Current Affairs August 2026 - Part 3 - Topic Guide and MCQs

1. India successfully test-fired Agni-4 from Chandipur, Odisha, on 6 August 2026. What type of missile is Agni-4?

   1. Medium-Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM)
   2. Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)
   3. Cruise missile
   4. Surface-to-air missile
   Show answer

   Answer: (A) Medium-Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM)

   Explanation: Agni-4 is a road-mobile, surface-to-surface Medium-Range Ballistic Missile developed by DRDO; the test was conducted by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC).

2. Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth became the first woman IAF fighter pilot to complete the Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course. At which institute is this course conducted?

   1. TACDE, Gwalior
   2. Air Force Academy, Dundigal
   3. Flying Instructors School, Tambaram
   4. Air Force Station, Bidar
   Show answer

   Answer: (A) TACDE, Gwalior

   Explanation: The 20-week FCL course is run by the Tactical and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE), Gwalior. In 2019 she became the first Indian woman qualified for daytime fighter combat missions.

3. Exercise Udara Shakti 2026, held at Subang Air Base, was a bilateral air exercise between the Indian Air Force and the air force of which country?

   1. Indonesia
   2. Singapore
   3. Malaysia
   4. Thailand
   Show answer

   Answer: (C) Malaysia

   Explanation: Udara Shakti is an IAF–Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) exercise; India sent 4 Rafale fighters and 2 C-17 Globemaster III aircraft to Subang, Malaysia.

4. Exercise MAITREE-XV 2026 was held in Surat Thani, Thailand. Which Indian unit represented India?

   1. 9 Gorkha Rifles
   2. Sikh Light Infantry
   3. Rajputana Rifles
   4. Madras Regiment
   Show answer

   Answer: (A) 9 Gorkha Rifles

   Explanation: India was represented by 9 Gorkha Rifles in the 15th India–Thailand joint military exercise (18–31 August 2026), which focused on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism in jungle and semi-urban terrain.

5. What name has been given to the first fully indigenous AK-203 assault rifle manufactured by Indo-Russian Rifles Pvt Ltd (IRRPL)?

   1. Sher
   2. Shakti
   3. Agni
   4. Vajra
   Show answer

   Answer: (A) Sher

   Explanation: The rifle is named 'Sher' and is made at Korwa, Amethi (Uttar Pradesh); around 6 lakh rifles are planned for the Indian Army.

6. The Indian Navy inducted 'Samarthak', its first indigenous Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPV), on 27 August 2026. Which company built it?

   1. Cochin Shipyard Limited
   2. Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers
   3. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders
   4. Larsen & Toubro
   Show answer

   Answer: (D) Larsen & Toubro

   Explanation: Samarthak was built by L&T at its Kattupalli shipyard in Tamil Nadu, with over 75% indigenous content; it handles surveillance, patrol and HADR roles.

7. Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth was conferred the honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army. Since which year has this tradition of exchanging honorary ranks existed?

   1. 1962
   2. 1947
   3. 1950
   4. 1971
   Show answer

   Answer: (C) 1950

   Explanation: India and Nepal have conferred honorary General ranks on each other's Army Chiefs since 1950; Nepal President Ram Chandra Paudel conferred the rank during the visit (17–19 August 2026).

8. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has restarted production of which fighter aircraft at its Nashik facility?

   1. Su-30MKI
   2. Tejas Mk1A
   3. MiG-29
   4. Rafale
   Show answer

   Answer: (A) Su-30MKI

   Explanation: HAL Nashik restarted Su-30MKI production for an order of 12 jets signed in December 2024; earlier it built 222 Su-30MKIs under Russian licence.

9. Rolls-Royce offered India 100% technology transfer and full IPR for jointly developing the engine of which aircraft programme?

   1. Tejas Mk2
   2. Light Combat Helicopter Prachand
   3. Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)
   4. HTT-40 trainer
   Show answer

   Answer: (C) Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)

   Explanation: Rolls-Royce's offer is for the AMCA engine (120+ kN initially, 145 kN later); its competitor is France's Safran working with DRDO-GTRE.

10. HAL Airport, Bengaluru, became India's first airport to operationalise the RNP CAT H Helicopter Approach Procedure. By how much does it cut helicopter approach time?

    1. From 12 minutes to 4 minutes
    2. From 10 minutes to 5 minutes
    3. From 15 minutes to 6 minutes
    4. From 8 minutes to 3 minutes
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) From 12 minutes to 4 minutes

    Explanation: The procedure, developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and approved by DGCA, cuts helicopter approach time from 12 to 4 minutes.

11. Indian-origin NASA astronaut who completed his first spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) on 6 August 2026 is:

    1. Raja Chari
    2. Anil Menon
    3. Sunita Williams
    4. Shubhanshu Shukla
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) Anil Menon

    Explanation: Anil Menon completed US Spacewalk 96 (6 hours 27 minutes) with Jessica Meir, installing hardware for the Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA).

12. Sophie Adenot became the first woman from which country to perform a spacewalk?

    1. Germany
    2. Italy
    3. France
    4. United Kingdom
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) France

    Explanation: ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot became the first French woman (and second European woman) to spacewalk, doing US Spacewalk-97 with Anil Menon on 18 August 2026.

13. China's Chang'e-7 mission, set for launch from Wenchang, aims to explore which region of the Moon?

    1. North Pole
    2. Far side equator
    3. South Pole
    4. Sea of Tranquillity
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) South Pole

    Explanation: Chang'e-7 (orbiter, lander, rover and hopping probe) will explore the lunar South Pole and search for water ice near Shackleton Crater; it flies on a Long March-5 rocket.

14. According to ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan, India plans to establish the Bharatiya Antariksha Station (BAS) by which year?

    1. 2030
    2. 2035
    3. 2040
    4. 2047
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) 2035

    Explanation: The BAS is targeted for 2035 and builds on technologies from the Gaganyaan programme; it was announced at the 3rd National Space Day celebrations in Ahmedabad.

15. S301, identified as the fastest known star with a securely determined orbit in the Milky Way, orbits which object?

    1. Proxima Centauri
    2. Cygnus X-1
    3. Betelgeuse
    4. Sagittarius A*
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Sagittarius A*

    Explanation: S301 orbits Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the Milky Way's centre, at about 25,000 km/s (~8% of light speed) with an 8.7-year period; the finding was published in Nature.

16. India's first indigenous vaccine against African Swine Fever (ASF) was developed by which ICAR institute?

    1. ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal
    2. ICAR-IVRI, Izatnagar
    3. ICAR-NDRI, Karnal
    4. ICAR-NRC on Pig, Guwahati
    Show answer

    Answer: (A) ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal

    Explanation: ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, developed a live attenuated genotype-II vaccine for pigs over 8 weeks old.

17. IIT Guwahati's portable 'E-Eye' device detects water contaminants such as arsenic, lead and fluoride using which scientific principle?

    1. Bernoulli's Principle
    2. Beer-Lambert Law
    3. Doppler Effect
    4. Raman Effect
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) Beer-Lambert Law

    Explanation: E-Eye is a low-cost optical sensor (device Rs 3,500, about Rs 2 per test) based on the Beer-Lambert Law; the research was published in the IEEE Sensors Journal.

18. Under the amended IT Rules 2026, the time allowed to remove flagged online content has been reduced from 36 hours to how long?

    1. 12 hours
    2. 24 hours
    3. 6 hours
    4. 3 hours
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) 3 hours

    Explanation: Content removal time was cut from 36 hours to 3 hours, and new provisions cover AI-generated content and deepfakes.

19. Glaw Lake became India's 101st Ramsar Site and the first in its state. In which state is it located?

    1. Sikkim
    2. Arunachal Pradesh
    3. Meghalaya
    4. Nagaland
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) Arunachal Pradesh

    Explanation: Glaw Lake, inside the Kamlang Tiger Reserve & Wildlife Sanctuary, became Arunachal Pradesh's first Ramsar Site on 3 August 2026.

20. India's Asiatic lion population has risen to how many?

    1. 674
    2. 523
    3. 1,024
    4. 891
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) 891

    Explanation: The Asiatic lion population rose to 891 (2025) from 523 (2015), an increase of nearly 70%; their only wild home is the Greater Gir region of Gujarat.

21. Ladakh approved India's first High-Altitude Wildlife Safari. Which animal is its main attraction?

    1. Red Panda
    2. Snow Leopard
    3. One-horned Rhinoceros
    4. Asiatic Lion
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) Snow Leopard

    Explanation: The snow leopard is the main attraction; Hemis National Park in Ladakh is a key snow leopard habitat.

22. The 140-year-old Parichha Weir in Jhansi was designated a World Heritage Irrigation Structure (WHIS). On which river is it built?

    1. Ken
    2. Chambal
    3. Betwa
    4. Yamuna
    Show answer

    Answer: (C) Betwa

    Explanation: Parichha Weir is on the Betwa River (built 1881–1886); the WHIS status is given by the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID).

23. The Central Zoo Authority approved Asia's first desert-themed drive-through night safari at Juna Deesa in which district of Gujarat?

    1. Kutch
    2. Patan
    3. Surendranagar
    4. Banaskantha
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Banaskantha

    Explanation: The safari and zoological park at Juna Deesa, Banaskantha, covers 103 hectares and will cost Rs 542.14 crore.

24. Ladakh hosted its first Black-Necked Crane Festival in August 2026. What is the IUCN status of the Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis)?

    1. Endangered
    2. Vulnerable
    3. Least Concern
    4. Near Threatened
    Show answer

    Answer: (D) Near Threatened

    Explanation: The Black-necked Crane is listed as Near Threatened; Ladakh is its key breeding region in India. The festival ran from 11 to 14 August 2026.

25. Scientists of CSIR-IHBT discovered a new sunflower-family (Asteraceae) plant species, Doronicum sanctum, in which district?

    1. Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh
    2. Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh
    3. North Sikkim, Sikkim
    4. Chamoli, Uttarakhand
    Show answer

    Answer: (B) Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh

    Explanation: Doronicum sanctum was discovered in Tawang district, Arunachal Pradesh, by the CSIR–Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur.

Current Affairs August 2026 - Part 3 is factual rather than analytical: you either recall it in seconds or you lose the mark to somebody who did. That makes it one of the cheapest sections to convert - a handful of short sittings usually settles the whole cluster.

Expect one-line recall questions - definitions, stand-for expansions, identifiers and the ordering of things. Practise the wording as well as the concept: these papers test terminology, and the set above uses the same four-option shape they do.

Past papers reuse clusters like this almost verbatim across years and posts. Run the same set until every distractor is familiar - previous-year style questions stop being recall and start being free marks.