Current Affairs Quiz — 20 August 2026
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
Which Japanese Defence Minister held the Japan-India Defence Ministers' Meeting with Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on 20 August 2026?
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Correct answer: B — Shinjiro Koizumi
Japan's Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi met Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on 20 August 2026.
The India-Japan Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation signed on 20 August 2026 specifically covers which areas?
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Correct answer: D — MDA information sharing, Search and Rescue, and HADR
The Memorandum covers cooperation between the JMSDF and the Indian Navy, including MDA information sharing and cooperation in SAR and HADR.
Under which Japan-India air force exercise, scheduled for 2026, will Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighter aircraft visit India for the first time?
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Correct answer: A — Veer Guardian 26
Under 'Veer Guardian 26', JASDF fighter aircraft will, for the first time, visit India and take part in the exercise.
Consider the following statements about the India-Japan defence engagement of 20 August 2026: 1. The Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation was signed directly between the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Indian Navy. 2. 'Dharma Guardian' is the Japan-India Army exercise. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 2 only
Only statement 2 is correct. The Memorandum was signed between the Ministry of Defense of Japan and the Ministry of Defence of India; it provides for JMSDF-Indian Navy cooperation. Dharma Guardian is the Army exercise and JAIMEX the maritime exercise.
Which production unit will build the largest share of the 238 AC EMU rakes for the Mumbai Suburban Railway?
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Correct answer: C — Integral Coach Factory, Chennai
ICF Chennai will build 120 rakes, RCF Kapurthala 71 and MCF Raebareli 47.
What is the supply timeline for the 238 AC EMU rakes for Mumbai's suburban railway?
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Correct answer: D — Supply from 2027; completion by 2030
Supply is planned to begin in 2027, with the entire sanctioned quantity due by 2030.
Where are the principal seats of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, which the Cabinet on 20 August 2026 allowed to sit as a bench in Ladakh?
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Correct answer: A — Srinagar and Jammu
The common High Court has its principal seats at Srinagar and Jammu; the Cabinet decision enables a bench to sit in Ladakh.
Consider the following statements about the Cabinet decision of 20 August 2026 on Ladakh: 1. Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the decision in a post on X. 2. The Ladakh bench will replace Jammu as a seat of the High Court. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Only statement 1 is correct. The decision adds a bench sitting in Ladakh; the High Court's seats at Srinagar and Jammu remain.
With which Mauritian entity did Indian Oil Corporation sign a long-term petroleum products supply agreement on 20 August 2026?
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Correct answer: B — State Trading Corporation
IOCL and the State Trading Corporation (STC) of Mauritius exchanged a long-term sales and purchase agreement.
What is the duration of the IOCL-STC petroleum supply agreement with Mauritius?
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Correct answer: D — Five years
The IOCL-STC agreement is a five-year assured supply commitment.
Consider the following statements about India-Mauritius energy agreements of August 2026: 1. IOCL will supply the entire import requirement of Mauritius for motor spirit, high-speed diesel and aviation turbine fuel. 2. The facility at Mer Rouge, Port Louis, whose groundbreaking Hardeep Singh Puri attended, is a 27.5 MMTPA oil refinery. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Only statement 1 is correct. The Mer Rouge project is Indian Oil (Mauritius) Ltd's 27.5 TMT (thousand metric tonnes) bunker marine fuel storage facility, not a refinery.
How many pucca houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana were approved for Bihar on 20 August 2026, and with what allocation?
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Correct answer: D — About 11.19 lakh houses; ₹13,427 crore
Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced approval of 11,18,937 pucca houses with an allocation of ₹13,427 crore; 24.30 lakh is the two-year total.
Consider the following statements made at the Patna PMAY programme on 20 August 2026: 1. 24.30 lakh houses have been approved for Bihar in two years. 2. 53.83 lakh Farmer IDs have been created in Bihar. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct. Chouhan also said ₹29,164 crore had been spent on houses in two years and that PM Fasal Bima Yojana would be implemented in Bihar.
By how much did the Index of Core Industries grow year-on-year in July 2026 (provisional)?
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Correct answer: A — 5.4%
The ICI grew 5.4% in July 2026; June 2026 (final) was 6.0% and April-July cumulative growth was 4.3%.
Which core industry recorded the highest year-on-year growth in July 2026?
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Correct answer: B — Iron ore
Iron ore grew 29.5%, ahead of cement (13.1%), electricity (9%) and coal (7.6%).
Where was the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council held on 20 August 2026?
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Correct answer: C — Mahabalipuram
Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu.
According to Amit Shah at the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting, what is the record of zonal council meetings since 2014?
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Correct answer: D — 70 meetings; about 80% of 1,869 issues resolved
Shah said that in 70 meetings held since 2014, approximately 80% of 1,869 issues had been resolved.
Consider the following statements about the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting: 1. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana agreed to resolve issues of division of assets and liabilities in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs. 2. Telangana was represented by its Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct. The meeting was attended by four Chief Ministers, the Telangana Deputy Chief Minister and the heads of three Union Territories.
About how many new affordable housing units does the Delhi Master Plan 2047 envisage?
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Correct answer: B — 40 lakh
The Delhi Master Plan 2047 envisages the development of around 40 lakh new affordable housing units.
Who unveiled the Delhi Master Plan 2047 (MPD-2047) on 20 August 2026?
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Correct answer: A — Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal unveiled MPD-2047 in the presence of LG Taranjit Singh Sandhu and CM Rekha Gupta.
Consider the following statements about the Delhi Master Plan 2047: 1. It adopts area-based redevelopment for greenfield areas and ROW-based planning for brownfield areas. 2. It incorporates a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) policy. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 2 only
Only statement 2 is correct. It is the other way round: area-based redevelopment is for existing brownfield areas and ROW-based planning, with land pooling, is for greenfield areas.
Aboard which research vessel was most of the survey work behind CMLRE's 2026 national report on deep-sea fishery resources carried out?
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Correct answer: D — FORV Sagar Sampada
The Fishery and Oceanographic Research Vessel (FORV) Sagar Sampada served as the floating laboratory for the surveys.
Consider the following statements about CMLRE's National Report on Deep-Sea and Distant-Water Fishery Resources of the Indian EEZ: 1. It describes the mesopelagic 'twilight zone' as extending from 200 to 1,000 metres deep. 2. It covers India's Exclusive Economic Zone of about 2.37 million sq km. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct. The report also names biodiversity hotspots such as Kollam Bank and Angria Bank.
Which edition of the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) did Piyush Goyal attend in Singapore on 20 August 2026?
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Correct answer: C — 4th
Goyal took part in the 4th India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable and the 4th India-Singapore Business Roundtable.
What download milestone did the Aadhaar App cross, as announced on 20 August 2026?
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Correct answer: B — 5 crore
The Aadhaar App crossed 5 crore (50 million) downloads; over 60 lakh mobile number updates have been done through it.
Who chaired the first meeting of the newly reconstituted National Commission for Minorities on 20 August 2026?
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Correct answer: D — Harjit Singh Grewal
Chairman Harjit Singh Grewal chaired the meeting; S. Munawari Begum is the Vice Chairperson.