Current Affairs Quiz - August 2026

Notes:
The Union Cabinet approved the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY) to promote floating solar power projects in India. The scheme has a financial outlay of ₹5,070 crore. It aims to develop 5,000 MW of floating solar capacity with 10,000 MWh of co-located energy storage. Projects will be sanctioned from FY 2026–27 to FY 2030–31, while financial assistance will continue till FY 2032–33. The Centre will provide ₹1 crore per MW as Central Financial Assistance after successful commissioning.

Notes:
Russian Kh-101 cruise missile violated Polish airspace and crashed in Poland’s eastern Lublin region during a massive Russian air assault on Ukraine The crash created a 10-metre crater, raising security concerns in the NATO region. The Kh-101 (NATO reporting name: AS-23 Kodiak) is a Russian strategic air-launched cruise missile. It is designed with stealth features and carries a conventional warhead of about 450 kg. The missile has a range of 2,500–3,000 km (some estimates up to 3,500 km). Its guidance system combines Inertial Navigation System (INS), GLONASS satellite navigation, and Optical-Electronic Terrain Contour Matching (OTCM).

Notes:
India won both the men’s and women’s team titles at the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships 2026. The championship was held at Thyagraj Stadium, New Delhi from 27 July to 2 August 2026. India’s men’s team defeated Malaysia by 3-2 in the final to defend its title. India’s women’s team defeated Malaysia by 3-0 in the final. Both Indian teams remained unbeaten throughout the tournament.

Notes:
The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2026 rankings have been released. The EPI 2026 ranks 177 countries on environmental sustainability. It is developed by the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy, CIESIN (Columbia University), and the Yale Center for Geospatial Solutions. The index evaluates 47 indicators under 12 environmental issue categories. It measures performance in climate change, ecosystem vitality, and environmental public health. Estonia ranked 1st with a score of 74.79. India ranked 176th out of 177 countries, with a score of 22.46. Laos ranked last (177th) in the index.

Notes:
Lovepreet Singh won the silver medal in the men’s 110 kg weightlifting event at the Commonwealth Games 2026. He set a Commonwealth Games record by lifting 176 kg in the snatch. Lovepreet lifted 212 kg in the clean and jerk, finishing with a total of 388 kg. David Liti (New Zealand) won the gold medal with a total lift of 389 kg. Andrew Griffiths (England) won the bronze medal with 356 kg.

Notes:
Delhi government launched the Vidya Vahini Yojana for girl students. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta distributed bicycles to 3,000 girl students of government schools. The scheme aims to improve school accessibility for girls. It will help increase attendance and reduce dropouts. The initiative will encourage greater participation in studies and sports. It will reduce the financial burden on families. The scheme also aims to boost the confidence and independence of girl students. The Delhi Government plans to benefit over 1.40 lakh Class 9 girl students in government schools.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet approved the Samudra Manthan National Offshore Exploration Scheme. It is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The scheme has an outlay of ₹84,084 crore and will run till FY 2030–31. It aims to boost offshore oil and gas exploration and strengthen India’s energy security. It also seeks to increase domestic crude oil and natural gas production. The scheme was inspired by PM Narendra Modi’s “Samudra Manthan” vision announced on Independence Day 2025. It covers seismic surveys, deepwater drilling, scientific drilling, and offshore infrastructure development.

Notes:
Indian judokas won historic gold medals at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow. Asmita Dey won India’s first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medal in Judo. She defeated Heidi Quach (Canada) in the women’s 48 kg final. Harsh Singh won the men’s 60 kg gold medal. He defeated Joshua Katz (Australia) in the final. Harsh sealed the win with a Waza-ari in the final minute. India won two consecutive gold medals in Judo at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Notes:
AC Milan and Italy football legend Franco Baresi passed away at the age of 66 on 31 July 2026. He spent his entire 20-year playing career (1977–1997) with AC Milan. Baresi captained AC Milan for 15 seasons and made 719 appearances. He won 6 Serie A titles and 3 European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles with AC Milan. His No. 6 jersey was retired by AC Milan after his retirement. He played 81 matches for Italy and was part of the 1982 FIFA World Cup-winning team. He captained Italy in the 1994 FIFA World Cup Final, which Italy lost to Brazil on penalties.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet approved the revamped Khelo India Scheme and an enhanced Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSFs) Scheme for 2026–31. The combined financial outlay is ₹36,441 crore. The new Khelo India outlay is nearly eight times higher than the previous scheme. The scheme aligns with the National Sports Policy 2025 and National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. It aims to strengthen the sports ecosystem from grassroots talent identification to elite performance. Two new initiatives have been launched: Khelo India Feeder Schools (KIFS) and Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalayas (KIUV).