Current Affairs 23 August 2026

Chhattisgarh Makes History as First Inland State to Export Tilapia.

Chhattisgarh becomes India’s first inland state to export value-added Tilapia products.
382 tonnes of Tilapia products exported to the United States.
India’s fish production reached a record 198 lakh tonnes in FY 2025–26.
₹73,890.46 crore worth of seafood exported in FY 2025–26.
Nearly ₹900 crore invested in fisheries under PMMSY in Chhattisgarh.
34 fisheries production and processing clusters are being developed nationwide.
Focus on modern technologies such as IoT, Biofloc and RAS to boost aquaculture and exports.

PhonePe signed an MoU with MeitY to integrate its PulsePro platform with PM GatiShakti.
PulsePro data will be integrated into the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan portal.
The integration aims to support data-driven infrastructure planning.
Aggregated and anonymized transaction data will provide hyperlocal market insights.
The portal is managed in collaboration with BISAG-N.

RIL proposes a ₹2.73 lakh crore investment for India’s first integrated Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) complex.
Location: Eluru district, Andhra Pradesh — Chintalapudi and Recherla coal blocks.
Estimated coal reserves: 3,130.61 million tonnes.
Technology: UCG will convert deep-seated coal (600+ metres) into syngas in-situ.
Investment Phases: ₹3,000 crore (2026–27), ₹1.20 lakh crore (2028–30), and ₹1.50 lakh crore (2030 onwards).
Strategic alignment: Supports the National Coal Gasification Mission target of gasifying 100 MT of coal by 2030.
Employment: Expected to generate 3,000–5,000 direct and 20,000–35,000 indirect jobs.

Two Parsi doctors from Mumbai nominated for Pakistan’s Nishan-e-Imtiaz, its highest civilian honour.
Reason: Maintaining confidentiality about Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s terminal illness during the 1947 Partition era.
Recipients: One physician and one radiologist.
Historical significance: Their discretion regarding Jinnah’s health is considered significant to events surrounding the creation of Pakistan in 1947.
Nomination: Processed by the Awards Committee, chaired by Ahsan Iqbal.

PMFPL launched India’s first dedicated Loan Against Silver product.
Became the first NBFC to establish branches exclusively for silver-backed loans.
Loan range: ₹2,000 to ₹15 lakh.
Collateral: Silver jewellery, ornaments and approved silver coins.
Target: Individuals, proprietors and MSMEs seeking short-term funds.
Launch location: Chandigarh, with phased expansion planned.
Launched under RBI’s 2025 Lending Against Gold and Silver Collateral Directions.