UPSC Daily Current Affairs Quiz : 28 January 2026

Question 1: Consider the following statements with reference to the ‘Mother of all deals’, the India–European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA):

1. The European Union has agreed to eliminate tariffs on 99.5% of India’s exports by trade value, with over 90% of these becoming duty-free from the first day of implementation.
2. India has provided immediate duty elimination on more than half of the tariff lines covering EU exports to India.
3. India’s dairy and strategic agricultural sectors have been fully opened to EU imports under the FTA.
4. The agreement includes a conditional arrangement on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), under which any CBAM concession extended by the EU to a third country would automatically apply to India.
   

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Question 2: Consider the following statements regarding electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise:

1. Article 326 of the Constitution requires that the conditions of age, citizenship, and absence of disqualification must be continuously fulfilled for a person to remain on the electoral roll.
2. According to the Election Commission of India, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise is a verification of eligibility and not a process to determine citizenship.
3. The Election Commission has introduced additional eligibility conditions beyond those mentioned in Article 326 while conducting the SIR exercise.
   

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Question 3: Consider the following statements with reference to the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026:

1. Regulation 3(c) of the Regulations defines caste-based discrimination as discrimination only against Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.
2. The Regulations, 2026 have superseded the 2012 UGC Regulations and aim to promote equity and inclusion in higher education in line with the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
3. The plea filed before the Supreme Court of India argues that limiting protection from caste-based discrimination to SC/ST/OBCs violates Article 14 by denying equal protection of law to other caste groups.
   

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Question 4: Consider the following statements regarding the criticism of the India–European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by the Communist Party of India (Marxist):

1. The CPI(M) has argued that the India–EU FTA entails a sharp reduction or elimination of tariffs on over 90% of EU imports into India, potentially harming domestic manufacturing sectors.
2. According to the CPI(M), the principal beneficiaries of the FTA would be small farmers and informal sector workers due to cheaper imports of automobiles, wines, and spirits.
3. The party has also criticised the FTA for aligning with the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor, particularly due to the designation of Israel’s Haifa port as a key transit hub.
   

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Question 5: Consider the following statements regarding the recent depreciation of the Indian rupee:

1. According to C. Rangarajan, the primary driver of the recent fall in the rupee is capital outflows triggered by geopolitical and diplomatic factors, rather than weak macroeconomic fundamentals.
2. In India’s market-determined exchange rate regime, the Reserve Bank of India intervenes in the foreign exchange market mainly to reduce volatility, including moderating sharp depreciations, without targeting a fixed exchange rate level.
3. A sustained depreciation of the rupee is likely to significantly boost India’s export competitiveness, as most of India’s exports have low import content and face minimal tariff barriers in major markets.

Which of the statements given above are correct?