Daily Current Affairs – 08-08-2026

Important Days

National Handloom Day 2026

On the occasion of National Handloom Day, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay inaugurated HANDTEX 2026, Co-optex’s ‘Vetri Thari’ special sale and a commercial sales exhibition at Kalaivanar Arangam. Financial assistance totalling ₹22.25 lakh and certificates of appreciation were distributed to 11 weavers. National Handloom Day is observed annually on August 7 to commemorate the launch of the Swadeshi Movement in 1905.

Sports News

Praggnanandhaa Wins Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz

Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa won his maiden Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz 2026 title in St. Louis, USA, finishing with 23.5 points and securing the championship with one round remaining. The victory moved him to second place in the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) standings. Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan finished second with 22 points, while Wesley So of the USA finished third with 20.5 points. Praggnanandhaa’s next major event is the Sinquefield Cup 2026.

Science and Technology News

MMR Vaccine under UIP

Tamil Nadu has requested the inclusion of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine in the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP), replacing the existing Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine. The request was submitted to Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda. The Directorate of Public Health (DPH), Tamil Nadu had also made a similar request to the Union Health Ministry in 2024. At present, the mumps vaccine is not included in the government’s UIP and is available mainly through the private sector. Between January 1 and May 20, 2024, 1,726 mumps cases were reported in Tamil Nadu. Mumps may cause complications such as meningitis, pancreatitis and infertility. Health studies have recommended declaring mumps a notifiable disease in Tamil Nadu and including the mumps component in the UIP.

Economy News

Environmental and Social Welfare Cess on Liquor

The Tamil Nadu Government introduced a Bill in the Legislative Assembly to amend the Tamil Nadu Value Added Tax Act, 2006, proposing an Environmental and Social Welfare Cess on liquor sales. The Bill was introduced by D. Logesh Tamilselvan, Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration. The proposed cess revenue will be used for recycling, safe disposal and reuse of liquor bottles and containers, rehabilitation and de-addiction programmes, welfare and livelihood assistance for families affected by alcohol addiction, and public awareness campaigns. The funds will also support the protection and restoration of forests, wildlife and the environment.

International News

India–Japan Relations and Indo-Pacific

A panel discussion titled ‘India-Japan Relations in a Turbulent Indo-Pacific’ was organised by the Indo-Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IJCCI) in association with the Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Madras (UoM). India and Japan share economic and strategic relations and cooperate in areas such as manufacturing, technology transfer, semiconductor research and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Indo-Pacific region includes important strategic and trade routes such as the Strait of Malacca, Suez Canal and South China Sea. The Strait of Malacca handles more than one-fifth of global maritime traffic. Key regional security concerns include instability in the Korean Peninsula, extremism in South and Southeast Asia, and territorial disputes in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait. Important participants included Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor of The Hindu; Sridhar Krishnaswamy, Visiting Professor at Sai University; M. Uma Maheswari, Head of the Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Madras; and Suguna Ramamoorthy, Secretary General of IJCCI.

States’ News

AI-Based Governance in Kerala

Kerala is exploring the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and real-time data analytics in public administration. An AI-powered governance dashboard can integrate data from departments, public utilities and local bodies to monitor government schemes from budget allocation and fund release to implementation and beneficiary outcomes. Machine Learning can be used to identify delays, cost overruns, data anomalies and implementation gaps through predictive alerts. Key sectors identified for such digital governance include health, power and energy, finance, agriculture, education, social welfare and local self-government. The proposed framework also emphasises data security, algorithmic transparency and compliance with Indian data protection laws to ensure responsible use of AI in governance.

Uttar Pradesh: Economic and Fiscal Indicators

Uttar Pradesh has recorded significant economic expansion, with its GSDP increasing from ₹13.30 lakh crore in 2016-17 to a target of ₹40 lakh crore by 2026-27. Its share in India’s national economy increased from 8.6% in 2016-17 to 9.1% in 2024-25, while per capita income is estimated to rise from ₹54,564 in 2016-17 to ₹1,20,000 in 2025-26. Merchandise exports increased from about ₹0.88 lakh crore in 2017-18 to ₹1.86 lakh crore. The State has maintained a revenue surplus for seven consecutive years, while capital expenditure increased from ₹69,789 crore in 2016-17 to ₹1,14,000 crore in 2024-25. More than 9 lakh youth have received government employment, and the unemployment rate stood at 2.21% in November 2025. Under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), ₹56,160 crore was transferred to 14.04 crore beneficiaries through 191 schemes in 2024-25. Uttar Pradesh had 10.22 crore Jan Dhan accounts, the highest in India, and its total banking business reached ₹32.79 lakh crore by December 2025. Under Viksit Uttar Pradesh @2047, the State aims to develop a US$1 trillion economy, based on three pillars—Arth Shakti, Gyan Shakti and Jeevan Shakti—and the 5T framework: Trade, Tourism, Technology, Tradition and Talent.

Tamil Nadu News

Tamil Nadu Revenue Receipts Revised Upward

For the current financial year, Tamil Nadu’s Total Revenue Receipts (TRR) have been revised upward from the Budget Estimate of ₹3,44,575 crore to ₹3,50,027 crore, an increase of ₹5,452 crore. The increase is mainly linked to the State’s participation in the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB G RAM-G) and higher allocations under Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS). Under the new rural employment guarantee scheme, the State’s share is 40%, involving an estimated expenditure of ₹5,057 crore, while an inflow of ₹7,586 crore is expected; an additional ₹3,461 crore is due to Tamil Nadu under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The State has also projected about ₹15,000 crore through additional resource mobilisation measures, including ₹3,250 crore from mining activities through end-to-end computerisation, additional privilege fee on liquor manufacturers, faceless assessment under GST, and faceless registration in the Registration Department.

SC to Decide on Reservation for Converts to Islam

The Supreme Court of India has reserved its judgment on an appeal filed by the Tamil Nadu Government concerning reservation benefits for members of Backward Classes (BC), Most Backward Classes (MBC), Denotified Communities (DNC) and Scheduled Castes (SC) who convert to Islam. The case concerns the State’s power to issue Backward Class (Muslim) community certificates based on the recommendations of the Tamil Nadu Backward Classes Commission. The appeal challenges the Madras High Court judgment of June 25, 2026, which quashed the Tamil Nadu Government Order dated March 9, 2024. The Supreme Court Bench is headed by Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra. The case also refers to the 1951 Madras High Court judgment in G. Michael v. S. Venkateswaran, which upheld the constitutional validity of Paragraph 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950. Paragraph 3 provides that persons professing religions other than Hinduism, later extended to include Sikhism and Buddhism, are not treated as members of the Scheduled Castes.

Miscellaneous News

SC Examines DPDP Act and RTI Act

The Supreme Court of India is examining the relationship between the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 and the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. The case concerns Section 44(3) of the DPDP Act, which amended Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act relating to disclosure of personal information. The court is considering whether the new data-protection provisions could restrict access to information under the RTI framework and affect investigative journalism. The Bench includes Justice Joymalya Bagchi. Under the earlier Section 8(1)(j), personal information was generally exempt from disclosure when it was unrelated to public activity or disclosure would cause an unwarranted invasion of privacy, subject to consideration of larger public interest. The case therefore involves issues relating to right to privacy, transparency, right to information and data protection.