Weekly Current Affairs Test : 15th to 21st August 2026

The Karnataka Government approved the phased statewide rollout of SAMASTA, a mobile-based community digital health platform. The platform is integrated with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). It is designed to digitise grassroots healthcare and streamline field-level health data collection. Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and health inspectors can use the platform to record health information digitally. SAMASTA reduces the manual diary-based reporting burden of ASHAs from 485 to 134 digital data points.

NIELIT (National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology), under MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology), launched CYBER KUSHTI 2026 on 15 August 2026. CYBER KUSHTI 2026 is a national Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence (AI) hackathon focused on testing human judgment in cybersecurity assessment. It is the official technical track of the NCCDFI (National Conference on Cyber Security, Digital Forensics and Intelligence) 2026. The hackathon is conducted in collaboration with the ISAC Foundation (Information Sharing and Analysis Center Foundation), with CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) as the Knowledge Partner.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF), under Operation Nanhey Farishtey, reunited 65 lost/separated children with their families. The children were found at various railway stations under the Ferozepur Railway Division between January and July 2026. The initiative focuses on children who are lost or separated from their families at railway stations. Passengers are advised to immediately inform RPF or station staff if they find an unattended or separated child. The Railway helpline 139 can also be contacted for children’s safety.

The BWF Badminton World Championships 2026 will be held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi. India is hosting the World Championships after 17 years. Indian shuttlers leading the contingent include P. V. Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Treesa Jolly and Gayathri Gopichand. India has two entries in each of the five disciplines at the championship.

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen won the Esports World Cup chess title 2026 for the second consecutive year. Carlsen defeated Belarusian Grandmaster Denis Lazavik 2–0 in the final held in Paris, France. Representing Team Liquid, the 35-year-old Norwegian remained undefeated throughout the tournament. Hikaru Nakamura of the United States secured third place after defeating Alireza Firouzja 4–1. The bronze-medal match was disrupted by technical issues and internet disconnections. The championship followed a best-of-three sets format.

India’s first virtual zoo has been started at Indore Zoo in Madhya Pradesh. Along with the virtual zoo, a 14-D cinema theatre and virtual jungle safari have also been opened. These facilities were developed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model at a cost of around ₹4.5 crore. The virtual safari uses technology to provide visitors with an immersive experience of forests and wildlife. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav inaugurated the facilities and highlighted their role in promoting wildlife and environmental education.

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is NASA’s upcoming infrared space observatory, scheduled for launch on August 30, 2026, from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. It is named after Nancy Grace Roman, an astronomer known as the “Mother of Hubble” for her role in establishing NASA’s space astronomy programme. Roman has a 2.4-metre primary mirror and can survey an area of the sky about 100 times larger than Hubble, while surveying the sky much faster. It will operate near the Sun–Earth Lagrange Point 2 (L2), about 1.5 million km from Earth. Its major objectives include studying dark energy, dark matter, exoplanets and galaxy evolution.

A loggerhead sea turtle weighing over 100 kg was rescued from the Arabian Sea by the Yellow Gate police patrolling team. The distressed turtle was handed over to RAWW (Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare) for treatment and rehabilitation in coordination with the Mangrove Cell. The loggerhead sea turtle is a large migratory marine reptile known for its massive head and powerful jaws. It is found in tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. The species is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and plays an important ecological role by consuming hard-shelled marine organisms and recycling nutrients.

Simhadri Super Thermal Power Station has been selected to host India’s first utility-scale pilot of an indigenous rechargeable iron-air battery. It is located in Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh. It is operated by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). The project will test Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) and support the integration of renewable energy into the regional grid. The battery system is intended to help manage peak demand and grid stability during periods of low renewable generation.

Friedreich’s Ataxia (FRDA) is a rare genetic disorder that progressively damages the nervous system and heart. It is caused by mutations in the FXN gene, which produces frataxin, an important protein for mitochondrial function and cellular energy production. The disease commonly results from GAA repeat expansions in the FXN gene, with symptoms usually beginning between 5–15 years of age. Researchers found that 95% of expanded variants originated from two long-normal variants that underwent separate mutation events in Eurasia. Ancient DNA evidence suggests that these protomutations existed in Europe and Western Asia at least 9,000 years ago, but were absent in Neanderthals.

The Department of Defence Production (DDP) notified the 6th Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) on 17–18 August 2026. The list includes 405 strategically important defence items, covering Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and the Indian Coast Guard. The list has been made available on the SRIJAN Defence Portal to promote indigenous defence production. The SRIJAN Defence Portal was launched in August 2020 by the Ministry of Defence. It is a single-window digital platform connecting domestic manufacturers, including MSMEs and startups, with defence procuring agencies.

India’s first indigenous Quantum Processing Unit (QPU) fabrication facility has been established in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The facility has been established by QpiAI, a deep-tech startup. It focuses on manufacturing superconducting quantum processors. The facility supports India’s goal of self-reliance in quantum hardware under the National Quantum Mission (NQM).

A new Himalayan flowering plant has been formally named Impatiens nimspurjai in honour of legendary Nepali mountaineer Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja. The plant was discovered in Myagdi district of Nepal at an altitude of around 2,800–2,900 metres. It belongs to the genus Impatiens and the family Balsaminaceae. The naming recognises Purja’s contribution to mountaineering and high-altitude environmental conservation, including the Big Mountain Cleanup initiative. Purja famously climbed all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres in six months and six days in 2019.

Vignesh Vermula won the Open Blitz title at the Asian Junior Chess Championship 2026. Saranya Devi won the Girls’ Blitz title, giving India a strong start. Vermula entered the tournament as the 23rd seed but emerged champion after finishing tied on points with Sharnarthi Viresh and Nandish V S. He secured the title through superior tie-break scores. Akshay Borganokar and Madhavendra Pratap Sharma finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

India launched its first ‘Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs)’ at the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). COP17 was hosted in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, with discussions focusing on land degradation, drought and desertification. The guide aims to support the identification, understanding and conservation of open natural ecosystems in India.

Kashmir’s indigenous aromatic Mushk Budji rice is facing a price and demand crisis despite receiving a GI tag in 2023. The variety is traditionally associated with Sagam village in Anantnag, Jammu & Kashmir. It is cultivated at an altitude of around 5,000–7,000 feet and is known for its distinct musky fragrance and rich taste. The rice has short, bold, round, pearl-like grains with a light ivory colour. Traditionally, it is associated with special occasions, festivals, royal weddings and Kashmiri Wazwan.

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India hosted the 2nd BRICS 2026 Tourism Working Group (TWG) Meeting in Jaipur, Rajasthan under India’s BRICS Chairship. It followed the 1st TWG Meeting held virtually on 25 May 2026. Four key priorities were AI and Tourism, Sustainability and Responsible Tourism, Tourism Skilling and Capacity Building, and Tourism Exchanges and Seamless Travel Facilitation. The meeting was held under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”

Punjab Government is providing professional help and free treatment for mental-health conditions through the state-run Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana. Young people, particularly those aged 18–30 years, are facing mental-health issues. Lack of treatment awareness and concerns over treatment costs are major barriers. Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana is a flagship State Health Insurance Programme of the Government of Punjab. The scheme was launched on 20 August 2019. It aims to provide health insurance coverage and financial protection to eligible beneficiaries in Punjab.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) launched its “Yashoda AI” initiative in Jalandhar, Punjab to promote women’s digital empowerment and participation in emerging technologies. It is an AI Literacy Programme being run by NCW since last year. The initiative aims to improve women’s AI literacy, digital inclusion, cybersecurity, digital privacy and safe online practices.

Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur’s 118th birth anniversary was observed across Tripura through various programmes. He is regarded as the architect of modern Tripura. The Chief Minister highlighted the Maharaja’s contributions, ideals and vision for public welfare. The government aims to build a developed Tripura by following the path and vision shown by Maharaja Bir Bikram.

Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), released the “National Report on Deep-Sea and Distant-Water Fishery Resources of the Indian EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone).” The report compiles nearly four decades of oceanographic research and three decades of systematic surveys across India’s 2.37 million sq km EEZ. It draws on 400+ oceanographic cruises, including expeditions aboard FORV Sagar Sampada. It assesses mesopelagic (200–1,000 m) resources, demersal resources and distant-water species such as tunas, sharks, billfishes and Antarctic krill.

Researchers from IIIT-Delhi, along with the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Guwahati and CSIR–Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), developed MutAIverse, a generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform to investigate possible environmental exposures linked to cancer. It uses mass spectrometry data from tumour biopsies and DNA-adduct analysis to trace damaged DNA to possible genotoxins or carcinogens. Its machine-learning tool AdductLinker links DNA damage with potential chemical exposures. The platform expanded the DNA-adduct reference library from fewer than 400 to over 3 lakh potential entries.

Scientists from Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune discovered two new species of microscopic marine organisms: Psammophaga holzmannae and Psammophaga sinhai. They were discovered at Rajapuri Creek in Raigad district, Maharashtra, along the Konkan coast. Both belong to foraminifera, microscopic marine organisms; Psammophaga means “sand eater.” The organisms selectively consume heavy minerals containing titanium and iron, particularly ilmenite and magnetite, despite these minerals being present only in trace amounts in surrounding sediments. The discovery highlights the largely unexplored marine biodiversity of India’s coastline and may improve understanding of interactions between microorganisms, minerals and seafloor sediments.

West Bengal’s inaugural ‘Kaushal Mahotsav’ was organized at Balurghat in the Dakshin Dinajpur district. This event functions as a mega recruitment and placement drive designed to connect skilled, certified, and eligible local youth directly with prominent corporate employers. Spearheaded by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) in collaboration with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), the initiative supports the broader objectives of the Skill India Mission. The job fair serves as an active bridge between trained job seekers and various industrial sectors requiring specific occupational competencies.

The Indian Navy recently inaugurated the shore-based Launch and Recovery System (LARS) Test Plinth at the Submarine Rescue Unit (East) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. This state-of-the-art facility is designed to test, validate, and maintain critical submarine rescue equipment, including the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV), without requiring active sea deployment. Visakhapatnam serves as the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command.