Weekly Current Affairs Test : 8th to 14th August 2026

The Odisha Government signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre for Research in Schemes and Policies (CRISP) and the NSE Foundation to implement Project BLESS. Project BLESS is a three-year initiative to prevent distress migration by promoting livelihood opportunities, skill development, entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion. The project will be implemented through the Mission Shakti Department in collaboration with the Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM). It will cover 69 blocks across eight districts and is expected to benefit 8.81 lakh rural families and 86,468 Self-Help Groups (SHGs).

The 2nd National Port Security Conference 2026 was held in New Delhi. The conference was addressed by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal. The conference focused on strengthening India’s maritime security architecture through advanced technologies, cybersecurity, and institutional coordination.

Nagaland launched the Chief Minister’s Yarn Bank Scheme on National Handloom Day to strengthen the handloom sector and support weavers’ livelihoods. The Yarn Bank has been established at the District Industries Centre, State Industrial Area, Toluvi, Dimapur. The scheme provides cotton, eri silk, muga silk, bamboo fibre, and other natural fibres at mill-gate prices with a 15% government subsidy. The initiative is expected to benefit 5,000–10,000 weavers annually by ensuring affordable and transparent access to quality yarn.

R. Praggnanandhaa won the Grand Chess Tour St. Louis Rapid and Blitz 2026 title in the United States. He secured the title after drawing with Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan in the penultimate round. Praggnanandhaa finished with 23 points out of 35, while Sindarov finished runner-up. Earlier in June 2026, Praggnanandhaa also won the Norway Chess 2026 title in Oslo.

Ladakh has approved India’s first-ever guided high-altitude wildlife safari. The safari will cover Hemis National Park, Changthang, and Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary. It will focus on snow leopard sightings and bird-watching trails during the winter season. The safari will be operated by trained local youth to promote sustainable ecotourism. The initiative aims to conserve and showcase Ladakh’s rich high-altitude biodiversity, including around 340 bird species.

India’s first satellite-guided helicopter approach procedure, known as Required Navigation Performance – Category H (RNP CAT H), was operationalised at the HAL Airport in Bengaluru. This landmark achievement makes HAL Airport the pioneer in utilizing satellite-based precision landing paths for rotary-wing aircraft in India. Developed to manage challenging urban terrain and weather limitations, this system significantly reduces helicopter approach time from roughly 12 minutes to just 4 minutes. This technology is vital for civil air ambulances, defense operations, and disaster management.

Sonai-Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Sonitpur district of Assam, at the foothills of the Great Himalayan Range. The sanctuary is bordered by the Gabhoru and Panchnoi rivers, Rowta Reserve Forest, and Kameng Reserve Forest of Arunachal Pradesh. It has four perennial rivers—Dolsiri, Gabharu, Gelgeli and Belsiri—along with wetlands locally known as “bheels. Assam Environment and Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah inaugurated the newly constructed Kalamati Wildlife Range Office at the sanctuary.

Qadr-F missile was recently in the news amid heightened Middle East tensions and Iran–Israel military exchanges. Qadr-F is a medium-range ballistic missile developed by Iran. It has an estimated range of around 2,000 km and is derived from the Shahab-3 missile family. The missile is a key long-range asset of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It is deployed alongside Iran’s Emad and Kheiber missiles as part of its strategic missile capabilities.

Bengaluru-based Astrobase Space Technologies has unveiled EVEREST, an 80-tonne-class rocket engine built entirely in India. The engine uses liquid oxygen and liquid methane (methalox) and is designed to generate about 800 kN of thrust. EVEREST uses the advanced Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) cycle, a highly efficient rocket propulsion technology. The company has previously tested smaller versions of the technology, including a scaled-down engine in 2025. Astrobase plans to conduct the first full-scale hot-fire test at its private facility in Andhra Pradesh

Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as the 36th President of Colombia on August 7, 2026. He assumed office for the 2026–2030 term, succeeding Gustavo Petro. De la Espriella won the June 21, 2026 runoff election with 49.66% of the vote. His administration has pledged a hardline approach to drug trafficking and a reduction in the size of the state. Colombia is a vibrant country in northwestern South America. It has coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The capital and largest city is Bogotá.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways launched the e-NAVIK portal alongside the E-Samudra platform. e-NAVIK is a 24×7 digital grievance redressal system for Indian seafarers and maritime employers. It facilitates resolution of issues related to employment disputes, wage contracts and safety complaints. The portal aims to provide a transparent, accessible and time-bound mechanism for addressing seafarers’ grievances. It supports India’s implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006, particularly regarding seafarers’ working conditions and social protection.

The 8th edition of the India-US Bilateral Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Exercise 2026 was conducted between August 10 and 14, 2026. The exercise was hosted at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi. This specialized maritime exercise focused on advanced technology demonstrations, including the deployment of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). The five-day bilateral drill involved intense Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE) and practical simulations to address underwater mines, unexploded ordnance, and improvised maritime explosive remnants, reinforcing the defense ties and tactical cooperation between the two partner navies.

The Thoti tribal community has recently come into focus because of concerns over its declining population and socio-economic conditions. The Thoti are a Scheduled Tribe (ST) and one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) recognised in Telangana. They are mainly found in the erstwhile Adilabad region, particularly in northern Telangana. Their population is estimated at around 4,811, making them one of the smallest vulnerable tribal communities in the state.

The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), a constituent board of the Quality Council of India (QCI), launched India’s first accreditation scheme for Mobile Food Testing Laboratories. The scheme was launched at the ‘Gunvatta Samanvaya – A Multilateral MoU Exchange Ceremony’ in New Delhi. It aims to bring reliable, quality-assured and internationally benchmarked food testing services closer to communities. The initiative will strengthen food safety surveillance, faster regulatory action and consumer confidence.

Indian weightlifter Maharajan Arumugapandian won the silver medal in the men’s 65 kg category at the Asian Junior Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He recorded a personal-best total of 285 kg, lifting 128 kg in snatch and 157 kg in clean and jerk. Vietnam’s Hoang Thach won gold with a total lift of 291 kg, six kilograms ahead of Maharajan.

The National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) Scheme has supported 580 Scheduled Caste students for higher education abroad during 2019–20 to 2025–26. The scheme has recently been integrated with the SAMAVESH (Single Access Mechanism for All Verticals of Empowerment & Social Harmony) Portal to streamline applications and selection. The scheme provides financial assistance to eligible Scheduled Caste students pursuing higher education abroad. The highest number of beneficiaries was recorded in 2023–24, with 114 students.

An Industry Summit on Prospects and Export of Agarwood Oil from India was held in New Delhi by the Chemicals and Allied Products Export Promotion Council (CHEMEXCIL) with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. The initiative focuses particularly on the North Eastern Region, which holds about 96.6% of India’s agarwood trees. Agarwood is a valuable resinous aromatic wood obtained mainly from Aquilaria species and is used for perfumes, incense and agarwood oil. India has an estimated 139.89 million agarwood trees, with Assam accounting for about 114.3 million.

Lebanon became the first country in the Arab world and the Middle East to formally abolish the death penalty. Capital punishment was replaced with life imprisonment with aggravated hard labour. The decision was passed by a majority in Parliament, despite opposition from Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc. The reform marks a major development in criminal justice and human-rights policy in the region.

The Ministry of Culture promotes India’s international cultural relations through the Global Engagement Scheme (GES). The scheme currently has valid Cultural Exchange Programmes (CEPs) with 98 countries. It also supports India’s participation in forums such as BRICS, G20, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and BIMSTEC. The Global Engagement Scheme strengthens India’s cultural diplomacy by promoting its heritage, diversity and contemporary cultural traditions abroad. It has four components: International Cultural Exchange Programme, Project Mausam, Brihattar Bharat and the Scheme for Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage and Diverse Cultural Traditions of India.

Kalanamak rice cultivation has expanded significantly in Siddharthnagar, Uttar Pradesh, with production increasing more than five times between 2018 and 2025. Its sale price increased from ₹40/kg in 2018 to ₹150/kg in 2026, improving farmers’ profitability. Kalanamak rice is a traditional non-basmati aromatic variety known for its high nutritional value. It is mainly grown in eastern Uttar Pradesh, especially Siddharthnagar, as part of the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has recognized Kalanamak rice as a specialty rice of the world.

The Indian Navy’s Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) ‘Shruti’ (Yard 3037) was launched at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. The vessel supports India’s focus on indigenous warship construction under Aatmanirbhar Bharat. The name Shruti refers to India’s ancient Vedic tradition and the four Vedas. It will undertake missions including maritime surveillance, search and rescue, offshore asset protection, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and anti-piracy operations.

Karnataka recently launched ‘Tathyakosh’, an open-source public data portal designed as a Digital Public Good. The platform aims to make government and institutional data easier to discover, access and reuse for data-driven solutions. Tathyakosh combines Tathya (truth) and Kosh (repository). It functions as a metadata-indexed discovery layer rather than storing all raw data centrally. It can help users discover data relevant to agriculture, healthcare, climate change and financial inclusion.

Oman is tackling an oil spill from a grounded tanker near the Hallaniyat Islands in the Arabian Sea. The Hallaniyat Islands, formerly known as the Kuria Muria Islands, are a five-island archipelago located in the Arabian Sea, off the southern coast of Oman. The islands are a protected nature reserve known for coral reefs, turtle nesting beaches and rich marine biodiversity. They provide habitat to Arabian Sea humpback whales, whale sharks, dolphins and diverse fish species.

The NAVYA programme has trained 1,060 adolescent girls across 15 States/UTs as of June 30, 2026. NAVYA stands for Nurturing Aspirations through Vocational Training for Young Adolescent Girls. It is implemented under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0). The programme provides industry-relevant vocational training along with mandatory On-the-Job Training (OJT). The Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) is used for real-time monitoring of registration, attendance, training and certification.

The Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP) is currently implemented across all 36 States/Union Territories, covering 751 districts. As of June 30, 2026, the programme operates through 1,856 haemodialysis centres equipped with 13,535 machines. PMNDP was launched to provide free haemodialysis services to eligible patients and improve access to dialysis care. The programme is supported by the Central Government through the National Health Mission (NHM). Among States/UTs, Gujarat has the highest number of dialysis centres with 282, followed by Karnataka (214) and Maharashtra (158).

The Ministry of Textiles organised ‘Srijan: Voices from the Loom’ in New Delhi. The programme celebrates women handloom weavers and their contribution to preserving India’s weaving heritage. More than 100 women weavers from six handloom clusters will participate. The event highlights their resilience, creativity and role in sustaining traditional weaving traditions.

NITI Aayog released the report “Key Sectors to Position India as a Global Manufacturing Hub” on August 13, 2026. The report identifies four high-potential manufacturing sectors: chemicals, textiles, telecom & networking equipment and solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing. It assesses sectors based on market potential, competitiveness, infrastructure, technology readiness, employment potential and value-chain position. The report aims to strengthen domestic value addition, exports, competitiveness and India’s manufacturing ecosystem.

Archaeologists from the Trichy Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have identified the probable remains of an ancient water-management structure in the Kollidam River, near Lalgudi, Tamil Nadu. Kollidam River, historically known as Coleroon, is the northern and major distributary of the Cauvery River in Tamil Nadu. It branches from the Cauvery near Srirangam and flows for about 150 km before entering the Bay of Bengal. The river acts as an important flood-control channel, carrying surplus monsoon and floodwater away from the Cauvery delta.

BhashaDaan is the dedicated crowdsourcing initiative launched under the National Language Technology Mission (BHASHINI). It aims to collect diverse voice, text, and translation inputs from citizens across various Indian languages to build open-source datasets. These datasets are used to train artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) models. Managed under the Digital India BHASHINI Division, the platform encourages public participation to enrich regional language resources, thereby enabling developers and startups to create voice-first, localized digital solutions for public governance and private enterprise.

The bilateral air exercise ‘Udara Shakti 2026′ was conducted at Subang Air Base in Selangor, Malaysia, from August 10 to 14, 2026. This exercise involved intense air combat manoeuvres and tactical sharing between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF). It serves to enhance strategic ties, mutual trust, and operational interoperability between the two nations’ air forces. Subang Air Base hosts the RMAF Air Warfare Centre, which acted as the primary venue for the five-day drills involving 83 personnel.