UPSC Current Affairs 27 August 2026

   
Why in News?
On 26 August 2026, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the redeveloped Hutatma Smruti Smarak at Patradevi, Goa, commemorating the satyagrahis who fought against Portuguese rule. The memorial was redeveloped at a cost of about ₹9.50 crore.
 
Historical Background

• Goa remained under Portuguese rule even after India became independent in 1947, making its liberation an important unfinished aspect of India's decolonisation process.
• The Goa Liberation Movement intensified through political mobilisation, underground activities and Satyagraha against Portuguese colonial rule.
• 15 August 1955: Thousands of volunteers from different parts of India entered Goa peacefully through Patradevi carrying the Indian national flag. Portuguese forces opened machine-gun fire, resulting in the death of several satyagrahis.
• The movement represented participation not only by Goans but also by volunteers from different parts of India, giving it a wider national character.

Patradevi Hutatma Smruti Smarak

• Location: Patradevi, Goa.
• The site is associated with the 1955 Satyagraha and the martyrdom of liberation volunteers.
• The redeveloped memorial includes a central monument, sculptures, information hubs and murals depicting the history of Goa's liberation struggle.
• The objective is to preserve the history of the movement and educate younger generations about the sacrifices made by the freedom fighters.

From Satyagraha to Liberation

• Satyagraha (1955): Peaceful volunteers challenged Portuguese rule.
• Continued struggle: Political and popular pressure for integration with India continued.
• Operation Vijay (1961): India eventually used military force to end Portuguese rule.
• 19 December 1961: Goa, along with Daman and Diu, was liberated and incorporated into India.
• 30 May 1987: Goa became a full-fledged state, while Daman and Diu continued as a Union Territory.

 
Why in News?

• On 26 August 2026, the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) issued its first compliance certificate for a 15-metre multi-axle sleeper bus, marking an important development in the testing and certification of advanced passenger vehicles in India.
• The certificate was issued to Synaty Automotive Pvt. Ltd. under AIS-119 and AIS-153, in accordance with the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR).

About ICAT

• ICAT is a testing, certification and homologation centre for the Indian automotive industry, located at Manesar, Haryana.
• It works under the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) and supports manufacturers in meeting India's regulatory, safety and technological requirements.
• Its activities cover vehicle testing, homologation, safety, emissions, electrical/electronics, advanced automotive technologies and regulatory compliance.

Latest Development: 15-metre Sleeper Bus

• The certified vehicle is designed for long-distance passenger transport.
• It incorporates requirements related to structural strength, emergency safety, fire safety, passenger movement and passenger comfort.
• Full-sleeper configuration: 42 berths.
• Hybrid configuration: 21 berths + 42 seats.
• The certification demonstrates India's capability to test and validate longer and more sophisticated passenger-vehicle configurations.

What is Homologation?

• Homologation is the process through which a vehicle or automotive component is tested and certified as complying with prescribed technical, safety, environmental and regulatory standards before being permitted for the relevant market/use.
• ICAT therefore acts as an important link between automotive innovation and regulatory compliance.

Significance

• Road Safety: Ensures advanced passenger vehicles meet prescribed structural and emergency-safety requirements.
• Future Mobility: Supports development of modern long-distance and passenger-transport technologies.
• Ease of Manufacturing: Provides manufacturers with a recognised testing and certification ecosystem within India.
• Atmanirbhar Bharat: Strengthens India's domestic automotive testing and technological capabilities.
• Standardisation: AIS standards help establish uniform technical requirements across the automobile sector.

 
Why in News?

• On 26 August 2026, scientists at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, developed ADxFluor, a smartphone-enabled platform for detecting amyloid-β (Aβ), a key biomarker associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
• The platform uses a fluorescent probe called TZ-48. When TZ-48 interacts with Aβ, its fluorescence intensity and lifetime change, and these signals can be captured and quantified through a smartphone-based system.

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

• Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia.
• It primarily affects memory, thinking, reasoning and behaviour, progressively impairing a person's ability to perform daily activities.
• It is associated mainly with the abnormal accumulation of amyloid-β plaques outside neurons and tau protein tangles inside neurons.

Why is Aβ Important?

• Amyloid-β is a protein fragment that can aggregate in the brain to form amyloid plaques.
• These plaques are one of the characteristic pathological features of Alzheimer’s disease.
• Detecting Aβ can therefore help identify Alzheimer’s-related pathology at an earlier stage, potentially before severe cognitive symptoms develop.

Emerging Biomarkers

• Research published in Nature Medicine has highlighted circular RNAs (circRNAs) in blood as potential biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease.
• A model based on 34 Alzheimer’s-associated circular RNAs showed promising performance compared with established biomarkers such as pTau217 and amyloid PET, although larger-scale validation is still required.

 
Why in News?

• The National Shipping Board (NSB) held its first “Sagar Samvad” in New Delhi on 25 August 2026, bringing together the government, shipowners, financiers, maritime-sector stakeholders and young seafarers.
• The government announced a roadmap to add 100 vessels to India’s merchant fleet over the next five years to reduce dependence on foreign-flagged ships and help cut the approximately US$75 billion annual foreign freight bill. India currently has around 1,600 seagoing merchant vessels.

What is the National Shipping Board?

• The National Shipping Board (NSB) is a statutory advisory body dealing with matters relating to Indian shipping and its development.
• It was established in 1959 under Section 4 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958.
• It advises the Central Government on matters concerning Indian shipping and on other matters referred to it under the Merchant Shipping Act.
• It functions under the broad policy framework of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW).

Composition
Under the earlier statutory framework, the Board comprised:

• 6 Members elected by Parliament — 4 from the Lok Sabha and 2 from the Rajya Sabha.
• Up to 16 additional members nominated to represent the Central Government, shipowners, seafarers and other relevant interests.
• The law provides for equal representation of shipowners and seamen among the relevant representatives.
• The Central Government nominates the Chairperson.

Recent Institutional Reform

• The NSB was reconstituted in 2025, and its functioning has subsequently been strengthened through the new regulatory framework.
• The National Shipping Board Rules, 2026 were notified by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways on 20 May 2026, replacing the older framework and updating the institutional structure.
• The Directorate General of Maritime Administration records the 2025 NSB notification among the current maritime legal instruments.

Sagar Samvad 2026 – Key Focus
The first Sagar Samvad focused on a five-pillar roadmap for strengthening India's maritime sector:

• Fleet expansion: Addition of 100 vessels in five years to increase Indian-flagged tonnage.
• Reducing foreign dependence: Greater use of Indian-flagged vessels can reduce India's dependence on foreign carriers and the associated foreign-exchange outgo.
• Shipbuilding and financing: Improving access to finance and strengthening domestic shipbuilding capabilities.
• Seafarer development: Addressing issues related to training, taxation, pensions, welfare and employment of Indian seafarers.
• Long-term maritime goals: Aligning shipping-sector reforms with Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.

Why is the 100-Ship Target Important?

• India conducts a substantial proportion of its international trade by sea, but a significant part of the cargo is carried by foreign-flagged vessels.
• A stronger Indian merchant fleet can improve strategic maritime autonomy, reduce foreign-exchange expenditure and enhance India's resilience during global geopolitical disruptions and supply-chain shocks.
• It can also generate demand for Indian shipbuilding, ship repair, maritime finance, insurance and skilled seafarers.

 
Why in News?

• On 24 August 2026, a UNMISS patrol travelling towards Pajut in Jonglei State, South Sudan, was ambushed by unidentified armed men. Two Ethiopian UN peacekeepers were killed, while seven others—including three peacekeepers, two South Sudanese police personnel and two UN civilian staff—were injured. UNMISS deployed a Quick Reaction Force and called for an investigation.
• India condemned the attack, stressing the need to respect the safety and inviolability of UN peacekeepers.

What is UNMISS?

• United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is a UN peacekeeping operation established by UN Security Council Resolution 1996 (2011) following South Sudan's independence.
• It was established on 9 July 2011, the same day South Sudan became independent.
• Headquarters: Juba, South Sudan.
• It operates under a Chapter VII mandate of the UN Charter, allowing the mission to take necessary action to protect civilians and fulfil its mandate.
• Its broad objective is to protect civilians, support peace and security, promote human rights and assist the implementation of the peace process.

Latest Mandate

• The UN Security Council renewed UNMISS through Resolution 2820 (2026), extending its mandate until 30 April 2027.
• The mission is authorised to undertake tasks including:
  • Protection of civilians under imminent threat.
  • Supporting implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.
  • Creating conditions conducive to humanitarian assistance.
  • Monitoring and reporting human rights violations.
  • Supporting an environment conducive to free, fair and peaceful political processes.

Why is UNMISS Needed?

• South Sudan became independent in 2011, but subsequently experienced severe political and ethnic violence.
• The 2013 civil war erupted largely from the political conflict between President Salva Kiir and then-Vice President Riek Machar.
• The 2018 peace agreement attempted to establish a power-sharing arrangement, but implementation has remained fragile.
• Continued intercommunal violence, armed-group activity and political tensions threaten civilians and humanitarian operations.

India and UNMISS

• India has been an important contributor to UN peacekeeping in South Sudan.
• Indian personnel serve in military, medical, engineering, aviation and other peacekeeping roles.
• On 17 August 2026, 210 Indian peacekeepers, including six women and seven staff officers, received UN Medals for their service with UNMISS.
• Lieutenant General Mohan Subramanian of the Indian Army has served as the Force Commander of UNMISS.
• India's participation reflects its long-standing role as one of the world's major contributors to UN peacekeeping operations.

 
Why in News?

• On 26 August 2026, catastrophic flash floods and landslides struck the Nepal–Tibet border region, particularly around Rasuwa and Nuwakot, after a major glacial collapse/ice-rock avalanche in the Himalayas.
• The resulting surge of water, ice, rocks and debris travelled rapidly downstream, devastating settlements and infrastructure in Nepal and Tibet. By 27 August, reports put the combined death toll at around 165, with more than 1,000 people missing.

What Triggered the Flood?

• The disaster was initially suspected to be an earthquake, but subsequent analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) indicated that the seismic signal was associated with a glacial collapse and debris flow, rather than an earthquake.
• A portion of a Himalayan glacier reportedly collapsed into a mountain valley, generating an ice-rock avalanche.
• The enormous quantity of ice, rock and sediment entered the river system and produced an extremely rapid flash flood/debris flow.
• The event affected the Lhende Khola/Bhotekoshi river system, with downstream areas suffering severe destruction.

Geographical Significance

• Rasuwa district lies in north-central Nepal along the China (Tibet) border.
• The disaster affected the Himalayan river valleys, where steep slopes and narrow valleys allow flood/debris waves to travel at very high speeds.
• The Trishuli River and associated river corridors in Nepal were severely affected, while the disaster also impacted Gyirong County in Tibet.

Importance
 
1. Himalayan Fragility

• The Himalayas are a young, tectonically active mountain system characterised by steep slopes, unstable geology, glaciers and intense erosion.
• These characteristics make the region highly vulnerable to landslides, flash floods, avalanches and GLOFs.

2. Climate Change Connection

• Rising temperatures are accelerating glacier retreat and destabilisation of mountain slopes and ice masses.
• Climate change does not necessarily mean that every individual flood is directly caused by global warming; however, warming can increase the instability of glaciers and mountain environments, raising disaster risks.

3. Transboundary Disaster Risk

• Himalayan rivers and watersheds cross political boundaries.
• A hazard originating in Tibet/China can rapidly affect Nepal and potentially downstream regions of India, making transboundary early-warning systems and disaster cooperation essential.

Impact

• Villages and settlements were inundated by massive quantities of mud, rocks and water.
• Around 19 bridges and nearly 40 km of roads were reported destroyed in the affected region.
• Electricity, communications and transport infrastructure were severely disrupted.
• A large number of foreign tourists and pilgrims, including Indians, were reported missing in Nepal.

India Connection

• Several Indian nationals were among those reported missing, highlighting the disaster's importance for India's consular assistance and disaster-response mechanisms.
• India also dispatched relief assistance to Nepal following the disaster.
• The event demonstrates the importance of India–Nepal cooperation on Himalayan disaster management, hydrological information sharing and early-warning systems.

• On 25 August 2026, CSIR–National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) unveiled three indigenously developed Micro and Small Gas Turbine Engines in New Delhi.
• The engines — NJ-05, NJ-50 and NJ-100 — have thrust capacities of 5 kg, 50 kg and 100 kg, respectively.
• They are intended for applications such as tactical UAVs, drone interceptors and compact missile systems, strengthening India's indigenous aerospace-propulsion ecosystem.

• A gas turbine engine is a continuous-combustion engine in which air is compressed, mixed with fuel and burned; the resulting hot gases expand through a turbine to produce useful power or thrust.
• In aerospace, gas turbines can be configured as turbojets, turbofans, turboprops and turboshafts, depending on the application.
• Micro and small gas turbines are miniaturised propulsion systems designed to provide high power/thrust while occupying relatively little space and weight.

• Propulsion is one of the most technologically demanding components of an aerospace platform.
• Indigenous engines can reduce India's dependence on imported propulsion technologies and strengthen Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence aerospace.

• The engines can support India's expanding ecosystem of UAVs, counter-drone systems and compact missile platforms.
• Their compact size makes them suitable for platforms where conventional aircraft engines would be impractical.

• Development requires expertise in micro-scale compressors and turbines, high-speed rotating machinery, combustion, bearings, lubrication and thermal management.
• CSIR-NAL's earlier NJ-5 technology demonstrator provided a foundation for subsequent development, including the NJ-100.

• CSIR-NAL has highlighted the potential for Indian industries and aerospace start-ups to manufacture these engines at scale, helping create a domestic propulsion supply chain.

• Full name: Council of Scientific & Industrial Research – National Aerospace Laboratories.
• Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• Established: 1959.
• It is India's major civilian aerospace R&D laboratory under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
• Its work covers areas such as aerospace structures, flight technologies, propulsion and aircraft design.

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