🗞️ Why in News August 7, 2026 combined legislative business, industrial policy and a historical anniversary. Parliament passed the MSME Development (Amendment) Bill, Andhra Pradesh notified a first-of-its-kind pedestrian safety policy, and India hosted the concluding day of the BRICS Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Jaipur. The day was also the twelfth National Handloom Day.
Parliament Passes the MSME Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026
🗞️ Why in News The Lok Sabha passed the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 on August 7, 2026, moved by Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, following Rajya Sabha clearance on August 3, 2026.
Key Provisions
The Bill amends the MSMED Act, 2006.
- Mandates that Central Public Sector Enterprises settle procurement invoices to MSMEs through the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS).
- Decriminalises certain penalty provisions under the Act.
- Formalises the Udyam registration portal in statute.
- Strengthens delayed-payment dispute mechanisms with faster online arbitration timelines before Facilitation Councils.
Why TReDS Matters Here
TReDS is an electronic platform on which an MSME’s trade receivable, an invoice owed by a large buyer, can be auctioned to financiers and discounted for immediate cash, rather than the MSME waiting out the buyer’s payment cycle. Making it mandatory for CPSE procurement targets exactly the segment where delayed payment has been most chronic: government and quasi-government buyers who face no real penalty for paying late.
📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia
MSME Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026:
- Rajya Sabha passage: August 3, 2026; Lok Sabha passage: August 7, 2026
- Amends the MSMED Act, 2006
- Mandatory TReDS settlement for CPSE procurement from MSMEs
- Moved by Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi
- Udyam registration given statutory backing; delayed-payment dispute mechanism strengthened
Andhra Pradesh Notifies India’s First Integrated Pedestrian Safety and Accessibility Policy
🗞️ Why in News The Andhra Pradesh government notified the Pedestrian Safety and Universal Accessibility Policy, 2026 on August 7, 2026, a day after Cabinet approval of its operational guidelines on August 6.
Key Provisions
- Minimum 2-metre clear walking zone on footpaths.
- Maximum footpath height of 150 mm.
- Flush utility covers, so manholes and service covers do not obstruct the walking surface.
- Mandatory road-safety audits, prioritising 15 to 20 high-fatality locations.
- Target of surveying at least 20 per cent of roads within a year to identify pedestrian crossing needs.
Why This Is a First
State-level road policy in India has historically been vehicle-centric: carriageway width, signal timing, parking. This is billed as the first state framework to make pedestrian safety and universal accessibility a single, statutorily enforceable regime, rather than leaving footpath quality to municipal discretion. The accessibility limb connects to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, since a footpath that is unsafe for a pedestrian is doubly unusable for a person with a mobility impairment.
📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia
AP Pedestrian Safety and Universal Accessibility Policy, 2026:
- Cabinet approval of guidelines: August 6, 2026; notification: August 7, 2026
- Minimum clear walking zone: 2 metres; maximum footpath height: 150 mm
- Road survey target: at least 20 per cent of roads within one year
- Billed as India’s first integrated state policy of this kind
- Connects to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016
SECI Discovers a Record-Low Tariff for Round-the-Clock Renewable Power
🗞️ Why in News The Solar Energy Corporation of India announced results of its 1,000 MW Round-the-Clock Thermal Mimic (RTC-TM) tender on August 7, 2026, at the 7th CII International Energy Conference and Exhibition, New Delhi, with tariffs discovered at Rs 5.25 to 5.26 per unit, the lowest yet for firm, dispatchable renewable power.
What Makes This Different From Ordinary Solar Tenders
An ordinary solar tender sells variable power, available only when the sun shines. A Round-the-Clock tender requires the developer to guarantee power in every time block, which means combining solar, wind and storage so that supply matches demand rather than the sun’s schedule. This tender mandated 90 per cent assured availability in every block, with solar contributing only about half of daytime supply, demonstrating that hybrid solar-wind-storage combinations are now viable at a competitive price.
Seven developers were awarded capacity, including Juniper Green Energy (300 MW) and Hexa Climate Solutions (150 MW).
📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia
SECI RTC Tender:
- Tender: 1,000 MW, Round-the-Clock Thermal Mimic (RTC-TM)
- Discovered tariff: Rs 5.25 to 5.26 per unit, a record low for firm renewable power
- Assured availability mandated: 90 per cent in every time block
- Solar contributes roughly 50 per cent of daytime supply under the hybrid design
- Announced at the 7th CII International Energy Conference and Exhibition, New Delhi
Astrobase Unveils EVEREST, an Indigenous 800 kN Rocket Engine
🗞️ Why in News Bengaluru-based Astrobase Space Technologies unveiled EVEREST on August 7, 2026, an 80-tonne-class (800 kN), liquid oxygen and liquid methane Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) rocket engine.
Why the Engine Cycle Matters
Full-Flow Staged Combustion is the most efficient and most difficult rocket engine cycle to build. Both propellants are fully gasified in separate preburners before entering the main combustion chamber, which runs both turbopumps at lower temperature and pressure than competing cycles, extending engine life and enabling reuse. If flight-proven, India would become only the fourth country to test an FFSC engine, after the erstwhile Soviet Union, the United States and China. The same cycle powers SpaceX’s Raptor engine.
Astrobase completed sub-scale hot-fire tests in 2025 and turbopump trials in early 2026, and targets a full-engine hot-fire test later in 2026, with a maiden vehicle launch targeted for December 2028.
📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia
EVEREST Engine:
- Developer: Astrobase Space Technologies, Bengaluru; unveiled August 7, 2026
- Thrust class: 800 kN (80-tonne class)
- Propellants: liquid oxygen and liquid methane
- Cycle: Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC), the same cycle as SpaceX’s Raptor
- Countries with prior FFSC test capability: erstwhile USSR, USA, China
- Targeted first flight: December 2028
16th BRICS Trade Ministers’ Meeting Concludes in Jaipur
🗞️ Why in News The 16th BRICS Trade Ministers’ Meeting, held in Jaipur on August 6 and 7, 2026 under India’s BRICS Chairship, concluded on August 7, chaired by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.
Outcomes
- Adopted a Joint Declaration and four annexes.
- The “Jaipur Consensus” to study a BRICS Invoice Discounting Mechanism, addressing the roughly USD 2.5 trillion global trade-finance gap facing small firms.
- Guiding Principles for Credit Assessment, proposing that MSMEs be evaluated by cash flow rather than collateral.
- A Global Value Chains workplan (GVC Action Plan 2026-2030).
- Principles to facilitate digitally delivered services across borders.
- Advanced the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership 2030, for endorsement at the New Delhi Leaders’ Summit.
📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia
BRICS Trade Ministers’ Meeting:
- 16th meeting, Jaipur, Rajasthan, concluded August 7, 2026
- Chaired by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry
- Global trade-finance gap cited: USD 2.5 trillion
- Outcome document: Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership 2030
- India holds the BRICS Chairship in 2026
Twelfth National Handloom Day
🗞️ Why in News India observed the 12th National Handloom Day on August 7, 2026. President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Sant Kabir Handloom Awards and National Handloom Awards 2025 on 22 artisans at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi.
Background
National Handloom Day marks the anniversary of the Swadeshi Movement, launched at Calcutta Town Hall on August 7, 1905, in response to the Partition of Bengal. The day was first observed in 2015, with the inaugural celebration held in Chennai.
Of the 22 artisans honoured in 2026, three received the Sant Kabir Handloom Award and nineteen the National Handloom Award. Recipients included Ram Meher of Odisha (Bichitpar Khadi Saree), Runima Chetiya Choudhury of Assam (Muga Silk Saree), and Shah Muhammad Ansari of Uttar Pradesh (Zarbaft Shewatambari Awadh Jamdani Saree).
📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia
National Handloom Day:
- Observed August 7 annually; 12th edition in 2026; first observed 2015, inaugural event at Chennai
- Commemorates the Swadeshi Movement, launched August 7, 1905, Calcutta Town Hall, in response to the Partition of Bengal
- 2026 awards: 3 Sant Kabir Handloom Awards + 19 National Handloom Awards = 22 artisans
- Presided over by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre
Maharashtra Begins Farm Loan Waiver Disbursement
🗞️ Why in News Maharashtra began disbursing its Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karjmukti Yojana 2026, approved by the state Cabinet on June 2, 2026. In the first phase, Rs 5,028 crore was transferred to 6.22 lakh eligible farmers.
Scale and Design
The scheme waives crop loans up to Rs 2 lakh and gives a Rs 50,000 incentive to farmers with regular repayment records, at a total outlay of Rs 36,585 crore. As of August 6, 2026, Aadhaar authentication had been completed for 12.10 lakh loan accounts against a target of nearly 56 lakh eligible farmer families, with disbursal transferred directly and online once authentication clears.
📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia
Maharashtra Farm Loan Waiver:
- Scheme: Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karjmukti Yojana 2026; total outlay Rs 36,585 crore
- Cabinet approval: June 2, 2026
- First-phase disbursal: Rs 5,028 crore to 6.22 lakh farmers
- Maximum waiver per farmer: Rs 2 lakh; regular-repayer incentive: Rs 50,000
- Aadhaar-linked direct online transfer; target nearly 56 lakh eligible families
Odisha Secures Rs 43,437 Crore in Investment Proposals
🗞️ Why in News Odisha, in association with ASSOCHAM, held its first sector-focused investment roadshow outside the state, Odisha Food Pro 2026, in New Delhi on August 7, 2026, led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
The Numbers
- 27 MoUs signed, worth a proposed Rs 41,748 crore, potential 35,252 jobs.
- 12 Investment Intent Forms worth Rs 1,689 crore, potential 8,064 jobs.
- Cumulative Day-1 proposals: Rs 43,437 crore, potential 43,316 jobs.
📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia
Odisha Food Pro 2026:
- Held August 7, 2026, New Delhi, with ASSOCHAM; led by CM Mohan Charan Majhi
- Total investment proposals: Rs 43,437 crore; potential jobs 43,316
- MoUs: 27, worth Rs 41,748 crore
In Brief
Abelardo de la Espriella sworn in as Colombia’s 36th President. Conservative lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, 48, took office on August 7, 2026 for a four-year term, with José Manuel Restrepo as Vice President, succeeding outgoing President Gustavo Petro. Breaking tradition, the inauguration was held in Cali rather than Bogotá, signalling a hard-line stance against illegal armed groups active in that region. He won a close runoff on June 21, 2026 against Petro-ally Senator Iván Cepeda.
Ashish Yadav wins javelin silver at the World Athletics U20 Championships. At Eugene, Oregon, 19-year-old Ashish Yadav threw 74.09 m for silver, becoming only the second Indian javelin thrower after Neeraj Chopra’s 2016 U20 gold to medal at this championship. South Africa’s Jan-Hendrik Heymans won gold with 80.50 m.
Ariha Pangambam wins India’s first individual gold at the Asian Aerobic Gymnastics Championships. Manipur’s Ariha Pangambam, 22, scored 19.100 at Tagaytay City, Philippines, to win India’s first-ever senior individual gold in the event, ahead of Thailand’s and Japan’s competitors.
Padma Shri Vaidya Balendu Prakash passes away. The Ayurvedic physician, known for evidence-based Rasa Shastra research and research-based protocols for cancer and pancreatic disorders, died of cardiac arrest on August 7, 2026, aged 67. He was conferred the Padma Shri in 1999 and had served as honorary physician to former President K.R. Narayanan.
UPSC Relevance
GS Paper 1: History and the Swadeshi Movement (National Handloom Day); persons in the news.
GS Paper 2: Parliament and the legislative process (MSME Bill); state policy and welfare of vulnerable sections, Persons with Disabilities Act linkage (AP pedestrian policy); India’s BRICS chairship and multilateral trade diplomacy; comparative government (Colombia).
GS Paper 3: MSME sector and delayed payments; renewable energy integration and storage economics; indigenisation of technology and private participation in space; agricultural credit and farm distress; investment promotion and food processing.
📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia
Legislation and Policy:
- MSME Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026: Rajya Sabha August 3, Lok Sabha August 7, 2026; mandatory CPSE-to-MSME settlement via TReDS
- AP Pedestrian Safety and Universal Accessibility Policy, 2026: notified August 7, 2026; 2-metre clear zone, 150 mm max footpath height
Energy and Space:
- SECI RTC-TM tender: 1,000 MW, tariff Rs 5.25 to 5.26/unit, 90 per cent assured availability
- Astrobase EVEREST: 800 kN, LOX/LCH4, Full-Flow Staged Combustion, India’s first privately built FFSC engine
Trade and Investment:
- 16th BRICS Trade Ministers’ Meeting: Jaipur, concluded August 7, 2026, chaired by Piyush Goyal; Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership 2030
- Maharashtra farm loan waiver: Rs 36,585 crore outlay; first phase Rs 5,028 crore to 6.22 lakh farmers
- Odisha Food Pro 2026: Rs 43,437 crore in investment proposals
History and Culture:
- National Handloom Day: 12th edition, August 7, 2026; commemorates the Swadeshi Movement of August 7, 1905
Sources: PIB, PRS Legislative Research, The Hindu, Business Standard, Ministry of Textiles
Source: Current Affairs Today, August 7, 2026 — Ujiyari.com | Free UPSC & State PCS Current Affairs
