Current Affairs for Competitive Exams: 12 August 2026, Daily Roundup

Current Affairs – 12 August 2026

National Current Affairs

1. Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 Becomes Law: President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The amendment gives Vande Mataram statutory protection comparable to that accorded to the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana.

2. Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026 Passed by Parliament: The Rajya Sabha passed the Tribunals Reforms Bill after its passage in the Lok Sabha. The Bill proposes an independent National Tribunals Commission for selection, performance and administrative oversight of tribunals.

3. Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026: The Lok Sabha passed the Bill seeking to change the constitutional name of Kerala to Keralam. A resolution supporting the change had earlier been passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly in June 2024.

• Constitutional Link: Alteration of state boundaries/names is governed by Article 3.

4. PM E-DRIVE Scheme Amended: Ministry of Heavy Industries amended the PM E-DRIVE scheme. Incentive for electric two-wheelers revised to ₹2,500/kWh, subject to a maximum of ₹5,000 per vehicle, with the scheme extending up to March 2028.

• Focus: EV adoption, clean mobility and transition from FAME to PM E-DRIVE.

5. Government e-Marketplace (GeM) Completes 10 Years: GeM completed a decade of operation as India’s digital public procurement platform. A dedicated 5-digit helpdesk number – 14550 was launched.

• Importance: Transparency, competitive procurement, ease of doing business and e-governance.

6. Farmer IDs Cross 10.33 Crore: More than 10.33 crore Farmer IDs have been generated. They facilitate integration with schemes such as PM-KISAN, PM Fasal Bima Yojana, MSP procurement, credit delivery and disaster relief.

7. Kharif Crop Coverage: Kharif crop area coverage crossed 967 lakh hectares as of 7 August.

• Rice: More than 344 lakh hectares.
• Oilseeds: More than 180 lakh hectares, over 5 lakh hectares higher than the corresponding period.

8. Supreme Court on Missing-Person FIRs: The Supreme Court clarified that its direction for immediate registration of FIRs in missing-person cases applies irrespective of age or gender. States/UTs failing to comply may have their Chief Secretaries and police chiefs appear before the Court.

• Focus: Police accountability, FIR registration and protection of life/liberty.

9. Air India Incident Investigation: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the Air India incident of 4 August, when the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of approximately 300 feet of altitude before safely landing in Delhi.

Defence Update

1. HAL Completes Delivery of Limited Series Production LUH: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) completed delivery of all Limited Series Production Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) to the Indian Army and Air Force.

• Significance: Milestone in India’s indigenous rotary-wing aircraft development.

2. Gaganyaan Mission: India’s first uncrewed Gaganyaan experimental flight is targeted for late 2026, with the first crewed mission targeted for 2027.Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) is targeted for operationalisation by 2035.

• Exam Focus: Human spaceflight, ISRO and India’s long-term space ambitions.

4. GRSE Warship Construction: Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) plans to deliver five warships to the Indian Navy by the end of FY 2026–27.

5. RAW–Bangladesh Engagement: RAW chief Parag Jain met Bangladesh’s Defence Affairs Adviser Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr AKM Shamsul Islam in Dhaka amid efforts to stabilise bilateral relations.

International Current  Affairs

1. India Reaffirms Arunachal Pradesh as Integral Part of India: MEA reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is an inalienable and integral part of India..

2. NASA Invites ISRO to Moon Base Programme: NASA has invited ISRO to participate in its lunar-base programme under the broader framework of the Artemis Accords. India and the US are also discussing cooperation in open scientific data sharing.

• Focus: Artemis programme, Moon exploration and India-US space cooperation.

3. MSME–DPIIT MoU on GI Products: Ministry of MSME and DPIIT signed an MoU to accelerate commercialisation and global market access for Indian Geographical Indication (GI) products. Linked with One District One Product (ODOP) and quality standardisation.

Global Geopolitical Crisis

1. West Asian Security Realignment: The newly announced Makkah Joint Defence Agreement involving Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan is reshaping regional security calculations.The emerging arrangement has implications for India’s West Asia policy, strategic autonomy and energy security.

2. Lebanon Abolishes Death Penalty: Lebanon’s Parliament abolished the death penalty, replacing it with life imprisonment with aggravated hard labour.

• Focus: Human rights, criminal justice reforms and abolition of capital punishment.

3. Colombia Earthquake: The death toll from the powerful earthquake in western Colombia crossed 200.

4. Ukraine Conflict: Russian overnight attacks across Ukraine killed at least nine people and injured dozens.

5. Congo Ebola Outbreak: The death toll in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak crossed 2,000.

Science & Technology

1. Prof. Deepak Dhar Receives 2026 ICTP Dirac Medal: Indian theoretical physicist Prof. Deepak Dhar received the prestigious 2026 ICTP Dirac Medal. Recognised for contributions to statistical physics and complex systems, including the Sandpile Model.

• Focus: Indian scientists and international scientific awards.

2. Total Solar Eclipse 2026: Astronomers tracked a major total solar eclipse, with the path of totality extending across parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

• Concept: During a total eclipse, the Moon comes between the Sun and Earth, with the umbra producing the zone of totality.

Sports Update

1. U-23 Commonwealth Fencing Championship: India made an impressive start in Lagos, Nigeria, winning 17 medals on the opening day:

• 🥇 4 Gold
• 🥈 4 Silver
• 🥉 9 Bronze

2. Subroto Cup: The 65th Subroto Cup International Football Tournament, one of Asia’s major inter-school football competitions, is being conducted across venues in Delhi NCR and Bengaluru.

Global Observance Days

1. International Youth Day – 12 August

• Established by the UN General Assembly in 1999.
• Highlights the role of youth in social, economic and political development.
• 2026 Theme: “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development.”

2. World Elephant Day – 12 August

• Focuses on conservation of Asian and African elephants, addressing habitat loss, poaching and human-elephant conflict.
• India: Project Elephant was launched in 1992.

Miscellaneous One-Liners Current Affairs

• Khudiram Bose: Nation observed the 119th martyrdom anniversary of the revolutionary freedom fighter; he was executed at Muzaffarpur Central Jail on 11 August 1908.
• India–Russia: Russian cosmonauts aboard the ISS extended Independence Day greetings to India.
• ED: Director Rahul Navin’s tenure extended by one year.
• Peacock Donation: India donated five peacocks, including a rare white-feathered male, to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG)