DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 19th August 2026

Polity & Governance – Government Initiatives

Why in News?

The National Anubhav Awards 2026 were conferred by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, on 15 selected awardees in New Delhi. The awards recognise the contributions and experiences of retired government employees to nation-building and public administration. 

Key Facts

• 2026: The 9th National Anubhav Awards. 
• 15 awardees were recognised. 
• Organised by the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW) under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. 
• The Anubhav platform enables retiring and retired:
  • Central Government employees 
  • Employees of 12 Public Sector Banks 
  • Employees of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) 

to document and share their professional experiences and contributions. 

Areas of Contribution

The 2026 awardees were recognised for work involving:

• Passport Seva Kendra 
• Repealing outdated rules and formulating new regulations 
• Technological adaptation in administration and accounting 
• Energy conservation 
• Other initiatives contributing to administrative efficiency and nation-building. 

Associated Initiative

The ceremony was held alongside the 60th Pre-Retirement Counselling (PRC) Workshop, which helps retiring Central Government employees understand procedures for timely settlement of retirement benefits. The event also featured the Pension Mitra Handbook and guidelines for the Nationwide Digital Life Certificate Campaign 5. 

Source:

https://newsonair.gov.in/mos-jitendra-singh-confers-national-anubhav-awards-2026-on-15-awardees/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Polity & Governance – Transparency & Accountability

Why in News?

The Central Information Commission (CIC) launched the upgraded Appeal and Complaint Management System (AppCoMS 2.0) on 17 August 2026. The platform aims to streamline the digital processing of Second Appeals and Complaints under the RTI Act, 2005. 

What is AppCoMS?

AppCoMS is an online web application originally introduced by the CIC in September 2016. It enables citizens to file Second Appeals and Complaints and facilitates end-to-end digital processing—registration, hearing schedules, notices, decisions and orders. 

Key Features of AppCoMS 2.0

• User accounts for applicants, CPIOs and other stakeholders. 
• Accounts linked with email ID and mobile number. 
• Applicants can: 
  • Track case timelines 
  • Access case documents 
  • Download hearing notices and decisions/orders. 
• Digital Signature Certificates (DSCs) can be used for digitally signing and issuing notices/orders. 
• CPIOs can access case details and submit documents electronically. 
• Enhanced security, functionality and workflow management. 

RTI Static Link

Under the RTI Act, 2005, an applicant generally approaches the First Appellate Authority (FAA) after an unsatisfactory/non-response from the CPIO. A Second Appeal lies before the appropriate Information Commission.

Prelims Trap: AppCoMS is associated with the CIC and Second Appeals/Complaints, not with filing the initial RTI application.

Source: 

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=2300631&lang=1&reg=3&utm_source=chatgpt.com

Science & Technology + Defence – Indian Navy

Why in News?

More than 200 students from Indian schools in Muscat visited INS Imphal, which was berthed at Port Sultan Qaboos, Oman, as part of celebrations marking India’s 80th Independence Day. The visit also highlighted India–Oman maritime cooperation and the Indian Navy’s role in maintaining security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). 

Key Facts about INS Imphal

• Type: Stealth guided-missile destroyer. 
• Class: Visakhapatnam-class destroyer. 
• Project: Project 15B. 
• Built by: Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai. 
• Designed by the Directorate of Naval Design, Indian Navy. 
• It is among India’s most advanced indigenously designed and built destroyers. 
• Commissioned: December 2023. 
• Named after Imphal, the capital of Manipur. 

Project 15B – Important for Prelims

Project 15B is the successor to the Kolkata-class (Project 15A) destroyers.

The four Project 15B ships are:

1. INS Visakhapatnam 
2. INS Mormugao 
3. INS Imphal 
4. INS Surat 

They incorporate stealth features, advanced sensors, electronic warfare systems and long-range missiles. 

India–Oman Maritime Link

Oman occupies a strategically important position near the Strait of Hormuz, making maritime cooperation with Oman significant for India’s energy security, sea-lane protection and wider Indian Ocean strategy.

Source:

https://www.aninews.in/news/world/middle-east/over-200-students-visit-indian-warship-berthed-at-oman-port20260817132843/

Economy + Science & Technology – Electronics Manufacturing

Why in News?

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has approved 31 additional projects under the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS). The projects involve investments of about ₹7,877 crore, are spread across 10 States, and are expected to generate production worth nearly ₹82,243 crore and around 10,000 direct jobs. 

What is ECMS?

• Ministry: MeitY. 
• Approved: Union Cabinet in March 2025. 
• Outlay: ₹22,919 crore over six years. 
• Objective: Develop a globally competitive domestic electronics-component ecosystem, rather than limiting India to final-product assembly. 
• Focus areas include PCBs, camera/display sub-assemblies, semiconductor packaging, lithium-ion battery cells and other critical electronic components. 

Recent Expansion

The latest approvals take total ECMS approvals to 106 projects, involving around ₹69,548 crore in approved investment. Importantly, 38 plants are already operational, while another 16 are at advanced construction/machinery-installation stages. 

The latest projects also target filters, coils, speakers, anode materials, acetylene black, electrolyte additives and rare-earth permanent magnets, strengthening upstream supply chains.

Why Important?

India’s electronics sector has achieved strong assembly/manufacturing growth, but remains dependent on imported components. ECMS seeks to increase:

Domestic value addition → import substitution → resilient supply chains → exports → employment.

Source:

https://indianexpress.com/article/business/meity-approves-31-projects-electronics-components-manufacturing-scheme-ecms-10837452/lite/

Defence & International Relations – Joint Military Exercises

Why in News?

The 15th edition of Exercise MAITREE (MAITREE-XV) is being conducted from 18–31 August 2026 at Vibhavadi Rangsit Camp, Surat Thani, Thailand. The exercise involves the Indian Army and Royal Thai Army. 

Key Facts

• Participants: Indian Army and Royal Thai Army. 
• Personnel: 85 personnel from each side. 
• Indian contingent is represented primarily by 9 Gorkha Rifles. 
• Thai contingent includes personnel from the 3rd Battalion, 25th Infantry Brigade, 5th Division. 
• Nature: Company-level joint military training. 
• Focus: Operations in jungle and semi-urban terrain, particularly joint counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations. 
• The exercise is conducted under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, relating to action with respect to threats to peace, breaches of peace and acts of aggression. 
• Training includes field exercises, combat discussions, lectures, demonstrations and a validation exercise. 
• Instituted: 2006. 
• Previous edition was held at Umroi, Meghalaya, in September 2025. 

Strategic Significance

MAITREE strengthens interoperability, operational coordination and exchange of best practices between the two armies. It also complements India’s Act East Policy and deeper engagement with Thailand and ASEAN.

Source:

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2300293&lang=1&reg=48&utm_source=chatgpt.com

GS III – Science & Technology / GS II – Social Justice
Artificial Intelligence, Gender Inclusion, and Digital Public Infrastructure

Introduction

India ranks among the world’s leading AI-ready nations, powered by Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and a thriving innovation ecosystem. Yet beneath this progress lies a structural contradiction: women steadily disappear as the AI pipeline advances—from 43% of STEM graduates to 26% of the tech workforce, 12% of advanced AI roles, and just 10% of senior AI leadership. The AI pipeline is not merely a technological conduit of code and compute; it is fundamentally a human pipeline. When people are absent from training data, AI inherits those gaps. To build AI that serves all, India must build it with all—ensuring women and marginalised communities participate as researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers.

The Leaky Pipeline: From STEM to AI Leadership

Gender Representation at Each Stage

• STEM Foundation: 43% of STEM graduates are women.
• Tech Workforce: Falls to 26%.
• Advanced AI Roles: Only 12% of professionals are women.
• Senior AI Leadership: Women hold just 10% of positions.

Root Causes of Leakage

• Societal Barriers: Unequal nutrition, education, caregiving responsibilities, workplace discrimination.
• Access Gap: Only 57% of women have independent internet access (vs. 72% of men).
• Language Barriers: English-dominated AI education; insufficient local language resources.
• Infrastructure Gap: Schools lack adequate facilities for robotics and advanced tech education.

Consequences

• Incomplete Data: AI credit models trained on historical male financial patterns may underestimate women’s creditworthiness.
• Biased Health Tools: AI maternal health tools trained on non-local data may provide inaccurate recommendations.
• Limited Product Influence: Women engineers often have limited influence in product design.

AI Automates Existing Inequalities

The Cycle of Bias

• Society is Unequal: AI learns from society.
• Data is Incomplete: Training data reflects historical biases and gaps.
• AI Automates Bias: Algorithms replicate and scale existing inequalities.

Real-World Impact

• Credit Assessment: Asha, a SHG member in Bihar, may be underestimated by AI models lacking gender-disaggregated financial data.
• Health Outcomes: Meera, a community health worker in Gujarat, may receive inaccurate AI recommendations if data lacks local nutrition conditions.
• Educational Exclusion: Kavya cannot pursue robotics due to school infrastructure gaps; Pooja struggles with English-dominated AI education.

The Paradox

• AI Can Expand Opportunity: SHGs have built strong financial ecosystems; women’s influence shifts technology.
• But Not Automatically: Inclusion requires deliberate design, data representation, and leadership diversity.

The India AI Mission: An Opportunity for Inclusive AI

India’s Strong Foundation

• Universal Adult Franchise (1950): India granted women and men suffrage simultaneously—a commitment to inclusion.
• DPI Success: Aadhaar, UPI, and other platforms have shown how technology can advance public welfare at scale.
• SHG Ecosystem: Women’s self-help groups demonstrate grassroots financial and entrepreneurial strength.

What Inclusive AI Requires

• Diverse Datasets: Reflect India’s diversity of languages, cultures, socio-economic realities, and lived experiences.
• Participation: Women and marginalised communities must be represented in all stages—research, engineering, entrepreneurship, policy.
• Infrastructure: Access to internet, education, and AI tools in local languages.
• Leadership: Gender parity in AI leadership and decision-making.

The India AI Mission’s Opportunity

• Ensure AI Follows Inclusive Path: Build on India’s commitment to inclusion and DPI success.
• True Leadership: Measured not only by models, investments, or patents, but by whether AI reflects India’s diversity.

Conclusion

India’s AI leadership cannot be measured only by technological milestones; it must also be measured by whether AI reflects the nation’s diversity. The AI pipeline is fundamentally a human pipeline, and its current leaks are systemic—from education and access to workplace discrimination. India has already demonstrated that technology can advance public welfare at scale; the India AI Mission offers an opportunity to ensure AI follows the same inclusive path. Achieving that requires more than diverse datasets; it requires women and marginalised communities to participate as researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers. To build AI for all, India must build it with all.

Practice Question

1. The AI pipeline is fundamentally a human pipeline, and India’s progress in AI will be measured not only by models and patents, but by whether AI reflects the nation’s diversity. Critically examine. (250 words, 15 marks)

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/to-build-ai-for-all-india-must-build-it-with-all-10839258/

GS III – Economy / GS II – Governance
Mineral Policy, Fiscal Federalism, and Resource Governance

Introduction

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026, passed by Parliament, introduces a uniform and stable fiscal framework for the mineral sector. It restricts States from imposing new taxes on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands except under conditions prescribed by the Central Government. This addresses challenges of unpredictable levies, retrospective demands, and non-uniform rates that created excessive burden on mining. The Act does not reduce States’ revenue—they will continue to receive ~90% of mineral revenue. It aims to attract investment, boost production of critical minerals, reduce import dependence, and support Viksit Bharat 2047.

Key Provisions of the Amendment Act

Union Control Over Mineral-Bearing Lands

• Mineral-bearing lands (identified by Central parameters) now under Union regulation, in addition to mines and mineral development.

New Section 9D — Limits on State Levies

• States cannot impose taxes/cess/levies on mineral rights or mineral-bearing lands except as per conditions/restrictions prescribed by the Central Government.
• Covers levies based on mineral quantity, value, royalty, or any other basis.

Treatment of Past Levies

• Any levy not paid/collected before the Amendment applies is invalid.
• Amounts already deposited/recovered before commencement shall not be refunded.

Rule-Making Power (Section 13)

• Central Government empowered to prescribe conditions/restrictions for State levies through rules.

Addressing Key Concerns

Impact on State Revenue

• States’ Share: ~90% of mineral revenue continues to accrue to States.
• No Revenue Loss: States will continue to receive Royalty, Auction Premium, DMF, and GST share.
• Increased Revenue: Since 2015, States have received >₹7 lakh crore from mining; mineral revenue up ~354% over the decade.
• Auction Regime: 723 major mineral blocks auctioned since 2015; FY 2025-26 saw record 212 blocks auctioned.

Impact on Common Citizens

• Heavy mineral taxes create cascading effect, inflating input costs for steel, power, cement, infrastructure.
• Ultimately raises cost of living for ordinary citizens.
• Act seeks to keep mining projects economically viable, preventing cost escalation.

Benefit to Corporations?

• Not for Particular Corporations: Act brings clarity, regulation, and statutory correction.
• Transparent Auctions: 100% e-auctions based on competitive bidding; 300 unique bidders for 725 blocks.
• Equal Opportunity: PSUs, MSMEs, startups, Indian and global companies can participate.

Reforms in the Mineral Sector (2015-2026)

Competitive Auctions

• 2015 Amendment: Ended discretionary allocation.
• Major Mineral Blocks: 723 auctioned across 17 States (Rajasthan 140, MP 127, Odisha 76).
• Coal Mines: 141 auctioned; 23 operationalised.
• Record Year (FY 2025-26): 212 blocks auctioned; 36 operationalised.

Production Growth

• Major Mineral Production Value: Up 26.8% (FY 2025-26).
• Record Production: Iron ore (313 million tonnes), limestone (484 million tonnes).
• Coal: Crossed 1 billion tonnes in each of last two years; non-coal production nearly tripled since 2014.
• Global Rank: India ranks 2nd (limestone), 3rd (zinc), 4th (iron ore), 5th (bauxite).

Critical Minerals Focus

• National Critical Mineral Mission (Jan 2025): ₹16,300 crore outlay (₹2,600 crore budgetary support).
• Exploration: NMEDT sanctioned 777 projects (₹3,828 crore); 255 relate to critical minerals.
• Overseas: KABIL secured lithium exploration rights in Argentina.
• Recycling Incentive: ₹1,500 crore scheme; 58 entities pledged 850 Ktpa capacity.

Digital Monitoring

• Unified Mining Portal: Tracks block lifecycle from auction to operationalisation.
• Coal and Mineral Exchanges: Support fair price discovery.

District Mineral Foundations (DMFs)

• Introduced 2015: 656 DMFs (including 106 in aspirational districts).
• PMKKKY: Local welfare projects (roads, hospitals, schools, drinking water).

Challenges

• State Autonomy: Limits State power to levy taxes; potential federal friction.
• Implementation: Central conditions must be fair and transparent.
• Transition: Invalidation of past levies may lead to legal disputes.
• Minor Minerals: Excluded; States retain full control over 50+ minor minerals.

Conclusion

The MMDR Amendment Act, 2026, is a significant reform to create a stable, uniform, and predictable fiscal regime for India’s mineral sector. By restricting State levies, invalidating retrospective demands, and bringing mineral-bearing lands under Union regulation, it addresses long-standing challenges of unpredictability and uneven taxation. It maintains States’ revenue share (~90%) and promotes transparency through competitive auctions. The Act supports critical mineral security, investment, and economic growth, while DMFs ensure local welfare. However, careful implementation and Centre-State consultation will be essential to balance development with federal harmony.

Practice Question

1. The MMDR Amendment Act, 2026, seeks to create a stable fiscal framework for the mineral sector while maintaining States’ revenue share, but raises concerns about federal balance. Critically examine. (250 words, 15 marks)

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2301248&reg=3&lang=1