Current Affairs Today: 26 August 2025

1. What is the primary objective of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, assented by President Droupadi Murmu?
A) To promote all types of online gaming
B) To protect individuals from adverse impacts of online money games
C) To ban all forms of online gaming
D) To regulate offline gaming activities
E) To encourage physical sports over online games
Answer: B) To protect individuals from adverse impacts of online money games

2. Who introduced the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha?
A) Amit Shah
B) Rajnath Singh
C) Ashwini Vaishnaw
D) Nitin Gadkari
E) Jagdeep Dhankhar
Answer: C) Ashwini Vaishnaw

3. What is the punishment for offering online money gaming services under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025?
A) Imprisonment up to 1 year, fine up to Rs.50 lakh
B) Imprisonment up to 3 years, fine up to Rs.1 crore, or both
C) Imprisonment up to 5 years, fine up to Rs.2 crore
D) Fine up to Rs.25 lakh only
E) Imprisonment up to 2 years, fine up to Rs.75 lakh
Answer: B) Imprisonment up to 3 years, fine up to Rs.1 crore, or both

4. Which country officially joined the India-led International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) in August 2025?
A) Sri Lanka
B) Nepal
C) Bangladesh
D) Maldives
E) Bhutan
Answer: B) Nepal

5. How many big cat species are targeted for conservation under the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)?
A) 5
B) 6
C) 7
D) 8
E) 9
Answer: C) 7

6. Where is the headquarters of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) located?
A) Mumbai, Maharashtra
B) New Delhi, Delhi
C) Bengaluru, Karnataka
D) Kolkata, West Bengal
E) Hyderabad, Telangana
Answer: B) New Delhi, Delhi

7. Who inaugurated the All India Speakers’ Conference in New Delhi in August 2025?
A) Narendra Modi
B) Amit Shah
C) Rajnath Singh
D) Jagdeep Dhankhar
E) Droupadi Murmu
Answer: B) Amit Shah

8. What was the purpose of the All India Speakers’ Conference held in New Delhi in August 2025?
A) To discuss economic policies
B) To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Vitthalbhai Patel as Speaker
C) To promote digital India initiatives
D) To address climate change issues
E) To reform the education system
Answer: B) To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Vitthalbhai Patel as Speaker

9. Which organization signed an MoU with Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) in August 2025 for training and academic collaboration?
A) Border Security Force (BSF)
B) Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
C) Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)
D) Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
E) National Security Guard (NSG)
Answer: C) Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)

10. What is the purpose of the MoU between Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)?
A) To develop new weapons
B) To foster training and academic collaboration in national security
C) To establish a new university campus
D) To promote sports activities
E) To enhance cybersecurity measures
Answer: B) To foster training and academic collaboration in national security

11. What reclassification did SEBI approve for LIC in IDBI Bank in August 2025?
A) From public shareholder to promoter shareholder
B) From promoter shareholder to public shareholder
C) From minority shareholder to majority shareholder
D) From institutional investor to retail investor
E) From foreign investor to domestic investor
Answer: B) From promoter shareholder to public shareholder

12. What is one of the conditions SEBI imposed on LIC for its reclassification in IDBI Bank?
A) Increase stake to 20% within 2 years
B) Voting rights not exceeding 10%
C) Appoint a new board member
D) Increase stake to 25% within 1 year
E) Maintain promoter status for 5 years
Answer: B) Voting rights not exceeding 10%

13. Which country launched the world’s first AI-powered bank, Ryt Bank, in August 2025?
A) Singapore
B) Malaysia
C) Japan
D) China
E) India
Answer: B) Malaysia

14. Which company partnered with Malaysia’s YTL to launch Ryt Bank?
A) Tencent
B) Sea Limited
C) Alibaba
D) Grab Holdings
E) ByteDance
Answer: B) Sea Limited

15. What is the name of Malaysia’s first indigenously developed Large Language Model (LLM) that powers Ryt Bank’s AI assistant?
A) SIRI
B) ILMU
C) MYAI
D) RYTAI
E) BINA
Answer: B) ILMU

16. Which Indian company signed a joint venture agreement with the Government of Zambia to establish a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility?
A) Sun Pharma
B) Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories
C) Akums Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited
D) Cipla
E) Lupin
Answer: C) Akums Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited

17. What is the stake percentage of Akums in the joint venture with the Government of Zambia?
A) 49%
B) 51%
C) 60%
D) 40%
E) 75%
Answer: B) 51%

18. Who was appointed as the Deputy National Security Advisor (NSA) in August 2025?
A) Ajit Doval
B) Anish Dayal
C) Nityanand Rai
D) Sanjay Seth
E) Amit Pradhan
Answer: B) Anish Dayal

19. Which department will Amit Pradhan oversee as an Executive Director at SEBI?
A) Information Technology Department
B) Corporation Finance Investigation Department
C) Legal Affairs Department
D) Recovery & Refund Department
E) Internal Investigation Department
Answer: C) Legal Affairs Department

20. Which Japanese bank received RBI approval to acquire up to 24.99% stake in Yes Bank in August 2025?
A) Mizuho Bank
B) Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)
C) Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group
D) Nomura Holdings
E) Daiwa Securities
Answer: B) Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)

21. Which component is NOT part of the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) tested by DRDO in August 2025?
A) Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM)
B) Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS)
C) Directed Energy Weapon (DEW)
D) Hypersonic Missile System
E) Centralised Command and Control Centre (CCC)
Answer: D) Hypersonic Missile System

22. Where was the first Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-1) for the Gaganyaan Mission conducted?
A) Bay of Bengal
B) Arabian Sea
C) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
D) Lakshadweep
E) Indian Ocean
Answer: A) Bay of Bengal

23. Which organization collaborated with ISRO for the Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-1) of the Gaganyaan Mission?
A) Indian Army
B) Indian Air Force
C) Indian Navy
D) Indian Coast Guard
E) All of the above
Answer: E) All of the above

24. Where was the Asian Short Track Speed Skating Trophy 2025 held?
A) Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
B) Dehradun, Uttarakhand
C) Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir
D) Gangtok, Sikkim
E) Leh, Ladakh
Answer: B) Dehradun, Uttarakhand

25. Which country topped the medal tally in the Asian Short Track Speed Skating Trophy 2025?
A) India
B) Japan
C) Thailand
D) China
E) Malaysia
Answer: C) Thailand

26. Who announced retirement from all forms of Indian cricket on August 24, 2025?
A) Virat Kohli
B) Cheteshwar Pujara
C) Rohit Sharma
D) Ravindra Jadeja
E) Jasprit Bumrah
Answer: B) Cheteshwar Pujara

27. How many Test matches did Cheteshwar Pujara play for India?
A) 95
B) 100
C) 103
D) 110
E) 115
Answer: C) 103

28. Which team won the Durand Cup 2025?
A) Diamond Harbour FC (DHFC)
B) North East United Football Club (NEUFC)
C) Mohun Bagan Super Giant
D) East Bengal FC
E) Bengaluru FC
Answer: B) North East United Football Club (NEUFC)

29. What was the theme of World Water Week 2025?
A) Water and Sanitation for All
B) Water for Climate Action
C) Clean Water, Healthy Future
D) Sustainable Water Management
E) Water and Biodiversity
Answer: B) Water for Climate Action

30. Since when has World Water Week been organized annually by SIWI?
A) 1985
B) 1991
C) 1995
D) 2001
E) 2005
Answer: B) 1991

National Affairs

Online Gaming Bill: The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, gave her assent to the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. The act, introduced by Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, aims to promote e-sports and social games while prohibiting harmful online money games. Penalties include imprisonment and fines.
International Big Cat Alliance: Nepal officially joined the India-led International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), becoming its 13th member. The IBCA was launched by PM Narendra Modi in April 2023 to protect seven species of big cats. It is headquartered in New Delhi and is a treaty-based intergovernmental organization.
All India Speakers’ Conference: Union Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the two-day All India Speakers’ Conference in New Delhi, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Vitthalbhai Patel becoming the first elected Indian Speaker of the Central Legislative Assembly. A special commemorative postal stamp was also released.
RRU-SSB MoU: The Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) signed an MoU with the Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB) to enhance collaboration in national security training, research, and academic development. RRU, a national security and policing university, will provide academic and training inputs to SSB personnel.
Mission Sudarshan Chakra: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Mission Sudarshan Chakra on Independence Day 2025, a multi-layered air defense system aimed at protecting critical facilities against diverse aerial threats.

Banking & Finance

LIC Reclassification in IDBI Bank: The Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) approved the reclassification of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) as a public shareholder in IDBI Bank, a necessary step for the bank’s privatization. This reclassification comes with strict conditions, including reduced voting rights and board representation.
Malaysia’s Ryt Bank: Malaysia launched Ryt Bank, the world’s first AI-powered bank, in partnership with Singapore’s Sea Limited. The bank’s application, Ryt AI, is powered by ILMU, Malaysia’s first indigenously developed Large Language Model (LLM).

Economy & Business

India-Zambia Pharma JV: India’s Akums Drugs and Pharmaceuticals and the Government of Zambia announced a joint venture to establish a new pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Zambia. Akums will hold a 51% stake in the JV, which is expected to be operational by December 2025.
Mergers and Acquisitions: India’s M&A activity reached ₹1,39,968 crore (US$ 15.9 billion) in August 2025, driven by major cross-border deals like Schneider Electric’s stake purchase in its India subsidiary and Tata Motors’ acquisition of Iveco SPA. The Information Technology, finance, and energy sectors also saw significant deals.

Appointments & Resignations

Deputy NSA: Former Director General of CRPF and ITBP, Anish Dayal Singh, was appointed as the new Deputy National Security Advisor (NSA) of India, reporting to NSA Ajit Doval. He will oversee internal security matters.
SEBI Executive Directors: SEBI appointed Amit Pradhan, Avneesh Pandey, and Sanjay Chandrakant Purao as its new Executive Directors. They were previously Chief General Managers at SEBI and will oversee key departments, including Legal Affairs, Information Technology, and Corporation Finance.

Acquisitions & Mergers

SMBC-Yes Bank Deal: Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to acquire up to 24.99% stake in Yes Bank. This approval is valid for one year and the deal is considered the largest cross-border investment in the Indian banking sector.

Science & Technology

DRDO’s IADWS Test: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the maiden flight tests of the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) off the coast of Odisha. The system successfully engaged and destroyed multiple aerial targets.
ISRO’s Gaganyaan Mission Test: The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully conducted its first Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-1) for the Crew Module Recovery System of the Gaganyaan Mission. The test, conducted over the Bay of Bengal, evaluated the parachute deployment sequence for a safe landing.

Sports

Asian Short Track Speed Skating Trophy: India hosted the first-ever Asian Short Track Speed Skating Trophy 2025 in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Thailand topped the medal tally, followed by India and Japan.
Cheteshwar Pujara Retirement: Veteran Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara, a Test specialist, announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket. He played 103 Test matches for India and was known for his solid technique and long innings.
Durand Cup 2025: North East United Football Club (NEUFC) won the 134th edition of the Durand Cup, defeating Diamond Harbour FC (DHFC) in the final in Kolkata. NEUFC also received a record-breaking champion’s purse.

Important Days

World Water Week 2025: World Water Week was observed from August 24 to 28 with the theme “Water for Climate Action.” The event, organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), focuses on addressing global water challenges and the link between water and climate change.

Current Affairs Today: 26 August 2025