The Hindu Daily Quiz 20 August 2026: Test Your Current Affairs Knowledge
Preparing for UPSC, SSC, Banking or State PSC? The The Hindu Daily Quiz 20 August 2026 converts today's key stories — India-Palestine diplomacy and UNSC bid, deep-tech RDIF funding, parliamentary deliberation, post-Naxal development corridors, FCNR(B) deposits, India's Arctic policy at Himadri, 1931 Caste Census history, coking coal import dependence, AI risks in banking, and Kerala's Operation Toofan — into ten exam-standard MCQs across English, Hindi and Tamil.
What You Will Learn from The Hindu Quiz 20 August 2026
The Hindu Daily Quiz for 20 August 2026 covers ten key current affairs topics from today's newspaper that are directly relevant for UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, and Banking examinations. Today's questions test your knowledge on Palestine's endorsement of India's non-permanent UN Security Council bid for 2028–29, the functioning and governance of the deep-tech Research, Development and Innovation Fund (RDIF), the decline of parliamentary deliberation and Question Hour oversight, the strategic transition from counter-insurgency to development corridors in Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) regions under the SAMADHAN framework, RBI regulations on FCNR(B) non-resident foreign currency deposits, India's Arctic policy and research operations at the Himadri station in Ny-Ålesund, the historical significance of the 1931 Census in the context of Census 2027 caste enumeration, India's 95% coking coal import dependence in the steel manufacturing sector, the need for human oversight to prevent algorithmic bias in AI-driven banking decisions, and Kerala's multi-pronged anti-drug campaign Operation Toofan.
People Also Ask About Today's Current Affairs
Q1. Why did Palestine support India's UN Security Council bid for 2028–29?
Palestine endorsed India’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2028–29 term in recognition of India’s long-standing support for a negotiated two-State solution, bilateral development partnerships in healthcare and education, and India’s leadership role in representing Global South interests in multilateral forums.
Q2. What is the Research, Development and Innovation Fund (RDIF) in deep-tech?
The Research, Development and Innovation Fund (RDIF) is a government-backed financial mechanism designed to provide patient capital and investment to high-risk, research-intensive deep-tech ventures in emerging sectors like AI, quantum computing, and semiconductors, bridging the gap between laboratory research and commercialization.
Q3. Why is Question Hour vital for executive accountability in Parliament?
Question Hour is a fundamental parliamentary mechanism where Members of Parliament ask direct questions to Ministers regarding government policies, spending, and administration. Frequent disruptions or loss of Question Hour reduce executive accountability, weaken legislative scrutiny, and erode public trust in parliamentary democracy.
Q4. What is the SAMADHAN strategy in Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) management?
SAMADHAN is an integrated policy framework launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs to combat Left-Wing Extremism. It combines Smart leadership, Aggressive strategy, Motivation, Actionable intelligence, Dashboard-based KPIs, Harnessing technology, Action plans for each theatre, and No access to financing to shift LWE areas toward development corridors.
Q5. How do FCNR(B) deposits help Indian banks manage foreign currency liquidity?
Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) or FCNR(B) deposits allow eligible NRIs to hold fixed deposits in permitted foreign currencies in Indian banks. These deposits provide banks with stable foreign-currency liquidity during market volatility, though they create future repayment and exchange-rate rollover obligations for the financial system.
Q6. Where is India's Arctic research station Himadri situated?
India’s permanent Arctic research station, Himadri, is located at Ny-Ålesund in the Svalbard archipelago of Norway. Established in 2008, it supports scientific research on polar climate change, glaciology, space weather, and Arctic amplification, linking polar phenomena to the Indian monsoon system.
Q7. Why is the 1931 Census significant for current caste enumeration debates?
The 1931 Census was the last comprehensive decadal census in India that fully enumerated and classified castes across the population. As Census 2027 prepares to include a caste column for the first time in independent India, the 1931 census data serves as a historical benchmark for demographic and social justice comparisons.
Q8. Why is coking coal import dependence a concern for India's steel sector?
India imports approximately 95% of its coking coal (metallurgical coal) requirements because domestic reserves lack the required low-ash quality for blast-furnace steelmaking. High import dependence exposes Indian steelmakers to global price volatility, supply-chain shocks, and foreign exchange fluctuations.
Q9. What are the major risks of replacing human judgment with AI in banking?
Using automated AI algorithms for credit scoring and loan approvals can introduce algorithmic bias, exclude borrowers with non-traditional credit histories, and create systemic financial risks if models fail during market stress. Regulatory bodies like the RBI emphasize that human oversight remains essential in high-stakes financial decisions.
Q10. What is Operation Toofan launched by Kerala Police?
Operation Toofan is a 76-day comprehensive anti-drug campaign in Kerala combining strict law enforcement, intelligence-led interdiction, and community-based rehabilitation. It resulted in over 10,000 cases, nearly 10,000 arrests, and substantial narcotic seizures, treating drug abuse as both a security threat and a public-health issue.
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