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Daily Current Affairs 18th and 19th August 2026 Daily GK Update
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National News
India launches first guide to grasslands, other open natural ecosystems at COP17
- India has launched its first ever Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) at the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar,
- The ONEs of India encompass a variety of landscapes, including Himalayan and Terai grasslands, the Thar and Banni landscapes, Deccan savannas, rocky plateaus, ravines, scrublands, coastal ecosystems and desert environments.
About UNCCD COP17 (Combat Desertification)
- Dates & Location: August 17–28, 2026, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
- Theme: “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope”.
- Focus: Tackling desertification, land degradation, drought resilience, rangelands, and pastoralist livelihoods during the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.
International News
Qatar-India Postal Remittance Service based on PosTransfer powered by UPI
- The Qatar-India remittance service based on PosTransfer powered by UPI is now available, enabling customers in Qatar to send funds directly to UPI-enabled bank accounts in India through Qatar Post outlets.
- The service has been developed through the collaboration of Qatar Post, India Post, the Universal Postal Union’s Interconnection Platform (UPU-IP), and NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL).
- The initiative combines the extensive reach of postal networks with India’s digital public infrastructure to provide an efficient and convenient channel for cross-border remittances.
About Qatar
- Capital: Doha
- Currency: Qatari Riyal
- Prime minister: Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani
Banking & Financial
RBI Imposes Rs. 59.20 Lakh Monetary Penalty on IndusInd Bank for Regulatory Non-Compliance
- On August 14, 2026, the Reserve Bank of India imposed a monetary penalty of ₹59.20 lakh on IndusInd Bank for non-compliance with regulatory directions regarding ‘Interest Rate on Deposits’ and ‘Securitisation of Standard Assets’ under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
Reasons for Non-Compliance
- Paid interest on deposits held in certain current accounts, which violates standard regulatory guidelines.
- Conducted activities categorized under synthetic securitisation contrary to directions.
Appointment
Anurag Jain Takes Charge as NITI Aayog CEO
- Senior IAS officer Anurag Jain has officially taken charge as the new Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog for a two-year term, succeeding B.V.R. Subrahmanyam.
- Anurag Jain, former secretary to the ministry of road transport and highways, and former chief secretary of the Madhya Pradesh government.
About NITI Aayog
- Established: January 1, 2015
- Chairperson: The Prime Minister of India.
- Focus Areas: Sustainable growth, economic reforms, innovation, monitoring government programs, and cooperative federalism
Defence
India and Armenia Sign MoU to Deepen Defence Industrial Cooperation
- India and Armenia on 17 August signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand cooperation in defence research, development, innovation and joint production, as New Delhi seeks to deepen its defence partnership with the South Caucasus nation.
- The agreement is aimed at strengthening collaboration beyond defence procurement and creating opportunities for joint research, technology development and production.
- Armenia has emerged as a major overseas market for Indian defence equipment. The two countries have signed defence deals estimated at around $3 billion, covering a wide range of weapons, ammunition and military technologies.
About Armenia
- Capital: Yerevan
- Currency: Armenian Dram
- Prime minister: Nikol Pashinyan
Eighth India-US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Exercise concludes in Kochi
- The eighth edition of the India-US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Exercise 2026 concluded at the Southern Naval Command in Kerala’s Kochi on August 14, strengthening professional cooperation and interoperability between the two navies in specialized maritime operations.
- The bilateral exercise featured intensive professional interactions, exchange of best practices and demonstrations by EOD teams from both navies.
India and US joint military exercise
- Yudh Abhyas (Army)
- Vajra Prahar (Special Forces)
- Tiger Triumph (Tri-service amphibious)
India-Thailand Maitree Exercise Begins on August 18
- India and Thailand began Exercise MAITREE-XV 2026, the 15th edition of their bilateral military exercise. The exercise is being conducted from August 18 to 31, 2026, at Vibhavadi Rangsit Camp in Surat Thani.
- Aim of Exercise MAITREE is to foster Military Cooperation between India and Thailand.
Awards
Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth conferred Honorary Rank of General of Nepali Army by Nepal President
- Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth has been conferred the rank of Honorary General of the Nepal Army by President Ramchandra Paudel during an investiture ceremony at Sheetal Niwas in Kathmandu on 16 August.
- 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.
About Nepal
- Capital: Kathmandu
- President: Ram Chandra Paudel
- Prime minister: Balen Shah
- Currency: Nepalese Rupee
National Sports Awards 2025
- The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the official winners of the National Sports Awards 2025. A selection committee led by retired Supreme Court Justice Arun Kumar Mishra finalized the awardees.
Arjuna Award
A total of 17 sportspersons have been selected for the Arjuna Award for outstanding performance over the last four years.
- Athletics: Tejaswin Shankar, Muhammed Ajmal V, Priyanka Goswami
- Badminton: Treesa Jolly, Pullela Gayatri Gopichand
- Boxing: Narender
- Chess: Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, Divya Jitendra Deshmukh
- Hockey: Lalremsiami Hmarzote, Rajkumar Pal
- Kabaddi: Surjeet, Pooja
- Para-Athletics: Ekta Bhyan
- Para-Shooting: Rudransh Khandelwal
- Deaf Shooting: Dhanush Srikanth
- Rowing: Arvind Singh
- Shooting: Akhil Sheoran
- Football (Lifetime): I Arumainayagam
Dronacharya Award
- Athletics: Parveer Singh
- Boxing: Chhote Lal Yadav
- Shooting: Neha Nandkumar Chavan
- Dronacharya Life time Award : Dharmendra Singh Yadav (Boxing), Virender Kumar (Wrestling)
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar
- Winner: Army Paralympic Node, Pune (Reason: Honoured for its visible role and contributions to the promotion and grassroots development of sports.)
Sports
Magnus Carlsen wins Esports World Cup Chess Title 2026 for Second Consecutive Year
- World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen won the 2026 Esports World Cup (EWC) chess title in Paris, France, on August 15, 2026, defending his crown for the second consecutive year.
- Representing Team Liquid, Carlsen went completely undefeated through the tournament, defeating Belarusian Grandmaster Denis Lazavik 2-0 in the grand final.
Obituary
National Award-Winning Sculptor Chandrashekhar Shilpi Passed Away at 75
- National award-winning veteran sculptor and master craftsman Chandrashekhar Shilpi passed away at the age of 75 in Kalaburagi, Karnataka, on August 15, 2026, after suffering a heart attack during treatment for pneumonia.
- He was widely celebrated for preserving traditional Indian temple architecture and intricate wood and stone carving heritage.
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