Weekly Current Affairs 26 October – 1 November 2026 – top ${N} questions

Answer: (c) 200

• India became the first men's team to register 200 outright T20I wins, achieved against New Zealand in October 2026.
• This was also India's 300th T20I, a milestone matched only by Pakistan.

📝 Asked in exam: RRB Group D (18 Aug 2026)
In which of the following Indian cities was the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 played, where India defeated New Zealand to become the first team to win three titles? Ans: Ahmedabad

Source: The Indian Express

Answer: (b) Jalandhar

• Jalandhar hosted its first-ever international hockey tournament, the Asian Champions Trophy, in October 2026 at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium.
• India is a five-time winner and two-time defending champion of the tournament.

📝 Asked in exam: SSC Stenographer (10 Sep 2026)
Which Indian city will host the Men’s FIH Hockey Junior World Cup in December 2025? Ans: Chennai and Madurai

Source: The Hindu

Answer: (d) Harmanpreet Singh

• Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored twice from penalty corners in India's 5-2 win over China at Jalandhar.
• Sukhjeet Singh also scored a brace, and Jugraj Singh added one goal.

📝 Asked in exam: RRB NTPC GL CBT-1 (22 Mar 2026)
The Indian men’s hockey team clinched the Asia Cup 2025 title by overcoming which of the following teams 4 - 1 in the final held at the Rajgir Sports Complex in Bihar? Ans: Republic of Korea

Source: The Indian Express

Answer: (c) 5-2

• India defeated China 5-2 in the Asian Champions Trophy hockey match at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium, Jalandhar, in October 2026.
• Sukhjeet Singh scored twice, while Harmanpreet Singh netted two penalty corner goals.

📝 Asked in exam: SSC CHSL Tier-1 (20 Nov 2025)
Harmanpreet Singh has been awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024. He is associated with which sport? Ans: Hockey

Source: The Hindu

Answer: (a) Saina Nehwal and Rahul Dravid

• Saina Nehwal and Rahul Dravid were nominated as directors on the 2030 Commonwealth Games Organising Company board.
• The 2030 Games, the centenary edition, will be held in Ahmedabad.

📝 Asked in exam: RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 (15 Jun 2026)
Which of the following was officially named the Host City for the 2030 Centenary edition, following approval at the 2025 Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow (UK)? Ans: Ahmedabad

Source: The Indian Express

Answer: (d) Endangered

• The IUCN Red List moved the Asiatic lion from Critically Endangered to Endangered status.
• Gir National Park and Sanctuary in Gujarat holds the only free-ranging wild population of over 1,000 lions.

📝 Asked in exam: RRB Group D (20 Aug 2026)
As part of the pre-summit "Lion Species Spotlight Event" of the 1st International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit 2026, which protected area in Gujarat was chosen to showcase the conservation of the world's only wild population of Asiatic lions? Ans: Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

Source: The Hindu

Answer: (b) Kuno National Park

• A 19-month-old cheetah cub, KNG22, was shot in Kuno National Park's Sheopur forest division and died on 27 October 2026.
• It was the first cheetah killing since Project Cheetah's launch in September 2022.

📝 Asked in exam: RRB Group D (14 Aug 2026)
Which National Park was in the news in 2026 after nine cheetahs from Botswana were released into quarantine enclosures under Project Cheetah? Ans: Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Source: The Hindu

Answer: (b) 63%

• The Centre raised Dearness Allowance from 60% to 63% of basic pay, effective 1 July 2026, announced by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
• The hike benefits about 48 lakh employees and 68 lakh pensioners, costing Rs 10,016 crore annually.

📝 Asked in exam: SSC CHSL Tier-1 (19 Nov 2025)
Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), launched in _____ by the Ministry of Finance, offers an alternative to the New Pension System for central government employees. Ans: August 2024

Source: Hindustan Times

Answer: (c) Oskar Klein Medal

• Ashoke Sen won the 2026 Oskar Klein Medal, becoming the first Indian laureate of this honour.
• It is awarded by Stockholm University and the Nobel Committee for Physics, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

📝 Asked in exam: RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 (16 Jun 2026)
Which Indian non-profit organization became the first Indian to win the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2025? Ans: Educate Girls

Source: The Hindu

Answer: (b) European Central Bank

• Christine Lagarde will resign as European Central Bank President on 7 February, ahead of her term ending October 2027.
• She previously headed the International Monetary Fund before succeeding Mario Draghi at the ECB in 2011.
• Klaas Knot and Pablo Hernandez de Cos are reported contenders to succeed her.

Source: The Hindu

Answer: (a) University College London

• The 10th Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change report is led by researchers at University College London, headed by executive director Marina Romanello.
• It found heat-related deaths rose 36% since the Paris Agreement, with 710,000 heat deaths recorded in 2023.
• The report calls for climate change to be formally declared a global health emergency.

Source: The Hindu

Answer: (a) Bengaluru

• The Vande Bharat Sleeper Express between SMVT Bengaluru and CSMT Mumbai was flagged off on 1 November 2026.
• Operated by South Western Railway, the 16-coach train covers the distance in about 16 hours, becoming the fastest train on the route.

📝 Asked in exam: SSC CHSL Tier-1 (30 Nov 2025)
As of June 2025, which of the following city has surpassed Mumbai to become the India's leopard capital? Ans: Bengaluru

Source: The Indian Express

Answer: (b) North corridor

• PM Modi cleared the north corridor of the bullet train project, linking Delhi with Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Patna, Siliguri and Guwahati.
• Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced this in October 2026.

📝 Asked in exam: RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 (3 Sep 2025)
Which tunnel was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jammu and Kashmir on 13 January 2025? Ans: Sonamarg tunnel

Source: Hindustan Times

Answer: (c) 160 kmph

• The Railway Board approved the Alstom-powered Vande Bharat trainset from RCF Kapurthala for speeds up to 160 kmph in October 2026.
• It is a 16-car Chair Car trainset cleared after RDSO and CCRS technical clearances.

📝 Asked in exam: RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 (14 Jun 2026)
Through which two Indian states will the newly approved Greenfield High-Speed Corridor, sanctioned in April 2025, pass? Ans: Meghalaya and Assam

Source: The Indian Express

Answer: (d) Atmanirbharta 2.0

• Rajnath Singh called for 'Atmanirbharta 2.0' at the fifth edition of Swavalamban in New Delhi in October 2026.
• Swavalamban is the Indian Navy's naval innovation and indigenisation seminar.
• It aims to reduce import dependence and achieve technological superiority for Viksit Bharat@2047.

Source: PIB

Answer: (c) Goa Shipyard Ltd and GRSE, Kolkata

• The Next-Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel 'Srishti' (Yard 1283) is being built jointly by Goa Shipyard Ltd and GRSE, Kolkata.
• It was launched in October 2026 to boost maritime surveillance and HADR capabilities.
• The ship's name 'Srishti' means 'creation' in Sanskrit, reflecting India's indigenous shipbuilding push under Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Source: PIB

Answer: (a) Visakhapatnam

• SIMBEX-2026, the 33rd edition of the India-Singapore bilateral maritime exercise, was held at Visakhapatnam and concluded on 26 October 2026.
• The sea phase took place in the Bay of Bengal involving INS Neelgiri and INS Kamorta.

📝 Asked in exam: RRB Group D (14 Aug 2026)
Which multilateral naval exercise did the Indian Navy host off the coast of Visakhapatnam in February 2026, involving 42 ships and 29 aircraft? Ans: MILAN

Source: PIB

Answer: (d) Mexico

• India and Mexico signed the Terms of Reference for Preferential Trade Agreement negotiations in October 2026.
• This followed an understanding between PM Modi and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at the G7 Summit in Canada in June 2025.

📝 Asked in exam: RRB NTPC GL CBT-1 (18 Mar 2026)
On November 20, 2025, India signed the Terms of Reference ( ToR ) to initiate negotiations for a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with which country? Ans: Israel

Source: The Hindu

Answer: (a) Dhaka

• The SAFF Championship 2026 is being held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 5 to 17 November 2026.
• India are defending champions, having won the 2023 edition in Bengaluru, and are chasing a record-extending 10th title.

📝 Asked in exam: RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 (12 Aug 2025)
What was the name of stadium where India beat Bangladesh in South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Under-19 Championship 2025? Ans: Yupia Outdoor Stadium, Arunachal Pradesh

Source: The Indian Express

Answer: (b) Goa

• The 29th Energy Technology Meet (ETM 2026) was inaugurated at the ONGC Institute of Advanced Technology in Goa.
• It was organised by the Centre for High Technology under the Petroleum Ministry, co-hosted by HPCL. The government announced setting up a National Hydrocarbon Technology Hub (NHTH) during the event.

Source: PIB

Answer: (c) Purana Qila

• The first SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum will be held at Purana Qila, Delhi's 16th-century fort built by Emperor Humayun, from 20-22 November 2026.
• It was proposed by PM Modi at the Tianjin SCO Summit and will be organised by the Culture and External Affairs Ministries.

📝 Asked in exam: RRB NTPC UG CBT-1 (18 Jun 2026)
Which organisation’s leaders gathered in Tianjin for a summit in late August–early September, 2025? Ans: Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

Source: The Hindu

Answer: (a) Marco Rubio

• S. Jaishankar attended the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting in Atlanta hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in late October 2026.
• The visit also included a Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting with counterparts from Australia and Japan.

📝 Asked in exam: RRB Group D (10 Aug 2026)
Which U.S. Secretary of State had called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2026 and briefed him on the progress in bilateral cooperation across sectors including defence, trade, and energy security? Ans: Marco Rubio

Source: The Hindu

Answer: (b) Atlanta

• The G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting was hosted by Marco Rubio in Atlanta on October 30-31, 2026.
• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended from India.

📝 Asked in exam: SSC CPO Paper-1 (11 Dec 2025)
Where was the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting held on 1 July 2025? Ans: Washington, USA

Source: The Hindu

Answer: (b) Balendra Shah

• Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri planned to visit Kathmandu on 4 November 2026 ahead of Nepal PM Balendra Shah's India visit.
• Balendra Shah, of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, became PM after the September 2025 Gen-Z uprising ousted K.P. Sharma Oli.
• Sudhakar Dalela is India's newly designated ambassador to Nepal.

Source: The Hindu

Answer: (d) Breast cancer

• The Department of Posts released two commemorative stamps on breast cancer awareness at Dak Bhawan, New Delhi.
• The release was done by Director General of Postal Services Manisha Sinha with Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava.
• India records about two lakh new breast cancer cases every year.

Source: PIB

Answer: (c) Varanasi

• The Vande Bharat Sleeper Express between Varanasi and New Delhi was flagged off in October 2026 by Yogi Adityanath and Ashwini Vaishnaw.
• It covers 760 km in about 9 hours 30 minutes via Kanpur Central.
• The train has 16 coaches with Third AC, Second AC and First AC classes.

Source: Hindustan Times

Answer: (d) 9 November 2026

• NPPA's revised MRPs for 543 anti-cancer drug brands became effective from 9 November 2026.
• NPPA functions under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
• The move followed NPPA's October 2026 trade margin rationalisation of 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs.

Source: PIB

Answer: (b) Six

• The FNTA Bill 2026 covers six eastern districts: Tuensang, Mon, Longleng, Kiphire, Noklak and Shamator.
• It grants legislative, executive and financial autonomy based on the spirit of Article 371A. The bill followed a February 2026 agreement between the Centre, Nagaland government and the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO).

Source: Hindustan Times

Answer: (d) Pranos Fusion

• Bengaluru-based startup Pranos Fusion built PRAGYA, a small tokamak to test plasma control and superconducting magnets.
• The company is incubated at the Institute of Plasma Research, affiliated with the Department of Atomic Energy.

📝 Asked in exam: SSC CHSL Tier-1 (13 Nov 2025)
Which Indian startup has developed the country's first full-stack 25-qubit quantum computer? Ans: QpiAl

Source: The Hindu

Answer: (d) TB Alliance

• The US-based Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance) had filed the rejected patent for the BPaL combination.
• BPaL combines bedaquiline, pretomanid and linezolid as a six-month all-oral regimen.
• It is WHO-recommended for certain drug-resistant tuberculosis patients, replacing 18-24 month older treatments.

Source: The Hindu