Current Affairs Quiz - August 2026

Notes:
Under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), the “Scan and Register” service has witnessed remarkable adoption across the country. Bihar has emerged as the leading state in cumulative transactions, recording approximately 7.30 crore registrations. Uttar Pradesh ranks second with about 4.09 crore transactions, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 3.38 crore and Jammu & Kashmir with 1.39 crore. This digital service allows patients to scan a QR code at healthcare facilities to instantly share their Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) profile, thereby minimizing long queues in OPDs.

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The 8th edition of the India-US Bilateral Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Exercise 2026 was conducted between August 10 and 14, 2026. The exercise was hosted at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi. This specialized maritime exercise focused on advanced technology demonstrations, including the deployment of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). The five-day bilateral drill involved intense Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE) and practical simulations to address underwater mines, unexploded ordnance, and improvised maritime explosive remnants, reinforcing the defense ties and tactical cooperation between the two partner navies.

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The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), a constituent board of the Quality Council of India (QCI), launched India’s first accreditation scheme for Mobile Food Testing Laboratories. The scheme was launched at the ‘Gunvatta Samanvaya – A Multilateral MoU Exchange Ceremony’ in New Delhi. It aims to bring reliable, quality-assured and internationally benchmarked food testing services closer to communities. The initiative will strengthen food safety surveillance, faster regulatory action and consumer confidence.

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Karnataka recently launched ‘Tathyakosh’, an open-source public data portal designed as a Digital Public Good. The platform aims to make government and institutional data easier to discover, access and reuse for data-driven solutions. Tathyakosh combines Tathya (truth) and Kosh (repository). It functions as a metadata-indexed discovery layer rather than storing all raw data centrally. It can help users discover data relevant to agriculture, healthcare, climate change and financial inclusion.

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Oman is tackling an oil spill from a grounded tanker near the Hallaniyat Islands in the Arabian Sea. The Hallaniyat Islands, formerly known as the Kuria Muria Islands, are a five-island archipelago located in the Arabian Sea, off the southern coast of Oman. The islands are a protected nature reserve known for coral reefs, turtle nesting beaches and rich marine biodiversity. They provide habitat to Arabian Sea humpback whales, whale sharks, dolphins and diverse fish species.

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World Organ Donation Day is observed globally on August 13 to promote organ and tissue donation, honour donors and their families, and dispel misconceptions. In India, National Organ Donation Day is observed separately on August 3. A single deceased donor can potentially save up to eight lives through vital organ donation. Donations can come from living donors or deceased donors, including after brain-stem death. The major challenge is the large gap between demand and availability of organs. In India, the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) oversees organ allocation and donor registration.

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Researchers at IIT Guwahati developed a two-stage microalgae cultivation process to improve carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture and bioenergy feedstock production. In the first stage, microalgae are cultivated at a high 15% CO₂ concentration to promote rapid biomass accumulation. In the second stage, the CO₂ concentration is reduced to 5%, along with specific nutrient additions. The two-stage process achieved a 35.4% higher CO₂ fixation rate and 25.7% higher biomass production compared with conventional single-stage cultivation. The technology could contribute to carbon capture, sustainable bioenergy production and climate-change mitigation.

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Chennai, Tamil Nadu is set to host India’s largest single-cluster AI infrastructure facility. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has received the contract to construct the facility at the Vyoma.AI Chennai data centre campus. The facility will be gigawatt-scale and is designed to significantly expand India’s computing capacity for advanced artificial intelligence workloads. Chennai is emerging as a major data-centre hub because of its coastal location, submarine cable landing stations and reliable power infrastructure. The project is expected to strengthen India’s AI infrastructure and digital computing ecosystem.

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As of August 2026, Maharashtra ranks first in India in terms of installed EV charging stations, according to Ministry of Heavy Industries data. Maharashtra had 6,985 charging stations. Karnataka ranks second with 6,805 EV charging stations, accounting for nearly 13% of India’s total. India has a total of 52,718 EV charging stations. Among southern states, Tamil Nadu (3,839), Telangana (3,739), Kerala (3,399) and Andhra Pradesh (1,976) have fewer charging stations than Karnataka. Uttar Pradesh has 4,493 EV charging stations, while Rajasthan has 2,827. Under the PM E-DRIVE scheme, central ministries, CPSEs, states, UTs and their PSUs can submit proposals for establishing public EV charging stations.

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The Chhattisgarh Forest Department launched the YUVAN (Yuva and Van) initiative to connect young people with nature, wildlife and local biodiversity. The programme promotes experiential environmental education through hands-on outdoor activities rather than classroom-based learning alone. Youth participate in activities such as bird watching, wildlife tracking and ecosystem observation. It provides practical training in areas including wildlife photography, wetland conservation and eco-tourism. YUVAN aims to develop empathy towards forests and create a network of young local green leaders.