Daily Current Affairs Quiz 21 August 2026: 15 Important GK MCQs for UPSC, SSC, Banking & Railways Exams

Question 1

In August 2026, the CCEA approved four railway multi-tracking projects across four states at an estimated cost of approximately how much?

Accepted Answer

Rs 9,450 crore - The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved four railway multi-tracking projects at an estimated cost of about Rs 9,450 crore . The projects cover railway capacity expansion in West Bengal , Odisha , Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu . The same infrastructure package also included four-laning of the Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonbarsa section of NH-22 in Bihar for about Rs 3,590.73 crore . Static GK link: The CCEA is chaired by the Prime Minister of India and considers major economic and investment matters. It is one of the Cabinet Committees used to coordinate high-level Union government decisions involving economic policy, investment and major infrastructure proposals.

Question 2

PM GatiShakti, the national master plan linked with integrated infrastructure planning, was launched in which year?

Accepted Answer

2021 - PM GatiShakti National Master Plan was launched in October 2021 to support integrated and coordinated infrastructure planning across ministries and departments. The August 2026 CCEA railway approvals are relevant to this framework because capacity expansion, freight movement and multimodal connectivity are core planning objectives. The four railway projects were approved at about Rs 9,450 crore , alongside the Bihar NH-22 four-laning project of about Rs 3,590.73 crore . Static GK link: PM GatiShakti follows a whole-of-government approach and uses geospatial and infrastructure datasets to improve coordination, last-mile connectivity and logistics efficiency. It is associated with integrated planning across road, rail, ports, airports and other infrastructure networks.

Question 3

Which landmark 1978 Supreme Court case is associated with the interpretation of 'industry' under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947?

Accepted Answer

Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board v. A. Rajappa - The landmark case is Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board v. A. Rajappa , decided by a seven-judge Supreme Court Bench in 1978 . In August 2026, a nine-judge Constitution Bench again considered the interpretation of 'industry' under Section 2(j) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The 1978 ruling is remembered for laying down the broad 'triple test' used in deciding whether an activity can qualify as an industry. Static GK link: The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 was a central labour law dealing with investigation and settlement of industrial disputes. Section 2(j) defined industry , while the Bangalore Water Supply judgment became one of the most frequently tested labour-law precedents connected with that definition.

Question 4

Under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, the term 'industry' was defined in which provision?

Accepted Answer

Section 2(j) - The term 'industry' was defined in Section 2(j) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. This provision was central to the August 2026 Supreme Court consideration of the interpretation developed in Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board v. A. Rajappa . The earlier judgment was delivered in 1978 by a seven-judge Bench, while the 2026 matter was considered by a nine-judge Constitution Bench. Static GK link: In the same Act, Section 2(k) dealt with an industrial dispute , Section 2(s) with a workman , and Section 2(oo) with retrenchment . These clause numbers are common labour-law Static GK pairings in legal and competitive-exam questions.

Question 5

Who was elected the 23rd President of Bangladesh on 20 August 2026?

Accepted Answer

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir - Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party was elected the 23rd President of Bangladesh on 20 August 2026 . In the parliamentary vote, he secured 255 votes against 88 votes for Oli Ahmed . The election was significant because it was a contested presidential poll conducted through the country's legislature. Static GK link: Bangladesh has a parliamentary system in which the President is the head of state, while the Prime Minister heads the government. The national legislature is called the Jatiya Sangsad , meaning House of the Nation. Bangladesh's capital is Dhaka and its currency is the Bangladeshi taka .

Question 6

What is the constitutional name of Bangladesh's national legislature, through which the 2026 presidential election was conducted?

Accepted Answer

Jatiya Sangsad - Bangladesh's national legislature is the Jatiya Sangsad , also rendered in English as the House of the Nation . The legislature was central to the presidential election in which Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was elected the country's 23rd President on 20 August 2026 , defeating Oli Ahmed by 255 votes to 88 . Static GK link: The Jatiya Sangsad is a unicameral parliament . Bangladesh follows a parliamentary form of government, so the presidency is largely a head-of-state office while executive government is led by the Prime Minister. For country-capital-currency revision, remember: Bangladesh - Dhaka - Bangladeshi taka .

Question 7

Which PhonePe platform was integrated with the PM GatiShakti framework to provide granular, anonymised transaction-based economic insights?

Accepted Answer

PhonePe PulsePro - PhonePe PulsePro was integrated with the PM GatiShakti framework to make aggregated and anonymised transaction-led insights available for government planning. The objective is to provide granular geographical signals on economic activity that can support evidence-based infrastructure, market and development decisions. PhonePe announced the arrangement through an MoU in August 2026 , building on PulsePro's hyperlocal data-intelligence capabilities. Static GK link: PhonePe operates in India's digital-payments ecosystem, where Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a major instant-payment rail. UPI was developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) . PM GatiShakti, meanwhile, was launched in October 2021 for integrated infrastructure planning.

Question 8

Unified Payments Interface, the digital-payment system central to India's app-based payments ecosystem, was developed by which organisation?

Accepted Answer

National Payments Corporation of India - The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) developed the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) , the instant-payment system used across participating banks and payment apps. This Static GK link is relevant to the August 2026 integration of PhonePe PulsePro with PM GatiShakti because PulsePro derives economic signals from PhonePe's large digital-transaction ecosystem while sharing only aggregated and anonymised insights for planning use. Static GK link: UPI's pilot launch took place on 11 April 2016 . NPCI is an RBI-regulated entity and operates important retail-payment systems in India. UPI supports round-the-clock bank-to-bank transfers and merchant payments through participating payment service providers and apps.

Question 9

According to PLFS estimates, what was India's unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above in July 2026?

Accepted Answer

5.1% - India's unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above was estimated at 5.1% in July 2026 , down from 5.5% in June. The urban unemployment rate was about 6.7% , while the rural rate was approximately 4.5% . These figures came from the monthly Periodic Labour Force Survey estimates. Static GK link: The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) is conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Key labour-market indicators include the Unemployment Rate (UR) , Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) and Worker Population Ratio (WPR) .

Question 10

What does PLFS, the survey used for India's monthly labour-market estimates, stand for?

Accepted Answer

Periodic Labour Force Survey - PLFS stands for Periodic Labour Force Survey . Its monthly estimates showed India's unemployment rate for people aged 15 years and above at 5.1% in July 2026 , compared with 5.5% in June . The July estimates also placed urban unemployment at about 6.7% and rural unemployment at around 4.5% . Static GK link: PLFS is conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under MoSPI. In labour statistics, LFPR measures the share of the population in the labour force, WPR measures the share that is employed, and UR measures unemployment within the labour force.

Question 11

Which NBFC was reported in August 2026 as India's first to establish exclusive branches dedicated to loans against eligible silver collateral?

Accepted Answer

Paul Merchants Finance - Paul Merchants Finance was reported as India's first NBFC to establish exclusive branches dedicated to silver loans . The offering began in Chandigarh and provides loans ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 15 lakh , subject to regulatory and company norms. The product uses eligible silver assets as collateral within the formal secured-lending system. Static GK link: The Reserve Bank of India issued the Reserve Bank of India (Lending Against Gold and Silver Collateral) Directions, 2025 , creating a unified regulatory framework for eligible lending against precious-metal collateral. An NBFC is a Non-Banking Financial Company regulated by the RBI under the applicable statutory and regulatory framework.

Question 12

Which regulator issued the Reserve Bank of India (Lending Against Gold and Silver Collateral) Directions, 2025?

Accepted Answer

RBI - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the Lending Against Gold and Silver Collateral Directions, 2025 . These directions are relevant to the August 2026 launch of silver-backed lending by Paul Merchants Finance , which was reported as India's first NBFC with exclusive silver-loan branches . The framework brought eligible silver collateral into a formal regulated lending structure alongside gold collateral. Static GK link: The RBI was established on 1 April 1935 under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 and was nationalised in 1949 . It is India's central bank and performs monetary-policy, currency-management, banking-regulation and financial-stability functions.

Question 13

RK-251, an experimental smart anticancer compound highlighted in August 2026, was developed through collaboration involving which institutions?

Accepted Answer

IASST Guwahati and IIT Guwahati - RK-251 was developed through collaborative research involving IASST Guwahati and IIT Guwahati . It is an experimental smart anticancer compound designed to respond to elevated reactive oxygen species in tumour cells. Preclinical work examined its activity against triple-negative breast cancer , with the goal of improving selectivity for cancer cells while reducing effects on healthy cells. Static GK link: IASST stands for the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology and is an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology. IIT Guwahati is one of India's Institutes of Technology. RK-251 remains a preclinical research development , not an approved medicine for patients.

Question 14

What cellular condition is designed to trigger activation of the experimental anticancer compound RK-251?

Accepted Answer

High reactive oxygen species levels - RK-251 is designed to respond to high reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels , a condition found at elevated levels in many tumour cells. This activation strategy is intended to make the compound more selective inside cancerous cells. The preclinical research focused on aggressive triple-negative breast cancer and was carried out by researchers associated with IASST Guwahati and IIT Guwahati. Static GK link: Reactive oxygen species are chemically reactive oxygen-containing molecules involved in cell signalling and oxidative stress. A compound activated by a biological or chemical trigger is often described as a prodrug strategy. RK-251 is still at the preclinical stage and requires further research before human use.

Question 15

The India-Japan maritime security arrangement signed in August 2026 primarily strengthens cooperation in which set of areas?

Accepted Answer

Maritime Domain Awareness, Search and Rescue, HADR and information sharing - The India-Japan maritime security arrangement signed in August 2026 strengthens cooperation in Maritime Domain Awareness , Search and Rescue , Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief , information sharing and institutional maritime coordination. The arrangement forms part of the wider defence and security partnership between the two Indo-Pacific countries and provides a framework for closer naval cooperation. Static GK link: India and Japan upgraded their relationship to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014 . The two countries share an interest in a free, open and stable Indo-Pacific. HADR is a common defence-exam abbreviation for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief , while MDA stands for Maritime Domain Awareness .

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