Current Affairs MCQs for UPSC Prelims — April 2026
Q1. Consider the following statements about the extended Jammu Tawi–Srinagar Vande Bharat service:
1. In the first ten days after regularisation, its services together carried about 45,000 passengers.
2. The Jammu Tawi–Srinagar corridor it serves is about 266 km long.
3. The 20-coach service completes the Jammu Tawi–Srinagar run in under two hours.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- In the first ten days after regularisation, its services together carried about 45,000 passengers.
- The Jammu Tawi–Srinagar corridor it serves is about 266 km long.
- The 20-coach service completes the Jammu Tawi–Srinagar run in under two hours.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q2. Consider the following statements comparing the two flag-off events of the Kashmir Valley Vande Bharat service:
1. The Katra–Srinagar Vande Bharat Express was flagged off by the Prime Minister on 6 June 2025.
2. The extended Jammu Tawi–Srinagar service entered regular operation in May 2026.
3. The Jammu Tawi–Srinagar service runs with exactly 8 coaches, unchanged from the 2025 launch configuration.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The Katra–Srinagar Vande Bharat Express was flagged off by the Prime Minister on 6 June 2025.
- The extended Jammu Tawi–Srinagar service entered regular operation in May 2026.
- The Jammu Tawi–Srinagar service runs with exactly 8 coaches, unchanged from the 2025 launch configuration.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q3. With reference to Rahul Gandhi's April 2026 visit to Great Nicobar and its context, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- He undertook the visit in his capacity as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
- He met members of the Nicobarese community at Rajiv Nagar in Campbell Bay.
- Many Nicobarese families had been displaced following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
- The Nicobarese, whose grievances he heard, are classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 2 and 3
- C. 1 and 4
- D. 4 only
Q4. The first batch of indigenously manufactured BrahMos missiles — the long-range supersonic complement to the short-range, helicopter-launched NASM-SR — was flagged off from the BrahMos Integration and Testing Facility at Lucknow (UP Defence Corridor) in which year?
- A. 2025
- B. 2022
- C. 2023
- D. 2024
Q5. Under the Indian Navy's Aatmanirbhar Bharat drive, consider the following missile systems and their descriptions:
1. VL-SRSAM — a ship-borne short-range surface-to-air missile.
2. BrahMos — a long-range supersonic cruise missile.
3. NASM-SR — a long-range ballistic anti-ship missile.
4. MRSAM — a medium-range surface-to-air missile contracted from Bharat Dynamics Limited.
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- VL-SRSAM — a ship-borne short-range surface-to-air missile.
- BrahMos — a long-range supersonic cruise missile.
- NASM-SR — a long-range ballistic anti-ship missile.
- MRSAM — a medium-range surface-to-air missile contracted from Bharat Dynamics Limited.
- A. 1, 2 and 4
- B. 1, 2 and 3
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1 and 3 only
Q6. In the maiden salvo launch of the NASM-SR, how many missiles were fired in quick succession from the same helicopter?
- A. Two
- B. Three
- C. Four
- D. Six
Q7. The trial of the NASM-SR conducted on 29 April 2026 was significant primarily because it was the first-ever demonstration of which one of the following capabilities for this missile system?
- A. Salvo launch of two missiles in quick succession from the same helicopter
- B. Sea-skimming trajectory against a surface target
- C. Launch from a naval helicopter platform
- D. Waterline-hit accuracy in a single-missile firing
Q8. The Cell Broadcast System launched in May 2026 was formally launched by which one of the following Union Ministers?
- A. Union Minister of Communications
- B. Union Minister of Home Affairs
- C. Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology
- D. Union Minister of Earth Sciences
Q9. With reference to the pan-India testing and the formal launch of the Cell Broadcast System (CBS) in 2026, consider the following statements:
1. The pan-India testing of the system was conducted before its formal nationwide launch.
2. The system was launched by the Union Minister of Communications, while the initiative was guided by the Union Home Minister.
3. The test messages were sent only in Hindi and English, excluding regional languages.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The pan-India testing of the system was conducted before its formal nationwide launch.
- The system was launched by the Union Minister of Communications, while the initiative was guided by the Union Home Minister.
- The test messages were sent only in Hindi and English, excluding regional languages.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q10. As reported at the 5th Inter-Governmental Group of Ministers on West Asia (2026), which of the following rolling-stock positions were correctly stated?
- About 60 days of crude oil.
- About 90 days of petrol.
- About 60 days of natural gas.
- About 45 days of LPG.
- A. 1, 3 and 4
- B. 1, 2 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q11. Under the temporary 2026 order regulating fuel supply through retail outlets, diesel supply to a single customer or vehicle was capped at how many litres per day?
- A. 100 litres
- B. 200 litres
- C. 500 litres
- D. 1,000 litres
Q12. During Operation Sindoor, which India invoked in its counter-terrorism messaging at the SCO forum, Indian forces carried out precision strikes at how many terror infrastructure targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir?
- A. Five
- B. Seven
- C. Nine
- D. Twelve
Q13. Consider the following venue-and-year pairings of the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting attended by India:
1. New Delhi — 2023
2. Qingdao — 2025
3. Bishkek — 2026
4. Astana — 2024
Which of the above pairing(s) is/are NOT correctly matched?
- New Delhi — 2023
- Qingdao — 2025
- Bishkek — 2026
- Astana — 2024
- A. 4 only
- B. 3 and 4
- C. 1 and 2
- D. 2 only
Q14. A single full BHISHM Aarogya Maitri Health Cube is designed to provide emergency medical care, including surgical procedures, for up to how many cases?
Q15. In which year was the first-of-its-kind precise para-drop of a BHISHM Aarogya Maitri Health Cube carried out by the Indian Air Force and Indian Army at an altitude of approximately 15,000 feet?
- A. 2022
- B. 2023
- C. 2024
- D. 2025
Q16. Which one of the following countries held the chair of, and hosted, the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting of April 2026?
- A. India
- B. China
- C. Kyrgyzstan
- D. Uzbekistan
Q17. On the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting held in Bishkek in April 2026, with the counterparts of how many countries did Rajnath Singh hold bilateral defence meetings?
- A. Two
- B. Three
- C. Four
- D. Five
Q18. With reference to the Election Commission's cVIGIL app, consider the following statements:
1. Citizens can report Model Code of Conduct violations by uploading a geo-tagged photo or an up to two-minute video.
2. Unlike an ordinary complaint app, cVIGIL does not permit uploading of pre-recorded images or videos stored in the phone's gallery.
3. cVIGIL can be used only during the 48-hour campaign-silence period immediately before polling.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Citizens can report Model Code of Conduct violations by uploading a geo-tagged photo or an up to two-minute video.
- Unlike an ordinary complaint app, cVIGIL does not permit uploading of pre-recorded images or videos stored in the phone's gallery.
- cVIGIL can be used only during the 48-hour campaign-silence period immediately before polling.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q19. The Election Seizure Management System (ESMS), which brings all enforcement agencies onto a single platform for real-time monitoring of election-time seizures, is an initiative of which one of the following?
- A. The Election Commission of India
- B. The Enforcement Directorate
- C. The Central Board of Direct Taxes
- D. The Ministry of Home Affairs
Q20. Ahead of the final phase of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election, the value of illicit inducements seized by the Election Commission in the State crossed which of the following figures?
- A. ₹339 crore
- B. ₹274 crore
- C. ₹510 crore
- D. ₹44.33 crore
Q21. How many Flying Squads did the Election Commission deploy for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election?
- A. Over 1,137
- B. Over 2,728
- C. Over 3,142
- D. Over 1,012
Q22. The 2010 Delhi edition was the first Commonwealth Games held in a 'Commonwealth republic'. The Commonwealth Games themselves are governed by which body?
- A. The Commonwealth Games Federation, based in London
- B. The International Olympic Committee, based in Lausanne
- C. The Commonwealth Secretariat, based in London
- D. The Commonwealth Sports Council, based in New Delhi
Q23. The Asaram Trust matter is one of several disputes in India over religious or charitable property and its ownership or control. Consider the following:
1. Ram Janmabhoomi–Babri Masjid title dispute, resolved by the Supreme Court in 2019.
2. The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, affecting 'waqf by user' properties.
3. The Udai Pratap College, Varanasi, land claimed by a Waqf Board.
4. The Sabarimala matter, a dispute over acquisition of temple land for a national highway.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Ram Janmabhoomi–Babri Masjid title dispute, resolved by the Supreme Court in 2019.
- The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, affecting 'waqf by user' properties.
- The Udai Pratap College, Varanasi, land claimed by a Waqf Board.
- The Sabarimala matter, a dispute over acquisition of temple land for a national highway.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2, 3 and 4 only
- C. 1, 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q24. Which one of the following superlatives correctly applies to the Narendra Modi Stadium at Motera, Ahmedabad?
- A. World's largest cricket stadium by seating capacity
- B. India's oldest international cricket venue
- C. World's highest-altitude cricket stadium
- D. India's first purpose-built football stadium
Q25. The Narendra Modi Stadium, the anchor venue within the Sardar Patel Sports Enclave planned for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, is owned by which body?
- A. The Gujarat Cricket Association
- B. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
- C. The Sports Authority of India
- D. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation
Q26. Ahmedabad's Sardar Patel Sports Enclave is being developed as the primary venue for the 2030 Commonwealth Games. If India hosts in 2030, this would be how many times an Indian city has hosted the Commonwealth Games?
- A. The first time
- B. The second time
- C. The third time
- D. The fourth time
Q27. While the Trust's appeal remained pending, the principal interim direction the Supreme Court issued to the Gujarat government was to —
- A. maintain status quo and refrain from coercive action on the disputed land
- B. immediately hand over vacant possession of the land to the Trust
- C. demolish the unauthorised structures under court supervision
- D. pay interim compensation to the Trust for the disputed land
Q28. Consider the following statements comparing the Gujarat High Court order and the Supreme Court's subsequent order in the Asaram Trust land matter:
1. The Gujarat High Court had rejected the Trust's appeal and cleared the way for the State to reclaim the land.
2. The Supreme Court permanently set aside the High Court verdict and quashed the reclamation.
3. The Supreme Court bench that ordered status quo comprised Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The Gujarat High Court had rejected the Trust's appeal and cleared the way for the State to reclaim the land.
- The Supreme Court permanently set aside the High Court verdict and quashed the reclamation.
- The Supreme Court bench that ordered status quo comprised Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q29. The Supreme Court's interim relief to the Trust turned largely on a defective show-cause notice preceding the takeover. That notice, held to 'prima facie lack material particulars', was issued by which authority?
- A. The municipal authorities of Ahmedabad
- B. The Gujarat Cricket Association
- C. The Commonwealth Games Federation
- D. The Sports Authority of India
Q30. The Sant Shri Asaram Trust land in Ahmedabad, now the subject of a Supreme Court status quo order, expanded over decades from its original grant. What was the extent of the land first allotted to the Trust in 1980?
- A. 6,261 sq metres
- B. 10,000 sq metres
- C. 45,000 sq metres
- D. 49,758 sq metres