Daily Current Affairs - 26 August 2026

Introduction

The CareerUdaya Daily Current Affairs - 26 August 2026 edition brings together ten examination-focused developments for APSC, ADRE, Assam Police, Assam TET, SSC, Banking and Railway aspirants. The notes cover 3.8 lakh PMAY-G houses for Assam, a one-year deadline for the three new criminal laws, SIDBI-RRB MSME co-lending, NITI Aayog's skilling report, India-Russia talks in Moscow, the 7th India-Vietnam Coast Guard meeting, India-Seychelles fisheries cooperation, ICAT's first 15-metre sleeper-bus certificate, ICMR's H1N1 surveillance update, and the 53rd PRAGATI review. Attempt the Daily Current Affairs Quiz - 26 August 2026 after revising the notes.

Assam & Housing - 3.8 Lakh PMAY-G Houses Approved

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in New Delhi on 25 August 2026. Chouhan handed over approval for 3.8 lakh new houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), involving nearly ₹5,000 crore. The PMAY-G survey period was extended by 15 days so that eligible flood-affected families are not left out. The Ministry will also extend PMAY benefits to eligible tea-garden workers through a digital survey after they receive land pattas.

For flood-affected farmers, action plans of ₹832.70 crore under Agriculture Unnati Yojana and RKVY, ₹33.36 crore for agricultural mechanisation, and ₹96.87 crore under MIDH were approved. A separate ₹139 crore RKVY sanction was handed over. As of 25 August, 91 villages in ten districts were still flood-affected after the Upper Assam spell that began on 19 July; more than 105 people have died. Treat this as a completed rural-housing and farm-support approval, not as the 22 August flood-recovery talks already covered, and not as PMAY-Urban.

Source: Assam Tribune report on the PMAY-G approval for Assam

Polity & Criminal Justice - One-Year Deadline for BNS, BNSS and BSA

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, at the valedictory of the 9th National Security Strategies Conference on 25 August 2026, set a one-year deadline for 100% implementation of the three new criminal laws: the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA). They came into force on 1 July 2024, replacing the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act. The stated aims are disposal of criminal cases up to the Supreme Court within three years and a 25% rise in the conviction rate.

Shah said an integrated databank of CCTNS, ICJS, NATGRID and NAFIS has been created, and asked young officers to use AI on that data. Pair this with yesterday's NSS note on PRAHAAR: that was a counter-terrorism policy; this is a criminal-procedure implementation target. It is not a new Code, not a replacement of UAPA, and not a constitutional amendment.

Source: ETV Bharat report on the criminal-law implementation deadline

Banking & MSME - SIDBI-RRB Co-Lending to Be Scaled

SIDBI organised a conclave of the heads of all 28 Regional Rural Banks in New Delhi on 25 August 2026, chaired by Department of Financial Services Secretary Sanjay Lohiya, with SIDBI CMD Manoj Mittal and officials of DFS, SIDBI and NABARD. The agenda was expansion of the SIDBI-RRB MSME Co-Lending arrangement, which pairs SIDBI's MSME underwriting with RRBs' rural and semi-urban reach, including Assam Gramin Vikash Bank.

A Co-Lending Origination Platform offers an end-to-end digital, paperless journey: in-principle sanctions after portal submission, and disbursement straight to the borrower's account. Rule-engine underwriting is meant to protect asset quality while RRBs diversify away from a pure agri-loan book. The model has been piloted at three RRBs, with expansion now proposed. DFS asked RRBs to make co-lending an important branch-level target and to use MSME cluster data and State Rozgar Melas. This is not MUDRA, not ECLGS, and not a new RBI repo-rate action.

Source: The Hindu BusinessLine report on SIDBI-RRB co-lending

Education & Employment - NITI Flags Weak Job Linkages of Generic Degrees

National newspapers on 25-26 August 2026 reported NITI Aayog's Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat. Citing the Economic Survey 2024-25, it says only 8.25% of graduates work in roles aligned to their qualifications. Graduate unemployment is 13%, and 20.4% among graduate women, against a national rate of 3.2%. Of 3.4 crore undergraduate enrolments, 1.13 crore are in B.A.; B.A., B.Sc. and B.Com together exceed 2 crore. Many pursue these degrees mainly to stay eligible for government jobs: 1.86 crore applications for 55,000 posts between November 2024 and July 2025.

NITI recommends applied specialisations (B.A. Hospitality, B.Com Analytics, B.Sc Applied Technology), scaling Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes (AEDP) and Work-Integrated Degree Programmes (WIDP), and PPP skilling universities on the lines of Odisha's World Skill Center. A BCG survey cited in the report puts starting pay at ₹22,000 a month without skilling and ₹29,000 with it. NITI clarified that its NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) figure of 8.7 crore (ages 15-29) is not an unemployment rate. This is a think-tank report, not a UGC regulation and not NEP 2020 itself.

Source: The Indian Express report on the NITI Aayog skilling findings

International Relations - Jaishankar-Lavrov Talks in Moscow

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held talks in Moscow on 25 August 2026 with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on bilateral cooperation, regional hotspots, global challenges and multilateral issues. Russia's foreign ministry said the two sides coordinated approaches on Ukraine, Iran and Afghanistan, and reaffirmed coordination in the UN, SCO, BRICS and G20. The visit precedes President Vladimir Putin's expected presence at the BRICS summit in New Delhi on 12-13 September.

On 24 August Jaishankar called on Putin, delivered a personal message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and briefed him on the 27th India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC), co-chaired with First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. Jaishankar said goods trade had risen about four-fold in five years, from around USD 13 billion in 2021-22 to nearly USD 60 billion in 2025-26, with a widened imbalance, covering energy, fertilisers and civil nuclear cooperation. This is not a new defence treaty and not a rupee-rouble settlement law.

Source: The Hindu report on the Jaishankar-Lavrov talks

Defence & Maritime - 7th India-Vietnam Coast Guard Meeting

The 7th High-Level Meeting between the Indian Coast Guard and the Vietnam Coast Guard was held at the Coast Guard Regional Headquarters, Chennai, on 25 August 2026, under the 2015 Memorandum of Understanding on Coast Guard Cooperation. It was co-chaired by ICG Director General Paramesh Sivamani and VCG Vice Commandant Major General Luong Dinh Hung. Vietnam Coast Guard ship CSB 8002 had arrived at Chennai Port on 24 August; the delegation also visited L&T Shipbuilding, Kattupalli.

Talks covered Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR), Maritime Law Enforcement, Marine Pollution Response and capacity building, plus professional exchanges and ship visits. The second edition of joint exercise SAHYOG-HOPTAC is scheduled at sea on 27 August; treat that date as scheduled, not as a completed drill. This is Coast Guard cooperation, not a QUAD naval exercise and not an ASEAN defence pact.

Source: DD News report on the 7th ICG-VCG High-Level Meeting

Fisheries & Blue Economy - India-Seychelles High-Level Meeting

The Department of Fisheries hosted a high-level bilateral meeting with Seychelles in New Delhi on 25 August 2026. Seychelles was led by Wallace Cosgrow, Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Blue Economy; India by Secretary Abhilaksh Likhi. India put national fish production at 19.7 million tonnes and seafood exports at USD 8.46 billion. Agenda items included marine aquaculture (mariculture), modern hatcheries, tuna fisheries, stock assessment, post-harvest engineering, marine conservation, AI for harvest management, and monitoring, control and surveillance.

Seychelles asked for a dedicated fisheries-and-aquaculture MoU and an annual work plan; the MoU is not yet signed. The sides discussed reciprocal laboratory access, Centres of Excellence and tuna value-chain expansion, including processing and fish-waste management. Place this under India's MAHASAGAR Indian Ocean outreach, not as a replacement of the June 2026 SESEL package, and not as a naval basing agreement.

Source: DD News report on the India-Seychelles fisheries meeting

Transport & Industry - ICAT Certifies a 15-Metre Sleeper Bus

The International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT), Manesar, issued its first compliance certificate for a 15-metre multi-axle sleeper bus on 26 August 2026. The certificate, under AIS-119 and AIS-153 and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, went to Synaty Automotive Pvt. Ltd. Fifteen metres is among the longest bus-body lengths permitted in the passenger-transport category. The fully sleeper variant has 42 berths; the hybrid has 21 berths and 42 seats.

Testing covered structural strength, fire safety, emergency exits, passenger movement and comfort. ICAT Director Saurabh Dalela handed the certificate to MD Naresh Kumar Yadav. ICAT is a testing and certification agency under the National Automotive Board, Ministry of Heavy Industries; it is not ARAI as a whole and not a Bharat Stage emission-norm change. This is a type-approval milestone, not a commercial fleet rollout.

Source: The Hindu BusinessLine report on the ICAT 15-metre bus certificate

Health - H1N1 Accounts for 98% of Influenza A Cases

ICMR Director-General Rajiv Bahl said on 25 August 2026 that H1N1 accounts for about 98% of Influenza A detections, with H3N2 at 2-3%. Influenza B of the Victoria lineage is also circulating but is not predominant. The strain is the familiar Influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 that emerged in 2009 and is now seasonal; genomic surveillance has placed current viruses close to A/Missouri/11/2025-like, clade 6B.1A.5a2a, subclade D.3.1.1. Bahl said there was no cause for panic, no unusual shift, and no public-health emergency.

Surveillance uses 73 ICMR sentinel hospital laboratories, layered on NCDC and the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP). Most cases are mild. Universal flu vaccination is not being added to the national immunisation programme; people above 65 and the immunocompromised may consult a doctor. Routine mask use for everyone is not advised. This is seasonal influenza, not a new pandemic strain and not a replacement of COVID-19 protocols.

Source: The Hindu report on ICMR's H1N1 briefing

Governance - 53rd PRAGATI Reviews Infra, AgriStack and Cyber Fraud

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 53rd meeting of PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) at Seva Teerth on 25 August 2026. Six railway, road and power projects across nine States, costing more than ₹30,000 crore, were reviewed. He said speed must go with quality, projects should be treated as an integrated whole, and land, forest-clearance and utility-shifting bottlenecks must be cleared. He asked whether a fourth-party audit of public-works quality was needed.

On AgriStack, he asked ministries to use digital technologies, including AI, to get more value from agricultural data. On cyber fraud, including digital arrest, he called for targeted awareness for senior citizens, youth and other vulnerable groups, and regular capacity-building of personnel. Home Secretary Govind Mohan briefed the meeting on measures in 20 States. PRAGATI is a PMO monitoring platform, not a new statute and not I4C itself.

Source: PIB release on the 53rd PRAGATI meeting

Revision Notes

Revise these ten anchors: PMAY-G Assam - 3.8 lakh houses, ~₹5,000 crore; 15-day survey extension; tea-garden pattas; RKVY ₹139 crore; Criminal laws - BNS, BNSS, BSA from 1 July 2024; 100% in one year; cases to SC in three years; +25% conviction; CCTNS-ICJS-NATGRID-NAFIS; SIDBI-RRB - 28 RRBs; 3-pilot expansion; digital origination platform; NABARD present; NITI skilling - 8.25% qualification-matched jobs; 13% graduate unemployment; 1.13 crore in B.A.; AEDP/WIDP; NEET is not unemployment; India-Russia - Jaishankar-Lavrov; IRIGC-TEC 27th; ~USD 60 billion goods trade; ICG-Vietnam - 7th HLM, Chennai; 2015 MoU; SAHYOG-HOPTAC scheduled 27 August; Seychelles - 19.7 MT fish; USD 8.46 billion exports; MoU not signed; ICAT - first 15-metre sleeper bus; AIS-119 and AIS-153; 42 berths; Manesar; H1N1 - 98% of Influenza A; pdm09; 73 labs; PRAGATI 53 - ₹30,000 crore; AgriStack and AI; digital arrest. Attempt the Daily Current Affairs Quiz - 26 August 2026 to test these facts.

Exam Snapshot Table

Frequently Asked Questions

How many PMAY-G houses did the Centre approve for Assam?

3.8 lakh new rural houses, involving nearly ₹5,000 crore. The survey window was extended by 15 days, and eligible tea-garden worker families are to be covered after they receive land pattas.

Did the Home Minister replace the three new criminal laws?

No. BNS, BNSS and BSA, in force since 1 July 2024, remain. The announcement is a one-year target for 100% implementation, three-year disposal up to the Supreme Court, and a 25% rise in conviction rates.

What is SIDBI trying to do with Regional Rural Banks?

Scale a co-lending model that uses SIDBI's MSME underwriting and RRBs' rural network, through a digital origination platform already piloted at three of the 28 RRBs.

Are BA, BSc and BCom being abolished?

No. NITI Aayog recommends converting generic high-enrolment degrees into applied, job-linked specialisations and expanding apprenticeship-embedded programmes. It is a report, not a UGC ban.

Was an India-Seychelles fisheries MoU signed?

No. Seychelles asked for a dedicated MoU and an annual work plan. India cited 19.7 million tonnes of fish production and USD 8.46 billion of seafood exports.

Is there a quiz for this edition?

Yes. The Daily Current Affairs Quiz - 26 August 2026 contains 10 exam-focused MCQs with explanations.