UPSC Current Affairs Quiz — 19 August 2026

1.

In a patient with persistent lymph node swelling, Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease is most reliably confirmed by which one of the following?

a chest radiograph with sputum examination a complete blood count with a raised cell count a biopsy of the affected lymph node an ultrasound scan of the neck and its vessels

From: Kikuchi-Fujimoto Disease Found after Six Years of Misdiagnosis Open full article →

2.

Helicases, such as the MCM2-7 complex of eukaryotic cells, are enzymes that:

separate the paired strands of a nucleic acid join amino acids together to form a protein chain carry oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues convert glucose into glycogen in the liver

From: Structural Study Shows How a DNA Helicase Is Switched On Open full article →

3.

Giloy, recently used as part of the supportive care given to a tigress in Madhya Pradesh, is the common name of which one of the following plants?

Withania somnifera Ocimum tenuiflorum Tinospora cordifolia Bacopa monnieri

From: Giloy Joins Supportive Care for a Distemper-Hit Tigress Open full article →

4.

The Central African Republic, where an artisanal gold mine recently collapsed with heavy loss of life, shares a land boundary with which one of the following countries?

Nigeria Cameroon Kenya Angola

From: Central African Republic Gold Mine Collapse Kills 30 Miners Open full article →

5.

The Madras High Court has recognised the Thamirabarani River as a juristic person mainly for which one of the following purposes?

allocating its waters between Tamil Nadu and Kerala regularising sand mining leases along its banks transferring ownership of riverbed land to temple trusts protecting the river from pollution by dumped material

From: Madras High Court Declares Thamirabarani a Juristic Person Open full article →

6.

Mushqbudji, which recently drew attention because of falling prices in Kashmir, is:

a variety of saffron grown around Pampore a short-grained aromatic variety of rice a fine woollen fabric woven in the Kashmir Valley a high-altitude apple cultivar of south Kashmir

From: Kashmir's Mushqbudji Rice Growers Hit by a Problem of Plenty Open full article →

7.

The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is conferred for which one of the following?

outstanding achievement in adventure activities on land, sea and air sustained promotion of sport among schoolchildren by a teacher excellence in the reporting and broadcasting of sporting events the most spectacular and outstanding performance by a sportsperson

From: National Sports Awards 2025 Name 17 Arjuna Award Winners Open full article →

8.

Regional Rural Banks in India were given statutory backing by which one of the following?

the State Bank of India Act, 1955 the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970 the Regional Rural Banks Act, 1976 the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act, 1981

From: Regional Rural Banks Post Record Rs 10,177 Crore Net Profit Open full article →

9.

The detection of Escherichia coli in a drinking water sample is significant chiefly because it indicates:

the presence of dissolved heavy metals such as arsenic excessive hardness caused by calcium and magnesium salts recent contamination of the water by faecal matter depletion of dissolved oxygen in the source water body

From: CAG Audit Finds E. coli in Water at Eight Railway Stations Open full article →

10.

The River Thames, beside which a Ganga Aarti is planned at Greenwich, empties into which one of the following?

the North Sea the English Channel the Irish Sea the Bay of Biscay

From: Chinmaya Mission Plans a Ganga Aarti beside the Thames Open full article →