Daily Current Affairs (DCA) 21 August, 2026

Daily Current Affairs Quiz | NABARD Grade A & RBI Grade B | Economy, Banking & Agriculture

Daily Current Affairs for NABARD Grade A and RBI Grade B 2026 covering the most important developments in Indian Economy, Banking, RBI, Agriculture, Rural Development, Government Schemes, Financial Markets, Reports & Indices, International Relations, Environment and Science & Technology.

NABARD Current Affairs

Misc GA in News

1. Makhana

Source: PIB

Context: India’s makhana market is projected to reach ₹11,000–₹12,000 crore by 2029-30, supported by rising global demand and modern cultivation. The Centre has approved a ₹476.03-crore scheme and established the National Makhana Board.

What is Makhana?

• Scientific name: Euryale ferox
• A high-value aquatic crop belonging to the water lily family (Nymphaeaceae).
• The edible part is the starchy seed, which is dried, graded, roasted and popped — manually or mechanically — into white, crunchy puffs known as fox nuts or gorgon nuts.

Where It Grows

• Habitat: shallow, stagnant freshwater wetlands, perennial ponds, oxbow lakes (beels), ditches and flood-prone lowlands with slow water currents
• Climate: warm, humid tropical to sub-tropical, with water depth of 1 to 1.5 metres and clayey or alluvial organic-rich pond beds
• This is why makhana matters for Bihar specifically. It grows in exactly the kind of waterlogged, flood-prone land that is useless for conventional crops — turning a liability into a cash crop.

Where It Is Grown

• India produces 85–90 per cent of the world’s makhana — effectively a global monopoly. Smaller pockets exist in Nepal, Bangladesh, China and Japan.
• Bihar contributes nearly 90 per cent of India’s makhana, concentrated in the Mithilanchal and Kosi-Seemanchal regions — districts including Darbhanga, Madhubani, Purnia, Katihar, Saharsa, Supaul, Araria and Sitamarhi.
• GI tag: Mithila Makhana received the Geographical Indication tag in 2022, registered by the Mithilanchal Makhana Utpadak Sangh, Purnia.
• Other states: cultivated on a smaller scale in the wetlands of West Bengal, Assam, Odisha and Manipur.

2. NCW’s Yashoda AI Programme for Women’s Digital Empowerment

Source: News on Air

Context: The National Commission for Women (NCW) organised the “Yashoda AI – Women’s Path to AI Empowerment” programme at Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, Punjab, to promote AI literacy, digital empowerment, cyber safety and greater participation of women in emerging technologies.

‘She Serves’ programme. She inaugurated this at a women’s college in Jalandhar, to encourage young women to explore career opportunities in the Armed Forces.

What Yashoda AI Does

The initiative aims to equip women with AI skills and encourage their participation in technology-driven fields.

Four focus areas:

• AI literacy
• Digital empowerment
• Cyber safety
• Participation of women in emerging technologies

About the National Commission for Women

• Established: 1992
• Statutory basis: the National Commission for Women Act, 1990
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Status: a statutory body — not a constitutional one
• Chairperson: Vijaya Rahatkar
• Mandate: protect and promote women’s rights in India

3. AkinAnalytics Launches NIKA2 Kisan Drone

• Hyderabad-based AkinAnalytics launched the indigenous NIKA2 Kisan Medium Drone for agriculture and other field-intensive sectors.
• The drone has a 16-litre spraying payload and 12-litre spreading payload.
• It includes features such as terrain following, fail-safe systems and night-operation capability.
• It can be used in agriculture, aquaculture, plantations, mining, energy, infrastructure and defence.
• The launch supports India’s goals of Make in India, indigenous technology and technology-driven farming.

RBI Current Affairs

Banking and Finance

1. LIC Gets RBI Approval to Increase Stake in HDFC Bank

• The RBI approved LIC to increase its stake in HDFC Bank up to 9.99% of the bank’s paid-up share capital or voting rights.
• LIC currently holds around 4.11% stake in HDFC Bank.
• The approval does not mean LIC will immediately increase its holding to 9.99%.
• Any further acquisition must comply with RBI, SEBI, FEMA and Banking Regulation Act requirements.
• The move gives LIC greater flexibility as a major institutional investor in the banking sector.

2. Paul Merchants Finance Launches Exclusive Silver Loan Branches

• Paul Merchants Finance became the first NBFC in India to establish exclusive branches for silver loans.
• The initiative follows RBI’s Lending Against Gold and Silver Collateral Directions, 2025.
• The company initially launched silver loan services in Chandigarh.
• Customers can avail loans ranging from ₹2,000 to ₹15 lakh against eligible silver jewellery, ornaments and approved silver coins.
• The initiative brings silver-backed lending further into the formal regulated financial system.

3. CCI Approves Prudential’s Majority Stake Acquisition in Bharti Life Insurance

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved Prudential Corporation Holdings’ proposal to acquire a 75% stake in Bharti Life Insurance.
• The proposed transaction is valued at around ₹3,500 crore.
• Prudential currently holds a 22% stake in its life insurance joint venture with ICICI Bank and will need to reduce this holding to meet regulatory requirements.
• CCI also approved Tata Steel’s acquisition of an additional 23% stake in TM International Logistics Limited.
• CCI is India’s main competition regulator and works to prevent anti-competitive practices and protect consumer interests.

4. Paramotor Digital Partners with NSDL Payments Bank

• Paramotor Digital Technology partnered with NSDL Payments Bank to issue co-branded prepaid cards across India.
• The partnership will support digital spending, gifting, rewards and loyalty platforms.
• The prepaid solutions will comply with RBI regulations and operate through payment networks.
• Paramotor Digital operates platforms such as SpendPro, Yayyy.shop and RewardOn.
• The company had filed confidential draft IPO papers with SEBI in May 2026.

5. President Gives Assent to Taxation and Payment Laws Amendment, 2026

• President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2026 and amendments to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
• The taxation law replaces the Income-tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026.
• It provides tax exemptions for specified foreign institutional investors and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) on interest and capital gains from government securities.
• The amendments aim to attract foreign capital and support domestic electronics manufacturing.
• Changes to the payment law also modify the legal framework for charges on specified digital payment modes.

RBI & NABARD Current Affairs

1. The Zonal Councils

Source: News on Air

Context: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to chair the 31st Southern Zonal Council (SZC) meeting in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu.

What Are Zonal Councils?

• High-level statutory deliberative bodies created to promote interstate cooperation, resolve disputes, and ensure coordinated socio-economic planning among States and Union Territories grouped into geographic zones.
• Established: 1956
• Statutory basis: Part III of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956
• Status: statutory bodies, not constitutional bodies

The Zones

The 1956 Act divided the country into five Zonal Councils:

• Northern
• Central
• Eastern
• Western
• Southern

The sixth is separate. The North-Eastern Council was created under a different law — the North-Eastern Council Act, 1971 — and is therefore not one of the five Zonal Councils under the 1956 Act.

Composition

• Chairman: the Union Home Minister, who chairs all five Zonal Councils
• Vice-Chairman: the Chief Minister of a member State, held by rotation, each for a one-year term
• Members: the Chief Minister and two other Ministers from each State in the zone, and the Administrator of each Union Territory in the zone
• Advisers: one nominee of NITI Aayog, plus the Chief Secretary of each member State

Key Functions

• Inter-state boundary and linguistic disputes — deliberates on border friction and matters concerning linguistic minorities
• Joint socio-economic planning — common regional policies across agriculture, health, education, coastal security and disaster management
• Regional transport and infrastructure — coordinated planning for inter-state highways, railway connectivity and regional energy grids
• Water sharing and river valley coordination — mutual agreements on inter-state water sharing, irrigation canals and reservoir operations
• Technical screening via Standing Committees — each Council operates through a Standing Committee headed by the Chief Secretaries of member States, on rotation, which screens and resolves administrative issues before they reach the ministerial council

2. The GISAT-1A Mission

Source: Indian Express

Context: ISRO is preparing to launch the GISAT-1A (EOS-05) Earth observation satellite aboard the GSLV-F17 rocket.

What is GISAT-1A?

• An agile Geo-Imaging Satellite designed to operate from geostationary orbit, about 36,000 km above the equator.
• The key difference from ordinary remote sensing satellites: conventional Earth observation satellites orbit in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), circling the planet and passing over any given place only occasionally. GISAT-1A stays fixed over the Indian subcontinent, giving continuous, near real-time coverage.

Mission Details

• Agency: ISRO
• Launch vehicle: GSLV Mk-II (Flight F17), with the indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage (CE-7.5) and a 4-metre Ogive payload fairing
• Aim: near real-time, high-frequency imaging of the Indian subcontinent and surrounding seas, for disaster monitoring, agricultural assessment and national security surveillance

3. Ayushman Bharat – PM Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)

Source: Mint

Context: The Centre’s Ayushman Bharat and West Bengal’s Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana were rolled out in the State, providing cashless secondary and tertiary healthcare through empanelled hospitals.

What is AB-PMJAY?

• The world’s largest government-funded health assurance scheme.
• Implemented by: the National Health Authority (NHA), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
• Launched: 23 September 2018
• Coverage: the bottom 40 per cent of India’s vulnerable and low-income population
• Policy origin: recommended by the National Health Policy 2017, to achieve Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goal 3

The Four Pillars of Ayushman Bharat

• AB-PMJAY — secondary and tertiary hospitalisation assurance
• Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) — decentralised comprehensive primary healthcare
• Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) — digital health infrastructure and ABHA IDs
• PM-ABHIM — health infrastructure upgradation across rural and urban centres

Key Features

• ₹5 lakh annual cover per family, for secondary and tertiary care at empanelled public and private hospitals
• Pre-existing conditions covered from day one — over 1,900 medical and surgical packages, plus 3 days pre-hospitalisation and 15 days post-hospitalisation diagnostic and medication costs
• No cap on family size, gender or age
• Universal cover for those aged 70 and above — ₹5 lakh annually, irrespective of socio-economic status
• Cashless, paperless and nationally portable — the Ayushman Card works at any empanelled hospital anywhere in India

Economy in News

1. Core Sector Growth Slows to 5.4% in July 2026

• India’s core industrial sector growth slowed to 5.4% in July 2026, from 6% in June 2026.
• The slowdown was mainly due to weaker performance in fertilizers, iron ore and steel, while natural gas and crude oil continued to contract.
• Coal growth reached 7.6%, an 11-month high.
• Fertilizer output contracted 8%, while iron ore growth slowed to 29.5% and steel growth to 2.9%.
• The Index of Core Industries covers 8 major sectors, including coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement and electricity.

2. India’s FY27 Growth Forecast Raised to 6.8%

• India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) raised India’s FY27 GDP growth forecast from 6.7% to 6.8%.
• The upward revision was mainly supported by expectations of lower crude oil prices.
• Ind-Ra projected nominal GDP growth at 10.4% for FY27.
• CPI inflation was projected at 4.9%, while WPI inflation was estimated at 8.5%.
• Major risks include geopolitical tensions, high inflation, rupee depreciation and weaker government capital expenditure.

3. Export Payments in Indian Rupees: Rules Eased

• The DGFT amended the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 to allow exporters to receive payments in Indian rupees while retaining eligible export benefits.
• Earlier, exporters could face difficulty claiming FTP benefits when export payments were realised in rupees.
• For countries outside the Asian Clearing Union (ACU), contracts and invoices can now be made in rupees or foreign currency.
• Rupee payments received through approved banking channels will qualify for FTP benefits, except for exports to Nepal and Bhutan under the specified provision.
• The move is expected to encourage international use of the Indian rupee and make rupee-based trade easier.

4. PhonePe Partners with MeitY and DPIIT

• PhonePe signed an MoU with MeitY to integrate PhonePe PulsePro data into the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan portal.
• The data will provide additional insights into digital transactions and economic activity for infrastructure planning.
• The integration is being carried out in collaboration with BISAG-N.
• PhonePe also signed an MoU with DPIIT to support and strengthen India’s startup ecosystem.
• The partnerships aim to promote data-driven infrastructure planning and innovation.

5. Reliance Industries and Rolls-Royce Partner for AMCA Engine

• Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) partnered with Rolls-Royce to develop an indigenous combat aircraft engine for India’s AMCA programme.
• The companies will explore setting up an Aerospace Gas Turbine Complex in India.
• The facility is expected to support advanced power and propulsion technology.
• The AMCA is India’s planned 5th-generation stealth multi-role fighter aircraft.
• The programme is managed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under the Ministry of Defence.

6. Google to Acquire Spirit Airlines’ Business Data

• Google emerged as the winning bidder to acquire part of Spirit Airlines’ internal enterprise data and software assets for US$10 million.
• The data may be used for product development and AI model training.
• The dataset includes business information such as emails, Teams messages, spreadsheets, calendars and operational data.
• The data will be de-identified and will not include customer information or personally identifiable information.
• The transaction is subject to approval by a U.S. bankruptcy court.

Misc GA in News

1. UNHCR, SICCI and Ethiraj College Partner for Refugee Inclusion

• UNHCR, SICCI and Ethiraj College for Women signed an MoU to promote refugee education, self-reliance and inclusion in India.
• The partnership will focus on education, research, community engagement and livelihood support.
• The Department of Social Work at Ethiraj College will act as the nodal department for implementing activities.
• The partnership will particularly support refugee communities, including Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu.
• UNHCR is a UN agency established in 1950 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

2. World Mosquito Day 2026 – August 20

• World Mosquito Day is observed every year on 20 August.
• The day commemorates Sir Ronald Ross’s discovery in 1897 that female Anopheles mosquitoes transmit malaria.
• Ross made the discovery while working in Secunderabad, India.
• His findings helped establish the role of mosquitoes in malaria transmission.
• In 1902, Ronald Ross received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on malaria.

3. India–Japan Maritime Security Cooperation Strengthened

• India and Japan signed a Memorandum of Arrangement (MoA) on Maritime Security Cooperation during Defence Minister Shinjirō Koizumi’s visit to India.
• The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation between the Indian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
• Key areas include Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), search and rescue, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR).
• Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
• The cooperation is part of the broader Japan–India Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

4. Indian Army Chief Dhiraj Seth Visits Nepal

• Chief of Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth visited Nepal from 17–19 August 2026 to strengthen India–Nepal defence relations.
• He held talks with Nepal Army Chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel on military cooperation and matters of mutual interest.
• General Seth was conferred the honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army by Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel.
• He also laid a wreath at Tundikhel and received a Guard of Honour at Nepal Army Headquarters.
• The visit highlighted the strong military-to-military ties between India and Nepal.

5. Thermal Protection System (TPS) of Gaganyaan

• The Thermal Protection System (TPS) protects a spacecraft or crew capsule from extreme heat during high-speed atmospheric re-entry.
• It acts as an external protective layer around the spacecraft.
• During re-entry, the spacecraft experiences very high aerodynamic heating due to its high speed.
• The TPS prevents excessive heat from reaching the crew module and astronauts.
• ISRO is testing the TPS as part of preparations for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.

6. New Himalayan Plant Species Named After Nirmal Purja

• A new Himalayan plant species has been named Impatiens nimspurjae in honour of Nepali mountaineer Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja.
• The species was discovered in Myagdi district of Nepal by researchers Bhakta Bahadur Raskoti and Rita Ale.
• It belongs to the Impatiens genus and the Balsaminaceae family.
• The plant grows on humid slopes and forest margins at around 2,800–2,900 metres altitude.
• Nirmal Purja climbed all 14 eight-thousanders in 6 months and 6 days in 2019.

7. Dr. Eluri Sreedhar Appointed Honorary Advisor to BRICS CCI

• Dr. Eluri Sreedhar was appointed Honorary Advisor to BRICS CCI in August 2026.
• Yogesh Sharma was also appointed as National Advisor to BRICS CCI.
• Dr. Sreedhar is known for his work in education, entrepreneurship, social development and community empowerment.
• He founded Sreedhar’s CCE (College of Competitive Exams).
• As Honorary Advisor, he will support economic cooperation, strategic partnerships and inclusive development.

8. Lakshmanan Meyyappan Becomes World’s Youngest Male CA

• Indian-origin finance professional Lakshmanan Meyyappan was recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s youngest male Chartered Accountant.
• He achieved the record at the age of 16 years and 141 days in June 2021.
• He completed the ACCA qualification at the age of 16 after beginning the course at 15.
• He later obtained the CFA Charterholder designation in 2025.
• He is pursuing an MSc in Finance at the American University of Sharjah and works as a Senior Research Analyst in Dubai.