Daily Current Affairs Quiz
Daily Quiz — February 27, 2026
Question 1 of 10
The LCH Prachand is India's first indigenously designed combat helicopter. Which organisation developed and manufactured it?
HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited), headquartered in Bengaluru, developed and manufactures the LCH Prachand at its Rotary Wing Research and Design Centre. The Shakti turboshaft engine powering it was developed jointly by HAL and Safran (France).
💡 Concept Note
HAL is a Central PSU under the Ministry of Defence. It also produces the Dhruv ALH, Tejas Mk1A, HTT-40, and licensed Su-30MKI. The LCH requirement was directly driven by the 1999 Kargil War, which exposed India's gap in high-altitude attack helicopter capability.
Question 2 of 10
What is the service ceiling of the LCH Prachand, making it suitable for Himalayan high-altitude operations?
The LCH Prachand has a service ceiling of approximately 6,000-6,500 metres, designed specifically to operate in Himalayan terrain. It has repeatedly landed at high-altitude helipads on the Siachen Glacier at elevations up to 4,800 metres, surpassing the effective high-altitude ceiling of comparable foreign helicopters.
💡 Concept Note
The Siachen Glacier (the world's highest battlefield) is at ~5,400 metres, and the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China ranges from 4,000 to 5,500 metres. The LCH is the first attack helicopter to land at Siachen. China's Z-10 has a lower high-altitude performance ceiling, giving India a comparative advantage in mountain warfare.
Question 3 of 10
India's total installed power capacity crossed 520 GW in early 2026. Which significant milestone was achieved regarding the energy source mix?
For the first time, more than 50% of India's installed power capacity (271,969 MW out of 520,510 MW as of January 31, 2026) is from non-fossil fuel sources, achieving India's NDC target of 50% non-fossil capacity ahead of the 2030 deadline. The non-fossil share stood at 52.3%.
💡 Concept Note
Note: Installed capacity and electricity generation are different metrics. Despite 50% non-fossil capacity, coal still contributes ~70% of actual electricity generation because renewable capacity factors (utilisation rates) are lower than coal plants. India's NDC also targets 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030 and net-zero by 2070.
Question 4 of 10
PM Surya Ghar Yojana, announced in 2024, focuses on which aspect of India's renewable energy expansion?
PM Surya Ghar (Muft Bijli) Yojana targets rooftop solar installation for 1 crore (10 million) households with central subsidies of Rs 30,000 for 1 kW, Rs 60,000 for 2 kW, and Rs 78,000 for 3 kW and above systems, moving beyond utility-scale solar to distributed generation.
💡 Concept Note
Green Energy Corridors (GEC Phase I: 9,700 circuit km; Phase II: 10,750 circuit km) transmit power from renewable-rich states to demand centres. Bhadla Solar Park (Rajasthan, 2,245 MW) is currently one of the world's largest operating solar parks; Khavda (Gujarat, 30 GW planned) will be the largest when complete. MNRE administers rooftop solar programmes.
Question 5 of 10
The newly described plant species Impatiens nagorum was found in which protected area of Nagaland?
Impatiens nagorum was found in Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary, Kiphire district, Nagaland, at an elevation of 2,336 metres in moist temperate broadleaf forests. It was published in the journal Phytotaxa by researchers including from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Nagaland University. Only about 20 individuals were recorded, suggesting the species may be rare.
💡 Concept Note
Genus Impatiens (balsams/touch-me-nots) has exceptionally high diversity in Northeast India and the Eastern Himalayas. The region is part of the Indo-Burma global biodiversity hotspot. BSI (Botanical Survey of India), founded 1890 under the Ministry of Environment, is the apex body for plant taxonomy research in India. Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1983 and covers 642 hectares near the India-Myanmar border.
Question 6 of 10
Research from ETH Zurich found that up to 40% of CO2 emissions from two DRC lakes originates from peat older than 3,000 years. What is the name of the peatland complex in the Congo Basin?
The Cuvette Centrale is the massive peatland complex in the Congo Basin (DRC and Republic of Congo), first comprehensively mapped in 2017. It covers approximately 145,500 km2 and stores approximately 30.6 billion tonnes of carbon — equivalent to about three years of global fossil fuel emissions.
💡 Concept Note
Congo Basin peatlands store roughly one-third of all tropical peatland carbon despite covering only a small fraction of Earth's land. The Congo Basin is the world's second-largest rainforest after the Amazon. The Ramsar Convention (1971) is the primary international wetland conservation treaty; Lake Mai-Ndombe is a Ramsar site. When peat decomposes or burns, ancient carbon is re-released to the atmosphere as CO2.
Question 7 of 10
India achieved over 520 GW of total installed power capacity by early 2026. Which is the single largest source of installed power capacity in India?
As of January 2026, coal-based thermal power remains India's single largest installed capacity source at approximately 248,542 MW (~47.7% of total), followed by solar (~105 GW) and wind (~48 GW). Despite the non-fossil share crossing 52%, coal leads in absolute installed capacity.
💡 Concept Note
India's electricity capacity milestones: 100 GW renewables achieved 2021; 200 GW renewables ~2024; target 500 GW renewables by 2030 (NDC). Coal (thermal) capacity: ~248 GW; Solar: ~105+ GW; Wind: ~48 GW; Hydro: ~47 GW; Nuclear: ~7.5 GW. National Electricity Plan 2023 projects 900 GW total capacity by 2032 (57% from non-fossil fuels). MNRE oversees renewable energy; CEA (Central Electricity Authority) tracks capacity data.
Question 8 of 10
The Smew was sighted for the first time at Kaziranga National Park during the 7th Waterbird Census. The Smew is which type of bird?
The Smew (Mergellus albellus) is a diving duck and winter migrant from the Eurasian taiga. Males have distinctive black mask and white plumage. Over 105,000 waterbirds were documented across Kaziranga during the 7th Waterbird Census.
💡 Concept Note
Kaziranga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the Brahmaputra floodplain in Assam. It is part of the Central Asian Flyway and hosts over 500 bird species. It is also famous for the world's largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses, and also supports significant populations of tigers and elephants.
Question 9 of 10
BRO restored the Chungthang-Lachen axis in North Sikkim under which project name?
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) restored the 28 km Chungthang-Lachen road and the 400-foot Taram Chu Bailey Suspension Bridge under Project Swastik in North Sikkim, inaugurated by MoS Defence Sanjay Seth on February 26, 2026. The route had suffered damage from the October 2023 GLOF, Cyclone Remal (2024), and cloudbursts in 2025.
💡 Concept Note
BRO maintains several regional projects: Project Beacon (J&K), Project Himank (Ladakh), Project Vartak (Arunachal Pradesh), Project Swastik (Sikkim and North Bengal). North Sikkim borders China, Bhutan, and Nepal, making it strategically critical. GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood) of October 2023 devastated the Teesta valley, washing away the Chungthang dam and causing massive infrastructure damage.
Question 10 of 10
SWIFT 2.0 was launched by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). What does SWIFT stand for in this trade facilitation context?
SWIFT here stands for Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade — a digital platform for end-to-end trade compliance launched by CBIC under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance. SWIFT 2.0 serves as a single touch point for all EXIM NOC clearances from Partner Government Agencies. It is entirely distinct from the international banking messaging system SWIFT.
💡 Concept Note
International Customs Day is observed annually on January 26. CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs) administers GST, customs, and central excise under the Department of Revenue. The Atithi app was revamped alongside SWIFT 2.0 to assist international travellers at Indian ports of entry. SWIFT 2.0 makes filing for AQCS, PQMS, and FSSAI clearances mandatory through the single-window platform.