Daily Current Affairs — 28 October 2026
Daily Current Affairs · 28 October 2026
10 fully-analysed topics · 30 bilingual MCQs · 3 embedded videos · built for UPSC Prelims & Mains
🎯 30 MCQs
🎬 3 Videos
🇮🇳 Hindi + English
Indian History MCQ Quiz · भारतीय इतिहास प्रश्नोत्तरी
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Economy
Democratizing AI for Inclusive Growth in India
The global Artificial Intelligence discourse is shifting from infrastructure development to practical applications for inclusive growth.
- Artificial Intelligence can boost India's economic growth, improve MSME productivity, transform agriculture and healthcare, and generate new jobs
- India must leverage Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the IndiaAI Mission to democratise AI access
- Massive Value Addition: AI has the potential to add an estimated USD 1.7 trillion to the Indian economy by 2035 by raising capabilities across
- Transforming MSMEs: India's "AI-cost geography" favours the deployment of cheap, narrow, and "good-enough" AI
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- According to NITI Aayog, India could create up to 4 million AI jobs by 2031
- For the vast majority, AI will act as a co-pilot like helping ASHA workers
- India has approximately 490 million informal workers, constituting around 90% of its workforce and contributing substantially to GDP
- NITI Aayog estimates that over 60% of India's formal-sector jobs possess some exposure to AI-driven task changes by 2030.
- India's data centre sector consumes an estimated 150 billion litres of water annually, projected to exceed 358 billion litres by 2030.
- Alarmingly, over 70% of India's capacity is concentrated in heavily water-stressed urban centres like Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Hyderabad.
Which of the following statements about Democratizing AI for Inclusive Growth 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.
Economy
Digital Public Infrastructure
Recently, Nasscom and Arthur D. Little have jointly released a report titled-Digital Public Infrastructure of India – Accelerating India's Digital.
- DEPA creates a digital framework that allows users to share their data on their own terms through a third-party entity
- Economic Impact: DPIs are projected to play a significant role in propelling India towards a USD 1 trillion digital economy by 2030
- DPIs are expected to enhance citizens' efficiency and promote social as well as financial inclusion.
- Mature DPIs like Aadhaar, UPI, and FASTag have already witnessed exponential adoption by 2022
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- Mature DPIs have already generated a significant economic value equivalent to 0.9% of India's GDP (Gross Domestic Product)
- India is currently a global leader in developing DPIs
- The success of DPIs is attributed to the relentless support by the government and enabled by the IT intellectual capital and startup ecosystem
- Existing digital entities are expected to evolve to deliver superior user experiences, leveraging new age technologies such as AI, Web 3, and others.
- Aadhaar is expected to continue to be a major contributor as its use cases expand to a broader range of services
- The foundation of India's digital revolution has been strengthened by DPIs or India Stack
With reference to Digital Public Infrastructure, consider the following statements:
- DEPA creates a digital framework that allows users to share their data on their own terms through a third-party entity
- Economic Impact: DPIs are projected to play a significant role in propelling India towards a USD 1 trillion digital economy by 2027
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.
History
India Shares INDIA STACK with Papua New Guinea
Recently, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) of India and the Ministry of Information.
- Earlier in June 2023, India had already signed MoUs with four countries namely Armenia, Sierra Leone, Suriname
- The collaboration seeks to strengthen digital identity systems and digital payment mechanisms for seamless transactions.
- India Stack is a set of APIs (Application programming interface) that allows governments
- India Stack is a government-led initiative that focuses on building a robust digital infrastructure to enable various digital services across
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- Papua New Guinea is an island country located in the south-western Pacific
- It includes the eastern half of New Guinea and many small offshore islands.
- The capital is Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea is mainly mountainous but has low-lying plains in southern New Guinea.
- Papua New Guinea gained self-government in 1973 and full independence in 1975.
- Aadhaar card can be used as a proof of citizenship or domicile.
- Once issued, Aadhaar number cannot be deactivated or omitted by the Issuing Authority.
Which of the following statements about India Shares INDIA STACK with Papua New Guinea 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
Digital India BHASHINI
Recently, the Ministry of Electronics and IT conducted a brainstorming session with Researchers and Start-ups aimed to shape strategy for Digital India BHASHINI [BHASHa INterface for India].
- About: Digital India BHASHINI is India's Artificial Intelligence (AI) led language translation platform.
- A Bhashini Platform will make Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) resources available to MSME (Medium
- Bhashini Platform is a part of the National Language Translation Mission
- Digital Inclusion: It will empower Indian citizens by connecting them to the Digital Initiatives of the country in their own language thereby leading
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- It will also encourage participation of startups.
- Mission will create and nurture an ecosystem involving Central/State government agencies and start-ups
- It also aims to increase the content in Indian languages on the Internet substantially in the domains of public interest
- Digital India aims to provide the much needed thrust to the nine pillars of growth areas
- The establishment of 3.7 lakh Common Service Centres across India has encouraged digital entrepreneurship in rural areas
- Digital services like e-Hospital, BHIM-UPI, online scholarships, DigiLocker, Umang app, e-Courts, Tele Law, eWay Bills etc
Which of the following statements about Digital India BHASHINI 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
NPCI Introduces MDR on High-Value Merchant UPI Transactions
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has introduced a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) framework for eligible Person-to-Merchant (P2M) UPI transactions above ₹2,000, effective from 15th October 2026.
- About: Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) is a fee paid by merchants to banks and payment service providers for processing digital transactions
- Exempted Transactions: The MDR will not apply to Person-to-Person (P2P) transactions
- Small Merchant Protection: Small merchants receiving up to ₹1 lakh per month through UPI QR codes under the P2PM category will remain exempt from MDR
- Sector-Specific Charges: Sectors such as railways
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- Special Category Charges: Payments related to mutual funds
- Share of Affected Transactions: According to the Ministry of Finance
- Support for Small Businesses: A dedicated fund using 5% of MDR collections will be created to promote UPI adoption among small merchants
- Significance: The MDR framework aims to make the UPI ecosystem self-sustainable
Which of the following statements about NPCI Introduces MDR on High-Value Merchant UPI Transactions 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 History NCERT MCQ | Lecture 2: 6th
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Economy
ASHA Workers in India
Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in Kerala staged protests demanding higher wages and retirement benefits.
- About: ASHAs are community health volunteers introduced under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)
- An ASHA is a local woman (age 25-45 years), preferably married, widowed, or divorced, with at least Class 10 education
- ASHAs support immunization, tuberculosis (TB) treatment, malaria screenings, and disease prevention
- Despite their crucial role during Covid-19, earning them the World Health Organization's (WHO's) World Health Leaders Award in 2022, their struggles
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- The 2020 Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour recommended formalizing their roles, but no action was taken.
- Formalization: Recognizing ASHAs as government employees or at least contractual workers with job benefits under the Code on Social Security
- Financial Security: With rising inflation, ASHA workers need financial security
- NHM aims to ensure universal access to quality
- NHM, extended till 2026 and implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, supports States/UTs in providing accessible
With reference to ASHA Workers in India, consider the following statements:
- About: ASHAs are community health volunteers introduced under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)
- An ASHA is a local woman (age 12-45 years), preferably married, widowed, or divorced, with at least Class 10 education
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.
Economy
Unified Payments Interface (UPI)
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has completed a decade of transforming India's digital payment ecosystem.
- About: Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a real-time payment system developed by the NPCI
- UPI ensures secure payments through two-factor authentication and end-to-end encryption.
- Launch of UPI (2016): UPI was launched on a pilot basis in April 2016 with 21 member banks
- Signed Intent and QR for secure payment approvals.
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- UPI crossed one billion transactions per month in October 2019, reflecting rapid adoption.
- UPI 123PAY brought feature phone users into digital payments through IVR, missed calls, app-based, and proximity sound-based payments.
- Credit cards were integrated with UPI, expanding payment options.
- UPI crossed 5 billion monthly transactions in March 2022 and processed transactions worth over US$1 trillion in FY 2021-22.
- UPI accounted for around 70% of India's digital payment transactions in FY 2023-24.
- RBI increased the UPI transaction limit for tax payments from ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh per transaction.
Which of the following statements about Unified Payments Interface (UPI) 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
IndiaAI Mission
The Indian government's commitment to advancing artificial intelligence (AI) technology is evident with its new budgetary allocation for the IndiaAI Mission.
- The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has been allocated Rs 551.75 crore in the Union Budget 2024-25 to enhance AI infrastructure
- This move aims to support domestic AI development and reduce reliance on expensive foreign hardware.
- Objective: The mission aims to establish a robust AI computing infrastructure in India to support the development and testing of AI systems
- Data centre GPUs are crucial for parallel operations
Show 6 more facts
- The procurement will provide Indian startups with essential computing power, addressing a gap in the current market.
- IndiaAI Compute Capacity: Creation of a high-end AI computing ecosystem with over 10,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) to support AI startups
- IndiaAI Innovation Centre: Development of indigenous Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) and foundational models for various sectors
- IndiaAI Datasets Platform: A unified platform to provide seamless access to quality non-personal datasets for startups and researchers.
- IndiaAI Startup Financing: Provision of streamlined funding access for deep-tech AI startups to support innovative projects
- Key Trends: Adoption Across Sectors: AI adoption is growing in India across different sectors due to initiatives like the National AI Strategy
AI Applications for Societal Impact: Identify key societal challenges and develop AI-driven solutions.
With reference to IndiaAI Mission, consider the following statements:
- The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has been allocated Rs 551.75 crore in the Union Budget 2024-38 to enhance AI infrastructure
- This move aims to support domestic AI development and reduce reliance on expensive foreign hardware
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.
History
Graphics Processing Unit
The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) has evolved over 2.5 decades from a discretionary gaming component—originally developed by Nvidia in 1999 as the.
- GPU is now essential for artificial intelligence
- About: A GPU is an extremely powerful number-cruncher built to perform many simple calculations simultaneously
- Rasterisation: Converting triangle geometry into pixel candidates by determining which pixels each triangle covers
- GPUs vs CPUs: GPUs and CPUs use the same silicon transistors and fabrication nodes (e.g., 3-5 nm class), but differ in microarchitecture
Which of the following statements about Graphics Processing Unit 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
World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence
The Union Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology launched the World Bank Group's World Development Report (WDR) 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence.
- Rapid Diffusion vs. The Adoption Gap: AI is spreading faster than earlier General-Purpose Technologies (GPTs)
- By April 2025, ChatGPT adoption reached 25% among internet users in high-income economies, compared to 5.8% (upper-middle), 4.7% (lower-middle)
- Concentration: Advanced compute, chip design, and frontier models remain concentrated in the US
- In Sub-Saharan Africa, 32% of rural schools lack electricity, 68% lack internet, and 89% of 10-year-olds struggle with foundational reading (2024).
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- Meanwhile, outsourced BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) gigs fell 39% in 2025, and domestic data centers increasingly stress local power
- In India, AI weather forecasts produced savings of as much as USD 560 per small farmer in the state of Telangana.
- Follow the "Adopt, Adapt, Advance" Ladder: Adopt Off-the-Shelf Tools as a Starting Point: Leverage existing open-source
- Prioritize "Adaptation" for Maximum Development Dividends: Focus resources on tailoring models to local languages
- Labour and tax policies must also prevent premature job displacement due to AI automation.
- Standardized, clean and AI-ready government data integrated with Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) can improve public service delivery.
Explain the significance of the 'Adopt, Adapt and Advance' approach for developing countries seeking to harness Artificial Intelligence for development.
With reference to World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial, consider the following statements:
- Rapid Diffusion vs. The Adoption Gap: AI is spreading faster than earlier General-Purpose Technologies (GPTs)
- By April 2025, ChatGPT adoption reached 25% the only internet users in high-income economies, compared to 5.8% (upper-middle), 4.7% (lower-middle)
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.
Indian Geography MCQ Quiz · भारतीय भूगोल 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.
