State PCS Exams Current Affairs Questions and Answers August 2026

Practice questions

What document was unanimously adopted at the Commonwealth conference in Jaipur?
1. Jaipur Treaty
2. Jaipur Protocol
3. Jaipur Charter
4. Jaipur Declaration
Show answer
Answer: D. Jaipur Declaration — All countries agreed on the Jaipur Declaration, and the digital justice initiative Nyayayan was launched.
Who chaired the 16th BRICS Trade Ministers' Meeting in Jaipur?
1. S. Jaishankar
2. Piyush Goyal
3. Nirmala Sitharaman
4. Amit Shah
Show answer
Answer: B. Piyush Goyal — The meeting was chaired by Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal under India's 2026 BRICS chairship.
Which document was issued at the BRICS trade meeting to help small businesses get trade finance?
1. Jaipur Declaration
2. Jaipur Sahmati (Consensus)
3. Nyayayan
4. Jaipur Accord
Show answer
Answer: B. Jaipur Sahmati (Consensus) — The Jaipur Sahmati aims to help small businesses obtain trade finance.
What is the area of India's first rare earth exploration licence given to Rajasthan?
1. 107.6 sq km
2. 307.6 sq km
3. 57.2 sq km
4. 207.6 sq km
Show answer
Answer: D. 207.6 sq km — The area covers Pachpadra tehsil in Balotra and Sherghar tehsil in Jodhpur.
Which agency holds the rare earth exploration licence in Rajasthan?
1. CMPDIL
2. ONGC
3. NMDC
4. Coal India
Show answer
Answer: A. CMPDIL — The Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL) is the agency.
At which toll plaza on NH-48 was multi-lane free-flow tolling started?
1. Kherki Daula
2. Manesar
3. Shahjahanpur
4. Behror
Show answer
Answer: C. Shahjahanpur — It is the first pilot of this tolling in India, using ANPR cameras and FASTag-based RFID.
Which institute developed the MMSS+ road-building technology?
1. IIT Delhi
2. NHAI
3. RDSO
4. CRRI
Show answer
Answer: D. CRRI — The Central Road Research Institute, New Delhi, developed the technology.
Where was the Air Force exercise ROTOR CLAP-III held?
1. Suratgarh
2. Pokhran Field Firing Range
3. Tanot
4. Mahajan Field Firing Range
Show answer
Answer: B. Pokhran Field Firing Range — The week-long counter-drone exercise was held at Pokhran in Jaisalmer district.
How many days of maternity leave did the Rajasthan Cabinet approve for surrogate mothers?
1. 60 days
2. 90 days
3. 120 days
4. 180 days
Show answer
Answer: B. 90 days — The same Cabinet meeting also let unmarried women employees take child-care leave in six spells instead of three.
Which article of the Constitution mentions the Uniform Civil Code?
1. Article 14
2. Article 21
3. Article 51
4. Article 44
Show answer
Answer: D. Article 44 — Article 44, in the Directive Principles, mentions the UCC but is not legally binding.

Whose customs are kept outside the scope of the draft Rajasthan UCC Bill, 2026?
1. Tribal communities
2. Hindu families
3. Muslim families
4. Christian families
Show answer
Answer: A. Tribal communities — Tribal customs were kept outside the scope of the bill.
How many tree species are protected under the draft Rajasthan Tree Protection Bill, 2026?
1. 9
2. 19
3. 29
4. 39
Show answer
Answer: C. 29 — Species such as Khejri, Rohida, banyan, peepal and mahua are protected.
In which district is Mangarh Dham, which the Centre said does not meet the national monument norms?
1. Dungarpur
2. Udaipur
3. Banswara
4. Pratapgarh
Show answer
Answer: C. Banswara — The Centre told Parliament that Mangarh Dham does not fit the 1958 Act's conditions for national importance.
Who called the Bhils to Mangarh in November 1913?
1. Govind Guru
2. Motilal Tejawat
3. Tantya Bhil
4. Bhogilal Pandya
Show answer
Answer: A. Govind Guru — About 1.5 lakh Bhils gathered at his call, and police firing killed about 1,500 tribals.
Which commission sent a notice to Rajasthan over maternal deaths in government hospitals?
1. NCW
2. NCPCR
3. NITI Aayog
4. NHRC
Show answer
Answer: D. NHRC — The National Human Rights Commission asked for a detailed report.
How much did Rajasthan get in total under RKVY and Krishonnati Yojana?
1. ₹265.12 crore
2. ₹340.59 crore
3. ₹849.37 crore
4. ₹509.62 crore
Show answer
Answer: B. ₹340.59 crore — It is ₹216.12 crore under RKVY plus ₹124.47 crore under Krishonnati Yojana.
The Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport inaugurated by PM Modi on 1 August 2026 is at:
1. Dagadarthi
2. Bhogapuram
3. Orvakal
4. Kurnool
Show answer
Answer: B. Bhogapuram — Bhogapuram is in Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh.
For how many weeks will the Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan run?
1. 25 weeks
2. 52 weeks
3. 100 weeks
4. 75 weeks
Show answer
Answer: C. 100 weeks — The campaign holds anti-drug activities every Sunday for 100 weeks.
At what level did the RBI's Monetary Policy Committee keep the repo rate on 5 August 2026?
1. 5.00%
2. 5.50%
3. 6.00%
4. 5.25%
Show answer
Answer: D. 5.25% — The MPC held the repo rate at 5.25% with a neutral stance and raised the growth forecast to 6.7%.
Glaw Lake, India's 101st Ramsar site, is in which state?
1. Arunachal Pradesh
2. Assam
3. Meghalaya
4. Nagaland
Show answer
Answer: A. Arunachal Pradesh — It is in Arunachal Pradesh's Lohit district, inside the Kamlang Tiger Reserve.

Where is the IAF's Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment, where Sqn Ldr Bhawana Kanth completed the Fighter Combat Leader course?
1. Jodhpur
2. Hyderabad
3. Bareilly
4. Gwalior
Show answer
Answer: D. Gwalior — TACDE at Gwalior is called the IAF's 'Top Gun' school.
The GOBARdhan scheme approved by the Cabinet in August 2026 mainly promotes which fuel?
1. Compressed biogas
2. Green hydrogen
3. Ethanol
4. Biodiesel
Show answer
Answer: A. Compressed biogas — The Rs 23,731 crore scheme aims to raise compressed biogas production about tenfold.
Which Indian physicist shared the 2026 Dirac Medal of the ICTP?
1. Ashoke Sen
2. Deepak Dhar
3. Spenta Wadia
4. Rajesh Gopakumar
Show answer
Answer: B. Deepak Dhar — Dhar shares the medal with Bernard Derrida, Marc Mezard and Haim Sompolinsky.
Parliament passed the bill to rename Kerala as:
1. Keralaa
2. Kerala Pradesh
3. Malayalam
4. Keralam
Show answer
Answer: D. Keralam — The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 was cleared by the Lok Sabha on 11 August and the Rajya Sabha on 12 August.
What was India's CPI retail inflation in July 2026?
1. 4.45%
2. 3.80%
3. 5.20%
4. 6.10%
Show answer
Answer: A. 4.45% — Retail inflation rose from 4.38% in June to 4.45% in July.
India signed Terms of Reference for a Preferential Trade Agreement with which bloc on 12 August 2026?
1. ECOWAS
2. East African Community
3. Southern African Customs Union
4. ASEAN
Show answer
Answer: C. Southern African Customs Union — SACU has five members: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa.
The 80th Independence Day on 15 August 2026 also marked how many years of the national song Vande Mataram?
1. 150 years
2. 100 years
3. 125 years
4. 175 years
Show answer
Answer: A. 150 years — The celebrations carried the theme of 150 years of Vande Mataram.
Which country's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited India on 19-20 August 2026?
1. South Korea
2. Australia
3. Japan
4. Vietnam
Show answer
Answer: C. Japan — Koizumi made his first visit to India as Japan's Defence Minister and met Rajnath Singh.
Which top honour was not given to anyone in the National Sports Awards 2025?
1. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna
2. Arjuna Award
3. Dronacharya Award
4. Dhyan Chand Award
Show answer
Answer: A. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna — The ministry named 17 Arjuna Awardees but no Khel Ratna winner.
World Humanitarian Day on 19 August remembers the 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in which city?
1. Kabul
2. Beirut
3. Damascus
4. Baghdad
Show answer
Answer: D. Baghdad — The attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad killed 22 people, and the UN created the day in 2008.
On which date is National Space Day observed in India?
1. 23 August
2. 15 August
3. 27 July
4. 1 September
Show answer
Answer: A. 23 August — It marks the Chandrayaan-3 Moon landing of 23 August 2023.

One-liner questions: fill in the blank

The _____ was held in Jaipur under India's 2026 BRICS chairship and was chaired by Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. Its theme was 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'.
Show answer
Answer: 16th BRICS Trade Ministers' Meeting
Rajasthan became the first state in India to get an exploration licence for rare earth elements (REE)_____207.6 sq km, in Pachpadra tehsil (Navatala-Devigarh) of Balotra and Sherghar tehsil of Jodhpur.
Show answer
Answer: . The licence area is
India's first pilot of _____ began at the Shahjahanpur toll plaza on NH-48 (Delhi-Jaipur highway) in Alwar district. ANPR cameras and FASTag-based RFID let vehicles pay toll without stopping.
Show answer
Answer: multi-lane free-flow (MLFF) tolling
The Indian Air Force held the week-long counter-drone exercise _____ at the Pokhran Field Firing Range, Jaisalmer. It tested readiness to counter enemy drone attacks quickly and reliably.
Show answer
Answer: ROTOR CLAP-III
The Rajasthan Cabinet, chaired by CM _____, approved the draft Rajasthan Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026. It seeks one law for marriage, divorce, succession, maintenance and live-in relationships, and keeps tribal customs outside its scope.
Show answer
Answer: Bhajan Lal Sharma
The Cabinet also approved the draft _____ to control felling of trees on non-forest land. It protects 29 species, including Khejri, Rohida, banyan, peepal, lasora, tendu, mahua, ker and chironji.
Show answer
Answer: Rajasthan Tree Protection Bill, 2026
The Centre told Parliament that _____ in Banswara does not meet the conditions to be a monument of national importance under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites Act, 1958. Large modern construction has affected its original character.
Show answer
Answer: Mangarh Dham
Union Home and Cooperation Minister _____ is to lay the foundation stone of a new dairy plant at the Saras Dairy campus in Alwar, at the Vijay Nagar ground.
Show answer
Answer: Amit Shah
The _____ was held in Jaipur in August 2026 under India's chairship, led by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and adopted the Jaipur Declaration 2026.
Show answer
Answer: BRICS Tourism Ministers' meeting
PM Modi virtually launched the Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan_____100-week campaign against drug abuse with activities every Sunday, run through the MY Bharat youth platform.
Show answer
Answer: , a
India finished _____ at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games with 39 medals (13 gold, 17 silver, 9 bronze). Australia topped the table, and the Games flag passed to India, host of the 2030 edition at Ahmedabad.
Show answer
Answer: fourth
The RBI's Monetary Policy Committee kept the _____ with a neutral stance, and raised its 2026-27 GDP growth forecast to 6.7% from 6.6%. It projected CPI inflation at 5.0%.
Show answer
Answer: repo rate unchanged at 5.25%
India test-fired the nuclear-capable _____ medium-range ballistic missile from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Odisha. The Strategic Forces Command conducted the launch, and the missile has a range of about 4,000 km.
Show answer
Answer: Agni-4
On 7 August 2026, CRRI (Central Road Research Institute, New Delhi) gave a live demonstration of its _____ (Modified Mix Seal Surfacing Plus) road technology in Jaipur. The Rajasthan government is considering adopting it.
Show answer
Answer: MMSS+
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.
Show answer
Answer: Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026
India celebrated its _____. PM Modi gave his 13th straight address from the Red Fort, built around the themes of 150 years of Vande Mataram and 'Yuva Shakti for Viksit Bharat@2047'.
Show answer
Answer: 80th Independence Day
_____ is observed every year on 23 August to honour the successful Chandrayaan-3 Moon landing; the 2026 theme was about India's innovation, cooperation and leadership in space.
Show answer
Answer: National Space Day
The BRICS meeting in Jaipur issued the _____ (Jaipur Consensus) to help small businesses get trade finance. Members agreed on rule-based trade with the WTO at the centre and special relief for developing countries.
Show answer
Answer: Jaipur Sahmati
Geological studies show signs of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium and neodymium in the REE licence area. The licence agency is the public-sector _____ (Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited).
Show answer
Answer: CMPDIL
Goa has had a UCC since its Portuguese-era law continued after 1961, and _____ became the first state to enact one after independence. Article 44 (Directive Principles) mentions the UCC, but it is not legally binding.
Show answer
Answer: Uttarakhand
Under the Tree Protection Bill, felling without permission can bring up to _____ in jail, a fine up to ₹1 lakh, or both. A fixed number of new trees must be planted in place of each tree cut.
Show answer
Answer: one year
In November 1913, about 1.5 lakh Bhils gathered at Mangarh at the call of tribal leader and freedom fighter _____. British police firing killed about 1,500 tribals, and it is called the 'Jallianwala Bagh of Rajasthan'.
Show answer
Answer: Govind Guru
Rajasthan decided to strengthen digital tracking of _____ and its maternal referral system, after more than 20 maternal deaths in government hospitals in two months. Chief Secretary V. Srinivas chaired the review meeting at Swasthya Bhawan, Jaipur.
Show answer
Answer: high-risk pregnancies
An _____ (auxiliary nurse midwife) will be assigned to every high-risk pregnancy to monitor it continuously and connect the woman to a doctor when needed. The 104 and 108 ambulance services will also be strengthened for timely referral.
Show answer
Answer: ANM
The _____ (National Human Rights Commission) sent a notice to the Rajasthan government asking for a detailed report on the maternal deaths.
Show answer
Answer: NHRC
Union Agriculture Minister _____ approved ₹340.59 crore for Rajasthan: ₹216.12 crore under RKVY (Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana) and ₹124.47 crore under Krishonnati Yojana.
Show answer
Answer: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Rajasthan's annual action plan for 2026-27 under these schemes was approved at _____, of which the Centre's share is ₹509.62 crore. Telangana got ₹265.12 crore in total.
Show answer
Answer: ₹849.37 crore
The meeting also stressed wider use of the _____ in Rajasthan, so that farmers get timely and easy loans.
Show answer
Answer: Kisan Credit Card (KCC)
At the same Alwar event, development works of about _____ in 17 districts will be foundation-laid and e-inaugurated, under the Centre's 'Sahkar se Samriddhi' vision to expand dairy and cattle-feed processing.
Show answer
Answer: ₹6,262 crore
India Post released a _____ at Bikaner House, New Delhi, on the birth centenary of Satish Gujral, the painter, sculptor and architect. Jyotiraditya Scindia unveiled it.
Show answer
Answer: Rs 5 commemorative stamp
Zoological Survey of India scientists completed India's first _____. It lists 13,703 species of butterflies and moths, about 8.25% of the world's known species.
Show answer
Answer: Catalogue of Lepidoptera
Five captive-bred _____ bred by the Bombay Natural History Society were released at Kaziranga National Park, the first such release in the world. Gyps vulture numbers in India have fallen by about 99% in 20 years.
Show answer
Answer: slender-billed vultures
The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage named the 140-year-old _____ in Jhansi a World Heritage Irrigation Structure. It is the headworks of the Betwa Canal System in Uttar Pradesh.
Show answer
Answer: Parichha Weir
The Reserve Bank named _____ in the Upper Layer for 2026-27, so they face stricter rules. Tata Sons remains on the list.
Show answer
Answer: 17 NBFCs
The Periodic Labour Force Survey bulletin for July 2026 showed the _____ from 5.5% in June, while the labour force participation rate rose to 55.4%.
Show answer
Answer: unemployment rate falling to 5.1%
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research developed India's first fully annotated _____ of pigeonpea, using the variety 'Asha'. The genome has about 752.65 million base pairs across 11 chromosomes.
Show answer
Answer: telomere-to-telomere (T2T) genome
Kerala researchers described a new seahorse species, *_____*, named after marine biologist Amanda Vincent. It shows that the thorny seahorse once treated as one species is actually three species.
Show answer
Answer: Hippocampus amandavincentae
PM Modi inaugurated the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport_____Bhogapuram, Vizianagaram district, built under PPP for over Rs 5,640 crore. He also launched projects worth more than Rs 17,900 crore in Andhra Pradesh.
Show answer
Answer: at
The _____ completed one year on 1 August. More than 72 lakh first-time employees have joined the formal workforce under the scheme, which has an outlay of Rs 99,446 crore.
Show answer
Answer: PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana
At the end of the Jaipur conference, all countries unanimously adopted the _____, and the digital justice initiative Nyayayan was launched. The aim was to promote mediation for settling disputes.
Show answer
Answer: Jaipur Declaration

Frequently asked questions

How is this page arranged?

The mind map has one branch for each exam topic: government and states, international and agreements, economy and banking, science, defence and environment, sports, days and culture, and awards, appointments and books. Tap a branch to open its one-liners. The same news is also written out as plain text below the map.

What kind of current affairs does State PCS Exams ask?

State PCS Exams papers (UPPSC, BPSC, MPPSC, RPSC (RAS), HPSC, JPSC, UKPSC, OPSC, WBCS, GPSC, MPSC, TNPSC, KPSC and other state PSC exams) lean on the news of the states first (schemes, cabinet decisions, places, festivals, awards), then national policy, economy, environment, culture and international news. This page orders the news the same way.

How many months of current affairs should I study?

For most exams the last 6 months matter most; state PCS and UPSC add the previous 6 months. Read month by month using the month filter, then practise the MCQs.

Are there MCQs on these current affairs?

Yes, 31 questions with answers and explanations are on the questions and answers page of this section.

Is this free?

Yes. Every mind map, one-liner, question and answer on the current affairs pages is free to read.

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