18th August, 2026

1. Subhas Chandra Bose Death Anniversary 2026: Biography and Legacy
2. India Sets Up Panel to Review Teesta Barrage Project Amid China-Bangladesh Cooperation
3. 20 Blackbucks Released in Gujarat’s Banni Grasslands on Independence Day
4. Ayushman Bharat Health Insurance Scheme Formally Launched in West Bengal
5. Bengal’s traditional folk industries to be promoted under Skill India Programme
6. Raja Sen, National Award-Winning Bengali Filmmaker, Dies at 71
7. Census 2027: Complete List of 40 Questions, Key Changes and What’s New
8. MoD Signs Rs.1,577 Crore Contracts with TASL and NIBE for Loiter Munition Systems
9. NIELIT Launches Cyber Kushti 2026 National Cybersecurity AI Hackathon To Test Human Judgment Skills
10. MIDHANI Becomes First Indian Company to Secure GE Aerospace S400 Lab Approval
11. CCRAS-NIIMH Signs MoU with SEMIRI for Digitization of Medical Manuscripts
12. RBI Imposes Rs. 59.20 Lakh Monetary Penalty on IndusInd Bank for Regulatory Non-Compliance
13. SpaceX Sets record with Two Falcon 9 Launches Just 38 minutes Apart
14. Kawa UAV Conducts Maiden Flight of Divyastra Mk3 Loitering Munition
15. Magnus Carlsen wins Esports World Cup Chess Title 2026 for Second Consecutive Year
16. National Award-Winning Sculptor Chandrashekhar Shilpi Passed Away at 75
17. Meghalaya CM Conrad K. Sangma Inaugurates CoE for Eri Silk Weaving
18. India to host 12th BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi
19. Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth conferred Honorary Rank of General of Nepali Army by Nepal President
20. First-ever Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems of India launched at COP17
21. India’s BRICS chairship guided by people-centric and humanity-first approach, says MEA Secretary
22. Indian Army contingent departs for Thailand for Joint Military Exercise MAITREE-XV
23. India’s first virtual zoo opens in Indore with 14-D cinema and virtual jungle safari facilities
24. Jerusalem’s Friendship Bridge illuminated in Indian tricolour to mark 80th Independence Day
25. SURYAPATH TIRANGA Global Relay concludes after journey across 54 countries
26. PM Modi announces target of 100 Giga Watt Nuclear capacity by 2047
27. PM Modi pays tribute to Sri Aurobindo on his birth anniversary
28. Social Justice Minister Dr Virendra Kumar Launches ‘SNEHA’ E-Book on Senior Citizens’ Welfare and Active Ageing
29. India Emerging as Global Defence Manufacturing Hub, Net Exporter: Rajnath Singh
30. Uttarakhand CM inaugurates Asian Open Short Track Speed Skating Trophy 2026
31. Hindi Biography of Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu released in national capital
32. CEC Gyanesh Kumar to launch Electoral Literacy Club 2.0 in Patna today
33. Maharashtra government launches state-wide ‘Reel for Soil and Water Conservation’ competition
34. Delhi Reaches 100 Atal Canteens With Inauguration of 25 New Outlets
35. Puducherry observes De Jure Transfer Day, marking legal integration with India
36. Union Minister Manohar Lal pays tribute to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee
37. Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi sets goal of prosperous Odisha by 2036 on Independence Day
38. Assam celebrates 80th Independence Day; CM Himanta Biswa Sarma outlines Vision 2047 roadmap
39. Four women from Nagaland selected to represent India in Sepaktakraw in 20th Asian Games in Japan
40. China Defeat Qatar 118-66 in FIBA Under-18 Asia Cup in Ahmedabad

National News

Centre Notifies Questionnaire for Census 2027 Exercise

• What: The Central Government notified the questionnaire for Census 2027 featuring 40 questions to collect personal and socio-economic details, starting September 1 in Ladakh and snow-bound northern areas.
• Tell me more:
  • The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved collecting caste details for the first time based on self-reporting by respondents.
  • The digital exercise utilizes mobile applications with an approved budget allocation of ₹11,718 crore to collect household data.
  • The enumeration phase covers new parameters including Covid-19 vaccine location, Aadhaar number, bank account details, voter identification card number, passport number, and driving licence ownership.
  • Self-enumeration runs from August 17 to 31 in regions starting population enumeration on September 1, while the rest of the country undergoes enumeration next year.

NIELIT Launches National Cybersecurity Hackathon CYBER KUSHTI

• What: The National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) launched CYBER KUSHTI 2026 on August 15 as a national cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence (AI) hackathon to evaluate human judgment in security assessment.
• Tell me more:
  • NIELIT Director General Prof. (Dr.) M. M. Tripathi launched the hackathon in collaboration with Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC Foundation) under National Security Database (NSD), with Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) as Knowledge Partner.
  • The competition features three rounds, including Round 1 (The Akhada), Round 2 (The Dangal), and the final round (The Kesari) held on October 9 at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.
  • Participants will analyze identical Security Assessment Packages with deliberate false, duplicated, and omitted findings to produce corrected assessments, and winners will earn titles like Cyber Kesari 2026 with a Gada, plus Rustam and Pahalwan for runners-up.
• Knowledge Nuggets:
  • NIELIT, an autonomous MeitY society, drives digital skill development through 56 centres and 8,000+ facilitation centres, and holds “Deemed to be University” status with its main campus in Ropar and 11 others nationwide.
  • The ISAC Foundation is a registered not-for-profit cybersecurity organisation in India focused on cybersecurity, AI, and professional ethics, running the National Security Database certification for security practitioners.
  • CERT-In, established in 2004 under MietY, aims to secure India’s cyber space.

India Targets 100 GW Nuclear Power Capacity By 2047

• What: Prime Minister Narendra Modi set a target of achieving 100 gigawatt (GW) nuclear capacity by 2047 and commissioning five new reactors this decade to power emerging technological sectors.
• Why: To meet rising electricity demands from artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and data centres while supporting net-zero goals by 2070.
• Tell me more:
  • The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, enacted in December 2025, enables broader private sector participation and international collaborations.
  • India achieved a major milestone in April 2026 as the indigenously built 500 megawatt electric (MWe) Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu attained first criticality.
    • “Attained first criticality” means the nuclear reactor successfully started a controlled, self-sustaining chain reaction for the first time, generating a steady nuclear reaction.
    • It proves the reactor’s design and construction work correctly and that it can safely sustain a nuclear reaction on its own.
  • Developed by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI), this reactor marks India’s formal transition into the second stage of its three-stage nuclear power programme.
  • Under the Nuclear Energy Mission, the government allocated ₹20,000 crore to design and deploy indigenously developed Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) by 2033.

Union Minister Chairs Senior Citizen Council Meeting in New Delhi

• What: Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar chaired the fifth meeting of the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSrC) in New Delhi to review key policies, flagship schemes, and digital welfare initiatives for senior citizens.
• Tell me more:
  • The Minister launched SNEHA, an e-book documenting 21 months of departmental achievements from October 2024 to June 2026 under the theme of Ageing with Dignity.
  • The Department introduced JEEVAN (Joint Elderly Empowerment & Virtual Assistance Network), a unified mobile app providing seamless access to welfare schemes and services.
  • The Department also launched SHATAYU (Senior Holistic Care Assistance and Training for Your Utility) to connect elderly individuals with trained geriatric caregivers for ageing at place.
  • The Council reviewed the implementation of Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY) alongside universal health coverage for individuals aged 60 and above under Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
  • Discussions included a proposal to incorporate geriatric caregiver services into the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) rate card.
• Knowledge Nuggets:
  • The National Council for Older Persons (NCOP) was formed in 1999, chaired by the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, to oversee and advise on policies and programmes for the elderly.
  • In 2012, the NCOP was reconstituted to encourage more regional participation and renamed the National Council of Senior Citizens (NCSrC), which must meet at least twice a year.

Election Commission Launches Electoral Literacy Clubs

• What: Election Commission of India (ECI) Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar launched Electoral Literacy Clubs 2.0 (ELC 2.0) during a conference at Gyan Bhawan in Patna.
• Tell me more:
  • ELC 2.0 reimagines electoral literacy platforms as structured, visible, and digitally enabled systems across schools, colleges, and universities nationwide.
  • The upgraded initiative leverages the ECINet digital platform to cultivate a pan-India network through a dedicated ELC portal.
  • The initiative targets India’s educational ecosystem comprising 15 lakh schools and nearly 70,000 higher education institutions across India to build trust in democratic processes.
  • The launch event unveiled a new ELC logo along with the tagline “Learn Democracy. Lead Democracy.”

State News

India Forms High Powered Committee for Teesta Project

• What: India established a 12-member high-powered committee, chaired by the Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC), to evaluate the restoration and future management of the Teesta Barrage Project (TBP) in West Bengal.
• Tell me more:
  • This initiative comes after Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman sought Chinese technical cooperation to implement the Teesta Barrage Master Plan during a visit to China in June.
  • The panel will study water use, siltation, climate impacts, and barrage strengthening, plus review upstream release rules and ways to boost river capacity.
  • The current Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC) is Shri Anupam Prasad.

Gujarat Forest Department Releases Blackbucks in Banni

• What: The Gujarat Forest Department, with technical support from Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (GZRRC), Vantara, released 20 blackbucks into the Banni Grasslands of Kutch on Independence Day.
• Tell me more:
  • The released herd comprised five male and 15 female blackbucks transferred from Vantara, Jamnagar, following approvals from the Chief Wildlife Warden, Gujarat, and Central Zoo Authority (CZA).
  • This initiative forms part of the Gujarat Native Herbivore Conservation Programme, which includes approved translocations of 500 blackbucks and 100 chinkaras across the state.
  • The broader programme aims to rebuild native herbivore populations, restore grassland ecosystems, and boost the prey base for the planned cheetah reintroduction project.

West Bengal Launches Ayushman Bharat Health Insurance Scheme

• What: West Bengal Chief Minister Subhendu Adhikari formally launched Ayushman Bharat and the Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana at Netaji Indoor Stadium to provide comprehensive health insurance across the state.
• Tell me more:
  • Ayushman Bharat will cover nearly 1.5 crore families, or around 6 crore people, including all citizens aged above 70 years.
  • Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana will cover around 80 lakh families not included under the central scheme.
  • Both schemes together cover 1,950 diseases, including knee replacement and hip surgery, across 2,000 state hospitals and 38,604 hospitals nationwide.
  • The state government announced setting up 100 Amrit pharmacies and 458 Jan Aushadhi centres.
  • Separately, Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary announced special initiatives under the Skill India Programme’s PM-SETU scheme to promote West Bengal’s traditional folk industries, focusing on craft hubs like handloom and Dokra to build a skilled workforce.
  • Replying to journalists at the ‘Kaushal Manthan’ conference in Kolkata, the minister said Industrial Training Institutes will be upgraded to train students on modern machinery after West Bengal joined PM-SETU two months ago.

NIELIT Partners With SEMIRI To Digitize Manuscripts in Kottayam, Kerala

• What: The National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage (NIIMH), Hyderabad, signed an MoU with Sevadhi Museum & Indological Research Institute (SEMIRI), Kottayam, to digitize and catalog traditional medical manuscripts.
• Tell me more:
  • NIIMH operates under the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of Ayush, Government of India.
  • SEMIRI is managed by Kumaranalloor Ooranma Devaswom and preserves over 30,000 manuscripts containing rare Ayurvedic and historical works.
    • Kumaranalloor Ooranma Devaswom is the traditional trust and governing administrative body that manages the historic Kumaranalloor Devi Temple (dedicated to Goddess Katyayani/Durga) located near Kottayam in Kerala, India.
  • CCRAS-NIIMH will digitize manuscripts using the Ayush Manuscripts Advanced Repository format, aligning with the Gyan Bharatam Mission to preserve India’s medical heritage.

Meghalaya CM Conrad K. Sangma Inaugurates Centre of Excellence

• What: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma inaugurated a Centre of Excellence for Eri silk weaving during the 12th National Handloom Day (August 7) celebrations at Nongpoh in Ri-Bhoi district.
• Tell me more:
  • The Textiles Department of Meghalaya organised the week-long National Handloom celebration at the Integrated Textiles Tourism Complex (ITTC) at Risai.
  • The new facility focuses on preserving traditional skills and promoting innovation for Eri silk, also known as Ryndia.

India Hosts 12th BRICS Environment Ministers Meeting

• What: Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) Bhupender Yadav chaired the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meeting at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi under India’s 2026 BRICS Chairship.
• Tell me more:
  • The event was held under the overarching theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.
  • India identified four priority areas: sustainable lifestyles, afforestation and forest fire management with disaster resilience, circular economy, and climate adaptation.
  • India reduced pollution emission intensity by over 37% between 2005 and 2022 and now generates over half its power capacity from clean sources.

India’s First 14D Virtual Zoo Opens in Indore

• What: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav inaugurated India’s first 14D Virtual Zoo and Digital Jungle Safari at Kamala Nehru Prani Sangrahalaya in Indore.
• Tell me more:
  • The facility offers a digital jungle safari, 3D dome theatre, and 14D cinema with 14 sensory effects like moving seats, water sprays, and vibrations.

Maharashtra Organizes State-Level Soil and Water Conservation Competition

• What: Maharashtra Soil and Water Conservation Minister Sanjay Rathod launched the state-level ‘Reel for Soil and Water Conservation’ competition across all 36 districts to build public awareness.
• Tell me more:
  • Youth aged 15 to 30 can participate by uploading 30 to 60-second Instagram reels from 15 to 19 August, covering themes like soil conservation, rainwater harvesting, farm ponds, check dams, watershed development, and tree plantation.
  • Top three district winners will receive cash prizes of ₹25,000, ₹15,000, and ₹10,000 alongside the title of ‘Yuva Mrud-Jaldut’.

Delhi Government Launches 100 Atal Canteens

• What: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and former Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated 25 new Atal Canteens at the Vishwavidyalaya metro station, bringing the total number of operational outlets across the national capital to 100.
• Tell me more:
  • The 100 canteens provide subsidised meals at ₹5 per plate to approximately one lakh people daily, including labourers, low-income families, and university students.

Puducherry Observes De Jure Transfer Day

• What: Puducherry observed De Jure Transfer Day, commemorating the historical legal integration of the union territory into India.
• Tell me more:
  • A historic referendum took place at Keezhur on October 18, 1954, where 170 representatives voted in favour of joining India and eight voted against.
  • Puducherry received formal legal recognition for its merger with India on August 16, 1962, following the completion of legal procedures.

Odisha Government Scraps Civil Services Exam Attempt Limit

• What: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced the removal of the six-attempt limit for the Odisha Civil Services examination and extended free textbooks up to Class X during the state-level Independence Day celebrations.
• Tell me more:
  • Aspirants can now appear for the state civil services examination until they reach the maximum eligible upper age limit without any restrictions on the number of attempts.
  • The free textbook distribution scheme, previously limited up to Class VIII, now covers students of Classes IX and X.
  • The government established a policy ensuring completely free education from kindergarten to post-graduation in government and government-aided institutions.

Assam Chief Minister Announces Major Development Roadmap

• What: Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma hoisted the National Flag at Khanapara in Guwahati during the 80th Independence Day celebrations and announced a comprehensive infrastructure and welfare roadmap under Vision 2047.
• Tell me more:
  • The state government will invest ₹50,000 crore from internal resources and secure an additional ₹1 lakh crore from the Central Government over the next five years for infrastructure development.
  • The administration proposed creating eight new Co-Districts, adding to the previously notified units.

International News

Mongolia Hosts COP17 of UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar

• What: Mongolia is hosting the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar under the theme “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope” from 17 to 28 August 2026.
• Tell me more:
  • Delegates from 197 Parties to the UNCCD will address desertification, land degradation, and drought challenges.
  • The two-week conference takes place during the United Nations International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026).
  • Rangelands cover over half of the Earth’s surface and support 500 million livelihoods directly.
  • Mongolia experiences severe land degradation, with nearly 77% of its 1.56 million square kilometer territory already degraded.
  • The host country is driving the “Billion Trees” campaign to plant one billion trees by 2030 alongside the Business4Land Initiative that aims to accelerate private sector action for sustainable land management.
  • India launched its first-ever Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs), published by the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), with international and national partners.
    • Partners: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management (CoE-SLM), Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), and Space Applications Centre (SAC), ISRO
• Knowledge Nuggets:
  • Land degradation affects up to 40% of the world’s surface, impacting over 3.2 billion people and threatening human livelihoods.
  • UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar leads the sequence, followed by Convention on Biological Diversity COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia in October 2026, and UNFCCC COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye in November.
  • The year 2026 marks the Triple COP milestone.
    • The “Triple COP” milestone means that for the first time in a single year, all three United Nations Rio Conventions (1992) on desertification, biodiversity, and climate change will hold their global conferences consecutively in 2026.

Global Celebrations of India’s 80th Independence Day

• The Chords Bridge, also known as the Friendship Bridge, in Jerusalem was illuminated in saffron, white, and green to celebrate India’s 80th Independence Day.
• The first-of-its-kind SURYAPATH TIRANGA Global Relay completed its journey across 54 countries and multiple time zones as part of the broader Har Ghar Tiranga campaign.
• The High Commission of India in Fiji launched the relay to follow the rising sun’s path eastward to westward, and the Consulate General of India in San Francisco, United States, concluded it with a flag hoisting ceremony.

Banking and Economy

MIDHANI Secures GE Aerospace Metallic Material Laboratory Approval

• What: Hyderabad-based defence public-sector undertaking Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd. (MIDHANI) became the first Indian company to secure Independent and International Metallic Material Laboratory (S400) approval from GE Aerospace for testing metallic materials.
• Tell me more:
  • GE Aerospace officially certified MIDHANI’s lab to test aviation metals, making it an approved testing supplier for global aerospace manufacturing.
  • Established in 1973 under the Department of Defence Production, MIDHANI operates as a Miniratna Category-I company specializing in superalloys, titanium alloys, and special steels.

Reserve Bank of India Penalizes Four Financial Entities

• What: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed monetary penalties on IndusInd Bank, Northern Arc Capital, Muthoot Microfin (Muthoot MCred), and Fusion Finance for non-compliance with regulatory directions.
• Tell me more:
  • RBI slapped a penalty of ₹59.20 lakh on IndusInd Bank for paying interest on current account deposits and engaging in synthetic securitisation activities.
  • Northern Arc Capital faced a ₹6.2 lakh penalty for incomplete customer complaint disclosures in its 2024-25 financial statements and internal grievance redressal failures.
  • Muthoot MCred incurred a ₹3.1 lakh fine for prematurely upgrading non-performing asset (NPA) loan accounts to standard status without full arrears repayment.
  • Fusion Finance received a ₹2.7 lakh penalty for failing to conduct periodic risk categorisation reviews of accounts under Know Your Customer (KYC) directions.

Defence News

Ministry of Defence Signs Contracts for Loiter Munitions

• What: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed contracts worth approximately ₹1,577 crore with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and NIBE Private Limited in New Delhi to procure Loiter Munition Systems for the Indian Army.
• Tell me more:
  • A loitering munition system is an explosive drone that hovers over an area, finds targets, and destroys them by crashing into them directly.

Kawa UAV Tests Indigenous Divyastra Mk3 System

• What: Lucknow-based defence start-up Kawa UAV Pvt. Ltd. (HoverIt) successfully conducted the maiden flight test of Divyastra Mk3, India’s first indigenous jet-powered loitering munition.
• Tell me more:
  • India built its own jet engine from scratch, without foreign help, and used it to successfully fly Divyastra Mk3 within a year — showing strong self-reliance in defence technology.
  • The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) completed final trials of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3 near Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
  • DRDO partnered with Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad and Adani Defence Systems & Technologies Limited, Hyderabad to produce ULPGM-V3 missiles integrated on unmanned aerial vehicles built by Newspace Research and Technologies, Bengaluru.

Indian Army Departs for Exercise MAITREE-XV in Thailand

• What: The Indian Army contingent departed for Thailand to participate in the 15th edition of the India-Thailand Joint Military Exercise MAITREE-XV to be held from August 18 to 31, 2026 at Vibhavadi Rangsit Camp in Surat Thani, Thailand.
• Tell me more:
  • India is represented by the 9 Gorkha Rifles and Thailand by the 3rd Battalion, 25th Infantry Brigade, 5th Division.
  • This joint training, held under Exercise MAITREE (instituted in 2006) to boost interoperability and bilateral ties, focuses on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism in jungle and semi-urban terrain under UN Charter Chapter VII.
  • The previous edition of this exercise was hosted at the Foreign Training Node in Umroi, Meghalaya, in September last year.

Rajnath Singh Outlines India’s Defence Transformation Milestones

• What: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced major modernisation, financial, and technological achievements of the Indian defence sector during his address on the eve of Independence Day.
• Tell me more:
  • Domestic defence production reached a record ₹1.78 lakh crore in Financial Year 2025-26, up from ₹46,000 crore in 2014.
  • Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) contributed 76% of total production, while the private sector contribution rose to 24%.
  • The defence budget increased to ₹7.85 lakh crore in Financial Year 2026-27 from ₹2.53 lakh crore in Financial Year 2013-14.
  • The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for projects worth over ₹8.75 lakh crore over the past year.
  • Modern weapon systems like Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation (TARA), Advanced Agni missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, and Kusha Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR-SAM) achieved successful testing.

Science and Technology

SpaceX Sets Record With Launches 38 Minutes Apart

• What: Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) established a new record by launching two Falcon 9 rockets from opposite coasts of the United States just 38 minutes apart.
• Tell me more:
  • The first Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, deploying eight Globalstar satellites into low Earth orbit.
  • The second Falcon 9 launched 38 minutes later from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying the classified USSF-366 mission for the United States Space Force.
  • This 38-minute gap broke SpaceX’s previous record of 65 minutes, set on 31 August 2024 during two Starlink missions, showing improved speed and coordination in launching from two coasts quickly.
  • Both reusable Falcon 9 first-stage boosters landed successfully, bringing the total Falcon 9 missions in 2026 to 96, with Starlink accounting for roughly 75% of these flights.

Awards

Indian Army Chief Conferred Honorary Nepal Army Rank

• What: President Ramchandra Paudel conferred the rank of Honorary General of the Nepal Army on Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth during an investiture ceremony at Sheetal Niwas in Kathmandu.
• Tell me more:
  • The conferral of the honorary rank continues a long tradition that started in 1950, under which Nepal and India confer the honorary rank of general on each other’s army chiefs.

Sports

Magnus Carlsen Retains Esports World Cup Chess Title

• What: World Number 1 Magnus Carlsen successfully defended his Esports World Cup (EWC) chess title in Paris, France.
• Tell me more:
  • Representing Team Liquid, the Norwegian Grandmaster (GM) defeated Belarusian GM Denis Lazavik 2-0 in sets while remaining undefeated throughout the tournament.
  • American GM Hikaru Nakamura won $145,000 by securing third place against Alireza Firouzja 4-1 in a match affected by technical disruptions.

Uttarakhand Hosts Asian Speed Skating Trophy 2026

• What: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the Asian Open Short Track Speed Skating Trophy 2026 in Dehradun, hosting 272 players from 14 Asian countries, including 130 Indian players.
• Tell me more:
  • The four-day international event will strengthen Uttarakhand’s identity as a global destination for winter and ice sports.
  • Under the state’s Sports Legacy Plan, 23 sports academies will be established across eight major cities to offer high-level training facilities.
  • The state’s first sports university was established recently in Haldwani.

Nagaland Players Selected for 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan

• What: Four women from Nagaland have been selected to represent India in Sepaktakraw at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
• Tell me more:
  • Menenu Tsukru and Seyiekhrieno Tepa will play as team members, while Puleno Neikha and Pungotolu Puro will serve as coaches.
  • This selection marks the fifth consecutive Asian Games since 2010 featuring Sepaktakraw representatives from Nagaland.
  • Sepak takraw is a fast-paced team sport from Southeast Asia that blends volleyball and association football.

China Defeats Qatar in Basketball Competition

• The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Under-18 Asia Cup competition featured a dominant victory by the China national basketball team over Qatar with a score of 118-66 at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Miscellaneous

Subhas Chandra Bose Death Anniversary 2026

• Subhas Chandra Bose (Netaji) was born on January 23, 1897, in Cuttack, Odisha.
• He became a prominent, radical leader of the Indian independence movement, leading the Indian National Army (INA) during World War II before his reported death in a plane crash on August 18, 1945.

Union Minister Pays Tribute to Atal Bihari Vajpayee

• Union Minister Manohar Lal paid tributes to former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee during a public program in Karnal, remembering his immense contributions to nation-building.
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee (December 25, 1924 – August 16, 2018) was a reputed Indian politician, poet, and co-founder of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who served as the Prime Minister of India across three terms (1996, 1998–1999, and 1999–2004).

Prime Minister Honors Sri Aurobindo on Birth Anniversary

• What: PM Narendra Modi paid tribute to freedom fighter, philosopher, poet, and thinker Sri Aurobindo on his birth anniversary, honouring his prominent role in the freedom movement before he devoted his life to philosophy, spirituality, and integral yoga.
• Tell me more:
  • He was born on 15 August 1872 and died on 5 December 1950.
  • Sri Aurobindo’s major works include his epic spiritual poem Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol, his foundational philosophical treatise The Life Divine, and practical spiritual guides like The Synthesis of Yoga and Essays on the Gita.

Veteran Bengali Filmmaker Raja Sen Passes Away

• Veteran Bengali filmmaker Raja Sen, who started his directorial journey in 1996 with Damu, winner of the National Film Award for Best Children’s Film, died at 71.

Master Sculptor Chandrashekhar Y. Shilpi Passes Away

• What: Renowned traditional craftsman Chandrashekhar Y. Shilpi, who preserved Kalyana Karnataka’s heritage using traditional wood, stone, and Panchaloha sculpture techniques based on Shilpa Shastra, died at a hospital in Kalaburagi.
• Tell me more:
  • He received the National Award for Master Craftspersons for 2024 from President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on December 9, 2025.
  • He served as a member of the Karnataka Shilpakala Academy and received the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2014.

Leaders Release Biography of Former Vice President

• What: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Nitin Nabin, and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta released the Hindi biography of former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi.
• Tell me more:
  • Former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Y Lakshmi Prasad wrote the Hindi biography of former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.
  • Title: “Popular Leader Venkaiah Naidu: From Udayagiri to Vice President”

Start Quiz of 18th August 2026 on Mobile

Start Quiz of 18th August 2026 on Desktop