Current Affairs 10 August 2026

GI-Tagged Mithila Makhana

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) facilitated the first-ever commercial sea shipment of GI-tagged Mithila Makhana from Bihar to Australia. The consignment comprised 18 metric tonnes of premium-quality raw Mithila Makhana and was shipped from the BIADA Industrial Area at Bihta, Bihar. Bihar is the principal Makhana-producing State in India; the government release states that it accounts for nearly 85% of India’s Makhana production.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

The Government of India has clarified that Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions will continue to remain free for individual users. All Person-to-Person (P2P) transactions will continue without transaction charges. The clarification followed concerns over the proposed amendment to Section 10A of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which has been passed by the Lok Sabha, proposes changes to Section 10A of the PSS Act. The amendment is an enabling provision and does not itself impose charges on ordinary UPI users. Once the legislative process is completed, the proposed UPI and Services Steering Committee headed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) will decide whether any Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) should be introduced.

UPI has grown into a major component of India’s digital-payment infrastructure. In July 2026 alone, UPI processed 2,366 crore transactions worth ₹29.9 lakh crore, according to the Ministry of Finance. In FY 2025–26, UPI processed 24,161.69 crore transactions valued at ₹314.23 lakh crore.

India Crosses 300 GW Non-Fossil Fuel Power Capacity

India’s installed electricity generation capacity from non-fossil fuel sources crossed 300 GW, reaching 300.50 GW as of July 31, 2026. This represents more than 60% of India’s target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based installed capacity by 2030.Solar power is the largest contributor with 164.59 GW, followed by wind power at 58.14 GW, large and small hydro power at 57.24 GW, bio-power at 11.75 GW and nuclear power at 8.78 GW. Non-fossil sources now constitute more than 54% of India’s total installed electricity generation capacity of around 552 GW.

E-Samudra Platform

E-Samudra provides end-to-end digital workflows, online payments, real-time application tracking and digitally issued certificates. It is intended to shift maritime administration from an office-based system towards Digital First and Faceless Governance, improving Ease of Living for seafarers and Ease of Doing Business for maritime stakeholders. The current portal indicates that more than 72 maritime services are being unified under the platform.

Q1. GI-tagged Mithila Makhana, which was recently exported to Australia in its first commercial sea shipment, is primarily associated with which State?
A. Uttar Pradesh
B. Bihar
C. Madhya Pradesh
D. Odisha

Q2. In the context of the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, what is the full form of MDR?
A. Merchant Deposit Ratio
B. Market Discount Rate
C. Merchant Discount Rate
D. Monetary Discount Regulation

Q3. The ‘E-Samudra’ platform, launched to provide integrated digital services to seafarers and other maritime stakeholders, is associated with which Union Ministry?
A. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
B. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
C. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
D. Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying

Q4. Against India’s target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based installed electricity capacity by 2030, how much capacity had been achieved as of July 31, 2026?
A. 250.50 GW
B. 275.25 GW
C. 300.50 GW
D. 350.00 GW