Current Affairs Quiz - August 2026

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.

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eROSITA is a space-based X-ray telescope that maps the Universe by detecting X-ray emissions from high-energy celestial objects. Its second public data release contains nearly two million X-ray sources, making it one of the largest X-ray sky maps ever created. A team from the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, discovered the first known X-ray binary system in the Magellanic Bridge. The Magellanic Bridge is a stream of stars and gas connecting the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. The newly discovered system consists of a white dwarf accreting gas from a giant star, producing bright X-rays.

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TakeMe2Space, a Hyderabad-based space startup, developed the PowerBank-50, India’s first satellite battery to achieve “flight heritage” status. The battery successfully flew on Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 mission (Mission Aagaman) launched on 18 July 2026. It powered Cosmoserve Space’s experimental payload at an altitude of 450 km. PowerBank-50 stores more than 50 Wh of energy, weighs 380 g, and supports missions of up to 5 years in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). It features high-energy-density lithium-ion cells, an intelligent Battery Management System (BMS), and cell heaters for operation in extreme space conditions.

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The Sammakka-Sarakka (Tupakulagudem) Barrage is constructed across the Godavari River. It is located in Mulugu district of Telangana. The barrage is important for water regulation, ecological water diversion, and flood management in the upstream Godavari basin. During the heavy monsoon rains of July–August 2026, the barrage discharged around 14.03 lakh cusecs of floodwater downstream. It helps regulate river flow before water reaches major downstream projects such as Polavaram and Dowleswaram in Andhra Pradesh.

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One Nation, One Fertilizer is implemented under the Pradhanmantri Bhartiya Janurvarak Pariyojana (PMBJP). It came into effect on 24 August 2022. All subsidized fertilizers are sold under the “BHARAT” brand. It covers subsidized fertilizers such as Urea, Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP), Muriate of Potash (MOP), and Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium-Sulphur (NPKS) fertilizers. The scheme improves availability, transparency, and distribution of fertilizers. Fertilizer movement is monitored through the Integrated Fertilizer Management System (iFMS). The information was shared by Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda and Minister of State Anupriya Patel in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

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The 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup will be held from 15–30 August 2026. It will feature both the men’s and women’s tournaments simultaneously. The tournament is co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands. Match venues are Wavre (Belgium) and Amstelveen (Netherlands). 16 teams will compete in both the men’s and women’s events. India will begin its campaign against Wales on the opening day.

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Recently, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) revamped the MyCall mobile application. The upgraded app was launched on 3 August 2026. It allows users to rate voice-call quality immediately after a call ends. Users can give 1–5 star ratings and report issues such as call drops, echo, audio delay, and one-way audio. The app crowdsources real-time voice-call quality feedback from consumers. Feedback is anonymised and shared with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) to improve network performance.

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The World Bank released the World Development Report (WDR) 2026 titled “The Promise of Artificial Intelligence (AI)”. The report states that 14.2% of jobs in high-income countries are exposed to automation by Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), compared to 4.5% in low- and middle-income countries. It highlights that the greatest potential of AI in developing countries lies in enhancing workers’ productivity rather than replacing them. AI can improve services in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, tax administration, and disaster management. The report warns that without adequate digital infrastructure, electricity, internet connectivity, skills, and supportive policies, AI could widen inequalities between developed and developing countries.

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Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari conferred the Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak on 12 rat miners for their exceptional courage during the Silkyara Tunnel rescue operation in Uttarakhand. The award recognises their role in rescuing workers trapped after the Silkyara Tunnel collapse. The rat miners manually removed debris from a narrow passage after other engineering methods, including vertical drilling, were attempted, leading to the successful rescue of all trapped workers. Each awardee received the Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, a certificate, a miniature medal, and a ₹2 lakh lump-sum cash award. The Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak is India’s highest civilian life-saving award, presented for conspicuous courage and self-sacrifice in saving human life.

Notes:
The Himalayan Serow (Capricornis thar) was recorded in the Dalhousie catchment forests near Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary, Himachal Pradesh. It is the first confirmed sighting in the area in over 20 years. The species inhabits steep, forested slopes at elevations of 2,000–4,000 metres. The Himalayan Serow is a medium-sized goat-antelope. It is listed as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.