Quiz – 28 October 2026 (Part 1: Q 1–50)

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Quiz – 28 October 2026 (Part 1: Q 1–50) – 50 questions, subject: Current Affairs. Every question has the correct answer with a one-line explanation; tap "Show Answer". Free practice for TNPSC, UPSC, SSC, Bank and RRB exams – Shanmugam IAS Academy, Coimbatore.

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1.  
Which body conducts the recruitment examination for Station Master posts in the Railways?

Correct Answer: A [Railway Recruitment Boards]

Explanation:

The RRBs (CEN 08/2026) – applications via rrbapply.gov.in. Group 'A' railway officers are selected through UPSC examinations.

2.  
Which is the apex management and policy-making body of Indian Railways?

Correct Answer: D [Railway Board]

Explanation:

The Railway Board (1905) is headed by its Chairman & CEO. RDSO is the research and standards body at Lucknow.

3.  
India's first electric train (1925) ran between which two places?

Correct Answer: D [Bombay VT – Kurla]

Explanation:

3 Feb 1925, Bombay VT – Kurla (Harbour line). The Madras Beach – Tambaram suburban electric service began in 1931.

4.  
The new Pamban bridge, India's first vertical-lift railway sea bridge, links Rameswaram island with which mainland town?

Correct Answer: A [Mandapam]

Explanation:

Mandapam – about 2.07 km long; opened by the PM on 6 April 2025. The old Pamban bridge (1914) had a bascule (upward-opening) span.

5.  
Which Tamil Nadu railway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site under 'Mountain Railways of India'?

Correct Answer: A [Nilgiri Mountain Railway]

Explanation:

Nilgiri Mountain Railway (2005) – Mettupalayam to Ooty; rack section between Kallar and Coonoor. Darjeeling (1999) and Kalka–Shimla (2008) are the other two.

6.  
TAMCO functions as the State Channelising Agency of which national finance corporation?

Correct Answer: C [NMDFC]

Explanation:

NMDFC – National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (1994). NSFDC – Scheduled Castes; NBCFDC – Backward Classes; NSKFDC – sanitation workers.

7.  
Which community was the last (2014) to be added to the nationally notified minority communities?

Correct Answer: B [Jains]

Explanation:

Jains were added as the sixth in 2014. The other five (Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis) were notified in 1993.

8.  
Which Article gives minorities the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice?

Correct Answer: A [Article 30]

Explanation:

Article 30 applies to both religious and linguistic minorities. Article 29 protects language, script and culture.

9.  
Which of the following correctly describes the National Commission for Minorities?

Correct Answer: D [Statutory body under 1992 Act]

Explanation:

A statutory body set up in 1993 under the NCM Act 1992; first chairman Sardar Ali Khan. The Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities is under Article 350B.

10.  
Which loan scheme for minority artisans is implemented in Tamil Nadu through TAMCO?

Correct Answer: D [Virasat]

Explanation:

Virasat – concessional loans for artisans. Nai Roshni – leadership training for minority women; Padho Pardesh – interest subsidy on education loans for study abroad.

11.  
Which agency enforces a Look Out Circular (LOC) at India's airports and seaports?

Correct Answer: A [Bureau of Immigration]

Explanation:

The Bureau of Immigration (1971), under the MHA, only executes the LOC. Changing or deleting it is up to the Originating Agency.

12.  
Which Supreme Court case first held that the right to travel abroad is part of 'personal liberty' under Article 21?

Correct Answer: C [Satwant Singh Sawhney case]

Explanation:

Satwant Singh Sawhney (1967); the Passports Act 1967 followed. A.K. Gopalan (1950) was a preventive-detention case.

13.  
In the Karti P. Chidambaram case (2018), the Madras High Court held that its power under which Article includes cancelling an LOC?

Correct Answer: B [Article 226]

Explanation:

Article 226 – writ power of High Courts (for fundamental and other legal rights). Article 32 – Supreme Court, fundamental rights only.

14.  
Per the Maneka Gandhi case (1978), a procedure restricting Article 21 rights must be:

Correct Answer: A [Fair, just and reasonable]

Explanation:

Fair, just and reasonable – the case challenged the impounding of a passport. So travel curbs such as an LOC must also pass this test.

15.  
Under the MHA's consolidated LOC guidelines of 2021, how long does an LOC remain in force?

Correct Answer: D [Till originator seeks deletion]

Explanation:

OM of 22.02.2021 – an LOC stays until the originating agency asks for deletion. The earlier 2010 OM generally gave one-year validity (renewable).

16.  
The period of the new 'PM Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana' is aligned with the award period of which body?

Correct Answer: B [16th Finance Commission]

Explanation:

16th Finance Commission (Chairman Arvind Panagariya) – 2026–27 to 2030–31. A Finance Commission is set up under Article 280.

17.  
Which Part of the Constitution deals with Panchayats?

Correct Answer: C [Part IX]

Explanation:

Part IX (Articles 243–243O) – 73rd Amendment. Part IXA – Municipalities (74th Amendment); Part VIII – Union Territories.

18.  
The Uthiramerur inscriptions describing the 'Kudavolai' election system belong to the reign of which king?

Correct Answer: C [Parantaka Chola I]

Explanation:

Parantaka Chola I (10th century CE) – Uthiramerur, Kancheepuram district. Names on palm leaves were put in a pot and drawn by lot.

19.  
Which Union Ministry implements the PM-VGSY scheme?

Correct Answer: A [Ministry of Panchayati Raj]

Explanation:

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (2004) also ran the earlier RGSA. Schemes such as MGNREGA belong to the Ministry of Rural Development.

20.  
Which committee first recommended a three-tier Panchayati Raj system in India?

Correct Answer: A [Balwant Rai Mehta Committee]

Explanation:

Balwant Rai Mehta (1957) – first implemented at Nagaur, Rajasthan (2 Oct 1959). Ashok Mehta (1977) – two tiers; L.M. Singhvi (1986) – recommended constitutional status.

21.  
INS Sahyadri arrived at which port on 26 Oct 2026 for the India–Republic of Korea Navy exercise?

Correct Answer: B [Busan]

Explanation:

Busan Naval Harbour. ROKS Munmu the Great joins the sea phase; the first IN–RoKN exercise (Oct 2025) was also held at Busan.

22.  
Which Indian poet praised Korea as 'The Lamp of the East' in a 1929 poem?

Correct Answer: A [Rabindranath Tagore]

Explanation:

Rabindranath Tagore. Written when Korea was under Japanese rule, the poem is still cherished in Korea.

23.  
Which strait separates the Korean Peninsula from Japan?

Correct Answer: B [Korea Strait]

Explanation:

Korea Strait – with Tsushima island in the middle. The Tsugaru Strait separates Japan's Honshu and Hokkaido islands.

24.  
Which Prime Minister launched India's 'Look East' policy?

Correct Answer: A [P.V. Narasimha Rao]

Explanation:

P.V. Narasimha Rao (1991). It was upgraded to the 'Act East' policy in 2014; South Korea is a key partner.

25.  
Which Indian chaired the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (NNRC) after the Korean War armistice (1953)?

Correct Answer: A [K.S. Thimayya]

Explanation:

K.S. Thimayya, then a Lt Gen (later Army Chief). Maj. Gen. S.P.P. Thorat commanded the Custodian Force (India) that guarded the prisoners of war.

26.  
Where is the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit & Expo (2–5 Nov 2026) being held?

Correct Answer: D [Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi]

Explanation:

Bharat Mandapam (Pragati Maidan). The PM opens it on 2 Nov; theme 'Invest. Innovate. Inspire.'

27.  
The International Solar Alliance, holding its 9th Assembly with BRESE, was first meant for countries lying:

Correct Answer: C [Between Cancer & Capricorn]

Explanation:

Sun-rich countries between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Since a 2020 amendment, all UN member states can join.

28.  
India's 'Panchamrit' pledge of 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030 was announced at which conference?

Correct Answer: A [COP26, Glasgow]

Explanation:

COP26, Glasgow (Nov 2021). The net-zero-by-2070 goal was announced there too; non-fossil capacity now stands at 308 GW.

29.  
What does the 'PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana' (2024) mainly promote?

Correct Answer: C [Rooftop solar for homes]

Explanation:

Rooftop solar for homes – 1 crore households, up to 300 free units a month. Solar pumps come under PM-KUSUM.

30.  
Off which two States' coasts is the first 1 GW under the 2024 offshore wind VGF scheme planned?

Correct Answer: C [Gujarat, Tamil Nadu]

Explanation:

Gujarat and Tamil Nadu – 500 MW each. Tamil Nadu's Gulf of Mannar–Palk Strait zone has high offshore wind potential.

31.  
What is the ₹10,000 crore container-making scheme approved by the Union Cabinet on 28 Oct 2026 called?

Correct Answer: A [Container Mfg. Promotion Scheme]

Explanation:

Container Manufacturing Promotion Scheme (CMPS) – till 2039–40; announced in Budget 2026–27. The other three are separate maritime schemes.

32.  
What does 'TEU', the unit used to measure container capacity, stand for?

Correct Answer: D [Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit]

Explanation:

Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit – one 20-ft box = 1 TEU; a 40-ft box = 2 TEU (FEU).

33.  
Who introduced modern container shipping in 1956 with the ship 'Ideal X'?

Correct Answer: B [Malcom McLean]

Explanation:

Malcom McLean (USA) – 'father of containerisation'. Robert Fulton ran the first commercial steamboat (1807).

34.  
Shipping containers are mostly built of 'Cor-Ten' steel. What is its key property?

Correct Answer: C [Resists weather corrosion]

Explanation:

Weathering steel – a stable surface oxide layer stops deeper rusting; small amounts of copper, chromium and nickel are added.

35.  
Which is India's first deep-water container transshipment port, dedicated to the nation in May 2025?

Correct Answer: A [Vizhinjam]

Explanation:

Vizhinjam (Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala), close to the international shipping route. Enayam (Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu) is a proposed transshipment port.

36.  
The 'SIGHT' programme of the National Green Hydrogen Mission mainly gives incentives for:

Correct Answer: B [Electrolysers & green H₂ output]

Explanation:

SIGHT – Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (₹17,490 crore): incentives for electrolyser manufacturing and green hydrogen production.

37.  
During electrolysis of water, where is hydrogen gas released?

Correct Answer: C [Cathode]

Explanation:

Cathode – positive H⁺ ions gain electrons to form H₂; oxygen is released at the anode (H₂ : O₂ = 2 : 1 by volume).

38.  
Under the Green Hydrogen Mission's shipping pilot, VOC Port, Thoothukudi, is to get bunkering facilities for which green fuel?

Correct Answer: B [Green methanol]

Explanation:

Green methanol – a marine fuel made by combining green hydrogen with captured CO₂. Refuelling ships is called 'bunkering'.

39.  
Which scientist first identified hydrogen as a distinct substance, calling it 'inflammable air'?

Correct Answer: C [Henry Cavendish]

Explanation:

Henry Cavendish (1766). Lavoisier named it 'hydrogen' (water-former); Priestley is known for discovering oxygen.

40.  
'Green ammonia', made by combining green hydrogen with nitrogen, is mainly used for:

Correct Answer: D [Nitrogen fertilisers]

Explanation:

Nitrogen fertilisers such as urea – Haber–Bosch process (N₂ + 3H₂ → 2NH₃). SPIC's plant at Thoothukudi makes urea from ammonia.

41.  
Where in New Delhi was the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum held in October 2026?

Correct Answer: D [Samvidhan Sadan]

Explanation:

The Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan – the old Parliament House, where the Constituent Assembly met.

42.  
In which city was the first BRICS Parliamentary Forum held in 2015?

Correct Answer: A [Moscow]

Explanation:

Moscow, 8 June 2015, under Russia's chairship. The 11th Forum was held in Brasília in 2025.

43.  
Who presides over a joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament (Article 108)?

Correct Answer: A [Speaker of the Lok Sabha]

Explanation:

The Lok Sabha Speaker – Article 118(4); in his absence the Deputy Speaker, then the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman. The President summons the joint sitting.

44.  
Which country became a full member of BRICS in January 2025?

Correct Answer: D [Indonesia]

Explanation:

Indonesia – 6 Jan 2025. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE had joined on 1 Jan 2024.

45.  
Which Tamil Nadu leader served twice as Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha (1985–89 and 2014–19)?

Correct Answer: C [M. Thambidurai]

Explanation:

M. Thambidurai (AIADMK). The Deputy Speaker is elected under Article 93 and acts as Speaker when the office is vacant (Article 95).

46.  
Kashipur, where the ASI began a dig in Oct 2026, is identified with which ancient city described by Xuanzang?

Correct Answer: C [Govisana]

Explanation:

Govisana (Xuanzang's 'Kiu-pi-shwang-na') – the identification was made by Alexander Cunningham.

47.  
Which narrow pebble-strewn belt lies along the Shiwalik foothills, just north of the Terai?

Correct Answer: B [Bhabar]

Explanation:

Bhabar – 8–16 km wide along the Shiwalik foothills; streams sink underground here and re-emerge in the marshy Terai to the south. Kashipur is in Udham Singh Nagar district.

48.  
The Painted Grey Ware (PGW) culture is associated with which period?

Correct Answer: C [Iron Age (Later Vedic)]

Explanation:

Iron Age / Later Vedic period, c. 1100–500 BCE; it was followed by Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW).

49.  
Which archaeologist excavated Hastinapur and linked Painted Grey Ware to the Mahabharata period?

Correct Answer: D [B.B. Lal]

Explanation:

B.B. Lal – Hastinapur (near Meerut), 1950s; awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2021. R.D. Banerji found Mohenjo-daro (1922).

50.  
Who was the Pallava king when the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang visited Kanchipuram?

Correct Answer: D [Narasimhavarman I]

Explanation:

Narasimhavarman I (Mamalla), around 640 CE. He captured Vatapi in 642 and took the title 'Vatapikonda'.

📰 Read the news behind these questions
› Railway Recruitment Boards notify 1,265 Station Master posts – CEN 08/2026; applications from 27 Oct › Loans to minorities: Tamil Nadu Minorities Economic Development Corporation (TAMCO) wins first prize in the southern zone – awarded by NMDFC › POCSO probe: Chennai Police issue 'Look Out Circulars' against five persons – what is an LOC? › Cabinet approves Pradhan Mantri Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana (PM-VGSY) as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for 2026–27 to 2030–31; ₹7,395.55 crore › India–Republic of Korea naval exercise: INS Sahyadri arrives at Busan › PM Modi to inaugurate Bharat Renewable Energy Summit & Expo (BRESE) 2026 on 2 November › Union Cabinet approves ₹10,000 crore Container Manufacturing Promotion Scheme (CMPS) › Green hydrogen: a key pillar of India's clean energy transition – progress of the National Green Hydrogen Mission › 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum at Samvidhan Sadan, New Delhi (26–27 Oct) – chaired by Speaker Om Birla; 'New Delhi Declaration' adopted › ASI begins fresh excavation at Kashipur, Uttarakhand – occupation from Painted Grey Ware times; Xuanzang's 'Govisana'; Mahabharata legend
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