Daily current affairs quiz

Current Affairs Questions, 25 October 2026

One attempt per question. The answer and explanation appear as soon as you pick.

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Q1
Which ministry/department is primarily responsible for negotiating Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) for India?
Explanation: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, through its Department of Commerce, is the nodal agency for formulating and implementing India's foreign trade policy and conducting trade negotiations, including FTAs.
Q2
Consider the following statements regarding India's trade agreements as per the news:
1. 1.India's Free Trade Agreement with New Zealand eliminated tariffs on all Indian export categories.
2. 2.The FTA negotiations with the European Union have been completed and the agreement is now fully operational.
3. 3.India is reviewing its existing trade agreements with South Korea, ASEAN, Australia, and Sri Lanka.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation: Statement 1 is correct as per the article. Statement 2 is incorrect; while FTA talks with the EU are concluded, the article states that legal review, signing, and approval are pending, so it is not yet 'fully operational'. Statement 3 is correct as mentioned. Hence, option C is correct.
Q3
Who is the administrative head of the Cabinet Secretariat and the senior-most officer of the Indian Administrative Service?
Explanation: As per the article and constitutional practice, the Cabinet Secretary is the administrative head of the Cabinet Secretariat and the senior-most officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). The Prime Minister is the political head, and the President is the constitutional head.
Q4
Consider the following statements regarding the Cabinet Secretary:
1. 1.The Cabinet Secretary ranks 11th in the order of precedence of the Government of India.
2. 2.The Cabinet Secretary is appointed by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for a fixed tenure of five years.
3. 3.The Cabinet Secretariat administers the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation: Statement 1 is correct: The article states the Cabinet Secretary is ranked 11th. Statement 2 is incorrect: The tenure is not a fixed five-year term; the article mentions the tenure 'can be extended up to a maximum of five years', implying it is not fixed. Statement 3 is correct as per the article's description of the Secretariat's functions.
Q5
Which Union Ministry is primarily involved in the negotiations regarding constitutional safeguards for Ladakh?
Explanation: The article explicitly mentions the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as the body with which the Apex Body Leh and Kargil Democratic Alliance are holding negotiations. Matters related to Union Territories and internal security fall under the MHA.
Q6
Consider the following statements regarding the autonomy demands in Ladakh:
1. 1.The Apex Body Leh and Kargil Democratic Alliance have agreed to scale down their demand from the Sixth Schedule to a proposed Article 371(K).
2. 2.The groups have also scaled down their demand from full statehood to a Union Territory with a legislature.
3. 3.The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has agreed to grant Ladakh the status of a state as per the May 22 meeting.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are correct as per the article, which states the demands were scaled down from Sixth Schedule to Article 371(K) and from statehood to a UT legislature. Statement 3 is incorrect; the MHA has not agreed to grant statehood. The agreement was on the principles of Article 371(K) and a legislature.
Q7
Which state government department is responsible for formulating the proposed guidelines on age verification for school admission as per the news?
Explanation: The article clearly states that the Additional Chief Secretary of the Basic Education Department, Uttar Pradesh, submitted the proposed guidelines before the Allahabad High Court. This department handles school education in the state.
Q8
Consider the following statements regarding the proposed age verification guidelines in Uttar Pradesh:
1. 1.The guidelines were proposed following a directive from the Supreme Court of India.
2. 2.They mandate the submission of four specific documents for age proof at the time of school admission.
3. 3.The misuse involved false implication of boys aged 19-20 years under the provisions of the POCSO Act.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation: Statement 1 is incorrect: The directive came from the Allahabad High Court, not the Supreme Court. Statement 2 is correct as the article lists four required documents. Statement 3 is correct as the court observed cases where boys aged 19-20 were falsely implicated under POCSO.
Q9
Consider the following statements regarding the news on Punjab farm fires:
1. 1.Over 70% of the farm fires recorded in Punjab this season are concentrated in the Malwa region.
2. 2.The early spike in stubble burning in districts like Tarn Taran is primarily due to farmers preparing fields for a Rabi season wheat crop.
3. 3.The Punjab Remote Sensing Centre is involved in monitoring and identifying hotspots for stubble burning.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation: Statement 1 is incorrect. The article states 72% of fires are in Amritsar and Tarn Taran, which are in the Majha region, not Malwa. Statement 2 is incorrect. The early spike is due to farmers preparing for a third crop (green peas/potatoes), not directly for wheat. Statement 3 is correct as experts from the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre are mentioned in the article.
Q10
According to the article, what was the total number of farm fire incidents recorded in Punjab between September 15 and October 24, 2026?
Explanation: The article explicitly states that Punjab recorded 574 farm fires in the period from September 15 to October 24, 2026. 414 is the number of fires in the two hotspot districts. 561 was last year's tally, and 1,678 was the tally for the corresponding period in 2024.