Official releases, distilled into exam-ready intelligence.

The Ministry of Commerce & Industry released provisional estimates for July 2026 of the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) (Base 2022‑23), Output Producer Price Index (OPPI) and trial Input Producer Price Index (IPPI). WPI inflation for July 2026 was 9.78 % YoY, marginally lower than June’s 9.87 %. Major contributors were Mineral Oils, Food Articles, Basic Metals, Non‑Food Articles and Chemicals. The Food Index recorded a 6.65 % YoY rise. OPPI for all commodities held at 109.9, unchanged from June, with sectoral indices for Agriculture (115.6), Mining (119.4), Manufactured Products (108.8) and Electricity (92.4). Trial Input PPI for the manufacturing sector stood at 105.9 in July 2026. All indices were compiled with weighted response rates of 78.55 % (WPI) and 98.14 % (May 2026 final).

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), together with the Tripura State Organic Farming Development Agency and the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, organised an International Organic Buyer‑Seller Meet in Agartala. Around 200 participants attended, including over 20 international buyers from Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, Greece and Argentina, 27 exporters, 96 farmers from 22 FPOs, and government officials. The event featured 12 stalls displaying Tripura’s organic produce such as Queen Pineapple, GI‑tagged Kalikhasa Rice, organic ginger, turmeric and other items. The meet aimed to create direct market linkages, promote long‑term sourcing partnerships and enhance income opportunities for farmers, with the Tripura Agriculture Minister highlighting the importance of strengthening these linkages.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) convened an India‑Japan Stakeholder Consultation in New Delhi, bringing together ministries, state governments, sending organisations, Japanese diplomatic and industry bodies to advance the Action Plan for India‑Japan Human Resource Exchange released at the 15th India‑Japan Summit (2025). The dialogue emphasized expanding Japanese‑language training, sector‑specific curricula, recognised assessments and stronger employer linkages to prepare Indian youth for employment in Japan. A key outcome was the decision to draft an India‑Japan Skills Roadmap that will integrate existing pathways such as the Technical Intern Training Programme (TITP), Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) and the upcoming Employment for Skill Development Programme (ESDP), outlining short‑, medium‑ and long‑term actions with clear responsibilities across ministries, states and industry.

The Indian Navy’s sail‑training ship INS Sudarshini arrived at Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal on 13 August 2026, concluding a 19‑day Atlantic crossing that began in Boston, USA. This marks the vessel’s second Atlantic crossing and a total of over 15,000 nautical miles covered during the Lokayan 2026 voyage. The Portuguese Navy welcomed the ship, and the commanding officer met the Commander of the Azores Maritime Zone to discuss professional interactions, operational replenishment and cultural exchanges, underscoring maritime cooperation between India and Portugal.

The Ministry of Electronics & IT, in partnership with NASSCOM, has launched the FutureSkills PRIME (FSP) programme to up‑skill India’s digital workforce in emerging technologies such as AI, Big Data, IoT, Cyber Security, Blockchain, AR/VR and more. The portal hosts over 500 industry‑aligned courses and has registered more than 34 lakh candidates, of whom 23 lakh+ have been enrolled/trained and 13 lakh+ certified, including 41 % women and over 86 % from Tier‑2/3 cities. Resource centres of C‑DAC and NIELIT have conducted 420+ bootcamps, training 32,700+ government officials, 2,367 trainers and 40,400+ candidates. In the North‑Eastern and Himalayan regions, 33,000+ candidates have been enrolled, with 16,000+ certified, and significant MoUs have been signed with 17 state governments and 2,000+ academic institutions.

The National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage (NIIMH), under the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of AYUSH, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Sevadhi Museum & Indological Research Institute (SEMIRI) in Kerala. The MoU aims to digitise and catalogue over 30,000 medical manuscripts preserved by SEMIRI, creating high‑quality digital copies and a descriptive catalogue that records bibliographic details such as title, author, script, language and condition. The initiative aligns with the Gyan Bharatam Mission and seeks to preserve India’s traditional medical heritage, reduce physical handling of fragile documents, and enhance accessibility for scholars, historians and researchers of Ayurveda and Indian knowledge systems.

The Department of Posts, under the Ministry of Communications, has launched a Philately Scholarship Scheme for the academic year 2026‑2027, aligned with the Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana. The scheme targets students in Classes VI‑IX who have a good academic record and are members of a school Philately Club (or have a personal Philately Deposit Account). Selection will be based on a two‑stage process – a regional Philately Written Quiz (50 MCQs covering current affairs, history, science, sports, culture, geography and philately) followed by a Philately Project (max 4‑5 pages, ≤16 stamps, ≤500 words). Applications close on 15 September 2026, to be sent by speed post to the Senior Superintendent of Post Offices, Goa Division. A 5 % relaxation is provided for SC/ST candidates.

NITI Aayog launched the third report of its Services Thematic Series – “India’s Services Sector: Insights on Regulatory Regime in Professional Services” – on 10 August 2026 before the High‑Powered ‘Education to Employment and Enterprise’ Standing Committee. The report assesses India’s regulatory framework for professional services, benchmarks it against selected foreign jurisdictions, and, based on stakeholder consultations, identifies challenges and proposes a four‑pronged strategy: leveraging emerging trends, elevating the sector in the services value chain, adopting best practices, and fostering continuous professional development. Professional services account for nearly 25 % of India’s total services exports and are positioned as a driver of high‑skill employment, entrepreneurship, and export growth as the country approaches its demographic peak.

Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya (MGAHV), Wardha, held a special lecture on Partition Horrors Remembrance Day on 14 August 2026. The event commemorated the human tragedy, displacement and suffering caused by the Partition of India and aimed to familiarise the younger generation with that period’s experiences, emphasizing national unity, social harmony and communal amity. The chief guest, Prof. Shamrao Koreti (Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University), highlighted the massive loss of life and the incomplete analysis of its consequences. An accompanying Partition Horrors Exhibition was inaugurated at Vachaspati Bhavan, and the programme was presided over by Prof. Avadhesh Kumar (Dean, Faculty of Literature).

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has opened enrolment for its Winter Internship Programme 2026-27 (December 2026–January 2027) and Term Internship Programme 2027 (January–June 2027). A total of 1,083 internship positions – 541 for the winter stint and 542 for the term stint – will be placed across 125 ongoing National Highway projects and at NHAI and IHMCL divisions. Eligible final‑year and pre‑final‑year undergraduate and postgraduate students from recognised Indian or foreign institutions in engineering, law, media, HR, finance and related streams can apply via the NHAI Internship Portal by 20 October 2026. Seats are reserved for IIT (100) and NIT (150) students, and selected interns will receive a stipend of Rs 20,000 per month and a certificate upon completion.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that six Scheduled‑Tribe girl students were bitten by a snake in an Ashram school hostel in Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra. Three students died and three are under treatment. The NHRC noted that the students were sleeping on the floor due to lack of cots, indicating inadequate facilities. It has issued a notice to the Maharashtra Chief Secretary requesting a detailed report within two weeks, covering the health status of the injured. The incident occurs in a district that records a high number of snake‑bite cases annually.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that on 11 August 2026 a worker died and another was injured after inhaling toxic gases while cleaning a manhole at a factory in Sector‑25, Faridabad district, Haryana, reportedly without safety equipment. The NHRC deemed the incident a possible human‑rights violation and issued a notice to the Haryana Chief Secretary and the Faridabad Police Commissioner, seeking a detailed report within two weeks on the investigation status, the injured worker’s health, any compensation provided, and the next‑of‑kin details of the deceased.

On the occasion of India’s 80th Independence Day, BS Telecom (BSNL) announced several customer‑centric initiatives. It has ordered over 26,300 additional 4G base stations to widen 4G coverage, especially in towns, villages and remote areas, and has optimized its 4G network on an indigenous, 5G‑upgradable platform. BSNL launched the ‘Re. 1 Freedom 2.0’ offer (1 GB data, 100 SMS, unlimited calls for 24 days at ₹1) and the ‘Fibre Freedom’ plan at ₹1,111 per month offering up to 200 Mbps, 5,000 GB data and access to 25+ OTT platforms. A revamped ‘BSNL Selfcare’ mobile app now provides prepaid/postpaid recharge, bill payments, complaint handling, AI chatbot, and free access to ~500 live TV channels via Tango TV. Additionally, BSNL announced a partnership with Polycab for indigenous telecom hardware under a Hardware‑as‑a‑Service model.

The NCC Group Headquarters in Nagpur, under the Ministry of Defence, conducted the Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan 2026 from 9 August to 17 August 2026. Cadets, staff, alumni and local citizens participated in flag‑hoisting ceremonies, Tiranga marches, patriotic activities and social‑media drives (#HarGharTiranga) across schools, colleges and other institutions in the NCC’s Area of Responsibility. The campaign also incorporated an anti‑TB drive, where NCC cadets organised rallies, street plays, poster‑making and door‑to‑door visits to raise awareness about tuberculosis symptoms, prevention, treatment and the National TB Elimination Programme. The activities aimed to strengthen patriotism, national unity and community health awareness.

The Ministry of Defence released a Press Information Bureau note on 14 August 2026 listing honorary commissions in the Indian Air Force (IAF) conferred on Independence Day 2026. The release states that 82 personnel were awarded the honorary rank of Flight Lieutenant, 328 were awarded honorary Flying Officer rank, and 7 honorary Flying Officers were granted the rank upon retirement. The attached PDFs enumerate the names of the awardees, including 82 MWO (HFO) personnel promoted to honorary Flight Lieutenant, 328 MWO and WO personnel granted honorary Flying Officer rank, and 7 retired MWOs granted honorary Flying Officer rank after retirement.

The Directorate General of Taxpayer Services (DGTS), Mumbai Zonal Unit, in partnership with Government Law College, Mumbai, held a hybrid event titled “Rule of Law and Transparent Governance” on the eve of India’s 80th Independence Day. The programme aimed to create awareness of the Rule of Law, constitutional values, transparency, accountability and responsible governance among students, legal professionals, tax practitioners and CBIC officers. Speakers highlighted the role of clear communication and information accessibility in tax administration to foster compliance and stakeholder confidence, and reiterated the link between democracy, social‑economic transformation and the Rule of Law. The event also underscored DGTS’s ongoing efforts in taxpayer outreach, especially for the MSME sector, and its grievance redressal mechanisms.

The Ministry of Steel will conduct an Open House on 21 August 2026 in the Steel Room, 3rd Floor, GPOA‑3, Netaji Nagar, New Delhi, to discuss issues related to steel imports. Companies and associations can request a confirmed time‑slot by emailing tech‑steel@nic.in with details such as name, industry type, SIMS/SARAL SIMS/QCO exemption reference, a brief description of the issue, and participant contact information. Only one representative per organisation is allowed; walk‑ins are not permitted. Requests must be sent by 18 August 2026, 2:00 pm. The session will run from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm with specific slots communicated via email.

The Ministry of Defence released a list of honorary ranks conferred on Independence Day 2026. The list details the number of honorary captains (438 active, 1,365 retired), honorary lieutenants (1,803 active, 485 retired), honorary sub‑majors (4,225 retired), honorary subs (776 retired) and honorary naval‑submariners (5,897 retired). The data is presented in a tabular format indicating separate counts for active‑list and post‑retirement awards.

The Ministry of Defence issued a Press Information Bureau release on 14 August 2026 listing personnel awarded the Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) Commendation Card on the occasion of Independence Day 2026. The attached PDF enumerates over 200 service members from various arms and services—including the Armoured Corps, Mechanised Infantry, Infantry, Artillery, Engineers, Signals, and others—detailing their rank, name, service number and posting. The release serves as the official record of the commendations for that year.

The National Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH) issued a clarification stating that, under Regulation 36(y) of the National Commission for Homoeopathy (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Code of Ethics for Practitioners of Homoeopathy) Regulations 2022, a homoeopathic practitioner is prohibited from practising any other system of medicine. The proviso to this regulation, however, permits such practitioners to work under a National Health Programme or any other Central/State government programme, provided they have completed training or a course recognised by the competent authority. The Commission also highlighted Sub‑regulation (7) of Regulation 14, which acknowledges the role of homoeopathic graduates in government health facilities and National Health Programmes.