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Current affairs

Current affairs January 26 – February 1, 2026 for CUET

6 stories from the week of January 26 – February 1, 2026, in the order they happened, then a quiz on the week.

January 2026 in current affairs: eight stories for CUETFebruary 2026 in current affairs: eleven stories for CUET

National

The 77th Republic Day: Vande Mataram and a battle array

The 77th Republic Day, 26 January 2026, had EU leaders Costa and von der Leyen as chief guests and the theme '150 Years of Vande Mataram'.

India celebrated its 77th Republic Day on 26 January 2026. The chief guests were the two leaders of the European Union: António Costa, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. An EU contingent marched on Kartavya Path.

The central theme was '150 Years of Vande Mataram'. For the first time the Indian Army presented a phased battle-array format, with an aerial component, in place of only marching columns.

Test yourself

Question 1

EasyOriginal question

Who were the chief guests at the Republic Day parade of 2026?

  1. AThe President of Indonesia
  2. BThe leaders of the five Central Asian countries
  3. CThe President of France
  4. DAntónio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen of the European Union
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D

Explanation

  1. The President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission were the chief guests.

  2. Indonesia's President was the chief guest in 2025, and France's in 2024.

Concept
Republic Day 2026 chief guests
Typical time
40 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 2

EasyOriginal question

What was the central theme of the Republic Day celebrations of 2026?

  1. AViksit Bharat and Virasat
  2. B75 Years of the Constitution
  3. C150 Years of Vande Mataram
  4. DNari Shakti
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C

Explanation

  1. The 77th Republic Day was built around 150 years of the national song.

  2. Vande Mataram was first published on 7 November 1875.

Concept
Republic Day 2026 theme
Typical time
40 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 3

MediumOriginal question

Which Republic Day did India celebrate on 26 January 2026?

  1. AThe 76th
  2. BThe 77th
  3. CThe 75th
  4. DThe 78th
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B

Explanation

  1. The first Republic Day was 26 January 1950, so 2026 is the 77th.

  2. Count 1950 as the first: 2026 − 1950 + 1 = 77.

Worth noting

Anniversaries and editions differ by one. 2026 is 76 years after 1950, but the 77th celebration.

Concept
Numbering Republic Days
Typical time
50 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 4

HardOriginal question

What did the Indian Army present at the Republic Day parade for the first time in 2026?

  1. AAn all-women marching contingent
  2. BA flypast of the Rafale
  3. CIts tableau on the Constitution
  4. DA phased battle-array format with an aerial component
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D

Explanation

  1. The 2026 parade showed, for the first time, the Army's phased battle-array format, including helicopters in support.

  2. All-women contingents and the Rafale had appeared in earlier years.

Concept
Republic Day 2026 firsts
Typical time
65 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in
Read the releasePractise this: National

Month →

International

India and the EU conclude their free trade agreement

India and the EU announced the conclusion of their free trade agreement at the 16th India–EU Summit, New Delhi, 27 January 2026.

On 27 January 2026, at the 16th India–EU Summit in New Delhi, the Prime Minister and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the conclusion of the India–EU Free Trade Agreement. Negotiations had been relaunched in 2022.

The agreement gives more than 99 per cent of India's exports, by value, preferential entry into the EU, with labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather, marine products and gems and jewellery expected to gain most. India kept sensitive farm products and dairy out of it entirely. The two sides are the world's 4th and 2nd largest economies, together about a quarter of global GDP; India's goods trade with the EU was USD 136.54 billion in 2024-25.

The EU leaders — António Costa, President of the European Council, and von der Leyen — were also the chief guests at Republic Day the day before.

Test yourself

Question 1

EasyOriginal question

At which summit was the conclusion of the India–EU Free Trade Agreement announced in January 2026?

  1. AThe 10th India–EU Summit
  2. BThe G20 Summit
  3. CThe 16th India–EU Summit
  4. DThe 23rd India–EU Summit
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C

Explanation

  1. The conclusion was announced at the 16th India–EU Summit in New Delhi on 27 January 2026.

  2. 23rd was the India–Russia summit of December 2025.

Concept
India–EU FTA announcement
Typical time
40 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 2

MediumOriginal question

Under the India–EU FTA, what share of India's exports by value gains preferential entry into the EU?

  1. AAbout 25 per cent
  2. BMore than 99 per cent
  3. CAbout 75 per cent
  4. DAbout 50 per cent
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B

Explanation

  1. Over 99 per cent of Indian exports by trade value gain preferential access.

  2. 25 per cent is the two economies' combined share of global GDP.

Concept
Market access under the India–EU FTA
Typical time
50 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 3

MediumOriginal question

Which sector did India keep entirely outside market access in the India–EU FTA?

  1. ADairy
  2. BTextiles
  3. CAutomobiles
  4. DServices
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

Explanation

  1. Sensitive agricultural products and dairy were given no market access.

  2. Autos were liberalised in a calibrated way, and textiles are among the biggest gainers.

Concept
Safeguards in the India–EU FTA
Typical time
50 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 4

HardOriginal question

In which year were India–EU free trade negotiations relaunched before their conclusion in 2026?

  1. A2007
  2. B2013
  3. C2019
  4. D2022
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D

Explanation

  1. Negotiations were relaunched in 2022.

  2. They had first begun in 2007 and stalled in 2013, which is why both years appear here.

Concept
History of India–EU trade talks
Typical time
65 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in
Read the releasePractise this: International

Month →

Economy & Business

Economic Survey 2025-26: 7.4 per cent this year, 6.8–7.2 next

The Economic Survey 2025-26, tabled 29 January 2026, put growth at 7.4% for 2025-26 and 6.8–7.2% for 2026-27.

The Economic Survey 2025-26, tabled on 29 January 2026, put real GDP growth for 2025-26 at 7.4 per cent and GVA growth at 7.3 per cent, following the first advance estimates. It projected 6.8 to 7.2 per cent for 2026-27 and estimated India's potential growth at around 7 per cent.

Other numbers in it: inflation averaged 1.7 per cent in April–December 2025; banks' gross NPAs fell to a multi-decade low of 2.2 per cent in September 2025; foreign exchange reserves were USD 701.4 billion on 16 January 2026, enough for 11 months of imports; India remained the world's largest recipient of remittances, at USD 135.4 billion in 2024-25; and services exports reached a record USD 387.6 billion.

Test yourself

Question 1

EasyOriginal question

What real GDP growth for 2025-26 did the Economic Survey 2025-26 report?

  1. A6.8 per cent
  2. B7.0 per cent
  3. C7.4 per cent
  4. D8.2 per cent
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C

Explanation

  1. The Survey, following the first advance estimates, put 2025-26 growth at 7.4 per cent.

  2. About 7 per cent is its estimate of potential growth, and 8.2 per cent was a single quarter.

Concept
GDP growth in the Economic Survey 2025-26
Typical time
40 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 2

MediumOriginal question

What growth range did the Economic Survey 2025-26 project for 2026-27?

  1. A6.3 to 6.8 per cent
  2. B7.4 to 7.8 per cent
  3. C6.8 to 7.2 per cent
  4. D6.0 to 6.5 per cent
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C

Explanation

  1. The Survey projected real GDP growth of 6.8 to 7.2 per cent for 2026-27.

  2. 6.3 to 6.8 per cent was the previous year's Survey's projection for 2025-26.

Concept
Economic Survey projection for 2026-27
Typical time
50 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 3

MediumOriginal question

According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, what did India's foreign exchange reserves stand at on 16 January 2026?

  1. AUSD 701.4 billion
  2. BUSD 387.6 billion
  3. CUSD 135.4 billion
  4. DUSD 550.0 billion
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

Explanation

  1. Reserves were USD 701.4 billion, covering 11 months of imports.

  2. USD 387.6 billion is services exports and USD 135.4 billion remittances.

Concept
Forex reserves, January 2026
Typical time
50 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 4

HardOriginal question

To what level did banks' gross non-performing assets fall by September 2025, according to the Economic Survey 2025-26?

  1. A1.7 per cent, a record low
  2. B4.0 per cent, the RBI's comfort level
  3. C9.2 per cent, down from 11 per cent
  4. D2.2 per cent, a multi-decade low
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D

Explanation

  1. Gross NPAs reached a multi-decade low of 2.2 per cent in September 2025.

  2. 1.7 per cent is average inflation for April–December 2025, and 9.2 per cent the Centre's revenue receipts as a share of GDP.

Concept
Bank asset quality, 2025
Typical time
65 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 5

MediumOriginal question

The Economic Survey 2025-26 noted that India remained the world's largest recipient of what?

  1. AForeign direct investment
  2. BRemittances
  3. CDevelopment aid
  4. DCrude oil imports from Russia
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B

Explanation

  1. Remittance inflows reached USD 135.4 billion in 2024-25, the largest in the world.

  2. Remittances are money sent home by Indians working abroad.

Concept
India and remittances
Typical time
50 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in
Read the releasePractise this: Economy & Business

Month →

Environment & Climate

Patna Bird Sanctuary and Chhari-Dhand take India to 98 Ramsar sites

Patna Bird Sanctuary (UP) and Chhari-Dhand (Gujarat) became Ramsar sites on 31 January 2026, taking India to 98.

Ahead of World Wetlands Day on 2 February 2026, the Environment Minister announced two new Ramsar sites: Patna Bird Sanctuary in Etah district, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhari-Dhand in Kutch district, Gujarat. That took India to 98 Ramsar sites, from 26 in 2014 — a rise of over 276 per cent.

Both wetlands support hundreds of migratory and resident bird species. Chhari-Dhand, on the edge of the Banni grasslands, is also home to wildlife such as chinkara and wolves.

Test yourself

Question 1

EasyOriginal question

Chhari-Dhand, designated a Ramsar site in January 2026, is in which state?

  1. ARajasthan
  2. BUttar Pradesh
  3. CMadhya Pradesh
  4. DGujarat
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D

Explanation

  1. Chhari-Dhand is in Kutch district, Gujarat.

  2. The other January 2026 site, Patna Bird Sanctuary, is in Uttar Pradesh.

Concept
Chhari-Dhand Ramsar site
Typical time
40 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 2

MediumOriginal question

Patna Bird Sanctuary, a Ramsar site from January 2026, is in which state — despite its name?

  1. ABihar
  2. BUttar Pradesh
  3. CJharkhand
  4. DWest Bengal
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B

Explanation

  1. Patna Bird Sanctuary is in Etah district of Uttar Pradesh.

  2. It takes its name from Patna village in Etah, not from the capital of Bihar.

Worth noting

A place name that matches a famous city is the trap. Read the district.

Concept
Patna Bird Sanctuary
Typical time
50 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 3

MediumOriginal question

With the two sites added in January 2026, how many Ramsar sites did India have?

  1. A85
  2. B91
  3. C98
  4. D101
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C

Explanation

  1. The two additions took India to 98 Ramsar sites, from 26 in 2014.

  2. The count kept rising through 2026, so the total depends on the date asked about.

Concept
Ramsar sites, January 2026
Typical time
50 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in
Read the releasePractise this: Environment & Climate

Month →

Government Schemes & Policy

Biopharma SHAKTI: ₹10,000 crore for drug manufacturing

Budget 2026-27 announced Biopharma SHAKTI: ₹10,000 crore over five years for biopharmaceutical manufacturing, with three new NIPERs.

The Union Budget 2026-27 announced Biopharma SHAKTI — Strategy for Healthcare Advancement through Knowledge, Technology and Innovation — with ₹10,000 crore over five years to make India a global hub for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. It comes with a biopharma-focused network that includes three new National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs).

It is the first of the budget's measures for scaling up manufacturing in seven strategic and frontier sectors.

Test yourself

Question 1

EasyOriginal question

SHAKTI, a ₹10,000 crore strategy in the Union Budget 2026-27, is meant to build up which industry?

  1. ABiopharmaceutical manufacturing
  2. BSemiconductor fabrication
  3. CSolar module production
  4. DShipbuilding
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

Explanation

  1. Biopharma SHAKTI aims to make India a global biopharma manufacturing hub.

  2. SHAKTI stands for Strategy for Healthcare Advancement through Knowledge, Technology and Innovation.

Concept
Biopharma SHAKTI
Typical time
40 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 2

MediumOriginal question

What outlay does Biopharma SHAKTI carry, and over how long?

  1. A₹10,000 crore over ten years
  2. B₹25,000 crore over five years
  3. C₹10,000 crore over five years
  4. D₹1,000 crore a year for three years
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C

Explanation

  1. The budget gives Biopharma SHAKTI ₹10,000 crore over the next five years.

  2. It adds three new NIPERs as part of a biopharma network.

Concept
Outlay of Biopharma SHAKTI
Typical time
50 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 3

HardOriginal question

The Budget 2026-27 manufacturing strategy SHAKTI adds three new institutes of which kind?

  1. AAll India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
  2. BIndian Institutes of Technology (IIT)
  3. CIndian Institutes of Pharmaceutical Technology
  4. DNational Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER)
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D

Explanation

  1. The biopharma network includes three new NIPERs.

  2. NIPERs come under the Department of Pharmaceuticals.

Concept
Institutions under Biopharma SHAKTI
Typical time
65 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in
Read the releasePractise this: Government Schemes & Policy

Month →

Economy & Business

Union Budget 2026-27: ₹12.2 lakh crore of capital spending

The Union Budget 2026-27 (1 February 2026) raised capital expenditure to ₹12.2 lakh crore; total spending ₹53.5 lakh crore.

The Finance Minister presented the Union Budget 2026-27 on 1 February 2026 — the first budget prepared in the new Kartavya Bhawan, framed around three kartavyas (duties): growth, people's aspirations and inclusion.

It raises public capital expenditure to ₹12.2 lakh crore, from about ₹11 lakh crore in the revised estimate for 2025-26. Total spending is ₹53.5 lakh crore. The fiscal deficit for 2025-26 was held at its budgeted 4.4 per cent of GDP, and the debt-to-GDP ratio is to fall from 56.1 to 55.6 per cent. Among the infrastructure measures: a new dedicated freight corridor from Dankuni in the east to Surat in the west, and 20 new national waterways over five years, starting with NW-5 in Odisha.

Test yourself

Question 1

MediumOriginal question

The Union Budget 2026-27 estimates the fiscal deficit at what share of GDP?

  1. A3.3 per cent
  2. B4.3 per cent
  3. C4.4 per cent
  4. D5.6 per cent
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B

Explanation

  1. The Budget Estimate for 2026-27 is 4.3 per cent of GDP

  2. The Revised Estimate for 2025-26 was 4.4 per cent, the same as that year's Budget Estimate, so a paper can ask for either year and the two figures are close enough to be worth separating

  3. The 55.6 per cent figure in this area is the debt-to-GDP ratio, which is a stock and not a yearly flow

Concept
Fiscal deficit in the Budget
Typical time
50 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 2

EasyOriginal question

How much public capital expenditure does the Union Budget 2026-27 provide for?

  1. A₹11.1 lakh crore
  2. B₹12.2 lakh crore
  3. C₹28.7 lakh crore
  4. D₹53.5 lakh crore
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B

Explanation

  1. Public capital expenditure is raised to ₹12.2 lakh crore in 2026-27.

  2. ₹53.5 lakh crore is total expenditure and ₹28.7 lakh crore the Centre's net tax receipts.

Concept
Capital expenditure in Budget 2026-27
Typical time
40 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 3

MediumOriginal question

What debt-to-GDP ratio does the Union Budget 2026-27 estimate for 2026-27?

  1. A50.0 per cent
  2. B55.6 per cent
  3. C56.1 per cent
  4. D60.0 per cent
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B

Explanation

  1. Debt is estimated at 55.6 per cent of GDP in 2026-27, down from 56.1 per cent in the revised estimate for 2025-26.

  2. From 2026-27 the debt ratio, not the deficit alone, is the main fiscal anchor.

Concept
Debt-to-GDP in Budget 2026-27
Typical time
50 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 4

MediumOriginal question

According to the Union Budget 2026-27, what was the fiscal deficit for 2025-26 in the revised estimate?

  1. A4.8 per cent of GDP, above budget
  2. B4.3 per cent of GDP, below budget
  3. C4.4 per cent of GDP, the same as budgeted
  4. D5.1 per cent of GDP
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C

Explanation

  1. The revised estimate for 2025-26 kept the deficit at the budgeted 4.4 per cent of GDP.

  2. 4.3 per cent is the estimate for the new year, 2026-27.

Worth noting

A budget gives three years at once: last year's actuals, this year's revised estimate and next year's budget estimate. Check which one the question means.

Concept
Fiscal deficit, RE 2025-26
Typical time
50 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 5

MediumOriginal question

The new dedicated freight corridor announced in the Union Budget 2026-27 will connect which two places?

  1. ALudhiana and Dankuni
  2. BDankuni and Surat
  3. CDadri and Jawaharlal Nehru Port
  4. DKharagpur and Vijayawada
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B

Explanation

  1. The new corridor runs from Dankuni in the east to Surat in the west.

  2. Ludhiana–Dankuni is the existing Eastern corridor and Dadri–JNPT the existing Western one.

Concept
Freight corridor in Budget 2026-27
Typical time
50 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in

Question 6

HardOriginal question

What was new about where the Union Budget 2026-27 was prepared?

  1. AIt was the first budget prepared in Kartavya Bhawan
  2. BIt was the first budget prepared in the new Parliament building
  3. CIt was the first budget prepared outside Delhi
  4. DIt was the first budget prepared in North Block
Your answer
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

Explanation

  1. The highlights call it the first budget prepared in Kartavya Bhawan, where the Finance Ministry moved from North Block.

  2. It was built around three kartavyas: growth, aspirations and inclusion.

Concept
Budget 2026-27 and Kartavya Bhawan
Typical time
65 seconds
Written from
pib.gov.in
Read the releasePractise this: Economy & Business

Month →

Take the week's quiz

10 questions from this week's stories, untimed, with the answer after each.

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Every item on this page, and the document it came from

Sources on this page · Last verified:

  1. 77th Republic Day Parade: Kartavya Path set to unveil unique mix of 150 years of 'Vande Mataram' and the nation's progress & military might — Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Defence
  2. India–EU Free Trade Agreement Concluded: A Strategic Breakthrough in India's Global Trade Engagement — Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  3. Highlights: Economic Survey 2025-26 — Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Finance
  4. Union Environment Minister announces Addition of 2 New Wetlands to India's Ramsar List, ahead of World Wetlands Day 2026 — Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
  5. Highlights of Union Budget 2026-27 (Biopharma SHAKTI) — Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Finance
  6. Highlights of Union Budget 2026-27 — Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Finance