Daily Current Affairs Quiz 23 October 2026: 15 Important GK MCQs for UPSC, SSC, Banking & Railways Exams

Question 1

Kashi Tamil Sangamam 5.0, scheduled for November-December 2026, primarily seeks to strengthen cultural links between which two regions?

Accepted Answer

Tamil Nadu and Kashi - Kashi Tamil Sangamam seeks to strengthen the historical, spiritual, literary and cultural connections between Tamil Nadu and Kashi . Registration opened for its 5th edition , scheduled from 28 November to 12 December 2026 . • Participants include students, scholars and artisans • The programme promotes cultural and civilisational exchange • Kashi is also widely known as Varanasi Static GK link: Varanasi is one of India's oldest continuously inhabited cities and is situated on the banks of the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh. Tamil Nadu has a long historical tradition of religious, literary and scholarly interaction with Kashi.

Question 2

The nationwide Financial Inclusion Saturation Campaign announced in October 2026 aims to cover approximately how many Gram Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies?

Accepted Answer

2.70 lakh - The Department of Financial Services announced the nationwide Financial Inclusion Saturation Campaign covering approximately 2.70 lakh Gram Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies from 21 October to 31 December 2026 . • Banks will facilitate PMJDY accounts, re-KYC and pending CKYC identifiers • Enrolment will be promoted under PMJJBY, PMSBY, PMFBY and Atal Pension Yojana • Eligible PM-KISAN beneficiaries will receive assistance for Kisan Credit Cards Static GK link: PMJDY stands for Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana. It was launched in 2014 to expand access to basic banking, remittance, credit, insurance and pension services.

Question 3

Form 173A, introduced in October 2026 for specified tax-exemption reporting relating to government securities, was notified by which authority?

Accepted Answer

Central Board of Direct Taxes - The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) introduced Form 173A for reporting specified income-tax exemption claims involving interest and capital gains from government securities. The provision became effective on 19 October 2026 . • Notification → Income-tax (Seventh Amendment) Rules, 2026 • New provision → Rule 281A • Part A records investor and registration details • Part B captures securities, transactions, interest and capital-gains information Static GK link: CBDT functions under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance and administers India's direct-tax framework, including income tax.

Question 4

The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum scheduled for 26-27 October 2026 is to be hosted in which city?

Accepted Answer

New Delhi - The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on 26-27 October 2026 . The meeting brings together legislators from participating BRICS countries for parliamentary dialogue and institutional cooperation. • Venue → New Delhi, India • Major focus → people-centric development • The forum promotes exchange of parliamentary experience among participating countries Static GK link: The acronym BRICS originated from the grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Parliamentary forums provide a legislative dimension to international cooperation alongside government-level summits and ministerial meetings.

Question 5

The 25th SCO Council of Heads of Government Meeting held on 19-20 October 2026 took place in which capital city?

Accepted Answer

Dushanbe - The 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on 19-20 October 2026 . India was represented by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh . • Chair → Tajikistan • A Joint Communique was adopted • Members approved an economic-cooperation action plan for 2026-2030 • India announced plans to host the first SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum by the end of 2026 Static GK link: The SCO was established in 2001 in Shanghai and focuses on regional security, political cooperation and economic engagement.

Question 6

In a Free Trade Agreement, what is the principal purpose of Rules of Origin?

Accepted Answer

To determine whether goods qualify for preferential tariff treatment - Rules of Origin determine whether a product originates in a partner country and therefore qualifies for preferential tariff treatment under a trade agreement. The concept was highlighted when India and New Zealand signed a Memorandum of Cooperation for electronic exchange of origin data under the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement . • Indian authority → Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs • New Zealand authority → New Zealand Customs Service • The FTA came into force on 20 October 2026 Static GK link: Rules of Origin help prevent trade deflection , where goods from a non-member country are routed through an FTA partner merely to obtain preferential duties.

Question 7

What is the title of UNESCO's 2026 Global Education Monitoring Gender Report highlighted in the current affairs of 23 October 2026?

Accepted Answer

Gender equity in access to education - UNESCO released the 2026 Global Education Monitoring Gender Report titled 'Gender equity in access to education' . It examines worldwide progress and continuing inequalities in access to education. • Global gender parity had been reached in pre-primary, primary and secondary enrolment by 2024 • Significant inequalities remain in tertiary education and among disadvantaged groups • Poverty, geography and child marriage continue to affect educational access • The release was linked with the International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October Static GK link: UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Its headquarters is in Paris, France .

Question 8

Which two companies partnered to launch the RuPay card described as India's first credit card offering family lounge access?

Accepted Answer

AU Small Finance Bank and Paytm - AU Small Finance Bank and Paytm partnered to launch the Paytm AU SFB Credit Card on the RuPay network. The supplied source describes it as India's first RuPay credit card offering family lounge access . • Joining fee → Nil • Annual fee → Nil • Eligible lounge benefit → up to 12 family visits annually • The product also offers rewards on specified Paytm UPI transactions Static GK link: RuPay is India's domestic card-payment network developed by the National Payments Corporation of India. UPI enables real-time inter-bank digital payments through participating applications.

Question 9

BHASHINI and the Indian Institute of Science developed four AI-based Text-to-Speech models for which digitally underrepresented Indian language?

Accepted Answer

Sourashtra - The Digital India BHASHINI Division and Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru developed four AI-based Text-to-Speech models for Sourashtra , an Indo-Aryan language spoken predominantly in Tamil Nadu. • Technology → Text-to-Speech • Training corpus → more than 28 hours of male and female recordings • Architecture → VITS-based speech generation • Platform → BHASHINI AIKosh Static GK link: Text-to-Speech systems convert written text into synthesised spoken output. Such technologies can support accessibility, language learning, documentation and preservation of low-resource languages.

Question 10

NASA's Perseverance rover set a new extraterrestrial driving-distance record after covering approximately how far on Mars?

Accepted Answer

45.22 km - NASA's Perseverance rover set a new extraterrestrial driving-distance record after travelling 45.22 km on Mars, surpassing the previous record associated with NASA's Opportunity rover. • Planet → Mars • Navigation technology → AutoNav • Perseverance studies Martian geology and searches for evidence of ancient microbial life • Autonomous navigation reduces dependence on individual driving commands sent from Earth Static GK link: Perseverance is part of NASA's Mars 2020 mission . The rover landed in Jezero Crater in 2021 , a region selected partly because of evidence that it once contained an ancient lake and river delta.

Question 11

Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, which introduced a sensor-based wildlife waterhole-management system in October 2026, is located in which state?

Accepted Answer

Maharashtra - Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve is located in Maharashtra , in Chandrapur district. On 22 October 2026 , it launched a pilot sensor-based system for managing water levels at wildlife waterholes. • Natural water sources → 130 • Artificial waterholes → 350 • Sensors activate pumps when water falls below a defined level • Pumps shut automatically after the waterhole fills • The source describes it as India's first-of-its-kind sensor-based wildlife waterhole-management system Static GK link: Tiger reserves in India are managed under the broader framework of Project Tiger , launched in 1973 .

Question 12

SIMBEX-2026, whose 33rd edition began at Visakhapatnam, is a bilateral naval exercise between India and which country?

Accepted Answer

Singapore - SIMBEX-2026 is a bilateral maritime exercise between India and Singapore . Its 33rd edition commenced at Visakhapatnam and runs from 21-26 October 2026 . • Singaporean ship → RSS Supreme • Indian ships → INS Nilgiri and INS Kamorta • Harbour phase → 21-23 October • Sea phase → 24-26 October in the Bay of Bengal • Sea drills include anti-submarine, anti-surface and anti-air warfare activities Static GK link: SIMBEX began in 1994 and was originally called Exercise Lion King . It is one of India's longstanding bilateral naval exercise series.

Question 13

Which two private-sector groups were shortlisted by DRDO as partners for the indigenous 20 mm aviation gun and turret system?

Accepted Answer

SSS Defence and Kalyani Group - DRDO's Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) shortlisted SSS Defence and Kalyani Group as Development-cum-Production Partners for an indigenous 20 mm aviation gun and turret system . • ARDE location → Pune, Maharashtra • Development period → about 2 years • Intended platforms → HAL ALH Mk-IV Rudra and LCH Prachand • The source describes it as India's first indigenous aviation gun and turret system Static GK link: DRDO was established in 1958 and functions under the Department of Defence Research and Development in the Ministry of Defence.

Question 14

Who became the first Indian medallist in the W1 category at the Asian Para Games, according to the supplied current-affairs source?

Accepted Answer

Swati Chaudhary - Swati Chaudhary won the women's individual W1 archery silver and became the first Indian medallist in the W1 category at the Asian Para Games , according to the supplied source. • Sheetal Devi won two gold medals in para archery • Suvarna Raj won women's F54 discus gold with 15.66 metres • Sachin Khilari won men's Shot Put F46 gold with a Games-record 15.87 metres Static GK link: Para-sport classifications group athletes according to how eligible impairments affect sporting performance. In para archery, classification determines the competitive category and permitted equipment adaptations.

Question 15

Which two countries will jointly host the 2027 ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup?

Accepted Answer

Bangladesh and Nepal - Bangladesh and Nepal will jointly host the 3rd ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup from 21 January to 6 February 2027 . • Teams → 16 • Matches → 41 • Defending champion → India • India is grouped with Ireland, West Indies and Nepal • India's opening match is scheduled against West Indies on 22 January 2027 in Kathmandu Static GK link: India won the inaugural ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup in 2023 . The tournament is organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) , the global governing body for international cricket.

Daily Current Affairs Quiz 23 October 2026: 15 Important GK MCQs for UPSC, SSC, Banking & Railways Exams

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Daily Current Affairs Quiz 23 October 2026: 15 Important GK MCQs for UPSC, SSC, Banking & Railways Exams

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