Current Affairs Today 20th August 2026 Daily GK Update

Daily Current Affairs 20th August 2026 Daily GK Update

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National News

UP Yuva Swarojgar Yojana 2026: Rs 25 Lakh Loan for Young Entrepreneurs

• The UP Mukhyamantri Yuva Swarojgar Yojana provides educated youth in Uttar Pradesh with bank loans up to ₹25 lakh for industrial units and ₹10 lakh for service sectors, backed by a 25% state margin money subsidy.
• Applicants must be permanent state residents aged 18 to 40 with at least a Class 10 qualification.

Key Scheme Highlights

• Industry/Manufacturing Loan: Up to ₹25 lakh (25% margin money capped at ₹6.25 lakh).
• Service Sector Loan: Up to ₹10 lakh (25% margin money capped at ₹2.5 lakh).
• Age Limit: 18 to 40 years.
• Education Requirement: Minimum Class 10 (High School) pass.
• Subsidy Conversion: Margin money assistance transforms into a government grant after two successful years of enterprise operation.

Eligibility Criteria

• Must be a permanent resident/native of Uttar Pradesh.
• Must not be a defaulter of any nationalized bank or financial institution.
• Should not be receiving financial support under any other self-employment scheme from the central or state government.

Vizhinjam Port begins export-import operations

• Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala has started full-fledged export-import (EXIM) operations, marking a major shift in its role from a transshipment hub to a direct gateway for Indian goods entering and leaving global markets.
• The move is expected to give businesses in South India easier access to international shipping routes, reduce dependence on foreign transshipment ports and improve the efficiency of India’s supply chains.

India has 12 operational major ports

• Deendayal Port (Kandla)-Gujarat
• Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPA/Nhava Sheva) – Maharashtra
• Mumbai Port – Maharashtra
• Mormugao Port – Goa
• New Mangalore Port – Karnataka
• Cochin Port (Kochi) – Kerala
• Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (Kolkata / Haldia) – West Bengal
• Paradip Port – Odisha
• Visakhapatnam Port – Andhra Pradesh
• Chennai Port – Tamil Nadu
• Kamarajar Port (Ennore) – Tamil Nadu
• O. Chidambaranar Port (Tuticorin) – Tamil Nadu

PM CARES donations fall 30%, but fund balance hits record ₹8,452 crore

• The PM CARES Fund balance reached a record high of ₹8,452.06 crore as of March 31, 2025, according to newly released audited financial statements.
• Roughly 93% of this corpus—about ₹7,846.65 crore—is parked in fixed deposits, which generated substantial interest income to grow the reserve despite lower fresh donations.

Financial Breakdown (FY 2024–25)

• Closing Balance: ₹8,452.06 crore (up from ₹7,173 crore the previous year).
• Fixed Deposits: ₹7,846.65 crore held in scheduled banks.
• Savings Accounts: ₹605.41 crore held in liquid savings.
• Interest Earned: ~₹469–475 crore generated from existing fixed deposits.
• Fresh Donations: ~₹479.96 crore received in domestic and foreign contributions.

Tata Power and IIT Bombay collaborate to accelerate innovation in clean energy and advanced power technologies

• Tata Power, one of India’s largest integrated power companies, and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), one of the country’s premier institutions for science, engineering and technology research, signed a Master Research Agreement (MRA) marking the beginning of a long-term strategic partnership for accelerating scaling up and commercialization of lab scale innovations in next generation energy technologies and advanced clean energy solutions.
• Aims: To accelerate the translation of cutting-edge research into scalable, industry-ready technologies that contribute to India’s clean energy transition, energy security, and sustainable development.

Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar announces ‘Vidyarthi Sahayahasta’ scheme for rural students

• Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced the Vidyarthi Sahayahasta scheme to improve access to professional education for students from rural backgrounds.
• The scheme was announced during Independence Day celebrations at Manekshaw Parade Grounds in Bengaluru.
• Eligible students who completed Classes I to X in rural government schools will receive a dedicated share within the existing rural reservation for admission to professional courses such as medicine and engineering.

About Karnataka

• Capital: Bengaluru
• Chief minister: D. K. Shivakumar
• Governor: Thawar Chand Gehlot

International News

Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema re-elected for second 5-year term

• Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has been re-elected for a second five-year term. The Electoral Commission of Zambia has announced the result.
• President Hichilema secured more than 51 per cent of the votes, winning the presidential election outright and avoiding a run-off.

About Zambia

• Capital: Lusaka
• Currency: Zambian Kwacha

Banking & Financial

Ind-Ra raises India’s FY27 GDP growth estimate to 6.8%

• India Ratings and Research Pvt. Ltd. (Ind-Ra) on 19 August estimated India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth to moderate to 6.8% in 2026-27 due to higher fuel and food inflation stemming from the war in West Asia, a weak currency, and the likely impact of El Niño on agriculture.
• Though slower than the National Statistical Office’s (NSO) provisional estimates of 7.6% GDP growth for FY26, the agency’s FY27 projection is higher than its May forecast of 6.7%.
• The upward revision of growth for the current fiscal year comes just days after the Reserve Bank of India also revised the country’s growth projections to 6.7% from 6.6%, citing the resilience of the domestic economy.

India’s FY27 GDP Projections by Organization

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI): 6.7%
• ICRA: 6.7%
• World Bank: 6.6%
• Asian Development Bank (ADB): 6.6%
• International Monetary Fund (IMF): 6.4% – 6.5%
• Fitch Ratings & Moody’s: 6.4%
• India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra): 6.8%

YES Bank Launches ‘YES Essence’, Women-focused Credit Card

• YES Bank launched the YES Essence Credit Card, a lifestyle-focused credit card designed for women. It normally carries a regular joining and annual fee of ₹799 plus GST, but it is being made available as a lifetime-free card under a limited-period offer.

Key Features & Benefits

• Welcome Vouchers: Get vouchers worth ₹1,000 upon activation.
• Milestone Rewards: Earn 5,000 bonus YES Rewardz when you spend ₹50,000 within the first 90 days.
• Annual Spending Bonus: Receive an additional 10,000 bonus YES Rewardz on annual spends reaching ₹1,00,000.
• Entertainment: Enjoy a buy-one-get-one offer on District.

Appointment

Airtel Payment bank names Shabnam Sinha as new Chairperson

• Founder Sunil Bharti Mittal is concluding his tenure as Non-Executive Chairman of Airtel Payments Bank. His successor, Shabnam Sinha, brings over 30 years of development finance and governance expertise, including a prominent tenure at the World Bank. The leadership shift has received RBI approval and comes as the digital bank achieves an annualized revenue run rate exceeding ₹3,400 crore.
• Airtel Payments Bank has announced a major leadership transition as Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal steps down as Non-Executive Chairman effective September 30, 2026. Ms. Shabnam Sinha, a highly experienced development finance professional, will assume the role of Chairperson for a three-year term starting October 1, 2026.

Awards

Over 200 Indian peacekeepers in Sudan get UN medals

• Over 200 Indian peacekeepers deployed with the UN mission in South Sudan have been awarded the prestigious UN medal for their exceptional service.
• The UN Mission in Sudan, UNMISS informed that 210 Indian peacekeepers, including 6 women and 7 Staff Officers, were awarded the UN Medal for their exceptional service in Juba, South Sudan.
• The Mission called it a proud moment for India’s Blue Helmets. It added that through crises, medical emergencies and lifesaving missions, the courage and compassion of the Indian peacekeepers continue to protect lives and advance peace.
• India is the second-largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping. It currently contributes more than 4,200 military and police personnel.

About Sudan

• Capital: Khartoum
• Currency: Sudanese pound

Important Day

Sadbhavana Diwas: 20 August 2026

• Sadbhavana Diwas, or Harmony Day, is observed across India on August 20 to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The day promotes national integration, peace, goodwill, and communal harmony among citizens of diverse religions, languages, and cultures.
• “Sadbhavana” translates to goodwill and harmony. The day commemorates the 82nd birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, encouraging national integration and peaceful resolution of differences.

World Humanitarian Day: 19th August 2026

• World Humanitarian Day is an international observance held every August 19 to honor aid workers who risk their lives to help people affected by crises, and to remember those who have died in the line of duty.
• The 2026 theme is “Honouring fallen humanitarians and calling for greater protection of health care.”

World Photography Day: 19th August 2026

• World Photography Day is celebrated every year on August 19th. It honors the art, science, and history of photography. The date marks the day in 1839 when the French government bought the patent for the Daguerreotype process and made it a gift to the world.
• The 2026 theme is “home,” focusing on personal spaces, memories and cultural roots.