Daily Current Affairs – 01-08-2026

Important Days

World Lung Cancer Day - August 1

World Lung Cancer Day is observed every year on 1 August to create awareness about lung cancer, its prevention, early detection, and treatment. The day highlights the importance of reducing risk factors such as tobacco use and promoting healthy lifestyles. It also aims to increase public awareness about the symptoms and impact of lung cancer.

World Wide Web (WWW) Day 2026

World Wide Web (WWW) Day is observed every year on 1 August to commemorate the invention and impact of the World Wide Web. The WWW was developed by Sir Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 while working at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research). The day highlights the importance of the internet-based web system in global communication, information sharing, and digital development.

Sports News

India Wins First Commonwealth Judo Gold

At the Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, Asmita Dey won the gold medal in the women's 48 kg judo event, becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal in Commonwealth Judo. Harsh Singh won the gold medal in the men's 60 kg judo event, becoming the first Indian male judoka to win a Commonwealth Judo gold medal. Yamini Mourya secured the silver medal in the women's 57 kg judo event. Since Judo was introduced in the Commonwealth Games in 1990, Indian judokas have won medals in every edition, and these are India's first-ever gold medals in the sport at the Commonwealth Games. In other events, Lovepreet Singh won a silver medal in weightlifting, while Seema Kaliraman won a bronze medal in the women's discus throw.

Lovepreet Singh Wins Silver in Weightlifting

At the Commonwealth Games, Lovepreet Singh won the silver medal in the men's +110 kg weightlifting event with a total lift of 388 kg, comprising 176 kg in Snatch and 212 kg in Clean & Jerk. His 176 kg Snatch set a Games record. David Andrew Liti of New Zealand won the gold medal with a total of 389 kg, while Andrew Griffiths of England won the bronze medal with 356 kg. Lovepreet Singh, who won a bronze medal at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, improved his performance by winning silver in the current edition. With this result, India's weightlifting medal tally in the ongoing Commonwealth Games increased to 8 medals, comprising 1 gold, 6 silver, and 1 bronze.

Seema Kaliraman Wins Bronze in Discus Throw

At the Commonwealth Games, Seema Kaliraman won the bronze medal in the women's discus throw with a best throw of 58.65 metres. Samantha Hall of Jamaica won the gold medal with 61.66 metres, while Julia Tunks of Canada secured the silver medal with 60.67 metres. Another Indian athlete, Nidhi Rani, finished fourth with a best throw of 57.10 metres. Earlier, Seema Kaliraman had recorded her personal best of 59.73 metres at the Senior Athletics Championship held in June.

Khelo India Scheme Gets ₹29,054 Crore Allocation

The Union Cabinet approved an allocation of ₹29,054 crore for the Khelo India Scheme for the next five years to expand sports development across India. The scheme aims to identify and develop talented sportspersons, including those from rural and backward areas, in view of India hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games and its efforts to host the 2036 Olympic Games. The government also approved an allocation of ₹7,387 crore for supporting sports associations and federations for the next five years. The Khelo India Scheme, launched in 2017, has supported around 2,800 sportspersons through government financial assistance for skill development.

Jamshedpur FC Withdraws from ISL

Jamshedpur FC (JFC), which won the Indian Super League (ISL) League Winners’ Shield in 2022, has announced that it will not participate in the ISL from the 2026–27 season onwards. The decision was taken after the expiry of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) deadline for payment of the first instalment of the participation fee of ₹55 lakh. Jamshedpur FC, owned and managed by Tata Steel, made its ISL debut in the 2017–18 season. Under coach Owen Coyle, the club became the third team after FC Goa and Mumbai City FC to win the League Winners’ Shield. The club, known as the Red Miners, finished sixth in the 2025–26 ISL season and decided to end its team operations. Jamshedpur FC was the only club in India’s top football league to own its stadium and training facilities.

Personalities, Awards and Events

Playback Singer K. Jamuna Rani Passes Away

Veteran South Indian playback singer K. Jamuna Rani passed away at the age of 88 in Bengaluru. She made her playback singing debut at the age of 7 in the 1946 Telugu film ‘Thyagayya’, directed by and starring Chittor V. Nagaiah. In 1952, she became the playback voice for lead actresses in Tamil films such as ‘Valayapathi’ and ‘Kalyani’. She sang around 6,000 songs in languages including Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Sinhala. Her popular songs include ‘Kungumapoove Konjum Puraave’ from ‘Ulagam Palavitham’, ‘Yaradi Nee Mohini’ from ‘Uthamaputhiran’, and ‘Naan Sirithal Deepavali’ from ‘Nayakan’ (1987) with music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. The Government of Tamil Nadu honoured her with the Kalaimamani Award and Anna Award for her contribution to Tamil cinema.

International News

First Tariff-Free Scottish Salmon Shipment Under India-UK Trade Pact

Under the U.K.-India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), Bengaluru received the first tariff-free shipment of Scottish salmon imported into India. The shipment was received at Sashimi Foods Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru by Owen Richards, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Deputy High Commission. The consignment contained fresh farmed Scottish salmon produced by Bakkafrost Scotland. The CETA removed the earlier 33% import tariff imposed by India on Scottish salmon. The agreement is expected to create additional export opportunities for Scotland’s salmon sector.

National News

PM-KISAN Scheme Extended for Five More Years

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the extension of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme for five years from 2026–27 to 2030–31 with a total allocation of ₹3,15,614 crore. The scheme, launched in 2019, provides ₹6,000 per year to eligible farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in three installments of ₹2,000 each. So far, more than ₹4.47 lakh crore has been transferred directly to farmers through 23 installments. In the 23rd installment, over ₹18,984 crore was released, benefiting more than 9.49 crore farmers. Around one-fourth of the beneficiaries are women farmers, who have received more than ₹1.06 lakh crore under the scheme. According to NITI Aayog, over 92% of beneficiaries used the assistance for agricultural activities, while 85% reported an increase in income and reduced dependence on informal loans.

Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill Passed

The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on July 31 by voice vote. The Bill amends the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 to encourage timely registration of births and deaths. Under the existing law, registration delayed by more than one year requires an order from the District Collector, Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), or an authorized officer. Under the amended provisions, this requirement will apply to delays of up to two years. If the delay exceeds two years, registration can be carried out only based on an order issued by a First Class Judicial Magistrate.

National Offshore Energy Exploration and Production Scheme Approved

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the National Offshore Energy Exploration and Production Scheme, named Samudra Manthan, with a total outlay of ₹84,084 crore for the period up to 2030–31. The scheme, to be implemented by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, aims to explore crude oil and natural gas resources in deepwater and ultra-deepwater offshore areas, undertake exploratory drilling, and develop common production infrastructure. The scheme provides financial support of up to ₹650 crore per exploratory well. Out of the total allocation, ₹43,200 crore has been earmarked for deepwater drilling, ₹28,534 crore for offshore data acquisition, ₹10,000 crore for production infrastructure, and ₹2,000 crore for establishing oil and gas production and service zones. The scheme is expected to help identify hydrocarbon reserves equivalent to 600 million metric tonnes of crude oil. The Union Cabinet also approved the Prime Minister's Surya Sarovar Scheme with an outlay of ₹5,070 crore to promote floating solar power projects with a target of 5,000 MW by 2031, with Central Financial Assistance of ₹1 crore per MW for eligible projects after successful commissioning.

2027 ICC ODI World Cup to be Held in Three Countries

The 14th ICC Men's ODI Cricket World Cup will be held from October 4 to November 21, 2027 across 12 cities in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. A total of 57 matches will be played under a new tournament format. In South Africa, matches will be hosted in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Gqeberha, Bloemfontein, Paarl, and Centurion City. In Zimbabwe, matches will be played in Harare, Bulawayo, and Victoria Falls, while Windhoek will host matches in Namibia. The ODI World Cup will return to the African continent after 24 years, having last been co-hosted in 2003 by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya.

Supreme Court Plans Protocol for Court Livestream Archives

The Supreme Court of India has proposed framing a protocol to regulate access to audio-visual recordings of livestreamed judicial proceedings of the Supreme Court and State High Courts through official court archives. Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant stated that livestreamed court proceedings should not be misused or commercially exploited. The proposal came in response to an application filed by activists Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri seeking modification of the July 24 interim order that restricted circulation of livestreamed proceedings on social media and digital platforms. The applicants argued that the order affected the principle of open justice upheld by the Supreme Court. The court accepted the application and invited suggestions for framing the protocol, with digital platforms Meta and WhatsApp also agreeing to provide suggestions. The July 24, 2025 order prohibited extraction, modification, sharing, uploading, recording, reposting, or monetisation of audio-video recordings of judicial proceedings without prior permission from the Secretary General of the Supreme Court and Registrar Generals of State High Courts.

PM Surya Sarovar Yojana Approved

The Union Cabinet has approved the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana, a ₹5,070 crore scheme to promote floating solar power projects on reservoirs and other water bodies. The scheme aims to achieve 5,000 MW of floating solar capacity by 2030–31 and will be implemented by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). Eligible projects will receive Central Financial Assistance of up to ₹1 crore per MW and must include battery energy storage equivalent to at least two hours, totaling 10,000 MWh under the programme. India currently has about 0.7 GW of installed floating solar capacity against an estimated potential of 102 GW. The Omkareshwar Floating Solar Park on the Narmada River in Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh, is India's largest floating solar project with a capacity of 278 MW, with plans to expand to 600 MW.

Samudra Manthan Offshore Exploration Scheme Approved

The Union Cabinet has approved ₹84,084 crore for the National Offshore Exploration Scheme ‘Samudra Manthan’ implemented by the Union Petroleum Ministry to promote offshore energy exploration. The fund will be utilised up to Financial Year 2030–31 and is divided into four major components. An amount of ₹43,200 crore has been allocated for drilling 60 deepwater exploration wells, including Central Government support of up to 50% of eligible drilling cost or ₹675 crore per well. ₹28,534 crore has been allocated for offshore data acquisition, ₹10,000 crore for developing common offshore infrastructure hubs for commercialisation of discoveries, and ₹2,000 crore for establishing oil and gas manufacturing and service zones to promote domestic manufacturing. The scheme aims to identify and develop hydrocarbon reserves of more than 600 million metric tonnes of oil equivalent (MMTOE) and strengthen offshore exploration in India.

Nasha Mukt Yuva Campaign Launched for Drug-Free India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan’ on 2 August 2026 through video conferencing. The initiative aims to encourage youth to stay away from substance abuse and promote their participation in social change. The launch will begin a 100-week nationwide Jan Bhagidari campaign against substance abuse, with weekly activities organised every Sunday across India. The activities include sports events, walkathons, meditation sessions, cultural programmes, awareness campaigns, street plays, discussion forums, art competitions and community engagement programmes. The initiative brings together educational institutions, youth organisations, civil society groups, industry bodies and spiritual organisations to strengthen community participation. Youth from more than 10,000 locations will participate, including MY Bharat Volunteers, National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers, youth clubs, schools, colleges, universities, NGOs and more than 125 partner spiritual organisations.

Air Marshal Tejpal Singh Appointed Deputy Chief of Air Staff

Air Marshal Tejpal Singh (AVSM, VM) assumed charge as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on 1 August 2026. He was commissioned as a fighter pilot on 16 June 1990 and has more than 3,500 hours of flying experience. He is a Category A Qualified Flying Instructor and an Experimental Test Pilot. He has held various operational, command and staff appointments in the Indian Air Force. In recognition of his service, he was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal (January 2011) and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (January 2021) by the President of India. Air Marshal Tejpal Singh succeeded Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti (SYSM, AVSM, VM), who retired on 31 July 2026 after 39 years of service.

Alka Nangia Arora Appointed Controller General of Defence Accounts

Smt Alka Nangia Arora, a 1991-batch Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) officer, assumed charge as the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) on 1 August 2026. She is an alumna of Garhwal University, Dehradun and IIT Roorkee. She has held important positions in the Government of India, including Additional Secretary & Financial Adviser in the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Managing Director of Central Cottage Industries Corporation of India Limited, and Additional Development Commissioner for Handicrafts under the Ministry of Textiles. She has over three decades of experience in defence financial management and public service. She began her career in the Ministry of Defence at Dum Dum Ordnance Factory, Kolkata, and later served in various positions in the Defence Accounts Department (DAD). She has worked with the Army, Navy and Air Force in different financial advisory roles and also served as Additional & Special CGDA at the CGDA Headquarters, handling policies related to audit, IT systems, IFA and training.

12th National Handloom Day Celebration – 2026

The Ministry of Textiles will celebrate the 12th National Handloom Day on 7 August 2026 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre (RBCC), New Delhi. President of India Droupadi Murmu will be the Chief Guest. The event will include the presentation of Sant Kabir Handloom Awards and National Handloom Awards for 2025. A total of 22 awards comprising 3 Sant Kabir Handloom Awards and 19 National Handloom Awards will be presented to handloom weavers for craftsmanship, innovation and contribution to preserving handloom traditions. Four commemorative postage stamps on India’s handloom traditions will also be released. Two publications, “Earth. Root. Thread – Aal Dyed Handloom Textiles of Central India” and Handloom Awards Book 2025, will be unveiled. National Handloom Day is observed every year on 7 August to commemorate the Swadeshi Movement launched on 7 August 1905. The day was first observed in 2015. India’s handloom sector provides livelihood support to more than 35 lakh people, with women accounting for over 70% of the workforce.

Tamil Nadu News

Wind Power Generation Rises in Tamil Nadu

Following the strengthening of the Southwest Monsoon, Tamil Nadu's daily wind power generation has increased to 4,990 MW from an earlier average of 3,424 MW. The state has around 13,000 windmills, and electricity generation is also supported by thermal power plants, hydroelectric power stations, and nuclear power plants. Major wind power regions include Kudankulam, Radhapuram, Kavalkinaru, Pazhavoor, Irukkanthurai, Panagudi, Vadakkankulam, Muppandal, and Aralvaimozhi in Kanyakumari district. During the Southwest Monsoon, windmills in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Kanyakumari districts generally operate at full capacity due to increased wind speeds. Tamil Nadu has a maximum wind power generation capacity of 6,160 MW.

Tamil Nadu Allocates ₹330 Crore for Water Resources

Due to a 60% deficit in Southwest Monsoon rainfall in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister Joseph Vijay approved an allocation of ₹330 crore to strengthen drinking water supply and water resources through the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department and the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department. The funds will be used for desilting existing borewells, constructing new borewells, renovating intake wells, building water diversion channels, and supplying drinking water through tankers in essential areas. An additional ₹10 crore has been allocated to the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying, Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare. Under the Kuruvai Package Scheme, 2,85,350 acres had been registered as of July 30, and ₹16.93 crore had been released out of the total allocation of ₹134 crore, with distribution planned to be completed by August 15.