UPSC Prelims Current Affairs for 17 August 2026

by Vajiram & Ravi - 17 August 2026

Vajiram & Ravi provides Daily UPSC Prelims Current Affairs for 17 August 2026, tailored for aspirants. We cover all relevant news and events crucial for the exam, ensuring you stay updated & well-prepared.

Hara Mangrove Forest

August 17, 2026
Hara Mangrove Forest

Hara Mangrove Forest Latest News

Recent satellite images have revealed a major environmental threat to Hara mangrove forest due to an oil spill off Qeshm’s southern coast.

About Hara Mangrove Forest

  • Location: The Hara forests are a vital ecological treasure of the Persian Gulf. Spanning the Strait of Hormuz,
  • These mangrove forests consist mainly of grey mangrove trees (Avicennia marina).
  • The forests are designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
  • Ecological Role
    • They have a special filtration system in their roots that allows them to thrive in saline conditions.
    • The same roots also protect the coast against erosion and are voluminous carbon sinks, sequestering significantly more carbon than terrestrial forests.
    • They serve as an important nursery for marine life as they shelter shrimp, crabs, and numerous fish species that sustain the region’s fisheries.
    • The Hara forests’ canopy is also a major migratory hub for birds like the great stone-curlew and various herons.
    • The mangroves are the backbone of the sustainable tourism programmes of Qeshm, an Iranian island in the Persian Gulf, and draw visitors to their labyrinthine waterways.

Source: TH

Hara Mangrove Forest FAQs

Q1: Hara Biosphere Reserve was designated by UNESCO in which year?

Ans: 1976

Q2: What is the advantage of Mangroves like Hara ?

Ans: They act as "Blue Carbon" ecosystem.

Friedreich ataxia

August 17, 2026
Friedreich ataxia

Friedreich ataxia Latest News

A new study from researchers at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center found that Friedreich’s ataxia is caused when a gene called FXN becomes mutated.

About Friedreich ataxia

  • It is a rare, inherited disorder that causes progressive damage to the nervous system. 
  • The damage affects your spinal cord and the nerves that control muscle movement in your arms and legs.  

Friedreich ataxia Cause

  • It is caused when a gene called FXN becomes mutated. 
  • The FXN gene codes for a protein called frataxin. Frataxin is essential for mitochondria, which are our cells’ powerhouses. 
  • The chemical ATP, which is the cell’s energy currency, is made mostly in the mitochondria. 
  • Nerve, spinal cord, brain, and heart muscle cells use a lot of energy. 
  • When their frataxin levels become abnormally low, the mitochondria produce ATP less effectively and also accumulate toxic by-products. 
  • This renders the cell dysfunctional, leading to the symptoms of FA. 
  • Individuals who inherit two defective copies of the FXN gene, one from each parent, will develop the disease. 
  • A person who inherits only one abnormal copy of the gene is called a carrier.  
  • Most of the affected individuals come from consanguineous marriages. That is, marriages between relatives, such as uncles and nieces, or between cousins. 

Friedreich ataxia Symptoms

  • Symptoms usually begin between the ages of 5 and 15. 
  • The main symptom is ataxia, which means trouble coordinating movements. 
  • Specific symptoms include: 
    • Difficulty walking
    • Muscle weakness
    • Speech problems
    • Involuntary eye movements
    • Scoliosis (curving of the spine to one side)
    • Heart palpitations, from the heart disease, which can happen along with Friedreich ataxia
  • People with Friedreich ataxia usually need a wheelchair 15 to 20 years after symptoms first appear. 
  • In severe cases, people become incapacitated.  

Friedreich ataxia Treatment 

  • There is currently no cure for FA. 
  • Treatment focuses on easing symptoms and maintaining comfort and function for as long as possible. 

News: TH

Friedreich ataxia FAQs

Q1: What is Friedreich ataxia (FA)?

Ans: It is a rare inherited disorder that causes progressive damage to the nervous system.

Q2: Which parts of the nervous system are primarily affected by Friedreich ataxia?

Ans: It affects the spinal cord and the nerves that control muscle movement in the arms and legs.

Q3: Which gene is mutated in Friedreich ataxia?

Ans: The FXN gene is mutated in Friedreich ataxia.

Q4: What is the main symptom of Friedreich ataxia?

Ans: The main symptom is ataxia, meaning difficulty coordinating movements.

Q5: Is there currently a cure for Friedreich ataxia?

Ans: No, there is currently no cure for Friedreich ataxia.

New Development Bank

August 17, 2026
New Development Bank (NDB)

New Development Bank Latest News

Iran will soon join the New Development Bank, the development lender established by the BRICS group ​of nations, central bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati said in a state ‌media report published recently ahead of a BRICS finance meeting in India.

About New Development Bank 

  • The New Development Bank (NDB), formerly known as the BRICS Development Bank, is a multilateral development bank established by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS).
  • Objective: NDB aims to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS countries and other emerging economies and developing countries.
  • The agreement for establishing the NDB was signed during the BRICS Summit held in Fortaleza, Brazil, on July 15, 2014.
  • The bank became operational in 2015 and is headquartered in Shanghai, China, with a regional office in Johannesburg and additional offices later opened in São Paulo and Moscow. 
  • Membership in NDB is open to any member of the United Nations.
  • NDB’s key areas of operation include clean energy and energy efficiency; transport infrastructure; water and sanitation; environmental protection; social infrastructure; and digital infrastructure. 
  • Capital: Its founding capital was set at USD 100 billion, with initial subscribed capital of USD 50 billion divided equally among the five founding members.
  • Governance Structure:
    • The bank is governed by a Board of Governors made up of the finance ministers of the five BRICS countries, and a Board of Directors.
    • Both the presidency and vice-presidency of the NDB are rotated among BRICS founding members.
    • Unlike in the case of the World Bank or Asian Development Bank (ADB), each member in the NDB has an equal voting power.

News: REUT

New Development Bank FAQs

Q1: What is the New Development Bank (NDB)?

Ans: It is a multilateral development bank established by the BRICS countries.

Q2: What is the primary objective of the New Development Bank?

Ans: Its objective is to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS countries and other emerging and developing economies.

Q3: When did the New Development Bank become operational?

Ans: The NDB became operational in 2015.

Q4: Where is the headquarters of the New Development Bank located?

Ans: Its headquarters is located in Shanghai, China.

Q5: How does voting power in the New Development Bank differ from that in institutions such as the World Bank and ADB?

Ans: In the NDB, each member has equal voting power.

Earthquake Swarm

August 17, 2026
Earthquake Swarm

Earthquake Swarm Latest News

Recently, there has been a spate of small earthquakes in Maharashtra and seismologists call this pattern of quakes an earthquake swarm, and Maharashtra has experienced them often before.

About Earthquake Swarm

  • Occurance: It occurs when multiple seismic events of comparable intensity strike a small area in relatively quick succession.
  • Intensity: It involves a series of many (sometimes thousands) low-intensity earthquakes without a discernible main shock that can occur over weeks in active geothermal areas.
  • When seismic energy piles up inside the Earth and is released in small amounts from certain points, such a series of earthquakes can occur.

What Causes Swarm Sequences?

  • Fluid movement
    • In volcanic environments, this can be fluid released from deeper magma or circulating within active geothermal areas (in volcanic areas such as the Taupō Volcanic Zone).
    • The earthquakes triggered by fluids occur as fault slip on the cracks and faults through which the water is moving.
  • Active volcanism
    • Magma movement can also act as the ‘driving mechanism’ for swarms, creating the earthquakes as magma-filled cracks push their way through the Earth’s crust.
    • In such a case the earthquakes commonly occur near the crack tip (ahead of the magma where the crack is starting to open), or off to the side of the crack.
  • Slow-slip events
    • A slow-slip event is essentially an earthquake in slow-motion, and typically involves centimetres to tens of centimetres of movement along a fault, over weeks to years.
    • We commonly see slow slip events at the Hikurangi subduction zone, usually at least one or two per year.

Source: TH

Earthquake Swarm FAQs

Q1: What is a "Slow-slip event" in context of earthquakes?

Ans: An earthquake in slow-motion over weeks to years

Q2: What are the causes of earthquake swarms?

Ans: Fluid movement, Magma movement and Slow-slip events

Mahadayi River

August 17, 2026
Mahadayi River

Mahadayi River Latest News

There is no proposal before the Union government from Karnataka seeking an Environmental Clearance (EC) for the diversion of the Mahadayi River for various projects, the Centre recently told the Lok Sabha.

About Mahadayi River

  • The Mahadayi River, also known as the Mandovi or Mhadei River, is a rain-fed river shared between Karnataka and Goa.  
  • Course:
    • It originates from the Bhimgad Forest in the Western Ghats, located in the Belagavi district of Karnataka. 
    • It flows westward to join the Arabian Sea at Panaji, Goa.
  • Total Length: It flows for nearly 81 km, 29 km in Karnataka and 52 km in Goa. 
  • Its basin is crucial for Goa’s water needs, covering much of North Goa.
  • Panaji, the state capital, and the town of Old Goa are situated on the left bank of the Mandovi River.  
  • Near the town of Old Goa, there are three large freshwater islands, Divar, Chorao, and Vashee, in the Mandovi River. The island of Chorao houses Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary.  
  • It has several tributaries, namely Rogaro, Kushavati, Nanorem, Nanuz, Valvota, and Mapusa.
  • The river is central to a decades-long dispute between Karnataka and Goa, primarily over Karnataka’s plans to divert water from the Kalasa and Bhandura tributaries to the Malaprabha basin for drinking water needs.
  • The Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT) in 2018 allocated 13.42 tmc (380 Mcum) of water to Karnataka, including permissions for limited diversion from the Kalasa (1.72 tmc) and Bhandura (2.18 tmc) streams.

News: TH

Mahadayi River FAQs

Q1: Which two Indian states share the Mahadayi River?

Ans: Karnataka and Goa.

Q2: Where does the Mahadayi River originate?

Ans: It originates from the Bhimgad Forest in the Western Ghats in Belagavi district of Karnataka.

Q3: Where does the Mahadayi River ultimately drain?

Ans: It joins the Arabian Sea at Panaji in Goa.

Q4: Which are the major tributaries of the Mahadayi River?

Ans: Major tributaries include Rogaro, Kushavati, Nanorem, Nanuz, Valvota and Mapusa.

Mt Elbrus

August 17, 2026
Mt Elbrus

Mount Elbrus Latest News

Andhra Pradesh Police Sub-Inspector V. Venkateswara Rao of Eluru Rural Police Station marked India's 80th Independence Day in a unique way by scaling Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, which stands at 5,642 metres in Russia.

About Mount Elbrus

  • Located in Southern Russia, Mount Elbrus is the highest peak of the Caucasus Mountains. 
  • Rising to an elevation of 5,642 m, Mount Elbrus is the world’s 10th most prominent peak as well as the highest mountain peak in both the European continent and Russia. 
  • It is one of the Seven Summits of the world, which are the tallest mountains on each of the seven continents.
  • Mount Elbrus is an inactive volcano that consists of two principal summits, both of which are dormant volcanic domes. It is also Eurasia’s highest stratovolcano.   
  • Formation:
    • It is believed that the Caucasus Mountains were formed due to the northward collision of the Arabian Plate with the Eurasian Plate.
    • Geological studies have revealed that Mount Elbrus was formed over 2.5 million years ago and the volcano had been most active during the Holocene Epoch. 
  • The snowfields of Mount Elbrus cover an area of 138 sq. km. and host around 22 principal glaciers and 77 secondary glaciers.  
  • Major Glaciers: Bolshoi Azaou and Irik Glacier.
  • Many Russian rivers like the Baksan, Malka, and Kuban rivers originate from these glaciers.

News: NDTV

Mount Elbrus FAQs

Q1: Where is Mount Elbrus located?

Ans: Mount Elbrus is located in Southern Russia.

Q2: Which mountain range contains Mount Elbrus?

Ans: Mount Elbrus is part of the Caucasus Mountains.

Q3: Is Mount Elbrus an active volcano?

Ans: No, Mount Elbrus is an inactive volcano.

SAFTA

August 17, 2026
SAFTA

SAFTA Latest News

Recently, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has dismantled a major network involved in importing South-East Asian areca nuts into India by falsely declaring them as Bangladeshi origin and availing concessional duty benefits under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA). 

About SAFTA

  • It is the free trade arrangement of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
  • The agreement came into force in 2006, succeeding the 1993 SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement.
  • SAFTA signatory countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
  • SAFTA recognizes the need for special and differential treatment for LDCs in its preamble. This has been translated in the following measures:
  • Objective: The Objectives of this Agreement are to promote and enhance mutual trade and economic cooperation among Contracting States by, inter-alia:
    • Eliminating barriers to trade in, and facilitating the cross-border movement of goods between the territories of the Contracting States;
    • Promoting conditions of fair competition in the free trade area, and ensuring equitable benefits to all Contracting States, taking into account their respective levels and pattern of economic development;
    • Creating effective mechanism for the implementation and application of this Agreement, for its joint administration and for the resolution of disputes; and
    • Establishing a framework for further regional cooperation to expand and enhance the mutual benefits of this Agreement.

Source: PIB

SAFTA FAQs

Q1: How many countries are members of SAFTA?

Ans: SAFTA signatory countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Q2: Which country was the last to join SAFTA?

Ans: Afghanistan

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

August 17, 2026
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Latest News

Nasa’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set to begin its journey to a new home in deep space on August 30.

About Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

  • It is NASA’s next flagship orbital observatory.
  • It is designed to settle essential questions in the areas of dark energy, exoplanets, and infrared astrophysics.
    • Scientists by using this telescope will focus on three main topic areas: dark energy, exoplanets, and dark matter.
  • It will provide one of the deepest-ever views into the heart of our Milky Way galaxy.
  • It will orbit around a special place in space called the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point, or L2. 
  • Objectives: It will monitor hundreds of millions of stars in search of tell-tale flickers that betray the presence of planets, distant stars, small icy objects that haunt the outskirts of our solar system and isolated black holes.

Instruments of Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

  • Wide Field Instrument
    • It is a 300-megapixel infrared camera.
    • It will have a field of view that is 100 times greater than the Hubble infrared instrument, capturing more of the sky with less observing time.
    • It will measure light from a billion galaxies over the course of the mission lifetime.
    • It will perform a microlensing survey of the inner Milky Way to find ~2,600 exoplanets.
  • Coronagraph Instrument
    • It is a technology demonstration which will perform high contrast imaging and spectroscopy of individual nearby exoplanets.
    • Its Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey will focus on the Milky Way.

Source: IT

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope FAQs

Q1: What is the primary objective of Roman Telescope?

Ans: To study Dark energy, dark matter and exoplanets.

Q2: Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is being developed by which organisation?

Ans: NASA

National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Mandate

August 17, 2026
National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission

National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission Latest News

Recently, the Supreme Court expressed concern over the pending cases in the National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission and asked the Centre to consider setting up regional and circuit benches to clear the backlog.

About National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission

  • It is a quasi-judicial commission set up in 1988 under the Consumer Protection Act of 1986.
  • Mandate: To provide inexpensive, speedy, and summary redressal of consumer disputes.
  • The Commission is headed by a sitting or a retired Judge of the Supreme Court of India or a sitting or a retired Chief Justice of an Hon'ble High Court.
  • Jurisdiction: It shall have jurisdiction to entertain a complaint valued more than two crore and also have appellate and revisional jurisdiction from the orders of State Commissions or the District fora as the case may be.
  • The provisions of this act cover ‘goods’ as well as ‘services’.
  • Appeal: Any person aggrieved by an order of NCDRC, may prefer an appeal against such an order to SC within a period of 30 days.
  • Its head office is located in New Delhi.
  • A complaint may be filed by the following:
    • A consumer
    • Any voluntary consumer association registered under the Companies Act 1956
    • The Central Government or any State Government
    • One or more consumers where there are numerous consumers.

Source: HT

National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission FAQs

Q1: National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission comes under which ministry?

Ans: Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution

Q2: Where is the headquarters of NCDRC located?

Ans: New Delhi

Loggerhead Sea Turtle

August 17, 2026
Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Loggerhead Sea Turtle Latest News

Mumbai Police personnel recently rescued a distressed 100-kg Loggerhead sea turtle after finding it struggling to swim and floating on the surface of the Arabian Sea.

About Loggerhead Sea Turtle

  • It is a species of oceanic turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae.
  • Scientific Name: Caretta caretta 
  • It is the world’s largest hard-shelled turtle, slightly larger at average and maximum mature weights than the green sea turtle and the Galapagos tortoise.
  • It is also the world’s second largest extant turtle after the leatherback sea turtle. 

Loggerhead Sea Turtle Habitat and Distribution

  • Loggerheads live in oceans all over the world, except in the coldest seas. 
  • The majority of loggerhead nesting occurs in the western rims of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, primarily in Oman, the United States, and Australia. 
  • They may be found hundreds of miles out to sea, as well as in inshore areas such as bays, lagoons, salt marshes, and creeks.

Loggerhead Sea Turtle Features

  • Loggerheads are named for their relatively large heads, which support powerful jaws and enable them to feed on hard-shelled prey, such as whelks and conchs.  
  • Adult loggerheads typically have shell lengths between 0.9 and 1.2 meters (3 to 4 feet).  
  • They have a large, reddish-brown, hard shell; a pale yellow underbelly (or ‘plastron’); and four flippers with two (or sometimes three) claws on each. 
  • Adult males are distinguished by long tails that extend beyond the rear carapace and a narrowing of the carapace that tapers towards the rear. 
  • They use the geomagnetic field as a map when navigating large distances.
  • Lifespan: Loggerheads can live up to 80 years or more. 

Loggerhead Sea Turtle Conservation Status

It is classified as 'Vulnerable' under the IUCN Red List

News: TRIB

Loggerhead Sea Turtle FAQs

Q1: Where are Loggerhead Sea Turtles found?

Ans: They are found in oceans around the world except the coldest seas.

Q2: Why is the Loggerhead Sea Turtle called a “loggerhead”?

Ans: It is named for its relatively large head.

Q3: What is the IUCN Red List conservation status of the Loggerhead Sea Turtle?

Ans: It is classified as Vulnerable.

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