Polity & Governance Current Affairs One-liners — Last 12 months

Tue, 18 Aug 2026

• India and Malaysia held the 2nd Joint Working Group meeting on cooperation in public administration and governance reforms on 18 August 2026.

Mon, 17 Aug 2026

• The Centre on 17 August 2026 notified the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026, which bars States from levying fresh taxes on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands except within conditions set by the Centre.
• The Supreme Court on 17 August 2026 directed all States to constitute dedicated State-level SITs to investigate suspected fraudulent motor accident insurance claims.

Sun, 16 Aug 2026

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his memorial Sadaiv Atal on 16 August 2026, his death anniversary, while Amit Shah unveiled a 21-foot statue of Vajpayee in Chittorgarh.

Sat, 15 Aug 2026

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the nation from the Red Fort on India's 80th Independence Day on 15 August 2026, announced AI skilling for one crore youth in a year, a 100 GW nuclear power target by 2047 and a new goal of 6 crore Lakhpati Didis.
• Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and NITI Aayog Member R. Balasubramaniam on 15 August 2026 released a National Framework and Operational Guidelines for strengthening Integrated Tribal Development Agencies and Projects.

Fri, 14 Aug 2026

• President Droupadi Murmu addressed the nation on 14 August 2026, the eve of the 80th Independence Day, highlighting women's achievements, 25 crore people lifted out of poverty and the 200th birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs announced on 14 August 2026 that 1,057 personnel of Police, Fire, Home Guard & Civil Defence and Correctional Services have been awarded gallantry and service medals for Independence Day 2026, including 301 Medals for Gallantry.
• The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting announced on 14 August 2026 that the 12-minute advertisement duration cap for television channels, introduced in 2006 under the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, will be removed.

Thu, 13 Aug 2026

• The Monsoon Session 2026 of Parliament, which began on 20 July, was adjourned sine die on 13 August 2026 after 19 sittings, with 12 Bills passed by both Houses, including the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill renaming the state 'Keralam'.
• NITI Aayog released a report titled 'Key Sectors to Position India as a Global Manufacturing Hub' on 13 August 2026, analysing four sectors: chemicals, telecom and networking equipment, textiles, and solar photovoltaic manufacturing.
• Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal launched the revamped India Code Portal, with AI-assisted, semantic and speech search and multilingual access, at Kartavya Bhavan 2, New Delhi, on 13 August 2026.

Wed, 12 Aug 2026

• Security agencies detained 253 people across 14 states on 12 August 2026 in a coordinated operation against the Pakistan-based, ISI-backed Shahzad Bhatti Network, leading to over 80 FIRs and more than 200 arrests, the Home Ministry said.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi released former President Ram Nath Kovind's autobiography, 'Triumph of the Indian Republic: My Life, My Struggles', at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, on 12 August 2026.
• The Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (Ministry of Ayush) and the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (Health Ministry) renewed their MoU on 12 August 2026 to implement the 'One Herb, One Standard' initiative for medicinal plants.
• The National Commission for Scheduled Castes, led by Chairman Kishor Makwana, submitted its Annual Report for 2024–25 to President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 12 August 2026, under Article 338 of the Constitution.

Mon, 10 Aug 2026

• Government e Marketplace (GeM) marked its 10th Foundation Day at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on 10 August 2026, launching a customised 'My Stamp' and the nationwide helpdesk short code 14550.
• The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence busted a clandestine drug manufacturing unit in a house in Jewar, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, on 9–10 August 2026, seizing about 30 kg of amphetamine and arresting two people.
• NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Ashok Kumar Lahiri launched 'India's Services Sector: Insights on Regulatory Regime in Professional Services', the third report of NITI's Services Thematic Series, on 10 August 2026.
• The Home Ministry notified 11 more international ports, 9 land ports and 2 airports, for entry of e-Visa holders on 10 August 2026, taking the total to 88.
• TRAI on 10 August 2026 directed phase-wise use of the 1601 number series for service and transactional calls by entities outside banking and government, starting with utilities, courier and logistics firms.
• Oceanographer Dr Srinivasa Kumar Tummala, former Director of INCOIS, Hyderabad, assumed charge as Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences on 10 August 2026.
• The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, a constituent board of the Quality Council of India, launched India's first accreditation scheme for mobile food testing laboratories in New Delhi on 10 August 2026.

Sun, 09 Aug 2026

• All three members of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission resigned on 9 August 2026 amid student protests in Ranchi over alleged irregularities in the 14th JPSC examination and other recruitment tests.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah presented the President's Colours to Puducherry Police on 9 August 2026, adding it to the police forces that hold the honour.
• The Indian Cost Accounts Service (ICoAS) marked its Foundation Day in New Delhi on 9 August 2026 under the Department of Expenditure, with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh as chief guest.

Sat, 08 Aug 2026

• The Finance Ministry said on 8 August 2026 that UPI users will face no transaction charges and person-to-person payments will stay free, with any merchant discount rate limited to some merchant transactions above a threshold.

Fri, 07 Aug 2026

• The Government of India, in consultation with Arunachal Pradesh, identified 27 places and features in the state by standard names on official Survey of India maps, the Home Ministry said on 7 August 2026.

Wed, 05 Aug 2026

• The Government on 5 August 2026 operationalised an inventory-based cross-border e-commerce export framework under the Foreign Trade Policy 2023, allowing export-only inventory operations through registered Exporters-on-Record.
• The Department of Personnel and Training hosted the Second Meeting of the BRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group and the BRICS Expert Network on Asset Recovery in Hyderabad on 4–5 August 2026.