Daily Current Affairs — 17 August 2026
Daily Current Affairs · 17 August 2026
10 fully-analysed topics · 30 bilingual MCQs · 3 embedded videos · built for UPSC Prelims & Mains
🎯 30 MCQs
🎬 3 Videos
🇮🇳 Hindi + English
UPSC Current Affairs MCQ — 17 August 2026
10 UPSC-standard bilingual MCQs covering today's top stories · 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.
History
West Nile Fever
Recently, health authorities have issued a caution following suspected cases of West Nile fever (WNF) in Ernakulam district of Kerala.
- Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology
- About: West Nile fever is caused by West Nile virus (WNV)
- Transmission: West Nile virus is transmitted mainly through the bite of an infected mosquito
- Vector and Reservoir: Birds are the principal reservoir hosts
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- Symptoms: Around 80% remain asymptomatic, about 20% develop symptomatic illness, and less than 1% develop neuroinvasive disease
- Geographical Distribution: West Nile virus is commonly found in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North America and West Asia
Which statement correctly describes West Nile Fever?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
History
West Nile Fever
The detection of West Nile fever in 3 Kerala districts has prompted health authorities to issue alerts and intensify preventive measures.
- About: It is caused by the West Nile virus (WNV)
- Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds, subsequently transmitting the virus to humans and animals through bites.
- The virus may also be transmitted through contact with other infected animals, their blood, or other tissues.
- Rare cases of transmission through organ transplant, blood transfusions, and transplacental transmission.
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- No human-to-human transmission of WNV through casual contact has been documented.
- Symptoms of West Nile fever include fever, headache, tiredness, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and skin rash.
- Severe cases may lead to neurological symptoms such as neck stiffness, stupor, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis.
- Supportive care for neuro-invasive cases involves hospitalization, intravenous fluids, and respiratory support.
- In tropical regions, Zika virus disease is transmitted by the same mosquito that transmits dengue.
- Sexual transmission of Zika virus disease is possible.
Which statement correctly describes West Nile Fever?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
National Cooperative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026
The Parliament passed the National Cooperative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
- NCDC Amendment Bill, 2026 expands NCDC's mandate by enabling direct loans and grants, wider investment powers, broader foodstuff coverage and…
- Cooperatives support rural credit, women's empowerment, storage, exports, digitalisation and inclusive growth, but direct NCDC funding raises…
- Direct Financial Assistance: Under the existing Act
- NCDC can continue providing funds to State Governments for financing cooperative societies, while gaining an additional direct-financing channel.
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- This allows more food-related cooperatives to become eligible for NCDC's financial support.
- Federal Friction: Cooperative Societies (whose objects are confined to one State) are a State Subject under Entry 32 of the State List
- Implementation Challenges: State governments play a crucial oversight and auditing role in the cooperative sector
- About: NCDC is a statutory organisation established in 1963 under the National Cooperative Development Corporation Act, 1962
- To provide financial assistance for processing, storage, cold chain, and marketing of agricultural produce.
- To support non-farm and weaker section activities such as dairy
Which statement correctly describes National Cooperative Development Corporation…?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
Achievements of Cooperatives in India
India's achievements in the cooperative sector gained global recognition when the United Nations proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) under the theme "Cooperatives Build a Better World."
- India's cooperative movement is inspired by "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam"—the world as one family—and is driven by the vision of "Sahkar Se Samriddhi"…
- India's vast cooperative network is being modernized via digital PACS, new national co-ops (NCEL, NCOL), and a dedicated Ministry.
- It faces deep-rooted governance, regulatory, and financial challenges that hinder inclusive growth.
- Success hinges on technological integration, financial innovation, and resolving regulatory fragmentation to achieve "Sahkar Se Samriddhi."
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- Massive Scale and Deep Penetration: India has over 8.5 lakh cooperatives that serve nearly 32 crore members across 30 sectors and cover about 98% of…
- This expansion is strategically reinforced by establishing national-level cooperatives—such as National Co-operative Exports Limited (NCEL)
- Policy focus is further strengthened by the new Ministry of Cooperation and by leveraging cooperatives for large-scale national projects
- About: A cooperative is a voluntary and democratic organization that fulfills the shared economic
- Constitutional Recognition: The 97th Constitutional Amendment Act
- Article 43B: Directs the State to promote cooperative societies as a part of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSPs).
Which statement correctly describes Achievements of Cooperatives in India?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
Nano Fertiliser
Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) is setting up its first overseas nano fertiliser plant in Brazil through a joint venture
- It will be located in Curitiba (Parana, Brazil) with an annual production capacity of 4.5 million litres.
- Brazil, a major producer of corn, soybean, sugarcane, and coffee, has seen a 20% cut in urea and DAP usage, a 10% yield increase in corn and soybean…
- About: Fertilisers coated with nanomaterials (particles ranging from 1 to 100 nanometres) are known as nanofertilisers
- Inorganic Materials: Metal Oxides (e.g., Zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO2)), Silica Nanoparticles and Hydroxyapatite Nanohybrids.
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- Organic Materials: Chitosan (natural biopolymer derived from chitin found in crustacean exoskeletons)
- Nanoscale Coating Fertilisers: It uses nanoparticle coatings for controlled nutrient release.
- Nanoscale Additive Fertilisers: It binds nutrients to nano-sized adsorbents for gradual availability.
- Nanoporous Materials: It enables slow nutrient release, enhancing plant absorption.
- IFFCO also plans to launch Nano Zinc and Nano Copper.
- Nano fertilisers offer a sustainable solution by reducing import dependency (e.g.
Which statement correctly describes Nano Fertiliser?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
⚖️ Indian Polity MCQ Quiz · भारतीय राजव्यवस्था
10 bilingual MCQs · Indian Polity · Members Only on YouTube
Today's rotation: Indian Polity. Take this break between news topics to sharpen the core concept.
Economy
Honey FPO Programme: NAFED
Recently, the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare has virtually inaugurated the Honey Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) Programme of the…
- A Producer Organisation (PO) is a legal entity formed by primary producers, viz
- The programme has been launched under the Formation and Promotion of FPOs. It is a new Central Sector Scheme for the promotion of 10,000 new FPOs.
- Under it, the National Level Project Management Advisory and Fund Sanctioning Committee (N-PMAFSC) had allocated FPO clusters for 2020-21 to all…
- NAFED has been appointed as the 4th national implementing agency.
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- States may also, if so desire, nominate their implementing agency in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers'…
- These 5 locations are East Champaran (Bihar), Morena (Madhya Pradesh), Bharatpur (Rajasthan), Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) and Sunderbans (West Bengal).
- The first Honey FPO has been registered in the state of Madhya Pradesh under the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM).
- State of the art infrastructural facilities for processing honey and allied beekeeping products like bee's wax, propolis, royal jelly, bee venom, etc.
- Quality upgradation by quality control laboratories.
- Better supply chain management by improving collection, storage, bottling and marketing centres.
Which statement correctly describes Honey FPO Programme: NAFED?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
Primary Agricultural Credit Societies
Prelims: Digitization of PACS, DBT, ISS, PMFBY, Atmanirbhar Bharat.
- It aims at bringing greater transparency and accountability in their operations and enabling them to diversify their business and undertake more…
- It aims to help PACS become a nodal centre for providing various services such as Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
- About: PACS are village level cooperative credit societies that serve as the last link in a three-tier cooperative credit structure headed by the…
- Status: A report published by the Reserve Bank of India on December 27, 2022 put the number of PACS at 1.02 lakh
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- Access to Credit: PACS provide small farmers with access to credit
- PACS help to increase financial inclusion in rural areas, where access to formal financial services is limited
- PACS are often located in rural areas, which makes it convenient for farmers to access their services
- PACS have the capacity to extend credit with minimal paperwork within a short time.
- PACS encourage farmers to save money, which can be used to improve their livelihoods and invest in their farms.
- PACS promote credit discipline among farmers by requiring them to repay their loans on time
Which statement correctly describes Primary Agricultural Credit Societies?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
National Cooperation Policy 2025
To mark the United Nations-designated International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) 2025, India unveiled the National Cooperation Policy 2025 to transform the cooperative sector into a people-driven economic force.
- CoopsDay, or the International Day of Cooperatives, has been celebrated since 1923 and was officially recognized by the UN in 1995
- The Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) is hosting the IYC 2025.
- Theme of IYC 2025: "Cooperatives Build a Better World"
- Scale of Global Cooperatives: Over 12% of the global population is part of the 3 million cooperatives worldwide.
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- Cooperatives provide jobs or work opportunities to 280 million people, about 10% of the global workforce.
- The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) represents over 1 billion cooperative members globally.
- Vision and Objective:It supports the Ministry of Cooperation's mandate of "Sahakar se Samriddhi" by aiming to strengthen cooperatives and expand…
- The policy promotes cooperative education via Tribhuvan Sahkari University, India's first national cooperative university.
- The policy sets up National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) to help cooperatives access global markets, focusing on exports like rice and wheat.
- About: A cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic
Which statement correctly describes National Cooperation Policy 2025?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
History
Surge in India’s Ultra Processed Food Market
A series in The Lancet highlights that India is witnessing the fastest growth in sales of Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) globally — from USD0.9 billion in 2006 to nearly USD 38 billion in 2019, a ~40‑fold rise.
- This rapid dietary transition is closely tied to rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases in India.
- About: UPFs are industrial formulations created for convenience, long shelf life, and mass consumption
- Aggressive Marketing: Celebrity endorsements, buy-one-get-one-free offers, and sports sponsorships, targeted ads—especially aimed at children— boost…
- Lifestyle Changes: Fast-paced urban living boosts dependence on quick, convenient, and ready-to-eat options.
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- Cultural Dietary Shifts: Growing preference for Western-style diets has increased the intake of fast food, sugary snacks, and ready-to-eat meals.
- Alternative Food Option: Ultra-processed foods are viewed as time-saving alternatives to traditional meal preparation
- About: It refers to transforming raw agricultural products such as grains
- Types: Minimally Processed: These include fruits
- Processed Ingredients: These are items like salt, sugar, and oils that are added to other foods rather than eaten alone.
- Processed Foods: Made by combining minimally processed and processed ingredients
Which statement correctly describes Surge in India’s Ultra Processed Food Market?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
Amul Ranks as the World's Top Cooperative in GDP Per Capita
The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets dairy products under the Amul brand, has been ranked the No.
- Amul's success stems from its three-tier cooperative structure
- ICA, headquartered in Brussels, is a global body representing cooperatives across sectors and promoting sustainable business models
- The World Cooperative Monitor, developed annually by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) in collaboration with EURICSE (European Research…
- Their contribution to inclusive development, employment generation, and community welfare.
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- About: A cooperative is a voluntary, democratic association that meets shared economic, social, and cultural needs through a jointly-owned enterprise…
- Constitutional Framework: The 97th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2011 granted constitutional status to cooperatives
- Part IXB (Articles 243ZH–243ZT) lays down the framework for their governance.
- The Central Registrar oversees multi-state cooperatives, whereas State Registrars manage state-level ones.
- The MSCS (Amendment) Act, 2023 strengthened governance and transparency, and the Ministry of Cooperation, created in 2021, consolidated…
- Maharashtra alone has over a fourth of all cooperatives
Which statement correctly describes Amul Ranks as the World's Top Cooperative in…?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Simple Current Affairs MCQ — 17 August 2026
10 accessible MCQs covering the same topics · great for quick revision
End your study session with these simpler MCQs to lock in recall of today's current affairs.
