Daily current affairs for government exams

The day's most exam-relevant current affairs for UPSC, SSC, banking, railways and state exams — free, factual, updated every morning. Come back daily; it's how the GK section is won.

📥 Monthly capsule — read online or download PDF

• Chief of Defence Staff: General N.S. Raja Subramani; Army Chief: General Dhiraj Seth from June 2026

  Appointments

  General N.S. Raja Subramani assumed charge as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on June 1, 2026. General Dhiraj Seth took over as Chief of the Army Staff on June 30, 2026. Admiral Krishna Swaminathan became Chief of the Naval Staff on June 1, 2026, while Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh continues as Chief of the Air Staff since September 30, 2024. Mahesh Dixit (IPS) was appointed Director of Intelligence Bureau from July 1, 2026.

• Key Bureaucratic Appointments: Dr. Srinivasa Kumar Tummala as MoES Secretary; TV Somanathan, Govind Mohan Get Extension

  Appointments

  Dr. T. Srinivasa Kumar Tummala assumed charge as Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) in August 2026. Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan and Home Secretary Govind Mohan received one-year extensions in August 2026. Ms. Pallavi Jain Govil (IAS, MP 1994) was appointed Secretary of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, while Ms. Deepti Gaur Mukerjee (IAS, MP 1993) became Secretary of the Department of Higher Education in August 2026.

• DRDO Plans Strategic Roadmap for ISRO's Kulasekharapatnam Spaceport in Tamil Nadu

  Defence

  The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) announced it is preparing a strategic roadmap to utilize ISRO's upcoming spaceport at Kulasekharapatnam, Tamil Nadu. Dr. BK Das, Director General (Electronics & Communication Systems) at DRDO, confirmed this at the CII Tamil Nadu Defence X Conclave 2026 in Chennai in July 2026. The move aims to deepen convergence between India's military and civilian aerospace capabilities for high-stakes space missions.

• RBI Maintained Repo Rate at 5.25% in February 2026; Revised FY26 GDP Growth to 7.4%

  Economy

  The Reserve Bank of India held its key repo rate at 5.25% during its February 2026 monetary policy meeting, after a 25 bps cut in December 2025. RBI raised India's GDP growth forecast for FY2025-26 to 7.4% from 7.3%, with Q1 and Q2 FY27 growth projected at 6.9% and 7.0% respectively. Inflation for FY2025-26 was projected at 2.1%, well below the 2-6% tolerance band. The Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rate remains at 5.0% and Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) at 5.50%.

• Union Budget 2026-27: Fiscal Deficit at 4.3% of GDP; Capital Expenditure ₹12.2 Lakh Crore

  Economy

  Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 on February 1, 2026, in the Lok Sabha. The budget projected fiscal deficit at 4.3% of GDP and national debt at 55.6% of GDP. Total revenue (non-debt receipts) was estimated at ₹36.5 lakh crore, with total expenditure at ₹53.5 lakh crore. Capital expenditure was allocated ₹12.2 lakh crore. India's real GDP growth for FY2025-26 was estimated at 7.4%, with nominal growth projected at 10% for FY2026-27.

• ₹2.5 Lakh Crore Credit Guarantee Scheme Proposed for MSMEs Hit by West Asia Crisis

  Economy

  The Indian government is considering a ₹2.5 lakh crore credit guarantee scheme to support businesses, particularly MSMEs, adversely affected by the ongoing West Asia crisis and US-Iran conflict. The initiative, modeled after the pandemic-era Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS), aims to provide a 90% credit guarantee on loans up to ₹100 crore to help lenders manage defaults and ensure liquidity for firms facing high input and logistics costs due to supply chain disruptions.

• India-AI Impact Summit 2026 Held in New Delhi (February 16-20, 2026)

  International

  India hosted the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from February 16-20, 2026. It was the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South, following the AI Action Summit in Paris (2025), AI Seoul Summit (2024), and Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit (2023). The summit aimed to strengthen India's role in shaping the global AI agenda and shift focus toward practical AI implementation and measurable outcomes rather than just safety and governance.

• 8th Pay Commission Conducts Regional Consultations; Puducherry Meeting Scheduled for September 2026

  Pay & Jobs

  The 8th Pay Commission, chaired by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and constituted on November 3, 2025, is conducting stakeholder consultations across India. Regional meetings have been held in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Srinagar, Ladakh, Lucknow, Bhubaneswar, and Kolkata through July 2026, with Chennai scheduled for September 7-8 and Puducherry for September 9, 2026. The deadline for ministries to upload workforce data was extended to July 31, 2026. The Commission is expected to submit its report within 18 months, likely in early-to-mid 2027.

• DA at 60% from January 2026; Speculation of 3% Hike to 63% by September 2026

  Pay & Jobs

  The Union Cabinet approved a 2% Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) increase effective January 1, 2026, raising the rate from 58% to 60% of Basic Pay/Pension. Media reports suggest central government employees may receive another DA hike to 63% in September 2026, though no official announcement has been made yet. DA revisions occur biannually based on All India Consumer Price Index (AICPI) data.

• Cabinet Approved Major Schemes in August 2026: Khelo India Revamp, PM-KISAN Extension, Offshore Exploration

  Schemes

  The Union Cabinet approved several major schemes in August 2026, including: Revamped Khelo India Scheme with ₹36,441 crore outlay; Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY) for floating solar energy; 'Samudra Manthan' National Offshore Exploration Scheme with ₹84,084 crore outlay; Continuation of PM-KISAN scheme till 2030-31 with ₹3.15 lakh crore outlay; and GOBARdhan Scheme with ₹23,731 crore push for compressed biogas and circular bioenergy.