Daily Current Affairs Quiz
Daily Quiz — January 15, 2026
Question 1 of 10
India celebrated its 78th Army Day on January 15, 2026, in which city?
The 78th Army Day Parade was held in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on Mahal Road — the first time the parade was held outside a cantonment in the city, and only the fourth time it was held outside Delhi nationally. COAS General Upendra Dwivedi presided.
💡 Concept Note
Army Day is celebrated on January 15 every year, marking January 15, 1949, when General K.M. Cariappa became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief. The parade was first moved out of Delhi Cantonment in 2023 (Bengaluru), then Lucknow (2024), Pune (2025), and now Jaipur (2026). This rotation is to showcase the Army's national character.
Question 2 of 10
The 2026 gharial survey found 3,037 gharials across how many rivers in the Ganga basin?
The 2026 gharial survey found 3,037 Gavialis gangeticus individuals across 13 rivers in the Ganga basin. The National Chambal Sanctuary hosts the majority (~70-75%) of India's gharial population. Gharials are IUCN Critically Endangered and under Schedule I of WPA 1972.
💡 Concept Note
Project Crocodile (1975) was launched under UNDP/FAO support to conserve all three Indian crocodilian species: Mugger Crocodile (Vulnerable), Saltwater Crocodile (Least Concern), and Gharial (Critically Endangered). The gharial population was below 200 in 1975; the 3,037 count in 2026 shows a 15-fold recovery. The National Chambal Sanctuary (1978; 5,400 sq km; MP+UP+Rajasthan) is the key habitat.
Question 3 of 10
The NITI Aayog Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024 ranked which large state as the top performer?
Maharashtra scored 68.01 to top the EPI 2024 among large states, followed by Tamil Nadu (65.12), Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh. The EPI 2024 was the 4th edition published by NITI Aayog, using a framework of 4 pillars, 13 sub-pillars, and 70 indicators. Among Himalayan and North-Eastern states, Sikkim ranked first; among Union Territories, Goa topped.
💡 Concept Note
Export Preparedness Index (EPI) was first published by NITI Aayog in August 2020. Its 4 pillars: Export Infrastructure (20%), Business Ecosystem (40%), Policy and Governance (20%), Export Performance (20%). India's export goal: USD 1 trillion in merchandise exports by 2030 as part of Viksit Bharat @2047.
Question 4 of 10
India assumed BRICS Chairmanship in 2026 as host of the 18th BRICS Summit. How many members does BRICS+ have after the 2023 Johannesburg expansion?
After the 2023 Johannesburg Summit (15th BRICS Summit, South Africa's chairmanship), BRICS expanded from 5 to 10 members by adding Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. India will host the 18th BRICS Summit under its 2026 chairmanship with four pillars: Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, Environmental Sustainability.
💡 Concept Note
BRICS timeline: Formed as BRIC (2009, Yekaterinburg, Russia) + South Africa added in 2011. 15th Summit: Johannesburg, South Africa (August 2023) — expansion to 10 members. 16th Summit: Kazan, Russia (October 2024). 17th Summit: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2025). 18th Summit: India (2026) — India holds the Chairship for the fourth time, having previously chaired in 2012, 2016, and 2021. BRICS+ pillars under India 2026: Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, Environmental Sustainability.
Question 5 of 10
Under the UGC Equity Regulations 2026, complaints of caste discrimination in universities must be resolved within how many working days?
UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations 2026 require complaints to be acknowledged within 24 hours and resolved within 15 working days. Every HEI must establish an Equal Opportunity Centre and Equity Committee. The regulations were stayed by the Supreme Court in late January 2026.
💡 Concept Note
The regulations follow 2019 PILs by Radhika Vemula (mother of Rohith Vemula, Hyderabad Central University) and Abeda Salim Tadvi (mother of Payal Tadvi, Mumbai medical college) — both were students who died by suicide amid institutional caste discrimination. UGC was established under UGC Act, 1956 and functions under the Ministry of Education.
Question 6 of 10
India's bioeconomy grew from approximately what value in 2014 to $166 billion by 2024?
India's bioeconomy grew approximately 16-fold from around $10 billion in 2014 to ~$166 billion in 2024, making India one of the top 12 bioeconomy nations globally. Biotech startups grew from 50-70 (2014) to over 11,000 (2026). The national target is a $300 billion bioeconomy. This is aligned with the BioE3 Policy (August 2024) — Biotechnology for Economy, Environment, and Employment — aimed at making India a global biotech manufacturing hub.
💡 Concept Note
The bioeconomy segments: Bio-Industrial (47%), BioPharma (35%), Bio-Research and IT (9%), Bio-Agri (8%). India's biotech success factors: Vaccine manufacturing (Serum Institute is world's largest; Bharat Biotech), biosimilars (Biocon), agricultural biotech (GM cotton, hybrid seeds), and a large English-speaking scientific workforce. CAGR target: 17-18%.
Question 7 of 10
The Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, where a forest fire occurred in January 2026, received UNESCO World Heritage Site status in which year?
Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (including the adjoining Valley of Flowers) received UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1988. An IAF Mi-17 V5 helicopter was deployed for aerial firefighting after a forest fire broke out in the Govindghat range, Chamoli district. The Valley of Flowers NP (~87 sq km) was confirmed safe.
💡 Concept Note
Nanda Devi National Park (UNESCO WHS 1988) is in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand. It protects the Nanda Devi mountain (7,816 m; India's second-highest peak). Valley of Flowers is also a UNESCO WHS (extended the Nanda Devi site in 2005). Both form a contiguous high-altitude ecosystem known for snow leopards, Himalayan brown bears, and rare alpine flora. Mi-17 V5 is a medium-lift utility helicopter; India's IAF uses it extensively for Himalayan operations.
Question 8 of 10
Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa, whose assumption of command Army Day commemorates, was one of two Field Marshals in Indian Army history. Who was the other?
India has had exactly two Field Marshals: K.M. Cariappa (promoted to Field Marshal on January 15, 1986, at a special investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan by President Zail Singh — he was 87 at the time and died in 1993) and Sam Manekshaw (promoted to Field Marshal in 1973, during his tenure as COAS, for his role in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War). Army Day commemorates January 15, 1949, when Cariappa became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief.
💡 Concept Note
Field Marshal is the five-star rank of the Indian Army — the highest possible rank, conferred only in exceptional circumstances. General K.M. Cariappa: first Indian C-in-C (1949); served as High Commissioner to Australia. Sam Manekshaw: COAS during 1971 war; 'Sam Bahadur'; known for tactical brilliance; first Field Marshal promoted in active service.
Question 9 of 10
The 'Bravest of the Brave' Unit Award at Army Day 2026 was conferred on which regiment?
The 'Bravest of the Brave' Unit Award at the 78th Army Day 2026 was conferred on 8 Assam Rifles. Assam Rifles is India's oldest paramilitary force (established 1835) and operates under dual control — Ministry of Defence (operational) and Ministry of Home Affairs (administrative). Headquarters: Shillong, Meghalaya.
💡 Concept Note
Assam Rifles timeline: 1835 as Cachar Levy → renamed several times → Assam Rifles (current name since 1917). Role: Counter-insurgency in Northeast India; border guarding on Myanmar border (India-Myanmar border of ~1,643 km). Nickname: 'Sentinels of the Northeast' and 'Friends of the Hill People'. Assam Rifles operates 46 battalions — the largest paramilitary force for the Northeast.
Question 10 of 10
Gagan Narang, appointed as Director of National Olympic Academy (NOA) in January 2026, won an Olympic medal in which event?
Gagan Narang won a Bronze Medal in 10m Air Rifle at the 2012 London Olympics — India's first individual Olympic medal in shooting at those Games. He was appointed Director of the National Olympic Academy (NOA) by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). P.T. Usha (IOA President) heads the NOA as President.
💡 Concept Note
India's Olympic shooting medals: Abhinav Bindra — Gold, 10m Air Rifle (2008 Beijing) — India's first individual Olympic gold; Gagan Narang — Bronze, 10m Air Rifle (2012 London); Rahi Sarnobat — no Olympic medal but Asian Games champion. IOA (Indian Olympic Association) was established in 1927 and affiliates India to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). India's target for 2028 Los Angeles: Top 10 in medal tally.