Current Affairs 31 August 2026

India Sets 1st National Standards for Mortuary Facilities.

India’s first national minimum standards for mortuary and post-mortem infrastructure have been finalized by the DGHS.
Cold storage: 4°C–8°C temperature with a minimum capacity of 4 bodies.
Body identification: Unique serial numbers and separate storage for Medico-Legal Case (MLC) remains.
Location norms: Mortuaries must be on the ground floor, away from patient areas; basements are prohibited.
Staffing: For up to 100 autopsies annually — 2 doctors, 2 technicians and 2 assistants.
Autopsy block: Minimum 4,000 sq. ft., including a 2,000-sq.-ft. operating area.
Facilities must comply with biomedical waste management and fire-safety norms.

iFMS has been integrated with Meri Fasal Mera Byora and AgriStack for data-driven fertilizer management.
The system covers 14+ crore Aadhaar-linked buyers, 2.5 lakh+ retailers and around 7 crore MT of annual fertilizer sales.
It manages nearly ₹2 lakh crore in annual fertilizer subsidy.
QR-based booking and AgriStack IDs will verify land ownership and fertilizer requirements.
Vehicle Location Tracking will monitor fertilizer movement and detect delays or unusual routes.
The upgraded e-Bill System, integrated with PFMS, enables paperless processing of fertilizer subsidy claims.

India and Uzbekistan upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during PM Modi’s August 2026 visit.
Cooperation will expand in defence, critical minerals and Digital Public Infrastructure.
Trade target: $5 billion by 2030, up from the current $1+ billion.
India and Uzbekistan agreed on long-term uranium supply and cooperation in critical minerals.
A Foreign Ministers-level Coordination Council was established, with the Joint Commission also upgraded.
PM Modi received Uzbekistan’s Oliy Darajali Do’stlik Order, the country’s prestigious friendship award.
Both sides signed an agreement to conserve the Buddhist sites of Fayaz Tepa and Kara Tepa.

Zhao Zongqi, former Western Theatre Command chief, was expelled from the CPPCC, China’s top political advisory body.
He previously commanded the PLA’s Western Theatre Command, responsible for the India-China border.
Zhao oversaw Chinese forces during the 2017 Doklam standoff and 2020 Galwan clash.
His removal is part of President Xi Jinping’s broader military purge.
The purge has also affected senior Central Military Commission officials, including Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli.
The shake-up has significantly reduced the number of active members in China’s Central Military Commission.

India and China agreed on an 8-point consensus to advance boundary talks and stabilize border relations.
The framework includes an early harvest plan focused on immediate border issues and de-escalation.
The agreement was reached during NSA Ajit Doval’s Beijing visit.
The consensus is seen as a step toward improving India-China ties ahead of President Xi Jinping’s expected Delhi visit.
The talks also covered regional security and broader Indo-Pacific strategic issues.