Current Affairs Quiz — January 2026
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
As per the Economic Survey 2025-26, what was India's rank in the Global Innovation Index 2025?
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Correct answer: B — 38th
PIB: India's GII rank improved from 66th in 2019 to 38th in 2025.
According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, how many semiconductor manufacturing and packaging projects had been approved, with cumulative investment of ₹1.60 lakh crore?
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Correct answer: C — 10
PIB: Ten semiconductor projects with ₹1.60 lakh crore investment have been approved in 6 states.
Which three Indian cities feature among the world's top 50 most innovation-intensive clusters, as noted in the Economic Survey 2025-26?
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Correct answer: D — Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai
PIB: Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai feature among the top 50 most innovation-intensive clusters worldwide.
In January 2026, which mineral was notified as a Critical and Strategic Mineral under the MMDR Act, 1957?
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Correct answer: A — Coking coal
PIB (29 Jan 2026): The Government notified coking coal as a Critical and Strategic Mineral under the MMDR Act, 1957.
India's coking coal resources, estimated at 37.37 billion tonnes, are largely located in which state?
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Correct answer: D — Jharkhand
PIB: Coking coal resources are largely in Jharkhand, with more in Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh.
Consider the following statements about the January 2026 notification on coking coal: 1. Coking coal was included in Part D of the First Schedule of the MMDR Act, which lists critical and strategic minerals. 2. Royalty and auction premium from such mining leases will now go to the Central Government instead of the states. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
PIB: Coking coal was added to Part D. Under Section 11D(3), royalty, auction premium and other payments continue to accrue to the State Governments.
According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, India's remittance inflows in FY25 were:
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Correct answer: C — USD 135.4 billion
PIB: India remains the world's largest recipient of remittances with inflows of USD 135.4 billion in FY25.
As per the Economic Survey 2025-26, India's total exports (merchandise and services) in FY25 reached a record of:
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Correct answer: C — USD 825.3 billion
PIB: Total exports reached a record USD 825.3 billion in FY25; services alone were USD 387.6 billion.
According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, India's share of global merchandise exports in 2024 was about:
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Correct answer: B — 1.8%
PIB: India's share of global merchandise exports nearly doubled from 1% in 2005 to 1.8% in 2024.
According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, the number of airports in India increased from 74 in 2014 to how many in 2025?
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Correct answer: C — 164
PIB: The number of airports increased from 74 in 2014 to 164 in 2025.
As per the Economic Survey 2025-26, international IIT campuses have been established in which two places?
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Correct answer: A — Zanzibar and Abu Dhabi
PIB: India has 23 IITs, 21 IIMs and 20 AIIMS, alongside two international IIT campuses in Zanzibar and Abu Dhabi.
Consider the following statements based on the Economic Survey 2025-26: 1. Power DISCOMs recorded a positive profit after tax for the first time in FY25. 2. Multidimensional poverty (NITI Aayog) declined to 11.28% in 2022-23. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
PIB: DISCOMs recorded a positive PAT of ₹2,701 crore in FY25 for the first time, and MPI declined from 55.3% (2005-06) to 11.28% (2022-23).
In the second instalment of XV Finance Commission untied grants for 2025-26 released on 29 January 2026, which of these states received the largest amount?
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Correct answer: D — Maharashtra
PIB: Maharashtra ₹714.32 crore, Andhra Pradesh ₹410.76 crore, Tripura ₹30.6 crore.
The 100-m steel bridge completed in January 2026 for the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train passes over what?
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Correct answer: A — An underground metro tunnel between Kalupur and Shahpur stations
PIB: The alignment passes over the underground metro tunnel connecting Kalupur and Shahpur metro stations in Ahmedabad; it is the 13th of 17 steel bridges in Gujarat.
The Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence, announced in January 2026 with a ₹100-crore endowment, will be set up at which institute?
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Correct answer: D — IIM Ahmedabad
PIB: IIM Ahmedabad exchanged an MoU for the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of AI with a ₹100-crore endowment.
In January 2026 the National Biodiversity Authority disbursed ₹17 lakh to the Biodiversity Management Committee of BMC Mumbai under the ABS mechanism. The benefit came from commercial use of which biological resource?
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Correct answer: A — Bacillus soil micro-organisms
PIB: The disbursement stems from commercial utilisation of soil micro-organisms of the Bacillus genus for probiotic products.
Under a January 2026 MoU, Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd will set up a 150 TPD e-methanol plant at which port?
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Correct answer: A — Kandla (Deendayal Port)
PIB: APL signed an MoU with Deendayal Port Authority for a 150 TPD e-methanol plant at Kandla Port, Gujarat.
What is the approximate capital investment planned for APL's e-methanol project at Kandla (MoU of January 2026)?
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Correct answer: D — More than ₹1,200 crore
PIB: More than ₹1,200 crore will be invested; about 3,500 jobs are expected.
Under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, waste must be segregated at source into four streams. Which of the following is NOT one of these four streams?
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Correct answer: A — Construction and demolition waste
PIB: the four streams are wet waste, dry waste, sanitary waste and special care waste.
Consider the following statements about the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026: 1. They have been notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and supersede the SWM Rules, 2016. 2. An entity generating 100 kg or more of solid waste per day is a Bulk Waste Generator. 3. Environmental compensation will be levied by the Central Pollution Control Board directly. Which of the statements given above are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 and 2 only
PIB: notified under EP Act 1986, superseding 2016 rules; 100 kg/day is one Bulk Waste Generator threshold. CPCB prepares guidelines but SPCBs/PCCs levy the compensation, so statement 3 is wrong.
From which date will the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 come into full effect?
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Correct answer: B — 1 April 2026
PIB: the rules will come into full effect from April 1, 2026.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died on 28 January 2026 in an air crash at which place?
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Correct answer: B — Baramati
PIB (Civil Aviation): the Learjet 45 VT-SSK met with an accident at Baramati while operating the Mumbai–Baramati sector.
Consider the following statements about the Baramati air crash of 28 January 2026: 1. The aircraft was a Learjet 45 operated by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd. 2. Five persons, including two crew members, were on board. 3. Ajit Pawar had earlier been a Member of the 10th Lok Sabha from Baramati. Which of the statements given above are correct?
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Correct answer: D — 1, 2 and 3
PIB: Learjet 45 VT-SSK of VSR Ventures with 5 persons on board including 2 crew; the Lok Sabha Speaker noted Pawar served in the 10th Lok Sabha from Baramati.
Wings India 2026, addressed by the Prime Minister on 28 January 2026, was held in which city?
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Correct answer: D — Hyderabad
PIB (PMO): PM addressed the Wings India 2026 programme at Hyderabad in Telangana via video conferencing.
At Wings India 2026, the Prime Minister said the number of airports in India has risen from 70 in 2014 to more than how many today?
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Correct answer: C — 160
PIB (PMO): in 2014 India had 70 airports, while today the number has risen to more than 160.
India and the EU concluded negotiations on financial services in the India-EU FTA. According to the Finance Ministry, total India-EU services trade in 2024 was around:
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Correct answer: C — USD 83 billion
PIB (Finance): in 2024, total services trade between India and EU is around $83 billion.
Consider the following statements about the India-EU FTA financial services chapter: 1. It was finalised during the last round of negotiations held on 6 January 2026. 2. It contains provisions on digital payments and fintech. 3. In 2024 India imported more financial services from the EU than it exported to the EU. Which of the statements given above are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 1 and 2 only
PIB: finalised on 6 January 2026 with innovative provisions on digital payments and fintech. India exported USD 700 million and imported about USD 600 million, so statement 3 is wrong.
The Budget Session of Parliament that began on 28 January 2026 with the President's address is which session of the 18th Lok Sabha?
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Correct answer: C — 7th Session
PIB (Lok Sabha Secretariat): 'On the first day of the 7th Session of the 18th Lok Sabha…' (28 January 2026).
In her address to Parliament at the start of the Budget Session on 28 January 2026, President Droupadi Murmu referred to the celebration of how many years of Vande Mataram?
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Correct answer: C — 150 years
PIB (President's Secretariat): "At present, India is celebrating 150 years of Vande Mataram."
Consider the following statements about the Uttarakhand Green Hydrogen Policy, 2026: 1. It was approved by the state cabinet chaired by CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on 28 January 2026. 2. It seeks to use the state's hydropower resources for green hydrogen production. 3. It is aligned with the National Green Hydrogen Mission, 2023. Which of the statements given above are correct?
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Correct answer: D — 1, 2 and 3
HT and NIE: cabinet chaired by CM Dhami approved it on Wednesday (28 Jan 2026) to leverage hydropower; NIE and TOI: aligned with the National Green Hydrogen Mission, 2023.
Sampoornata Abhiyan 2.0, launched by NITI Aayog on 28 January 2026, will run until which date?
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Correct answer: B — 14 April 2026
PIB (NITI Aayog): a 3-month campaign running from 28 January to 14 April 2026.
Under Sampoornata Abhiyan 2.0, how many Key Performance Indicators are to be saturated in Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks respectively?
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Correct answer: B — 5 and 6
PIB (NITI Aayog): saturation of 5 KPIs in Aspirational Districts and 6 KPIs in Aspirational Blocks.
According to MoSPI's quick estimate, by how much did India's Index of Industrial Production grow in December 2025?
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Correct answer: C — 7.8%
PIB (MoSPI): IIP rose by 7.8% in December 2025, the highest level in over two years. 8.1% was manufacturing growth; 7.2% was November (revised).
In the December 2025 IIP, which manufacturing industry group recorded the highest growth (34.9%)?
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Correct answer: A — Computer, electronic and optical products
PIB (MoSPI): computer, electronic and optical products 34.9%; motor vehicles 33.5%; other transport equipment 25.1%.
The new Aadhaar App launched on 28 January 2026 allows management of how many Aadhaar profiles on a single device under the 'One Family – One App' concept?
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Correct answer: D — Five
PIB (MeitY): it allows management of up to five Aadhaar profiles on a single device.
Who dedicated the new Aadhaar App to the nation on 28 January 2026?
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Correct answer: B — Jitin Prasada
PIB (MeitY): Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and Electronics & IT Jitin Prasada dedicated the new Aadhaar App to the nation.
Which freedom fighter, popularly called 'Punjab Kesari', was remembered on his birth anniversary on 28 January 2026?
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Correct answer: A — Lala Lajpat Rai
PIB (PMO): the PM paid tributes to Punjab Kesari Lala Lajpat Rai on his birth anniversary on 28 January 2026.
Which institution will act as the host institution for the high-level committee formed in January 2026 to strengthen FPOs in Tamil Nadu?
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Correct answer: D — ICAR–National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirappalli
PIB (Agriculture): ICAR-NRCB, Tiruchirappalli, along with KVKs through ICAR-ATARI Hyderabad, will act as the host institution.
The committee to strengthen FPOs in Tamil Nadu was formed after the Union Agriculture Minister's visit to which district?
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Correct answer: A — Erode
PIB (Agriculture): the decision follows Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan's recent visit to Erode, Tamil Nadu.
Which of the following was NOT part of the Indian Navy's First Training Squadron that held a PASSEX with HTMS Huahin off Phuket on 28 January 2026?
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Correct answer: A — INS Vikrant
PIB (Defence): 1TS comprised INS Tir, INS Sujata, INS Shardul and ICGS Sarathi.
A January 2026 study found that dust storms from western India carry airborne pathogens to Eastern Himalayan hilltops. Which institute carried out this study?
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Correct answer: B — Bose Institute
PIB (DST): researchers from Bose Institute, an autonomous institute of DST, conducted the study, published in Science of the Total Environment.
Which university was announced in January 2026 as India's first AI-enabled state university pilot under a collaboration between MSDE and Google Cloud?
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Correct answer: D — Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut
PIB (MSDE): CCSU, Meerut is positioned as India's first AI-enabled state university pilot through collaboration with MSDE and Google Cloud.
The Prime Minister addressed the centenary of the Arya Vaidya Sala Charitable Hospital on 28 January 2026. Who founded the Arya Vaidya Sala?
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Correct answer: C — Vaidyaratnam P.S. Varier
PIB (PMO): the PM recalled the contributions of Arya Vaidyasala's founder, Vaidyaratnam P.S. Varier.
The conclusion of the India–EU Free Trade Agreement was announced on 27 January 2026 at which India–EU Summit?
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Correct answer: C — 16th
PIB (Commerce): announced at the 16th India–EU Summit.
Consider the following statements about the India–EU FTA concluded in January 2026: 1. Over 99% of Indian exports by trade value gain preferential access to the EU. 2. India has given the EU market access in the dairy sector. 3. Negotiations had been relaunched in 2022. Which of the statements given above are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 1 and 3 only
PIB (Commerce): 99%+ exports get preferential entry; negotiations relaunched in 2022; sensitive agriculture and dairy get no market access, so statement 2 is wrong.
According to the Commerce Ministry, India's bilateral trade in goods with the EU in 2024-25 was about:
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Correct answer: C — USD 136.54 billion
PIB (Commerce): goods trade USD 136.54 billion in 2024-25 (exports USD 75.85 bn, imports USD 60.68 bn).
What is the title of the overarching document adopted at the 16th India–EU Summit in January 2026?
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Correct answer: A — Towards 2030: A Joint India–EU Comprehensive Strategic Agenda
PIB (PMO, List of Outcomes): 'Towards 2030: A Joint India-European Union Comprehensive Strategic Agenda' is the overarching document.
Consider the following outcomes of the 16th India–EU Summit (27 January 2026): 1. A Security and Defence Partnership 2. Constitution of a Green Hydrogen Task Force 3. India's full membership of the Horizon Europe programme Which of the above were outcomes of the summit?
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Correct answer: A — 1 and 2 only
PIB (List of Outcomes): Security and Defence Partnership and a Green Hydrogen Task Force were outcomes; on Horizon Europe only exploratory talks for an association agreement were launched.
Who were the Chief Guests of India's 77th Republic Day celebrations in 2026?
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Correct answer: D — António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen
PIB (President's Secretariat): European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were Chief Guests of the 77th Republic Day.
At India Energy Week 2026 in Goa, India and Canada launched which renewed mechanism?
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Correct answer: B — India–Canada Ministerial Energy Dialogue
PIB (Petroleum): the two Ministers launched the renewed India-Canada Ministerial Energy Dialogue.
Consider the following statements about the India–Canada energy meeting at IEW 2026: 1. Canada was represented by Energy Minister Timothy Hodgson. 2. It was the first high-level participation of a Canadian Cabinet Minister at IEW. 3. It followed up on the Prime Ministers' interaction at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg. Which of the statements given above are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 and 2 only
PIB (Petroleum): Hodgson attended, marking the first high-level participation of a Canadian Cabinet Minister at IEW; it followed the PMs' interaction at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis (June 2025), not the G20.
According to the Health Ministry's statement of 27 January 2026, how many confirmed Nipah Virus Disease cases had been reported in West Bengal since December 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Two
PIB (Health): as per NCDC, only two confirmed cases of Nipah Virus Disease have been reported from West Bengal since December.
In the January 2026 Nipah clarification, which body's reports did the Health Ministry cite for the confirmed case count?
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Correct answer: C — National Centre for Disease Control
PIB (Health): the figures are 'as per reports received from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)'.
In January 2026 the Madhya Pradesh cabinet approved ₹390 crore over five years for buffer-zone development in how many tiger reserves of the state?
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Correct answer: D — Nine
ANI (via LatestLY) and NDTV: ₹390 crore for buffer zones of the state's nine tiger reserves from 2026-27 to 2030-31.
The Madhya Pradesh cabinet on 27 January 2026 excluded about 396 hectares of town land from which protected area, declaring it Revenue Nazul?
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Correct answer: B — Pachmarhi Sanctuary
ANI and NDTV: 395.939 ha of Pachmarhi town's Nazul land under SADA was excluded from the Pachmarhi Sanctuary and declared Revenue Nazul.
Under the next phase of the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme, the government aims to enable at least how many fabless semiconductor companies?
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Correct answer: C — 50
PIB (MeitY): target of enabling at least 50 fabless semiconductor companies in the next phase.
Which of the following is NOT among the six key semiconductor design domains identified for the next phase of the DLI Scheme?
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Correct answer: C — Display Panels
PIB (MeitY): the six domains are Compute Systems, RF, Networking, Power Management, Sensors and Memory.