Current Affairs Quiz 4th August 2026 Quiz

Exp. GST Collections Rise 15.4% to ₹2.11 Lakh Crore in July 2026

Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections reached ₹2,11,205 crore in July 2026, registering a 15.4% year-on-year growth from ₹1,83,065 crore in July 2025.

Gross domestic GST revenue stood at ₹1,44,695 crore, reflecting a 10.1% increase compared to the corresponding month last year.

GST revenue from imports rose sharply by 28.8% to ₹66,511 crore, significantly contributing to the overall GST collections for the month.

GST Collection of Previous Months

• January 2026 – ₹1.93 lakh crore
• February 2026 – ₹1.83 Lakh Crore
• March 2026 – ₹2 lakh crore
• March 2025 – March 2026 à 22 lakh crore
• April 2026 – ₹2.42 lakh crore
• May 2026 – ₹1.94 lakh crore
• June 2026 – ₹1.95 lakh crore

Exp. Centre Releases Additional ₹1.09 Lakh Crore as Tax Devolution to States

The Union Government released an additional tax devolution instalment of ₹1,09,019 crore to State Governments, over and above the regular monthly transfer scheduled for 10 August.

The additional release aims to provide states with greater fiscal space to accelerate capital expenditure and development projects.

Uttar Pradesh received the highest allocation of ₹19,208 crore, followed by Bihar (₹10,845 crore) and Madhya Pradesh (₹8,010 crore).

What is Tax Devolution?

• Tax Devolution is the distribution of a share of the Central Government’s tax revenue to the State Governments, as provided under Article 270 of the Constitution.
• The Finance Commission recommends the percentage of taxes to be shared and the formula for distributing the funds among the states.
• Tax devolution helps strengthen the financial capacity of states, enabling them to fund development projects, infrastructure, healthcare, education, and other public welfare programmes.

Exp. Maldives Launches Real-Time Fund Transfers to India via UPI

The Maldives has launched real-time cross-border fund transfers to India by integrating its Favara instant payment system with India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

Under the new facility, users can send money in Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR), which is credited directly in Indian Rupees (INR) to UPI-enabled bank accounts in India.

The service is initially available to customers of Bank of Maldives Plc and Maldives Islamic Bank Plc, and was implemented through collaboration between the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL).

Exp. Australia’s UNSW Sydney Inaugurates First International Campus in India

The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), Australia, has inaugurated its first international campus in India at Embassy Manyata Business Park, Bengaluru, Karnataka.

UNSW Sydney received the Letter of Approval from the University Grants Commission (UGC), enabling it to establish and operate its campus in India under the UGC’s regulations.

Exp. IBM and Sarvam Partner to Advance Sovereign AI Solutions in India

IBM and Indian AI startup Sarvam have partnered to accelerate the development and adoption of Sovereign Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions for the Government of India and regulated enterprises.

The collaboration will integrate IBM Sovereign Core with Sarvam’s India-first AI stack, enabling secure, locally governed, multilingual, and voice-enabled AI solutions.

The partnership will focus on citizen services, grievance redressal, document processing, and administrative workflows, aiming to enhance secure and efficient government-to-citizen service delivery.

Exp. Indian Air Force Concludes Counter-Drone Exercise ROTOR CLAP III in Rajasthan

The Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully concluded Exercise ROTOR CLAP III at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

The exercise focused on the theme “Counter-UAS”, aimed at enhancing capabilities to detect, track, and neutralise Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)/drones.

Exp. Cabinet Approves ₹36,441 Crore for Expanded Khelo India Scheme and Sports Development

The Union Cabinet has approved an expanded Khelo India Scheme and enhanced Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSFs) with a combined outlay of ₹36,441 crore for the period 2026–27 to 2030–31.

The initiative aims to strengthen sports infrastructure and athlete development from the grassroots level to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), providing a clear pathway for talented youth to achieve excellence in sports.

Exp. Ramkumar Ramanathan and Vijay Sundar Prashanth Win Bonn Open 2026 Doubles Title

Ramkumar Ramanathan and Vijay Sundar Prashanth won the doubles title at the Bonn Open 2026 by defeating Scott Duncan (England) and Adam Heinonen (Sweden) in the final.

The victory marked Ramkumar Ramanathan’s 13th ATP Challenger title and his second ATP Challenger doubles trophy of 2026 after winning the Texas Spine and Joint Challenger Men’s Championship in June.

Exp. Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh Win India’s First-Ever Judo Gold Medals at Commonwealth Games 2026

Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh created history by winning India’s first-ever judo gold medals at the Commonwealth Games 2026 held in Glasgow, Scotland.

Asmita Dey won the women’s 48kg judo gold medal by defeating Canada’s Heidi Quach 2-1 in a golden score contest, becoming the first Indian judoka to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal.

Harsh Singh secured the men’s 60kg judo gold medal after defeating Australia’s Joshua Katz 10-0 by waza-ari, becoming the first male Indian judoka to win Commonwealth Games gold.

Before these victories, India had won 11 judo medals at the Commonwealth Games (5 silver and 6 bronze) but had never won a gold medal in the sport.

Exp. Renowned Mountaineer Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja Dies in Avalanche on Broad Peak

Renowned Nepal-born mountaineer Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja died in an avalanche on Broad Peak in the Karakoram mountain range.

In 2019, he created history by climbing all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres in just 6 months and 6 days under his Project Possible mission.

Exp. 1 – 7 August – World Breastfeeding Week

World Breastfeeding Week is observed every year from 1 to 7 August to raise awareness about the importance of breastfeeding for infants’ health and development.

Theme 2026: Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Work

The week promotes exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life and highlights its benefits for both mother and child health.

It is coordinated globally by organisations including the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) to support breastfeeding-friendly environments.

Exp. Air Marshal Tejpal Singh Takes Charge as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff of Indian Air Force

Air Marshal Tejpal Singh has assumed charge as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (DCAS) of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

He has succeeded Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti as the new Deputy Chief of the Air Staff.

Air Marshal Tejpal Singh brings extensive experience as a fighter pilot, Experimental Test Pilot, and senior IAF officer with over 3,500 hours of flying experience.

Recent Appointments in Defence Sector

• Vice Chief of the Air Staff – Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit
• Director of Intelligence Bureau (IB) – Mahesh Dixit (replcae Tapan Kumar Deka)
• Chief of the Army Staff – Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth (replcace General Upendra Dwivedi)
• Additional DG of Military Nursing Service – Maj Gen Rachel Thomas (Maj Gen Lissamma PV)
• 20th Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command -Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty

Exp. Varsha Ashok Aglawe Becomes First Woman Director General of Geological Survey of India

Varsha Ashok Aglawe has assumed charge as the 54th Director General of the Geological Survey of India (GSI), becoming the first woman to lead GSI in its 176-year history. She succeeded Asit Saha.

A palaeontologist with over 30 years of experience, Ms Aglawe joined GSI in 1992 and succeeded Asit Saha, who served as the Director General for two years.

About Geological Survey of India (GSI)

• The Geological Survey of India (GSI) is the premier geoscientific organisation of India, responsible for conducting geological surveys and studies related to minerals, natural resources, and earth sciences.
• Established- 1851
• Headquarters- Kolkata, West Bengal
• GSI works under the Ministry of Mines, Government of India
• First Director General – Thomas Oldham (1851)
• Current Director General (54th)- Varsha Ashok Aglawe (first woman to head GSI)

Exp. New Delhi hosts GI & Beyond 2.0 Summit

The Ministry of Textiles has organised the GI and Beyond 2.0 Summit in New Delhi to showcase India’s GI-tagged Handloom and Handicraft Products and promote them in domestic and international markets.

The event featured displays of more than 100 GI-registered handloom and handicraft products, along with thematic exhibitions and live demonstrations of weaving and handicraft techniques.

Exp. UPI Records Highest-Ever Monthly Transaction Volume in July 2026 with 23.66 Billion Transactions

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) recorded its highest-ever monthly transaction volume in July 2026, processing 23.66 billion transactions worth ₹29.88 lakh crore, as per data released by NPCI.

UPI transaction volume increased 4.1% month-on-month from 22.72 billion transactions in June 2026, while transaction value rose 3.3% from ₹28.92 lakh crore.

On a year-on-year basis, UPI transaction volume grew by 22% and transaction value increased by 19%, reflecting the continued growth of digital payments in India.