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Current Affairs
UPSC
Daily Current Affairs
Daily CA Quiz
UPSC Prelims PYQs
Monthly Current Affairs
Resources

UPSC Daily Current Affairs Quiz : 21 January 2026

January 21, 2026
Daily Current Affairs Quiz

The Daily Current Affairs Quiz for UPSC is based on the PIB, The Hindu, Indian Express, and other reliable sources that we update every day on our website. This quiz is designed to help aspirants reinforce current affairs concepts and facts relevant to both Prelims and Mains in a quick and effective manner.

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Daily Current Affairs Quiz : 21 January 2026

Total Questions : 05

1 / 5

Question 1: With reference to the concerns raised over the draft Seeds Bill, consider the following statements:

The draft Seeds Bill is alleged to weaken the role of public sector institutions like the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in seed development.
Farmers’ organisations have expressed apprehension that the Bill could lead to monopolisation of the seed sector by private players.
The draft Seeds Bill explicitly recognises farmers’ rights to save, exchange, and sell seeds as inalienable rights.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A. 1 and 2 only

B. 2 and 3 only

C. 1 and 3 only

D. 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: According to All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), the draft Seeds Bill undermines the role of public sector research institutions such as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research by creating conditions that favour private dominance in the seed sector.
Statement 2 is correct: AIKS has flagged the risk of private sector monopolisation, arguing that the Bill may tilt the balance away from public research and farmer-centric seed systems.
Statement 3 is incorrect: While AIKS has demanded that farmers’ rights to grow, save, exchange, and sell seeds be protected as inalienable rights, it argues that the current draft does not adequately guarantee these rights.

2 / 5

Question 2: With reference to the recent directions issued by the aviation regulator in India, consider the following statements:

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has mandated airline operators to appoint a Chief of Flight Safety to strengthen accident and incident prevention mechanisms.
The DGCA has directed that if the Chief of Flight Safety is a pilot, the Deputy Chief of Flight Safety must be an engineer, and vice versa.
The directions aim to shift aviation safety oversight from a proactive approach to a reactive approach based mainly on accident investigations.
The instructions apply only to operators engaged in scheduled passenger air transport services.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A. 1 and 2 only

B. 1, 2 and 3 only

C. 1, 2 and 4 only

D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Correct Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed airline operators to appoint a Chief of Flight Safety and establish a dedicated flight safety department to address recurring causal factors and systemic deficiencies in aviation operations.
Statement 2 is correct: The DGCA has clearly specified a cross-functional requirement-if the Chief of Flight Safety is a pilot, the Deputy Chief must be an engineer, and vice versa-to ensure balanced operational and technical oversight.
Statement 3 is incorrect: The DGCA explicitly emphasised a shift from a reactive approach to a proactive approach through effective implementation of a Safety Management System (SMS), aiming to identify safety concerns before they escalate into accidents.
Statement 4 is incorrect: The directions apply to all operators, including scheduled air transport services, cargo services, and non-scheduled air transport services-not just scheduled passenger airlines.

3 / 5

Question 3: With reference to the global electric vehicle (EV) transition and copper demand, consider the following statements:

Electric vehicles require substantially more copper than internal combustion engine vehicles due to their batteries, motors, wiring, and charging infrastructure.
Efficiency gains and reduced metal intensity in EVs are expected to offset the rise in copper demand despite rapid growth in EV adoption.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer: (a) 1 only

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: EVs use four to five times more copper than internal combustion vehicles because copper is critical for electrification—batteries, electric motors, power electronics, wiring harnesses, charging stations, and grid upgrades.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Although efficiency improvements may reduce copper intensity per vehicle, absolute copper demand will continue to rise due to the scale and speed of EV adoption. Hence, efficiency gains cannot fully offset demand growth.

4 / 5

Question 4: With reference to the electric vehicle (EV) transition and global copper demand, consider the following statements:

Electric vehicles require substantially higher copper content than internal combustion engine vehicles, leading to a strong linkage between EV growth and copper demand.
The projected global copper supply deficit is mainly due to declining EV adoption and widespread substitution of copper with alternative materials.

Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer: (b) 2 only

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: EVs use four to five times more copper than ICE vehicles for batteries, motors, wiring, charging infrastructure, and grids-creating a near one-to-one rise in copper demand with EV sales.
Statement 2 is not correct: The looming copper deficit stems from supply-side constraints (declining ore grades, long mine gestation, environmental limits), not from falling EV demand or effective large-scale substitution of copper.

5 / 5

Question 5: With reference to the Makwar Dam inaugurated in 1926, consider the following statements:

The Makwar Dam was constructed on the Blue Nile in Sudan to expand irrigated agriculture.
The dam was expected to immediately bring nearly 300,000 acres of previously arid land under cultivation.
The project was inaugurated during the period of British colonial administration in Northeast Africa.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A. 1 and 2 only

B. 2 and 3 only

C. 1 and 3 only

D. 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: The Makwar Dam was built on the Blue Nile in Sudan as part of an irrigation-driven development strategy.
Statement 2 is correct: Contemporary records noted that the dam would bring about 300,000 acres of arid land under cultivation, transforming desert areas into productive farmland.
Statement 3 is correct: The dam was inaugurated in 1926, when Sudan and Egypt were under strong British administrative influence, and it was opened by Lord Lloyd, the British High Commissioner in Egypt.