UPSC Daily Current Affairs | One Liners 14-08-2026

One Liners 14-08-2026

History, Art and Culture

Partition Horrors Remembrance Day 2026 - August 14

• It is observed annually across India on August 14 to honor the victims, struggles, and mass displacement of the 1947 Partition.
• The partition caused one of the largest migrations in human history, affecting about 20 million people.
• India attained its freedom from British rule on 15th August, 1947.

Triumph of the Indian Republic - Book by Ramnath Govind

• ‘’Triumph of the Indian Republic: My Life, My Struggles is the official autobiography of Ram Nath Kovind, the 14th President of India, who served from 2017 to 2022.
• The book was formally released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.
• Ramnath Govind is the first person from Uttar Pradesh as well as the first member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to become the president of India.

International Relations and Issues

Russia's Oil import from India

Russia, one of the world's biggest oil exporters (both crude and processed variants), is importing petrol from India for the first time.

• India, which imports nearly 90% of its crude requirements, much of it from Russia, is now supplying Moscow.
• This situation is a result of Ukrainian drone strikes crippling Russia's refining capacity.
• Russia is home to some of the world's largest proven oil reserves.
• Russia began importing petrol from at least three countries in July, with overland supplies from Belarus and Kazakhstan complemented by seaborne cargoes from India.
• At the same time, India's imports of Russian crude have hit an all-time high.

Supplier List

• Indian refiners imported a record 2.8 million barrels per day of Russian crude in July, accounting for about 55.5% of the country's total crude imports.
• Second Largest supplier to India is United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• Third Largest supplier is Saudi Arabia.

8^th BRICS Oceanic-Polar Science and Tech

As part of India’s BRICS Presidency 2026, the 8th Meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Ocean and Polar Science and Technology (OPST) was held in Goa.

• The meeting is being hosted by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
• The Delegates from 11 member countries discussing a medium-term (5 year) roadmap for cooperation in marine sciences and polar exploration.
• The BRICS OPST Working Group was established in 2018 to promote scientific cooperation, knowledge exchange, capacity building and collaborative research among member countries.

Environment

Asia’s First Desert-Themed Night Safari

• The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) approved the proposal for the Desert Zoological Park and Night Safari at Deesa in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district.
• It aims to develop Asia’s first desert-themed drive-through night safari.
• The proposed park will also house species from other desert ecosystems.
• African species listed in the plan include Angolan giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, scimitar oryx, African kudu, springbok, addra gazelle, black rhinoceros, chimpanzee, meerkat, African cheetah, African lion, fennec fox, bat-eared fox and ostrich.
• Kangaroos, emus and wallabies are among the Australian species planned for the park.

Note

• The proposed Desert Zoological Park and Night Safari is located in Gujarat, while the well-known Desert National Park is located in Rajasthan.
• Desert National Park is a national park in the Indian state of Rajasthan, near the towns of Jaisalmer and Barmer.
• Sand dunes form around 44% of the park.

NBA funds for Mustard Genetic Resources

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released funds in Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) proceeds from M/s. Pioneer Overseas Corporation.

• Pioneer Overseas Corporation developed ten commercial mustard (Brassica juncea) hybrid varieties using India's biological resources.
• The ABS share calculated based on the area under mustard cultivation in each State.
• The mechanism is also aligned with the principle of fair and equitable benefit sharing under the Nagoya Protocol and Target 13 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
• Rajasthan accounts for nearly 42 per cent of India's mustard cultivation.
• It is receiving the highest benefit.
• It is followed by Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

About the National Biodiversity Authority

• The National Biodiversity Authority is a statutory body established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, functioning under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
• It regulates access to India's biological resources and associated knowledge and implements the Nagoya Protocol's principle of fair and equitable sharing of benefits.

Security

India's Indigenous Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel – Shruti

Indian Navy’s next-generation offshore patrol vessel (NGOPV) Shruti was launched at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata.

• The construction of NGOPVs is concurrently being undertaken at two shipyards (GSL, Goa & GRSE, Kolkata).
• These indigenously designed and built ships will augment the existing OPVs (offshore patrol vessel)/ NOPVs for multi domain operations.
  • Maritime surveillance, search and rescue, protection of offshore assets, HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) and anti-piracy missions.
• These ships derive their name from India’s rich heritage, with this ship being named as ‘Shruti’, referring to 4 Vedas.
• The NGOPVs will be far more advanced than the OPVs built in the past.
• They will be much larger and have greater endurance and firepower.
• Furthermore, the NGOPVs will achieve speeds of up to 23 knots.
• Their endurance will be 8,500 nautical miles at a speed of 14 knots.

Science

Lithium and Gallium Exploration Pact

The Andhra Pradesh government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) for extensive exploration of lithium and gallium deposits in Vempalle area of Kadapa Basin.

• Lithium concentration is estimated to be as high as 1,000 parts per million (ppm), while gallium levels are estimated at up to 250 ppm.
• The National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) is a geoscientific research organization established in 1961 under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
• CSIR is India's largest Research and Development organization.
• CSIR was established as an autonomous body in 1942 under the aegis of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.
• The Kadapa Basin (historically known as the Cuddapah Basin) is a large, crescent-shaped sedimentary basin located in Andhra Pradesh, India, renowned for its massive mineral wealth and ancient Proterozoic rock formations.

Miscellaneous

Sprite’ Tejas Express

‘India’s first ‘private, branded’ train is to run as ‘Sprite’ Tejas Express.

• It is launched by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) between Lucknow and Delhi.
• This is the first time that a train is being named after a brand.
• Though it is a private train, IRCTC pays Indian Railways hauling charges, which includes the use of its infrastructure, such as tracks, railway stations, etc.
• The country’s first private train was flagged off by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on December 3, 2021.

Global Employment Trends for Youth 2026: Back to the future

A new report by the UN’s International Labour Organization (ILO) has warned that worldwide youth unemployment reduced after the COVID-19 pandemic but is now beginning to worsen again.

• It shows that youth unemployment, which reached a two-decade low in 2023, has begun to rise.
• Rates also increased across high-income, lower-middle-income and low-income economies.
• The Arab States and North Africa continue to record the world’s highest youth unemployment rates.