13 current affairs MCQs for 16 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.
Q1. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) uncovered a smuggling network in August 2026 that misrepresented Southeast Asian areca nut as originating from Bangladesh, to fraudulently claim duty exemptions under which trade agreement?
Investigators found the areca nut actually originated in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia before being routed through a Bangladesh Export Processing Zone with falsified origin certificates; the racket caused an estimated revenue loss of over Rs. 2,500 crore, and DRI seized 160 metric tonnes of areca nut and arrested nine people after raids in Kolkata and Visakhapatnam.
Q2. As part of the 'Har Ghar Tiranga 2026' campaign, India's missions abroad conducted 'Suryapath Tiranga' — a relay of the national flag following the sun's path — on August 15, 2026. Roughly how many Indian missions and posts across five continents took part, over a relay spanning about 19 hours from Fiji to San Francisco?
(a) 12 missions
(b) 25 missions
(c) 38 missions
(d) 54 missions
Answer: (d) 54 missions
At each location, diaspora members and mission staff sang 'Vande Mataram' and the national anthem, marking both the 80th Independence Day and the 150th anniversary of 'Vande Mataram'; the relay began at 1:30 a.m. IST in Fiji and concluded at 8:30 p.m. IST in San Francisco.
Q3. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs released a National Framework and Operational Guidelines in August 2026 for strengthening Integrated Tribal Development Agencies and Projects (ITDA/ITDP). How many such units, spread across 19 states and union territories, does this framework cover?
(a) 217
(b) 150
(c) 300
(d) 95
Answer: (a) 217
The framework follows an initial evaluation of 214 institutions in April 2026 using 15 metrics across five institutional domains, and aims to build 'a culture of continuous institutional improvement' through institutional restructuring, digital governance and result-based monitoring, rather than simply ranking ITDAs/ITDPs.
Q4. In his 80th Independence Day address from the Red Fort, Prime Minister Modi said India's social security coverage has expanded dramatically over the past decade. According to him, coverage grew from 25 crore people to how many crore citizens within ten years?
(a) 50 crore
(b) 75 crore
(c) 100 crore
(d) 60 crore
Answer: (c) 100 crore
He cited schemes such as Ayushman Bharat's Rs. 5 lakh free treatment cover extended to citizens above 70, and noted that Startup India has supported over 2.5 lakh registered startups, framing these as part of ensuring development's benefits 'reach the last person in society'.
Q5. NIELIT, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, launched 'Cyber Kushal 2026' on August 15, 2026 — a national hackathon with a distinctive format. Unlike typical 'Capture the Flag' cybersecurity contests that reward finding flaws fastest, what does Cyber Kushal 2026 primarily evaluate?
(a) Speed of detecting known vulnerabilities
(b) Ability to write secure code from scratch
(c) Skill in penetration testing live systems
(d) Participants' ability to evaluate, prioritise and defend cybersecurity decisions from intentionally incomplete assessment data
Answer: (d) Participants' ability to evaluate, prioritise and defend cybersecurity decisions from intentionally incomplete assessment data
Teams of three students or independent researchers can register free between August 15 and September 10, 2026; the winning team earns the title 'Cyber Kesari 2026', with the final round held at Delhi's Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in October 2026.
Q6. India is hosting the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting on August 18, 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, under Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav. Which theme is this meeting held under, as part of India's 2026 BRICS presidency?
(a) Growth for All, Trust for All
(b) One Earth, One Family, One Future
(c) Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainable Development
(d) Clean Energy for a Green Planet
Answer: (c) Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainable Development
The meeting's four priority areas are sustainable lifestyles, forestry and disaster resilience, circular economy, and climate adaptation grounded in traditional knowledge, following preparatory virtual meetings held between March and July 2026.
Q7. Young medallists were honoured as special guests at the 80th Independence Day flag-hoisting ceremony at the Red Fort, having represented India at the 2026 International Science and Mathematics Olympiads. Which government body sponsored their participation through the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education?
(a) Department of Atomic Energy
(b) Department of Science and Technology
(c) Ministry of Education
(d) Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
Answer: (a) Department of Atomic Energy
Indian students won 12 gold and 7 silver medals across physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics Olympiads in 2026; the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education operates under the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, which in turn functions under the Department of Atomic Energy.
Q8. Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone for a new dairy plant at the Alwar SARAS Dairy complex in Rajasthan on August 16, 2026, alongside development projects worth how much spread across 17 districts?
(a) Rs. 2,500 crore
(b) Rs. 6,262 crore
(c) Rs. 10,000 crore
(d) Rs. 1,200 crore
Answer: (b) Rs. 6,262 crore
The event, part of the 'Sahakar se Samriddhi' (prosperity through cooperation) vision, also included e-inaugurations of dairy processing and cattle feed plants, the announcement of new central cooperative banks, and distribution of 10,548 employment letters.
Q9. On August 16, 2026, the President, Vice President and Prime Minister paid tribute at 'Sadaiv Atal' in New Delhi, marking the death anniversary of which former Prime Minister of India?
(a) P.V. Narasimha Rao
(b) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(c) I.K. Gujral
(d) Chandra Shekhar
Answer: (b) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
August 16, 2026 marked the 8th death anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who passed away in 2018; leaders across the political spectrum paid homage at his memorial 'Sadaiv Atal', reflecting his legacy as a three-time Prime Minister of India.
Q10. The Ministry of Culture organised events in Delhi, Amritsar and Kolkata this year for 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day', including exhibitions, a silent march and a poetry collection launch. On which date is this remembrance day observed annually?
(a) August 15
(b) August 17
(c) August 14
(d) August 20
Answer: (c) August 14
Instituted by the Government of India in 2021, the day commemorates the human toll of the 1947 Partition; this year's events included the play 'Jis Lahore Nayi Dekhya' in Amritsar and a two-day exhibition, 'India's Partition: Memory, Loss and Resilience', in Kolkata.
Q11. Karnataka's School Education and Literacy Department opened online applications on August 18, 2026 for how many teaching posts, split between the Kalyana Karnataka region (6,967 posts) and the Residual Parent Cadre (8,033 posts)?
(a) 10,000
(b) 15,000
(c) 20,000
(d) 12,000
Answer: (b) 15,000
The recruitment drive covers graduate primary teachers, high school assistant teachers, computer science and physical education teachers, with applications closing on September 7, 2026; the government has indicated a further 12,000 posts will be filled in a subsequent phase.
Q12. In his 80th Independence Day address, Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar announced a 'Jobs Mission' aiming to fill how many vacant government positions within six months, alongside launching India's first public AI university in Bengaluru?
(a) 25,000
(b) 40,000
(c) 1,00,000
(d) 72,000
Answer: (d) 72,000
The Jobs Mission is backed by 'Yuva Udyoga Setu' to connect job seekers with private employers and 'Udyoga Nidhi', which offers Rs. 2,500 monthly incentives per job for two years in the state's ten most backward districts; the AI university plans to launch certificate programmes by January 2027, alongside five Global Technology Centres under the LEAP initiative.
Q13. Karnataka launched the 'Bengaluru Hasiruru' plantation drive on August 15, 2026, involving the Greater Bengaluru Authority, the Forest Department and Residents' Welfare Associations. What was the initial target for saplings under this drive?
(a) 25,000 saplings planted only
(b) 1 lakh saplings distributed only
(c) 50,000 saplings planted and 25,000 distributed
(d) 60,000 saplings planted and 40,000 distributed
Answer: (d) 60,000 saplings planted and 40,000 distributed
CM D K Shivakumar described it as a 'historic drive' to green the city, with officials directed to conduct site inspections and finalise plantation locations, inviting participation from citizens and community organisations.