Daily Current Affairs- 5th August 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 5th August 2026

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026

In the News: The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25, 2026 by the Ministry of Home Affairs. It proposes a legal framework for managing foreign contributions and assets belonging to organisations whose FCRA registration has ceased. The Bill amends the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010.

Key Points:

• When Registration Ceases: An organisation’s FCRA certificate may cease after cancellation, voluntary surrender, rejection of renewal or failure to apply for renewal before expiry. The new provisions will also cover assets created wholly or partly from foreign contributions received earlier.
• Designated Authority: The Union government may appoint a Designated Authority to supervise, manage or dispose of foreign contributions and related assets. Such property may initially vest provisionally in the Authority and may later be vested permanently under prescribed conditions.
• Use of Vested Assets: Permanently vested assets may be transferred to a Union or state government entity or sold for public purposes. Proceeds from their disposal will be deposited in the Consolidated Fund of India, while the religious character of any place of worship must be preserved.
• Key Functionaries: The Bill defines key functionaries as persons exercising substantial control over an organisation’s management or financial affairs. Functionaries of a defunct organisation will be required to inform the government and assist in identifying foreign-funded assets.

Bankers Books Evidence Bill, 2026 Explained: Key Changes, Electronic Records

In the News: The Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 3, 2026 and passed by the House on August 5. It seeks to replace the Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 1891 and modernise the admissibility of banking records in judicial proceedings. Its principal focus is the recognition and authentication of electronic banking records.

Key Points:

• Replacement of Colonial Law: The proposed legislation replaces the 1891 Act, which allowed certified copies of bank entries to be used as evidence without producing original books. The new Bill updates this framework for present-day digital banking systems.
• Electronic Records: Digital or electronic bank records will be admissible when they are certified as true copies or appropriately derived from the original system. The certification must establish that the record has not been altered without authorisation.
• Integrity of Data: Banks must certify that no system malfunction, tampering or other event has affected the accuracy of the record. This requirement is intended to strengthen evidentiary reliability in cases involving online transactions and digital account statements.
• Appearance of Bank Officers: A bank officer will ordinarily not be required to produce original records or appear as a witness. A court may require such appearance only for a special cause, including doubts about authenticity, interrupted record-keeping or failure to comply with an inspection order.

Indian Statistical Institute Bill Introduced in Lok Sabha

In the News: The Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 3, 2026 by Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh. It seeks to replace the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959 and modernise the institution’s governance structure. The Bill retains ISI’s status as an institution of national importance.

Key Points:

• Institutional Status: The Bill proposes to incorporate ISI as a body corporate with perpetual succession and an independent legal identity. It may hold property, enter contracts and perform functions associated with an institution of national importance.
• Visitor of the Institute: The President of India will serve as the Visitor of ISI. The Visitor will have powers associated with reviewing the functioning of the institution and ensuring conformity with the proposed law.
• Board of Governors: The Board of Governors will be the principal executive and policy-making body. Its chairperson may be an eminent person from academia, industry, public policy, education or statistical sciences, and the Board will remain accountable under the statutory framework.
• Academic Council: An Academic Council headed by the Director will function as the principal academic body. It will include full-time professors and faculty members and will oversee teaching, research, courses and academic standards.
• Expanded Academic Scope: The original 1959 law primarily covered statistics, while subsequent amendments expanded ISI’s mandate to mathematics, quantitative economics and computer science. The 2026 Bill seeks to accommodate newer fields such as data science and emerging statistical disciplines.

SC Extends 10 km Mining Buffer Rule to Wetland Reserves Across India

In the News: The Supreme Court clarified that its restriction on mining within ten kilometres of the Asan Wetland Conservation Reserve in Uttarakhand would apply to wetland conservation reserves across India. Mining within this zone will require approval from the competent wildlife and environmental authorities. The clarification arose during proceedings concerning a reserve in Himachal Pradesh.

Key Points:

• Original Direction: In February 2024, the Supreme Court had restrained mining within ten kilometres of the Asan Wetland Conservation Reserve without permission from the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife or the Ministry of Environment.
• Nationwide Application: The Court clarified that similar protection cannot be restricted to one wetland or one state. Wetland conservation reserves situated in comparable ecological regions must receive equivalent protection, subject to verification by the competent authorities.
• Nature of Restriction: The direction is not an unconditional prohibition on every mining activity within ten kilometres. Mining may be considered only after statutory examination and approval by the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife or the environment ministry.
• Asan Wetland: The Asan Conservation Reserve is located in Uttarakhand and is recognised as a Ramsar site. Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention adopted in 1971.
• Legal Framework: Conservation reserves are a category of protected area under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The category was introduced through the 2002 amendment to protect government-owned land adjoining national parks, sanctuaries and wildlife corridors.

Money Bill route pending before Supreme Court, Government chooses it to raise strength of judges

In the News: Parliament completed consideration of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in August. The Bill increases the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India, taking the total strength from 34 to 38. Its certification as a Money Bill has renewed debate because the constitutional validity of similar classifications remains pending before the Supreme Court.

Key Points:

• Increase in Strength: The Bill amends the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 and adds four judges to the Court. Article 124(1) of the Constitution permits Parliament to prescribe the number of Supreme Court judges by law.
• Ordinance Route: Before the Bill was introduced, the President promulgated an ordinance on May 16, 2026 under Article 123. The legislation seeks to replace that ordinance and give permanent statutory effect to the increased strength.
• Money Bill Procedure: Under Articles 109 and 110, a Money Bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha may recommend changes within 14 days but cannot amend or reject it, and no joint sitting is provided for resolving disagreement.
• Reason for Classification: The additional judges will involve salaries, allowances and administrative expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of India. This financial consequence formed the basis for treating the legislation as a Money Bill, although its principal subject concerns judicial strength.
• Pending Constitutional Issue: A seven-judge Constitution Bench is yet to settle the wider question of when legislation may validly be certified as a Money Bill. The dispute concerns the meaning of the word “only” in Article 110 and the extent to which the Speaker’s certification may be judicially reviewed.

Hiroshima Day 2026

In the News: Hiroshima Day is observed on August 6, 2026, marking the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. The annual Peace Memorial Ceremony was held at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. A moment of silence and the ringing of the Peace Bell took place at 8:15 a.m., the time of the bombing.

Key Points:

• Historical Background: On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped the uranium-based atomic bomb known as “Little Boy” on Hiroshima. The bomb was carried by the B-29 bomber Enola Gay.
• Human Impact: The bombing destroyed a large part of the city and caused extensive deaths from the explosion, burns and radiation. Approximately 140,000 people are estimated to have died in Hiroshima by the end of 1945.
• 2026 Ceremony: The programme included the placement of names in the Register of the Deceased Atomic Bomb Victims, silent prayer, ringing of the Peace Bell and the reading of Hiroshima’s Peace Declaration. Representatives of governments and international organisations attended the commemoration.
• Hibakusha: Survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings are known as Hibakusha. Their testimonies have played a significant role in global campaigns for nuclear disarmament and in preserving the historical memory of the bombings.
• 2026 Message: The commemoration focused on remembrance, nuclear disarmament and opposition to growing reliance on nuclear deterrence. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui urged world leaders to move away from policies that legitimise the continued possession of nuclear weapons.