GS-II: International Relations | Multilateral Groupings | Global Governance GS-III: Environment | Climate Change | International Trade Context BRICS criticism: BRICS has described the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) as “punitive, unilateral”. Core concern: BRICS countries argue that such measures can act as trade barriers while being presented as environmental measures. Developing countries:…
UPSC Mains Current Affairs for August 2026
UPSC Mains Current Affairs for August 2026 covers the day’s developments in the form Mains answers need — context, stakeholders, the arguments on either side, and the way forward. Each note is mapped to the General Studies paper and topic it belongs to, so the material is ready to be used in an answer rather than only read.
105 articles · page 5
19 August 2026
Why Corporate Investment Is Declining in India
GS-III: Indian Economy | Investment | Growth | MSMEs | Fiscal Policy Context Declining investment: Corporate investment as a share of GDP has been declining in India for some time. Rise after 2004: Corporate investment increased sharply in 2004, rising from 6.5% to 10.3%. Growth phase: Investment continued to rise during India’s high-growth period. Global…
Education must change to account for AI
GS-II: Education | Human Resource Development | Social Sector GS-III: Science & Technology | Artificial Intelligence | Employment | Industry Context AI-driven future: The possibility of a world increasingly shaped by Artificial Intelligence (AI) is generating discussions across society, industry and governments. Uncertain timeline: Opinions differ widely on how soon advanced or superintelligent AI may…
Time to push back
GS-II: International Relations | India–U.S. Relations | Trade Diplomacy GS-III: Indian Economy | Manufacturing | Foreign Trade | Make in India Context U.S. accusation: A recent White House report, naming around 40 countries, has said that India ranks among the top ‘enablers’ of China’s evasion of U.S. tariffs. Allegation: India and other countries are accused…
Employment guarantee has slipped into limbo
GS-II: Government Policies & Interventions | Social Justice | Welfare Schemes GS-III: Inclusive Growth | Employment | Rural Economy Context Employment crash: Employment generation under MGNREGA and its successor, VB-G RAM G, has fallen sharply in the first four months of 2026-27. July 2026 decline: Employment under VB-G RAM G in July 2026 is expected…
18 August 2026
Ken-Betwa River Linking Project: Development, Displacement and Tribal Rights
GS-III: Environment | GS-II: Tribal Issues | Inter-State River Water Management | Rehabilitation & Resettlement | Sustainable Development Context Ken-Betwa River Linking Project: The project aims to transfer water from the Ken river to the Betwa river through a 231-km-long canal. Objective: Provide irrigation and drinking water to water-stressed areas of Bundelkhand. Displacement: The Daudhan…
Can SHANTI Act Override Courts on Compensation for Nuclear Disasters
GS-II: Polity | GS-III: Nuclear Energy | Disaster Management | Constitutional Law Context Supreme Court hearing: The Court asked whether the SHANTI Act, 2025 can prevent constitutional courts from granting fair and just compensation to victims of a nuclear accident beyond the statutory liability cap. Constitutional challenge: A petition led by E.A.S. Sarma, along with…
The road to E20 is not without bumps
GS-III: Energy | Biofuels | Environment | Automobile Sector | Consumer Protection Context E20 fuel regime: India is transitioning to petrol blended with 20% anhydrous ethanol. Government objective: Reduce crude oil import dependency, save foreign exchange and reduce carbon emissions. Emerging concerns: Mileage reduction, mechanical vulnerabilities in legacy vehicles, fuel contamination and elimination of unblended…
Losing forest for trees
GS-III: Environment | Forests | Climate Change | Biodiversity | Environmental Governance Context CAG Performance Audit: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) found that the Green India Mission (GIM) achieved very little of its intended objectives over a decade. Forest quality: Against the target of improving forest quality over 1.4 million hectares, only 0.11 million…
Taxing ‘frivolous’ industries will not fund India’s science
GS-III: Science & Technology | Research & Development | Innovation | Economy Context Science funding: Lack of funding for Indian science often leads to demands to tax “unintellectual” industries such as cinema, tourism, apparel and perfumes. IPL taxation: An academic suggested taxing the IPL to generate ₹15 billion for scientific pursuits. Core argument: The “tax-this-to-fund-that”…
Ravi Raaz
Hassan Khan
Shadab Ali