Which ministry unveiled a new logo and mascot on 1 January 2026?

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) unveiled a new logo and mascot.

Daily Current Affairs Quiz 1st January, 2026 Check Important Questions Here |

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Daily Current Affairs: 01 January 2026

Q1. In a significant leadership transition within the Indian Air Force, Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor assumed charge of a key operational post on 1 January 2026. Which position did he take over?

(a) Chief of the Air Staff

(b) Deputy Chief of the Air Staff

(d) Air Officer-in-Charge Personnel

(e) Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces

Answer: c

Solution:

Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, SYSM, PVSM, AVSM, VM, assumed charge as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) of the Indian Air Force on 1 January 2026.
He succeeded Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, SYSM, PVSM, AVSM, VM, who retired upon superannuation.
Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari concluded a glorious and distinguished career spanning 40 years in the service of the nation.
The change in leadership marks a continuity of experienced command at the highest levels of the Indian Air Force.

Q2. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently confirmed the successful completion of technical protocols for a new variant of India’s indigenous semi-high-speed train. Which specific regional corridor has been selected for the operational debut of the first Vande Bharat Sleeper Train?

(a) New Delhi to Patna

(b) Howrah to Guwahati

(d) Bengaluru to Chennai

(e) Kolkata to Siliguri

Answer: b

Solution:

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, announced on 1 January 2026 the launch of the first-ever Vande Bharat Sleeper Train.
The sleeper version of the Vande Bharat Express will operate between Guwahati and Howrah.
The Minister confirmed that trial runs, testing, and certification of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Train have been successfully completed.
In January 2026, the train will be officially flagged off by Narendra Modi.
This development marks a significant milestone in enhancing long-distance overnight rail travel in India.

Q3. In a historic administrative development in West Bengal, a senior IAS officer was appointed as the Chief Secretary on 31 December 2025, becoming the first Bengali and the first woman to hold the state’s top bureaucratic post. Who is this officer?

(a) Nandini Chakraborty

(b) Rina Ray

(d) Smita Sabharwal

(e) Aruna Sundararajan

Answer: a

Solution:

Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, on 31 December 2025, appointed Nandini Chakraborty as the new Chief Secretary of West Bengal.
Nandini Chakraborty is a 1994-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre.
With this appointment, she became the first woman and the first Bengali to occupy the top bureaucratic post in the state.
She succeeded Manoj Pant (IAS: 1991: WB).
Manoj Pant has been reassigned as Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of West Bengal.

Q4. The central message conveyed through MoSPI’s newly unveiled logo, inaugurated on January 1, 2026, reflects the Ministry’s vision of facilitating India’s data-driven governance and transparency. Which of the following phrases represents the official “message” intended to inspire progress through modern statistical science?

(a) Statistics for National Growth

(b) Reliable Data, Reliable Nation

(d) Empowerment through Evidence

(e) Data for Development

Answer: e

Solution:

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) unveiled its new logo and mascot on 1 January 2026.
The launch marks an important step towards modernising MoSPI’s institutional identity, strengthening public outreach, and reinforcing the role of official statistics in nation-building.
The new logo highlights the importance of data in national development and reflects the Ministry’s commitment to data-driven governance, transparency, and progress.
Inspired by India’s rich heritage and modern statistical science, the logo carries the central message of “Data for Development.”
The Ashoka Chakra in the logo symbolises truth, transparency, and good governance.
The Rupee symbol (₹) at the centre signifies the critical role of statistics in economic planning, policymaking, and national growth.
The inclusion of numbers and symbols represents modern data systems and statistical science.
An upward growth bar depicts progress and the role of reliable data in sustainable economic growth.
The colours saffron, white, green, and deep blue reflect India’s core values of growth, truth, sustainability, stability, and knowledge, reinforcing the credibility of official statistics.

Q5. India’s fiscal deficit for April–November 2025 of the current financial year stood at __________ lakh crore rupees.

(a) 8.92

(b) 9.12

(d) 9.76

(e) 10.05

Answer: d

Solution:

India’s fiscal deficit for the period April to November (the first eight months of the current financial year) stood at ₹9.76 lakh crore.
This deficit accounted for 62.3% of the annual budget estimates, higher than 52.5% recorded during the same period last year.
The widening of the fiscal deficit reflects higher expenditure and fiscal pressures in the current financial year.
The Government of India has set a target to reduce the fiscal deficit to 4.4% of GDP in the ongoing financial year.
This represents a fiscal consolidation effort, improving from 4.8% of GDP in the previous year.