Daily Current Affairs Quiz 17th October, 2026 for Banking & Competitive Exams |

Daily Current Affairs: 17 October 2026

Q1. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced that India’s Ramsar site tally reached 103 in October 2026 with the addition of Sukhna Wetland and Sauj Jheel. In which State/UT is Sauj Jheel located?

(a) Chandigarh

(b) Haryana

(d) Uttar Pradesh

(e) Himachal Pradesh

Answer: d

Solution:

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced on 15 October 2026 that India’s Ramsar site count had increased to 103 with the addition of Sukhna Wetland and Sauj Jheel.

Sukhna Wetland

Location: Chandigarh, at the foothills of the Outer Himalayas.
It is a peri-urban reservoir that helps regulate sediment and water flows from its surrounding catchment.
Its habitats include open water, littoral vegetation, scrub and forest, supporting diverse wildlife.
It provides feeding, breeding, roosting and wintering habitats for resident waterbirds and migratory birds along the Central Asian Flyway.
Important species include the vulnerable common pochard, endangered Pallas’s fish eagle and endangered black pond turtle.

Sauj Jheel

Location: Uttar Pradesh, in the floodplain of the Ganga River.
It is a shallow lake surrounded by agricultural land and forms part of a wider network of wetlands near Saman Bird Sanctuary.
Its vegetation includes the sacred lotus and wild sugarcane.
Important bird species include the vulnerable sarus crane and greater spotted eagle.

Q2. Shri Ravi Shanker Goel has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Suriname. What is the capital city of Suriname?

(a) Georgetown

(b) Paramaribo

(d) Caracas

(e) Suva

Answer: b

Solution:

– Ravi Shanker Goel, a 2009-batch officer currently serving as Consul General at the Consulate General of India in Medan, has been appointed India’s next Ambassador to the Republic of Suriname.

About Suriname

Location: Northern coast of South America.
Capital: Paramaribo.
Bordering countries: Brazil to the south, French Guiana to the east and Guyana to the west.
Water body: North Atlantic Ocean to the north.
Membership: Suriname is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Q3. The 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) was held in October 2026, adopting the ‘Baku Declaration’. In which country was this summit hosted?

(a) Kazakhstan

(b) Uzbekistan

(d) Tajikistan

(e) Turkmenistan

Answer: c

Solution:

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh led the Indian delegation to the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
The summit was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 15 October 2026.
Member states discussed regional cooperation, mutual trust and peace in Asia.
The summit adopted the Baku Declaration, highlighting connectivity, digitalisation and sustainable growth as important elements of confidence-building and development.
India is a founding member of CICA and supports it as a platform for inclusive dialogue, consensus-building and regional cooperation.

About CICA

Full form: Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.
Founded: 5 October 1992, at the 47th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Founder: Nursultan Nazarbayev, the first President of Kazakhstan.
Objective: To promote peace, security, stability and cooperation in Asia.
Membership criterion: A state must have at least part of its territory in Asia.
Summit: Convened every four years.
Foreign Ministers’ Meeting: Held every two years.
Secretariat: Astana, Kazakhstan (the source refers to the city by its former name, Nur-Sultan).

Q4. Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan commissioned INS Samarthak, the first of four indigenously built Multi-Purpose Vessels (MPVs), into the Indian Navy at Karwar, Karnataka. Which private shipyard constructed this vessel?

(a) Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL)

(b) Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE)

(d) Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL)

(e) Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL)

Answer: c

Solution:

Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan commissioned the indigenously built multipurpose vessel INS Samarthak into the Indian Navy in October 2026.
The commissioning took place at INS Kadamba Naval Base, Karwar, Karnataka.
The vessel was built by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu, under the Make in India initiative.
INS Samarthak is the first of four such vessels being built indigenously and has over 75% indigenous content.
Its roles include maritime surveillance, patrolling, training and support operations.
It will also support the testing of weapons, radars and sensors, unmanned systems, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations.

Q5. Pi ZT Lalrithangi was named among the ‘FAO 100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development’ at the World Food Forum in Rome. For her leadership in which agricultural crop was she recognized?

(a) Dragonfruit

(b) Strawberry

(d) Passionfruit

(e) Organic Tea

Answer: b

Solution:

Pi ZT Lalrithangi, a successful strawberry grower from Lawngtlai district, Mizoram, was named among the FAO 100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development for the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026.
She became the first Mizo woman to receive this recognition.
She was selected from more than 600 candidates across 131 countries, with only two women selected from India.
The award was presented during the World Food Forum at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy.
The recognition honours her achievements in strawberry cultivation and her efforts to inspire future generations.

Q6. To ensure affordable availability of essential food commodities ahead of the festive season, the Department of Consumer Affairs dispatched the first-ever ‘Kanda Express’ rail consignment carrying buffer-stock onions to which northeastern city?

(a) Guwahati, Assam

(b) Agartala, Tripura

(d) Shillong, Meghalaya

(e) Imphal, Manipur

Answer: b

Solution:

The Department of Consumer Affairs is expanding the distribution of buffer-stock onions under the Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) to improve availability and maintain affordable prices ahead of the festive season.
The first Kanda Express consignment to Agartala, Tripura, is carrying approximately 440 metric tonnes of onions and is expected to arrive on 18 October 2026.
The initiative follows earlier transportation of buffer-stock onions to Assam through Kanda Express.
The Agartala consignment is intended to strengthen onion distribution across seven districts of Tripura: Dhalai, South Tripura, Khowai, Unakoti, West Tripura, Gomati and Sepahijala.
The government aims to improve supply chains, expand market coverage and ensure timely availability of onions across the northeastern region.
The distribution network has covered locations in Assam, Tripura and Nagaland, including Guwahati, Kamrup, Gomati, Dimapur, Sepahijala, Kohima, Niuland and Chumoukedima.

Q7. Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal launched the National Strategic Trade Command Centre (NSTCC) in New Delhi. Which department developed this integrated data analytics platform to strengthen India’s trade ecosystem?

(a) Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)

(b) Department of Commerce

(d) Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)

(e) NITI Aayog

Answer: b

Solution:

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal launched the National Strategic Trade Command Centre (NSTCC) at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi.
The centre was developed by the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, to strengthen monitoring, analysis and governance of India’s international trade.
It uses integrated data analytics to support evidence-based policymaking and provide officials with a consolidated view of trade performance, export promotion schemes, regulatory approvals, application processing and operational indicators.
Its interactive dashboards cover trade indicators, scheme performance, pending applications, processing timelines, regional trends and compliance parameters.
The platform enables analysis at national and regional levels and across schemes, products, destination markets and individual applications, subject to role-based access permissions.

Q8. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena announced the creation of ‘Sankoo’ as the eighth district of which Union Territory in October 2026?

(a) Jammu and Kashmir

(b) Ladakh

(d) Puducherry

(e) Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

Answer: b

Solution:

Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena announced the creation of Sankoo District on 16 October 2026, fulfilling a long-standing demand of the local population.
Sankoo has a population of approximately 40,548.
With its creation, Ladakh now has eight districts, according to the supplied material.

Q9. IG Defence developed ‘JWALA-MK1’, India’s first private-sector micro-missile. What primary operational role is JWALA-MK1 engineered to perform?

(a) Long-range anti-ship strike

(b) Hard-kill interceptor for hostile drones/UAVs

(d) Anti-submarine torpedo defence

(e) Beyond-Visual-Range (BVR) air-to-air combat

Answer: b

Solution:

JWALA-MK1 is an indigenously developed micro-missile being developed by IG Defence, an Indian private-sector defence technology company.
The missile is designed as a short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) and a hard-kill interceptor to physically destroy hostile drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
It is intended to provide a cost-effective alternative to conventional air-defence missiles for counter-drone operations.
JWALA is part of IG Defence’s broader GRID Defend ecosystem.
GRID is an AI-enabled battle-management network that integrates sensors, command structures and weapons into a common operational picture.
Following successful solid rocket motor tests, JWALA was reported to be preparing for trials.

Q10. World Food Day is celebrated annually on 16 October to mark the anniversary of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945. What is the theme for World Food Day 2026?

(a) Water is Life, Water is Food

(b) Leave No One Behind

(d) Safe Food Now for a Healthy Tomorrow

(e) Our Actions are Our Future

Answer: c

Solution:

World Food Day is observed on 16 October every year to raise awareness about hunger, food security and access to healthy food.
Theme for 2026: “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.”
World Food Day is led by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to raise awareness about hunger, food security and access to healthy food.
The theme highlights the importance of innovation, technology and collective action in building sustainable food systems and ensuring access to nutritious food.
The day marks the establishment of the FAO on 16 October 1945. Its headquarters is in Rome, Italy.
The observance was established by FAO member states at the organisation’s 20th General Conference in November 1979, with annual observances beginning in 1981.
The UN General Assembly endorsed the observance on 5 December 1980.
2026 marks the 46th observance of World Food Day, counting 1981 as the first year.