Current affairs relevant to GS3.
The Centre is promoting nano fertilisers such as Nano Urea and Nano DAP to raise nutrient-use efficiency and self-reliance, the Fertilizers Ministry told Rajya Sabha on 4 August 2026. They are sold through Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras and sprayed on leaves, including with Kisan Drones. Several States give subsidies; Gujarat pays 50 per cent of the cost.
4 Aug 2026
The Coal Ministry auctioned six coal blocks in the 15th round and the second attempt of the 13th round of commercial auctions, it said on 4 August 2026. Forward auctions ran on 3 and 4 August. The blocks hold about 1,503.93 million tonnes of geological reserves, with peak rated capacity of 11.62 MTPA. Since 2020, 147 blocks have been auctioned.
4 Aug 2026
A PIB backgrounder of 4 August 2026 explains how Geographical Indication (GI) tags protect traditional products and lift producers' incomes. India has over 800 registered GI products, with 607 granted since 2014. Uttar Pradesh leads with 81 GIs (December 2025). Darjeeling Tea was India's first GI. The target is 10,000 GI registrations by 2030.
4 Aug 2026
ICAR has produced India's first fully annotated telomere-to-telomere (T2T) reference genome, for pigeonpea (arhar or tur) variety 'Asha', the Agriculture Ministry said on 4 August 2026. It has been approved as the global reference genome of the crop. The sequence covers 752.65 million base pairs across all 11 chromosomes, with 36,557 genes identified.
4 Aug 2026
India's first indigenous vaccine against African Swine Fever, developed by ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal, was dedicated to the nation at the ICAR Foundation Day on 4 August 2026. It is a live attenuated vaccine made in the widely available MA-104 cell line. ASF has caused heavy pig deaths since it was first detected in India in 2020.
4 Aug 2026
India has near-universal banking coverage: 99.92 per cent of inhabited villages, or 6,00,868 of 6,01,328, have a banking outlet within 5 km, the Finance Ministry told Lok Sabha on 3 August 2026. The network has 1.81 lakh branches, 17.36 lakh Business Correspondents and 1.65 lakh IPPB centres. Jan Dhan accounts number 58.77 crore.
3 Aug 2026
Glaw Lake in Arunachal Pradesh became India's 101st Ramsar site on 3 August 2026, the State's first. The freshwater lake lies inside the Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary in the Eastern Himalayas. India's Ramsar network has grown from 26 sites in 2014 to 101, after crossing a century with Surha Tal in June.
3 Aug 2026
The Green Credit Programme rewards voluntary environment-positive actions such as restoring degraded forest land, the Environment Ministry told Lok Sabha on 3 August 2026. Green Credit Rules, 2023 were notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Credits can be claimed only after five years of restoration and 40 per cent canopy density. ICFRE is the Administrator.
3 Aug 2026
Indian Railways loaded 141.3 million tonnes of freight in July 2026, 9 per cent more than the 129.7 million tonnes of July 2025, the Railways Ministry said on 3 August 2026. Iron ore rose 22.2 per cent and coal supply to power plants 20 per cent. Freight revenue grew by ₹1,137 crore, or 8 per cent.
3 Aug 2026
A PIB backgrounder of 2 August 2026 reviews India's solar growth after the Cabinet approved the PM Surya Sarovar Yojana on 31 July. The scheme backs 5,000 MW of floating solar with storage, at ₹5,070 crore. Solar capacity has grown from about 3 GW in 2014 to 162.15 GW by 30 June 2026, the largest share of renewables.
2 Aug 2026