Answer: (a) Ashfaqullah Khan

1. Ashfaqullah Khan was born on 22 October 1900 in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. His birth anniversary recalls his contribution to India's freedom struggle.
2. He belonged to the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) and participated in the Kakori Train Action on 9 August 1925, an effort to obtain resources for revolutionary activities.
3. His association with Ram Prasad Bismil is remembered as an example of unity across religious communities. He was executed at Faizabad Jail on 19 December 1927.
4. For revision, link the person with the organisation, the Kakori event and its date. Do not confuse his birth anniversary with his execution anniversary.

Answer: (d) Office of the Economic Adviser, DPIIT

1. The Office of the Economic Adviser, under DPIIT, compiles the Index of Eight Core Industries. DPIIT functions under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
2. The 22 October roundup reported 7.9% year-on-year growth for September 2026, compared with a revised 5.9% for August. Year-on-year means comparison with the same month of the previous year.
3. The core sectors are coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement and electricity. Their output is important for understanding industrial activity.
4. The roundup also mentions iron ore separately; iron ore is not itself one of the eight listed core industries. Distinguish the compiler, sector coverage and growth measure when revising this update.

Answer: (b) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

1. MeitY constituted the investigation team following a warning from CERT-In about vulnerable private cryptographic keys associated with certain certificates.
2. Insufficient randomness can make cryptographic keys easier to predict. An attacker obtaining such a key may impersonate a website or interfere with supposedly secure communications.
3. The concern involved TLS certificates and intermediate Certificate Authorities. Browsers use digital certificates to help verify the identity of the server with which a user is communicating.
4. According to the reported CERT-In clarification, eMudhra's digital-signature-certificate and eSign services were unaffected. Do not treat a problem involving specified certificates as failure of every service.

Answer: (c) October 2030

1. The proposal discussed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways would require new car models from October 2030 to have Advanced Emergency Braking Systems.
2. Existing car models were reported to have a later compliance date of October 2032. These dates concern a proposal and should not be described as an already implemented universal requirement.
3. AEBS detects a potential collision using cameras, radar or other sensors and can apply the brakes automatically. It is a collision-avoidance or collision-mitigation feature.
4. AEBS falls within Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Separate requirements for eligible medium and heavy commercial vehicles were reported for October 2027; keep the vehicle categories distinct.

Answer: (a) Section 27

1. The Department of Telecommunications notified the rules on 21 October 2026 under Section 27 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
2. A regulatory sandbox is a controlled setting in which eligible participants can test new technologies, services, products or business models subject to specified conditions.
3. The reported framework provides an initial testing period of up to 24 months and a non-refundable processing fee of ₹10,000. Extensions may be permitted under the applicable conditions.
4. Informed user consent, data protection, monitoring and reporting remain central safeguards. Permission to test an innovation should not be interpreted as unrestricted permission to operate commercially.

Answer: (d) Baltic Sea

1. The Nordic Council's Committee for a Sustainable Nordic Region is promoting coordinated action for the Baltic Sea, following an initiative announced on 19 October 2026.
2. The agenda connects biodiversity protection, sustainable fisheries and marine management. Pollution in a shared sea requires cooperation across national boundaries.
3. The Baltic is a semi-enclosed, brackish-water sea in Northern Europe. Brackish water contains a mixture of fresh water and salt water.
4. It connects with the North Sea through the Danish Straits and is bordered by nine countries. Its geography makes coordinated protection especially relevant to neighbouring states.

Answer: (b) Sangita Bhutada

1. The United States Postal Service (USPS) used a rangoli design by Houston-based Indian artist Sangita Bhutada for its October 2026 Diwali stamp.
2. The stamp was unveiled at the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC. The event highlighted the international recognition of Indian cultural traditions.
3. Rangoli is a decorative art associated with festivals and auspicious occasions. Its use on a stamp also makes it an example of cultural representation through public institutions.
4. USPS first issued a Diwali stamp in 2016; the roundup describes the 2026 issue as its second. Match the artist with USPS and Diwali rather than confusing this with an Indian postage-stamp issue.

Answer: (c) Om Birla

1. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is scheduled to chair the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi on 26-27 October 2026.
2. The announced theme is Fostering Parliaments for People-Centric Development. The emphasis is on how legislatures can support development and public welfare.
3. Discussion areas include ethical artificial intelligence, digital transformation, sustainability and reform of global governance. A parliamentary forum involves legislative cooperation.
4. India assumed the BRICS Chairship on 1 January 2026. Distinguish this parliamentary meeting from the BRICS leaders' summit and from meetings of sectoral ministers.

Answer: (a) Indonesia

1. The Bangka slow loris, scientifically named Nycticebus bancanus, has been confirmed on Bangka Island, Indonesia.
2. A 2026 paper in Spixiana reported evidence of its continued presence after nearly a century without documented scientific records. This means a gap in records, rather than proof that the species had actually become extinct.
3. The Alobi Wildlife Rescue Center documented more than 90 individuals during 2015-2025. Slow lorises are nocturnal primates, meaning they are active mainly at night.
4. Threats include tin mining, oil-palm expansion, habitat loss and illegal wildlife trade. The reported previous IUCN designation was Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct).

Answer: (d) NavIC

1. NVS-03 belongs to the second-generation satellite series for NavIC, India's indigenous regional satellite-navigation system.
2. The reported plan is to launch it on 30 October 2026 using GSLV Mk II from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. As of the daily roundup, this is a scheduled mission.
3. NavIC supports Position, Navigation and Timing services over India and approximately 1,500 km beyond its borders. It helps users determine location and obtain accurate timing.
4. The system provides a Standard Positioning Service for civilian users and a Restricted Service for authorised users. NVS-03 is intended to support continuity and improve navigation capability.

Answer: (b) European bee-eater

1. A juvenile European bee-eater was recorded near Broken Bridge and the Adyar Estuary, Chennai, on 11 October 2026.
2. Its scientific name is Merops apiaster. It belongs to the family Meropidae and the order Coraciiformes.
3. The bird feeds mainly on flying insects, including bees and wasps. Its seasonal movements connect breeding areas with wintering grounds.
4. The reported IUCN category is Least Concern. A first local sighting is a distribution record; it does not mean the species itself is newly discovered.

Answer: (c) New Delhi

1. The Army Commanders' Conference was scheduled in New Delhi from 21 to 23 October 2026, bringing senior Army leaders together to assess operational priorities.
2. The biannual conference reviews security challenges, preparedness, capability development and modernisation. Biannual means twice a year.
3. The agenda includes emerging warfare, joint defence challenges, aviation safety, peacekeeping and environmental sustainability.
4. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was scheduled to release the Land Warfare Doctrine during the conference. The conference is a review and decision forum, whereas the doctrine is a framework for military operations.

Answer: (a) South Africa

1. IBSAMAR is the maritime exercise involving India, Brazil and South Africa. Its ninth edition concluded after ten days of joint naval activity.
2. The exercise took place at Simon's Town, South Africa, with harbour and sea phases. Harbour activities prepare participating personnel for subsequent operational drills.
3. Professional exchanges and maritime manoeuvres aim to improve interoperability, or the ability of different navies to work together effectively.
4. The exercise reflects naval cooperation under the IBSA framework. It is a trilateral exercise and should not be confused with a bilateral naval drill.

Answer: (d) 2018

1. The Land Warfare Doctrine 2026 is intended to replace the Indian Army's 2018 doctrine. Its release was scheduled for 23 October 2026 in New Delhi.
2. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was scheduled to release it. The doctrine provides a broad framework for preparing for future land conflicts.
3. Important emerging capabilities include drones, artificial intelligence and precision-guided weapons. These technologies can alter surveillance, targeting and the speed of operations.
4. The framework is expected to emphasise multi-domain operations and coordination across military capabilities. A doctrine sets guiding principles; it is not itself the purchase of a particular weapon system.

Answer: (b) Singapore

1. SIMBEX stands for Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise. Its 33rd edition began in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on 21 October 2026.
2. The harbour phase runs from 21 to 23 October, with professional interactions, ship visits and joint planning. The sea phase is scheduled for 24-26 October in the Bay of Bengal.
3. The planned sea drills cover anti-submarine, anti-surface and anti-air warfare. These activities support coordination across different naval combat tasks.
4. The exercise began in 1994 as Exercise Lion King. Singapore's RSS Supreme is participating in the 2026 edition; associate this vessel with Singapore rather than the Indian Navy.

Answer: (c) Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar

1. Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar won the compound mixed team gold at the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on 22 October 2026.
2. The pair defeated Indonesia's Teodora Audi Ayudia Ferelly and Ken Swagumilang 151-148 in the final.
3. The roundup reports a qualification score of 1,402, exceeding the earlier world record of 1,400. Sheetal also matched the women's compound individual qualification record of 704 out of 720.
4. Sheetal shoots using her feet and legs and uses her shoulder and jaw in drawing and releasing the bowstring. Keep qualification records distinct from the final match score.

Answer: (a) Dilip Gavit

1. Dilip Gavit won the men's 100m T47 gold in Nagoya, Japan, on 21 October 2026, finishing in 10.69 seconds.
2. India's Mohammed Basil Morssinganakath took silver in 10.72 seconds. This gave India the top two places in the event.
3. The race took place at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium. In sprinting, a lower time means the faster performance.
4. The T47 classification concerns track athletes with eligible upper-limb impairments. It is a sport classification, rather than an age group or a distance category.

Answer: (d) Ahmedabad

1. The Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 is scheduled in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, from 23 to 31 October at Veer Savarkar Sports Complex.
2. The reported programme includes 13 men's teams and 10 teams in the inaugural women's competition. The women's event is a key feature of this edition.
3. Semi-finals are scheduled for 30 October and gold-medal matches for 31 October. These are announced tournament dates as recorded in the 22 October roundup.
4. India's men's captain is Surjeet Singh, with Naveen Kumar as vice-captain. Associate the championship with kabaddi and avoid confusing it with the Commonwealth Games.

Answer: (b) Devadas Chimakode

1. Devadas Chimakode was selected for the Karnataka Janapada Academy honorary award 2026, announced on 21 October 2026.
2. The artist belongs to Chimakod village in Bidar taluk, Karnataka. The roundup credits him with 35 years of work in preserving traditional folk arts.
3. His artistic work includes folk singing, instrumental music, Suggi Kunitha and Halage. Such honours recognise sustained contributions to regional cultural heritage.
4. The award carries ₹25,000 and a citation. Remember the recipient, state and folk-art association as the main exam links.

Answer: (c) Lalit Kala Akademi

1. Lalit Kala Akademi organised the 65th National Exhibition of Art and the 3rd Print Biennale India 2026 under the Ministry of Culture.
2. President Droupadi Murmu presented awards at the New Delhi events on 21 October 2026. Twenty artists received awards for visual arts and printmaking.
3. The exhibition received 6,175 works from 2,495 artists across 27 states and Union Territories. A total of 270 artworks were selected for display.
4. Lalit Kala Akademi was established in 1954 as India's National Academy of Art. Distinguish visual arts from the literary focus of Sahitya Akademi and the performing-arts focus of Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Answer: (a) New Zealand

1. India and New Zealand signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on 19 October 2026 for electronic exchange of origin-related information about traded goods.
2. The signatories were CBIC Chairman Vivek Chaturvedi and New Zealand Customs Service Chief Executive Christine Stevenson. Customs authorities use origin information to verify where goods qualify as originating.
3. The agreement aims to simplify verification and help eligible businesses claim preferential tariff benefits more efficiently. Preferential treatment depends on meeting the applicable origin rules.
4. The roundup links the agreement to the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, reported as effective from 20 October 2026. The data-exchange arrangement supports administration; it is distinct from the FTA itself.

Answer: (d) Pakistan, Türkiye, Qatar and Indonesia

1. The Badr MoU was signed by Pakistan, Türkiye, Qatar and Indonesia in Doha, Qatar, on 21 October 2026.
2. The framework covers defence manufacturing, military training, research and development. It aims to support joint production and technology development.
3. Defence-industrial cooperation can involve sharing expertise and coordinating production capabilities to help countries meet equipment requirements.
4. The reported arrangement is not a mutual-defence treaty. An industrial-cooperation MoU should not be interpreted as an automatic commitment to defend another signatory in a conflict.