13 current affairs MCQs for 12 August 2026, framed UPSC-style from the day's reporting, each verified against its source and explained. Click a question to reveal the answer, or take the quiz interactively.
Answer: (a) 124%
Bilateral merchandise trade between India and Namibia rose to $592.94 million in 2025-26, with engineering exports surging around 124% to $30.24 million, driven mainly by automotive-sector demand; the two sides also agreed to set up dedicated services and health-sector working groups.
Answer: (a) Bangladesh
The 19-coach rake — featuring reclining chairs and a crashworthy design to European standard EN 15227, with an electrical system suited to the destination country's 415V operation — was built under a partnership that began in 2015-16 and included a 2024 order for 200 additional coaches placed through RITES.
Answer: (c) Visakhapatnam Port
The 3.584-km flyover will connect Convent Junction to the Dock Area at Visakhapatnam Port, addressing gates that currently close about 18 times a day due to train movements; the project, aligned with PM Gati Shakti, is to be completed within 30 months.
Answer: (d) Pursuing higher education (Masters/PhD) abroad
Since inception, the scheme has enabled 580 SC students to pursue higher studies abroad; the government is now integrating applications into the Integrated Inclusion Portal and enabling advance fund disbursement through Indian missions abroad to speed up payments to universities and students.
Answer: (c) 10,446
The scheme has disbursed Rs. 45.59 crore and rehabilitated 10,446 persons — including 2,824 children — with Tamil Nadu recording the highest number of adult rehabilitations, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra; beneficiaries receive vocational training in trades like tailoring, carpentry and e-rickshaw operation.
Answer: (b) 55,772
GeM, which counts over 11.75 lakh MSMEs, 37,758 startups and 2.17 lakh women entrepreneurs as registered vendors, used AI/ML models to detect order-splitting, suspicious bidding and collusion, suspending 55,772 vendors in FY 2025-26 under its incident management framework, where suspensions can run up to 365 days.
Answer: (a) 256
Launched in October 2021, PM Gati Shakti brings together 58 central ministries and all states/UTs on a common geospatial platform; of 396 projects evaluated by the Network Planning Group, 256 have been approved and 198 are under implementation, with the public UGI portal offering about 1,800 integrated data layers.
Answer: (d) 60%
As of August 3, 2026, 3.91 crore houses had been approved against a target of 4.18 crore under PMAY-G, with 3.12 crore completed; the scheme mandates that at least 60% of targets be reserved for SC/ST families, alongside convergence with water, electricity and LPG connections.
Answer: (b) 18.45 million trained; 12.35 million placed
DDU-GKY, aimed at livelihood diversification and poverty alleviation among rural youth, has trained about 18.45 million candidates and placed roughly 12.35 million in jobs; its 2.0 version for FY 2025-26 prioritises emerging sectors like EV maintenance, renewable energy and healthcare, with Rs. 750 crore budgeted for FY 2026-27 to train a further 1.37 lakh youth.
Answer: (d) Ministry of AYUSH
The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), through its Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI), opened the new facility to provide accessible outpatient Ayurvedic services in Rohini and surrounding areas, reflecting the Ministry of AYUSH's push to expand institutional Ayurvedic health infrastructure.
Answer: (c) Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere
The 7.5-km elevated stretch with 6 stations, from Kalena Agrahara to Tavarekere, was targeted to open around Independence Day 2026 subject to safety clearances; the line's 13.76-km underground section from Dairy Circle to Nagawara is targeted for March 2027, completing the full 21.25-km Pink Line.
Answer: (b) Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres and taluk hospitals
The initiative aims to connect all Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres and taluk hospitals with broadband internet, introduce electronic health records, expand paperless operations beyond existing pilots, and launch Tele-ICU services at select hospitals to extend specialist care to remote and underserved regions.
Answer: (b) Over 20.2 million
The 100-day campaign screened more than 20.2 million susceptible individuals, identifying over 700,000 new TB cases including about 197,000 asymptomatic cases that might otherwise have gone undiagnosed; India's TB caseload fell 21% between 2015 and 2024, twice the global pace of decline, with treatment coverage at 92% per the WHO's 2025 Global TB Report.