20th January 2026 Current Affairs MCQ Quiz

The PSLV-C62 mission lifted off on 12 January 2026 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, placing an earth observation satellite (EOS) along with 14 co-passenger payloads into a sun-synchronous orbit. It marked ISRO's first launch of the year.

For Republic Day 2026, India hosted the top leaders of the European Union, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who also attended the 16th India-EU Summit in New Delhi.

President Droupadi Murmu approved 131 Padma Awards for 2026, comprising 5 Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri awards, including 19 women and several posthumous awardees.

Chandrayaan-4 is planned as India's first lunar sample-return mission. Its goal is to land on the Moon, collect regolith samples and bring them safely back to Earth, using multiple LVM-3 launches and in-orbit docking.

The 78th Army Day on 15 January 2026 was marked by a grand parade at Mahal Road in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Holding the parade outside Delhi reflects the Army's practice of rotating the celebration among regional commands.

India defeated England by 100 runs in the final held in Zimbabwe to lift the ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2026, claiming a record sixth title. Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashed 175 in the summit clash.

The 16th India-EU Summit took place in New Delhi on 27 January 2026, where PM Narendra Modi met European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to advance cooperation on trade, security and clean transition.

President Droupadi Murmu appointed Praveen Vashista, a 1991-batch IPS officer of the Bihar cadre, as Vigilance Commissioner in the Central Vigilance Commission on 16 January 2026 for a fixed tenure.

On 18 January 2026, PM Modi laid the foundation for the 86-km Kaziranga Elevated Corridor in Assam, a project worth over Rs 6,950 crore intended to ease traffic and protect wildlife movement around Kaziranga National Park.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is observed on 9 January to mark the day in 1915 when Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa. The day honours the contributions of the Indian diaspora to the nation's development.

The Republic Day 2026 celebrations were themed around 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram, composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875, honouring its role in India's freedom struggle.

PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference 2026 for the Kutch and Saurashtra region at Marwadi University in Rajkot, held from 11 to 15 January 2026 to promote regional investment.

Rakhigarhi in Haryana's Hisar district, spread over roughly 350 hectares, is regarded as the largest known Harappan site. It has also yielded the only ancient DNA evidence recovered from the Indus Valley Civilisation.

In January 2026, the World Bank raised India's growth forecast for FY 2026-27 to 6.6%, citing strong domestic demand, export resilience and gains from recent free trade agreements.

Agni-Prime is our go-to for tactical deterrence. It’s more compact and easier to move around than the older heavy missiles, making it a key part of our strategic defense.

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar launched the IITM Global Research Foundation at IIT Madras, reflecting the institute's ambition to run international campuses and emerge as the world's first multinational university.

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched India's first open-sea Marine Fish Farming project in the Andaman Sea on 13 January 2026, a pilot to promote sustainable use of ocean resources and livelihoods under the Blue Economy.

Vijaya Rahatkar serves as the 9th Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, having taken charge in October 2024, succeeding Rekha Sharma. She earlier headed the Maharashtra State Commission for Women.

The WEF report is always an eye-opener. This year, they've highlighted how AI can be used to spread false info faster than ever, which is a major concern for global stability.

Launched in 2019, the Jal Jeevan Mission carries the tagline 'Har Ghar Jal'. It targets functional tap water connections for every rural household and had reached over 80% rural coverage by early 2026.