Daily Current Affairs Question-Answer (Q&A) 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 August 2026 (Special for Competitive Exams)
Daily Current Affairs: 14-18 August 2026
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In today’s highly competitive era, staying up to date with current affairs is crucial for clearing any competitive examination. Our goal is to ensure that current affairs never become a hurdle in your preparation, but rather your strongest scoring subject.
To save you time and provide you with the most authentic information, we meticulously collect daily news from top national and international sources, including PIB, The Hindu, AIR News, Indian Express, leading Hindi dailies, and major news channels. We provide Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and Yearly Current Affairs along with additional static facts. This content is highly beneficial for exams like UPSC, SSC, Bank, Railway, Defense, Insurance, and all state-level exams.
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We hope our effort proves to be a milestone in your success journey. Best wishes to all of you! Let's dive into today's current affairs:
Q1. Which country's postal department recently launched a postal remittance service connecting to India through 'PosTransfer' powered by UPI?
Answer: Qatar
Extra Facts:
- The service became operational through Qatar Post outlets from August 15, 2026.
- It enables customers living in Qatar to transfer money directly into UPI-enabled Indian bank accounts.
- About Qatar (At a glance):
- Capital: Doha
- Currency: Qatari Riyal
- Prime Minister: Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani
- President: None. (Qatar is an absolute monarchy led by the Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani).
Q2. India launched its first-ever Guide to which ecosystem during the 17th Session of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on August 17, 2026?
Answer: Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs)
Extra Facts:
- The guide was unveiled by Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav.
- The Minister highlighted the ecological and livelihood importance of grasslands, scrublands, ravines, and other open ecosystems.
- It covers Himalayan and Terai grasslands, Thar and Banni landscapes, Deccan savannas, rocky plateaus, coastal ecosystems, and deserts.
- The guide supports India’s Land Degradation Neutrality targets and was organized by ATREE with IUCN, CoE-SLM, ICFRE, and ISRO’s Space Applications Centre.
- About UNCCD:
- It is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.
- Established: 1994.
- Headquarters: Bonn, Germany.
Q3. Who has become only the fourth cricketer in Test history to achieve the 'double' of 4,000 runs and 350 wickets?
Answer: Ravindra Jadeja
Extra Facts:
- He reached the 350-wicket milestone against Sri Lanka in Galle.
- Jadeja dismissed Keshara Nuwantha to complete this historic landmark.
- He had already accumulated 4,108 Test runs in 90 matches.
- He joined Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, and Daniel Vettori in the elite all-rounders’ club.
- About BCCI:
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra (Wankhede Stadium).
- President: Roger Binny.
- Secretary: Devajit Saikia.
- Vice-President: Rajeev Shukla.
- Established: December 1928.
Q4. Which Independence Day did India celebrate on August 15, 2026, marking the completion of 79 years of freedom from British rule?
Answer: 80th Independence Day
Extra Facts:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the national flag and addressed the nation from the historic Red Fort.
- This year's celebrations were themed around 150 years of Vande Mataram and Yuva Shakti.
- This was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 13th consecutive Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15, 2026.
- His address laid out strategic economic goals, technological pushes, and social welfare targets under a unified long-term vision.
Q5. The Chief Minister of which state recently announced that India’s first government-driven Artificial Intelligence (AI) University will be set up in the state?
Answer: Karnataka
Extra Facts:
- Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar made this announcement to strengthen the state's technological infrastructure and innovation ecosystem.
- About Karnataka (At a glance):
- Capital: Bengaluru
- Chief Minister: D. K. Shivakumar (Assumed office on June 3, 2026)
- Governor: Thaawarchand Gehlot (Serving since July 2021)
Q6. Who has recently assumed charge as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog)?
Answer: Anurag Jain
Extra Facts:
- Anurag Jain is a senior IAS officer.
- About NITI Aayog:
- It was established on January 1, 2015, replacing the Planning Commission.
- It is the premier policy 'Think Tank' of the Government of India.
- Chairperson: Prime Minister of India (currently Narendra Modi).
- Vice Chairperson: Suman Bery.
- Headquarters: New Delhi.
Q7. The cabinet of which state has recently approved the 'Sandhya Kiran Scheme', offering a Rs 5 lakh cashless healthcare cover to the state's pensioners?
Answer: Karnataka
Extra Facts:
- The scheme is designed to provide financial security during medical emergencies to the senior citizens and pensioners of the state.
- About Karnataka (At a glance):
- Capital: Bengaluru
- Chief Minister: D. K. Shivakumar
- Governor: Thaawarchand Gehlot
Q8. Who will take over as the non-executive chairperson of Airtel Payments Bank from October 1, 2026?
Answer: Shabnam Sinha
Extra Facts:
- She will succeed Sunil Bharti Mittal, who will step down from the Board on September 30.
- Mittal has served as chairman of Airtel Payments Bank since April 2016.
- About Airtel Payments Bank:
- It was India's first payments bank, launched in 2017.
- Headquarters: New Delhi.
- MD & CEO: Anubrata Biswas.
- Payments banks operate under RBI guidelines and can accept deposits up to a maximum of Rs 2 lakh, but cannot issue loans or credit cards.
Q9. A newly discovered Himalayan plant species (Impatiens nimspurjai) found at an altitude of around 2,800–2,900 metres in Nepal’s Myagdi district has been named in honour of which famous Nepali mountaineer?
Answer: Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja
Extra Facts:
- Researchers Bhakta Bahadur Raskoti and Rita Ale are credited with the discovery.
- Nirmal Purja is a world-renowned mountaineer known for setting a record by climbing all 14 eight-thousanders (peaks above 8,000 meters) in the world in less than six months.
Q10. Which country has recently received a gasoline shipment from India as it faced domestic fuel shortages following repeated Ukrainian drone attacks on its oil refineries?
Answer: Russia
Extra Facts:
- Industry sources and LSEG shipping data indicated that around 68,000 metric tonnes of gasoline was shipped to Russia from India.
- About Russia (At a glance):
- Capital: Moscow
- Currency: Russian Ruble (₽)
- Prime Minister: Mikhail Mishustin
- President: Vladimir Putin
Q11. Which two portals have been launched by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to strengthen cybersecurity in the securities market?
Answer: Incident Reporting Portal and Cyber Suraksha Portal
Extra Facts:
- The Incident Reporting Portal will streamline cybersecurity incident reporting by market intermediaries.
- The Cyber Suraksha Portal will act as a central platform for cybersecurity knowledge, vulnerability warnings, and policy information.
- Sebi Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey highlighted the need for ecosystem-wide cyber resilience.
- About SEBI:
- Sebi protects investor interests, develops market standards, and regulates financial intermediaries like stock exchanges and mutual funds.
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
- Chief: Tuhin Kanta Pandey (Chairman).
- Established: April 12, 1988 (acquired statutory status in 1992).
Q12. Which platform was launched by Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, on August 15, 2026, as the digital backbone of the RSVC ecosystem?
Answer: RSVC AMRIT platform
Extra Facts:
- The platform was developed by NABARD in collaboration with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA) to the Government of India.
- AMRIT serves as the digital backbone of the RuTAGe Smart Village Centre (RSVC) ecosystem.
- The platform aims to strengthen technology-led rural development by supporting rural innovation, technology transfer, and wider adoption of appropriate technologies in rural areas.
Q13. The eighth 'Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Exercise 2026' between India and the Navy of which country concluded at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi on August 14, 2026?
Answer: United States of America (US Navy)
Extra Facts:
- Indian and US Navy teams exchanged operational knowledge, best practices, and specialized demonstrations.
- About Indian Navy:
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Navy Chief: Admiral Krishna Swaminathan (assumed charge on May 31, 2026)
- Indian Navy Day: December 4 (marks Operation Trident during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War)
Q14. On August 17, 2026, India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence innovation cooperation with which country, focusing on research, development, and joint production?
Answer: Armenia
Extra Facts:
- Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh signed the agreement in Yerevan during his two-day visit to Armenia.
- About Armenia (At a glance):
- Capital: Yerevan
- Currency: Armenian Dram (AMD)
- Prime Minister: Nikol Pashinyan
- President: Vahagn Khachaturyan
Q15. What is the name of the national Cyber Security and Artificial Intelligence hackathon launched by the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT)?
Answer: Cyber Kushti 2026
Extra Facts:
- The hackathon is designed to test and recognize human judgement in cybersecurity assessment.
- Participation is free and open to students and independent researchers.
Q16. Which Indian Army Chief was conferred the honorary rank of 'General of the Nepali Army' by Nepal President Ram Chandra Paudel during an official visit from August 17 to 19, 2026?
Answer: General Dhiraj Seth
Extra Facts:
- General Seth received a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the Nepali Army Headquarters in Kathmandu.
- India and Nepal have a long-standing and unique tradition of conferring honorary ranks on each other's army chiefs.
- About Indian Army:
- It is the second-largest standing army in the world, operating under the motto "Service Before Self" (Seva Paramo Dharma) with the President of India as its supreme commander.
- Headquarters: New Delhi, India.
- Chief: General Dhiraj Seth (31st Chief of the Army Staff).
- Established: January 26, 1950 (tracing roots back to the British Indian Army formed on April 1, 1895).
- Army Day: January 15 (celebrated annually to commemorate Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa taking over as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief in 1949).
Q17. The 15th edition of the bilateral military exercise 'MAITREE-XV 2026' between the armies of India and which country is being conducted from August 18 to 31, 2026?
Answer: Thailand
Extra Facts:
- The exercise is being conducted at Vibhavadi Rangsit Camp in Surat Thani, Thailand.
- Both armies are participating with 85 personnel each.
- India’s contingent primarily comprises troops from the 9 Gorkha Rifles, while Thailand is represented by its 3rd Battalion, 25th Infantry Brigade, 5th Division.
Q18. Which two Indian players won gold medals at the Asian Junior Blitz Chess Championship held at ITC Maratha Sheraton in Mumbai on August 17, 2026?
Answer: Vignesh Vermula and Saranya Devi
Extra Facts:
- Vignesh Vermula won the Open section, while Saranya Devi secured gold in the Girls’ section.
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