Current Affairs Quiz 14th August 2026 Quiz

Exp. President Murmu to Confer Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Awards for 2024-25 on Over 115 Artists

President Droupadi Murmu will confer the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Awards for 2024 and 2025 on over 115 artists at a special investiture ceremony in New Delhi.

The Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards have been conferred since 1952. The Akademi Fellowship carries ₹3 lakh, while the Akademi Award carries ₹1 lakh, along with a Tamrapatra and Angavastram.

The awardees represent different States and Union Territories and are recognised for contributions to music, dance, drama, folk & tribal arts, puppetry, and allied theatre forms.

Exp. MHI Receives 20 Bids to Boost Indigenous Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Manufacturing in India

Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) received 20 bids under the scheme to promote manufacturing of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPM) in India.

The scheme has a financial outlay of ₹7,280 crore and was approved by the Union Cabinet in November 2025.

It aims to establish 6,000 MTPA integrated REPM manufacturing capacity through five beneficiaries, with each eligible for up to 1,200 MTPA.

The scheme will run for 7 years, including a 2-year gestation period and 5 years of incentives based on REPM sales.

NdFeB magnets are crucial for EVs, wind turbines, electronics, aerospace and defence, while the initiative aims to reduce import dependence and strengthen India’s domestic supply chain and technological self-reliance.

Exp. Parliament Monsoon Session 2026 Concludes After 19 Sittings; 12 Bills Passed by Both Houses

The Monsoon Session 2026 of Parliament, which began on 20 July 2026, was adjourned sine die on 13 August 2026, after 19 sittings over 25 days.

During the session, 12 Bills were passed by both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Lok Sabha recorded around 19% productivity, while Rajya Sabha recorded approximately 39%.

Two Bills were passed to replace earlier ordinances, including the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance and the Income-Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, while the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was referred to a Joint Committee.

12 Bills

1. Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026
2. Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026
3. Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026
4. Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026
5. Appropriation (No. 3) Bill, 2026
6. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026
7. Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026
8. Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026
9. Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026
10. National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026
11. Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026
12. Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026

Exp. 8th BRICS Oceanic and Polar Science Working Group Meeting Begins in Goa

The 8th BRICS Working Group on Oceanic and Polar Science and Technology (OPST) began in Goa under India’s BRICS Presidency 2026, with participation from eight member countries.

The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, is hosting the three-day meeting to discuss scientific cooperation and future programmes in ocean and polar research.

Delegates from Brazil, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa, the UAE and India are participating, with discussions focused on joint research, capacity building, scientific exchanges and shared research infrastructure.

Exp. Tamil Nadu Signs 97 MoUs Worth ₹67,452 Crore, Expected to Create Over 1 Lakh Jobs

The Tamil Nadu government signed 97 fresh MoUs in Chennai, involving a total investment commitment of ₹67,452 crore and expected to create over 1 lakh jobs.

The MoUs were signed during the first-ever “Vettri Tamil Nadu Investors Conclave 2026”, covering sectors such as automotive, renewable energy, life sciences, electronics, R&D and data centres.

Within the government’s first 100 days, cumulative investment commitments are expected to cross ₹1 lakh crore, with more than 1.20 lakh jobs projected.

The life sciences sector attracted over ₹2,700 crore, including ₹925 crore by Caplin Group for an integrated biologics and biosimilars facility in Tiruvallur.

Exp. IAF and Malaysian Air Force Begin Bilateral Exercise ‘Udara Shakti 2026’ at Subang Air Base

The Indian Air Force (IAF) and Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) commenced the bilateral air exercise Udara Shakti 2026 at Subang Air Base, Malaysia.

The five-day exercise, focusing on joint training, operational coordination and professional exchange between the two air forces.

The exercise involves 83 personnel from India and Malaysia participating in joint field training and professional discussions to enhance cooperation and interoperability.

Exp. Dr Jitendra Singh Inaugurates India’s 7th Regional Meteorological Centre in Jammu

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated India’s 7th Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Jammu.

The new centre will strengthen weather forecasting, disaster preparedness and climate services for Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh through region-specific forecasts and early-warning systems.

Exp. Indriya Appoints Krithi Shetty as Brand Ambassador for Southern Markets

Indriya, Aditya Birla Group’s jewellery brand, has appointed actor Krithi Shetty as its Brand Ambassador for southern markets.

Krithi Shetty will lead Indriya’s Varalakshmi campaign, featuring a brand film centred on gifting a gold necklace to a mother-in-law.

The campaign will run across TV, digital, print, outdoor and in-store channels during the festive season.

Exp. Chandigarh Becomes First UT to Launch CBDC-Based DBT for PMGKAY Food Subsidy

Chandigarh will launch CBDC (Digital Rupee – e₹)-based Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for food subsidy under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).

Chandigarh will become the first Union Territory in India to undertake a full-fledged CBDC-based DBT rollout for food subsidy to PMGKAY beneficiaries.

The initiative represents the shift in welfare delivery from physical foodgrain distribution → DBT → purpose-bound digital delivery through CBDC.

The launch will be presided over by Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as Chief Guest; the initiative will also be virtually launched for Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

Exp. Dr. Padma Gurmet Honoured with UT Ladakh State Award 2025 for Promoting Sowa Rigpa and Cultural Heritage

Dr Padma Gurmet, Director of the National Institute of Sowa Rigpa (NISR), Leh, has been honoured with the UT Ladakh State Award 2025 for her significant contributions.

She received the award under the Literature, Art and Craft category for her contribution to preserving and promoting Ladakh’s rich cultural heritage.

Dr. Gurmet has also been honoured with the Padma Shri 2026 in Medicine for her contribution to the preservation and promotion of Sowa Rigpa, the traditional Himalayan system of medicine.

Exp. India Crowned Overall Champions at Commonwealth Fencing Championship with 35 Medals

India emerged as the overall champions at the Commonwealth Fencing Championship held in Lagos, Nigeria, winning a total of 35 medals—13 gold, 8 silver and 14 bronze.

On the final day, Indian senior fencers won five gold medals in Men’s Sabre, Women’s Sabre, Men’s Epee, Women’s Epee and Women’s Foil, along with a silver in Men’s Foil.

India also won the Wilkinson Sword Trophy, awarded by the Commonwealth Fencing Federation for the best overall performance, marking the country’s first Commonwealth Overall Championship title.

Exp. L&T Secures Mega Order to Build India’s Largest Single-Cluster AI Infrastructure in Chennai

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has secured a “Mega” order to build what it describes as India’s largest single-cluster AI infrastructure, marking its entry into the AI Factory business.

The AI Factory will be established at Vyoma’s data-centre campus in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, with a capacity to support 10,000 NVIDIA B300 GPUs.

The project is being executed for Together AI, a US-based AI cloud company, which provides cloud infrastructure for AI workloads.

The facility will be developed through Vyoma.AI, L&T’s AI cloud and hyperscale data-centre business, and LTN Compute, its AI-infrastructure subsidiary.

Exp. 14 August – Partition Horrors Remembrance Day

Partition Horrors Remembrance Day (Vibhajan Vibhishika Smriti Diwas) is observed annually on 14 August in India.

The day commemorates the suffering, displacement and loss of lives endured by people during the Partition of India in 1947.

It aims to remember the victims, honour their resilience, and promote unity and social harmony by recalling the tragic consequences of Partition.

Exp. 14 August – World Lizard Day

World Lizard Day is observed annually on 14 August to raise awareness about lizards and their important role in ecosystems.

The day highlights the ecological significance of lizards, particularly their role in controlling insect and other pest populations.

It encourages people to learn about lizard species, their habitats and conservation, while promoting awareness about biodiversity.

Exp. Iga Swiatek, Ben Shelton Win Canadian Open Singles Titles in Toronto and Montreal

Iga Swiatek of Poland defeated second seed Elena Rybakina 6–2, 6–3 to win the Women’s Singles title at the Canadian Open in Toronto, securing her first title of the 2026 season.

In the Men’s Singles, American Ben Shelton defeated compatriot Brandon Nakashima 6–3, 7–6(4) in Montreal to successfully defend his Canadian Open title.

The victory gave Shelton his second ATP Masters 1000 title and fourth tournament win of 2026, taking his career total to seven tour-level titles.

Exp. Delhi Approves 20% Horizontal Reservation for Ex-Agniveers in Fire Services and Prison Department Posts

The Delhi government has approved 20% horizontal reservation for ex-Agniveers in direct recruitment for Fire Operator posts in Delhi Fire Services and Warder/Matron posts in the Prison Department.

The order issued by the Home Department also provides age relaxation for eligible ex-Agniveer candidates.

The move aligns with the Central Government’s rehabilitation policy for ex-Agniveers; the Union Home Ministry has already reserved 50% of Constable (GD) and Rifleman-level posts in CAPFs and Assam Rifles for ex-Agniveers.