Current Affairs - August 29, 2026 Current Affairs

Tamil Nadu notified three elephant corridors in the Hosur Forest Division, covering more than 10,300 hectares, to safeguard critical elephant movement routes between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The designated corridors are Jawalagiri-Ulibanda-Thaggatti, Jawalagiri-Panai-Anchetty, and Billikkal Jawalagiri. The longest is the Jawalagiri-Panai-Anchetty corridor, covering 6,881.47 hectares and extending for 20.90 km. These corridors are located within the Cauvery North Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining reserved forests. The notification aims to maintain forest connectivity, support elephant migration, and reduce habitat fragmentation and human-elephant conflict. It followed directions from the Madras High Court and recommendations from expert committees.

Netflix partnered with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) to provide scholarships for 100 students and strengthen India’s AVGC-XR talent pipeline. Announced on August 26, 2026, the scholarship covers up to 80 per cent of the fees for professional, industry-ready programs. The curriculum includes diploma and certificate courses in areas such as Visual Effects Mastery, Interactive Comics, Media Tech Workflow, and E-Sports & Gaming Management. Netflix provided direct input for designing specialised courses to align them with global industry standards. The initiative supports India’s growing creative sector and contributes to the development of the country’s Orange Economy.

8th was the position secured by the Indian men’s hockey team at the FIH World Cup after losing to Belgium in the shootout. The match ended 3-3 in regular time, with Abhishek scoring once and captain Harmanpreet Singh scoring twice for India, including a dramatic late equaliser. Belgium then won the shootout 4-3, with India scoring through Shilanand Lakra, Dilpreet Singh, and Abhishek. As a result, Belgium finished seventh while India finished eighth in the tournament. Harmanpreet Singh’s two-goal performance was one of the key individual highlights of India’s final World Cup match.

93.2% was Delhi’s own revenue share as a proportion of total revenue collections in the FY25 Budget Estimates, making it the highest among the comparable states and Union Territories with available data. Haryana ranked second with 80.4%, followed by Telangana at 78.4%, Karnataka at 77.3%, and Tamil Nadu at 75.5%. Own revenue consists of own tax revenue and own non-tax revenue, including sources such as fees, royalties, dividends, and user charges. The indicator helps compare the extent to which states generate revenue from their own sources rather than relying on central tax transfers and grants.

$729.3 billion was the record level reached by India’s foreign exchange reserves in the week ended August 21. The reserves increased by $12.4 billion, surpassing the previous record of $728.5 billion recorded in February. The rise was supported by strong capital inflows following the RBI’s concessional swap window and revaluation gains. Foreign Currency Assets increased to $591.33 billion, while gold reserves rose to $114.22 billion. The RBI’s swap window had brought in around $72.8 billion by August 21. At the new record level, India’s forex reserves were sufficient to cover more than 11 months of goods imports.

Gujarat launched India’s first state-level Sports Genomics Programme to integrate genomics with sports science, physiology, and nutrition for scientific athlete identification and high-performance training. The programme is supervised by the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) and aims to collect around 2,000 athlete samples in its first year, with a target of 10,000 samples over five years. It studies genetic variations linked to endurance, muscle composition, power, metabolism, exercise response, and injury susceptibility. The initiative will also create the Gujarat Athlete Genome Database (G-AGD) to support personalised training, recovery, nutrition, and injury-risk assessment.

Seychelles partnered with India on August 25, 2026, to establish a strategic roadmap for cooperation in fisheries, aquaculture, and the Blue Economy. The bilateral meeting focused on areas such as marine aquaculture, modern hatcheries, tuna fisheries, marine conservation, and Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance infrastructure. The two sides also discussed using Artificial Intelligence in harvest management, strengthening fisheries data systems, and developing the tuna-processing value chain. A proposed bilateral Memorandum of Understanding and annual work plan would support joint scientific research and regular institutional engagement. Seychelles is an archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean, with Victoria as its capital.

Odisha launched the Bidesh Sikhyabruti scholarship scheme on August 23, 2026, to provide financial assistance to meritorious students from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities who pursue higher education abroad. Each year, 50 students will be selected, provided they secure admission to international institutions ranked among the Top 200 in the QS World University Rankings. Each beneficiary can receive up to ₹25 lakh per annum, covering tuition, accommodation, living expenses, international travel, medical insurance, and incidental costs. Odisha also became the first Indian state to implement a universal free education policy from Kindergarten to Post-Graduation in July 2026.

August 29 is celebrated annually as National Sports Day in India to honour Major Dhyan Chand, the legendary hockey player, on his birth anniversary. Born in 1905, Dhyan Chand played a major role in India’s Olympic hockey success and was part of the gold medal-winning teams in 1928, 1932, and 1936. National Sports Day also promotes physical fitness, sports participation, and healthy living. The Fit India Movement was launched on August 29, 2019, to encourage fitness as a regular part of daily life. The day is also associated with India’s National Sports Awards.

Goa was the location where Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the newly re-developed Hutatma Smruti Smarak at Patradevi on August 26, 2026. The memorial honours the satyagrahis who participated in the Goa liberation struggle, particularly those involved in the peaceful August 15, 1955 satyagraha against Portuguese rule. The ₹9.50 crore project was developed by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation and features a redesigned central monument, sculptures, information hubs, and murals. Goa was liberated from Portuguese rule through Operation Vijay in December 1961 and later became India’s 25th state on May 30, 1987.