21 August 2026 Current Affairs MCQ
UPSC & State PCS Daily Practice Set
Q1. With reference to the subordinate judiciary in India, consider the following statements:
- Article 233 deals with appointment of District Judges.
- Article 234 deals with recruitment of persons other than District Judges to the judicial service of a State.
- Article 235 vests control over district courts and subordinate courts in the High Court.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: D
Explanation: Articles 233–235 form an important part of the constitutional framework governing the subordinate judiciary.
Q2. The recently discussed Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board v. A. Rajappa judgment is principally associated with:
A. Basic Structure Doctrine
B. Definition of “Industry”
C. Inter-State water disputes
D. Environmental clearance
Answer: B
Explanation: The landmark 1978 judgment interpreted “industry” under Section 2(j) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
Q3. Consider the following statements regarding the Bangalore Water Supply case:
- It was decided in 1978.
- It was decided by a seven-judge Bench.
- Profit motive was considered indispensable for an activity to constitute an industry.
- It is associated with the “Triple Test”.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 1, 2 and 4 only
C. 2, 3 and 4 only
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: B
Explanation: Statement 3 is incorrect. The broad Bangalore Water Supply approach did not make profit motive indispensable.
Q4. With reference to CARA, consider the following statements:
- It is a statutory body.
- It functions under the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
- It is India's Central Authority for purposes connected with inter-country adoption.
- It is associated with CARINGS.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 1, 2 and 3 only
C. 2, 3 and 4 only
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: D
Q5. What does CARINGS stand for?
A. Child Adoption Registration and International Guidance System
B. Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System
C. Central Adoption Registration and Information Governance System
D. Child Assistance, Rehabilitation and Integrated Governance System
Answer: B
Explanation: CARINGS is the digital platform associated with India's regulated adoption system.
Q6. Consider the following statements about India's adoption framework:
- The Adoption Regulations, 2022 are currently under review.
- CARA has already replaced them with Adoption Regulations, 2026.
- District Magistrates have an important role in issuing adoption orders under the current JJ framework.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 1 and 3 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: B
Explanation: The important current-affairs trap is that the 2022 Regulations are being reviewed; a replacement set should not be assumed merely because a review is underway. CARA and adoption reform are among today's significant Prelims topics.
Q7. The 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption primarily concerns:
A. Child labour
B. International trafficking of migrant workers
C. Inter-country adoption
D. Stateless children
Answer: C
Q8. Consider the following pairs:
| Term | Associated with |
|---|---|
| CARA | Adoption |
| CARINGS | Adoption information system |
| SAA | Specialised Adoption Agency |
| LFA | Legally Free for Adoption |
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
A. Only one
B. Only two
C. Only three
D. All four
Answer: D
Geography & Maritime Security
Q9. The Bab-el-Mandeb Strait connects:
A. Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman
B. Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
C. Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea
D. Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf
Answer: B
Q10. Consider the following sequence:
- Arabian Sea
- Gulf of Aden
- Bab-el-Mandeb
- Red Sea
- Suez Canal
- Mediterranean Sea
Which of the following represents the correct broad route from the Indian Ocean side towards Europe?
A. 1–2–3–4–5–6
B. 1–3–2–4–5–6
C. 2–1–3–5–4–6
D. 1–2–4–3–5–6
Answer: A
Explanation: This is one of today's most important map-based revision sequences. The Gulf of Aden connects with the Red Sea through Bab-el-Mandeb and forms part of a major maritime trade route.
Q11. With reference to piracy under UNCLOS, consider the following statements:
- UNCLOS contains provisions dealing with piracy.
- Every armed attack against a vessel within territorial waters necessarily constitutes piracy under UNCLOS.
- States are required to cooperate in repression of piracy on the high seas.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 1 and 3 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: B
Explanation: Location is important. Attacks within territorial waters are generally distinguished from piracy on the high seas and may be classified as armed robbery against ships.
Q12. India's dedicated legislation dealing with piracy is:
A. Maritime Security Act, 2019
B. Indian Ocean Security Act, 2020
C. Maritime Anti-Piracy Act, 2022
D. Merchant Shipping Security Act, 2023
Answer: C
Q13. IFC-IOR, frequently mentioned in maritime-security news, is associated with:
A. Regulation of international fisheries
B. Maritime Domain Awareness
C. Deep-sea mineral licensing
D. Maritime boundary adjudication
Answer: B
Q14. The Gulf of Aden lies between:
A. Iran and Arabian Peninsula
B. Arabian Peninsula and Horn of Africa
C. Madagascar and Mozambique
D. India and Sri Lanka
Answer: B
Renewed Somali piracy in the Gulf of Aden has again brought this geography into focus.
Agriculture, Environment & Energy
Q15. Agrivoltaics refers to:
A. Conversion of agricultural waste into hydrogen
B. Simultaneous use of land for agriculture and solar-energy generation
C. Solar desalination exclusively for agriculture
D. Using solar energy only in cold-storage facilities
Answer: B
Q16. PM-KUSUM is implemented by which ministry?
A. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
B. Ministry of Power
C. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
D. Ministry of Rural Development
Answer: C
Q17. Which of the following are objectives/benefits associated with PM-KUSUM?
- Solarisation of agricultural pumps
- Reduction in dependence on diesel
- Promotion of decentralised renewable energy
- Potential additional income opportunities for farmers
Select the correct answer:
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 1, 2 and 3 only
C. 2, 3 and 4 only
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: D
Q18. The Miyawaki method, recently discussed in relation to urban greening, is best associated with:
A. Coral-reef restoration
B. Dense plantation/forest creation on relatively small areas
C. Desert irrigation
D. Mangrove aquaculture
Answer: B
Digital Governance
Q19. Consider the following statements about UIDAI:
- It is associated with Aadhaar.
- It is a statutory authority.
- It functions under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: D
Q20. The Aadhaar App recently crossed which milestone?
A. 10 million downloads
B. 25 million downloads
C. 50 million downloads
D. 100 million downloads
Answer: C
Explanation: This milestone is useful primarily as a current-affairs fact; for UPSC, the more important static linkage is UIDAI + Aadhaar + digital identity + privacy + Digital Public Infrastructure.
International Relations
Q21. Consider the following countries:
- India
- Japan
- Australia
- United States
- Indonesia
Which of the above constitute the Quad?
A. 1, 2 and 3 only
B. 1, 2, 3 and 4 only
C. 1, 3, 4 and 5 only
D. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Answer: B
India-Japan defence engagement remains part of today's official news cycle and is increasingly connected with maritime cooperation and the Indo-Pacific.
Q22. India and Japan describe their bilateral relationship as:
A. Comprehensive Defence Alliance
B. Special Strategic and Global Partnership
C. Indo-Pacific Security Treaty
D. Comprehensive Economic and Military Union
Answer: B
Food Regulation
Q23. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) functions under:
A. Ministry of Consumer Affairs
B. Ministry of Agriculture
C. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
D. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Answer: C
Q24. The Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations are primarily concerned with:
A. Agricultural export tariffs
B. Claims and advertisements relating to food products
C. Food-grain procurement
D. Restaurant licensing by municipalities
Answer: B
Food advertising and claims regulations are among the 21 August Prelims-focused developments.
High-Level Mixed Questions
Q25. Consider the following pairs:
| Current Affairs Topic | Static Link |
|---|---|
| Civil Judge recruitment | Article 234 |
| CARA | Juvenile Justice Act |
| Gulf of Aden piracy | UNCLOS |
| PM-KUSUM | Renewable Energy |
How many pairs are correctly matched?
A. One only
B. Two only
C. Three only
D. All four
Answer: D
Q26. Which one of the following is incorrectly matched?
A. Article 233 — District Judges
B. Article 234 — Other judicial-service recruitment
C. Article 235 — High Court control over subordinate courts
D. Article 236 — Inter-State judicial disputes
Answer: D
Explanation: Article 236 contains definitions/interpretation relevant to the subordinate judiciary chapter.
Q27. Consider the following:
- Bab-el-Mandeb
- Strait of Hormuz
- Strait of Malacca
Which of the above are important maritime chokepoints affecting India's strategic/economic interests?
A. 1 only
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: D
Q28. Which one of the following combinations is correctly matched?
A. Bangalore Water Supply — Environmental jurisprudence
B. CARINGS — Child adoption
C. IFC-IOR — Agricultural market intelligence
D. Agrivoltaics — Deep-sea renewable energy
Answer: B
Q29. Consider the following statements:
- A child living in a Child Care Institution is automatically legally available for adoption.
- CARA regulates important aspects of inter-country adoption.
- The Hague Adoption Convention provides safeguards for inter-country adoption.
Which are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: C
Explanation: Institutionalisation does not automatically make a child legally free for adoption.
Q30. Consider the following pairs:
| Organisation/Initiative | Ministry/Area |
|---|---|
| CARA | Women & Child Development |
| UIDAI | Electronics & IT |
| PM-KUSUM | New & Renewable Energy |
| IFC-IOR | Maritime security |
How many pairs are correctly matched?
A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Four
Answer: D
🎯 Final Answer Key
1-D | 2-B | 3-B | 4-D | 5-B | 6-B | 7-C | 8-D | 9-B | 10-A
11-B | 12-C | 13-B | 14-B | 15-B | 16-C | 17-D | 18-B | 19-D | 20-C
21-B | 22-B | 23-C | 24-B | 25-D | 26-D | 27-D | 28-B | 29-C | 30-D
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