Daily Current Affairs · 23 August 2026
UPSC Prelims Current Affairs: 23 August 2026
TV advertisement rules ease, two BRICS tracks conclude, the Army raises its first drone battalion, and a Navy warship and an RBI forex facility make news.
Government removes 12-minute-per-hour cap on TV advertisements
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting notified the Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2026 in the Gazette on 21 August 2026, omitting sub-rule (11) of rule 7 of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, which had capped television advertisements at 12 minutes per clock hour since 2006. The Ministry said the cap, introduced when only 62 TV channels existed, no longer suited a fully digitised broadcasting sector of more than 900 channels facing competition from digital media, which carries no comparable advertising ceiling. The government said removing the cap would give broadcasters greater commercial flexibility, promote fair competition with digital platforms, and improve ease of doing business.
BRICS Tourism Ministers adopt the Jaipur Declaration
The BRICS Tourism Ministers' Communique 2026, chaired by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, concluded in Jaipur on 21 August 2026 with the adoption of the Jaipur Declaration, marking the culmination of the BRICS Tourism Track under India's 2026 chairship. The declaration sets out four priorities: artificial intelligence in tourism, sustainability and responsible tourism, tourism skilling and capacity building, and seamless travel facilitation, and commits member countries to cooperate on destination management, multilingual communication and the exchange of tourism data. Tourism ministers and delegations from nine BRICS member countries took part, and India held bilateral tourism discussions on the sidelines with Brazil, Iran, South Africa and the UAE.
Army raises its first Baaz Battalion of drones in Punjab
The Indian Army has raised its first Baaz Battalion, a dedicated unit for drone operations, under the Jalandhar-based Vajra Corps (11 Corps), known as the defenders of Punjab, it was reported on 22 August 2026. The battalion is named after 'Baaz', a bird of prey, and is meant to enhance aerial agility, responsiveness and battlefield reach, serving as the Corps' 'eyes in the sky'. The Vajra Corps' General Officer Commanding said technology, innovation and operational excellence would sharpen the aerial edge for the future battlefield.
Cochin Shipyard delivers 'Mangrol', third indigenous anti-submarine warfare craft, to Navy
Cochin Shipyard Limited delivered 'Mangrol', the third of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWCs) it is indigenously designing and building for the Indian Navy, on 21 August 2026. Built to Det Norske Veritas classification rules with approximately 80 per cent indigenous content, the vessel is powered by a diesel engine-waterjet propulsion system and carries lightweight torpedoes, indigenous ASW rockets and shallow-water sonars for anti-submarine, search and rescue, and mine-laying operations in coastal waters. The ship is named after the coastal township of Mangrol in Gujarat's Surat district.
BRICS Youth Ministers' Meeting adopts joint statement in Visakhapatnam
The BRICS Youth Ministers' Meeting, led by Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, concluded in Visakhapatnam on 22 August 2026 with the adoption of a Joint Statement on strengthening youth cooperation, building on the BRICS Youth Summit and Youth Council Meeting held earlier in Gandhinagar. The statement covers education, training and skills, youth entrepreneurship, science and technology, health and sports, environment and sustainability, and youth inclusion, among other areas, and was adopted under the overarching theme of India's BRICS Chairship 2026, 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'. On the sidelines, delegates took part in an 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' plantation drive, and India held bilateral talks with South Africa and the UAE on youth and sports cooperation.
Government restricts cold-medicine combinations for children below four years
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare notified on 22 August 2026 restrictions on the manufacture, sale and distribution of all fixed dose combinations containing Chlorpheniramine Maleate and Phenylephrine Hydrochloride, mandating a label warning that they must not be used in children below four years of age. The notification, issued under Section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, extends an earlier April 2025 restriction on select formulations to all such combinations, following recommendations of an Expert Committee and the Drugs Technical Advisory Board that flagged risks to young children and the availability of safer alternatives.
RBI's forex swap facility draws $72.85 billion in inflows
Data released by the Reserve Bank of India on 22 August 2026 showed its special USD-INR forex swap facility, introduced on 8 June 2026, had attracted total inflows of $72.85 billion as of 21 August 2026. FCNR(B) deposits accounted for $65.40 billion, nearly 90 per cent of the total, while Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings contributed $4.86 billion and External Commercial Borrowings $2.59 billion. The window for FCNR(B) deposits closes on 31 August 2026, while the facility remains open for ECBs and OFCBs until 31 December 2026.
Union Minister calls for India to move from 'Pharmacy of the World' to 'Laboratory of the World'
Addressing the IIMA Healthcare Summit 2026 in Ahmedabad on 23 August 2026, Union Minister of State Anupriya Patel said India must move beyond its identity as the 'Pharmacy of the World' to become the 'Laboratory of the World', driven by research, innovation and artificial intelligence in drug discovery, personalised treatment and disease surveillance. She said AI adoption in healthcare must remain safe, responsible and complementary to clinical judgement, and highlighted Centres of Excellence for AI in healthcare set up at AIIMS New Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh and AIIMS Rishikesh, alongside the government's Rs 5,000 crore Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech Sector (PRIP) scheme.