Daily Current Affairs Quiz: 20 & 21 October 2026
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1. As per the design standard for agrivoltaics, what minimum share of natural radiation should solar panels allow to reach the crop canopy?
A. 30 per cent or more
B. 50 per cent or more
C. 60 per cent or more
D. 70 per cent or more
E. 90 per cent or more
View Answer
Explanation: Agrivoltaics (also called AgriPV) means growing crops and generating solar power on the same piece of land. To keep farming viable, panel height and spacing must let 70 per cent or more of natural radiation reach the crop canopy. The partial shade also protects crops from heat stress, drought, excessive solar radiation and hail. India is hosting the 7th AgriVoltaics World Conference at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi (21–23 October 2026) on the theme “Powering the Global South”.
2. Under the PM-KUSUM scheme, which component deals with the installation of standalone solar pumps?
A. Component A
B. Component B
C. Component C
D. Component D
E. Component E
View Answer
Explanation: PM-KUSUM aims to solarise farm irrigation through three components: Component A for decentralised solar plants on barren land, Component B for standalone solar pumps, and Component C for solarising existing grid-connected pumps. PM-KUSUM 2.0 is set to include a dedicated agrivoltaics component, which would let farmers earn a second income from the same land. A 100 kW Centre of Excellence on Agri-Photovoltaics was set up at ICAR-IARI, New Delhi in 2025, run by ICAR and NISE under MNRE.
3. Kufri Jamunia, a biofortified purple potato highlighted as a step against hidden hunger, was developed by which institute?
A. ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi
B. ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla
C. ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram
D. ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru
E. ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi
View Answer
Explanation: Kufri Jamunia was released in 2024 by ICAR-CPRI, Shimla (Himachal Pradesh); all CPRI varieties carry the “Kufri” prefix. It has deep purple skin and flesh and is rich in anthocyanins (42.05 mg per 100 g), vitamin C, iron and zinc. It follows earlier coloured varieties Kufri Neelkanth (2018) and Kufri Manik (2021). Biofortification means breeding a crop to carry more nutrients, instead of adding them later. India is the second-largest potato producer after China, with Uttar Pradesh in the lead.
4. Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, where Asiatic lions have returned after nearly 144 years, lies in which districts of Gujarat?
A. Junagadh and Amreli
B. Gir Somnath and Bhavnagar
C. Porbandar and Devbhumi Dwarka
D. Kutch and Jamnagar
E. Rajkot and Morbi
View Answer
Explanation: Barda is a hilly forest sanctuary of about 192.31 sq km in the Saurashtra region, spread over Porbandar and Devbhumi Dwarka districts, barely 15 km from Porbandar town. Notified in February 1979, it has been designated the second home for the Asiatic lion. A PLOS One study found that lions have now permanently reclaimed it. Gir remains the primary habitat (891 lions as per the 2025 census). The Asiatic lion is IUCN Endangered and listed in CITES Appendix I and Schedule I.
5. The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), which recently disbursed about ₹1.19 crore to State Biodiversity Boards under the Access and Benefit Sharing mechanism, is headquartered at:
A. New Delhi
B. Dehradun
C. Bhopal
D. Chennai
E. Kolkata
View Answer
Explanation: The NBA is a statutory, autonomous regulatory and advisory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It was set up in 2003 under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and is based in Chennai. Under Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS), those who commercially use biological resources share part of the gains with the communities that conserve them. The latest release went to 29 State Biodiversity Boards and one UT Biodiversity Council.
6. According to the Central Water Commission bulletin dated 15 October 2026, India’s 178 major reservoirs held what share of their total usable capacity?
A. 54.21%
B. 60.50%
C. 68.58%
D. 72.32%
E. 83.44%
View Answer
Explanation: The CWC Reservoir Storage Bulletin showed live storage of 126.717 billion cubic metres, or 68.58% of usable capacity. Storage was 24.53% lower than a year earlier and 16.44% below normal. The Pennar basin had a 72.32% deficit and the Cauvery basin a 60.50% deficit, while the Swarnarekha, Narmada and Mahanadi basins were above normal. Reservoir levels after the monsoon matter a lot for rabi sowing, irrigation, drinking water and hydropower.
7. As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) monthly bulletin for September 2026, what was India’s overall unemployment rate?
A. 4.2%
B. 5.0%
C. 5.2%
D. 6.9%
E. 7.1%
View Answer
Explanation: The NSO under MoSPI released its 18th monthly PLFS bulletin. The overall unemployment rate fell to 5.0% from 5.2% in September 2025; the rural rate was 4.2% and the urban rate 6.9%. The Labour Force Participation Rate rose to 55.5% (from 55.3%), female LFPR stood at 34.6%, and the Worker Population Ratio rose to 52.7% from 52.4%. LFPR counts people working or looking for work, while WPR counts only those employed.
8. In October 2026, the Government of India approved the rollover of a currency swap facility to the Maldives. What is the size of this facility?
A. ₹1,000 crore
B. ₹2,000 crore
C. ₹3,000 crore
D. ₹5,000 crore
E. ₹7,500 crore
View Answer
Explanation: India approved the rollover of a ₹3,000 crore currency swap facility for the Maldives. It works under the SAARC Currency Swap Arrangement Framework and the bilateral framework for 2024–2027. The agreement was signed between the RBI and the Maldives Monetary Authority in October 2024, and the first drawdown was extended on 23 April 2026. A swap line gives a partner quick access to funds for short-term liquidity needs, and this one reflects India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and MAHASAGAR vision.
9. Under SEBI’s revised Closing Auction Session (CAS) framework for the equity cash market, effective from 7 December 2026, the session will run during which time window?
A. 3:00 p.m. to 3:10 p.m.
B. 3:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
C. 3:30 p.m. to 3:40 p.m.
D. 3:40 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
E. 3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
View Answer
Explanation: The revised CAS will run from 3:30 p.m. to 3:40 p.m. in three phases: reference-price calculation, order entry and final limit-order entry. Only limit orders are allowed in the final phase, and market orders cannot be modified or cancelled. The order-entry session will close at a random moment between 3:38 p.m. and 3:40 p.m., which makes it harder to game the closing price. Closing prices matter for index values, derivative settlement and fund valuations.
10. CARE Ratings agreed to sell a 19.8% stake in its subsidiary CareEdge Global IFSC Limited. Which two institutions will each acquire 9.9%?
A. LIC and State Bank of India
B. State Bank of India and NSE IFSC (NSEIX)
C. NABARD and SIDBI
D. BSE and India INX
E. HDFC Bank and NSE IFSC (NSEIX)
View Answer
Explanation: CARE Ratings signed agreements to sell 19.8% of CareEdge Global International Financial Services Centre Limited, split equally between State Bank of India and NSE IFSC (NSEIX) at 9.9% each. CARE Ratings will keep an 80.2% majority stake, so the subsidiary will no longer be wholly owned. The deal brings two financial-market institutions into the ownership of a rating entity operating from the IFSC.
11. As per the World Bank’s October 2026 Poverty and Equity Brief, what share of India’s population lived below the $4.20-a-day line in 2023?
A. 2.6 per cent
B. 12.1 per cent
C. 14.2 per cent
D. 16.1 per cent
E. 57.7 per cent
View Answer
Explanation: The share below the $4.20-a-day (lower-middle-income) line fell from 57.7 per cent in 2011 to 16.1 per cent in 2023, lifting about 496 million people above it. Extreme poverty ($3 a day) stood at 2.6 per cent, and the rate is projected to fall to 14.2 per cent in 2026 and 12.1 per cent in 2028. Still, about 80 per cent remain below $8.30 a day. The World Bank revised its poverty lines in 2025 to $3.00, $4.20 and $8.30 in 2021 PPP terms.
12. What was India’s rank in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2026?
A. 98th out of 122 countries
B. 100th out of 122 countries
C. 102nd out of 127 countries
D. 105th out of 127 countries
E. 111th out of 125 countries
View Answer
Explanation: India ranked 100th of 122 countries with a score of 24.1, which falls in the “serious” band (20–34.9). The GHI 2026, titled “No Security Without Food Security”, was released on 14 October 2026 in Berlin, ahead of World Food Day (16 October). It is published by Welthungerhilfe with IFHV and Helvetas. Somalia was last with 47.0. India has consistently questioned the methodology, saying three of four indicators cover only children under five.
13. Apart from undernourishment, which other Global Hunger Index indicator carries a weight of one-third?
A. Child stunting
B. Child wasting
C. Child mortality
D. Low birth weight
E. Anaemia among women
View Answer
Explanation: The GHI uses four indicators: undernourishment (one-third), child stunting (one-sixth), child wasting (one-sixth) and child mortality (one-third). Stunting is low height for age and wasting is low weight for height among children under five, while child mortality measures deaths before the fifth birthday. Scores run from 0 (no hunger) to 100 (worst). The global score worsened from 17.6 in 2018 to 18.1 in 2026.
14. Canara HSBC Life Insurance launched the USD-denominated Global Wealth Plan for Non-Resident Indians through which location?
A. Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai
B. GIFT City, Gujarat
C. Navi Mumbai Special Economic Zone
D. Noida Special Economic Zone
E. Cyberabad, Hyderabad
View Answer
Explanation: The plan was launched through Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) and is meant for NRIs who want life cover along with market-linked global investments. It offers exposure to global equities, precious metals such as gold and silver, and debt funds. It comes in three variants — Wealth, Wealth Plus and Wealth Forever. Returns are market-linked and not guaranteed, so the investment risk stays with the policyholder.
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