Daily Current Affairs Quiz
Daily Quiz — January 20, 2026
Question 1 of 10
What is the correct composition of the committee that recommends the appointment of the Chief Vigilance Commissioner under the CVC Act, 2003?
Under the CVC Act, 2003, the Chief Vigilance Commissioner is appointed by the President on the recommendation of a committee comprising the Prime Minister (Chair), the Home Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
💡 Concept Note
The CVC (Central Vigilance Commission) was originally set up in 1964 on the recommendation of the Santhanam Committee. It was given statutory status by the CVC Act, 2003. The CVC superintends the CBI for cases referred to it and oversees vigilance administration in central government bodies.
Question 2 of 10
In which year was the Gangetic River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica) officially designated as India's National Aquatic Animal?
The Government of India declared the Gangetic River Dolphin as India's National Aquatic Animal in 2009. It is also the state animal of Assam (called Susu) and Bihar.
💡 Concept Note
The Gangetic River Dolphin is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which provides the highest legal protection. It is also listed in CITES Appendix I, prohibiting international commercial trade. Project Dolphin was launched by PM Modi on World Environment Day (June 5, 2020) modelled on Project Tiger.
Question 3 of 10
Exercise DOSTI is a trilateral coast guard exercise involving India and which two other nations?
Exercise DOSTI is a trilateral coast guard exercise involving India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives. It was initiated in 1991 as a bilateral exercise between India and Maldives; Sri Lanka joined in 2012. It is conducted biennially.
💡 Concept Note
DOSTI focuses on maritime security, VBSS (Visit Board Search and Seizure) operations, and marine pollution response. The 17th edition was held in Male, Maldives in January 2026. DOSTI reflects India's SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine and neighbourhood-first policy in the Indian Ocean Region.
Question 4 of 10
How many days did India and UAE take to conclude the CEPA negotiations — making it India's fastest-concluded Free Trade Agreement?
India and UAE concluded CEPA negotiations in just 88 days. The agreement was signed on February 18, 2022 and came into effect on May 1, 2022. It was India's first CEPA in over four years.
💡 Concept Note
India-UAE CEPA covers zero duty on approximately 99 percent of Indian products (covering about 90 percent of exports by value) and liberalises services trade in over 100 sub-sectors. The original bilateral trade target was USD 100 billion within 5 years; this was upgraded to USD 200 billion by 2032 at the January 2026 summit.
Question 5 of 10
India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) derives its primary legal basis from which legislation?
The Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) is based on the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2022, which amended the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. The regulator is the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the Ministry of Power.
💡 Concept Note
India's CCTS uses GHG Emission Intensity (GEI) targets — intensity reduction per unit of output — rather than absolute emission caps, making it compatible with economic growth. Carbon credits are tradeable on power exchanges. This domestic carbon market is part of India's Paris Agreement commitments and its Panchamrit climate pledges.
Question 6 of 10
Which institution leads India's nationwide riverine dolphin population surveys?
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, leads India's nationwide dolphin surveys. The 2021-23 first national survey counted approximately 6,327 dolphins.
💡 Concept Note
WII also conducts the All India Tiger Estimation (Project Tiger census) and the All India Elephant Census. It uses standardised distance sampling, photo-ID cataloguing, and passive acoustic monitoring for dolphin surveys. WII is headquartered in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
Question 7 of 10
As of 2023-24, what is the UAE's rank as India's export destination and overall trading partner?
UAE is India's second-largest export destination and third-largest trading partner as of 2023-24. Bilateral trade was approximately USD 84.5 billion. India exports machinery, precious metals, and electronics; imports petroleum, gold, and diamonds.
💡 Concept Note
The UAE hosts approximately 3.5 million Indians — the largest expatriate community in the UAE. India is a key participant in the I2U2 grouping (India-Israel-UAE-USA) focused on food, water, energy, and health cooperation. UAE is also a partner in the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) announced at G20 New Delhi in September 2023.
Question 8 of 10
The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 decriminalised provisions across how many central laws?
The Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 decriminalised 183 provisions across 42 central laws, converting criminal penalties (jail terms) to monetary penalties for minor regulatory violations. It covers environmental, agricultural, trade, labour, and food safety laws.
💡 Concept Note
The Act aims to reduce compliance burden on businesses and individuals, improve the ease of doing business, and reduce pendency of cases in courts. Penalties collected under environmental law violations are channelled into the Environmental Protection Fund for pollution control, ecological restoration, monitoring, and research.
Question 9 of 10
India's first open-sea marine fish farming project was launched in which location?
India's first open-sea marine fish farming project was launched in the Andaman Sea near Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Partners include the Ministry of Earth Sciences, NIOT, and the UT Administration.
💡 Concept Note
India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of approximately 2.37 million sq km (7th largest globally) offers enormous potential for mariculture — ocean-based aquaculture beyond the coastal zone. NIOT (National Institute of Ocean Technology) is an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences headquartered in Chennai. The Blue Economy is one of India's ten core sectors for maritime development under the Sagarmala Programme.
Question 10 of 10
The Gangetic River Dolphin navigates its freshwater habitat primarily through which sensory mechanism, given its virtually non-functional eyes?
The Gangetic River Dolphin is virtually blind — its eyes lack a functional lens and can only detect light direction. It navigates entirely through echolocation (biosonar), emitting ultrasonic clicks and reading the echoes to detect prey and obstacles.
💡 Concept Note
Because the Gangetic River Dolphin is an apex predator and indicator species, its population and health reflect the overall ecological integrity of the river system. A river supporting healthy dolphin populations has adequate fish stocks and acceptable water quality. This makes dolphin survey data a reliable biological indicator of Namami Gange programme effectiveness.