UPSC Daily Current Affairs| One Liners 04-08-2026

One Liners 04-08-2026

History, Art and Culture

Dhimsa dance

Dhimsa dance was officially set as a Guinness World Record with over 13,000 tribal women and student participants.

• Context – Dhimsa dance is performed recently in Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport inauguration.
• Dhimsa translates to the "sound of footsteps".
• Origin & Region – A traditional tribal folk dance native to the Eastern Ghats region (such as the Araku Valley and Paderu in Andhra Pradesh, closely linked with neighboring Koraput in Odisha).
• Significance – Traditionally performed to honor village deities, celebrate good harvests, weddings, and foster community unity

International Relations and Issues

Water bombers

Water-bombing aircraft have resumed crucial operations across Greece.

• Water bombers are specialized firefighting aircraft, notably fixed-wing planes and helicopters, used to drop water or fire retardants on wildfire.

• Firefighters are focusing on three highly volatile areas west of Athens: Psatha, Kryo Pigadi, and Kandyli.
• Crews are tackling severe blazes across the Boeotia and Attica regions
• Greece capital – Athens.

Economy

Near-universal banking coverage in India

India has achieved near-universal banking coverage, with 99.92 % of the country.

• Inhabited villages now having access to a banking outlet within a five-kilometre radius, according to information.

• Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), under which 58.77 crore bank accounts have been opened across the country.
• Other technology-driven initiatives –
  • NABARD’s e-KYC application
  • Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare’s KRISHIKA platform

Central bank has introduced ‘MuleHunter’, an artificial intelligence-based tool designed to identify money mule accounts and assist banks in preventing financial crimes.

RBI’s special swap facility

The Reserve Bank of India’s concessional swap facility attracted $40.816 billion in foreign exchange inflows.

• The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) swap window is a special US Dollar-Rupee foreign exchange facility launched to attract foreign inflows, lower bank hedging costs, and strengthen India's balance of payments.
• It primarily covers Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) [FCNR(B)] deposits,
  • External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs), and
  • Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings (OFCBs).
• According to the latest RBI data, Foreign Currency Non-Resident Bank, FCNRB deposits accounted for the bulk of the inflows at 36.72 billion dollars
  • The Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings OFCBs contributed 2.57 billion dollars.
  • External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) mobilised a further 1.5 billion dollars.

Environment

Glaw Lake

Glaw Lake in the Lohit district has been officially designated as Arunachal Pradesh’s first Ramsar site.

• Location – Inside the Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary in the Eastern Himalayas.
• Water source – Fed naturally by pure, flowing mountain streams.
• It held as a sacred, deeply respected site by the local Mishmi community.
• India has 101 Ramsar sites.
  • Tamil Nadu has the highest count with 20 sites.
  • West Bengal protects the largest total surface area.
• Top countries by number of sites in world
  • United Kingdom – 175–176 sites
  • Mexico – 144 sites
  • India – 101 sites

Roadmap for Active Management of Tigers in India - report

• Released by – National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
• Bengal tiger numbers in India may have increased significantly over the last decade.
• Nearly two-thirds of India’s 58 tiger reserves either have a declining prey base or inadequate habitat or both.
• Only 20 tiger habitats possess positives in terms of both prey factor and habitat quality.
• With 75 per cent of the world’s tigers counting to 3,682, spread across 58 reserves, India remains the global leader in tiger conservation,

Security

Exercise ROTOR CLAP III

The Exercise ROTOR CLAP III has been concluded recently.

• It is a specialized counter-drone military drill.
• Organizer – Indian Air Force (IAF)
• Location – Pokhran Field Firing Range, Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan.
• Theme – Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (Counter-UAS)
• Held – Annually (1^st held in 2024).

Science

Znamya-2 – Orbital Space Mirror Experiment

• Znamya-2 was a 1993 Russian orbital space mirror experiment that briefly reflected sunlight onto Earth's night side.

• Specifications of Znamya-2
  • Material composition – Aluminium-coated thin plastic (Mylar film).
  • Total Mass – Less than 4 kilograms (9 pounds).
  • Illuminated footprint – A moving bright spot roughly 5 kilometers across on Earth's surface, with brightness comparable to a full moon.
• Benefits of space mirrors
  • Redirects sunlight to generate clean electricity through the night.
  • Extends agriculture growing seasons in regions with short daylight periods.
• Concerns
  • Light pollution – Severe disruption to nocturnal wildlife, agricultural biological clocks, and human circadian rhythms.
  • Astronomical interference – Unwanted reflection beams severely obstruct sensitive deep-sky observations and research data collected by professional observatories.
  • Planetary boundaries – Criticized as an intrusive form of techno-interference with natural day-night cycles.

Health

India Top’s Donor Organ Transplants

India retains global leadership in living donor organ transplants said by minister in 16th Indian Organ Donation Day (IODD) observed recently.

• Organised by – National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO).
• Nodal ministry – Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
• Total 20,138 Organ Transplants Performed in 2025 in India – Highest Ever in a Single Year.
• India ranks 3^rd Worldwide in total Organ Transplants (behind only the United States and China).
• Deceased Donor Organ Transplants Increase More Than Fourfold, Rising from 837 in 2013 to 3,526 in 2025.
• Union Minister has launched 'Jug Jug Jiyo Abhiyaan', e-प्रत्यारोपण Platform and NOTTO Mobile App.
• National Brain Stem Death Certification Guidelines and National Guidelines on Swap Transplantation Released to Strengthen Organ Transplantation Framework.

Miscellaneous

Commonwealth Games 2026 - Final Medal Tally

Recently Commonwealth Games 2026 has been concluded in Glasgow, Scotland.

• Top Nations Medal Standings
  • Australia – 171 total medals (70 Gold).
  • England – 110 total medals.
  • Canada – 62 total medals (19 Gold, 20 Silver, 23 Bronze).
  • India – 39 total medals (13 Gold, 17 Silver, 9 Bronze).
  • Scotland – 39 total medals (13 Gold, specific lower silver count than India).
• India's Sport-wise Breakdown
  • Boxing – 10 medals (7 Gold, 3 Silver) - India's best-ever boxing performance.
  • Athletics – 10 medals.
  • Weightlifting – 8 medals.
  • Para-athletics – 6 medals.
  • Judo – 4 medals.
  • Para powerlifting – 1 medal.
• Next 2030 Commonwealth Games will be hosted in Ahmedabad, India (marking the landmark centenary edition since 1930).