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UPSC PRELIMS · CURRENT AFFAIRS
UPSC Daily Current Affairs Quiz – 18 August 2026
Practice UPSC-level Current Affairs MCQs for 18 August 2026 and strengthen your preparation for UPSC Prelims.
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This StudyAgora Daily Current Affairs Quiz is designed for aspirants preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, particularly the Preliminary Examination.
Regular practice with current affairs MCQs can help aspirants revise important developments and improve their ability to approach objective-type questions.
Attempt the quiz first and then use the explanations to identify areas that require further revision.
UPSC Daily Quiz Answer Key – 18 August 2026
Review the questions, correct answers and explanations from this quiz below.
Q1. Simhadri Super Thermal Power Station was selected to host India's first utility-scale pilot of an indigenous, rechargeable iron-air battery system. In which state is it located?
Correct Answer: Andhra Pradesh
Located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, NTPC's Simhadri station will host the Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) pilot project to stabilize peak grid demand.
Q2. Exercise MAITREE-XV 2026, a joint military exercise focusing on counter-insurgency and jungle warfare, was conducted between India and which nation?
Correct Answer: Thailand
The 15th edition of Exercise MAITREE was held between the Indian Army and the Royal Thai Army at Vibhavadi Rangsit Camp in Thailand.
Q3. India's first virtual zoo featuring a 14-D cinema theater and a virtual jungle safari experience was inaugurated in which city?
Correct Answer: Indore
Developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, the digital jungle safari and 14-D facility were launched at the Kamla Nehru Prani Sangrahalaya (Indore Zoo) in Madhya Pradesh.
Q4. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) notified the CEA Regulations 2026. What primary sector do these new regulatory guidelines target?
Correct Answer: Cybersecurity across national power infrastructure
The CEA (Cyber Security in Power Sector) Regulations, 2026 mandate strict security frameworks to protect thermal, hydro, renewable, and transmission grids against cyber threats.
Q5. Aheesa Digital Innovations, a Chennai-based semiconductor startup, developed an indigenous broadband networking System-on-Chip (SoC) named what?
Correct Answer: VIHAAN
VIHAAN is a home-grown broadband networking System-on-Chip designed to boost India's domestic semiconductor design ecosystem.
Q6. What is the official IUCN Red List conservation status of the Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)?
Correct Answer: Vulnerable
The Loggerhead Sea Turtle, a large migratory marine reptile protected under Schedule I of India's Wildlife Protection Act, is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Q7. NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, scheduled for launch to study dark energy and exoplanets, will operate at which orbital location?
Correct Answer: Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2 (L2)
Operating roughly 1.5 million kilometers from Earth at L2, the Roman Space Telescope will feature a 2.4-meter primary mirror to survey vast swathes of the deep universe.
Q8. Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), which Union Territory became the first to inaugurate a CBDC-based Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system using digital e-RUPI vouchers?
Correct Answer: Chandigarh
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi launched the CBDC-based DBT pilot in Chandigarh, issuing purpose-bound Digital Rupee (e-RUPI) vouchers directly into beneficiaries' digital wallets for purchasing foodgrains.
Q9. Which Rare Earth Element (REE) exploration project saw Andhra Pradesh sign an MoU with CSIR-NGRI for deep drilling in the Kadapa Basin?
Correct Answer: Lithium and Gallium
CSIR-NGRI will undertake targeted mineral exploration in the Vempalle area of Kadapa Basin, where initial surveys indicated significant concentrations of Lithium (up to 1,000 ppm) and Gallium.
Q10. What type of medical condition is Friedreich's Ataxia (FRDA)?
Correct Answer: Progressive genetic disorder
Friedreich's Ataxia is an inherited, progressive genetic disorder that damages the peripheral nerves, spinal cord, and heart tissues, affecting mobility and muscle coordination.
How to Use Daily Current Affairs MCQs
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