Current Affairs for Competitive Exams: 04 August 2026, Daily Roundup
Current Affairs – 04 August 2026
National Current Affairs
1. Registration of Births & Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026 Passed: Parliament passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026, after approval by the Rajya Sabha.
Key Provisions:
- Delayed registration of births and deaths beyond two years will now require approval from a First-Class Judicial Magistrate instead of an Executive Magistrate.
- Strengthens verification of civil records.
- Promotes secure digital sharing of birth and death databases among government agencies.
2. MSME Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026: Parliament approved the MSME Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
Key Highlights:
- Makes Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) mandatory for all Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) while settling MSME invoices.
- Aims to reduce delayed payments.
- Improves working capital availability for MSMEs.
3. Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026: The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026 received Presidential assent. The Act will come into force after notification by the Maharashtra Government.
4. Other Important National Updates
- Prashant Kishor (Jan Suraj) won the Bankipur Assembly by-election in Bihar.
- Road Transport Ministry proposed introducing Two-Wheeler Road Ambulances to improve emergency medical response, especially in remote areas.
- More than 1.18 lakh Central Government employees opted for the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) under the National Pension System (NPS).
- Hyderabad will host the 2nd BRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group Meeting on 4–5 August 2026.
International Current Affairs
1. Sustainable Energy for AI Infrastructure: Policy discussions highlighted Agrivoltaics as a sustainable solution to power AI data centres following Google’s investment plans in India.
Importance:
- Combines agriculture with solar energy generation.
- Supports clean energy for high-power AI infrastructure.
2. India Diversifies LNG Imports: India increased Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) imports from the United States, Nigeria and Oman to reduce dependence on supplies routed through the Strait of Hormuz.
3. Other International Developments
- External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
- India plans to invest ₹45,000 crore in railway infrastructure along the borders with China, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
- Vishwesh Negi appointed as India’s next Ambassador to Iran.
4. Major World Developments
- Tensions continued in Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK) following fresh protests.
- Iran denied reports of negotiations with the United States.
- Willie Walsh assumed charge as Chief Executive Officer of IndiGo.
Defence Update
1. ASIP Semiconductor Project: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the ₹2,500 crore ASIP Semiconductor Plant at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
Importance:
- Strengthens India’s semiconductor ecosystem.
- Supports indigenous defence electronics and commercial chip manufacturing.
2. Exercise ROTOR CLAP III: The Indian Air Force concluded Exercise ROTOR CLAP III at Pokhran, Rajasthan.
3. Future Warfare Course: The 4th Tri-Services Future Warfare Course commenced in New Delhi.
Objective:
- Focus on emerging military technologies.
- Covers future operational concepts, geopolitics and joint warfare.
4. Air Chief’s Vietnam Visit: Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh began a three-day official visit to Vietnam to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation.
Science & Technology
1. NOTTO Launches e-Pratyaropan Portal: The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) launched the e-Pratyaropan Portal and mobile application.
Key Features:
- National digital platform for organ allocation.
- Transparent waitlisting and organ matching.
- Promotes Aadhaar-linked digital healthcare.
2. COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal: Eminent astrophysicist Dr. Annapurni Subramaniam became the first Indian woman to receive the prestigious COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal (2026).
3. Revamped MyCall App: TRAI launched the upgraded MyCall mobile application for real-time call quality ratings and telecom service feedback.
Sports Update
- Harshita Jakhar became the first Indian woman to participate in the Tour de France Femmes.
- The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 will be jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands from 15–30 August 2026, featuring simultaneous men’s and women’s competitions.
Important Observance
World Breastfeeding Week (1–7 August 2026)- “Breastfeeding for a sustainable start in life: Strengthen what works.”
Miscellaneous One-Liners Current Affairs
- Glaw Lake (Arunachal Pradesh) became India’s 101st Ramsar Site.
- The Supreme Court held that Section 498A IPC can apply to eligible live-in relationships under evolving legal interpretation.
- REC and PFC signed a ₹26,850 crore loan agreement for the Meja Thermal Power Project expansion.
- Union Textile Ministry launched the Kapas Darshan Bulletin and implementation roadmap for the ₹5,659 crore Cotton Productivity Mission (Kapas Kanti).
- Goa inducted a modern fleet of specialised firefighting vehicles, including a 42-metre Turn Table Ladder and Hazmat Response Vehicle.
