Daily Current Affairs - 28-08-2026

International News

India–Vietnam Coast Guard Joint Exercise ‘Sahyog HOP-TAC’

The Indian Coast Guard and Vietnam Coast Guard conducted the joint exercise ‘Sahyog HOP-TAC’ off the coast of Chennai, which concluded on August 27, 2026. The Vietnam Coast Guard ship CSB 8002, along with a six-member delegation led by Major General Luong Dinh Hung, Vice Commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard, arrived in Chennai on August 24, 2026. The delegation met Inspector General Yoginder Thakur, Commander of the Indian Coast Guard Region (East), for discussions on maritime cooperation and operational coordination. The exercise involved 8 Indian Coast Guard ships and 6 aircraft, along with CSB 8002. The training covered maritime emergency response, search and rescue operations, maritime law enforcement and marine pollution control, strengthening maritime cooperation and coordination between India and Vietnam in the Indo-Pacific region.

India–China 25th Special Representatives Talks on LAC

The 25th Round of Special Representatives Talks between India and China on the boundary question was held in Beijing, with India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi participating. The eight-point outcome document released after the talks identified differing perceptions of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) as a key factor behind tensions in the Western and Eastern Sectors and called for improved understanding of the LAC in appropriate areas for better border management. Both sides agreed to address ground-level situations promptly through existing diplomatic and military mechanisms, including the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) and local commander-level meetings. An Expert Group on Boundary Delimitation will advance discussions towards an “Early and Substantial Harvest” on boundary delimitation. The talks also referred to the 1996 Agreement on Confidence-Building Measures and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2015 proposal to resume the LAC clarification process. The discussions covered differences over the LAC alignment that have contributed to tensions in eastern Ladakh since April 2020 and in the Eastern Sector, including Arunachal Pradesh.

National News

PM Modi to Attend SCO Summit in Bishkek

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit to be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on August 31 and September 1, 2026. Before the summit, he will visit Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and meet Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to discuss bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, defence, digital technology, energy and education. The SCO comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are among the leaders participating in the summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also participated in the 2025 SCO Summit in Tianjin, China, where he held discussions with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. The BRICS Summit is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, 2026.

Personalities, Awards and Events

Nammazhvar’ Award for Organic Farming

The Tamil Nadu Government presents the ‘Nammazhvar Award’ annually to encourage organic farming and recognize outstanding farmers. For 2025–26, the award was presented to C. Nallasivam of Namakkal district, A. Subramanian of Pudukkottai district, and Sadhana of Chengalpattu district, with each recipient receiving a medal and ₹2 lakh cash prize. C. Nallasivam has practiced organic farming for more than 4 years, cultivating sorghum, sugarcane, mango, coconut and vegetables, and has trained more than 2,000 farmers. A. Subramanian has practiced organic farming for 10 years, cultivating paddy, groundnut, black pepper, coconut and walnut, and has created awareness on value addition among 675 farmers. Sadhana has practiced organic farming for 11 years, cultivating pearl millet, finger millet, black gram, groundnut, green gram, banana, coconut, mango, jackfruit and greens, and has trained more than 470 farmers.

Tamil Nadu News

Government to Fund Higher Education for Muslim Female Students

Tamil Nadu Minorities Welfare Minister A.M. Shahjahan announced in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly that Muslim female students studying in Classes 9 and 10 in government and government-aided schools will receive an annual educational scholarship of ₹2,000. Under a new scheme, the government will bear the tuition fees of Muslim female students admitted to undergraduate courses under the government quota in government, government-aided and private colleges. New posts of District Minority Welfare Officers will be created in 10 districts with a high minority population at a cost of ₹4.45 crore. An interest-free loan scheme will be implemented for the construction, protection and improvement of properties of Muslim and Christian places of worship, supported by a ₹100 crore revolving fund. The grant to the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board will be increased to ₹5 crore, and a new administrative headquarters building for the Board will be constructed at a cost of ₹40 crore.

Tribal Welfare and Social Justice Initiatives

Tamil Nadu Social Justice Department Minister Vanni Arasu announced measures for the welfare and empowerment of Adi Dravidar and Tribal communities. Steps will be taken to obtain Geographical Indication (GI) tags for products produced by tribal people. The monthly food allowance for school hostel students will be increased from ₹1,400 to ₹1,800, while that for college hostel students will rise from ₹1,500 to ₹2,000. 150 Social Justice hostels will be constructed at a cost of ₹160 crore, and 100 community halls will be established in areas with a high Adi Dravidar population. The ‘Arivoli Teacher’ and ‘Arivoli Warden’ awards will be given to outstanding staff in welfare schools and hostels. A commercial centre in Coimbatore and a Tribal Cultural Centre in Nandanam, Chennai will be established. ‘Ambedkar Libraries’ will be set up in Adi Dravidar and Tribal hostels, along with a Social Justice Welfare Board. Under the ‘Agam’ scheme, 2,500 concrete houses will be provided to sanitation workers, while the ‘Iniya Illam’ residential scheme will benefit homeless Adi Dravidar families and house sites will be provided under the ‘Samathuva Veetumanai’ scheme. A special educational assistance scheme for tribal people will be implemented, and 100 classrooms and toilets will be constructed in Adi Dravidar and Tribal schools. The ‘Sarinigar–Sama Velaivaipu’ scheme will provide employment opportunities in private companies, while the ‘Vetrippadi’ scheme will provide skill training and employment opportunities for youth. Through the ‘Suriya Attral’ scheme, solar stoves and other facilities will be provided to tribal women, and certificate courses on tribal languages and art workshops will be conducted for language awareness and skill development.

29 Social Justice School Hostels Upgraded as College Hostels

Tamil Nadu Minister for Backward Classes and Most Backward Classes Welfare V. Sampath Kumar announced that 29 Social Justice school hostels across Tamil Nadu will be upgraded into college hostels. Own buildings will be constructed for 14 Social Justice college hostels currently functioning in rented buildings in 14 locations, including Perambalur, Kallakurichi, Chennai and Chengalpattu. 960 Social Justice hostels will receive inverters, refrigerators and water purifiers at a cost of ₹25.76 crore. Self-defence training uniforms and materials will be provided to 28,000 female students residing in 517 Social Justice hostels at a cost of ₹2.52 crore. A new Social Justice college girls’ hostel with a capacity of 100 students will be established in Chennai at a cost of ₹54 lakh. A Most Backward Classes Welfare Board will be established at a cost of ₹3 crore for the socio-economic development of Most Backward Classes. The ‘Super Clean, Super Campus’ scheme will be implemented in Kallar Reclamation High and Higher Secondary Schools in Madurai, Theni and Dindigul districts.

Abolition of Land Revenue Collection System

The Tamil Nadu Government has abolished the land revenue collection system that originated in 1793, with effect from July 1, 2026, from Fasli Year 1436, to simplify land revenue administration. Revenue Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan announced the decision in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on August 18, 2026, while Revenue Secretary K.S. Palanisamy explained the reform. Historically, Sher Shah Suri introduced land administration based on land measurement, Akbar expanded the system in North India, Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement System in 1793, and Sir Thomas Munro introduced the Ryotwari System in the Madras Presidency in 1820, enabling direct tax collection from cultivators. Land revenue was collected for each Fasli year, from July 1 to June 30. Based on the recommendations of the Land Revenue Reform Committee (2009–10), land revenue rates were fixed in 2010 at ₹5 per hectare for dry (Punja) land and ₹12 per hectare for wet (Nanja) land. Along with land revenue, Talaumel Vari, Fasli Jasti, Teervai Jasti, additional water tax and irrigation development tax have also been abolished.

150 New Social Justice Hostels to be Constructed

Social Justice Department Minister Vanniyarasu announced 67 new initiatives during the demand for grants for the Social Justice Department in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. The monthly food allowance for Social Justice school hostel students will be increased from ₹1,400 to ₹1,800, and for college hostel students from ₹1,500 to ₹2,000. The annual maintenance allowance will be increased to ₹75,000 for school hostels and ₹1 lakh for college hostels. 150 new Social Justice hostels will be constructed at an estimated cost of ₹160 crore, and ‘Aran – Hostel Maintenance Management Organisation’ will be established to monitor hostel administration and student safety. ‘Ambedkar Padippagam’ will be established in all hostels. The ‘Vidivelli – Women’s Livelihood Scheme’ will be implemented to improve the livelihoods of one lakh economically backward Adi Dravidar and Tribal women heads of families. Under the ‘Agam’ scheme, 2,500 concrete houses will be provided to sanitation workers, while 2,000 concrete houses will be constructed for homeless tribal people under the ‘Uraiyul’ scheme, along with concrete houses for 5,000 eligible Adi Dravidar families. The ‘Ettram’ scheme, with an allocation of ₹50 crore, will promote entrepreneurship among the families of sanitation workers. 10,000 Adi Dravidar and Tribal youth will receive training in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. Under the ‘Valamigu Velanmai Udhavi Thittam’, 1,000 Adi Dravidar farmers will receive electricity connections with a 90% subsidy. Value-addition units for marketing tribal produce under the brand ‘Mullai’ will be established at a cost of ₹12.50 crore, and ‘Arivoli Awards’ will be presented to outstanding teachers and wardens.

SC/ST Hostel Students to Receive Higher Food Allowance

Tamil Nadu Social Justice Department Minister Vanni Arasu announced in the Legislative Assembly that the monthly food allowance for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) school hostel students will be increased from ₹1,400 to ₹1,800, while the allowance for SC/ST college hostel students will rise from ₹1,500 to ₹2,000. The Tamil Nadu Government has allocated ₹200 crore for the purpose. The annual maintenance allowance for SC/ST school hostels will be increased from ₹50,000 to ₹75,000, while the allowance for SC/ST college hostels will be increased from ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh.

Tambaram–Chengalpattu Elevated Corridor Under Consideration

Tamil Nadu Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna announced that a Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be prepared for roads connecting Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Mamallapuram with Chennai, along with the proposed Tambaram–Chengalpattu elevated corridor, to improve connectivity and address traffic congestion. The government has also announced a plan to construct an eight-lane road between Chennai and Kanniyakumari, for which officials have been directed to prepare a DPR. The proposed projects cover major routes including Chennai–Kanniyakumari, Tambaram–Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur–Chennai and Mamallapuram–Chennai.

Three New Elephant Corridors Notified in Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Nadu Government has notified three elephant corridors in the Cauvery North Wildlife Sanctuary under the Hosur Forest Division to strengthen elephant conservation and reduce human-wildlife conflict. Following the interim orders of the Madras High Court, two committees were constituted to identify elephant corridors in two landscapes separated by the Palghat Gap. The committees identified three corridors: Jawalagiri–Ulbanda–Thaggatti corridor (18.50 km), Jawalagiri–Panai–Anchetty corridor (20.90 km) and Bilikkal–Jawalagiri corridor (2.20 km). These corridors provide important connectivity between the Tamil Nadu–Karnataka interstate boundary, facilitating elephant movement according to monsoonal changes and habitat requirements. Based on the recommendations of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Chief Wildlife Warden, the three elephant corridors were officially notified by the Tamil Nadu Government.