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18 August 2026 · verified exam-relevant news
Latest digest · 18 August 2026
Curated from PIB, RBI, All India Radio and verified national sources — organised for UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway and State-PSC revision.
24 verified current-affairs updates for major exams.
Oil prices surged as US-Iran peace talks collapsed, with Iran adopting a fully offensive military posture and the US refusing to extend a temporary ceasefire. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has drastically declin…
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Four Indian private banks — Kotak Mahindra Bank, YES Bank, IDFC First Bank, and Federal Bank — are accelerating dollar bond issuances worth $1.85 billion before the RBI's swap window deadline of August 31. This follows…
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India plans to launch its first cargo ship voyage along the Northern Sea Route (NSR) in 2027, enhancing maritime connectivity with Russia. The Arkhangelsk region of Russia is actively discussing economic collaboration,…
Read full storyThe Government of India announced the re-issue of two dated securities — 7.06% GS 2041 and 7.43% GS 2076 — for a total notified amount of ₹28,000 crore. The auction will be conducted by RBI on August 21, 2026, using the…
Read full storyThe RBI announced an Overnight Variable Rate Reverse Repo (VRRR) auction of ₹1.5 lakh crore on August 18, 2026, under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) to manage surplus liquidity. The one-day tenor auction will r…
Read full storyRBI conducted money market operations on August 14, 2026, with total overnight segment volume at ₹5,92,337.70 crore at a weighted average rate of 5.09%. Key operations included a 3-day variable rate reverse repo of ₹80,…
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Gangster Shahzad Bhatti, operating from the UAE and posing as a social media influencer, recruited Indian youth via social media to carry out terror activities including grenade attacks, planting explosives near critica…
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India's unemployment rate dropped to a four-month low of 5.1% in July 2024 from 5.5% in June, according to official Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data. Rural unemployment declined to 4.5%, while labour force parti…
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India has initiated WTO dispute settlement consultations with the United States over its tariff-rate quota imposing a 50% duty on quartz surface imports, effective August 15 for four years. India exported approximately…
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ICRA estimates India's GDP growth at a four-quarter low of 7% for the April-June 2024 quarter, down from previous quarters. The industrial sector is projected to grow at 7.7%, with agriculture and services also showing…
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The Reserve Bank of India is actively intervening to defend the rupee at the 95.45 level against the US dollar amid heightened dollar demand from oil importers due to rising crude oil prices triggered by the West Asia c…
Read full storyPM Modi announced seven major initiatives from Red Fort on 80th Independence Day including AI skilling for 1 crore youth in one year, free online coaching, nationwide sports talent hunt for ages 5-15, modern Civil Defen…
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PM Modi announced India's strategic push to secure critical minerals through the National Critical Mineral Mission with substantial government funding. Four dedicated processing parks will be established across states t…
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India's Balance of Payments (BoP) slipped into a deficit of $8.1 billion in Q1 FY27 (April–June 2026), driven primarily by capital account outflows. The Current Account Deficit (CAD) widened to $3.1 billion, mainly due…
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India's engineering services exports surged nearly eightfold to USD 13.77 billion in 2024-25 from 2014-15 levels, according to a NITI Aayog report. The sector shows strong export growth while imports remain stable, high…
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NITI Aayog projects India's chemicals sector exports to reach USD 81 billion by 2030, driven by speciality chemicals, agrochemicals, and pigments. This ambitious target aims to reduce import dependence while significant…
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SBI Research reaffirms India's position as one of the world's fastest-growing economies, highlighting strong credit and deposit growth, robust foreign currency inflows, improved monsoon outlook, and rising high-income t…
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Since the 1991 economic liberalisation reforms, India's benchmark Sensex has surged approximately 8,500%, delivering a compounded annual growth rate of around 14% over less than 35 years. This remarkable long-term wealt…
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The government launched the Foreign Assets Disclosure Scheme 2026, a one-time voluntary window opening August 16 and closing December 31, 2026. Taxpayers can declare undisclosed foreign assets or income up to ₹1 crore,…
Read full storyIndia's Balance of Payments for June 2026 shows a current account deficit of $6.2 billion, widening from a $1.2 billion surplus in June 2025. The merchandise trade deficit expanded to $30.2 billion from $19.2 billion, d…
Read full storyRBI introduced a special USD-INR Forex Swap facility on June 8, 2026, covering FCNR(B) deposits, ECBs, and OFCBs to boost forex inflows. As of August 13, 2026, total inflows reached $56,846 million, with FCNR(B) deposit…
Read full storyThe Reserve Bank of India announced the auction of Government of India Treasury Bills totaling ₹24,000 crore across three tenures: 91-Day (₹9,000 crore), 182-Day (₹8,000 crore), and 364-Day (₹7,000 crore). The auction i…
Read full storyRBI imposed a ₹2.70 lakh penalty on Fusion Finance Limited on August 14, 2026, for non-compliance with KYC Directions, specifically failure to conduct periodic risk categorisation review at least once every six months.…
Read full storyRBI imposed a ₹3.10 lakh penalty on Muthoot MCred Limited (formerly Muthoottu Mini Financiers) on August 14, 2026, under Section 58G(1)(b) read with 58B(5)(aa) of RBI Act, 1934, for upgrading NPAs to 'Standard' without…
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Exam-relevant stories with MCQ-ready key points from approved sources. Verified edition: 18 August 2026.
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