Daily Current Affairs Quiz 26th August 2026 for Banking & Competitive Exams |

Daily Current Affairs: 26 August, 2026

Q1. Which specialized institute collaborated with CoE BioPack and the Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras, to organize CHEMCONNECT 2026?

(a) CSIR-NCL

(b) CIPET

(d) BARC

(e) NIPER

Answer: b

Solution:

CHEMCONNECT 2026 was organised as a one-day Industry-Academia Event on 25 August 2026.
The event was held at the Student Activity Centre (SAC) Hall, IIT Madras.
CHEMCONNECT 2026 was jointly organised by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras.
The event was organised to facilitate and strengthen the network of 18 Centres of Excellence (CoEs) established by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals.
The event was specifically organised by the Centre of Excellence in Biodegradable Packaging Materials (CoE BioPack).
The Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras also played a key role in organising the event.
The event was organised in collaboration with the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET).

Q2. According to official Ministry of Finance data, UPI’s annual transaction volume grew from 1.78 crore in FY 2016–17 to over which level in FY 2025–26?

(a) 10,000 crore

(b) 15,500 crore

(d) 50,000 crore

(e) 82,000 crore

Answer: c

Solution:

The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) completed 10 years on 25 August 2026.
UPI was launched on 25 August 2016 by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
UPI operates under the regulatory oversight of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Over the last decade, UPI has emerged as the backbone of India’s digital payments ecosystem.
It has also become a critical driver of financial inclusion in the country.
UPI transaction volume increased from 1.78 crore transactions in FY 2016-17 to over 24,162 crore transactions in FY 2025-26.
This represents an almost 13,000-fold increase in transaction volume over the decade.
The transaction value rose from ₹0.07 lakh crore in FY 2016-17 to approximately ₹314 lakh crore in FY 2025-26.
This represents a more than 4,000-fold increase in transaction value.
UPI has emerged as one of the most successful pillars of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
It provides an interoperable, real-time payment platform.
UPI enables seamless peer-to-peer (P2P) and peer-to-merchant (P2M) transactions through a single application.
The platform has helped bridge the digital divide, expand access to digital financial services, and promote broad-based economic participation.
The rapid growth in both transaction volume and value highlights UPI’s increasing role in supporting high-frequency retail payments.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has acknowledged UPI as the world’s largest real-time payment system by transaction volume.

Q3. PHARMEXCIL, which co-signed the strategic export facilitation agreement with the Central Bureau of Narcotics in August 2026, was set up by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. What is the full form of PHARMEXCIL?

(a) Pharmaceutical Exporters and Manufacturers Association of India

(b) Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India

(d) Pharmaceutical Exchange Corporation of India Limited

(e) Federation of Indian Pharma Exporters Council

Answer: b

Solution:

The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) and the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (PHARMEXCIL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 24 August 2026.
The MoU was signed at the CBN Headquarters in Gwalior.
The CBN functions under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
PHARMEXCIL was established by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
The MoU aims to facilitate legitimate international trade and prevent the diversion of pharmaceutical products.
It seeks to balance the promotion of India’s pharmaceutical exports with effective regulatory oversight.
Under the MoU, the Government, in consultation with PHARMEXCIL, will develop a Voluntary Code of Conduct (VCC) for the pharmaceutical industry.
The VCC will outline recommended practices for the industry.
The Code will remain voluntary and non-binding.
It will not interfere with normal business operations or impose any additional statutory or financial burden beyond applicable laws.
The partnership will identify operational bottlenecks and recommend measures to streamline legitimate export procedures for compliant pharmaceutical exporters.
Both organisations will conduct joint workshops, seminars and awareness campaigns for exporters.

Q4. How many total awards were won by the Publications Division at the Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP) Excellence in Book Production Awards 2026?

(a) 5

(b) 6

(d) 9

(e) 12

Answer: c

Solution:

The Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, received seven awards at the Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP) Awards for Excellence in Book Production 2026.
The awards recognised the Publications Division’s excellence in publishing, editorial quality and diversity of content.
The recognised publications included journals, books and reference publications in Hindi, English and Urdu.
The Division received a total of four Second Prizes and three Third Prizes.

Publications Securing Second Prizes

Bharat 2026 (Hindi) received the Second Prize in the Reference Books – Hindi category.
Wings to Our Hopes – Volume 2 received the Second Prize in the General and Trade Books – English category.
Yojana – July 2026 (Hindi), themed ‘Viksit Bharat@2047’, received the Second Prize in the Journals & House Magazines – Hindi category.
Kurukshetra – A Rural Development Monthly Since 1952 received the Second Prize in the Journals & House Magazines – English category.

Publications Securing Third Prizes

Dharti Ki Sehat received the Third Prize in the Children’s Books (General Interest) (0–10 Years) – Hindi category.
Rangoli Roop Sur Lay Ki received the Third Prize in the Art and Coffee Table Books – Hindi category.
Ajkal Urdu – July 2026 received the Third Prize in the Journals & House Magazines, Indian Languages (Urdu) category.

Q5. The indigenous micro and small gas turbine engines (NJ-05, NJ-50, and NJ-100) were developed and unveiled by which premier scientific research body?

(a) DRDO – Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE)

(b) ISRO – Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC)

(d) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)

(e) Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL)

Answer: c

Solution:

CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) unveiled three indigenous Micro and Small Gas Turbine Engines on 25 August 2026.
The engines were unveiled at the SSB Auditorium, CSIR Headquarters, New Delhi.
The development marks a significant step towards self-reliance in advanced aerospace propulsion.
The three indigenous gas turbine engines are:
- NJ-05 – 5 kg thrust
- NJ-50 – 50 kg thrust
- NJ-100 – 100 kg thrust
These compact propulsion systems have been developed to address critical requirements in indigenous defence technologies.
The engines are envisaged for use in tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
They can also be used in drone interceptors.
Another potential application is in compact missile systems.

Q6. What is the name of the official AI conversational assistant launched by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to facilitate easy access to information on tribal welfare schemes?

(a) Saarthi

(b) Jago

(d) Pragati

(e) Bhashini

Answer: b

Solution:

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs recently launched “Jago”, its official AI conversational assistant.
The Ministry also launched a mascot for Jago.
Jago has been designed to make information related to tribal welfare schemes, programmes, initiatives and repositories easier to find, understand and access.
The AI assistant brings together trusted information from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs through a single intelligent interface.
The initiative aims to improve access to information and make official resources related to tribal welfare more user-friendly and accessible.

Q7. What is the name of India’s first AI-powered translator platform for tribal languages launched by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs?

(a) Bhashini Tribal

(b) Adi Vaani

(d) Van Vani

(e) TribalConnect

Answer: b

Solution:

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs recently launched the full-fledged Adi Vaani Platform.
Adi Vaani is India’s first AI-powered translator for tribal languages.
The platform is designed to bridge communication gaps between tribal and non-tribal communities.
It also aims to safeguard endangered tribal languages using advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The project combines advanced AI technologies with community-driven approaches to protect, promote and revitalise tribal languages and cultures across India.
The platform has been developed by a national consortium of premier institutions led by IIT Delhi.
Other partner institutions include BITS Pilani, IIIT Hyderabad and IIIT Nava Raipur.
The project is being implemented in collaboration with Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) in Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Meghalaya.
The platform uses refined AI language models such as No Language Left Behind (NLLB) and IndicTrans2 for low-resource tribal languages.

Key Objectives and Features

Real-time translation: Enables text and speech translation between Hindi/English and tribal languages.
Interactive learning: Provides interactive language-learning support for students and early learners.
Digital preservation: Helps digitally preserve folklore, oral traditions and cultural heritage.
Community support: Supports digital literacy, healthcare communication and civic inclusion in tribal communities.
Awareness generation: Helps create awareness about government schemes and important speeches

Q8. Which mobile application was upgraded by the Department of Posts as a unified operational interface specifically for Branch Postmasters across rural post offices in India?

(a) PostInfo App

(b) Dak Sewa App

(d) IPPB Mobile Banking

(e) Bhashini Post App

Answer: b

Solution:

The Union Minister for Communications recently in August, 2026, launched the revamped Dak Sewa App and Dak MITRA App at a function in New Delhi.

About Dak MITRA App

Dak MITRA stands for Mobile Interface for Transactions & Rural Assistance.
The upgraded Dak MITRA application serves as a unified operational platform for more than 1.4 lakh Branch Post Offices.
It has been developed indigenously by the Centre for Excellence in Postal Technology (CEPT).
The application has been developed under the Advanced Postal Technology (APT) platform as part of the DoP IT 2.0 Modernization.
It enables Branch Postmasters to undertake paperless and real-time postal and financial transactions.
Key services available through the app include mail booking, OTP-based doorstep delivery, Core Banking Services, insurance services, Aadhaar-based biometric e-KYC, cash deposits and withdrawals.

Key Facts about Dak Sewa App

The Dak Sewa App provides citizens with 24×7 access to postal services.
Its services include tracking, booking, lodging complaints, Post Office locators, PIN code locators and financial calculators.
The app supports 23 Indian languages through BHASHINI.

Q1. Where was the three-day National Conclave on Tribal Languages and Museums held in August 2026?

(a) Hyderabad, Telangana

(b) Mysuru, Karnataka

(d) Bhubaneswar, Odisha

(e) Guwahati, Assam

Answer: b

Solution:

The three-day National Conclave on Tribal Languages and Museums began on 24 August 2026.
The conclave is being held at Hotel Southern Star, Mysuru, Karnataka.
It will continue till 26 August 2026.
Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey inaugurated the conclave.
The conclave is jointly organised by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysuru, ST Welfare Department of Karnataka, and the Karnataka State Tribal Research Institute (KSTRI).
The event is being organised by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in collaboration with KSTRI, Government of Karnataka, and CIIL.
More than 150 participants from across various States are participating in the National Conclave.

Q10. In August 2026, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a sweeping financial pressure campaign—described as an “economic onslaught”—targeting nearly 60 entities, individuals, and shadow-fleet vessels to isolate Iran from the global financial system. What is the official name of this U.S. Department of the Treasury operation?

(a) Operation Sentinel Shield

(b) Operation Economic Outcast

(d) Operation Bhashini Guard

(e) Operation Prosperity Guardian

Answer: b

Solution:

The United States has imposed sanctions on nearly 60 entities, individuals and vessels over their alleged links to Iran’s military activities, procurement networks, and petroleum and petrochemical trade.
The sanctions campaign has been named “Operation Economic Outcast”.
The campaign was announced by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Its objective is to disrupt the financial and commercial networks that enable Iran to earn revenue, move money and obtain goods and technology.
The latest sanctions target networks allegedly linked to Iran’s nuclear programme, missile programme, cyber operations and oil revenues.