National News

Atal Pension Yojana (APY)

• By 21 August 2025, more than 8.11 crore people have enrolled under the Atal Pension Yojana (APY), including 1.17 crore new subscribers in FY 2024-25 alone.
• This year, the scheme achieved a record pace by crossing 50 lakh new enrollments, with 46% of them belonging to the 18–25 age group.

Atal Pension Yojana (APY):

National Conference on Sustainable Utilization and Transportation of Fly Ash

• The Ministry of Railways and NTPC jointly organized a National Conference on Sustainable Utilization and Transportation of Fly Ash at the Power Management Institute, Noida, on 25 August 2025.
• The conference brought together fly ash producers, users, and transporters to discuss strategies for maximizing fly ash utilization towards clean, green, and resource-efficient development in the country.

NTPC Limited :

Formation of High-Level Committees on Birth Centenaries

• The Central Government has constituted three high-level committees to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the 150th birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, and the birth centenary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself will chair all three committees.

Related Facts :

Farewell to MiG-21

• The official retirement ceremony of the MiG-21 aircraft was held on 26 September 2025 at the Chandigarh Air Base.
• This marked the conclusion of 62 years of service of the MiG-21 in the history of the Indian Air Force.
• Prior to this, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh took the last flight of the MiG-21 from the Nal Air Base, Rajasthan.

MiG-21 aircraft:

State News

3rd Edition of ‘UP International Trade Show’

• The third edition of the UP International Trade Show will be held from 25 to 29 September 2025 at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida.
• The first edition was organized from 21 to 25 September 2023, and the second edition from 25 to 29 September 2024 at the same venue.

Uttar Pradesh :

Launch of Rozgar Mahakumbh 2025

• On 26 August 2025, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the Rozgar Mahakumbh 2025 at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Lucknow.
• The three-day event (26–28 August) is hosting participation from over 100 major national and international companies.

Literacy rate in Uttar Pradesh as per Census 2011:

International News

Hezbollah Refuses to Disarm

• Hezbollah has refused to lay down arms and has pressed Israel to withdraw.
• Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, stated that their weapons are essential for the security, sovereignty, and dignity of Lebanon.

Hezbollah:

Economy and Banking

Maruti Suzuki’s First Global Electric Car ‘e-Vitara’

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off Maruti Suzuki’s first global electric car ‘e-Vitara’ from the Hansalpur plant in Gujarat.
• This battery electric vehicle (BEV) is manufactured in India and will be exported to over 100 countries, including Japan and Europe.
• PM Modi is on a two-day visit to Gujarat (25–26 August 2025).

India’s Credit Rating Stable Outlook: Fitch Ratings

• Fitch Ratings has affirmed India’s credit rating at ‘BBB’ with a Stable Outlook, supported by the country’s strong economic growth and resilient external financial position.
• According to Fitch, India’s GDP growth is projected to remain at 6.5% in FY 2026 (March 2026), the same as FY 2025, and significantly higher than the ‘BBB’ median growth rate of 2.5%.

Related Facts:

MoU for Revenue Target

• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) have signed an agreement setting a revenue target of ₹8,200 crore for FY 2025-26 (FY26).

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA):

Facility to Shift from UPS to NPS Introduced

• The Union Ministry of Finance has introduced a facility allowing transfer from the newly launched Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) to the National Pension System (NPS).

National Pension System (NPS):

Sports News

30th Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship 2025

• The 30th Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship 2025 is being held at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, Ahmedabad, from 24 to 31 August 2025.
• The championship was inaugurated by the Union Sports Minister, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya.

Medal winners for India:

Environment News

Typhoon Kajiki

• Typhoon Kajiki has caused severe devastation in northern and central Vietnam.

Typhoon Kajiki :

Art and Culture

First Art and Culture Festival

• The first Art and Culture Festival will be organized in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Kirtipur, Lalitpur, and Hadigaun (Nepal) from 5 to 27 September 2025.
• The festival coincides with the Indra Jatra at Basantpur Durbar Square, where the Living Goddess Kumari, Living Ganesh, and Bhairav are paraded across the city on wooden chariots.

Major Festivals of Nepal :

Important Days

Mother Teresa’s Birth Anniversary

• Mother Teresa’s birth anniversary is observed every year on 26 August.
• She was born on 26 August 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia (then part of the Ottoman Empire) to an Albanian family.

Mother Teresa:

Women’s Equality Day

• Women’s Equality Day is observed every year on 26 August.
• It commemorates the adoption of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920, which granted American women the right to vote.