Current Affairs 21 October 2026: Top Headlines for Government Exams

{"id": "ca-2026-10-21", "title": "Current Affairs Quiz 21 October 2026", "time": 600, "qs": [{"q": "Who unveiled the World Development Report 2026 that focuses on AI for developing economies?", "o": ["Ashwini Vaishnaw", "Nirmala Sitharaman", "Rajnath Singh", "Piyush Goyal"], "a": 0, "e": "Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw officially released the World Bank Group's World Development Report 2026, highlighting AI opportunities and regulatory needs for developing nations."}, {"q": "How many villages were declared as Adarsh Grams under the PM‑AJAY scheme?", "o": ["12,500", "15,750", "18,093", "20,400"], "a": 2, "e": "The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment announced that 18,093 villages were designated as Adarsh Grams as part of the PM‑AJAY initiative from FY22 to FY26."}, {"q": "What amount did the central government allocate to states for the PM‑AJAY programme between FY22 and FY26?", "o": ["Rs 2,500 crore", "Rs 1,730 crore", "Rs 3,200 crore", "Rs 4,000 crore"], "a": 1, "e": "A total of about Rs 1,730 crore was released by the central government to various states for the PM‑AJAY programme covering FY22‑FY26."}, {"q": "Which Indian official inaugurated the 3rd International Conference on Kaumarabhritya?", "o": ["Prime Minister Narendra Modi", "Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman", "Home Minister Amit Shah", "Vice‑President C. P. Radhakrishnan"], "a": 3, "e": "Vice‑President C. P. Radhakrishnan opened the conference at the All India Institute of Ayurveda, also launching five new digital initiatives for child healthcare."}, {"q": "What is the total investment planned by Hero Future Energies for green hydrogen expansion?", "o": ["Rs 2,500 crore", "Rs 3,500 crore", "Rs 4,000 crore", "Rs 5,000 crore"], "a": 2, "e": "Hero Future Energies announced a Rs 4,000 crore investment to set up new green hydrogen production units, storage and supply chain, supporting India's clean‑energy goals."}, {"q": "Which US official hinted at a bilateral trade deal with India during a visit in October 2026?", "o": ["Secretary of State Marco Rubio", "Secretary of State Antony Blinken", "Secretary of State Hillary Clinton", "Secretary of State John Kerry"], "a": 0, "e": "US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited India and said a distinctive bilateral trade agreement was only weeks away from finalisation, indicating deeper economic ties."}, {"q": "What is the name of the programme that started monthly district‑level interventions to address learning gaps?", "o": ["NIPUN Bharat", "SWAYAM", "DIKSHA", "PARAKH"], "a": 3, "e": "The Programme for Assessment of Learning and Knowledge (PARAKH) began monthly interventions at district and classroom levels to close student learning gaps identified in a 2024 survey."}, {"q": "Which two companies are exploring a possible merger, as announced by Elon Musk?", "o": ["SpaceX and Neuralink", "SpaceX and Tesla", "Tesla and The Boring Company", "Neuralink and The Boring Company"], "a": 1, "e": "Elon Musk stated that SpaceX and Tesla have started exploratory talks about a merger, aiming to understand how their strengths could be combined, though no decision is final."}, {"q": "Where was the 3rd International Conference on Kaumarabhritya held?", "o": ["All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi", "All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi", "National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur", "Central Institute of Ayurveda, Mumbai"], "a": 1, "e": "The conference took place at the All India Institute of Ayurveda in New Delhi, focusing on traditional child healthcare and digital tools for Ayurveda."}, {"q": "During which fiscal years did the PM‑AJAY financial assistance of Rs 1,730 crore get allocated?", "o": ["FY20‑FY24", "FY21‑FY25", "FY23‑FY27", "FY22‑FY26"], "a": 3, "e": "The Rs 1,730 crore allocation for the PM‑AJAY scheme was distributed to states over the period from FY22 to FY26, aiming at targeted rural development."}]}