Question 1

What topics are covered in the 18 April 2026 current affairs quiz?

Accepted Answer

The 18 April 2026 quiz covers Polity, Governance, Social Issues, Economy with 25 MCQs sourced from The Hindu and Indian Express.

Question 2

How to use 18 April 2026 daily quiz for UPSC preparation?

Accepted Answer

Attempt the quiz after reading the daily current affairs. Focus on understanding the explanation for each question. Link each topic to your static GK notes for comprehensive preparation.

Question 3

How many MCQs should I practice daily for competitive exams?

Accepted Answer

Experts recommend 10-20 current affairs MCQs daily. This takes only 5-7 minutes but significantly improves retention through active recall, which is more effective than passive reading.

Question 4

Are these quiz questions based on The Hindu and Indian Express?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All questions are derived from important news articles published in The Hindu and Indian Express, filtered and ranked by AI for exam relevance across UPSC, MPSC, SSC, Banking & Teaching exams.

Question 5

Which constitutional article governs the procedure for amending the Constitution of India, as relevant to the defeat of the 131st Amendment Bill?

Accepted Answer

Article 368, Article 368 of the Indian Constitution deals with the power of Parliament to amend the Constitution and the procedure thereof. The 131st Amendment Bill required a special majority as per this article, which it failed to secure.

Question 6

In which house of Parliament was the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, voted on as per the news?

Accepted Answer

Lok Sabha, The article explicitly states that members voted on the Bill in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 2026. The Lok Sabha is the lower house of the Indian Parliament where money bills and most other bills are introduced.

Question 7

Which constitutional body is responsible for the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies in India?

Accepted Answer

Delimitation Commission, The Delimitation Commission is a statutory body constituted under the Delimitation Act to redraw the boundaries of constituencies. This is directly linked to the news, as the amendment's defeat centered on apprehensions about the delimitation process.

Question 8

Which ministry/department is responsible for releasing the new GDP series with base year 2022-23?

Accepted Answer

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), As mentioned in the article, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the new series of national income accounts, shifting the base from 2011-12 to 2022-23.

Question 9

Which constitutional body is responsible for the delimitation exercise necessary to implement the Women's Reservation Act?

Accepted Answer

Delimitation Commission, The article states the Act awaits the 'delimitation exercise'. The Delimitation Commission is a statutory body constituted under the Delimitation Act to redraw electoral constituency boundaries. The Election Commission conducts polls but does not delimit constituencies.

Question 10

Under which Ministry does the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, responsible for conducting the Census, function?

Accepted Answer

Ministry of Home Affairs, The Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, which conducts the decennial Census of India, operates under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

Question 11

As per the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, which body is mandated to review the financial position of the Panchayats and recommend the principles for fund devolution?

Accepted Answer

State Finance Commission, Article 243-I of the Constitution mandates the Governor to constitute a State Finance Commission every five years to review the financial position of the Panchayats and recommend the principles for devolution of funds from the state's Consolidated Fund. This was highlighted in the parliamentary debate by MP Padmanabham.

Question 12

Which central government department is the nodal agency for the National Quantum Mission (NQM) mentioned in the news?

Accepted Answer

Department of Science & Technology, The article explicitly cites the source as the 'National Quantum Mission, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India'. The DST is the central department responsible for formulating and implementing policies for science and technology in India.

Question 13

Under which Act was the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary originally notified?

Accepted Answer

The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, The article explicitly states the sanctuary was 'notified in 1983 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972'. This is the primary legislation for declaring sanctuaries and national parks in India.

Question 14

The Iranian ambassador summoned by India over the Strait of Hormuz incident was Dr. Mohammad Fathali. What is the official designation of an ambassador representing their country in another?

Accepted Answer

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, An ambassador is formally titled 'Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary'. A High Commissioner represents a Commonwealth country in another Commonwealth country. A Consul General heads a consulate, and a Charge d'Affaires acts as head of mission in the ambassador's absence.

Question 15

Consider the following statements regarding the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026:

1. It sought to delimit Lok Sabha constituencies based on the population data from the 2026-27 Census.

2. The bill required a simple majority of members present and voting in the Lok Sabha to pass.

3. Its defeat led to the shelving of the companion Delimitation Bill and Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only 3, Statement 1 is incorrect: The bill mandated delimitation based on the latest Census, which is currently 2011, not the 2026-27 Census. Statement 2 is incorrect: A constitutional amendment requires a special majority (two-thirds of members present and voting), not a simple majority. Statement 3 is correct as per the article, which states the government shelved the companion bills after the main bill's defeat.

Question 16

Consider the following statements regarding the news:

1. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, was voted on in the Lok Sabha.

2. The Bill aims to address the gap between low female voter turnout and their high representation in legislatures.

3. High turnout among women voters is cited in the article as a sign of democratic vitality.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

Both 1 and 3, Statement 1 is correct as the article mentions voting in the Lok Sabha. Statement 2 is incorrect; the article highlights the gap between high female voter turnout and low representation, not low turnout. Statement 3 is correct as the article directly states this point.

Question 17

Consider the following statements regarding the news:

1. The constitutional amendment defeated in Parliament sought to delink women's reservation from the delimitation exercise.

2. The principle of women's reservation in legislatures is already enshrined in an Act passed in 2023.

3. A key opposition concern was the need to wait for caste data from the ongoing census before proceeding.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

Both 2 and 3, Statement 1 is incorrect; the amendment sought to LINK women's reservation to delimitation, not delink it. Statement 2 is correct as the Women's Reservation Act was passed in 2023. Statement 3 is correct as the article mentions the opposition questioned the refusal to wait for census data including caste numbers.

Question 18

Consider the following statements:

1. The Delimitation Commission in India is a high-power body whose orders have the force of law and cannot be called in question before any court.

2. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, sought to advance reservation of 33% seats for women in Lok Sabha and state Assemblies and facilitate delimitation of constituencies.

3. India's GDP for 2026, according to IMF's World Economic Outlook, is projected to be $4.38 trillion.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

Both 1 and 2, Statement 1 is correct as per the article's 'Do You Know' section. Statement 2 is correct as described in the 'Key Takeaways'. Statement 3 is incorrect: India's projected GDP for 2026 is $4.15 trillion; $4.38 trillion is Japan's projected GDP.

Question 19

Consider the following statements regarding the women's reservation debate in the Constituent Assembly:

1. Hansa Mehta and Renuka Ray were the only two women members who opposed reservation for women.

2. R K Chaudhari was the sole male member who argued in favor of reservation for women.

3. The Government of India Act, 1935, provided for reservation of seats for women in the legislature.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

Both 2 and 3, Statement 1 is incorrect. The article says 'two out of the 15 women' opposed it, but does NOT state they were the 'only two' who opposed it; others may have had different views or remained silent. Statement 2 is correct as per the article: 'the only one in favour was a man: R K Chaudhari.' Statement 3 is correct as Renuka Ray recalled her opposition to the 1935 Act which ensured reservation for women.

Question 20

According to the news, how many votes were in favor of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha?

Accepted Answer

298, The article explicitly states that 298 members voted in favor of the bill. 230 voted against, 352 was the number of votes required to pass, and 528 was the total number of members present and voting.

Question 21

As per the news, on which date did the Lok Sabha vote on the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026?

Accepted Answer

April 17, 2026, The article caption for the image clearly states the voting occurred in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 2026. The published date of the opinion piece is April 18, 2026, which is a close distractor.

Question 22

According to the article, for how long has the freeze on the number of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies been in place?

Accepted Answer

Five decades, The article explicitly mentions a 'five decades-long freeze' on the expansion of seats, which the government's amendment sought to lift as part of implementing women's reservation.

Question 23

According to the article, what is the current percentage share of women MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha (2024-29)?

Accepted Answer

13.6%, The article states: "the figure for the incumbent House — the 18th Lok Sabha (2024-29) — stands at 75 out of a total 543 (13.6%)." 4.9% was the share in the first Lok Sabha, 10.9% in 2009, and 14.36% in the previous Lok Sabha (2019-24).

Question 24

According to the article, what percentage of legislators in the Lok Sabha were women after the first general election of 1951-52?

Accepted Answer

4.9%, The article provides the data point: 'a definite improvement from the 4.9% in the first general election of 1951-52'. The current figure of 13.6% is a close distractor. The other percentages are not mentioned.

Question 25

What was a primary reason cited in the editorial for the opposition's rejection of the Home Minister's verbal guarantee during the debate?

Accepted Answer

The guarantee was not incorporated into the official text of the Bill., The article questions why a proportional increase for southern states was not in the Bill itself if it was the intent, highlighting that the Opposition dismissed the verbal guarantee because it was not part of the official amendment. The bill's text clearly mandated delimitation based on the 2011 Census.

Question 26

What is the primary democratic contradiction highlighted by the article that the Women's Reservation Bill seeks to address?

Accepted Answer

Contradiction between participation in elections and representation in legislatures for women, The article's core argument is that India has high voter participation and an engaged female electorate, yet women remain underrepresented in legislative institutions. The Bill aims to bridge this specific gap between electoral participation and political representation.

Question 27

What was the primary reason cited in the article for the opposition's resistance to the government's constitutional amendment on women's reservation?

Accepted Answer

Concerns over the haste and distrust in the institutional mechanism for delimitation, The article states the opposition flagged the 'cloud of distrust on delimitation's institutional mechanism' and questioned the haste, not the principle of reservation itself. The other options are not supported by the article's content.

Question 28

What was a key reason cited in the article for the recent worker protests in Noida related to minimum wages?

Accepted Answer

Inadequacy in the revision of the basic component of minimum wages, last revised in 2014/2015, The article identifies that while inflation updates happened regularly, "the basic component was last revised in Haryana in 2015 and in 2014 in UP" and was not revised every five years as stipulated, leading to falling real wages and protests.

Question 29

What was the primary argument advanced by Hansa Mehta and Renuka Ray against legislating reservation for women in the Constituent Assembly?

Accepted Answer

Reservation would impede women's growth and insult their intelligence and capacity., The article explicitly quotes Renuka Ray saying reservation would be 'an impediment to our growth and an insult to our very intelligence and capacity.' Hansa Mehta similarly argued for social, economic, and political justice based on equality, not privileges. The other options are not supported by the article's content.

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