UPSC Prelims Current Affairs for 12 August 2026

Amphora

August 12, 2026

Amphora Latest News

A Roman shipwreck over 2,100 years old has been recently located off the coast of Mazara del Vallo, Sicily, Italy, about five kilometers offshore and at a depth of 46 meters, with a cargo of around 500 amphorae.

About Amphora

It is an ancient vessel form used as a storage jar, particularly in Mediterranean cultures.
It is a two-handled pot with a neck that is considerably narrower than the body.
The term "amphora" originates from the Greek word meaning "carried on both sides."
There are two types of amphora:
- the neck amphora, in which the neck meets the body at a sharp angle;
- the one-piece amphora, in which the neck and body form a continuous curve.
The average normal height is about 18 inches (45 centimetres).
These vessels served both practical and ornamental purposes:
- While functional amphorae were designed for trade and typically had a pointed base for upright storage, decorative versions were crafted for display within homes, often featuring a flat base.
Initially appearing in the late Iron Age, amphorae were crucial for transporting various goods, such as wine, oil, and grains, and played a significant role in the development of the wine industry.
Over time, the design of amphorae varied by region and era, leading to distinctive shapes that helped identify their origins.
Archaeological discoveries of amphorae provide valuable insights into ancient trade, dietary practices, and societal structures, as they were commonly found in shipwrecks and excavation sites.

News: DC

Amphora FAQs

Q1: What is an amphora?

Ans: An amphora is an ancient vessel form used primarily as a storage jar, particularly in Mediterranean cultures.

Q2: What is the characteristic shape of an amphora?

Ans: It is a two-handled pot with a neck that is considerably narrower than the body.

Q3: Where does the term “amphora” originate from?

Ans: The term originates from a Greek word meaning “carried on both sides.”

Q4: What purposes did amphorae serve?

Ans: Amphorae served both practical and ornamental purposes.

Q5: Which goods were commonly transported in amphorae?

Ans: Wine, oil and grains were commonly transported in amphorae.

Colletes bhutanicus

August 12, 2026

Colletes bhutanicus Latest News

Recently, Colletes bhutanicus has been recorded for the first time in India from Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh by scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).

About Colletes bhutanicus

It is a rare solitary Himalayan plasterer bee, recorded from Arunachal Pradesh for the first time.
The bee was found at elevations ranging from 1,500 metres to 3,800 metres.
Distribution: It has been recorded from Bhutan and China, including the Xizang region.
Features
- Unlike honeybees, Colletes bees are solitary and do not live in large colonies.
- Individual bees generally nest separately and play an important role in pollination by moving between flowers to collect pollen and nectar.
The study found the bee visiting 25 flowering plant species belonging to 10 botanical families, including economically important crops such as mustard, buckwheat, coriander, beans, chilli and eggplant.

Ecological Role of Bees

Honey bees are vital to agriculture because their pollination activities directly influence crop yields and quality.
They are the main pollinators of plants.
They contribute significantly to maintaining biodiversity. By pollinating a diverse range of wild plants, honey bees help sustain the balance of ecosystems.
Bees are sensitive to environmental changes, making them excellent bioindicators.

Source: TH

Colletes bhutanicus FAQs

Q1: Colletes bhutanicus belongs to which family?

Ans: Colletidae

Q2: Bees of family Colletidae are commonly called by which name?

Ans: Plasterer bees or Cellophane bees

Hallaniyat Islands

August 12, 2026

Hallaniyat Islands Latest News

A recent crude oil spill from the tanker Caroline Bezengi is threatening the pristine nature reserve near Oman's Hallaniyat Islands.

About Hallaniyat Islands

The Hallaniyat Islands, also known as the Kuria Muria Islands, is an archipelago of five islands located off the southeastern coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea.
From west to east, the islands are Al-Hasikiyah, Al-Sawda, Al-Hallaniyah, Qarzawit, and Al-Qibliyah.
Al-Hallaniyah, the largest of the islands, is the only one inhabited.
The habitat is characterised by rocky patches, coral reefs, and sandy substrates.
The area overlaps with the Halaaniyaat Islands Key Biodiversity Area and the Oman Arabian Sea Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Area.
The shallow water of the islands is characterized by its virgin nature and high diversity of corals, sponges, seaweeds, algae, fish, and other species.
The Arabian Sea here is defined by the Somali Current and seasonal upwelling that creates one of the most productive marine zones in the Indian Ocean.
Cold, nutrient-rich water rises from the deep during and after the monsoon season, fuelling plankton blooms that attract everything from whale sharks to humpback whales.
The islands have significant strategic importance, as they lie along sea routes connecting the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.

News: DEVD

Hallaniyat Islands FAQs

Q1: Where are the Hallaniyat Islands located?

Ans: They are located off the southeastern coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea.

Q2: What are the five islands of the Hallaniyat Islands archipelago?

Ans: Al-Hasikiyah, Al-Sawda, Al-Hallaniyah, Qarzawit and Al-Qibliyah.

Q3: Which is the largest island in the Hallaniyat Island

Ans: Al-Hallaniyah is the largest island.

Q4: What types of habitats characterize the Hallaniyat Islands?

Ans: The habitat is characterized by rocky patches, coral reefs and sandy substrates.

Q5: What makes the shallow waters around the Hallaniyat Islands ecologically significant?

Ans: They are relatively pristine and support a high diversity of corals, sponges, seaweeds, algae, fish and other marine species.

Shruti Patrol Vessel

August 12, 2026

Shruti Patrol Vessel Latest News

Recently the Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) shruti was launched at M/s GRSE, Kolkata.

About Shruti Patrol Vessel

It is the Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV).
Construction by: The construction of NGOPVs is concurrently being undertaken at two shipyards — Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE), Kolkata.
These ships derive their name from India’s rich heritage, with this ship being named as ‘Shruti’, referring to four Vedas.
The crest design of the ship depicts the constellation of Ursa Major and a red & white coloured light house.
Functions: It is indigenously designed and will augment the existing OPVs/ NOPVs for multi domain operations, such as maritime surveillance, search and rescue, protection of offshore assets, HADR and anti-piracy missions.

Key Features of NGOPVs

The NGOPVs are significantly larger and more capable than the Offshore Patrol Vessels
Capacity: They are with a displacement of 3,000 tonnes and achieve speeds of up to 23 knots and have an endurance of 8,500 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 14 knots,
Significance: It helps Indian Navy’s pursuit towards indigenous shipbuilding and is in consonance with Government of India’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Source: PIB

Shruti Patrol Vessel FAQs

Q1: What is the main role of Shruti Patrol Vessel ?

Ans: Coastal security and patrolling

Q2: What is the motto of the Indian Coast Guard?

Ans: Vayam Rakshamah - We Protect

Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme

August 12, 2026

Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme Latest News

The Government has proposed a ₹10,000 crore Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme (CMAS) to strengthen domestic production of shipping containers.

About Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme

It is a targeted initiative to establish a competitive domestic container manufacturing industry through financial and institutional support.
It supports establishment of new manufacturing facilities and expansion of existing units.
It also aims to enhance manufacturing capacity to meet India's growing demand for shipping containers.
Target: The initiative targets an annual domestic manufacturing capacity of around 10 times the existing container production capacity upto 7.5 lakh Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs).
Financial Outlay: ₹10,000 crore over five years.
To strengthen the container manufacturing value chain, the scheme provides:
- Capital assistance for establishing new Greenfield manufacturing facilities.
- Support for expansion of existing Brownfield manufacturing units.
- Operational support to improve the competitiveness of domestic container manufacturing.
- Support for testing infrastructure, skilling initiatives and capacity building.
CMAS complements the Government's initiatives under Make in India,Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, PM Gati Shakti, the National Logistics Policy and the Sagarmala Programme.

Source: DD News

Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme FAQs

Q1: Which is the Nodal Ministry for Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme?

Ans: Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways

Q2: What is the main objective of Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme?

Ans: Boost domestic manufacturing of shipping containers

Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary

August 12, 2026

Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary Latest News

Recently, a tiger was sighted near Zero Point in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttarakhand.

About Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary

Location: It is located in the Kumaon region of the Himalayas, in the state of Uttarakhand.
It is situated at an altitude ranging from 900 to 2,500 meters.
It is named after the Bineshwar Mahadev temple, a 16th-century temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Vegetation: Western Himalayan sub-alpine coniferous forests; Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows.
Highest Point: From Zero Point, also known as Jhandi Dhaar, this is the highest point in the sanctuary.
Apart from protecting wildlife, the sanctuary was established with an aim to conserve the broadleaf oak forests, mainly located in the Central Himalayan region.
Flora: It is covered by oak and rhododendron forests at higher altitudes and by chir pine forests at a lower height.
Fauna: It is home to Barking Deer, Himalayan bear, leopard, fox, musk deer, langur, porcupine, flying squirrel, chital, jungle cat, etc.
- It has been declared an Important Bird Area by Bird Life International, as there are more than 200 species of birds in the sanctuary, including Fork tail, Blackbirds, Laughing Thrush, Pheasant, Nuthatches, Parakeets, and Monal.

Source: NIE

Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary FAQs

Q1: Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in which state?

Ans: Uttarakhand

Q2: Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary lies in which Himalayan region?

Ans: Kumaon region

Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Program

August 12, 2026

Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Program Latest News

The Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Program (PMNDP) is presently implemented in all 36 States/UTs covering 751 districts (including 44 linked districts) through 1,856 haemodialysis centres equipped with 13,535 haemodialysis machines, according to the Union Health Ministry.

About Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Program

It is a centrally-funded health scheme rolled out in 2016 with the objective to strengthen the district hospitals under National Health Mission (NHM) to make dialysis services affordable and accessible to the community.
Under PMNDP, dialysis services are provided free of cost to all Below Poverty Line (BPL) beneficiaries at the public health facilities while non- BPL patients are benefitted of accessing the services close to the community at the subsidized rates.
Initially, the Government recommended the setting up of haemodialysis centres in all district hospitals.
Based on local requirements, States have been encouraged to scale down the facilities to Community Health Centres (CHCs) at the taluka level, especially in remote and tribal regions.
The programme has two components namely Hemodialysis (HD) services & Peritoneal dialysis (PD) services.
- Hemodialysis (HD, commonly known as blood dialysis):
  - In HD, the blood is filtered through a machine that acts like an artificial kidney and is returned back into the body.
  - HD needs to be performed in a designated dialysis centre.
  - It is usually needed about 3 times per week, with each episode taking about 3-4 hours.
- Peritoneal dialysis (PD, commonly known as water dialysis):
  - In PD, the blood is cleaned without being removed from the body.
  - The abdomen sac (lining) acts as a natural filter. A solution (mainly made up of salts and sugars) is injected into the abdomen that encourages filtration such that the waste is transferred from the blood to the solution.
  - Close medical supervision is not required for most PD cases, thus making it a feasible option for patients who may want to undergo dialysis in the home setting.
PMNDP supports establishment of dialysis centres (In-house & public private partnership/hybrid models) for HD service delivery as per the state/UT requirement.
Currently, HD Services under PMNDP is operational in Private Public Partnership (PPP) mode in 14 States/UTs, in-house mode in 16 States/UTS and hybrid mode in 6 States/UTs.
Private Public Partnership (PPP) mode: As per the guidelines, the private partner is to provide medical human resource, dialysis machine along with Reverse Osmosis (RO) water plant infrastructure, dialyzer and consumables, while the space, power, and water supply within District Hospitals is to be provided by the State Government.
Under this initiative the PMNDP portal was launched in 2022.
- The portal will integrate all the dialysis centres operational in the state under NHM and facilitate building of renal registry and ensuring portability within the state (one state one dialysis) and later throughout the country (One Nation-One Dialysis).
Funding: The NHM provides financial assistance to States and UTs for establishing and operating dialysis centres to ensure equitable access to kidney care services for all, regardless of geography.
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

News: PIB

Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Program FAQs

Q1: What is the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP)?

Ans: It is a centrally funded health scheme launched in 2016 to make dialysis services affordable and accessible through public health facilities.

Q2: Who receives free dialysis services under the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP)?

Ans: Below Poverty Line (BPL) beneficiaries receive free dialysis services at public health facilities.

Q3: How are non-BPL patients benefited under the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP)?

Ans: Non-BPL patients can access dialysis services close to their communities at subsidized rates.

Q4: What are the two components of the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP)?

Ans: The two components are Haemodialysis (HD) services and Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) services.

Sangeet Natak Akademi

August 12, 2026

Sangeet Natak Akademi Latest News

President Droupadi Murmu will confer the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships (Akademi Ratna) and Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for 2024 and 2025 on 115 artists at a special investiture ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

About Sangeet Natak Akademi

It is India’s national academy for music, dance, and drama.
It is the first national academy of the arts set up by the Republic of India.
History:
- It was set up by the Indian education ministry on 31 May 1952 and became functional the following year, with the appointment of its first chairman, Dr. P. V. Rajamannar.
- Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, inaugurated it on 28 January 1953.
Currently, it is an autonomous body of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
Headquarters: New Delhi
Functions:
- The academy functions as the apex body of the performing arts in the country to preserve and promote the vast cultural heritage of India expressed in music, dance, and drama.
- It also works with governments and art academies in states and territories of the country.
In addition, the Akademi
- Subsidizes the work of institutions engaged in teaching, performing, or promoting music, dance, or theatre.
- Gives grants to aid research, documentation, and publishing in the performing arts.
- Organises and subsidises seminars and conferences of subject specialists.
- Documents and records the performing arts for its audio-visual archive.
- Renders advice and assistance to the government of India in the task of formulating and implementing policies and programmes in the field.
- Carries a part of the responsibilities of the state for fostering cultural contacts between regions in the country, as well as between India and the world.
- Organises its annual festival of music, dance, and theatre in NCT Delhi.
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards are the highest national recognition conferred on practising artists.
The Akademi also confers Fellowships on eminent artists and scholars of music, dance, and drama; and in 2006 instituted annual awards to young artists – the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar.
The Akademi’s archive, comprising audio and video tapes, photographs, and films, is one of the largest in the country and is extensively drawn upon for research in the performing arts.
Management:
- The management of the Akademi vests in its General Council.
- The Chairman of the Akademi is appointed by the President of India for a term of five years.

News: DDN

Sangeet Natak Akademi FAQs

Q1: What is the Sangeet Natak Akademi?

Ans: It is India’s national academy for music, dance and drama.

Q2: Who was the first Chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi?

Ans: Dr. P. V. Rajamannar was its first Chairman.

Q3: What is the present status of the Sangeet Natak Akademi?

Ans: It is an autonomous body of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

Q4: What is the primary objective of the Sangeet Natak Akademi?

Ans: Its primary objective is to preserve and promote India’s cultural heritage expressed through music, dance and drama.

Namibia

August 12, 2026

Namibia Latest News

Recently, the Fourth Session of the India-Namibia Joint Trade Committee (JTC) was held in New Delhi.

About Namibia

Location: It is located on the southwestern coast of the African continent.
Bordering Countries: It is bounded by Zambia and Angola to the north, South Africa to the east and south, and Botswana to the east.
A small stretch of the Zambezi River separates Namibia from Zimbabwe.
Water Bodies: The Atlantic Ocean borders it to the west.

Geographical Features of Namibia

Topography: Namibia’s extent can be divided into three topographic zones from west to east: the Namib Desert, the Central Plateau, and the Kalahari.
The Central Plateau to the west with the Kalahari Desert located further inwards. The coastal Namib Desert runs along the country’s West coast on the Atlantic Ocean.
Rivers: It is drained by the rivers Kunene, the Okavango, the Mashi and the Zambezi on the northern border and the Orange on the southern.
Mountain: Brandberg, also known as Mount Brand is Namibia’s highest mountain and is located along the plateau’s western escarpment.
Natural Resources: It mainly consists of uranium, lithium, graphite, and manganese.

Source: PIB

Namibia FAQs

Q1: What is the Capital of Namibia?

Ans: Windhoek

Q2: Namibia shares border with how many countries?

Ans: 4 - Angola, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa

NAVYA Programme

August 12, 2026

NAVYA Programme Latest News

Recently, the Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) informed the Lok Sabha about the NAVYA Programme.

About NAVYA Programme

The NAVYA (Nurturing Aspirations through Vocational training for Young Adolescent Girls) was launched in 2025.
It aims to empower adolescent girls (AGs) aged 16–18 years in aspirational districts by equipping them with relevant skills for socio-economic independence.
It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and the Ministry of Women & Child Development.
It is being implemented under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0).

Features of NAVYA Programme

Skill Training: It focuses on empowering trained candidates to pursue diverse career pathways by providing industry-relevant skill courses with embedded On-the-Job Training (OJT).
Main Focus: Under NAVYA, special emphasis is placed on training in futuristic job roles, along with a mandatory Holistic Development Module covering digital literacy, financial literacy, career readiness, and entrepreneurship orientation etc.
Monitoring: The Government monitors and evaluates the implementation and outcomes of this programme through a robust monitoring framework under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).
The Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) is leveraged for real-time tracking of beneficiary registration, attendance, training progress, certification and other key performance indicators.
- Regular review meetings are conducted with Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs), State Skill Development Missions (SSDMs) and other stakeholders to assess progress and address implementation-related issues.

Source: PIB

NAVYA Programme FAQs

Q1: What is the Main aim of NAVYA Programme?

Ans: Socio-economic independence of adolescent girls

Q2: NAVYA is a joint initiative of which ministries?

Ans: It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and the Ministry of Women & Child Development.