Daily Current Affairs โ 13 August 2026
Daily Current Affairs ยท 13 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 13 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.
Polity
Supreme Court Directs States to Declare Cancer as Notifiable Disease
Recently, the Supreme Court has directed the 19 States and Union Territories that have not yet done so to consider declaring cancer a "notifiable disease".
- At present, 17 of India's 36 States and UTs have already notified cancer, following the recommendations of a Parliamentary Standing Committee.
- The direction came in the backdrop of a Public interest Litigation (PIL) highlighting deficiencies in the ICMR's National Cancer Registry Programme
- Declaring cancer notifiable would make reporting of diagnosed cancer cases mandatory
- About: Notifiable diseases are those legally mandated to be reported to public health authorities under laws like the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897
Show 2 more facts
- Implications of Notification: Once a disease is declared notifiable
- Commonly Notified Diseases: While lists vary state wise
Which statement correctly describes Supreme Court Directs States to Declareโฆ?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
Rabies as Notifiable Disease
The Delhi government has decided to declare human rabies a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, aiming to achieve zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies.
- About: Notifiable diseases are those legally mandated to be reported to public health authorities under laws like the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897
- Implications of Notification: Once a disease is declared notifiable
- Commonly Notified Diseases: While lists vary state wise
Which statement correctly describes Rabies as Notifiable Disease?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Polity
Parliament Committees
Recently, reorganization of 22 Standing Committees took place.
- About: A Parliamentary Committee is a panel of MPs that is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker/Chairman.
- The committee works under the direction of the Speaker/chairman and it presents its report to the House or to the Speaker/chairman.
- Parliamentary Committees have their origins in the British Parliament.
- They draw their authority from Article 105 and Article 118. Article 105 deals with the privileges of MPs.
Show 6 more facts
- Article 118 gives Parliament authority to make rules to regulate its procedure and conduct of business.
- A Bill is introduced in either House of Parliament to begin legislative business but the process of lawmaking is often complex
- Also, the political polarisation and shrinking middle ground has been leading to increasingly rancorous and inconclusive debates in Parliament
- India's Parliament has multiple types of committees
- However, broadly there are two types of Parliamentary Committeesโ Standing Committees and Ad Hoc Committees
- Committees Relating to the Day-to-Day Business of the House
Which statement correctly describes Parliament Committees?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
History
Indiaโs Battle Against Tuberculosis
The Prime Minister chaired a high-level review meeting on the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) and emphasized the need for targeted
- NTEP: In 2020, the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) was renamed the NTEP with the goal to eliminate TB in India by 2025, fiveโฆ
- The program is guided by the National Strategic Plan (2017-2025) under the strategic pillars: Detect โ Treat โ Prevent โ Build (DTPB).
- The NTEP focuses on early diagnosis, quality-assured treatment, engaging private providers, contact tracing in high-risk areas, and addressing socialโฆ
- The programme recorded its highest-ever case notifications, reporting 25.5 lakh TB cases in 2023 and 26.07 lakh cases in 2024.
Show 6 more facts
- Under NTEP, India introduced improved drug-resistant TB treatments, including a safer, shorter all-oral Bedaquiline regimen, increasing success ratesโฆ
- PMTBMBA is the world's largest crowd-sourcing initiative for TB patient nutrition.
- The Ni-Kshay Mitra initiative, part of the PMTBMBA, encourages individuals, NGOs, and corporations to support TB patients with nutritional, socialโฆ
- The Ni-Kshay Portal helps health workers manage TB cases, track treatment, and report real-time data for India's TB surveillance.
- Reduction in TB Incidence and Mortality: The World Health Organization (WHO) Global TB Report 2024 highlighted that TB incidence in India declined byโฆ
- In 2023, India alone accounted for over 26% of global TB cases and deaths.
Which statement correctly describes Indiaโs Battle Against Tuberculosis?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Geography
Dengue
According to a study, the ongoing spread of Dengue in India has been attributed to a late withdrawal of monsoon.
- Dengue transmission is closely associated with three key factors โ rainfall
- In India, the number of months suitable for dengue transmission by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes has risen to 5.6 months each year
- Dengue spreads through the bite of two mosquitoes โ Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus
- Aedes albopictus dominates the eastern and western coastlines, north-eastern states and the lower Himalayas.
Show 6 more facts
- About: Dengue is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus (Genus Flavivirus)
- Sudden high fever, severe headaches, pain behind the eyes, severe bone, joint, and muscle pain, etc.
- Diagnosis of dengue infection is done with a blood test.
- There is no specific medicine to treat dengue infection.
- Incidence of dengue has grown dramatically around the world in recent decades
- WHO estimates 39 crore dengue virus infections per year, of which 9.6 crore show symptoms.
Which statement correctly describes Dengue?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
๐บ๏ธ Indian Geography MCQ Quiz ยท เคญเคพเคฐเคคเฅเคฏ เคญเฅเคเฅเคฒ
10 bilingual MCQs ยท Indian Geography ยท Members Only on YouTube
Today's rotation: Indian Geography. Take this break between news topics to sharpen the core concept.
History
World Malaria Day 2025
World Malaria Day, observed on 25th April annually, was established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2007 to raise awareness and drive action against malaria.
- The theme for World Malaria Day 2025 is "Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite"
- About: Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite, transmitted to humans by infected female Anopheles mosquitoes
- There are 5 Plasmodium species that cause malaria in humans. P. falciparum is the deadliest while P. vivax is the most widespread
- The parasites travel to the liver, mature, and then infect red blood cells.
Show 6 more facts
- It includes fever, chills, headache, and fatigue, and severe cases can lead to organ failure or death
- As per the World Malaria Report 2024, In India, between 2015 and 2023, malaria cases declined from 11.69 lakh to 2.27 lakh, and deaths reduced fromโฆ
- Africa bears 94โ95% of the global malaria burden (WHO, 2024).
- Treatment: Advanced with effective drugs like chloroquine and artemisinin, supported by tools like insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and indoor spraying
- In 2023, R21/Matrix-M was approved as a second safe and effective vaccine.
- Key strategies include Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC)
Which statement correctly describes World Malaria Day 2025?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
History
Resurgence of the Cholera Pandemic
Recently, Cholera, a preventable and treatable disease, has experienced a resurgence, leading to approximately 4,000 deaths in 2023, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
- About: Cholera, a water-borne disease primarily caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae.
- It is an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine.
- The infection is often mild or without symptoms, but sometimes can be severe.
- It includes severe watery diarrhoea, vomiting, leg cramps, and weakness, and can lead to death through dehydration if untreated.
Show 6 more facts
- A person may get cholera by drinking water or eating food contaminated with the cholera bacterium.
- The disease can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate treatment of sewage and drinking water.
- Vulnerable populations, particularly malnourished children and individuals living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiencyโฆ
- Currently there are 3 WHO pre-qualified Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV)- Dukoral, Shanchol, and Euvichol-Plus
- Global Burden: The global cholera burden worsened between 2022 and 2024
- 22 countries reported active outbreaks and 2,400 deaths had been recorded globally by August 2024.
Water-borne diseases continue to pose significant public health challenges in India.
Which statement correctly describes Resurgence of the Cholera Pandemic?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
History
Global Hepatitis Report 2024
The recently released Global Hepatitis Report 2024 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has highlighted India as one of the nations facing aโฆ
- India's Hepatitis Burden: Prevalence in India: India is one of the countries with the highest burden of viral hepatitis.
- India has an estimated 2.9 crore people living with Hepatitis B infection and 0.55 crore living with Hepatitis C infection.
- There were over 50,000 new Hepatitis B cases and 1.4 lakh new Hepatitis C cases reported in India in 2022.
- These viral hepatitis infections killed 1.23 lakh people in India in 2022.
Show 6 more facts
- Both Hepatitis B and C infections are transmitted through various means
- In India, only 2.4% of Hepatitis B cases and 28% of Hepatitis C cases are diagnosed.
- Treatment coverage is even lower, at 0% for Hepatitis B and 21% for Hepatitis C, despite the availability of affordable generic medicines.
- Limited reach and utilisation of the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program.
- Need to expand access to affordable diagnostics and treatment services under the program.
- Requirement to treat all diagnosed individuals, regardless of disease stage, to reduce health consequences and transmission.
Which statement correctly describes Global Hepatitis Report 2024?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
Measles
Recently, there has been a significant spike in measles cases and fatalities in Delhi, attributed to under-reporting of cases during the Covid-19 lockdowns in the previous years.
- The Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, the focus and resources were primarily directed towards managing the pandemic, leading to weakenedโฆ
- About: Measles virus is an enveloped, ribonucleic acid virus of the genus Morbillivirus.
- Measles is highly contagious, and an infected person will often transmit the virus to over 90% of unprotected close contacts.
- The virus infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body. Measles is a human disease and is not known to occur in animals.
Show 6 more facts
- Measles can be entirely prevented through a two-dose vaccine and has been officially eliminated in many countries with advanced healthcare systems.
- No specific antiviral treatment exists for measles virus.
- Severe complications from measles can be avoided through medical care that ensures good nutrition
- Routine measles vaccination for children, combined with mass immunization campaigns in countries with high case and death rates, are key publicโฆ
- Measles cases dropped by 62% between 2017 and 2021, from 10.4 to 4 cases per million population.
- The Measles & Rubella Initiative: Launched in 2001
Which statement correctly describes Measles?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
History
Development of Polio Vaccines
The wild poliovirus is beginning to reappear in big cities in Afghanistan and Pakistan, due to vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, conflict, poverty, and limited access to these isolated regions.
- As a result, the World Health Organization's Global Polio Eradication Initiative is set to miss its deadline of eradicating polio by the end of 2026.
- The two vaccines namely Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) and Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) have helped in nearly eradicating polio from the world.
- The development of the 2 polio vaccines – the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) by Jonas Salk and the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) by Albert Sabin was aโฆ
- This allowed for the mass production of the poliovirus, which was crucial for vaccine research and development.
Show 6 more facts
- Jonas Salk developed the first successful polio vaccine by growing the poliovirus, inactivating it and injecting it into test subjects.
- The IPV generated systemic immunity, as it was introduced into the muscle.
- Albert Sabin developed the OPV, which contained live, weakened poliovirus strains that were administered orally.
- The OPV induced a powerful protective mucosal immune response in the gut, where the virus begin its infection.
- The immune system has 2 main parts: the systemic (including the blood
- IPV is made from killed or inactivated poliovirus, which means it cannot cause the disease.
Which statement correctly describes Development of Polio Vaccines?
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 13 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.
