Welcome to the Ujiyari Bihar Current Affairs notes for 18 August 2026, prepared for BPSC and other State PCS aspirants. The Central Selection Board of Constable declared the written exam result for Prohibition Constable, Jail Warder and Mobile Squad Constable posts, with 27,969 candidates advancing to the physical test stage. Down To Earth marked 18 years since the 2008 Kosi (Kushaha) embankment breach, flagging pending compensation gaps, while IMD issued a heavy rain alert amid a Bay of Bengal depression. Land Reforms Minister Dilip Jaiswal also defended the controversial re-transfer of a Paliganj Circle Officer. Each item below carries a Prelims fact table and a Mains angle, followed by five practice MCQs.

1. CSBC Declares Bihar Police Constable Exam Result, 27,969 Selected for PET/PST

Why in News: The Central Selection Board of Constable (CSBC), Bihar, released the written examination result for Advertisement No. 03/2025 on 18 August 2026, covering Prohibition Constable, Jail Warder and Mobile Squad Constable posts (4,236 total posts).

What happened: Around 21,749 candidates were shortlisted to proceed to the Physical Efficiency Test (PET)/Physical Standard Test (PST) stage, the next step before document verification and final merit listing.

Bihar Relevance:

  • Prelims: CSBC recruits constabulary-level posts, distinct from BPSSC, which handles SI-level recruitment; ~21,749 shortlisted for PET/PST from 4,236 total posts.
  • Mains: Discuss recruitment transparency and merit-based selection processes in Bihar’s police modernisation drive.

2. 18 Years Since the Kosi (Kushaha) Embankment Breach

Why in News: 18 August 2026 marks 18 years since the August 18, 2008 breach of the Kosi’s eastern embankment at Kushaha (Nepal side), which displaced roughly 2.3-4 million people and killed nearly 500 in north Bihar.

What happened: A fresh Down To Earth report notes thousands of flood survivors still await full compensation and rehabilitation, citing gaps in the World Bank-funded recovery project and the state’s continued reliance on embankment-based flood control.

Bihar Relevance:

  • Prelims: Kosi called the “Sorrow of Bihar”; the 2008 breach caused the river to revert to a channel abandoned over 200 years earlier.
  • Mains: Critique embankment-centric flood management, relevant given Bihar’s active 2026 monsoon flood situation in the Kosi-Bagmati-Gandak basins.

3. IMD Issues Heavy Rain and Storm Alert Amid Bay of Bengal Depression

Why in News: A depression over the Bay of Bengal triggered an IMD alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall with gusty winds up to 50 km/h across Bihar, UP, Jharkhand and Delhi, reported 18 August 2026.

What happened: Districts including Ara, Bhojpur, Sasaram, Biharsharif and Samastipur were flagged for thunderstorm activity.

Bihar Relevance:

  • Prelims: Trigger: Bay of Bengal depression; affected districts include Ara, Bhojpur, Sasaram.
  • Mains: Discuss disaster preparedness given Bihar’s ongoing flood situation across the Ganga-Kosi-Gandak-Bagmati river systems.

4. Land Reforms Minister Defends Paliganj CO Re-Transfer

Why in News: Bihar’s Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Dr Dilip Jaiswal issued his first public statement on 18 August 2026 on the re-transfer of a Paliganj Circle Officer within 36 days of removal.

What happened: Jaiswal said the transfer was to complete pending work while departmental action, including an increment freeze, continued against the officer for irregularities, reaffirming “zero tolerance” on Circle Officer corruption.

Bihar Relevance:

  • Prelims: Circle Officers (CO) are revenue-level administrative heads under the Bihar Land Reforms Department.
  • Mains: Discuss civil service accountability in the context of Bihar’s ongoing land survey and digitisation drive.

Practice MCQs

1. The CSBC’s Bihar Police constable exam result declared on 18 August 2026 saw approximately how many candidates shortlisted for PET/PST?

a) 4,236 b) 15,500 c) 21,749 d) 40,000

Answer: c Explanation: The Central Selection Board of Constable, Bihar, released the written examination result for Advertisement No. 03/2025 covering Prohibition Constable, Jail Warder and Mobile Squad Constable posts, with around 21,749 candidates shortlisted to proceed to the Physical Efficiency Test/Physical Standard Test stage.

2. The Kosi (Kushaha) embankment breach, whose 18th anniversary fell on 18 August 2026, occurred in which year?

a) 2004 b) 2008 c) 2012 d) 2016

Answer: b Explanation: The Kosi’s eastern embankment breached at Kushaha (on the Nepal side) on August 18, 2008, displacing roughly 2.3-4 million people and killing nearly 500 in north Bihar, an event that caused the river to revert to a channel it had abandoned over 200 years earlier.

3. IMD’s heavy rain and storm alert reported on 18 August 2026 was triggered by which weather system?

a) A cyclone over the Arabian Sea b) A western disturbance over Punjab c) An anticyclone over Odisha d) A depression over the Bay of Bengal

Answer: d Explanation: A depression over the Bay of Bengal triggered IMD’s alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall with gusty winds up to 50 km/h across Bihar, UP, Jharkhand and Delhi, with districts including Ara, Bhojpur and Sasaram flagged for thunderstorm activity.

4. Land Reforms Minister Dilip Jaiswal’s 18 August 2026 statement addressed the re-transfer of a Circle Officer in which locality?

a) Paliganj b) Munger c) Bankipur d) Sasaram

Answer: a Explanation: Minister Dilip Jaiswal issued his first public statement on the controversial re-transfer of a Paliganj Circle Officer within 36 days of removal, saying the transfer was to complete pending work while departmental action continued against the officer for irregularities.

5. The CSBC recruitment covered by the 18 August 2026 result announcement is distinct from which other Bihar recruiting body that handles SI-level posts?

a) BPSC b) BSSC c) BPSSC d) UPSC

Answer: c Explanation: The Central Selection Board of Constable (CSBC) recruits constabulary-level posts such as Prohibition Constable and Jail Warder, distinct from the Bihar Police Subordinate Services Commission (BPSSC), which handles Sub-Inspector-level recruitment.