This is the current affairs 28 & 29 August 2026. Here are questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
1. The King of which country, Harald V, passed away on August 28, 2026?
a. France
b. Italy
c. Norway
d. Sweden
Answer: c. Norway
– King Harald V of Norway passed away at the age of 89.
– Harald was the oldest monarch in Europe.
– This popular king modernized the royal family, but refused to follow in the footsteps of other elderly monarchs who had abdicated in recent times.
– Like other European royal houses, the role of the Norwegian monarch is largely symbolic.
– Harald ascended to the throne in January 1991 after the death of his British-born father, King Olav V, and ruled his country during an oil- and gas-based economic boom.
– In May 2026, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met King Harald V during his visit to Norway.
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2. Who became the new King of Norway in August 2026?
a. Olav V
b. Haakon VIII
c. Focken V
d. Rajendra VIII
Answer: b. Haakon VIII
– Haakon is the fourth king of Norway’s modern monarchy, which was established after the country gained independence from Sweden in 1905.
– Haakon is the great-great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria of Britain.
– This year, Haakon’s wife Mette-Marit, who is now the Queen of Norway, apologized for having maintained a relationship for several years with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Monarchy of Norway
– Norway is a constitutional monarchy. Its monarchy dates back to medieval Norway.
– After the union with Sweden ended in 1905, Norway became an independent monarchy and Prince Carl of Denmark was chosen as king, who ruled under the name Haakon VII. At that time, a referendum was held in which an overwhelming majority voted in favor of the monarchy.
– The king remained the head of state, but governance remained in the hands of the popularly elected parliament and government.
– King Harald V ascended the throne in 1991.
– After his death, Haakon VIII succeeded him in August 2026.
– In the monarchy, the king mainly performs ceremonial and constitutional roles, while actual political powers rest with the parliament and the elected government.
– The Prime Minister leads the government.
– Norway’s monarchy is hereditary.
Norway
– Capital: Oslo
– King: Haakon VIII
– Prime Minister: Jonas Gahr Støre
– Currency: Norwegian Krone
– Population: 56 lakh
– Neighboring countries: Sweden, Finland, Russia
– Norway is one of the founding member countries of NATO (NATO) on April 4, 1949.
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3. In August 2026, in which ocean were four storms active simultaneously, a situation that occurred after almost 8 years?
a. Pacific Ocean
b. Indian Ocean
c. Bay of Bengal
d. Arctic Ocean
Answer: a. Pacific Ocean
– Four named storms became active simultaneously in the western Pacific Ocean at this time.
– Their names are Saudel, Nara, Gaenari and Atsani.
– Before this, four storms were active simultaneously in November 2024.
– On the map dated August 24, 2026, the centers of all four systems stretched from the Gulf of Tonkin to the sea areas east of the Philippines and south of Japan.
– Gaenari was approaching near Fujian, China.
– Nara was situated in the Gulf of Tonkin.
– Saudel was strengthening over the sea in the southern region of Japan.
– Atsani formed east of the Philippines.
– Saudel is the strongest.
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4. Which app did the Bihar government launch to provide online educational support to school students?
a. Samrat Education Sathi
b. Shiksha Sahayak Mitra
c. Anhad Shiksha Sathi
d. Bihar Vidya Sathi
Answer: d. Bihar Vidya Sathi
– Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary launched the ‘Bihar Vidya Sathi’ app on August 25, 2026.
– Around three lakh students of 700 Saraswati Vidya Niketan Model Schools across 38 districts of the state will benefit from this platform.
– Through this app, students will be able to get solutions to study-related problems anytime and from anywhere according to their convenience.
– Live teachers will be available 24 hours a day for students from classes 9 to 12.
– Students will be able to select teachers according to their preference and study through one-to-one interaction.
– Around 75,000 teachers will provide personalized academic support to students.
– Students of classes 9 and 10 will receive assistance in all subjects.
– Science stream students of classes 11 and 12 will be provided digital study material and live tutor support for Bihar Board as well as JEE and NEET preparation.
– Students’ concept learning will be further improved with the help of AI tools.
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5. From which state did the Central Government launch the ‘Kanda Express’ service to supply onions at lower rates?
a. Goa
b. Madhya Pradesh
c. Rajasthan
d. Maharashtra
Answer: d. Maharashtra
– To control the rising prices of onions, 800 tonnes of onions are being brought from Nashik, Maharashtra, to Delhi through the ‘Kanda Express’.
– Apart from this, onions are also being sent to Chennai, Ernakulam, Madurai and Guwahati.
– Onion prices have reached Rs 50 to Rs 60 per kg in Delhi-NCR as well as many parts of the country.
– Onions from the ‘Kanda Express’ will be sold at a subsidized rate of Rs 35 per kilogram.
– The onions being sent to these consumer centers are part of the buffer stock stored in Nashik, Maharashtra.
– This stock is being released into the market to prevent a rise in prices.
88 thousand tonnes of onions were sent across the country in 2025
– The ‘Kanda Express’ initiative was started in 2024-25 with the objective of making onion transportation more effective.
– In the financial year 2024-25, around 12,000 tonnes of buffer-stocked onions were sent to five cities through 14 railway rakes.
– In the financial year 2025-26, this increased to 86 rakes.
– Through this, 88,000 tonnes of onions were sent to 16 major cities across the country.
Buffer Stock?
– Onion buffer stock is the strategic reserve of the Central Government.
– It is mainly prepared to protect the market from a sharp rise in prices when supplies are low. – The government maintains this stock in onion-producing states under the Price Stabilization Fund scheme.
– The government has maintained a buffer stock of around 1.21 lakh tonnes of onions for 2026.
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6. Film director “Kuku” Kohli passed away on August 25, 2026; what was his debut film as a director?
a. Haqeeqat
b. ‘Phool Aur Kaante’
c. Suhaag
d. Anari No. 1
Answer: b. ‘Phool Aur Kaante’
– 77-year-old Kuku Kohli suffered a heart attack.
– He made his directorial debut in 1991 with the superhit film ‘Phool Aur Kaante’.
– It became one of the most popular action-drama films of that era.
– This film launched Ajay Devgn in Hindi cinema.
– His other films include ‘Suhaag’ (1994), ‘Haqeeqat’ (1995), ‘Anari No. 1’ (1999) and ‘Woh Tera Naam Tha’ (2004).
– Bollywood actress Aruna Irani is his wife.
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7. When is the International Day against Nuclear Tests observed?
a. August 28
b. August 29
c. August 30
d. August 31
Answer: b. August 29
– The purpose of this day is to raise awareness about the effects of nuclear weapons test explosions or any other nuclear explosions.
– The United Nations General Assembly has declared this day.
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8. When is National Sports Day celebrated?
a. August 28
b. August 29
c. August 30
d. August 31
Answer: b. August 29
– Sports Day is celebrated every year on August 29 on the birth anniversary of hockey player Major Dhyan Chand.
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9. When is International Whale Shark Day observed?
a. August 31
b. August 30
c. August 29
d. August 28
Answer: b. August 30
– International Whale Shark Day is observed to spread awareness about the importance of whale sharks and their conservation.
– This day has been observed every year since 2008.
– The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the largest fish on Earth and is a keystone species in marine ecosystems.
– Its maximum length can be approximately 18 meters and its weight can be up to 21 tonnes.
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10. Who is the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) title?
a. D. Gukesh
b. R. Praggnanandhaa
c. Arjun Erigaisi
d. Vidit Gujrathi
Answer: b. R. Praggnanandhaa
– Chennai’s 21-year-old Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa won the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) 2026 in August 2026.
– He defeated World No. 2 player Fabiano Caruana in the final.
– The match was held in St. Louis, USA. Praggnanandhaa won the match with an overall score of 15-13.
– Praggnanandhaa became the first Indian player to win this title.
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11. In which country were the 210 Indian peacekeepers deployed who received the United Nations Medal in 2026?
a. DRC Congo
b. Tanzania
c. South Sudan
d. South Africa
Answer: c. South Sudan
– The United Nations Mission in South Sudan announced this award on Monday, August 17.
– A total of 210 Indian peacekeepers serving with UNMISS in South Sudan received United Nations Medals for exceptional service, including six women and seven staff officers.
– Award recipients – 210 Indian peacekeepers in total, 6 women peacekeepers, 7 staff officers
Note – India provides more than 4,200 military and police personnel, including 155 women, to missions located in various regions of the United Nations.
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