Daily Current Affairs Quiz 15th January, 2026 Check Important Questions Here

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Daily Current Affairs: 15 January, 2026

Q1. Recently, an Indian diplomat was nominated to chair a key United Nations advisory body on arms control and global security for the 2026–27 term, highlighting India’s growing role in multilateral disarmament efforts. Who is this diplomat?

(a) Syed Akbaruddin
(b) D.B. Venkatesh Varma
(c) Ruchira Kamboj
(d) T.S. Tirumurti
(e) Vikram Misri

Answer: b

Solution:

• Senior Indian diplomat D. B. Venkatesh Varma, a member of India’s National Security Advisory Board, has been nominated by the UN Secretary-General as the Chair of the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters (ABDM) for the 2026–27 term.
• This nomination is considered a significant milestone for Indian diplomacy, highlighting India’s growing role in global disarmament and international security discussions.

About the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters (ABDM)

• The Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters was established in 1978 by the United Nations.
• Key functions of the Board include:
  • Advising the UN Secretary-General on issues related to arms limitation and disarmament.
  • Serving as the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR).
  • Advising on the implementation of the United Nations Disarmament Information Programme.
• The Board consists of 15 members, selected by the Secretary-General from all regions of the world based on their expertise in disarmament and international security.
• The Director of UNIDIR serves as an ex officio member of the Board.
• The Board meets twice every year, with sessions held alternately in New York and Geneva.
• The Chairmanship of the Board rotates annually by region.
• The Headquarters of the Board is located in New York.

Q2. India’s wholesale inflation showed a positive trend in December 2025 after earlier moderation. What was the year-on-year WPI inflation rate recorded for December 2025?

(a) 0.41%
(b) 0.71%
(c) 0.83%
(d) 1.09%
(e) 1.23%

Answer: c

Solution:

• India’s Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation stood at 0.83% (provisional) in December 2025, compared to the same month in 2024.
• On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, WPI increased by 0.71% in December 2025 compared to November 2025.

Food Index

• The WPI Food Index increased from 195.0 (Nov) to 196.0 (Dec).
• Year-on-year food inflation improved from –2.60% (Nov 2025) to 0.00% (Dec 2025), indicating price stabilisation.

Q3. IndiaAI, under the Digital India ecosystem, has launched a specialised challenge to automate financial reporting compliance using Artificial Intelligence. The challenge has been launched in collaboration with which authority?

(a) Securities and Exchange Board of India
(b) National Financial Reporting Authority
(c) Reserve Bank of India
(d) Institute of Chartered Accountants of India
(e) Serious Fraud Investigation Office

Answer: b

Solution:

• IndiaAI, an Independent Business Division under the Digital India Corporation of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has launched the IndiaAI Financial Reporting Compliance Challenge.
• The challenge has been launched in collaboration with the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA).
• It is part of the IndiaAI Application Development Initiative (IADI) and aims to democratise the use of Artificial Intelligence in regulatory and compliance domains.
• The initiative invites Indian startups and companies to develop a scalable AI-based engine for automated verification of financial documents against regulatory frameworks.
• The challenge seeks to bridge compliance gaps and strengthen transparent financial reporting, thereby improving investor protection and public trust.

Incentives & Rewards

• Top 10 shortlisted teams will enter a Virtual Challenge Round and receive ₹5 lakh each, using datasets provided through AIKosh.
• Up to 3 teams may be invited for a 5-day on-premises development round in New Delhi.
• One winning team may receive a work contract worth up to ₹1 crore to deploy the solution for NFRA for two years.
• Overall, the initiative aims to build a scalable RegTech infrastructure for India using AI.

Q4. According to the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024 released by NITI Aayog, ________ emerged as the top performer among Large States, while ________ topped the category of Small States / North Eastern States / Union Territories.

(a) Maharashtra – Uttarakhand

(b) Gujarat – Goa
(c) Tamil Nadu – Jammu and Kashmir
(d) Uttar Pradesh – Nagaland
(e) Andhra Pradesh – Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu

Answer: a

Solution:

• NITI Aayog released the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024, which assesses the export readiness of India’s States and Union Territories.
• The Index recognises the diversity of subnational economic structures and their crucial role in achieving India’s global trade ambitions.
• The first edition of the EPI was released in August 2020, and EPI 2024 is the fourth edition.
• EPI 2024 aligns with India’s goal of USD 1 trillion merchandise exports by 2030 and the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
• The Index provides an evidence-based framework to evaluate the strength, resilience, and inclusiveness of export ecosystems at the State and district levels.

1. Framework and Coverage

• EPI 2024 is structured around four pillars, broken down into 13 sub-pillars and 70 indicators, enabling a granular policy assessment.

Four Pillars of EPI 2024:

1. Export Infrastructure
2. Business Ecosystem
3. Policy & Governance
4. Export Performance

• New analytical dimensions introduced include:
  • Macroeconomic stability
  • Cost competitiveness
  • Human capital
  • Financial access
  • MSME ecosystem

1. Classification of States and UTs

• States and UTs are grouped into:
  • Large States
  • Small States
  • North Eastern States
  • Union Territories
• Within each category, they are classified as:
  • Leaders
  • Challengers
  • Aspirers
• Districts are emphasised as the core units of export competitiveness, linking national goals with local industrial and value-chain strengths.

III. Methodology and Weightage

• EPI 2024 follows a data-driven, indicator-based methodology, using official data from Central Ministries, State Governments, and public institutions.
• Indicators are normalised and aggregated, with balanced weightages across pillars:

1. Top Performing States & UTs – EPI 2024
2. Large States (Leaders):

1. Maharashtra
2. Tamil Nadu
3. Gujarat
4. Uttar Pradesh
5. Andhra Pradesh

1. Small States / North East States / UTs (Leaders):

1. Uttarakhand
2. Jammu and Kashmir
3. Nagaland
4. Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
5. Goa

Q5. The 16th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus Expert Working Group on Counter-Terrorism was co-chaired by which of the following countries?

(a) India and Indonesia
(b) India and Singapore
(c) India and Vietnam
(d) India and Thailand

(e) India and Malaysia

Answer: e

Solution

• The 16th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus Expert Working Group (EWG) on Counter-Terrorism commenced on 14 January 2026 in New Delhi.
• The meeting is co-chaired by India and Malaysia, highlighting India’s active role in regional and multilateral counter-terrorism cooperation.
• The three-day meeting brings together delegations from 11 ASEAN member countries, 7 Dialogue Partner countries, and representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat.
• ASEAN Member Countries participating are:
  • Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand and Timor-Leste.
• Dialogue Partner Countries include:
  • Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, China, United States and Russia.
• The meeting serves as a key platform to deliberate on ongoing and planned activities under the three-year work plan, aimed at strengthening multilateral cooperation on counter-terrorism.