Asia Current Affairs Quiz — Last 12 months
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
Which of the following countries was NOT on the port-call list of the Indian Navy's First Training Squadron deployment announced in January 2026?
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Correct answer: D — Vietnam
PIB (Defence): the squadron is scheduled to call at Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.
Which Indian Coast Guard ship is part of the Navy's First Training Squadron on its January 2026 deployment?
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Correct answer: A — ICGS Sarathi
PIB (Defence): the squadron comprises INS Tir, Shardul, Sujata and ICGS Sarathi.
From which date have the four Labour Codes been in force, as stated by the Labour Ministry in January 2026?
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Correct answer: A — 21 November 2025
PIB (Labour): the Codes have been implemented with effect from 21 November 2025.
Consider the following statements about the Labour Ministry's regional conference in Goa (January 2026): 1. It was the first in a series of six regional conferences. 2. Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated it in person in Goa. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
PIB (Labour): statement 1 is correct; Mandaviya inaugurated the conference virtually, through video conference.
Besides the four Labour Codes, which of the following was on the agenda of the Labour Ministry's regional conferences announced in January 2026?
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Correct answer: C — ESIC, EPFO and PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana
PIB (Labour): the conferences deliberate on issues concerning ESIC, EPFO and the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY).
Where is the headquarters of the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), which marked its 125th Foundation Day in January 2026?
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Correct answer: D — Dhanbad
PIB (Labour): DGMS celebrated its 125th Foundation Day at its headquarters in Dhanbad, Jharkhand.
In which year was the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) established?
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Correct answer: B — 1902
PIB (Labour): DGMS was established in 1902.
The Farakka Barrage Project, reviewed by the Water Resources Secretary in January 2026, is located on which river?
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Correct answer: C — Ganga
PIB (Jal Shakti): the review covered works including an eroded embankment on the upstream left bank of the river Ganga.
What was the theme of the National Review Meeting of Metropolitan Surveillance Units held in Nagpur in January 2026?
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Correct answer: C — Proactive Surveillance, Protected Cities
PIB (Health): the meeting was held under the theme 'Proactive Surveillance, Protected Cities'.
The Metropolitan Surveillance Units review meeting in Nagpur (January 2026) covered how many cities?
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Correct answer: C — 20
PIB (Health): the meeting was held for 20 cities across the country.
The MoU signed on 7 January 2026 between the Ministry of Rural Development and the Department of Posts links India Post's network with which mission?
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Correct answer: A — DAY-NRLM
PIB (Rural Development): the MoU brings together the network of DAY-NRLM with India Post's rural post offices, IPPB and Dak Sevaks.
In January 2026, online ticket booking for over 170 ASI-protected monuments and museums was made available on which network?
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Correct answer: B — Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)
PIB (Ministry of Culture): ASI enabled online ticket booking for over 170 monuments and museums on ONDC.
Which entity technically enabled the onboarding of ASI's monuments and museums onto the ONDC network in January 2026?
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Correct answer: C — NSDL Database Management Limited (NDML)
PIB (Ministry of Culture): the integration was technically enabled by NDML, which onboarded ASI's complete inventory onto ONDC.
Consider the following statements about online booking of ASI monument tickets through ONDC (January 2026): 1. Indian visitors get a ₹5 discount on online booking. 2. Foreign nationals get a ₹50 discount on online booking. 3. Tickets can be booked only through a single ASI-run app. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: D — 1 and 2 only
PIB: the ₹5 (Indians) and ₹50 (foreigners) discounts continue, and tickets can be booked through multiple ONDC apps such as Highway Delite, Pelocal and Abhee, so statement 3 is wrong.
The Rajasthan Regional AI Impact Conference (January 2026) launched a programme to train how many young people in AI skills?
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Correct answer: C — 10 lakh (1 million)
PIB (MeitY): a programme was launched to train one million young people in artificial intelligence skills.
The regional AI Impact Conferences such as the one held in Rajasthan in January 2026 were precursors to the India AI Impact Summit scheduled for:
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Correct answer: A — 15–20 February 2026
PIB (MeitY): the conference served as a precursor to the India AI Impact Summit to be held from 15–20 February 2026.
With reference to the Rajasthan Regional AI Impact Conference of 6 January 2026, consider the following statements: 1. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw attended the conference virtually. 2. MoUs were signed with Google, IIT Delhi and National Law University, Jodhpur, among others. 3. Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore attended as Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: D — 1 and 2 only
PIB (MeitY): Vaishnaw attended virtually and the MoUs included Google, IIT Delhi, NLU Jodhpur and the Wadhwani Foundation. The Union MoS was Jitin Prasada; Rathore attended as Rajasthan's Cabinet Minister for IT & Communication, so statement 3 is wrong.
How many projects are included in the three-year PPP project pipeline released by the Department of Economic Affairs in January 2026?
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Correct answer: B — 852
PIB (Ministry of Finance): the pipeline comprises 852 projects with a combined cost of over ₹17 lakh crore.
Consider the following statements about the PPP project pipeline released in January 2026: 1. It was prepared by the Department of Economic Affairs in pursuance of a Union Budget 2025-26 announcement. 2. It covers only projects of central infrastructure ministries and excludes States/UTs. 3. Its combined project cost exceeds ₹17 lakh crore. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 and 3 only
PIB: the DEA made the pipeline under a Budget 2025-26 announcement, and it includes both central ministries and States/UTs, worth over ₹17 lakh crore. Statement 2 is wrong.
The fifth edition of NITI Aayog's 'Trade Watch Quarterly', released in January 2026, had a thematic focus on which sector?
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Correct answer: D — Automotive exports
PIB (NITI Aayog): the thematic section of this edition focuses on India's automotive exports.
Which period does the fifth edition of NITI Aayog's Trade Watch Quarterly (released January 2026) cover?
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Correct answer: A — April–June 2025
PIB (NITI Aayog): the edition covers Quarter I of FY 2025-26, i.e. April–June 2025.
How many literary works in classical Indian languages did Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan release on 6 January 2026?
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Correct answer: B — 55
PIB (Ministry of Education): he released 55 literary works — 41 books from CIIL's Centres of Excellence plus 13 books and a Tirukkural sign language series from CICT.
Which classical Tamil work was released in an Indian Sign Language series by the Central Institute of Classical Tamil in January 2026?
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Correct answer: D — Tirukkural
PIB (Ministry of Education): CICT brought out a Tirukkural Sign Language series along with 13 books.
Consider the following statements regarding classical languages in India: 1. The Centres for Excellence for studies in Classical Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and Odia function under the Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysuru. 2. The Sahitya Akademi is the nodal agency for the Linguistic Experts Committee that examines classical language proposals. 3. Marathi and Bengali were among the languages granted classical status on 3 October 2024. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — 1, 2 and 3
PIB (Cabinet, 3 October 2024): the Centres of Excellence are under CIIL, Mysuru; Sahitya Akademi is the nodal agency for the LEC; and Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali were granted classical status. All three are correct.
Which hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle did Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and Nitin Gadkari ride together in January 2026?
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Correct answer: B — Toyota Mirai
PIB (MNRE): the ministers took a joint ride in the Toyota Mirai fuel-cell electric vehicle.
Consider the following statements about the Toyota Mirai used in the ministers' ride of January 2026: 1. It generates electricity through a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. 2. Its only by-product is water vapour. 3. Its driving range is about 650 km. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: D — 1, 2 and 3
PIB (MNRE): the Mirai produces electricity from hydrogen and oxygen, emits only water vapour and has a range of about 650 km. All three are correct.
Where did the Ministry of Coal hold its two-day Chintan Shivir on 5–6 January 2026?
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Correct answer: C — Manesar, Gurugram
PIB (Ministry of Coal): the Chintan Shivir was held on 5–6 January 2026 at Manesar, Gurugram.
W Ursae Majoris (W UMa)-type stars, studied by ARIES and PRL astronomers in a study reported in January 2026, are best described as:
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Correct answer: C — Short-period contact binaries sharing a single outer atmosphere
PIB (DST): W UMa stars are short-period, dumbbell-shaped binaries in which the two stars are in contact and share a single outer atmosphere.
Consider the following statements about the W UMa contact-binary study reported by DST in January 2026: 1. It used data from ARIES's 1.3-m Devasthal Fast Optical Telescope. 2. It used data from NASA's TESS space telescope. 3. It was carried out by ARIES jointly with the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 and 2 only
PIB (DST): the study used the 1.3-m DFOT and TESS data and was done by ARIES with the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, not IIA. Statement 3 is wrong.
According to Indian Railways (January 2026), how many Amrit Bharat Express services were operational after 13 such trains were introduced during 2025?
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Correct answer: C — 30
PIB (Railways): during 2025, 13 Amrit Bharat trains were introduced, taking the total operational services to 30.
Which statement correctly describes Amrit Bharat Express trains, as per Indian Railways in January 2026?
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Correct answer: B — Fully non-AC trains with sleeper and general class coaches
PIB (Railways): Amrit Bharat Express trains are fully non-AC services with sleeper and general class coaches.
The Human Capital Working Group meeting of MeitY and the IndiaAI Mission held in January 2026 was organised in collaboration with which state government and institute?
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Correct answer: A — Government of Assam and IIT Guwahati
PIB (MeitY): the meeting was organised in collaboration with the Government of Assam and IIT Guwahati.
According to the session on the National Language Translation Mission at the January 2026 Human Capital Working Group meeting, the mission prioritises how many constitutionally recognised Indian languages?
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Correct answer: D — 22
PIB (MeitY): the mission prioritises the 22 constitutionally recognised Indian languages.
MOIL, which reported record production in January 2026, mainly mines which mineral?
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Correct answer: D — Manganese ore
PIB (Ministry of Steel): MOIL achieved record manganese ore production of 4.77 lakh tonnes in Q3 FY 2025-26.
What was MOIL's manganese ore production in April–December 2025, its best-ever nine-month figure?
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Correct answer: B — 14.21 lakh tonnes
PIB (Ministry of Steel): MOIL produced 14.21 lakh tonnes in April–December 2025, about 6.8% more than the same period last year.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs' Hackathon 2.0 (January 2026) aimed to develop a national digital platform for implementing which law?
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Correct answer: A — Forest Rights Act, 2006
PIB (Tribal Affairs): Hackathon 2.0 advanced a unified national digital platform for effective implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.
Consider the following statements about the Ministry of Tribal Affairs' Hackathon 2.0 held on 5–6 January 2026: 1. It was held at the National Tribal Research Institute, New Delhi. 2. Only the winning team of Smart India Hackathon 2025 was engaged for development. 3. Experts from IIT Delhi and NIC took part. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 1 and 3 only
PIB (Tribal Affairs): the workshop was at NTRI, New Delhi, with IIT Delhi and NIC experts. MoTA engaged all five SIH 2025 finalists, not only the winner, so statement 2 is wrong.
ICGS Samudra Pratap, commissioned on 5 January 2026, was built by which shipyard?
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Correct answer: D — Goa Shipyard Limited
PIB (Ministry of Defence): Samudra Pratap is the first of two pollution control vessels built by Goa Shipyard Limited.
Where will ICGS Samudra Pratap be based after its commissioning in January 2026?
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Correct answer: A — Kochi
PIB (Ministry of Defence): the ship will be based at Kochi under the operational control of the Commander, Coast Guard Region (West).
Consider the following statements about ICGS Samudra Pratap: 1. It is India's first indigenously designed pollution control vessel. 2. It is the largest ship in the Indian Coast Guard fleet to date. 3. It has over 90% indigenous content. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 1 and 2 only
PIB (Ministry of Defence): the ship is India's first indigenously designed PCV and the largest ICG ship, with over 60% indigenous content; 90% is the future goal mentioned by the Raksha Mantri, so statement 3 is wrong.
The Residue Upgradation Facility commissioned by HPCL at its Visakh Refinery in January 2026 uses which technology, described as the world's first unit of its kind?
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Correct answer: A — LC-Max residue hydrocracking
HPCL, Economic Times and Business Standard: the RUF employs LC-Max based residue hydrocracking and is the world's first LC-Max unit.
What is the capacity of the Residue Upgradation Facility commissioned at HPCL's Visakh Refinery in January 2026?
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Correct answer: B — 3.55 MMTPA
HPCL and Business Standard: the RUF has a capacity of 3.55 million tonnes per annum.
Which is the largest of the three Chenab Valley Power Projects Ltd hydro projects reviewed by Power Minister Manohar Lal in January 2026?
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Correct answer: C — Pakal Dul
PIB (Ministry of Power): the CVPP projects are Pakal Dul (1,000 MW), Kiru (624 MW) and Kwar (540 MW).
The Pakal Dul, Kiru and Kwar hydroelectric projects reviewed in January 2026 are located in which district of Jammu and Kashmir?
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Correct answer: A — Kishtwar
PIB (Ministry of Power): the Minister reached NHPC's Dulhasti Power Station, Kishtwar, and inspected all three CVPP projects.
Consider the following statements about the hydro projects reviewed by Power Minister Manohar Lal on 4–5 January 2026: 1. Pakal Dul and Kiru are to be commissioned by December 2026. 2. Kwar is to be commissioned by March 2028. 3. Kiru has a larger capacity than Pakal Dul. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: D — 1 and 2 only
PIB (Ministry of Power): Pakal Dul and Kiru by December 2026 and Kwar by March 2028. Kiru is 624 MW and Pakal Dul 1,000 MW, so statement 3 is wrong.
India's first commercial-scale tropical RAS-based rainbow trout farm, inaugurated in January 2026, is located in which state?
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Correct answer: D — Telangana
PIB (Fisheries): the farm and RAS facility are in Kandukur Mandal, Ranga Reddy district, Telangana.
In aquaculture, what does 'RAS', used at the Telangana trout facility opened in January 2026, stand for?
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Correct answer: B — Recirculating Aquaculture System
PIB (Fisheries): the facility is a Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) based rainbow trout farm.
What share of its 2025-26 Gross Budgetary Support had Indian Railways spent by the end of December 2025?
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Correct answer: D — 80.54%
PIB (Railways): Indian Railways spent 80.54%, i.e. ₹2,03,138 crore of the total GBS of ₹2,52,200 crore.
As per Indian Railways' capex update of January 2026, what was the total Gross Budgetary Support for 2025-26?
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Correct answer: B — ₹2,52,200 crore
PIB (Railways): the total GBS for 2025-26 is ₹2,52,200 crore, of which ₹2,03,138 crore was spent by December 2025.
With which organisation did ONGC sign an MoU in January 2026 for CSR-funded development of Eklavya Model Residential Schools?
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Correct answer: A — National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation
PIB (Tribal Affairs): ONGC signed the MoU with NSTFDC, an autonomous body of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Consider the following statements about the ONGC–NSTFDC MoU of January 2026 and the EMRS scheme: 1. ONGC sanctioned ₹28 crore of CSR funds under the MoU. 2. The support covers 144 Eklavya Model Residential Schools. 3. EMRS is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented by state education departments. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 1 and 2 only
PIB (Tribal Affairs): ONGC sanctioned ₹28 crore for 144 EMRS. EMRS is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, so statement 3 is wrong.
What is the motto of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), highlighted by the Vice-President at the Republic Day Camp 2026?
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Correct answer: C — Unity and Discipline
PIB (Vice-President's Secretariat): the Vice-President highlighted the NCC motto of 'Unity and Discipline'.
According to the Vice-President at the NCC Republic Day Camp 2026, about how many NCC cadets volunteered for civil defence duties during Operation Sindoor?
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Correct answer: D — 72,000
PIB (Vice-President's Secretariat): nearly 72,000 cadets volunteered for civil defence duties during Operation Sindoor.
In its 5 January 2026 inspection drive, how many road stretches maintained by the Noida Authority did CAQM inspect?
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Correct answer: C — 142
PIB (MoEFCC): CAQM inspected 142 road stretches under the jurisdiction of the Noida Authority.
CAQM's road-dust inspections in NCR, such as the Noida drive of January 2026, are carried out under which statutory framework?
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Correct answer: B — Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)
PIB (MoEFCC): the drive was part of CAQM's monitoring and enforcement under the statutory framework of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
The 17th meeting of the Empowered Task Force (ETF), held on 5 January 2026, reviewed progress under which programme?
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Correct answer: C — Namami Gange
PIB (Jal Shakti): the ETF meeting focused on monitoring and compliance frameworks under the Namami Gange Programme.
Who chaired the 17th meeting of the Empowered Task Force on Ganga rejuvenation in January 2026?
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Correct answer: A — C. R. Paatil
PIB (Jal Shakti): the 17th ETF meeting was held under the chairmanship of Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Paatil.
What were SAIL's provisional sales in December 2025, its highest-ever December figure?
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Correct answer: B — 2.1 million tonnes
PIB (Ministry of Steel): SAIL clocked provisional sales of 2.1 MT in December 2025, about 37% above 1.5 MT in December 2024.
Which status does Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) hold among central public sector enterprises, as stated in its January 2026 sales release?
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Correct answer: C — Maharatna
PIB (Ministry of Steel): SAIL is described as a Maharatna CPSE.
SAMPANN, whose pension documents were made available on DigiLocker in January 2026, is the pension management system of which department?
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Correct answer: C — Department of Telecommunications
PIB (Ministry of Communications): SAMPANN is an integrated online pension management system for Department of Telecommunications pensioners.
In the pension context, what does the acronym SAMPANN stand for?
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Correct answer: A — System for Accounting and Management of Pension
PIB (Ministry of Communications): SAMPANN stands for System for Accounting and Management of Pension.
Which CSIR laboratory, which celebrated its 80th Foundation Day on 5 January 2026, is associated with maintaining India's atomic-clock time standard?
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Correct answer: A — CSIR-National Physical Laboratory
PIB (Science & Technology): at NPL's 80th Foundation Day the Minister recalled the atomic clock housed at NPL and its role in establishing Indian Standard Time.
Consider the following statements about the CSIR-NPL Foundation Day event of 5 January 2026: 1. A National Primary Standard Facility for Solar Cell Calibration was inaugurated. 2. Phytochemical Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravyas developed jointly with CSIR-CIMAP were released. 3. It marked the 50th Foundation Day of CSIR-NPL. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — 1 and 2 only
PIB: the solar cell calibration facility was inaugurated and 14 phytochemical BNDs with CSIR-CIMAP were released, but it was NPL's 80th Foundation Day, so statement 3 is wrong.