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Daily Current Affairs: 1 & 2 August 2026

Current affairs of 1 & 2 August 2026: Samudra Manthan Offshore Exploration Scheme Approved; Nipun Diving Support Vessel Handed Over to Navy; Vande Mataram Gets Anthem-Style Legal Shield Under Amended Act, and 15 more topics. Key facts for every exam, with a quiz.

Take the quiz (26 questions)August 2026
18 TOPICSDaily CurrentAffairs1 & 2 August 2026In focus: Samudra Manthan Offshore Exploration…safalsetu.com

In this issue: 18 topics

National Affairs

  1. Vande Mataram Gets Anthem-Style Legal Shield Under Amended Act
  2. Births and Deaths Registration Bill 2026: Late Entry Rules
  3. Ladakh Notifies 23 Heritage Sites as Protected Monuments

Government Schemes

  1. Samudra Manthan Offshore Exploration Scheme Approved
  2. PM Surya Sarovar Yojana: floating solar plus storage
  3. PM-KISAN Scheme Continued Till 2030-31 With ₹3.15 Lakh Crore
  4. Delhi Lakshmi Yojana: Registration Portal Goes Live

Banking & Finance

  1. IRDAI 137th Meeting: Perpetual Registration, Tagging, Investment Easing
  2. RBI Postpones Basel III Pillar III Disclosure Norms

Economy

  1. Tamil Nadu Four MoUs: GCCs, R&D Hubs, UWA Chennai Campus

International Affairs

  1. Venezuela Quits Rome Statute, Exit from ICC Begins

Science & Technology

  1. Gwalior Telecom Manufacturing Zone: India’s First Integrated TMZ
  2. Drone Skill Centres: NSDC and AVPL to Open 350 Hubs

Environment & Ecology

  1. Western Ghats ESA: Fresh Draft Covers 56,825.7 sq km

Defence & Security

  1. Nipun Diving Support Vessel Handed Over to Navy
  2. Multinational Maritime Defence Alliance Formed by Saudi Arabia

Reports & Indexes

  1. MDPI 2023: India Ranks 57th on Competere Distortions Index

Awards & Persons

  1. India Women Leaders List 2026: Candere Hurun Second Edition

National Affairs

Polity & Governance

1. Vande Mataram Gets Anthem-Style Legal Shield Under Amended Act

  • Parliament passed an amendment so that Vande Mataram enjoys the legal cover long given to the National Anthem under the 1971 national honour law.
  • Section 3 now protects both Anthem and National Song; the first-offence punishment is unchanged.
  • The minimum 1-year term for repeat convictions under Section 3A now also applies to repeated Vande Mataram offences.
  • Vande Mataram first appeared in Bangadarshan on 7 November 1875; its first two stanzas were adopted in 1937.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Polity & Governance

2. Births and Deaths Registration Bill 2026: Late Entry Rules

  • The Lok Sabha cleared the 2026 births and deaths registration Bill on 31 July 2026 by voice vote, with no debate.
  • The Bill changes Section 13 of the 1969 Act, which deals with late registration of births and deaths.
  • Delays beyond two years will need an order from a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class under the new Section 13(3A).
  • The 2023 amendment, effective 1 October 2023, made the birth certificate one common proof for many purposes.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Government Schemes

Economy

4. Samudra Manthan Offshore Exploration Scheme Approved

  • The Union Cabinet cleared Samudra Manthan, the National Offshore Exploration Scheme, on 31 July 2026.
  • It is a Central Sector Scheme with ₹84,084 crore available through FY 2030-31.
  • Deepwater drilling takes the biggest share: ₹43,200 crore for 60 wells.
  • Each deepwater well gets government help of half its eligible drilling cost, capped at ₹675 crore.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Government Schemes

5. PM Surya Sarovar Yojana: floating solar plus storage

  • PM-SSY is a Central Sector Scheme with an outlay of ₹5,070 crore, cleared by the Union Cabinet on 31 July 2026.
  • Targets: 5,000 MW floating solar and 10,000 MWh storage of at least 2-hour duration, sanctioned from FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31.
  • Central Financial Assistance is ₹1 crore per MW, paid after commissioning; MNRE is nodal and SECI implements.
  • Floating solar capacity is to rise from about 700 MW to 5,700 MW.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

Banking & Finance

8. IRDAI 137th Meeting: Perpetual Registration, Tagging, Investment Easing

  • IRDAI cleared its reform package at the 137th Authority Meeting on 28 July 2026 in Hyderabad, backing the SBSR Act, 2025.
  • Intermediary registration becomes perpetual, with a yearly fee of the higher of ₹10,000 or 0.04% of commission receipts.
  • Salesperson tagging on policy documents applies from 1 January 2027, giving a trail for mis-selling complaints.
  • The SBSR Act, 2025 lifted FDI in insurers from 74% to 100%; it commenced on 5 February 2026.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Economy

International Affairs

Science & Technology

Environment & Ecology

Environment & Ecology

14. Western Ghats ESA: Fresh Draft Covers 56,825.7 sq km

  • The environment ministry issued a fresh draft ESA notification for the Western Ghats after the earlier draft lapsed in July 2026.
  • It proposes about 56,825.7 sq km as ESA; Sanjay Kumar's expert committee now serves until July 2027.
  • The Western Ghats stretch about 1,600 km over six States and gained UNESCO World Heritage status in 2012.
  • ESAs are notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and buffer protected areas.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Defence & Security

Reports & Indexes

Awards & Persons

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