Asia Current Affairs — Last 12 months
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
Fri, 21 Aug 2026
14th India–Nepal Joint Working Group on border management meets in Dehradun
The 14th India–Nepal Joint Working Group on border management and security met in Dehradun on 20–21 August 2026.
India and ADB sign $230-million loan for Chennai water and sewerage
India and the Asian Development Bank signed a $230 million loan on 21 August 2026 for the Chennai Climate-Resilient Water Security and Sewerage Project.
PM Modi meets CEOs and founders of 20 space start-ups
Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with CEOs and founders of 20 space start-ups at Seva Teerth on 21 August 2026 and called for wider use of space technology to improve lives.
Cochin Shipyard delivers 'Mangrol', third anti-submarine shallow water craft, to Navy
Cochin Shipyard Limited delivered 'Mangrol', the third Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft it has built, to the Indian Navy on 21 August 2026.
First steering committee meeting held for 57th IFFI in Goa
The first Steering Committee meeting for the 57th International Film Festival of India, to be held in Goa from 20 to 28 November 2026, met in New Delhi on 21 August 2026.
CCI penalises agro-input dealer associations for cartelisation
The Competition Commission of India on 21 August 2026 imposed monetary and non-monetary sanctions on the Agro Input Dealers Association and Agro Input Welfare Association for cartelisation.
Thu, 20 Aug 2026
India and Japan sign maritime security pact at Defence Ministers' Meeting
Rajnath Singh and Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi met in New Delhi on 20 August 2026 and signed a Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation.
Railway factories to build 238 AC EMU rakes for Mumbai suburban network
The Railway Ministry said on 20 August 2026 that ICF Chennai, RCF Kapurthala and MCF Raebareli will build 238 AC EMU rakes for Mumbai's suburban railway, with supplies from 2027 to 2030.
Cabinet approves J&K High Court bench in Ladakh
The Union Cabinet on 20 August 2026 approved a bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to sit in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
India-Mauritius oil and gas MoU; IOCL to meet all Mauritius fuel imports
India and Mauritius exchanged an oil and gas MoU and a five-year IOCL-STC fuel supply agreement on 20 August 2026 during Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri's visit.
11.19 lakh PMAY-G houses approved for Bihar with ₹13,427 crore
Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on 20 August 2026 announced approval of 11,18,937 pucca houses for Bihar under PMAY-G with an allocation of ₹13,427 crore.
Core sector grows 5.4% in July 2026
The Index of Core Industries (base 2022-23) grew 5.4% year-on-year in July 2026, slightly below June's 6.0%, the Commerce Ministry said on 20 August 2026.
Amit Shah chairs 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting in Mahabalipuram
Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, on 20 August 2026, urging southern states to settle pending water disputes through dialogue.
Delhi Master Plan 2047 unveiled with 40 lakh affordable homes target
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal unveiled the Delhi Master Plan 2047 (MPD-2047) on 20 August 2026, envisaging about 40 lakh new affordable housing units.
CMLRE releases national report on deep-sea fishery resources of India's EEZ
The Centre for Marine Living Resources & Ecology (CMLRE) released the National Report on Deep-Sea and Distant-Water Fishery Resources of the Indian EEZ on 20 August 2026, marking its silver jubilee.
Piyush Goyal joins 4th India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal called on Singapore PM Lawrence Wong and took part in the 4th India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable in Singapore on 20 August 2026.
Aadhaar App crosses 5 crore downloads
The Aadhaar App crossed 5 crore (50 million) downloads, MeitY said on 20 August 2026, with over 60 lakh mobile number updates done through it.
Reconstituted National Commission for Minorities holds first meeting
The newly reconstituted National Commission for Minorities held its first meeting of 2026 on 20 August under Chairman Harjit Singh Grewal.
Wed, 19 Aug 2026
Cabinet clears ₹3,590.73-crore four-laning of NH-22 up to Nepal border in Bihar
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 19 August 2026 approved four-laning of the 82.578-km Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa section of NH-22 in Bihar at ₹3,590.73 crore on Hybrid Annuity Mode.
Transshipment cargo reform scaled up at Delhi's IGI Airport
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on 19 August 2026 flagged off the scaled-up transshipment cargo operations at Delhi's IGI Airport, adding four domestic origins and two new international destinations.
Delhi adds 200 e-buses and launches 56 women-only bus services
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and LG Taranjit Singh Sandhu on 19 August 2026 flagged off 200 electric buses, taking the city's e-bus fleet past 5,000, and launched 56 women-only bus services.
IASST and IIT Guwahati develop 'smart' cancer drug RK-251
Researchers from IASST and IIT Guwahati have developed RK-251, a 'smart' cancer drug designed to activate mainly inside cancer cells, the Science Ministry said on 19 August 2026.
Cabinet approves four rail multitracking projects worth ₹9,450 crore
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 19 August 2026 approved four railway multitracking projects worth about ₹9,450 crore, adding about 410 km across West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
RBI publishes minutes of 62nd MPC meeting; repo held at 5.25%
The RBI on 19 August 2026 published minutes of the Monetary Policy Committee's 62nd meeting (3-5 August), which unanimously kept the repo rate at 5.25% with a neutral stance.
2nd BRICS Tourism Working Group meets in Jaipur
The Tourism Ministry hosted the 2nd BRICS 2026 Tourism Working Group meeting in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on 19 August 2026 under India's BRICS Chairship.
DRI seizes 54 ivory artefacts in Lucknow, four held
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence busted a wildlife trafficking syndicate in Lucknow on 19 August 2026, seizing 54 carved ivory artefacts and arresting four people.
India to host 5th Coast Guard Global Summit in February 2027
The Indian Coast Guard said on 19 August 2026 that India will host the 5th Coast Guard Global Summit in New Delhi in February 2027, coinciding with the force's golden jubilee.
Nine killed in hotel fire on Kolkata's Mirza Ghalib Street
A fire at a hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in central Kolkata in the early hours of 19 August 2026 killed nine people, including five Bangladeshi nationals.
BRICS Youth Council and Youth Summit held in Gandhinagar
The BRICS Youth Council Meeting and BRICS Youth Summit were held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on 19 August 2026 under India's BRICS Chairship.