🧠 Daily Current Affairs MCQs — 17 August 2026
- It is a High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) remotely piloted aircraft system.
- India has signed a 30-month lease agreement for two such systems for the Indian Navy.
- Its primary relevance to the Navy is enhancement of maritime surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: D. 1, 2 and 3
Explanation: India signed a $203 million (about ₹1,943 crore), 30-month lease agreement with General Atomics for two MQ-9B Sea Guardian systems. They are HALE platforms intended to strengthen the Indian Navy's surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
Q2. The MQ-9B Sea Guardian is particularly significant for India because it can contribute directly to:
A. Underground tunnel detection along the Himalayan border
B. Maritime Domain Awareness in the Indian Ocean Region
C. Ballistic missile interception
D. Satellite-based navigation
Answer: B. Maritime Domain Awareness
Explanation: The Sea Guardian's long endurance and maritime surveillance capabilities make it particularly useful for monitoring large oceanic areas and improving Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).
Q3. With reference to India-Nepal military relations, consider the following statements:
- Nepal has conferred the honorary rank of General on Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth.
- The reciprocal honorary-General tradition dates back to 1950.
- The honorary rank gives the recipient operational command over the other country's Army.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: B. 1 and 2 only
Explanation: Nepal conferred the honorary General rank on General Dhiraj Seth during his August 2026 visit. The tradition dates to 1950. However, the rank is honorary and ceremonial; it does not provide operational command over the Nepali Army.
Q4. Which of the following best explains the strategic significance of the honorary-General tradition between India and Nepal?
A. It establishes a common military command between the two countries.
B. It is a mechanism for transferring military technology from India to Nepal.
C. It symbolises institutional trust and long-standing military-to-military relations.
D. It makes Nepal a formal military ally of India.
Answer: C. It symbolises institutional trust and long-standing military-to-military relations.
Explanation: The tradition is primarily ceremonial and symbolic, reflecting the historical depth of India-Nepal defence relations rather than creating a formal military alliance or common command.
Q5. India is hosting BRICS Environment Working Group-related meetings in New Delhi. Which of the following areas is most directly associated with this engagement?
- Climate change
- Sustainable development
- Environmental cooperation
- Circular economy
Select the correct answer using the code below:
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. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Explanation: The BRICS environmental track covers a broad range of issues including climate change, sustainable development, environmental cooperation and resource/circular-economy approaches. India is hosting the Environment Working Group meetings at Bharat Mandapam on 17–18 August 2026.
Q6. Consider the following statements regarding India's energy security:
- India is vulnerable to disruptions in global energy markets because of its dependence on imported energy.
- Geopolitical instability in West Asia can affect India's energy costs and supply chains.
- Energy security is concerned only with increasing domestic oil production.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: A. 1 and 2 only
Explanation: Energy security involves much more than domestic oil production. It includes diversification of supplies, strategic reserves, domestic production, alternative energy sources and resilience of supply chains.
Q7. With reference to the Indian rupee and the Reserve Bank of India, consider the following statements:
- RBI intervention in the foreign-exchange market can help reduce excessive exchange-rate volatility.
- A depreciation of the rupee can increase the domestic cost of imported crude oil.
- RBI intervention necessarily means that India follows a fixed exchange-rate regime.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 1 and 3 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: A. 1 and 2 only
Explanation: RBI intervention can help manage excessive volatility, but India does not operate under a fixed exchange-rate regime. Since crude oil is largely imported, rupee depreciation can raise its domestic cost. Current market expectations also point to continued RBI intervention and a relatively range-bound rupee.
Q8. Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?
| Defence term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. HALE | High-Altitude Long-Endurance |
| 2. ISR | Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance |
| 3. MDA | Maritime Domain Awareness |
A. 1 only
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: D. 1, 2 and 3
Explanation: All three are important concepts in understanding modern maritime surveillance and defence technology.
Q9. India’s hosting of BRICS environmental meetings is particularly significant for the Global South because:
A. BRICS is exclusively a military alliance.
B. Developing countries must balance climate action with development and energy-security requirements.
C. BRICS countries have identical levels of economic development.
D. Environmental issues are outside the traditional BRICS agenda.
Answer: B.
Explanation: For developing economies, environmental policy has to balance climate commitments with poverty reduction, economic growth, energy access and development needs. This makes the Global South dimension important in BRICS environmental discussions.
Q10. Which one of the following best describes the strategic importance of India's lease of MQ-9B Sea Guardians?
A. It replaces India's entire satellite-based surveillance system.
B. It strengthens persistent maritime surveillance and reconnaissance without requiring a conventional manned aircraft for every mission.
C. It is primarily intended for civilian postal delivery.
D. It provides India with a nuclear deterrent capability.
Answer: B.
Explanation: The MQ-9B Sea Guardian is a long-endurance remotely piloted system designed to strengthen surveillance and reconnaissance, particularly in the maritime domain. The 30-month lease gives the Indian Navy an immediate capability enhancement.
🟢 State PCS Current Affairs MCQs — 17 August 2026
Q11. General Dhiraj Seth, who was recently conferred an honorary General rank by Nepal, is associated with which of the following?
A. Indian Navy
B. Indian Army
C. Indian Air Force
D. Indian Coast Guard
Answer: B. Indian Army
Explanation: General Dhiraj Seth is the Chief of the Army Staff of India. Nepal conferred its honorary General rank on him on 17 August 2026.
Q12. The honorary General tradition between India and Nepal dates back to:
A. 1947
B. 1950
C. 1962
D. 1971
Answer: B. 1950
Explanation: The reciprocal tradition of conferring honorary General ranks on the Army Chiefs of India and Nepal began in 1950.
Q13. The capital of Nepal, where General Dhiraj Seth received the honorary rank, is:
A. Pokhara
B. Biratnagar
C. Kathmandu
D. Lalitpur
Answer: C. Kathmandu
Explanation: The ceremony was held at Sheetal Niwas in Kathmandu, the official residence of the President of Nepal.
Q14. Which Indian state does NOT share a border with Nepal?
A. Bihar
B. Uttar Pradesh
C. Assam
D. Uttarakhand
Answer: C. Assam
Explanation: Nepal shares its Indian border with Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim.
State PCS Tip: Bordering states and neighbouring countries are frequently tested in state-level examinations.
Q15. The MQ-9B Sea Guardian, recently leased by India for the Navy, is primarily associated with:
A. Maritime surveillance
B. Underwater mining
C. Satellite communication
D. Ballistic missile defence
Answer: A. Maritime surveillance
Explanation: The MQ-9B Sea Guardian is a long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft system that enhances maritime surveillance, reconnaissance and Maritime Domain Awareness.
Q16. Which organisation has signed the contract with India for leasing two MQ-9B Sea Guardian systems?
A. Boeing
B. Lockheed Martin
C. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.
D. Northrop Grumman
Answer: C. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.
Explanation: India's Ministry of Defence signed the lease contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI).
Q17. India is hosting BRICS environment-related meetings in which city?
A. Mumbai
B. Bengaluru
C. New Delhi
D. Hyderabad
Answer: C. New Delhi
Explanation: India is hosting BRICS environment-related meetings in New Delhi as part of its 2026 BRICS Chairship.
Q18. Which of the following is a major concern associated with India's energy security?
A. Dependence on imported energy
B. Excessive domestic coal production only
C. Lack of agricultural land
D. Decline in India's coastline
Answer: A. Dependence on imported energy
Explanation: India's substantial dependence on imported crude oil and other energy resources makes it vulnerable to global price fluctuations and geopolitical disruptions.
Q19. Which of the following is correctly matched?
Exercise Countries A. Surya Kiran India–Nepal B. Malabar India–Nepal C. Yudh Abhyas India–Nepal D. Varuna India–Nepal
| Exercise | Countries |
|---|---|
| A. Surya Kiran | India–Nepal |
| B. Malabar | India–Nepal |
| C. Yudh Abhyas | India–Nepal |
| D. Varuna | India–Nepal |
Answer: A. Surya Kiran
Explanation: Exercise Surya Kiran is a joint military exercise between India and Nepal.
Q20. Which of the following pairs is correctly matched?
A. Nepal — Kathmandu
B. Bhutan — Thimphu
C. Bangladesh — Dhaka
D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal, Thimphu of Bhutan, and Dhaka of Bangladesh.
Primary/Official Sources
- Press Information Bureau (PIB) — Government announcements, defence and national developments.
- Ministry of Defence — Defence agreements and military developments.
- Ministry of External Affairs — India-Nepal and other international-relations developments.
- BRICS India 2026 — BRICS 2026 chairship and official programme.
- Reserve Bank of India — Monetary policy and foreign-exchange information.
