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Daily Current Affairs
8 & 9 February, 2026
1. Mount Aconcagua, recently in news, is known for which of the following distinctions?
A. Highest mountain in Asia
B. Highest volcanic mountain in the world
C. Highest mountain in South America and Western Hemisphere
D. Highest peak in Europe
E. Highest mountain in Antarctica
Answer: C. Highest mountain in South America and Western Hemisphere
Explanation: Mount Aconcagua (6,959 m) is the highest peak in South America, the Western Hemisphere, and the tallest mountain outside Asia. It is part of the Seven Summits and is located in Argentina.
2. Agni-3 missile, recently test-fired by India, belongs to which category?
A. Short-Range Ballistic Missile
B. Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
C. Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile
D. Surface-to-Air Missile
E. Cruise Missile
Answer: C. Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile
Explanation: Agni-3 is an IRBM with a range of about 3,000 km. It forms a key part of India’s land-based nuclear deterrence and is developed by DRDO.
3. Which port became India’s first to deploy an advanced Anti-Drone System in 2026?
A. Kandla Port
B. Paradip Port
C. Jawaharlal Nehru Port
D. V.O. Chidambaranar Port
E. Visakhapatnam Port
Answer: D. V.O. Chidambaranar Port
Explanation: V.O. Chidambaranar Port (Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu) became India’s first port to initiate an advanced RF and radar-based Anti-Drone (C-UAS) system.
4. The MCP Server launched by NSO enables which of the following?
A. Manual downloading of census reports
B. AI-driven access to real-time government datasets
C. Blockchain-based voting systems
D. Defence data encryption
E. Aadhaar authentication services
Answer: B. AI-driven access to real-time government datasets
Explanation: The Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server allows machine-readable, API-based access to official statistics for direct integration with AI and analytics tools.
5. Why are government borrowing costs rising despite RBI’s repo rate cuts?
A. Increase in inflation targeting
B. Higher foreign capital inflows
C. Debt overhang and liquidity withdrawal
D. Reduction in government borrowing
E. Strong monetary transmission
Answer: C. Debt overhang and liquidity withdrawal
Explanation: High public debt, reduced liquidity due to RBI’s forex sales, and weak transmission to long-term G-sec yields have pushed borrowing costs higher despite repo rate cuts.
6. India signed Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) cooperation MoUs with how many countries?
A. 15
B. 18
C. 20
D. 23
E. 25
Answer: D. 23
Explanation: In February 2026, India signed DPI cooperation agreements with 23 countries to share components of India Stack such as digital identity and payments.
7. Under the new deposit insurance framework, premiums charged by DICGC will be based on:
A. Size of deposits only
B. Profitability of banks
C. Risk profile of banks
D. Ownership structure
E. Type of customers
Answer: C. Risk profile of banks
Explanation: India has shifted from a flat-rate deposit insurance premium to a risk-based model, linking premiums to capital adequacy, asset quality, liquidity, and supervisory assessment.
8. Which of the following agricultural items has India protected from tariff concessions under the India–US trade framework?
A. Almonds
B. Edible oils
C. Rice
D. Wine
E. Tree nuts
Answer: C. Rice
Explanation: India has protected staple crops such as rice, wheat, and sugar due to food security and political sensitivity, while opening non-sensitive agricultural products.
9. What is the primary criticism highlighted regarding India’s GM crop policy?
A. Excessive subsidies to farmers
B. Overdependence on imports
C. Blanket political resistance without scientific evaluation
D. High adoption of GM technology
E. Lack of private sector participation
Answer: C. Blanket political resistance without scientific evaluation
Explanation: The editorial argues that GM crops are rejected due to ideological opposition, regulatory paralysis, and Centre–State conflict rather than evidence-based scientific assessment.
10. Under the 10,000 FPOs Scheme, which support is provided to strengthen FPO balance sheets?
A. Interest subvention
B. Crop insurance subsidy
C. Matching equity grant
D. Direct income transfer
E. MSP guarantee
Answer: C. Matching equity grant
Explanation: The scheme provides a matching equity grant up to â‚ą15 lakh per FPO (â‚ą2,000 per farmer) to improve financial strength and creditworthiness.
