The Hindu Daily Quiz 18 August 2026: Test Your Current Affairs Knowledge
Preparing for UPSC, SSC, Banking or State PSC? The Hindu Daily Quiz 18 August 2026 converts today's key stories — JSSC-CGL cancellation in Jharkhand, elephant corridor survey, Cauvery water sharing, SHANTI Act nuclear liability, Green India Mission audit, NALSA transgender rights, Ken-Betwa river-linking Adivasi protests, Rotating Detonation Engine, E20 fuel rollout, ECMS electronics push and AI wildlife misinformation — into ten exam-standard MCQs across English, Hindi and Tamil.
What You Will Learn from The Hindu Quiz 18 August 2026
The Hindu Daily Quiz for 18 August 2026 covers ten important current affairs topics from today's newspaper that are directly relevant for UPSC Prelims, SSC and Banking examinations. Today's questions test your understanding of the JSSC-CGL cancellation in Jharkhand and the blacklisted TDPL controversy, the Supreme Court's nationwide survey order for traditional elephant corridors and human-elephant conflict, the Cauvery Water Management Authority's role in resolving Karnataka-Tamil Nadu water sharing during a distress year, the SHANTI Act 2025 debate over nuclear liability caps and judicial review under Articles 32 and 226, the CAG audit on Green India Mission's implementation gap and CAMPA fund diversion, the NALSA 2014 judgment and transgender identity card recognition, Adivasi resistance to the Ken-Betwa river-linking project and Forest Rights Act 2006, the Rotating Detonation Engine and its thermodynamic efficiency advantages, India's transition to E20 petrol and legacy vehicle compatibility, the ₹7,877-crore Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) approvals under MeitY, and expert warnings against hyper-realistic AI-generated wildlife misinformation.
People Also Ask About Today's Current Affairs
Q1. Why did Jharkhand cancel the JSSC-CGL examination?
Jharkhand cancelled the JSSC-CGL examination after 24 days of protests by students and job aspirants alleging irregularities in State recruitment examinations. The government also announced the cancellation of examinations conducted since 2014 by TDPL, a blacklisted agency, and proposed forming a senior IAS officer-led committee to recommend reforms in the conduct of examinations.
Q2. Why did the Supreme Court order a nationwide survey of elephant corridors?
The Supreme Court directed the Centre to conduct a nationwide survey of traditional elephant corridors and prepare a status report following concerns over encroachment, roads, fencing and reports of fireballs, mashals and spikes being used against elephants. The Court stressed that no State can block elephant pathways, as elephants cross administrative boundaries and require unobstructed ecological corridors.
Q3. What is the role of the Cauvery Water Management Authority in the current dispute?
The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) is the statutory body responsible for implementing the Cauvery water-sharing arrangements among basin States. In the current distress year, it directed Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu, and the Supreme Court decided to monitor compliance after Karnataka reported releasing over 12,000 cusecs while Tamil Nadu sought substantially larger quantities.
Q4. What does the SHANTI Act 2025 propose on nuclear liability?
The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, 2025 provides the framework for India's nuclear energy expansion and places statutory limits on the liability of nuclear operators, suppliers and manufacturers. The Supreme Court is examining whether these caps can restrict constitutional courts from awarding higher compensation for nuclear damage under Articles 32 and 226.
Q5. What did the CAG audit find about the Green India Mission?
The CAG performance audit found that the Green India Mission, one of eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, achieved restoration of only about 0.11 million hectares against a target of about 1.4 million hectares. It also flagged inadequate funding, weak inter-scheme convergence, poor monitoring and diversion of CAMPA funds towards other schemes.
Q6. Are transgender identity cards issued before the 2026 amendment still valid?
Yes. The Centre informed the Supreme Court that transgender identity cards issued before the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026 will continue to remain valid. The card offers official recognition of self-identified gender, and the position builds on the 2014 NALSA judgment which recognised transgender persons as a third gender with equal constitutional rights.
Q7. Why are Adivasis opposing the Ken-Betwa river-linking project?
Adivasi communities in Madhya Pradesh are protesting the Ken-Betwa Link Project because it threatens displacement, loss of forests and ancestral land, and disruption of livelihoods connected with the Panna landscape. They demand meaningful consultation, fair rehabilitation, Gram Sabha participation under the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and recognition of Free, Prior and Informed Consent before further land acquisition.
Q8. What is a Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) and why is it in the news?
A Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) uses continuously propagating detonation waves in an annular combustion chamber instead of conventional deflagration-based combustion. It can potentially provide 10-25% higher thermodynamic efficiency, with applications in rockets, hypersonic vehicles and missiles. Indian defence startup D-Propulse recently demonstrated an RDE at a DRDO facility, boosting India's indigenous propulsion research.
Q9. What is E20 petrol and why has its rollout raised concerns?
E20 petrol contains up to 20% ethanol blended with petrol and has been mandated across India from April 1, 2026. Concerns have emerged over mileage reduction, component wear and compatibility of the roughly 240 million legacy petrol vehicles manufactured before April 2023, given that ethanol is hygroscopic and can affect older fuel-system materials.
Q10. What is the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS)?
The Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) is a MeitY-led scheme to promote domestic manufacturing of critical electronic components such as capacitors, semiconductor-linked parts, optical transceivers and display components. The latest ₹7,877-crore approvals take total ECMS-approved project value to about ₹76,844 crore, expected to generate around ₹82,243 crore of production and nearly 10,000 direct jobs.
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