Current affairs, 28 August 2026: PM Jan Dhan Yojana turns 12, the Navy gets its first indigenous Multi-Purpose Vessel Samarthak, and India signs for US Javelin missiles

28 August 2026 carries three exam-ready stories: a banking and financial-inclusion milestone as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana turns twelve, and two defence headlines — the Navy’s first indigenous Multi-Purpose Vessel and India’s first contracted buy of the US Javelin anti-tank missile. Names, dates and numbers below.

PM Jan Dhan Yojana completes 12 years

The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) — India’s National Mission for Financial Inclusion, launched on 28 August 2014 — completed 12 years on 28 August 2026. As on 19 August 2026, the scheme had 59.09 crore accounts and ₹3,16,514 crore (about ₹3.17 lakh crore) in deposits, up from ₹15,670 crore in March 2015, with 41.29 crore free RuPay debit cards issued. The Tribune

The reach skews to the groups the scheme was built for: women hold 55.7% (32.92 crore) of the accounts and 77.8% (45.95 crore) are in rural and semi-urban areas; the average balance is about ₹5,356 per account. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said the point of PMJDY is less the account count than the way it has put formal finance within reach of “the last person in society” without middlemen. DD India

For revision: PMJDY is run by the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance; it is the “J” in the JAM trinity (Jan Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile) that carries Direct Benefit Transfer; and its account comes with a zero balance, a RuPay card, ₹2 lakh accident insurance and an overdraft of up to ₹10,000.

Navy takes delivery of its first indigenous Multi-Purpose Vessel, Samarthak

The Indian Navy on 27 August 2026 took delivery of Samarthak (“The Proponent”), its first indigenously designed and built Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPV), from Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at the Kattupalli shipyard near Chennai. It is the lead ship of two MPVs ordered under an ₹887 crore “Buy (Indian)” contract signed with the Ministry of Defence in March 2022; the second, Utkarsh, is under construction. The Financial Express

The 107-metre, 3,750-tonne-plus ship, launched in October 2024, carries over 75% indigenous content and is built as a flexible enabler rather than a frontline warship: a trials and evaluation platform for new naval systems and weapons, and an asset for maritime surveillance, offshore patrol and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). The Ministry of Defence called it another step for Aatmanirbhar Bharat in shipbuilding. ET Government

India signs for the US Javelin anti-tank missile

On 28 August 2026, the Indian Army signed a US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LoA) to buy the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank guided missile through the emergency procurement route, a deal worth roughly ₹292–294 crore (about $93 million) covering missiles, command-launch units and lifecycle support. It is India’s first contracted purchase of the Javelin, a weapon it had sought since around 2010. The Hindu BusinessLine

The Javelin is built by the Javelin Joint Venture of RTX (Raytheon) and Lockheed Martin; the deal was announced by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and, the US embassy said, opens discussions on mutually beneficial co-production in India. ThePrint

What to write in your notebook

Three lines:

1. PMJDY at 12: launched 28 August 2014; as on 19 August 2026 — 59.09 crore accounts, ₹3.17 lakh crore deposits, 41.29 crore RuPay cards; women 55.7%, rural/semi-urban 77.8%; run by DFS, Ministry of Finance; the “J” in JAM.
2. Samarthak: Navy’s first indigenous Multi-Purpose Vessel, delivered by L&T (Kattupalli) on 27 August 2026; ₹887 crore, March 2022 MoD contract for two MPVs (second: Utkarsh); 107 m, >75% indigenous; Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
3. Javelin: Indian Army signed a US FMS LoA on 28 August 2026 for the FGM-148 Javelin ATGM under emergency procurement (~₹292–294 crore); built by RTX–Lockheed Martin; announced by US Ambassador Sergio Gor, with co-production talks to follow.