Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 28th Aug 2026

Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma and MedTech Scheme:

The Department of Pharmaceuticals has announced the second call for applications under the Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma and MedTech (PRIP) Scheme.

• It was launched to transform India into a global powerhouse for R&D in the Pharma MedTech sector.
• It is an initiative of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers in
• The aim of the scheme is to promote industry-academia linkage for R&D in priority areas and to inculcate the culture of quality research and nurture our pool of scientists.
• Initiatives such as MedTech Mitra and Patent Mitra and the online platform under the Scheme will facilitate collaboration and partnership among various stakeholders.
• It focuses on two components:
  • Component A:
    • Strengthening research infrastructure through establishment of Centres of Excellence (CoE) in the seven existing National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs).
  • Component B:
    • Promoting research in pharmaceutical sector by encouraging research in six priority areas wherein financial assistance will be provided for the Industries, MSME, SME, Startups working with government institutes and for both in- house and academic research.
• Priority Areas:
  • New Chemical Entity, New Biological Entity, and Phyto-pharmaceuticals
  • Complex generics and Biosimilars
  • Precision medicine (Targeted innovative therapeutics)
  • Medical devices
  • Orphan Drugs
  • Drug development for anti-microbial resistance (AMR).

Open General Export Licence:

The Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence has undertaken a comprehensive set of reforms to simplify the Defence Export Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and the Open General Export Licence (OGEL) framework.

• It was introduced for the first time in 2019, following demands from exporters, to make defence exports easier.
• It is a standing one-time export authorization.
• It enables eligible exporters to self-generate export authorisations for multiple consignments of specified defence items, without seeking a separate authorisation for each consignment.
• The government has merged three existing OGEL SOPs covering major platforms and equipment, parts and components, and intra-company transfer of technology into a single framework.
• OGEL validity has been increased from two to three years, reducing the frequency of renewals and associated compliance requirements.
• OGEL coverage has been expanded from 41 to all countries, except negative/sensitive nations and those facing UN Security Council sanctions or arms embargoes.
• A new provision facilitates Indian companies having long-term contracts or agreements with Foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (FOEMs).
• OGEL may be granted for eligible items and the particular FOEM, with validity aligned with the underlying contract or agreement, subject to prescribed conditions.
• The range of items covered under OGEL has been expanded, providing greater flexibility to eligible exporters.
• The revised framework also permits civil-end-use exports of specified parts and components of small-calibre arms and protective equipment, further broadening legitimate international business opportunities.

National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development: In News

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development and the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) have signed an MoU for financing infrastructure projects with significant rural impact.

• It is a specialized Development Finance Institution in India.
• It is aimed at supporting the country’s infrastructure sector, which can significantly gain from an enabling credit flow by means of attractive instruments and channelized investment.
• NaBFID was set up under The National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development Act, 2021.
• Objectives is Addressing the gaps in long-term non-recourse finance for infrastructure development, strengthening the development of bonds and derivatives markets in India, and sustainably boosting the country’s economy.
• It shall be regulated and supervised by RBI as an All-India Financial Institution (AIFI).
• The principal idea behind the setup of NaBFID is to provide a dedicated and specialized institution focused on addressing the long-term financing needs of the infrastructure sector in India.

Jago AI Assistant:

The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the Jago AI Assistant.

• Jago AI Assistant is an AI conversational assistant to extend the reach of tribal welfare schemes and programmes.
• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• The AI-powered chatbot is designed to simplify access to information related to tribal welfare schemes, government policies, programmes, guidelines, and official documents.
• It enables them to ask questions in simple language and receive relevant responses faster.
• It has the potential to significantly improve the way tribal welfare information is accessed by citizens.
• Currently the languages available in Jago are English and Hindi.
• It can help bridge the gap between government information and its intended beneficiaries by making complex policy and scheme-related information more accessible.
• Its AI-based architecture also provides a foundation for continuously expanding the knowledge base with new schemes, policies, and official documents, officials added.
• It can contribute to more efficient, transparent, accessible, and technology-driven delivery of tribal welfare services.

Corbett Tiger Reserve: Death Of Bhola Tiger

A famous tiger named Bhola which was popular among tourists at the Phato zone of the Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) in Uttarakhand died.

• Corbett Tiger Reserve is located on the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand.
• It was originally established as Hailey National Park in 1936.
• It is not only the first national park in India, but also the first to come under the Project Tiger initiative.
• It is spread over the Bhabar and lower Shivalik regions with a deep-water table.
• The terrain is undulating with several valleys.
• The rivers Ramganga, Pallaen, and Sonanadi flow through the valleys.
• North Indian tropical moist deciduous forests and tropical dry deciduous forests:
• In general, the vegetation comprises sal and mixed forests, interspersed with grass lands and riparian vegetation.
• The grasslands are locally known as ‘Chaur’, which are an outcome of abandoned settlements or past clearings.
• Evergreen Sal and its associated trees, the Sheesham, and the Kanju are found extensively on the ridges.
• Tigers and elephants, leopards, sambar, hog deer, spotted deer etc.

SAFE Defence Fund:

The Italian government has requested €8 billion ($9.3 billion) from the European Union’s SAFE defence funding programme.

• The Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument is a joint borrowing scheme backed by the European Union (EU).
• The regulation setting up the SAFE instrument entered into force in 2025.
• It is aimed at boosting the bloc’s defence ​capabilities and helping member states meet new, ⁠more ambitious NATO spending targets.
• The assistance helps EU member states make rapid and significant increases in their defence investments through common procurement.
• Through this instrument, the EU is providing financial assistance in the form of loans worth up to €150 billion.
• Fund Allocation:
  • The instrument finances urgent and large-scale investments in the European defence technological and industrial base.
  • Allocation of the budget is demand-driven.
  • Disbursements take the form of competitively priced long-maturity loans, to be repaid by the beneficiary EU member states.
• While only Member States can obtain SAFE loans, the following countries may participate in common procurement:
• • EU acceding, candidate, and potential candidate countries;
  • Countries that have signed Security and Defence Partnerships with the EU, such as Albania, Canada, India (signed in 2026), Japan, Moldova, North Macedonia, Norway, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

Buckingham Canal:

The restoration of the Buckingham Canal yet again occupied the attention of the authorities after the new government came into power in Tamil Nadu.

• It is running along the east coast of India.
• Together with the Krishna and Godavari irrigation canal systems, was once a continuous, navigable stretch.
• It was once the only main route by which bulky commodities, such as fuel, salt, and dried fish, could be profitably brought to the city of Madras (now Chennai) in Tamil Nadu state.
• It was originally constructed in 1806 by Basil Cochrane and privately owned and operated by him; the waterway was then called Cochrane Canal.
• It was taken over by the government in 1837 and named it as East Coast Canal and extended in 1857 to Dugarajapatnam (in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh)
• In 1878, it acquired the present name after the Governor of Madras, the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos.
• It is faced with encroachment and severe pollution woes with untreated sewage and solid waste.

Spoon-Tailed Duskhawker:

Researchers verified the first photographic evidence of the spoon-tailed duskhawker (Gynacantha basiguttata) in Arunachal Pradesh.

• Spoon-Tailed Duskhawker is a species of dragonfly and a member of the Aeshnidae family.
• Individuals can be spotted patrolling or perching near streams, forest pools.
• Philippines and is found in several parts of Southeast Asia.
• This species hunts flying insects (mosquitoes, small flies, gnats) and plays an important role in aquatic food webs.