India Current Affairs One-liners — Last 6 months

Wed, 19 Aug 2026

• 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.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• The Tourism Ministry hosted the 2nd BRICS 2026 Tourism Working Group meeting in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on 19 August 2026 under India's BRICS Chairship.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• The BRICS Youth Council Meeting and BRICS Youth Summit were held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on 19 August 2026 under India's BRICS Chairship.

Tue, 18 Aug 2026

• The Sports Ministry on 18 August 2026 announced the National Sports Awards 2025, naming 17 Arjuna awardees and five Dronacharya awardees on the recommendation of a committee chaired by Justice (Retd.) Arun Kumar Mishra.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 18 August 2026 flagged off the NCC's all-India girls' high-altitude trek 'Aparajita - Parang La 2026', in which 28 girl cadets will cover 250 km in 30 days.
• The Commission for Air Quality Management, at its 29th full meeting on 18 August 2026, approved Direction No. 102 for phased restrictions on registering diesel, petrol and CNG light goods vehicles in Delhi-NCR from 2027.
• The 12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi on 18 August 2026 adopted a Joint Ministerial Statement by consensus and launched four knowledge compendiums.
• The Centre on 18 August 2026 approved an Incentive Scheme for Promotion of Domestic PNG Connections, effective 1 September 2026, giving city gas firms extra low-priced APM gas for each new billed household connection.
• The Department of Defence Production notified the sixth Positive Indigenisation List of 405 strategically important items worth an estimated ₹3,070 crore on 18 August 2026.
• Digital Bharat Nidhi signed an agreement on 18 August 2026 to roll out the Amended BharatNet Program in Chhattisgarh under the state-led model, with ₹3,942 crore of support covering 11,682 gram panchayats.
• Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh concluded a two-day visit to Armenia on 18 August 2026, during which the two defence ministries signed an MoU on joint collaboration, innovation and research.
• The 65th Subroto Cup International Football Tournament opened at Dr B. R. Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi, on 18 August 2026, with 108 teams in three categories.
• The Culture Ministry closed Har Ghar Tiranga 2026 with a Tiranga Concert by singer B Praak at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on 18 August 2026, dedicated to 150 years of Vande Mataram.
• Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on 18 August 2026 virtually inaugurated the gauge-converted Kailaras-Sabalgarh-Birpur rail section in Madhya Pradesh and extended the Gwalior-Kailaras train to Birpur.
• India and Malaysia held the 2nd Joint Working Group meeting on cooperation in public administration and governance reforms on 18 August 2026.
• NHAI on 18 August 2026 extended the online FASTag Local Pass facility to 121 toll plazas, letting eligible commuters buy monthly passes through the Rajmargyatra app.

Mon, 17 Aug 2026

• The Ministry of Defence on 17 August 2026 signed a contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian HALE remotely piloted aircraft systems for the Indian Navy for 30 months.
• 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 PLFS monthly bulletin for July 2026, released on 17 August 2026, showed the labour force participation rate for persons aged 15+ rising to 55.4% from 54.4% in June.
• The Supreme Court on 17 August 2026 directed all States to constitute dedicated State-level SITs to investigate suspected fraudulent motor accident insurance claims.
• India on 17 August 2026 launched its first-ever Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) of India at UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
• An Indian Army contingent left on 17 August 2026 for Thailand for the 15th edition of the India–Thailand joint military exercise MAITREE, to be held from 18 to 31 August 2026 in Surat Thani.