Daily Current Affairs Analysis | 28th August, 2026 | Shankar IAS Academy | UPSC | Mains 2026

[music] >> Hi, hello, and welcome to Shankar IAS Academy's daily current affairs analysis. And today's date is the 28th of August, 2026. So, please like, comment, share, and subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell icon to receive instant updates and all our notifications. For that, we also have a small announcement to make, that is our pre-storming test series starts from the 7th of September from this year. So, this is for the prelims examination 2027. There are 48 integrated test CSAT plus GS, uh, which is given in this test series. You have sectional tests and full tests in this. You'll have a detailed, um, discussion of all the tests that are happening. So, what are you waiting for? Please register. If you have any doubts, please call 9003090031 for any, um, requirements and any concerns. Now, moving to the topics of discussions for the day. Very, very important, that the heat waves that have been included in the disaster fund. Why is it happening? What happens with lightning and heat waves is what we're going to decode here. The second topic is about the Nepal flash floods. Yesterday, if you have seen the news, it's like the earth, the sky has shattered and it's come down to the earth. That's how gruesome it was. About 133 people were almost killed, and a lot of people have gone missing. So, what is the Nepal flash flood? How did it occur? What is the, uh, geographical angle that we have to note with regard to this is what we'll be, uh, decoding. And then, the small, smart border command center. You cannot go have a field everywhere. You cannot have, uh, some kind of border security everywhere. So, how do we use technology? What is this smart border that we are talking about is what we'll decode here. And the fourth one is about why India's climate-proof food and agriculture is very, very important for India. And how is the climate affecting the agricultural productivity? And the final one is a prelims focus for the day. Now, the first topic is taken from The Hindu. How can states use disaster funds for heat waves? Heatwave funding expands, but states must strengthen planning, implementation, and use it effectively. So, you see that heatwaves and lightning are now notified as calamities. Earlier, heat waves were not calamities. Right now, you see that when uh you have April or May, we all cannot live without AC. It has become a very, very integral part of us. Yes. So, now this has become a calamity, and we have our state disaster relief fund, which has also been allocated in case you have any kind of um calamity that is happening because of heat waves and lightning. In this background, let's uh attend and understand what heat waves are. So, first, heat waves. Heat waves are when you have a abnormally high temperature over a region for a prolonged period of time. So, let's say for a long period the uh the temperature is over 50 degrees, then it is an intense heat wave that is present in that area. So, now the plains and the coastal areas, hills, you have three kinds of areas, right? So, the temperature in which uh we are decoding as a heatwave will differ from area to area. So, first, if you take plains, it should reach 40°C or more. Only then it will be declared as a heat wave. Now, in coastal regions it should reach 37° C or more. Only then will it be declared as a heat wave. In hills, it should reach 30° C or more. Only then it will be declared as a heat wave. So, this is with regard to the heat wave. Now, the departure is that heat wave 4.5° C to 6.4° C above the normal temperature for any kind of station will be seen as a heat wave. Now, there are if it is more than 6.4°. So, let's say what do what do I mean by the departure time? So, let's say that 25° C is the usual um amount of temperature that I will have in a region. For example, now if it goes up to 4.5° C that reaches up to 29.5° C, it will be declared as a heat wave. Now, if this 25° C from that if I go for 6.4° C or more, then it is called as a intense heat wave. So, this is what is a departure basis and the severe heat wave. So, heat wave if maximum is more than 45° C or severely it will affect the area if it is more or less equal to 47° C. So, this is our basis. This is what we are going to deal with in the heat wave in particular. So, the notified natural calamity. So, what is the framework? Who decides what is what is a natural calamity and what is a notified natural calamity? So, you see that under the Disaster Management Act of 2005, all of the calamities are notified. In that regard, the Ministry of Home Affairs notified heat wave and lightning on August 4th, 2026. Very important for your prelims. Now, national calamity stands at 14 after the addition. Earlier, it was 12. Now, it is 14 with heat wave and light lightning added. Earlier, the 12 were cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloudburst, pest attack, cold wave and frost. You have all the 12 that are mentioned here. Along with this, we have lightning and heat wave that is present. The next one is that the effect What is the effect? After you have added heat wave and lightning, the state disaster risk management fund, which will have some amount of money, right? To help people when they are stuck with calamities or for rebuilding, rehabilitation. So, this both of these disasters have unlocked the pool fund that was present for disasters. That is the important thing to be noted. So, the disaster framework, the finance framework, how does it happen? You see that the state disaster response fund, it is for relief and reconstruction after the event has happened. Now, mitigation fund is a risk reduction project that is for long-term. Let's say in your area, it is flooding all the time. So, instead of every time taking a pump and taking all the flooded water, what can be done in that area to actually not have that flood come? Or even if the flood comes, how do we protect the area? When you're doing a long-term project like that, it comes under mitigation fund. But, when you're doing after the disaster has struck, when you're doing something it comes under the response fund. So here you are responding to the disaster. Here you are trying to prevent the impact of the disaster. So natural disaster response fund it also has a union's support for all the severe events and the national disaster mitigation fund is a national risk reduction financing that is present. So also you see that the total state funds that is 2.04 lakh crore that is 28% or more higher than what the FC has allocated for us. Again there is also a lot for the mitigation projects that's given and 79,406 crore for the NDMF and NDRF funds over the same five years. So this is what is happening. Now what happened before August 4th and what is going to happen after August 4th after both of this have been added to the list. So the first one is heat wave was earlier treated as a local disaster. Now it's not going to be treated as a local disaster it's a national disaster and it is notified as a natural calamity. So now earlier it did not have access to the funds or corpuses. Now and earlier it only had a 10% of annual SDRF allocation. Now it is going to have access for SDRF SDMF corpus. And it is going to be allocated. So it has separate norms for compensation of the corps and crops and lives. Now it is going to have compensation for heat waves and losses. Uh flood cyclones, they did not face any ceiling. Cooling shelters and early warning systems are also present. So, state DMA and state emergency operation center, they run both fund funds that are present. So, exposure, there are 35 indicators. Climate change exposure, vulnerability, all of this when heat index risk landscape of heat is calculated. Not just one indicator, 35 indicators are used and 57% of the Indian districts are covered in this and based on which uh their population, 3/4 of India's population live in the high-risk districts. And hot days are per year and very warm nights have both risen sharply. And there's a rising relative humidity, which reduces the body's ability to recover post heat. In health data, if you see, 4,853 heat stroke cases and 20 deaths have been present. And her health surveillance misses the heart, lung, and kidney conditions. This is also something to be noted. Now, there are gaps in implementation. If you see, only 300 cities districts have 23 heatwave prone states are there and 4,800 urban local bodies and 800 districts still do not have this um um heat prone protection and only 12 states have locally notified heat waves so far. So, 79% of this departments have to self-fund their actions. Local bodies also lack the capacity. So, they do not have the technical capacity to lack to actually draft what is required in the local realm. Uh also, heat specific guidelines from the home ministry also is awaited by the state home affairs is also awaited by the state. Also loss and damage data is still fragmented across ministries. So now you have to expand the half that is the heat action plan. Every district has different effects with regard to heat. So each district must draft a plan locally. After that the projects that is the mitigation projects that are present, they should be tuned to how the local climate and agriculture is present at that area and based on that they have to manage. Technical support also should be there with regard to the research bodies or any kind of innovation, any kind of hubs that are present. We should also strengthen our data on our impact of heat with regard to our organs like the heart, lungs and kidney. And heat solutions should be linked with the developmental schemes. Also auto payout once temperature crosses the agreed threshold. That is the insurance angle is also very very important here. And the Nagaland model, it extended rainfall parametric insurance approach to heat risk as well. This is something that can be quoted in our means as a example. Now with reference to heat waves in India's disaster management, consider the following statements. A heat wave in the plains is declared by the IMD when the maximum temperature reaches 40 degrees Celsius or more. First statement is absolutely right. So anything without one goes. Heat waves are added to India's list of notified natural calamities on the recommendation of the 15th Finance Commission. No, statement two is wrong. So anything with two should go away. Heat wave related expenditure can now be met from both the state disaster response fund and the state disaster mitigation fund. Yes. So, the answer should be option B. Let's check. Yes, the answer is option B, one and three only. With this, we have come to the end of this topic and let's move to the next topic for the day, which is a very, very interesting topic. Let's deal with it. The topic that we are going to discuss now is about the Nepal flash flood. Yesterday, if you see that about 157 people were killed in Nepal flash floods and hundreds of people went missing. And this is the image that you can see this the image of the flash floods that are coming about. So, you can see this is like a a mini wave of mud of uh uh water, everything mixed. And you can see that there is also a residential area that is present here. It is damaging the bridge that is present. It is damaging the residential area that is present. So, this is something that we have to discuss and about also about the uh measures that we are going to take to deal with this calamity. So, the news. So, you see that in the Rasuwagadhi strict that is present in the Nepal and China border, the Rasuwagadhi strict was hit. And the Bhotekoshi Bhotekoshi river system also was um flooded. So, 157 people were reportedly dead and 41 400 plus people were missing. And um including uh 133 Indians were also missing in that. So, now hydropower projects, roads, bridges, communication infrastructure, all of this was severely damaged. Now, you see flash flood is a sudden, rapid rise of water in low-lying areas. If you see this area, it is a low-lying area. Here within >> 6 hours of heavy rainfall there was a flood. Okay? So, first there was a ice and rock mass that was mixed together. So, this is typically a glacial outburst. So, both of that it broke and near the glacier zone along the Nepal-China border, it was about 20 km northeast of Rasuwagadhi and the landslide either blocked the Langtang Khola or it entered the glacial lake. So, water and the debris debris meaning the mud and other unwanted particles, all of that mixed together and it released a large surge of glacial ice with meltwater, rock, and debris. So, the surge of rushed water it came down. It triggered a debris-laden flash flood and the flash flood hit the Rasuwa district destroying the bridges, the roads, the villages, and the infrastructure. Now, if you see that this is the landslide route, here you have the Langtang Khola river and then you have the border port present here and that's the Trishuli river and here you have the Rasuwa district. So, it is flowing. This is the flash flood. This is the path of the flash flood and this is in the Nepal-Tibet border. So, if you see the flood was so destructive because the warning time was not there. That warning time was very very little. People present that did not have time to evacuate themselves and go to another area. There was so little time. And rocks, mud, and ice increased the destruction and because the terrain of the Himalayan areas is very steep, it is not very um you know uh it is not in a equal platform. It is very steep. Uh there the downstream flow is rapid. What do I mean by steep? So the steeper it is like this, the flow of water will be higher. So when you have a plain like area like this, the flow of water will be equal. So the infrastructures like roads, bridges and hydropower projects are all located in the river valleys because from the river valleys is where you take any amount of um infrastructure concentration. And it damages the roads, it damages power, it damages telecom and it hampers the rescue operations. So now if you see, there are interconnected hazards that is ice instability. Because the ice is unstable, the landslide led to flash flood and the flash flood led to debris flow because the water is going to flow in the land and it's going to take away all the mud and all the accumulated debris with it. So early warning and prediction is very very difficult. Also, the glacier instability will increase when there is warming. And permafrost thawing is also something that is a very very important area. You see Russia as an example in the global platform. What are the implications? >> So, this is about the permafrost thawing and the slope failure. Now, you see roads, bridges, hydropower, they face high risks. And also, when you have poor planning, when it starts out to be a hazard, but then there's poor planning, the hazards can move to become natural disasters. So, you see that the Bothe Bothe Koshi and Trishuli river joins at the Gandaki system. So, upstream disasters can also affect India. Also, the Indian Himalayan states would also have risks. And roads, bridges, and hydropower projects, they also may face flash floods and debris flow. So, we have to strengthen early warning systems, hazard mapping, and resilient infrastructure, and be prepared for disasters. Which one of the following factors can increase the risk of flash flood? Heavy rainfall, slow moving thunderstorm, and saturated soil. So, all three options should be right. Let's check. Yes, all three options are right. With this, we've come to the end of this topic, and let's move to the next topic for the day. The next topic for the day is about the smart border command center. This article is taken from The Hindu. So, it'll integrate AI sensor surveillance systems, control centers, and pilot projects that are going to start soon. This is what is the article in this. Let's see what the Ministry of Home Affairs has to say and what is the initiative in detail with this background. So, a technology-driven smart border architecture for India's land borders is something that the Ministry of Home Affairs and the government wants to implement. So, the first one is multiple command and control centers will connect the forward areas, field headquarters, and Delhi headquarters. So, you will have a common protocol, a common area wherein all of them will be aware of what is happening in the border, and this will have a faster threat detection, and a response also can be faster. The first one is artificial intelligence. >> So, the key technology you see AI used to detect threats using early warning systems, cameras and sensors, 24/7 surveillance you'll have and for highly sensitive areas it is very very important primal for us to have that drones and counter drones. So not all areas can be reached by human humans and also with naked eye you cannot survey survey all the areas that are present. It will also pose a threat for the humans who are going to that area. So drones and counter drones can be used in that regard. Image processing tools, high precision images can be generated, it can be taken to see that particular area and map the area for threat detection. And integrated surveillance systems we all know that that we are trying to bring in a theatrical command where in the air force, the navy, all of that will come in under one force. So the surveillance and the integrated surveillance systems will help us understand that and real and life feed system can have a comparative data so that in 2026 this is how it has been in 2027 this is how it has been. So because of the comparative data we can analyze and it can be used in policy making. And unified command and control uh platforms promote one theatrical command. So these are the key technologies. Why is it needed? It is needed because physical fencing is not feasible everywhere. So China border is a mountainous terrain and the portions remain undemarcated. Even now people in China are saying that Arunachal Pradesh is theirs. Right? So Bangladesh is a riverine and flood prone stretch. So again you cannot put a fence there. So drones is used for smuggling, reconnaissance and infiltration along the Pakistan border. So now this will reduce the dependence and have a physical patrolling and optimize the power that is present. So mountain challenge is difficult access. So we are using sensors, UAVs, and satellite surveillance. Rivers, it floods, changes channel, so smart sensors, cameras, and UAVs. Deserts, it's a large open area, so integrated surveillance. Forest, dense vegetation, AI-enabled sensors and cameras. Populated areas, high human activity, community and police intelligence. So, one size fits all approaches are unsuitable. This can be used for your mains, in particular in GS3. So, this border strategy involves border guarding forces plus local population, state police, plus technology. All of this should complement one another so that we can have an integrated approach. So, the whole government and the community-based border management will will have technology that is integrated in them and not only rely on the border forces that is present. So, India's land borders, if you see, India shares land borders with seven countries, that is Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The total land boundary is approximately 15,106.7 km and the broader district spans from about 17 states and union territories and the initiative is discussed. Now, you see this is the land border. You see that here you have the Pakistan border that is present. Here you have the Nepal border that is present. Here you have the India-China border that is present. Here you have Arunachal Pradesh, which also has a border with China. You see Bhutan, you see Bangladesh. So, there are a lot of international borders that are present. And here, which is why we need to have the broader protection. So, faster detection of infiltration will help us to have the threat gone very easily. Smuggling will reduce. Drone incursions can be shot down faster. Illegal cross-border networks can be shut down. So, inter-agency coordination will help us have a single unified command. More efficient deployment of manpower based on the intensity of the threat. So, reactive patrolling to predictive intelligence led border management will be there. The challenges are AI-generated false positives and algorithmic errors can be averted. Data integration can be present among multiple agencies. So, high cost of deployment and maintenance will be reduced. So, communication networks in remote terrain, the dependence will be reduced. So, privacy and data governance concerns where civilian areas, they can be monitored, and they can avert civilian life loss. Technology cannot controversially substitute human intelligence and protect human local communities, but then these can be used to prevent a lot of damage that is done. So, now we have come to the UPSC prelims question. Consider the following statements. It Consider the following statements regarding India's proposed smart border architecture. It It seeks to integrate AI sensors, drone surveillance systems through unified command and control centers. The system is intended to completely replace physical border guarding and human intelligence. Terrain-specific solutions are envisaged for mountain, riverine, desert, and forest borders. The initiative focuses among other things on countering drone-enabled smuggling and reconnaissance. So, completely replacing physical border and guarding is a very, very extreme statement and this we know that two will be absolutely wrong. So, option B, C, and D should go. The answer should be option A, one, three, and four only. Let's check. Yes, the answer is option A, one, three, and four only. With this, let's move to the main topic for the day. The main topic for the day is about making India's food system climate proof. So, India has now built an amount of food security. Now, it's It must climate proof it because when there is heat waves, you see the crops, they actually wilt uh and they, you know, give lower yields. So, especially wheat. It is a rabi crop. So, erratic rainfall and suddenly you have floods or droughts. And then ground water, if it is depleted, you do not have equal amount for irrigation. Extreme weather, it damages the storage and transport. So, supply disruptions, there is food price volatility. And crop process, it has reduced nutritional diversity. So, climate buffer is a set of safeguards that we have to bring in so that we protect the food security from climate shocks like droughts, floods, and heat waves. So, resilient infrastructure and climate forecast insurance is very, very important and it is needed and it is included in the climate buffer with efficient water management that is present. So, climate change when you see heat, floods, and droughts, it will affect yields. We have already seen this. So, regional concentration when you see rice and wheat in certain areas, if that is a primary crop, if it is not grown, it will affect the people present in that area. So, over extraction of ground water for irrigation also will affect the ground water that is present there and you cannot keep taking the ground water recharge for irrigation purposes alone. Especially in drought areas, you will not get it. So, also excess focus on cereals will also affect the nutritional security present in an area. So, there is also a poor storage and cold chains present in the post harvest loss and climate and supply shocks they raise prices. So, there is limited access to credit, insurance and technology. There is small holder vulnerability that is present. Also, there is a measure that should be taken by India for climate resilient agriculture. So, national innovation for climate resilient agriculture, it develops and demonstrate agricultural technologies. So, sustainable agriculture, the national mission is for sustainable soil, water and rain fed area management. Krishi Sinchayi Yojana is for per drop more crop. Promoting micro irrigation and water use efficiency. Soil health card scheme for balanced fertilizer use. Uh Krishi Vikas Yojana for organic and natural farming. Also, crop diversification program for millets, pulses, oil seeds and agroforestry. Uh climate resilient variety for heat, drought and floods when you have um any kind of calamity, the crops to be resilient over time. And biotechnology policy, the bio E3 policy is for biotechnology based agriculture. The way forward is that we have to have climate smart farming. We should diversify the crops, not just have one or two crops, primal crops, but diversify crop and procurement. Promote millets, pulses, oil seeds and uh region specific crops. Strengthen our climate information. So, what is the local weather forecast? What is the advisory? All all that. Build resilient infrastructure. build cold chains, build climate proof storage, roads, markets, and also have sustainable water management. So, reduce ground water dependence, expand crop insurance, link agriculture, water, and nutrition, and climate policy for sustainable food security. So, mains practice question, India has achieved food security, but climate change poses a growing threat to sustainability. Discuss the major vulnerabilities of India's food system to climate change and suggest measures to build a climate resilient food system. Please send us across the answer copies in the comment section so that we can help you aid better in the preparation. This is for 250 words. So, we know that for a 15-mark question, your answer should be in three pages. So, please send us across your answer copies and drop it below. We have come to the prelims focus for the day, which is taken from the Shankar IAS Academy's IAS Parliament website. Please do visit it. The first topic is about Periyar cow, the national recognition. So, you see that uh uh uh uh Periyar Kulan is the Kerala's second indigenous cattle breed after Vechur, and it is known locally known as Kuttempula cattle and Andu Kanni. So, it is found in Koovappady, Angamaly, Chalakudy, Ernakulam. So, around 1,000 cattle is spread across central Kerala farms. So, it is the color is small to medium brown in color. And 150 to 200 kg with unique horns hanging near the ears. So, the first breeding is at 26 months, and the calving is at 35 months, and the gestation period is about 279 days. So, you see that uh the next topic is about the patrol vessel. The Goa Shipyard formally handed over ICGs Ajit, the Indian Coast Guard. It is built with 65% of indigenous material, reflecting Atmanirbhar Bharat. The specification is 51.43 m long and 330 ton displacement with diesel engines. So, the performance is top speed is 27 knots and the endurance is 1,500 nautical miles. The systems advanced integrated machinery it controls system with controllable pitch propellers and it's operated by six officers and 35 sailors. Fisheries are protected. There's environmental the economic zone. A surveillance the anti-smuggling and the coastal patrol that is present. So, also in the judicial service practice requirement you see that the candidates exams between May 25, 2025 to March 31, 2027. So, the Supreme Court reduces mandatory three-year legal practice to one year for entry level. And selected candidates will be trained as judicial officers trainee judicial officers. And one year academic training will be followed by one year of clerkship. And then we the May 2025 ruling had barred fresh graduates by fixing a three-year criterion. So, now there is a ease of entry into the judiciary. So, with this we have come to the prelims practice question for the day. Consider the following statements with reference to IG ICGS Ajit recently handed over to the Indian Coast Guard. Consider the following statements. It was built by Goa Shipyard Limited with 65% indigenous content. It's classified as fast patrol vessel of the Indian Coast Guard. The top speed existing 27 knots with endurance of 1,500 nautical miles. Fisheries protection and anti-piracy operations fall outside the mandate of the vessel. So, you have four statements. Which of the statement given below is right? Please send us across the answer in the comment section and we'll respond back to it. Thank you for watching today's video. Thank you for watching me. Let's meet again in the new video in a new day. Thank you. >> [music] >> Mhm.