13 August, 2026 Current Affairs for APSC, UPSC, ADRE & Assam Govt Exams

Current Affairs – 13 August 2026: Stay updated with today’s most important current affairs for APSC CCE, UPSC CSE, ADRE, and other Central & State Government examinations. This daily compilation covers exam-relevant national, international, Assam, economy, polity, governance, environment, science & technology, social issues, and government schemes. Each topic is presented with syllabus connection, key exam points, Prelims facts, and Mains-oriented insights to help you prepare effectively for every stage of the examination.

GS Paper I: History, Culture & Geography

First Phase of Census 2027 Progresses

Why in News?

The Union Government informed the Rajya Sabha that the first phase of Census 2027 (houselisting and housing census) has been completed in 31 States and Union Territories.

Key Exam Points

• For the first time in India’s census history, an option for self-enumeration through an online web portal will be provided to citizens.
• Digital tools, including dedicated mobile applications for data collection and a Census Management and Monitoring System (CMMS) Portal, have been developed to ensure real-time tracking.
• Static Connection: Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, decadal census history, and demographic data utilization in policymaking.

GS Paper II: Polity & Governance, International Relations

SC to Hear Case on Legislative Privileges vs Fundamental Rights

Why in News?

A seven-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court is scheduled to determine whether legislative privileges override the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression.

Key Exam Points

• The Bench will interpret the interplay between Article 194(3) (powers and privileges of State Legislatures), Article 19(1)(a) (freedom of speech), and Article 21.
• The core constitutional question stems from the 2003 N Ravi vs Speaker, Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly case, where journalists faced arrest orders for an alleged breach of legislative privilege and contempt of the House.
• Static Connection: Parliamentary privileges (Article 105 and 194), separation of powers, and judicial review of legislative actions.

Parliamentary Panel Report on Justice Yashwant Varma

Why in News?

A three-member inquiry committee constituted under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, submitted its final report to Parliament finding former Delhi High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma guilty of misconduct.

Key Exam Points

• The committee found the judge guilty of failing to furnish a satisfactory explanation regarding the source of a massive amount of unaccounted, burnt currency discovered at his official residence.
• Justice Varma resigned from his judicial office while the parliamentary inquiry was underway.
• The case raises constitutional questions on whether impeachment proceedings can be pursued or concluded against a judge who has already resigned.
• Static Connection: Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, Article 124(4) (Removal of Supreme Court and High Court Judges), and judicial accountability.

FCRA Amendment Bill Sent to Joint Parliamentary Committee

Why in News?

The Lok Sabha referred the contentious Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) following strong opposition protests.

Key Exam Points

• The proposed legislation seeks to create a designated authority empowered to seize, manage, and dispose of the assets of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that lose their FCRA licenses.
• Opposition leaders and civil society groups from Northeastern states (such as Mizoram) have raised concerns that the bill’s provisions could arbitrarily target minority institutions and disrupt social welfare programs.
• Static Connection: Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, Role of Joint Parliamentary Committees in legislative scrutiny, and regulations surrounding civil society organizations.

Parliament Passes Bill to Rename Kerala as ‘Keralam’

Why in News?

The Parliament successfully passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, to officially change the name of the state from Kerala to ‘Keralam’.

Key Exam Points

• The legislative move follows a unanimous resolution passed by the State Assembly urging the Centre to align the official nomenclature with the Malayalam pronunciation.
• The enactment necessitates amendments to the First Schedule of the Constitution of India in accordance with Article 3.
• Static Connection: Article 3 (Formation of new States and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of existing States), Article 4, and the First Schedule.

Parliamentary Panel Recommends Low-Cost Health Insurance for the Middle Class

Why in News?

The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare recommended accelerating the expansion of standardized, low-cost health insurance products for the middle-income demographic.

Key Exam Points

• The panel noted that the middle class is often excluded from publicly funded schemes like Ayushman Bharat (AB-PMJAY), leaving them vulnerable to catastrophic healthcare expenditures.
• It recommended a statutory mechanism to periodically revise package rates and mandate transparent, standardized treatment packages across private hospitals to eliminate arbitrary pricing and room rent-linked inflation models.
• Static Connection: Universal Health Coverage (UHC), out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE), and Ayushman Bharat initiatives.

GS Paper III: Economy, Science & Technology, Environment & Internal Security

Ethanol-Blended Diesel Fails Safety Specifications

Why in News?

The Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas informed Parliament that ethanol-blended diesel failed necessary safety specifications, effectively ruling it out as a viable transport fuel without further technological advancements.

Key Exam Points

• Scientific evaluations conducted by Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) found that the addition of ethanol drastically lowered the flash point of the diesel.
• The flash point is a critical safety parameter that measures the lowest temperature at which a liquid vaporizes to form an ignitable mixture in the air.
• Consequently, India’s ethanol blending program currently remains heavily focused on petrol, targeting a 20% blend.
• Static Connection: National Policy on Biofuels (2018), physical properties of fuels, and India’s energy transition strategies.

India’s Russian Crude Imports Hit Record High

Why in News?

India’s imports of Russian crude oil rose to a record level for the second consecutive month in July 2026, solidifying Russia as India’s largest crude supplier.

Key Exam Points

• Data compiled by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) revealed that Russian crude accounted for approximately 55.5% of India’s total crude imports.
• Indian refineries processing discounted Russian crude remain significant exporters of refined oil products to sanctioning countries, including the European Union, Australia, and the United States.
• Static Connection: Global crude oil pricing mechanisms, India’s energy security strategy, and the geopolitical impacts of economic sanctions.

Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES) Implemented

Why in News?

The Ministry of Agriculture informed the Lok Sabha that the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES) is currently operational across 23 States and Union Territories.

Key Exam Points

• DGCES digitizes the entire workflow of Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) through a dedicated mobile application.
• The system incorporates geo-tagging, time-stamping, and authenticated photographic evidence to ensure transparency, accuracy, and timely estimation of crop yields.
• Static Connection: Digital Public Infrastructure in Agriculture, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), and agricultural data management.

Pashu Aadhaar Ecosystem for Livestock

Why in News?

Leveraging digital infrastructure, over 39.23 crore livestock have been registered under the 12-digit unique identification system (‘Pashu Aadhaar’) on the Bharat Pashudhan portal.

Key Exam Points

• The digital ecosystem is designed to track animal breeding, health, ownership, and productivity.
• Over 17.27 crore artificial inseminations have been successfully recorded under the Nationwide Artificial Insemination Programme (NAIP).
• Static Connection: Animal husbandry economics, livestock tracking, and technological interventions in allied agricultural sectors.

PM E-Drive Scheme for Electric Two-Wheelers Extended

Why in News?

The Ministry of Heavy Industries has extended the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-Drive) Scheme for electric two-wheelers up to March 31, 2028

Key Exam Points

• The overall scheme carries a financial outlay of ₹11,900 crore to incentivize electric vehicle adoption and manufacturing.
• To encourage sustainable market adaptation, the incentives have been halved to ₹2,500 per kWh (capped at ₹5,000 per vehicle) for the FY 2025-28 period.
• Static Connection: National Electric Mobility Mission Plan, FAME schemes, and the development of the EV value chain.

Assam & Northeast

Assam to Seek ‘National Solution’ for Recurring Floods

Why in News?

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the state government will present comprehensive documentation of the recent flood devastation to the Central Government to seek a “national solution”.

Key Exam Points

• The state’s flood-control focus will shift from the mainstem Brahmaputra to its highly volatile tributaries (such as the Dikhow River), which caused severe damage in newly flooded territories like Sivasagar and Charaideo.
• The Chief Minister highlighted that large-scale infrastructure activities, including hydroelectric projects and reservoirs in Tibet and Arunachal Pradesh, are expected to cause “flood cushioning” in the Brahmaputra in the coming years, altering regional flood dynamics.
• Static Connection: Hydrology of the Brahmaputra River system, disaster management protocols for riverine ecosystems, and the impact of upstream dam construction.

Assam-Arunachal Pradesh Border Tensions

Why in News?

An unprovoked firing incident at Mingmang-Badati in Dhemaji district along the Assam-Arunachal boundary left 11 Assamese youths injured, sparking an economic blockade by Mising student bodies (TMPK).

Key Exam Points

• The incident occurred at Hime village in Arunachal Pradesh amidst local tensions over alleged land encroachment.
• The Assam government clarified that significant progress had been made in boundary negotiations: out of the 123 disputed villages across 12 sectors, 71 villages have been successfully settled.
• The border dispute currently remains unresolved in only five sectors involving 52 villages.
• Static Connection: Inter-state boundary disputes in Northeast India, internal security, and regional administration.

Small Tea Growers Flag Adulteration & FSSAI Norms

Why in News?

Small tea growers in Assam submitted a memorandum to the Tea Board of India demanding action against the blending of inferior imported leaves and restrictive pesticide testing regulations.

Key Exam Points

• Growers alleged that mixing low-quality tea from other states with authentic Assam tea damages its geographical reputation and export quality legacy.
• The memorandum highlighted a regulatory bottleneck regarding FSSAI testing: while pesticides like Acetamiprid, Imidacloprid, and Cypermethrin are approved by the Central Insecticides Board for use in tea cultivation, the absence of officially notified Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for tea leads laboratories to apply default non-compliance testing at 0.01 mg/kg.
• This regulatory discrepancy causes unfair rejections of tea shipments, severely threatening the livelihoods of small tea growers.
• Static Connection: Tea Industry of Assam, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) norms, Maximum Residue Limits (MRL), and Geographical Indication (GI) protection.