Official releases, distilled into exam-ready intelligence.

President Smt. Droupadi Murmu approved a set of gallantry awards for Indian Air Force personnel on the eve of Independence Day 2026. The approved awards include the Shaurya Chakra, Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) and Mention-in-Despatches. The Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) was conferred on five personnel: GP Capt Rahul Jagotta, GP Capt Rahul Rawat, WG Cdr Ashish Rajpoot, Flight Lt Yash and MWO Ravinderjit Singh. The approval was announced by the Ministry of Defence on 14 August 2026.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, held a Manak Manthan (Technical Meeting) on 13 August 2026 at its Nagpur Branch. The meeting focused on IS 1470:2025 Silicomanganese Specification (Fifth Revision) and the draft standard MTD 14 (34612) WC ‘Use of oxygen in iron, steel and non‑ferrous metal foundries – Code of practice (First Revision)’. Participants were briefed on comment‑submission procedures, free downloading of BIS standards, and obtaining BIS licences. Comments received were being compiled for further action, and attendees requested more such programmes in the future.

On 14 August 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked Partition Horrors Remembrance Day by recalling the courage of those affected by the 1947 Partition. He noted that families were uprooted, loved ones lost and suffering endured, yet survivors rebuilt their lives and contributed to nation‑building. The Prime Minister urged the nation to deepen resolve for harmony and brotherhood and to work towards a ‘Viksit Bharat’. He also shared a Sanskrit Subhashitam emphasizing hard work, enterprise and persistent effort as the basis for progress in arts, science and technology.

On Independence Day 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced that 1,057 personnel from the Police, Fire, Home Guard & Civil Defence and Correctional Services received gallantry and service medals. A total of 301 Medal for Gallantry (GM) awards were conferred – 272 to police personnel and 29 to fire service personnel – with recipients drawn mainly from Left‑Wing Extremism‑affected areas (197), Jammu & Kashmir (51), the North‑East (12) and other regions (41). Additionally, 92 President’s Medals for Distinguished Service (PSM) and 664 Medals for Meritorious Service (MSM) were awarded, the majority going to police (83 PSM, 606 MSM) followed by fire, civil defence/home guard and correctional services. Detailed lists of awardees are provided in annexures I‑IV.

The Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises has invited 100 beneficiaries of the PM Vishwakarma Scheme from the Delhi‑NCR region as ‘Special Guests’ to attend the 80th Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort on 15 August 2026. The invitees, including women artisans from 18 traditional trades such as tailoring, carpentry, goldsmithing and blacksmithing, will also receive souvenirs and meet ministry officials on 14 August 2026 at the Indian Institute of Public Administration, Delhi. The scheme, which has registered 30 lakh artisans, provides skill upgradation, toolkits, financial and digital support, aiming at socio‑economic empowerment and preservation of India’s cultural heritage.

The National Institute of One Health (NIOH), Nagpur, held the ICMR‑SHINE 2026 programme on 11‑12 August 2026 at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Vayusena Nagar and Surendragarh Hindi Madhyamik Shala, Nagpur. Over 1,000 students from Classes IX‑XII participated. The event, linked to the Prime Minister’s vision of fostering scientific temper under Viksit Bharat 2047, featured a video message from Dr Rajiv Bahl (Secretary, Dept. of Health Research & DG ICMR), interactive sessions such as a virtual tour of a Mobile BSL‑3 laboratory, PPE demonstration, hand‑washing technique, quiz, One Health pledge and career guidance. It also launched the ICMR‑SHINE National‑Level Student Competition 2026, open to school students until 11 September 2026 via the SHINE portal.

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).

TRAI’s Independent Drive Test (IDT) conducted from 15‑19 June 2026 across Shimla, Solan and the highway between them evaluated mobile network quality for Airtel, BSNL, RJIL and VIL. The test measured coverage gaps, call drop rates, call‑silence instances, and data download/upload throughput on 2G‑5G networks. Coverage gaps were highest for VIL (≈25 % of samples) and lowest for RJIL (≈0.8 %). Dropped calls ranged from 1/411 (Airtel) to 20/387 (VIL) in Shimla, while download speeds varied from 10.30 Mbps (VIL) to 163.01 Mbps (RJIL). Similar variations were observed in Solan and on the highway route. Findings have been shared with the service providers for corrective action and are publicly available on the TRAI website.

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).

President Smt. Droupadi Murmu approved a set of gallantry awards for Indian Navy personnel on the eve of Independence Day 2026. The awards include a Shaurya Chakra to Lt Cdr Shivam Kumar, a Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry) to Cdr Yuvraj Kumar, Cdr Vineet Sharma and C Avinash Annaso (POA – FD). Mentions-in-Despatches were issued to Cdr Nikhil Chugh, Lt Ajay Jose N Joseph, Abhishek Dhanawade (SEA I – CD) and Ashwin Santhosh (AVR SEA – CD).

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.

Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla, in a message released on 14 August 2026, extended greetings on the eve of India’s 80th Independence Day. He recalled the sacrifice of freedom fighters and urged citizens to build a nation that leads globally, driven by youth potential. The speaker highlighted that roughly 65 percent of India’s population is under 35 and called on young people to embrace constitutional and democratic values, align their aspirations with national development, and contribute to a self‑reliant, developed India.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi praised President Smt. Droupadi Murmu’s address delivered on the eve of the 80th Independence Day, describing it as ‘motivating and thoughtful’. He said the President’s thoughts reflect the nation’s strength and the aspirations of every Indian, and that her message inspires renewed determination for a ‘Viksit Bharat’. The Prime Minister shared these remarks on the social‑media platform X, reiterating the same sentiments in his post.