Daily Current Affairs โ 08 August 2026
Daily Current Affairs ยท 08 August 2026
10 fully-analysed topics ยท 30 bilingual MCQs ยท 3 embedded videos ยท built for UPSC Prelims & Mains
๐ฏ 30 MCQs
๐ฌ 3 Videos
๐ฎ๐ณ Hindi + English
UPSC Current Affairs MCQ โ 08 August 2026
10 UPSC-standard bilingual MCQs covering today's top stories ยท 10-sec timer per question
Score yourself as you go. Get a feel for how UPSC-level questions are framed around the day's news.
Geography
A Climate Resilience Pathway Between India and China
Experts have highlighted that shared climate vulnerabilities could serve as a pragmatic
- Effect of Policies & Politics of Countries on India's Interests
- Further, the April 2026 visit of China's Special Envoy for Climate Change to New Delhi has reinforced climate resilience and disaster management asโฆ
- India and China face common climate challenges
- Strengthening cooperation through scientific collaboration
Show 6 more facts
- The Urban "Concrete Trap" & Flooding: Rapid, unchecked urbanization has paved over wetlands and natural floodplains in both countries
- This elevates the risk of catastrophic Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and threatens the hydrological stability of major transboundary riverโฆ
- Meanwhile, their highly populated coastal megacities face compounding risks from storm surges, extreme precipitation, and rising sea levels.
- Institutional Cooperation (1990sโ2020): India and China have adopted several Joint Statements
- Strategic Mistrust: Border tensions since the 2020 clashes have eroded trust
- Economic Competition: China's dominance in solar manufacturing
2. What is the significance of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region for India and China? TheHKH region is the source of major transboundary riversโฆ
Which statement correctly describes A Climate Resilience Pathway Between Indiaโฆ?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
Economic Threat of El Niรฑo to India
As India faces a delayed southwest monsoon and an emerging El Nio condition in the equatorial Pacific, meteorologists and historians are drawing uneasy parallels to the catastrophic Great Famine of 1876โ78.
- With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting a below-normal monsoon
- El Nio and a likely below-normal monsoon in 2026 could weaken agricultural output
- India must strengthen climate resilience through drought-resistant agriculture
- Monsoon Deficit: El Nio typically weakens the easterly trade winds
Show 6 more facts
- Crop Failures: Around half of India's net sown area is rain-fed
- Surging Input Costs: To compensate for the lack of rain, farmers are forced to extract groundwater
- Food Inflation: The prices of essential dietary staplesโsuch as cereals, vegetables, and pulses spike rapidly.
- Household Squeeze: Because food constitutes a massive portion of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket in India
- Productivity Tax: A vast majority of India's workforce operates in the informal sector
- According to the International Labour Organization (ILO)
5. What measures can reduce the impact of El Nio on agriculture? Key measures include drought-tolerant crops
Which statement correctly describes Economic Threat of El Niรฑo to India?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Geography
Hindu Kush Himalayas
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has issued a warning, calling for "bold action" and "urgent finance" to prevent the collapse of nature in High Mountain Asia.
- It stated that the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth, is a 'biosphere on the brink'.
- About: Stretching over 3500 kilometres and across eight countries: Afghanistan
- The Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra towards the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal
- Syr Darya and Amu Darya towards the now-dead Aral Sea
Show 5 more facts
- The Chindwin, Salween and Irrawaddy towards the Andaman Sea
- Escalating Climate Threat: The rate of warming in the HKH region is estimated to be nearly double the average rate observed across the Northernโฆ
- Ecosystem Degradation: Reports indicate that 70- 80% of the region's original habitat has already been lost
- Human Vulnerability: Approximately 241 million individuals reside in the HKH region
- About: ICIMOD is a regional intergovernmental organisation established in 1983 and working towards a greener
Which statement correctly describes Hindu Kush Himalayas?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Geography
Indiaโs Preparedness Against GLOFs
Frequent Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) incidents in Nepal have heightened concerns in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), home to thousands of glacial lakes vulnerable to climate-induced disasters.
- About: GLOF is a flood resulting from the sudden and rapid release of water from a glacial lake
- Causes: Glacial Retreat due to Climate Change: Accelerated melting in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) has led to the formation of over 7,500โฆ
- Cloudbursts & Extreme Rainfall: Sudden intense rainfall raises lake water levels, stressing weak moraine dams
- Avalanches & Landslides: Ice/rockfall into lakes causes displacement waves, breaching dams. Eg: Chamoli (2021), South Lhonak lake (2023).
Show 6 more facts
- Seismic Activity: The Himalayas fall under Seismic Zones IV and V, making the region highly prone to earthquakes
- Internal Seepage & Weak Moraines: Piping erosion weakens moraine dams, causing sudden breaches. Eg: 1985 Dig Tsho GLOF, Nepal.
- Unregulated Infrastructure Development: Construction of hydropower projects
- Supraglacial Lakes: Form on the surface of glaciers due to meltwater accumulation; highly vulnerable during summer melting.
- Moraine-dammed Lakes: Located near the glacier snout, held by loose debris or ice-core moraines
- Geographic Extent & Vulnerability: The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) spans 11 major river basins and contains over 28,000 glacial lakes
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) are rising threats in the Himalayas.
Which statement correctly describes Indiaโs Preparedness Against GLOFs?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
Sixth India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue – reporting
Recently, the sixth India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) was held in New Delhi.
- Under the aegis of the SED, representatives of various economic sectors deliberate for enabling ease of doing business and facilitating bilateralโฆ
- During SED, discussions were held on infrastructure, energy, resource conservation and policy coordination.
- The two sides also exchanged views on regulatory procedures of ease of doing business
- SED was set up by the agreement between erstwhile Planning Commission of India and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)
Show 1 more facts
- Since then SED has emerged as a crucial mechanism to facilitate bilateral trade and investment flows and enhance economic cooperation.
Which statement correctly describes Sixth India-China Strategic Economic Dialogueโฆ?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
๐ฐ Indian Economy MCQ Quiz ยท เคญเคพเคฐเคคเฅเคฏ เค เคฐเฅเคฅเคตเฅเคฏเคตเคธเฅเคฅเคพ
10 bilingual MCQs ยท Indian Economy ยท Members Only on YouTube
Today's rotation: Indian Economy. Take this break between news topics to sharpen the core concept.
Environment
Green Grids Initiative
India and UK, jointly announced a declaration on "one sun, one world, one grid" โ or OSOWOG at the Conference of Parties (COP26), held in Glasgow, UK.
- Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology
- About: GGI-OSOWOG was conceived in 2018 to develop global interconnected solar energy systems
- The vision behind the OSOWOG is 'The Sun Never Sets' and is a constant at some geographical location, globally, at any given point of time.
- The initiative aims to build a framework for global cooperation on the effective utilisation of renewable resources and to help ensure that clean andโฆ
Show 6 more facts
- This project aspires to harness the sun's energy and build a global interconnected electricity grid to accelerate the transition to renewable energy.
- The initiative is expected to connect more than 80 countries across a large geographical area, with varying levels of sunlight
- The interconnection of the Indian grids with the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asian (MESASEA) grids.
- MESASEA grids' interconnection with the African power grid.
- It will bring more technical, financial and research cooperation to help facilitate cross-border renewable energy transfer projects, which will giveโฆ
- It will also create a depth of organizational scale
Which statement correctly describes Green Grids Initiative?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
EU-India Clean Energy and Climate Partnership
The Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy
- The European Green Deal seeks to transform the EU into a modern
- Cooperation under the EU-India Clean Energy and Climate Partnership: The meeting focused on discussing collaboration in areas such as energyโฆ
- India highlighted its efforts to ramp up renewable energy capacity
- Recognizing the need for energy storage to facilitate round-the-clock renewable energy supply
Show 6 more facts
- India proposed joint pilots with the EU in areas like Green Steel and other frontier technologies
- India emphasized the importance of free and open trade for the journey towards green hydrogen and cautioned against Protectionism.
- Mentioned India's plan to increase electrolyser manufacturing capacity and upcoming Production Linked Incentive bids in that regard.
- The Executive Vice President of the European Green Deal appreciated India's leadership in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
- Both sides discussed the need to bring the agenda of energy efficiency to the global stage and set global energy efficiency targets.
- Collaboration opportunities were explored in batteries for grid-scale storage, particularly for green mobility
Which statement correctly describes EU-India Clean Energy and Climate Partnership?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Geography
Cloudburst, Landslide, and Flash Flood
Torrential rain in Ramban tehsil of Jammu and Kashmir has caused casualties, significant infrastructure damage, and forced emergency relocations.
- Definition: A cloudburst is a sudden, intense rainstorm that results in more than 10 cm of rain in less than an hour over a small area (approximatelyโฆ
- Due to their localised nature, cloudbursts are hard to predict or detect but can unleash sudden, devastating rainfall, leading to flash floods andโฆ
- Orographic Lifting: It occurs when moist air is forced to rise over a mountain range
- Definition: A landslide is the downward movement of rock, soil, or debris on a slope due to gravity
Show 6 more facts
- Causes: Natural factors like heavy rainfall, earthquakes, and water seepage weaken slopes, while human activities such as deforestation andโฆ
- Landslide Prone Areas: In India, 0.42 million sq
- Examples: In 2024, Wayanad (Kerala) faced significant landslides, while the 2013 Kedarnath (Uttarakhand) landslide caused over 5,700 deaths
- Definition: Flash floods are sudden increases in water levels during or immediately after intense rainfall
- Causes: Flash floods are primarily caused by intense rainfall that overwhelms the soil's absorption capacity and drainage systems
- Additionally, urbanisation with impervious surfaces like roads and buildings increase runoff, reducing water absorption and intensifying flood risks.
Which statement correctly describes Cloudburst, Landslide, and Flash Flood?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Environment
BASIC Meeting on Climate Change – reporting
The BASIC countries held their 28th ministerial meeting on Climate Change from 14th to 16th August 2019 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
- The countries expressed their concern about climate change and its adverse effects
- The Ministers stated the importance of responsible
- The group noted with concern the trend of developing countries being denied their right to support in different fora
- The BASIC Ministers urged developed countries to fulfill their climate finance commitments of mobilizing USD 100 billion annually by 2020 forโฆ
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- The Ministerial meeting was held in the run-up to the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP-25) meet to be held in Chile from 2nd-3rd December, 2019.
- The BASIC group was formed as the result of an agreement signed by the four countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) on 28th November, 2009
- Other than BASIC, there are the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the group of countries of Central Asia, Caucasus, Albania andโฆ
Which statement correctly describes BASIC Meeting on Climate Change – Drishti IAS?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
History
Kobe-Ahmedabad Sister Cities – reporting
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of sister-city partnership was signed by Japan and India during the Indian Prime Minister's visit for 2019 G20 Osaka summit in Japan.
- It will cultivate, promote and enhance opportunities on the business, academic and cultural front between Kobe in Hyogo, Japan and Ahmedabad inโฆ
- In November 2016, India and Japan signed a sister-state relationship MoU for Gujarat and Hyogo prefecture
- Kobe is the capital city of Hyogo. Indian Prime Minister had visited a bullet train plant in Kobe.
- India is building its first bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad with Japan's help.
Show 6 more facts
- This common thread will help people connect and this is very important for the growth on other fronts.
- Kobe already has a large section of Gujarati community.
- The concept of sister cities or twin towns is a legal and social agreement between towns
- The plan was conceived after the end of World War II to promote peaceful coexistence and to encourage trade and tourism.
- In diplomacy, this concept is seen as a way to enhance strategic ties between the two nations, both cultural as well as economic.
- In 2013, India signed the sister city agreements with China — the pairs were Delhi-Beijing, Bengaluru-Chengdu and Kolkata-Kunming.
Which statement correctly describes Kobe-Ahmedabad Sister Cities – Drishti IAS?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Simple Current Affairs MCQ โ 08 August 2026
10 accessible MCQs covering the same topics ยท great for quick revision
End your study session with these simpler MCQs to lock in recall of today's current affairs.








