Daily notes mapped to syllabus topics, with “Asked before” PYQs and original practice MCQs.
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.
UPSC angle: Prelims: three-stage programme.
5 Aug 2026
On 5 August 2026 the Health Ministry deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) to Gujarat and Rajasthan for the Chandipura Virus Disease outbreak. The team draws experts from NCDC, ICMR and the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. Scientists are also checking whether insects other than sandflies spread the virus and whether animals carry it.
UPSC angle: Prelims: vectors.
5 Aug 2026
El Niño conditions that developed in May 2026 are likely to persist from June 2026 to February 2027, with probabilities of 70 to 90 per cent, the Earth Sciences Minister told Lok Sabha on 5 August. The outlook comes from INCOIS's indigenous AI/ML-based ENSO prediction system. He said El Niño is not the only factor for the monsoon.
UPSC angle: Prelims: ENSO, IOD.
5 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.
UPSC angle: Prelims: commercial coal mining.
4 Aug 2026
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.
UPSC angle: Prelims: nano fertilisers.
4 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.
UPSC angle: Prelims: scheme targets.
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.
UPSC angle: Prelims: ASF affects pigs, not humans.
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.
UPSC angle: Prelims: T2T genome.
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.
UPSC angle: Prelims: GI Act; first GI.
4 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.
UPSC angle: Prelims: DFCs; modal share target.
3 Aug 2026133 items
142 items
169 items
165 items
139 items
125 items
124 items
122 items
110 items
110 items
126 items
110 items
121 items
109 items
119 items
106 items
110 items
114 items
111 items
