11 current affairs MCQs for 17 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. In August 2026, following an accident in Birbhum district, West Bengal, the Prime Minister announced ex-gratia assistance from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF). How much was announced for the next of kin of each deceased victim?
(a) Rs. 2 lakh
(b) Rs. 5 lakh
(c) Rs. 1 lakh
(d) Rs. 50,000
Answer: (a) Rs. 2 lakh
The PMNRF also sanctioned Rs. 50,000 for each injured person; the announcement was made via the PMO's social media account following the mishap, continuing the standard PMNRF practice of providing immediate relief to families affected by accidents and disasters.
Q2. In August 2026, a new UPI-based postal remittance service was launched, enabling Qatar's large Indian expatriate community to send money directly to UPI-linked bank accounts in India through Qatar Post centres. Which organisations partnered to launch this service?
(a) RBI, Qatar Central Bank, SWIFT and Western Union
(b) Qatar Post, India Post, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL)
(c) State Bank of India, Qatar National Bank and Mastercard
(d) Indian Embassy in Doha, Qatar Post and PayPal
Answer: (b) Qatar Post, India Post, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL)
Launched on August 15, 2026 (India's Independence Day), the service allows transfers of 10 to 4,000 Qatari Riyals per transaction (capped at Rs. 1 lakh), for a fee of 15 Qatari Riyals, with recipients needing to enable the international remittance feature in their UPI app.
Q3. The Central Information Commission launched 'APICOMS 2.0' in August 2026, an upgraded digital platform originally introduced in September 2016. What does this platform primarily handle?
(a) Passport applications and renewals
(b) Aadhaar-linked grievance redressal for banking services
(c) Second appeals and grievances under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005
(d) Income tax refund tracking
Answer: (c) Second appeals and grievances under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005
Inaugurated by Chief Information Commissioner Raj Kumar Goel, the upgraded portal adds user accounts linked to email and mobile numbers, case timeline visibility, digital signature support for orders, and downloadable hearing notices, strengthening the Commission's digital infrastructure for RTI second appeals.
Q4. The eighth edition of a bilateral India-US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) exercise concluded at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi in August 2026. Which of these was a focus area of this exercise?
(a) Mine deactivation and unmanned underwater systems
(b) Anti-submarine warfare using sonar buoys
(c) Aircraft carrier deck operations
(d) Cyber warfare and satellite jamming
Answer: (a) Mine deactivation and unmanned underwater systems
The exercise, held in mid-August 2026, also covered improvised explosive device (IED) threats, wreck detection and recovery, and slithering operations, enhancing professional competency and interoperability between the diving teams of both navies.
Q5. Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan addressed the 11th convocation of the Central University of Tamil Nadu in August 2026, where 1,103 graduates received degrees. What share of the 50 gold medals awarded went to women students?
(a) 25 of 50 (50%)
(b) 20 of 50 (40%)
(c) 37 of 50 (74%)
(d) 45 of 50 (90%)
Answer: (c) 37 of 50 (74%)
Women made up 616 of the 1,103 graduates (about 56%); the Vice President urged graduates to become 'creators rather than consumers of knowledge' and stressed the importance of exam integrity and national development under the 'Viksit Bharat @2047' vision.
Q6. Ahead of the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting, senior officials from BRICS nations met in New Delhi in August 2026 to finalise priorities. Since India assumed the BRICS Environment presidency, how many virtual discussions had been organised, according to this meeting?
(a) 10 virtual discussions
(b) 21 virtual discussions
(c) 35 virtual discussions
(d) 5 virtual discussions
Answer: (b) 21 virtual discussions
The meeting, chaired by Secretary Tanmay Kumar, also noted 10 bilateral conversations, 2 thematic dialogues and 2 technical webinars conducted under India's presidency, with representatives from Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the UAE in attendance.
Q7. The third meeting of the High-Level Steering Committee of the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust was held in August 2026. Who chaired this meeting?
(a) Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal
(b) Ports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal
(c) Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari
(d) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
Answer: (d) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
The committee reviewed progress on industrial corridor projects, with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stressing rapid implementation and Ports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal advocating for integrating national waterways with the corridors, as states were urged to resolve land and regulatory bottlenecks.
Q8. A new Vande Bharat Express service was flagged off in Gujarat in August 2026, connecting Veraval to Sabarmati via Junagadh, Botad and Dholka. How many days a week does this train run?
(a) All seven days
(b) Six days (excluding Thursdays)
(c) Five days (weekdays only)
(d) Three days a week
Answer: (b) Six days (excluding Thursdays)
The eight-coach semi-high-speed service departs Veraval at 3:50 PM and reaches Sabarmati at 10:25 PM, featuring chair cars, executive seating, bio-vacuum toilets, onboard Wi-Fi and wheelchair accessibility, aimed at boosting tourism and commerce between Saurashtra and Central Gujarat.
Q9. A PIB case study from Odisha's Khurda district in August 2026 described how a couple overcame family and community opposition to their marriage with support from the central Inter-Caste Marriage Promotion Scheme. How much financial assistance did they receive under this Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment scheme?
(a) Rs. 2.5 lakh
(b) Rs. 5 lakh
(c) Rs. 1 lakh
(d) Rs. 50,000
Answer: (a) Rs. 2.5 lakh
The scheme aims to encourage social integration and reduce caste-based discrimination by providing economic support to inter-caste couples where one partner belongs to a Scheduled Caste; the assistance helped the couple, Ashok and Sabita, achieve financial stability and secure their daughter's education.
Q10. In 2026, Karnataka's Health Department, under Minister U.T. Khader, announced an expansion of its paperless hospital system and a new Tele-ICU programme after a successful pilot across 40 hospitals in four districts. How many additional government facilities were targeted for this expansion?
(a) 50 facilities
(b) 100 facilities
(c) 250 facilities
(d) 183 facilities
Answer: (d) 183 facilities
The state earmarked Rs. 42 crore for digital infrastructure and Rs. 30 crore for Tele-ICU facility setup, under which trained nurses at taluk hospitals and Community Health Centres manage patients locally while specialist doctors provide real-time remote guidance.
Q11. According to July 2026 GST collection data, Karnataka recorded gross GST revenue of approximately how much, registering about 12% year-on-year growth, behind Maharashtra's Rs. 32,210 crore?
(a) Rs. 8,500 crore
(b) Rs. 20,000 crore
(c) Rs. 13,854 crore
(d) Rs. 25,000 crore
Answer: (c) Rs. 13,854 crore
India's overall gross GST revenue for July 2026 stood at Rs. 2.11 lakh crore, up 15.4% year-on-year, with import-related collections (28.8% growth) outpacing domestic collections (10.1% growth); Gujarat followed Karnataka closely with Rs. 12,923 crore.