Daily Current Affairs — 17 October 2026
Daily Current Affairs · 17 October 2026
10 fully-analysed topics · 30 bilingual MCQs · 3 embedded videos · built for UPSC Prelims & Mains
🎯 30 MCQs
🎬 3 Videos
🇮🇳 Hindi + English
Indian Geography MCQ Quiz · भारतीय भूगोल प्रश्नोत्तरी
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Environment
South Korea Completes Trial Voyage via Arctic Shipping Route
South Korea's container ship PanStar Acro completed the country's first commercial container-ship round-trip voyage between Busan and Europe via the Arctic, returning to Busan after a 50-day journey.
- Voyage Details: Voyage Details: PanStar Acro departed from Busan
- Strategic Objective: South Korea aims to develop Busan into a major global maritime and logistics hub
- Time & Distance Advantage: The Arctic route could reduce the sailing distance between Asia
- Major Challenges: Commercial viability remains uncertain due to seasonal sea ice
Show 2 more facts
- Environmental Concerns: Increased Arctic shipping could raise risks of black carbon emissions
- Strategic Significance: The NSR could diversify global shipping corridors
Which of the following statements about South Korea Completes Trial Voyage via Arctic Shipping Route is correct?
Correct. The three wrong options each change one thing from the source: a figure, the institution involved, the direction of change, or a qualifier turned into an absolute.
Not quite. The three wrong options each change one thing from the source: a figure, the institution involved, the direction of change, or a qualifier turned into an absolute. The green option is the correct one.
IR
Eastern Maritime Corridor
The recent launch of the Eastern Maritime Corridor between Chennai and Vladivostok (Russia) has enhanced India-Russia trade by reducing shipping time and costs.
- This new route is crucial for increasing trade in sectors like crude oil
- The corridor is expected to significantly reshape bilateral trade dynamics, promoting economic and strategic cooperation between the two nations.
- About: The Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC) is a sea link connecting the east coast of India (Chennai Port)
- Reduced Logistics Costs: EMC has reduced the shipping distance from 8,675 nautical miles (via the traditional St Petersburg-Mumbai route through
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- This is significant for India as it has surpassed China to become the largest buyer of Russian oil in July 2024.
- India imports over 85% of its crude oil demand.
- The corridor supports India's maritime sector
- This new route aligns with India's Maritime Vision 2030, which includes over 150 initiatives aimed at transforming the maritime sector.
- Vladivostok is the largest Russian port on the Pacific Ocean
- The Chennai-Vladivostok corridor is aligned with other initiatives
Which of the following statements about Eastern Maritime Corridor is correct?
Correct. The three wrong options each change one thing from the source: a figure, the institution involved, the direction of change, or a qualifier turned into an absolute.
Not quite. The three wrong options each change one thing from the source: a figure, the institution involved, the direction of change, or a qualifier turned into an absolute. The green option is the correct one.
Environment
Atlantic Ocean Current System: AMOC
According to the recently released IPCC's Report, Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is losing its stability and is very likely to decline over the 21st century.
- The ocean has an interconnected current, or circulation, system powered by wind, tides, the Earth's rotation (Coriolis effect), the sun (solar
- About AMOC: It is a large system of ocean currents.
- It is the Atlantic branch of the ocean conveyor belt or ThermoHaline Circulation (THC)
- It then returns to the tropics and then to the South Atlantic as a bottom current
Show 6 more facts
- Without a proper AMOC and Gulf Stream, Europe will be very cold
- El Nino is a climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
- Climate models have long predicted that global warming can cause a weakening of the major ocean systems of the world.
- Freshwater inflow from the melting of the Greenland ice sheet
- Now, the water is unable to sink as it used to and weakens the AMOC flow.
- The AMOC decline is not just a fluctuation or a linear response to increasing temperatures but likely means the approaching of a critical threshold
Polity
Suez Canal
A large cargo ship named 'Ever Given' got stuck near the southern end of the Suez Canal due to a mishap caused by bad weather.
- This is causing a huge jam of vessels at either end of the vital international trade artery.
- About: The Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway running north to south across the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt
- It provides the shortest maritime route between Europe and the lands lying around the Indian and western Pacific oceans.
- It is one of the world's most heavily used shipping lanes, carrying over 12% of world trade by volume
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- As per Suez Canal Authority (SCA) data, in 2020, nearly 19,000 ships, or an average of 51.5 ships per day
- In 2015, Egypt announced plans to further expand the Suez Canal, aiming to reduce waiting times
- The Suez Canal is actually the first canal that directly links the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. It was opened for navigation in November 1869.
- The 150-year-old canal was controlled by British and French interests in its initial years, but was nationalised in 1956 by Egypt
Which of the following statements about Suez Canal is correct?
Correct. The three wrong options each change one thing from the source: a figure, the institution involved, the direction of change, or a qualifier turned into an absolute.
Not quite. The three wrong options each change one thing from the source: a figure, the institution involved, the direction of change, or a qualifier turned into an absolute. The green option is the correct one.
Environment
Black Carbon Emissions and PMUY
During the UNFCCC COP26 climate talks in Glasgow in November 2021, India committed to attaining net-zero emissions by 2070, positioning itself as a leading contender in the pursuit of carbon neutrality.
- As per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
- Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), a scheme of the government of India can contribute to net zero emission significantly by mitigating the black
- About: Black carbon (BC) is the dark, sooty material emitted alongside other pollutants when biomass and fossil fuels are not fully combusted.
- BC is a short-lived pollutant that is the second-largest contributor to warming the planet behind carbon dioxide (CO2)
Show 6 more facts
- Unlike historical carbon emissions it is also a localised source with greater local impact.
- Among aerosols (such as brown carbon, sulphates), Black Carbon has been recognized as the second most important anthropogenic agent
- It gets emitted from gas and diesel engines, coal-fired power plants, and other sources that burn fossil fuel
- According to a 2016 study, the residential sector contributes 47% of India's total black carbon emissions.
- Industries contribute a further 22%, diesel vehicles 17%, open burning 12%, and other sources 2%.
- About: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG)
Which of the following statements about Black Carbon Emissions and PMUY is correct?
Correct. The three wrong options each change one thing from the source: a figure, the institution involved, the direction of change, or a qualifier turned into an absolute.
Not quite. The three wrong options each change one thing from the source: a figure, the institution involved, the direction of change, or a qualifier turned into an absolute. The green option is the correct one.
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Environment
India and the Dynamism of Arctic Region
The Arctic, a peaceful zone of scientific cooperation, is rapidly emerging as a geopolitical.
- Climate Change and Resource Access: The opening of the NSR
- The Arctic has attracted commercial and military interests
- The region is transitioning from a scientific commons to a geopolitical hotspot, central to global power play.
- This shift could jeopardize India's MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security
Show 6 more facts
- India's strong ties with Russia, especially amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict, have raised concerns among Nordic states
- About: The Arctic is a region located above the Arctic Circle
- The Arctic is home to nearly 4 million inhabitants, with approximately one-tenth being indigenous peoples.
- As India is the 3rd-largest energy consumer, the Arctic's melting ice makes these resources more accessible, potentially addressing India's energy
- Environmentally, the Arctic's melting ice is linked to glacial changes in the Himalayas, critical for India's water security.
- Historical Engagement: India's Arctic engagement began in 1920 with the signing of the Svalbard Treaty
India's current Arctic posture rooted in science and climate diplomacy was suitable in an era of cooperation.
Which of the following statements about India and the Dynamism of Arctic Region is correct?
Correct. The three wrong options each change one thing from the source: a figure, the institution involved, the direction of change, or a qualifier turned into an absolute.
Not quite. The three wrong options each change one thing from the source: a figure, the institution involved, the direction of change, or a qualifier turned into an absolute. The green option is the correct one.
History
Facial Recognition Technology
The debate around facial recognition technology (FRT) and surveillance evasion gained traction after suggestions emerged that creative makeup could help evade facial recognition cameras during protests.
- Facial Recognition Technology (FRT): It is an advanced biometric system
- 1:1 Verification: Unlocking smartphones or verifying identity at airport gates (e.g., Digi Yatra).
- 1:n Identification: Scanning crowds via CCTV to find matches in a criminal database (law enforcement use).
- The CV Dazzle Project (2010): Artist Adam Harvey explored using high-contrast
Show 3 more facts
- It directed that law enforcement must strictly tie real-time FRT deployment to existing criminal data to curb broader crowd monitoring.
- Algorithms are prone to "false positives," particularly concerning race and gender
- The fear of being identified, profiled, and added to state databases can deter citizens from exercising their fundamental right to peaceful assembly
Which of the following statements about Facial Recognition Technology is correct?
Correct. The three wrong options each change one thing from the source: a figure, the institution involved, the direction of change, or a qualifier turned into an absolute.
Not quite. The three wrong options each change one thing from the source: a figure, the institution involved, the direction of change, or a qualifier turned into an absolute. The green option is the correct one.
Economy
DIGI YATRA
Recently, the Consultative Committee meeting of the Ministry of Civil Aviation was held in New Delhi to discuss 'DIGI YATRA'.
- About: It is a project conceived to achieve contactless, seamless processing of passengers at Airports, based on Facial Recognition Technology (FRT).
- The project envisages that any traveller may pass through various checkpoints at the airport through a paperless and contactless processing
- It provides a decentralized mobile wallet-based identity management platform which is cost effective
- It has been set up as a joint venture (JV) company in 2019 under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013.
Show 6 more facts
- The Foundation was formed, with the objective of creating the Digi Yatra Central Ecosystem (DYCE).
- Digi Yatra Foundation will be a pan-India entity and the custodian of the Passenger ID validation process.
- It will also develop consensus amongst the Aviation Stakeholders in India.
- It would also define the criteria for compliance and guidelines for the local airport systems.
- In the first phase, Digi Yatra is proposed to be rolled out at two Airports namely Varanasi and Bengaluru in August 2022
- Airports Authority of India (AAI) will identify their airports where Digi Yatra would be implemented in a phased manner.
With reference to DIGI YATRA, consider the following statements:
- About: It is a project conceived to achieve contactless, seamless processing of passengers at Airports, based on Facial Recognition Technology (FRT)
- The project envisages that any traveller must pass through various checkpoints at the airport through a paperless and contactless processing
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Correct. Check each statement on its own before looking at the options. One of the two alters a figure, an institution or the direction of change stated in the source.
Not quite. Check each statement on its own before looking at the options. One of the two alters a figure, an institution or the direction of change stated in the source. The green option is the correct one.
Polity
Right to Protest
The Supreme Court said farmers had the right to protest, but roads cannot be blocked indefinitely (impeding the right of citizens to commute without hindrance).
- Right to Protest: Although the Right to Protest is not an explicit right under the Fundamental rights
- Article 19(1)(b): The Right to association is required to form associations for political purposes
- It provides feedback to the governments about their policies and actions after which the concerned government
- Article 19(2) imposes reasonable restrictions on the right to freedom of speech and expression
Show 3 more facts
- Enumerated in Article 51A, the Constitution makes it a fundamental duty of every citizen "to safeguard public property and to abjure violence".
- The Supreme Court hearing the plea regarding Shaheen Bagh Protests in 2019
- SC referred to its 2018 judgment in the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan vs Union of India and Another case
Which of the following statements about Right to Protest is correct?
Correct. The three wrong options each change one thing from the source: a figure, the institution involved, the direction of change, or a qualifier turned into an absolute.
Not quite. The three wrong options each change one thing from the source: a figure, the institution involved, the direction of change, or a qualifier turned into an absolute. The green option is the correct one.
Economy
Regulating Facial Recognition Technology in India
Recently, the NITI Aayog, the premier public policy think-tank of the Government of India, has called for comprehensive policy and legal reforms to regulate the use of Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) in the country.
- This step is considered a major development amid growing worries about privacy, transparency, and accountability.
- Status of Regulation in India: Currently, there is absence of any comprehensive legal framework present to regulate the use of Facial Recognition
- Multifaceted Challenges: FRT presents distinct challenges compared to other technologies due to its ability to capture
- Ensuring Responsible Development: The objective is to create a comprehensive governance framework that can ensure the responsible development
Show 6 more facts
- Standardising Liability: Establishing a legal framework that imposes liability
- Creating an independent ethical committee with diverse expertise to oversee FRT implementation
- Mandating clear and transparent guidelines on the deployment of FRT systems
- Ensuring FRT systems comply with the Supreme Court's established legal principles in its judgment given in Justice K. S
- These principles include legality (adherence to existing laws)
- About: Facial recognition is an algorithm-based technology which creates a digital map of the face by identifying
Which of the following statements about Regulating Facial Recognition Technology in India is correct?
Correct. The three wrong options each change one thing from the source: a figure, the institution involved, the direction of change, or a qualifier turned into an absolute.
Not quite. The three wrong options each change one thing from the source: a figure, the institution involved, the direction of change, or a qualifier turned into an absolute. The green option is the correct one.
Indian Economy MCQ Quiz · भारतीय अर्थव्यवस्था प्रश्नोत्तरी
A second members-only subject quiz – lock in today's study session
Current affairs alone will not clear Prelims. Close the day on the static syllabus with this members-only quiz.
