Current affairs relevant to GS3.
The National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm brought 2.73 lakh hectares under oil palm between 2021-22 and 2025-26, against a target of 6.5 lakh hectares, the Agriculture Ministry told Rajya Sabha on 7 August 2026. The Centre released ₹1,447.21 crore to 15 States. Annual Action Plans of ₹1,143.9 crore have been approved for 2026-27.
7 Aug 2026
Indian Railways loaded 1,670 million tonnes of freight in 2025-26, up from 1,098 MT in 2014-15, the Railway Minister told Rajya Sabha on 7 August 2026. That makes it the second largest freight-carrying railway in the world. Both Dedicated Freight Corridors are commissioned, and 142 Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals now handle cargo.
7 Aug 2026
India successfully test-fired the Medium Range Ballistic Missile Agni-4 from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur in Odisha, on 6 August 2026, the Defence Ministry said. The launch validated all operational and technical parameters. It was carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command, which handles such strategic missile tests.
6 Aug 2026
On 6 August 2026 the Union Cabinet approved GOBARdhan, the National Circular Bioenergy Scheme, with an outlay of ₹23,731 crore for FY 2026-27 to FY 2035-36. Run by the Petroleum Ministry, it aims to raise Compressed Biogas output nearly ten-fold through assured offtake, a stable price of ₹2,110 per MMBTU, capital assistance, pipelines and credit guarantees.
6 Aug 2026
India produced 69.75 million tonnes of coal in July 2026, up 7.51 per cent from 64.88 MT a year earlier, the Coal Ministry said on 6 August. Despatch rose 18.03 per cent to 86.85 MT. With 34.55 MT at power plants and about 113 MT at pitheads and in transit, total stock of about 148 MT covers some 62 days.
6 Aug 2026
India's first Namo Bharat Regional Rapid Transit System, the 82.15 km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor, has been fully operational since February 2026, the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry told Lok Sabha on 6 August. It includes 23 km of Meerut metro on the same infrastructure. Over 3.8 crore commuters have used it, with punctuality above 99 per cent.
6 Aug 2026
On 6 August 2026 the Commerce Ministry called media reports that India is importing, or plans to import, large amounts of US ethanol for fuel blending baseless. Ethanol for the Ethanol Blended with Petrol Programme is sourced entirely from domestic producers. No concession or commitment on fuel ethanol imports was made in India-US trade talks.
6 Aug 2026
In a Lok Sabha reply released on 6 August 2026, MeitY set out how Indian law tackles AI deepfakes. It covers the IT Act, 2000, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the IT Rules, 2021. The 10 February 2026 amendment requires labels and traceable metadata on AI-generated content and cuts some takedown timelines from 36 hours to 3 hours.
6 Aug 2026
The indigenously designed Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, attained first criticality on 6 April 2026, the DAE told Lok Sabha on 5 August. It is the forerunner of the second stage of Dr Homi J. Bhabha's three-stage nuclear programme. Using MOX fuel and a U-238 blanket, it breeds Pu-239 and makes more fuel than it uses.
5 Aug 2026
PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana has crossed 50.06 lakh households with rooftop solar, MNRE said on 4 August 2026, in just over two years since launch. That compares with 7.94 lakh installations in the previous ten years. 14.8 GW is commissioned, nearly 19 lakh homes get zero bills, and ₹28,024 crore of subsidy has been paid by DBT.
4 Aug 2026