Daily Current Affairs Quiz
Daily Quiz — January 18, 2026
Question 1 of 10
The National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) was launched in which year and under which ministry?
The National Green Hydrogen Mission was launched on January 4, 2023, under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Its target is 5 MMTPA green hydrogen production by 2030 with Rs 19,744 crore government outlay.
💡 Concept Note
Green hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of water using renewable electricity, with zero carbon emissions. The SIGHT programme under NGHM provides incentives for both electrolyser manufacturing (Component A) and green hydrogen production (Component B).
Question 2 of 10
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) was established under which international legal instrument?
ISA was established under Part XI and Annex VI of UNCLOS (1982), which entered into force in 1994. ISA regulates mineral-related activities in the Area (seabed beyond national jurisdiction), designated as the Common Heritage of Mankind under Article 136.
💡 Concept Note
India was one of the first Pioneer Investors with an ISA exploration licence in 1987 for polymetallic nodules in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB). Under the Deep Ocean Mission (Rs 4,077 crore, 2021), India is developing Matsya 6000, a crewed submersible capable of 6,000 m depth.
Question 3 of 10
Where is the headquarters of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) located?
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is headquartered in Kingston, Jamaica. It has 168 member states plus the European Union as members.
💡 Concept Note
ISA's The Enterprise is the commercial arm designed to conduct mining on behalf of developing countries, but it has never become operational. This is one of the equity concerns raised at RB-IOS 2026 in Chennai.
Question 4 of 10
The ASEAN-India FTA on goods (AIFTA) was concluded in which year?
The ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement on goods (AIFTA) was concluded in 2010. India and ASEAN also concluded a Services and Investment FTA in 2015. India's Act East Policy (2014) upgraded the earlier Look East Policy from economic to strategic engagement.
💡 Concept Note
ASEAN now has 11 full members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste (admitted as the 11th member on 26 October 2025 — the bloc's first expansion since 1999). ASEAN was founded on August 8, 1967 by the Bangkok Declaration. Its headquarters is in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Question 5 of 10
India and Singapore established the first bilateral real-time UPI-PayNow interoperability link in which year?
The UPI-PayNow real-time payment link between India and Singapore was launched on 21 February 2023, jointly by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). It was the world's first real-time payment systems linkage using scalable cloud-based infrastructure. Users can transfer funds using just a mobile number, UPI ID, or Virtual Payment Address — enabling instant, low-cost remittances in both directions.
💡 Concept Note
Under the ASEAN-India Digital Masterplan 2030, India aims to achieve bilateral payment interoperability with Indonesia (GoBiz), Malaysia (DuitNow), Thailand (PromptPay), Philippines (InstaPay), and Vietnam (NAPAS). UPI is also accepted in UAE, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka.
Question 6 of 10
What is the mandatory threshold for central government procurement on the GeM portal?
Procurement by central government departments above Rs 25,000 must be done through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal. GeM was launched in 2016. The Womaniya initiative on GeM (launched 2020) has enrolled over 10 lakh women sellers.
💡 Concept Note
GeM Womaniya has generated cumulative sales exceeding Rs 35,000 crore from women-owned businesses as of January 2026. Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with about 12 crore women members are primary beneficiaries. GeM is under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Question 7 of 10
CERT-In, India national nodal agency for cybersecurity, was established under which legislation?
CERT-In (Computer Emergency Response Team India) was established in 2004 under the Information Technology Act, 2000. It functions under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
💡 Concept Note
CERT-In coordinates cybersecurity incident response across India and works with international CERTs through bilateral and multilateral frameworks. The ASEAN-India Digital Masterplan 2030 includes joint CERT protocols between CERT-In and ASEAN member CERTs.
Question 8 of 10
Which of the following correctly states the revised MSME classification threshold for a Small Enterprise (post-2020)?
Post-2020 MSME classification: Micro (investment up to Rs 1 crore, turnover up to Rs 5 crore), Small (up to Rs 10 crore, up to Rs 50 crore), Medium (up to Rs 50 crore, up to Rs 250 crore). The 2020 revision was made to bring more enterprises under MSME benefits.
💡 Concept Note
India has approximately 6.3 crore MSMEs employing about 11 crore people, contributing ~30% of GDP and ~50% of exports. UDYAM portal (launched 2020) is the online MSME registration system, replacing Udyog Aadhaar. TReDS (Trade Receivables Discounting System) facilitates invoice financing for MSMEs.
Question 9 of 10
India is ranked as the world second-largest producer of fish. Which ministry oversees the fisheries sector in India?
The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying oversees India's fisheries sector. India produces approximately 16 million tonnes of fish annually and is the world's 2nd largest fish producer after China, employing about 28 million people.
💡 Concept Note
PM Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) is the flagship fisheries scheme with Rs 20,050 crore outlay (2020-25, extended). Israel is a leader in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) technology, which uses near-zero water and is relevant for India's water-scarce regions.
Question 10 of 10
What is the primary function of the IFC (International Finance Corporation) in relation to development finance?
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is the private sector arm of the World Bank Group. It finances private sector companies and projects in developing countries to promote economic development and reduce poverty, unlike the World Bank (IBRD) which lends to governments.
💡 Concept Note
Blended finance combines concessional development finance (IFC, ADB) with commercial capital to reduce risk and mobilise private investment into sectors typically underserved by commercial banks. ADB (Asian Development Bank) is headquartered in Manila, Philippines, founded in 1966. India is one of ADB largest borrowers.