Current Affairs 12 August 2026 — Full notes
Published:
Current Affairs 12 August 2026 — 8 news items
At a glance
the top events
The most important events of this page, and how many news items each topic holds.
Top events
- 12 Aug — Parliament passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to rename the state Keralam. The Lok Sabha cleared it on 11 August and the Rajya Sabha on 12 August; the new name takes effect from a date the Centre will notify.
- 12 Aug — India's retail inflation (CPI) rose to 4.45% in July 2026 from 4.38% in June, a 19-month high. Food inflation increased to 5.52%, while rural inflation was 4.84% and urban inflation 3.96%.
- 12 Aug — PM Modi released former President Ram Nath Kovind's autobiography 'Triumph of the Indian Republic: My Life, My Struggles' at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
- 12 Aug — India and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) signed Terms of Reference in New Delhi for talks on a Preferential Trade Agreement. It could become India's first major trade pact with an African regional bloc.
- 12 Aug — N. Chandrasekaran said he will not seek another term as Chairman of Tata Sons and will leave when his present term ends on 20 February 2027. He has led the group since February 2017.
News by topic
- Government & States
- 1 one-liners
- International & Agreements
- 1 one-liners
- Economy & Banking
- 1 one-liners
- Sports, Days & Culture
- 2 one-liners
- Awards, Appointments & Books
- 3 one-liners
Government & States
1 one-liners
Policy · laws · schemes · states.
National
- 12 Aug — Parliament passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to rename the state Keralam. The Lok Sabha cleared it on 11 August and the Rajya Sabha on 12 August; the new name takes effect from a date the Centre will notify.
International & Agreements
1 one-liners
World · summits · MoUs · exercises.
Summits, Agreements & Exercises
- 12 Aug — India and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) signed Terms of Reference in New Delhi for talks on a Preferential Trade Agreement. It could become India's first major trade pact with an African regional bloc.
Economy & Banking
1 one-liners
RBI · markets · trade · reports.
Economy & Banking
- 12 Aug — India's retail inflation (CPI) rose to 4.45% in July 2026 from 4.38% in June, a 19-month high. Food inflation increased to 5.52%, while rural inflation was 4.84% and urban inflation 3.96%.
Sports, Days & Culture
2 one-liners
Results · important days · heritage.
Important Days
- 12 Aug — International Youth Day was observed on 12 August with the 2026 theme 'Different Contexts, Common Aspirations'. The UN first marked the day in the year 2000.
- 12 Aug — World Elephant Day is observed on 12 August. It was first marked in 2012 to raise awareness of elephant conservation.
Awards, Appointments & Books
3 one-liners
Honours · new posts · books · obituaries.
Appointments
| Date | Name | Appointed as |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Aug | N. Chandrasekaran | Tata Sons Chairman, not seeking a new term after 20 February 2027 |
Books & Reports
- 12 Aug — PM Modi released former President Ram Nath Kovind's autobiography 'Triumph of the Indian Republic: My Life, My Struggles' at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
Obituaries
- 12 Aug — Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji died in Beijing aged 97. He was Premier from 1998 to 2003 and led the negotiations for China's entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001.
Quick quiz
test yourself
Practice questions on this period. Tap an option to check your answer.
Fill in the blank: one-liner flashcards
- Parliament passed the _____ to rename the state Keralam. The Lok Sabha cleared it on 11 August and the Rajya Sabha on 12 August; the new name takes effect from a date the Centre will notify.
- Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026
- _____ said he will not seek another term as Chairman of Tata Sons and will leave when his present term ends on 20 February 2027. He has led the group since February 2017.
- N. Chandrasekaran
- India's retail inflation (CPI) rose to _____ in July 2026 from 4.38% in June, a 19-month high. Food inflation increased to 5.52%, while rural inflation was 4.84% and urban inflation 3.96%.
- 4.45%
- PM Modi released former President _____ autobiography 'Triumph of the Indian Republic: My Life, My Struggles' at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
- Ram Nath Kovind's
- India and the _____ signed Terms of Reference in New Delhi for talks on a Preferential Trade Agreement. It could become India's first major trade pact with an African regional bloc.
- Southern African Customs Union (SACU)
- _____ was observed on 12 August with the 2026 theme 'Different Contexts, Common Aspirations'. The UN first marked the day in the year 2000.
- International Youth Day
- Former Chinese Premier _____ died in Beijing aged 97. He was Premier from 1998 to 2003 and led the negotiations for China's entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001.
- Zhu Rongji
- _____ is observed on 12 August. It was first marked in 2012 to raise awareness of elephant conservation.
- World Elephant Day
MCQs
India signed Terms of Reference for a Preferential Trade Agreement with which bloc on 12 August 2026?
- ECOWAS
- East African Community
- Southern African Customs Union
- ASEAN
Show answer
Answer: Southern African Customs Union — SACU has five members: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa.
Parliament passed the bill to rename Kerala as:
- Keralaa
- Kerala Pradesh
- Malayalam
- Keralam
Show answer
Answer: Keralam — The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 was cleared by the Lok Sabha on 11 August and the Rajya Sabha on 12 August.
Which book by former President Ram Nath Kovind was released by PM Modi on 12 August 2026?
- The Dramatic Decade
- Triumph of the Indian Republic
- Courage and Commitment
- My Presidential Years
Show answer
Answer: Triumph of the Indian Republic — The book is subtitled 'My Life, My Struggles'.
Whose term as Tata Sons Chairman ends on 20 February 2027, with no new term sought?
- Ratan Tata
- Cyrus Mistry
- Noel Tata
- N. Chandrasekaran
Show answer
Answer: N. Chandrasekaran — Chandrasekaran has been chairman since February 2017.
What was India's CPI retail inflation in July 2026?
- 4.45%
- 3.80%
- 5.20%
- 6.10%
Show answer
Answer: 4.45% — Retail inflation rose from 4.38% in June to 4.45% in July.
Who was elected President of Hungary by parliament on 11 August 2026?
- Tamás Sulyok
- Péter Magyar
- András Baka
- Viktor Orbán
Show answer
Answer: András Baka — Baka, a former Supreme Court head, won 140 votes to 6.
Who was re-elected President of Zambia in the August 2026 election?
- Brian Mundubile
- Hakainde Hichilema
- Edgar Lungu
- Kenneth Kaunda
Show answer
Answer: Hakainde Hichilema — Hichilema won a second five-year term, with results announced on 18 August.
Who chaired the 16th BRICS Trade Ministers' Meeting in Jaipur?
- S. Jaishankar
- Piyush Goyal
- Nirmala Sitharaman
- Amit Shah
Show answer
Answer: Piyush Goyal — The meeting was chaired by Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal under India's 2026 BRICS chairship.
The Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport inaugurated by PM Modi on 1 August 2026 is at:
- Dagadarthi
- Bhogapuram
- Orvakal
- Kurnool
Show answer
Answer: Bhogapuram — Bhogapuram is in Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh.
Who was named CEO and Managing Director of Air India in August 2026?
- Campbell Wilson
- Tewolde Gebremariam
- Natarajan Chandrasekaran
- Rajesh Kumar
Show answer
Answer: Tewolde Gebremariam — He previously led Ethiopian Airlines Group and succeeds Campbell Wilson.