Current Affairs 05 August 2026

Indian Railways Posts 9% Growth in Freight Loading in July.

Indian Railways recorded 9% YoY growth in freight loading in July 2026.
Freight loading: 141.3 million tonnes, up from 129.7 MT in July 2025.
Highest growth: Iron ore – 22.2%; fertilizers – 12%; food grains and coal – 11.5% each.
Freight earnings: Increased 8% YoY, adding ₹1,137 crore.
Top zonal growth: East Central & Eastern Railway – 33% each.
Passengers: 63.35 crore carried in July 2026.

Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov visited New Delhi on 5 August 2026.
Trade: India–Uzbekistan bilateral trade reached nearly $1 billion.
Critical Minerals: Both sides focused on rare earths and critical mineral mining.
Strategic Cooperation: Expanded collaboration in infrastructure, energy, defence and digital technology.
Multilateral Support: Uzbekistan backed India’s 2026 BRICS Presidency; India supported Uzbekistan’s NAM chairmanship bid for 2027–29.

IIT Patna developed a hybrid magneto-rheometer for advanced Magnetorheological (MR) fluid testing.
Developed under Prof. Chiranjit Sarkar, with funding from the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
Measures flow, deformation, friction and wear of MR fluids.
Tests fluids under combined compression and shear forces.
Applications: Aerospace, defence, healthcare and industrial automation.
Potential uses include shock absorbers, vibration control systems, dampers and actuators.

Banking Coverage: 99.92% of India’s 6,01,328 inhabited villages have banking access within 5 km.
Villages Covered: 6,00,868 villages served through bank branches, Business Correspondents or IPPB centres.
Infrastructure: 1.81 lakh bank branches, 17.36 lakh Business Correspondents and 1.65 lakh IPPB centres.
PMJDY: 58.77 crore accounts with a combined balance of ₹3.12 lakh crore.
Rural Banking Mandate: 25% of new branches by commercial and regional rural banks must be in unbanked rural areas.
Digital Initiatives: Jan Dhan Darshak, Kisan Rin Portal and Jan Samarth support banking and credit access.

2026 Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List released on 1 August 2026, featuring 117 women across 12 sectors.
Meena Bindra (BIBA) topped the overall list.
Tushara Shankar (Lupin) ranked 2nd, while Rajni Bector ranked 3rd.
Vaishali Nigam Sinha (ReNew Power) secured 4th position.
Avani Lekhara ranked 6th, making her the youngest woman in the overall top 10.
Sheetal Devi topped the Youngest Leaders category.
Rajni Bector (86) topped the Oldest Leaders category.