Prelims pointers

• The Rules apply to establishments for which the central government is the appropriate government under the 2020 Code.
• Works Committees are required at 100 or more workers, while Grievance Redressal Committees apply at 20 or more workers.
• A sole registered trade union needs membership of at least 30% of total workers to be recognised as the negotiating union.
• Prior applications are required 15 days before layoff, 60 days before retrenchment and 90 days before closure.
• Employers must transfer 15 days’ wages to the re-skilling fund within 10 days, for payment to workers within 45 days.

Prelims pointers

• The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 20, 2026 and passed there on August 3, 2026.
• The Rajya Sabha passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill on August 5, 2026.
• It seeks to replace an ordinance issued on May 16, 2026.
• The Bill amends the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.
• It raises the number of Supreme Court judges excluding the Chief Justice of India from 33 to 37.

Prelims pointers

• The LVM3-M5 C25 upper stage launched on November 2, 2025 and re-entered on July 30, 2026.
• The mission placed CMS-03 into a GTO with a 170 km perigee and 29,970 km apogee.
• The upper stage was passivated after spacecraft injection to limit the risk of accidental break-up.
• IS4OM monitored orbital decay, while Sriharikota’s Multi Object Tracking Radar tracked the stage where feasible.
• Its residual orbital lifetime was within nine months, meeting the cited IADC and Indian debris-mitigation recommendations.

Prelims pointers

• The improved SSLV SS1 solid booster was ground-tested on August 11, 2026 at Sriharikota.
• Design changes include a higher burn rate in two segments, optimised thermal protection, nozzle-process improvements and lower mass.
• Instrumentation measured more than 600 parameters across ignition, ballistic, structural, thermal, dynamic and acoustic performance.
• The static test qualified the SS1 design improvements, and measured performance was close to predictions.
• The improved first stage is estimated to add about 100 kg to SSLV’s payload capability to Low Earth Orbit.

Prelims pointers

• Mohsen Rezaee has been appointed secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and the Supreme Leader’s representative on it.
• Rezaee replaces Mohammed Bagher Zolqadr as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.
• In 1979, Rezaee sat on the 12-member committee that drafted the IRGC’s founding charter.
• Rezaee became commander-in-chief of the IRGC in 1981 and held that post for 16 years.
• He previously served as secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council, which resolves Guardian Council-legislature differences.