Current Affairs - August 10, 2026 Current Affairs

Bengaluru was the location where Astrobase Space Technologies unveiled India’s first privately-built 800kN Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) liquid oxygen-methane rocket engine, named Everest, on August 7, 2026. The engine produces 800 kN of thrust and has a specific impulse of 340 seconds. It is designed for reusable medium-lift launch vehicles and features a throttle range of 50% to 110%. Astrobase plans to manufacture 50 engines annually and aims to support launch-on-demand missions. The company, headquartered in Bengaluru, was established in 2024 and specialises in propulsion systems, test infrastructure, and reusable space technologies.

Lucknow is the location where India’s first-of-its-kind Eco-Educational Hub, ‘Prakriti Gyan Dham’, was inaugurated at the Banthra campus of CSIR-NBRI on August 8, 2026. The hub was dedicated to the nation by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh. It includes the PAaVan Path interpretive heritage trail, Indian Heritage Garden, Vibhav Enclave for rare and threatened plants, Bhairav Enclave featuring State Plants, and Bamboosteum with 43 bamboo species. The initiative promotes experiential environmental education, biodiversity awareness, and conservation. CSIR-NBRI, headquartered in Lucknow, is a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Bajaj General Insurance signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Swiss Re Corporate Solutions on August 09, 2026, to establish a commercial insurance partnership in India. The partnership focuses on developing structured insurance solutions by combining Bajaj General Insurance’s local market expertise with Swiss Re’s global risk knowledge. It will target high-growth sectors such as high-tech and manufacturing. The collaboration will also provide international insurance programs for Indian companies operating in overseas markets and cover specialised areas including credit and surety insurance. Swiss Re Group was established in 1863 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.

DigiLocker was used as part of the technology framework for the AAERI Verify platform, launched through a partnership between the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and the Association of Australian Education Representatives in India (AAERI). The platform enables secure, paperless, and consent-based verification of academic, identity, and financial documents for Indian students applying to Australian universities. DigiLocker provides direct access to digitally signed records from issuing authorities. It is a flagship Digital Public Infrastructure initiative under the Digital India programme and currently serves more than 72 crore registered users, offering secure storage and real-time verification of digital documents.

Ashmita Chaliha won the women's singles title at the Korea Masters 2026 after defeating China's Han Qian Xi in the final on August 9, 2026. She secured the victory with a scoreline of 14-21, 21-14, 21-14, making a strong comeback after losing the opening game. Chaliha is a trainee at the National Centre of Excellence (NCE), a specialised training facility for elite Indian athletes under the Sports Authority of India. The Korea Masters is part of the professional badminton circuit held in South Korea. The Badminton World Federation (BWF), established in 1934, is the international governing body for badminton.

Sri Lanka is the location of the Sampur Solar Power Project, which is situated in the Trincomalee district. The project is being developed as a joint venture between India’s NTPC Limited and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). It aims to increase the share of renewable energy in Sri Lanka’s national electricity grid. India and Sri Lanka are also working on an HVDC interconnection project to link their power grids and facilitate the transfer of surplus renewable energy. These initiatives are intended to strengthen bilateral energy cooperation, regional energy security, and the clean energy transition.

GoodWorks Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) on August 09, 2026, to attract ₹5,000 crore in Global Capability Centre (GCC) investments to Karnataka over the next five years. The partnership aims to establish 50 new GCCs and expand existing centres, creating more than 62,500 direct and indirect jobs. It is also expected to generate an annual salary inflow of around ₹2,250 crore and increase demand for 1.25 million sq. ft of commercial real estate. Target markets include North America, Europe, Japan, South Korea, and West Asia.

HAL Airport in Bengaluru became the first airport in India to operationalise a satellite-guided helicopter approach procedure on August 7, 2026. The procedure uses Required Navigation Performance Category H (RNP CAT H), a specialised satellite-based navigation system designed specifically for helicopters. Developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), it was validated by HAL test pilots and approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The system reduces helicopter approach time from around 12 minutes to approximately 4 minutes and enables accurate flight paths around terrain and urban obstacles. It is particularly useful for air ambulance and search-and-rescue operations.

Madhya Pradesh was the state where the Ministry of Railways introduced the daily Train No. 51673/51674 connecting Itarsi and Madan Mahal. The service was approved on August 8, 2026, covering a distance of 242 km in approximately 5 hours and 5 minutes. It connects the important railway nodes of Itarsi and Jabalpur and benefits commuters in the Jabalpur–Narmadapuram belt. Major stoppages include Pipariya, Narsinghpur, Gadarwara, Sridham, Bagra Tawa, Sohagpur, Bankhedi, Salichauka Road, and Kareli. Itarsi Junction is located in Narmadapuram district and comes under the West Central Railway zone.

August 10 is observed annually as World Lion Day to raise awareness about lion conservation and the threats faced by lions worldwide. The day highlights issues such as habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, poaching, depletion of prey, diseases, and climate change. Lions are apex predators and play an important role in maintaining ecosystem balance by controlling prey populations and influencing herbivore grazing patterns. The day also highlights conservation initiatives, including India’s efforts to protect the Asiatic lion population mainly found in Gujarat’s Gir landscape. India’s Project Lion, habitat expansion and the development of Barda Wildlife Sanctuary are important conservation measures.