Daily Current Affairs Quiz
Daily Quiz — January 26, 2026
Question 1 of 10
India celebrated its 77th Republic Day on January 26, 2026. The Constitution of India came into force on January 26, 1950. Which document did the Constitution replace as the principal governing framework of India?
The Constitution of India (adopted November 26, 1949; in force January 26, 1950) replaced the Government of India Act, 1935, which had served as the governing framework during British India and as the interim constitutional basis from independence in August 1947 until January 26, 1950.
💡 Concept Note
The Government of India Act, 1935 provided a federal structure, bicameral legislature at the centre, and provincial autonomy. Many of its provisions were retained in the new Constitution. The Indian Independence Act, 1947 granted independence but the actual governance framework was still the 1935 Act (modified) until the Constitution came into force. UPSC often tests this distinction.
Question 2 of 10
The Republic Day 2026 theme was "150 Years of Vande Mataram." Vande Mataram was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1876 and later published in which novel in 1882?
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee published Vande Mataram in his novel Anandmath (1882). The novel is set during the Sannyasi Rebellion (1763-1800) in Bengal, where armed ascetics (sannyasis) revolted against the Nawab and British East India Company. Vande Mataram served as the battle hymn of the sannyasi protagonists. Durgeshnandini (1865) was his first novel.
💡 Concept Note
150 years calculation: 2026 - 1876 = 150 years of Vande Mataram. The song became the anthem of the Swadeshi Movement (1905-1908) triggered by the Partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon. Lal-Bal-Pal (Lajpat Rai, Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal) championed it. It was first publicly sung at the Indian National Congress session in 1896 by Rabindranath Tagore.
Question 3 of 10
The Republic Day tradition of choosing a chief guest dates to 1950. In 2026, the European Union was the collective chief guest for the first time. Who represented the EU as President of the European Council at Republic Day 2026?
Antonio Costa, President of the European Council (since December 2024 and former Prime Minister of Portugal 2015-2024), represented the EU alongside Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission). The European Council comprises heads of state/government of all 27 EU member states and sets the EU political direction. The European Commission is the EU executive body headed by von der Leyen.
💡 Concept Note
Distinction critical for UPSC: European Council (heads of state meeting, sets direction, does NOT legislate; President is non-voting facilitator) vs European Commission (EU executive, proposes laws, implements budget). The EU dual invitation was timed with the 16th India-EU Summit (January 27) and the conclusion of the India-EU FTA (January 28, 2026).
Question 4 of 10
January 26 was chosen as Republic Day to honour the first Purna Swaraj Diwas. At which session of the Indian National Congress was the Purna Swaraj Resolution passed?
The Purna Swaraj Resolution was passed at the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress in December 1929, presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru. The resolution was formally adopted at midnight of December 31, 1929 / January 1, 1930. January 26, 1930 was declared the first Purna Swaraj Diwas (Independence Day), when the independence pledge was taken across India.
💡 Concept Note
Before the 1929 Lahore resolution, the INC goal was Dominion Status (like Canada/Australia within the British Empire, as proposed at the 1928 Calcutta Session under Motilal Nehru). The shift to Purna Swaraj (complete independence) was a major turning point. The Karachi Session (1931) passed the Fundamental Rights and Economic Policy resolution. UPSC asks about INC sessions, their venues, presidents, and key resolutions.
Question 5 of 10
At Republic Day 2026, the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LR-AShM) was publicly displayed for the first time. A weapon is classified as hypersonic when it travels at a speed exceeding what threshold?
A weapon is classified as hypersonic when it travels at speeds exceeding Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound, approximately 6,174 km/h at sea level). India's LR-AShM achieves Mach 10 during the initial boost phase and sustains Mach 5+ during the hypersonic glide phase. Its range is approximately 1,500 km with future variants targeting up to 3,500 km.
💡 Concept Note
Hypersonic weapons differ from ballistic missiles: they combine high speed with the ability to manoeuvre in the glide phase (unlike ballistic missiles which follow a predictable arc). This makes them very hard to intercept with existing missile defence systems. Nations with hypersonic systems: Russia (Avangard, Kinzhal), China (DF-17), USA (ARRW), India (LR-AShM and Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle - HSTDV tested 2020).
Question 6 of 10
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla was awarded the Ashoka Chakra at Republic Day 2026. The Ashoka Chakra is India highest peacetime gallantry award. What is its wartime equivalent (the highest wartime gallantry award)?
The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is India highest wartime gallantry award, equivalent in prestige to the Ashoka Chakra for peacetime. The Maha Vir Chakra is the second highest wartime award, and Vir Chakra is the third. The peacetime sequence is: Ashoka Chakra (highest) -> Kirti Chakra -> Shaurya Chakra. Shubhanshu Shukla received the Ashoka Chakra in connection with his Axiom-4 ISS mission preparation.
💡 Concept Note
Gallantry awards precedence: Wartime - Param Vir Chakra > Maha Vir Chakra > Vir Chakra. Peacetime - Ashoka Chakra > Kirti Chakra > Shaurya Chakra. Service medals (PVSM, AVSM, etc.) are different from gallantry medals. Shaurya Chakra recipients Lt Cdr Dilna K. and Lt Cdr Roopa A. became the first women naval officers to receive a peacetime gallantry award.
Question 7 of 10
Maharashtra won the best State/UT tableau at Republic Day 2026 with the theme "Ganeshotsav: A Symbol of Aatmanirbharta." Which leader transformed Ganesh Chaturthi from a private home festival into a public community celebration in 1893 to forge social solidarity?
Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Lokmanya Tilak) started the tradition of public Ganeshotsav celebrations in Pune in 1893, transforming Ganesh Chaturthi from a private household puja into a public community festival. His purpose was to create a platform for mass mobilisation across caste lines and to resist British colonial rule under the guise of a religious celebration. This Swadeshi-era link makes it relevant to Aatmanirbhar Bharat (2026).
💡 Concept Note
Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856-1920) was a key Swadeshi movement leader and founder of two newspapers (Kesari in Marathi, Mahratta in English). He organised Shivaji Festivals (1895) and Ganeshotsav (1893) for mass political mobilisation. Famous saying: "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it." Contrast with Gopal Krishna Gokhale (moderate faction) - Tilak led the extremist faction within INC. Article 25 guarantees freedom to manage religious affairs.
Question 8 of 10
The Bhairav Light Commando Battalion made its first-ever Republic Day parade appearance in 2026. The Phased Battle Array format displayed for the first time at Republic Day 2026 represents a shift to what type of modern warfare doctrine?
The Phased Battle Array format (first used 2026) arranged units in a tactical attack sequence - reconnaissance drones, then Shaktibaan Artillery (drone+loitering munition), Divyastra Batteries (precision guided), and Bhairav Light Commando Battalions - representing effects-based integrated warfare, where drones, loitering munitions, electronic warfare, and conventional forces work as a single networked system.
💡 Concept Note
Effects-based integrated warfare differs from platform-centric warfare (where each service/weapon type operates in silos). The Ukraine-Russia war (2022-) and Gaza conflict (2023-) demonstrated the transformative effect of drone swarms, loitering munitions (kamikaze drones like Lancet, Shahed-136), and networked ISR on modern battlefields. India's iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence, 2018) funds startups developing such systems.
Question 9 of 10
The Constituent Assembly that drafted India Constitution held its first meeting on December 9, 1946. Who was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly?
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly and is regarded as the principal architect of the Indian Constitution. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the President of the Constituent Assembly (not the Drafting Committee). The Drafting Committee had 7 members and was appointed on August 29, 1947.
💡 Concept Note
The Constituent Assembly had several committees: Drafting Committee (B.R. Ambedkar, Chairman), Union Powers Committee (Nehru), Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee (J.B. Kripalani), States Committee (Nehru). The CA had 389 members (reduced to 299 after Partition). It took 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days to complete the Constitution. The Constitution has 395 Articles, 8 Schedules in the original (now 448 Articles, 12 Schedules with amendments).
Question 10 of 10
Vande Mataram was first publicly sung at an Indian National Congress session in 1896. The song was later adopted as the national song of India. What is the constitutional status of the National Song (Vande Mataram) as compared to the National Anthem (Jana Gana Mana)?
Jana Gana Mana (National Anthem) has constitutional backing and its disrespect is an offence. Vande Mataram (National Song) has honorary status but NO constitutional provision mandates it. Courts have held that citizens cannot be compelled to sing Vande Mataram as it would violate freedom of conscience (Article 25). Article 51A(a) mentions abiding by the Constitution and respecting the national flag and National Anthem - not the National Song.
💡 Concept Note
The Supreme Court in 2016 ordered that the National Anthem must be played in cinema halls before movies (later modified to optional). No such order applies to Vande Mataram. The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 covers the National Anthem and National Flag, not the National Song. Article 25 (Freedom of conscience and religion) has been cited by courts to protect individuals who decline to sing Vande Mataram on religious grounds.