Current Affairs 16 August 2026

NIELIT Organises CYBER KUSHTI 2026 Cybersecurity Hackathon.

• NIELIT, under MeitY, launched CYBER KUSHTI 2026, a national Cybersecurity and AI Hackathon.
• The hackathon focuses on AI-driven cybersecurity and threat scoring.
• It emphasizes human judgment and accuracy in assessing cyber threats.
• Akhada: Online round on 15 September 2026; 50 teams qualify.
• Dangal: Online round on 24 September 2026; 10 finalists selected.
• Kesari: Final round on 9 October 2026 at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.
• Finalists will defend their threat assessments at NCCDFI 2026.

2026 BRICS Environment Working Group Meeting Held in India.

• India hosted the BRICS Environment Working Group Meeting on 17–18 August 2026.
• Venue: Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• Representatives and Environment Ministers of BRICS countries participated.
• The meeting focused on environmental cooperation among BRICS nations.
• BRICS was established in 2006 as BRIC; South Africa joined in 2010.
• BRICS expanded in January 2024 with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and UAE.
• The first BRICS Summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009.

Centre Launches FAST-DS for Foreign Asset Disclosure.

• FAST-DS was notified by CBDT on 16 August 2026 for one-time disclosure of undisclosed foreign assets/income.
• Declaration deadline: 31 December 2026.
• Valuation date: 31 March 2026.
• Category 1: Undisclosed foreign assets/income up to ₹1 crore — 60% total tax.
• Category 2: Foreign assets up to ₹5 crore acquired while non-resident or from taxed income — ₹1 lakh fee.
• Payment: Within 2 months of the tax authority’s order; extension up to 4 months with 1% monthly interest.
• Valid declarations provide immunity from prosecution and additional penalties under the Black Money Act.
• Exclusion: Proceeds of crime under the PMLA, 2002 are not covered.

VIHAAN Chip Achieves First-Pass Silicon Success.

• Aheesa Digital Innovations achieved first-pass silicon success with VIHAAN, a broadband chip.
• VIHAAN is powered by the indigenous VEGA Microprocessor based on RISC-V architecture.
• Developed under the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme of MeitY.
• First-pass silicon success means the chip worked successfully in its first manufacturing run.
• The chip is designed for broadband connectivity and high-speed data communication.
• The initiative supports the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) and domestic chip-design ecosystem.

Office of PSA Introduces RSVC-AMRIT for Rural Innovation.

• PSA launched the RSVC-AMRIT platform on 16 August 2026.
• The platform was developed by NABARD.
• It aims to promote rural innovation and technology transfer.
• It will help strengthen rural value chains and agricultural marketing.
• The platform uses digital technology to improve rural-sector services.
• The initiative involves PSA, NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
• It will support rural entrepreneurs and stakeholders.