21 October 2026 Current Affairs Study Material and Questions

Correct answer: C — H3 Flight No. 10. JAXA identifies H3 Flight No. 10 as the launch vehicle. Distinguish MMX, the spacecraft and mission name, from H3, the rocket carrying it. The launch location and date provide additional cross-checks, but neither the destination moon nor a launch agency’s name is itself the vehicle designation. JAXA’s Martian Moons eXploration mission launched on 20 October 2026 from Tanegashima aboard H3 Flight No. 10. It aims to collect material from Phobos and bring samples to Earth while studying the Martian system. Phobos and Deimos are moons of Mars, not independent planets. Official source: JAXA

Correct answer: B — Phobos. Phobos is the stated sample-collection target. The question concerns a moon of Mars, so naming a moon from another planetary system cannot satisfy it. Also separate observing an object from landing on it and collecting samples: a mission may study several bodies while having one principal sampling destination. JAXA’s Martian Moons eXploration mission launched on 20 October 2026 from Tanegashima aboard H3 Flight No. 10. It aims to collect material from Phobos and bring samples to Earth while studying the Martian system. Phobos and Deimos are moons of Mars, not independent planets. Official source: JAXA

Correct answer: A — Balanced fertilizer use guided by soil testing. The objective is balanced and judicious use of agricultural inputs based on soil testing. The distractors reverse the campaign’s direction by removing evidence-based nutrient decisions or promoting harmful residue practices. Balanced does not mean applying an identical quantity everywhere; it means matching inputs to assessed requirements. The campaign was announced for 22 October–30 November 2026, with the launch planned from Karnal in Haryana. Its stated priorities include soil testing, balanced fertilizer use, crop diversification and residue management. The 21 October document describes the planned launch for the following day. Official source: Press Information Bureau

Correct answer: D — Karnal, Haryana. The announced launch location was Karnal in Haryana. The question asks where the national launch was planned, not whether other districts would later hold local activities. A nationwide campaign can have one launch location and many implementation sites; those two geographic roles should not be confused. The campaign was announced for 22 October–30 November 2026, with the launch planned from Karnal in Haryana. Its stated priorities include soil testing, balanced fertilizer use, crop diversification and residue management. The 21 October document describes the planned launch for the following day. Official source: Press Information Bureau

Correct answer: C — Department of Financial Services. The Department of Financial Services is the administrative department named in the release. Banks organise service camps, but an implementing institution and the department announcing the nationwide initiative need not be the same body. Distinguish the government department, participating banks and the individual financial schemes when revising this item. The Department of Financial Services announced the nationwide campaign for 21 October–31 December 2026 across 2.70 lakh Gram Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies. Bank camps cover services such as PMJDY accounts, re-KYC and enrolment in specified insurance and pension schemes. The announcement is not a promise of automatic enrolment. Official source: Press Information Bureau

Correct answer: B — 21 October to 31 December 2026. The window is 21 October through 31 December 2026. The last option belongs to the agricultural campaign discussed in the same news cycle, so recognising the campaign name is essential. Shared announcement periods do not make two schemes’ deadlines interchangeable; record the start and end as a pair. The Department of Financial Services announced the nationwide campaign for 21 October–31 December 2026 across 2.70 lakh Gram Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies. Bank camps cover services such as PMJDY accounts, re-KYC and enrolment in specified insurance and pension schemes. The announcement is not a promise of automatic enrolment. Official source: Press Information Bureau

Correct answer: A — Advantage Bharat: An Emerging Global Chemicals Hub. The chemicals-hub theme belongs to India Chem 2026. The other phrases point to health, oceans or payments and do not describe this event’s stated theme. Use the sector clue to eliminate unrelated options, but retain the exact theme because several industry conferences can otherwise sound similar. The 14th India Chem was scheduled for 22–24 October 2026 in Mumbai. Japan was named partner country. The announced theme described Bharat as an emerging global chemicals hub. The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals organised the event in partnership with FICCI. Official source: Press Information Bureau

Correct answer: D — Japan. Japan is the partner country specified in the official announcement. Partner country is an event designation, not the same as the city hosting the exhibition or every country represented by visitors. Therefore, avoid inferring the answer from general chemical-export rankings or from other international partnerships in the news. The 14th India Chem was scheduled for 22–24 October 2026 in Mumbai. Japan was named partner country. The announced theme described Bharat as an emerging global chemicals hub. The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals organised the event in partnership with FICCI. Official source: Press Information Bureau

Correct answer: C — Supporting implementation pathways for selected repurposing projects. PRISM addresses the implementation stage after a suitable repurposing option is identified. This separates it from SUVIKALP’s evaluation and ranking function. In a process question, distinguish choosing what should be done from finding resources and examples for how to do it; the two tools are complementary rather than interchangeable. The Coal Controller Organisation developed SUVIKALP to evaluate and rank mine-repurposing options using several criteria. PRISM supports implementation pathways after an option is selected. The October release reported SKOCH Gold recognition received on 26 September 2026, so the report date is not the award date. Official source: Press Information Bureau

Correct answer: B — Coal Controller Organisation. The Coal Controller Organisation is the developer. SUVIKALP concerns the future productive use of mining land, so transport or water-sector authorities are distractors. A tool that ranks options assists a decision; it does not automatically approve every project, provide all funding or complete the restoration work. The Coal Controller Organisation developed SUVIKALP to evaluate and rank mine-repurposing options using several criteria. PRISM supports implementation pathways after an option is selected. The October release reported SKOCH Gold recognition received on 26 September 2026, so the report date is not the award date. Official source: Press Information Bureau