Current affairs

Economy

Microsoft Inaugurates India's Largest Hyperscale Cloud Data Centre Region in Hyderabad

IntroductionIn a major boost to India's sovereign digital economy and AI computing infrastructure, global technology giant Microsoft on 16 August 2026 inaugurated its fourth and largest India Cloud data centre region in...

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Economy

NITI Aayog School Education Quality Index 2026: Punjab Overtakes Kerala to Secure All-India Rank 1

IntroductionIn a notable shift in national educational performance rankings, Punjab overtook Kerala to secure the Rank 1 position among all states and union territories in the prestigious NITI Aayog School Education Qual...

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Economy

Government Adds Heatwaves and Lightning to Notified Natural Disasters List, Expanding SDRF and NDRF Relief Coverage to 14 Calamities

IntroductionIn a historic policy shift driven by accelerating climate change and extreme weather risks, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on 16 August 2026 officially notified Heatwaves and Lightning as recognized natur...

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Economy

SEBI Annual Report: India Retains World No. 1 Position in Number of IPOs; Domestic Institutional Holdings Touch Record 17%

IntroductionAccording to the landmark Annual Report released by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 16 August 2026, India retained its global number-one position in the total number of Initial Public Off...

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Economy

India Executes Maiden Gasoline Export Shipment of 42,000 Tonnes to Russia Amid Refining Disruptions

IntroductionIn a historic reversal of traditional global fuel trade flows, India executed its first-ever commercial export shipment of refined motor gasoline (petrol) to Russia on 16 August 2026, delivering approximately...

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Economy

United States Emerges as India's Largest LPG Supplier in 2026 Supplying 67% of Total Imports Amid Energy Diversification

IntroductionIn a major geopolitical diversification of India's hydrocarbon supply chains, the United States emerged as India's largest supplier of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in 2026, accounting for an unprecedented 67...

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Economy

Global Coal Mine Tracker: India Doubles Proposed Coal Mine Pipeline to 638 Mtpa, Ranking Second Globally

IntroductionAccording to the latest Global Coal Mine Tracker (GCMT) report released by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) on 16 August 2026, global proposed coal mining capacity expanded by 11% to reach 2,521 million tonnes per...

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Economy

India Unveils Nuclear Energy Roadmap Target of 100 GWe by 2047 and ₹20,000 Crore Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Plan

IntroductionTo secure round-the-clock baseload zero-carbon power for Viksit Bharat 2047, the Government of India on 16 August 2026 outlined its comprehensive Nuclear Energy Roadmap aiming to scale national nuclear electr...

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Economy

Parliament Passes Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill 2026 to Regulate Major Mineral Taxation

IntroductionParliament passed the landmark Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, on 13 August 2026, with the Lok Sabha clearing it on August 12 and the Rajya Sabha passing it on August 13....

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Economy

Government Approves Field Trials for One Billion Polymer Banknotes of ₹10 and ₹20 Denominations

IntroductionIn a pioneering currency modernization measure aimed at enhancing banknote longevity and curbing counterfeiting, the Government of India on 15 August 2026 approved a proposal by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI...

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Economy

India Achieves Historic Milestone: Non-Fossil Fuel Power Capacity Crosses 300 GW, Surpassing 54% of Total Grid

IntroductionIn a monumental energy transition achievement, India officially crossed 300 GW of installed non-fossil fuel-based electricity generation capacity, reaching 300.50 GW on 15 August 2026. Clean energy now accoun...

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Economy

India's First Private Branded Train: Lucknow–Delhi Tejas Express Rebranded as 'Sprite' Tejas Express

IntroductionIn an innovative non-fare revenue commercial partnership, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) announced on 15 August 2026 that India's first privately operated passenger train, the Luc...

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