The week between 11 and 18 August 2026 had several events that are important for upcoming exams. Independence Day celebrations, the Jharkhand exam cancellation, the multi-state security operation, and the continuing presence of the new South Coast Railway zone were among the key developments. Below is a clear summary followed by more than 50 practice questions.

Major Highlights of the Week

India celebrated its 80th Independence Day on 15 August. Vande Mataram was sung at the Red Fort for the first time during the main ceremony. President Droupadi Murmu addressed the nation on the eve of Independence Day.

In Jharkhand, the government cancelled the JSSC-CGL exam and all recruitment tests conducted by the private agency TDPL since 2014 after prolonged student protests.

Security agencies dismantled an ISI-backed network linked to Shahzad Bhatti. More than 250 people were detained across 14 states.

South Coast Railway, the 18th zone of Indian Railways with headquarters in Visakhapatnam, continued its operations after becoming functional on 1 June 2026.

The BRICS Environment Working Group meetings were held in New Delhi. An Indian Army contingent left for the India-Thailand joint exercise MAITREE. The President approved 78 gallantry awards, including 13 posthumous.

50+ Exam Practice MCQs

1. India celebrated its ______ Independence Day on 15 August 2026.
a) 75th    b) 78th    c) 80th    d) 82nd
Answer: c) 80th

2. Which patriotic song was sung at the Red Fort for the first time during the 2026 Independence Day ceremony?
a) Jana Gana Mana    b) Vande Mataram    c) Saare Jahan Se Achha    d) Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon
Answer: b) Vande Mataram

3. Who addressed the nation on the eve of the 80th Independence Day?
a) Prime Minister Narendra Modi    b) Vice-President    c) President Droupadi Murmu    d) Chief Justice of India
Answer: c) President Droupadi Murmu

4. The theme linked to the 80th Independence Day mainly focused on:
a) Farmers’ welfare    b) Women’s empowerment    c) Youth / Yuva Shakti    d) Digital India
Answer: c) Youth / Yuva Shakti

5. Which state cancelled the JSSC-CGL examination in August 2026 after student protests?
a) Bihar    b) Jharkhand    c) Odisha    d) Chhattisgarh
Answer: b) Jharkhand

6. Who is the Chief Minister of Jharkhand who announced the cancellation of the exams?
a) Raghubar Das    b) Hemant Soren    c) Champai Soren    d) Babulal Marandi
Answer: b) Hemant Soren

7. The cancelled Jharkhand recruitment exams were conducted by which private agency?
a) TCS    b) TDPL    c) NIELIT    d) Wipro
Answer: b) TDPL

8. The Jharkhand government cancelled exams conducted by the private agency since which year?
a) 2010    b) 2012    c) 2014    d) 2016
Answer: c) 2014

9. The ISI-backed network dismantled in August 2026 was primarily associated with:
a) Hafiz Saeed    b) Shahzad Bhatti    c) Dawood Ibrahim    d) Masood Azhar
Answer: b) Shahzad Bhatti

10. Approximately how many people were detained in the Shahzad Bhatti network crackdown?
a) 150    b) 200    c) Over 250    d) Over 400
Answer: c) Over 250

11. The multi-state operation against the Shahzad Bhatti network covered how many states?
a) 8    b) 10    c) 12    d) 14
Answer: d) 14

12. South Coast Railway became fully operational from:
a) 1 January 2026    b) 1 April 2026    c) 1 June 2026    d) 15 August 2026
Answer: c) 1 June 2026

13. Headquarters of South Coast Railway is in:
a) Vijayawada    b) Visakhapatnam    c) Guntur    d) Bhubaneswar
Answer: b) Visakhapatnam

14. South Coast Railway is the ______ zone of Indian Railways.
a) 16th    b) 17th    c) 18th    d) 19th
Answer: c) 18th

15. South Coast Railway was mainly carved out from which two zones?
a) Southern and South Western    b) South Central and East Coast    c) South Eastern and East Central    d) Central and Western
Answer: b) South Central and East Coast

16. Which of the following is a division of South Coast Railway?
a) Secunderabad    b) Vijayawada    c) Hubballi    d) Salem
Answer: b) Vijayawada

17. The BRICS Environment Working Group meetings in August 2026 were held in:
a) Mumbai    b) New Delhi    c) Hyderabad    d) Bengaluru
Answer: b) New Delhi

18. The venue for the BRICS Environment meetings was:
a) Vigyan Bhawan    b) Bharat Mandapam    c) Hyderabad House    d) India Habitat Centre
Answer: b) Bharat Mandapam

19. Exercise MAITREE is conducted between India and:
a) Indonesia    b) Thailand    c) Malaysia    d) Singapore
Answer: b) Thailand

20. How many gallantry awards were approved by the President on the eve of Independence Day 2026?
a) 65    b) 72    c) 78    d) 85
Answer: c) 78

21. How many of the gallantry awards approved in August 2026 were posthumous?
a) 10    b) 13    c) 15    d) 18
Answer: b) 13

22. Which of the following statements about the 80th Independence Day is correct?
a) It was the 75th Independence Day
b) Vande Mataram was sung at Red Fort for the first time
c) The President did not address the nation
d) No gallantry awards were announced
Answer: b) Vande Mataram was sung at Red Fort for the first time

23. The student protests in Jharkhand mainly related to:
a) Fee hike
b) Alleged irregularities in recruitment exams
c) Reservation policy
d) Hostel facilities
Answer: b) Alleged irregularities in recruitment exams

24. Which security agency was prominently involved in the Shahzad Bhatti network operation?
a) Only state police
b) Multi-agency including NIA and state police
c) Only CBI
d) Only IB
Answer: b) Multi-agency including NIA and state police

25. South Coast Railway covers major parts of which state?
a) Tamil Nadu
b) Andhra Pradesh
c) Karnataka
d) Kerala
Answer: b) Andhra Pradesh

26. Which of the following is NOT a division under South Coast Railway?
a) Visakhapatnam
b) Guntur
c) Guntakal
d) Nanded
Answer: d) Nanded

27. The BRICS Environment meetings focused mainly on:
a) Trade only
b) Climate action, biodiversity and sustainable development
c) Defence cooperation
d) Cultural exchange
Answer: b) Climate action, biodiversity and sustainable development

28. MAITREE is a ______ exercise.
a) Naval
b) Air Force
c) Joint military (Army)
d) Coast Guard
Answer: c) Joint military (Army)

29. Who approves gallantry awards in India?
a) Prime Minister
b) Defence Minister
c) President of India
d) Chief of Defence Staff
Answer: c) President of India

30. The 80th Independence Day was celebrated in which year?
a) 2024
b) 2025
c) 2026
d) 2027
Answer: c) 2026

31. Which city hosts the headquarters of both Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway?
a) Mumbai
b) Chennai
c) Kolkata
d) Delhi
Answer: c) Kolkata

32. South Coast Railway is the newest zone. Which zone was created just before it in the sequence of major reorganisations?
a) East Coast Railway
b) South Western Railway
c) West Central Railway
d) North Western Railway
Answer: (Contextual – South Coast is the latest operational zone in 2026)

33. The cancellation of exams in Jharkhand affected which major examination?
a) JEE
b) NEET
c) JSSC-CGL
d) UPSC
Answer: c) JSSC-CGL

34. The Shahzad Bhatti network was reportedly planning activities around which occasion?
a) Republic Day
b) Independence Day
c) Gandhi Jayanti
d) Diwali
Answer: b) Independence Day

35. Which of the following is correct about South Coast Railway?
a) Headquarters in Chennai
b) Became operational in 2025
c) Headquarters in Visakhapatnam and operational from June 2026
d) It is a division, not a zone
Answer: c) Headquarters in Visakhapatnam and operational from June 2026

36. Bharat Mandapam is located in:
a) Mumbai
b) New Delhi
c) Ahmedabad
d) Hyderabad
Answer: b) New Delhi

37. The President approved gallantry awards for personnel of:
a) Only Army
b) Armed forces and CAPF
c) Only CAPF
d) Only Navy
Answer: b) Armed forces and CAPF

38. Which of the following events took place in the week of 11–18 August 2026?
a) Opening of a new railway zone
b) Cancellation of Jharkhand recruitment exams
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b
Answer: c) Both a and b (South Coast already operational, exams cancelled during the week)

39. Vande Mataram was composed by:
a) Rabindranath Tagore
b) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
c) Mahatma Gandhi
d) Subhas Chandra Bose
Answer: b) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

40. The 80th Independence Day theme emphasised the role of:
a) Senior citizens
b) Youth in nation building
c) Only defence forces
d) Only farmers
Answer: b) Youth in nation building

41. How many states were involved in the Shahzad Bhatti related detentions?
a) 10
b) 12
c) 14
d) 16
Answer: c) 14

42. South Coast Railway has how many main divisions (as per reorganisation)?
a) 2
b) 3
c) 4
d) 5
Answer: c) 4

43. The BRICS Environment Working Group meeting was held under the chairship of:
a) Brazil
b) Russia
c) India
d) China
Answer: c) India

44. MAITREE-XV refers to the ______ edition of the exercise.
a) 10th
b) 12th
c) 15th
d) 20th
Answer: c) 15th

45. Which of the following is true regarding the gallantry awards of 2026?
a) No posthumous awards
b) 13 posthumous awards were included
c) Only civilian awards
d) Awards were given only to Army personnel
Answer: b) 13 posthumous awards were included

46. The main reason for cancellation of exams in Jharkhand was:
a) Natural calamity
b) Alleged irregularities and student protests
c) Lack of candidates
d) Change in syllabus
Answer: b) Alleged irregularities and student protests

47. Which zone has its headquarters in Visakhapatnam?
a) East Coast Railway
b) South Coast Railway
c) South Central Railway
d) South Eastern Railway
Answer: b) South Coast Railway

48. The Independence Day address by the President highlighted the importance of:
a) Only economic growth
b) Students and youth as architects of the future
c) Only foreign policy
d) Only defence preparedness
Answer: b) Students and youth as architects of the future

49. The multi-state security operation in August 2026 was timed close to:
a) Republic Day
b) Independence Day
c) Gandhi Jayanti
d) Christmas
Answer: b) Independence Day

50. Which of the following combinations is correct?
a) South Coast Railway – Chennai
b) South Coast Railway – Visakhapatnam
c) South Coast Railway – Hyderabad
d) South Coast Railway – Bhubaneswar
Answer: b) South Coast Railway – Visakhapatnam

51. The BRICS Environment meetings took place on:
a) 10–11 August
b) 17–18 August
c) 15–16 August
d) 20–21 August
Answer: b) 17–18 August

52. Which of the following was a major security-related development in the week?
a) Launch of a new missile
b) Dismantling of an ISI-backed network
c) Signing of a new defence deal with USA
d) Opening of a new military academy
Answer: b) Dismantling of an ISI-backed network

53. The 80th Independence Day was special also because of the 150 years of:
a) Indian National Congress
b) Vande Mataram
c) Constitution of India
d) Quit India Movement
Answer: b) Vande Mataram

54. Which state government took a major decision on recruitment exams after 24 days of protest?
a) Bihar
b) Jharkhand
c) Uttar Pradesh
d) Madhya Pradesh
Answer: b) Jharkhand

55. South Coast Railway primarily serves the coastal region of:
a) Western India
b) Eastern India (Andhra Pradesh coast)
c) Northern India
d) North-Eastern India
Answer: b) Eastern India (Andhra Pradesh coast)

These questions cover the major events of the week. Practise them carefully and revise the related static facts (such as railway zones, national symbols, and defence exercises) for better retention.