GK Express of 17/01/2026

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📚 Current Affairs Coach

1. 78th Army Day

The Indian Army marked its 78th Army Day on 15th January 2026 with a historic parade in Jaipur, Rajasthan, emphasising the force’s shift towards modern, agile, and technology-driven warfare.
The day commemorates 15th January 1949, when Field Marshal KM Cariappa became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief, marking full military sovereignty.

2. Automatic Weather Stations (AWS)

India has announced a major upgrade in urban weather forecasting with the deployment of 200 Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) across Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Pune, reinforcing disaster preparedness and hyper-local forecasting during the 151st Foundation Day (15th January 1875–2026) of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Automatic Weather Stations (AWS): It is a meteorological station that records and transmits weather data automatically.

📖 Know Your English

Word: Quixotic

Meaning: Exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.

Synonyms: Idealistic, romantic, visionary, impractical.

Example: His quixotic project to build a massive stadium without any funding failed miserably.

🚆 ENGLISH COACH

👆 Click a question to see the answer

1. Meaning of the idiom: "To cast pearls before swine"?

➡️ To offer something valuable or beautiful to someone who does not understand its value.

2. One Word Substitute: A person who eats human flesh?

➡️ Cannibal

3. Fill in the blank: "I look forward to _____ you soon." (meet / meeting)

➡️ Meeting (The phrase 'look forward to' is always followed by a Gerund, i.e., verb+ing).

🚆 AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS COACH

👆 Click a question to see the answer

1. Who was the first Indian to win the Pulitzer Prize (in 1937)?

➡️ Gobind Behari Lal
The Pulitzer Prize is the most prestigious national honor in the United States for excellence in journalism, literature, and musical composition.

2. Who was the first Indian to get the Gyanpeeth Award?

➡️ G. Sankara Kurup was the first Indian to get Jnanpith Award in 1965 for Malayalam Literature. Jnanpith Award was instituted in the year 1961. The Jnanpith ward is the highest literary honour.

3. The 'Abel Prize' is famously known as the Nobel Prize of which subject?

➡️ MathematicsThe Abel Prize is awarded annually by the King of Norway to one or more outstanding mathematicians. It is named after the Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel and directly modeled after the Nobel Prizes; as such, it is sometimes considered the Nobel Prize of mathematics.

🚆 SUPERLATIVES COACH

👆 Click a question to see the answer

1. Which is the largest monastery in India?

➡️ Tawang Monastery (Arunachal Pradesh)

2. Which is the longest tributary river in South India?

➡️ The longest tributary in South India, though often considered part of the main river system, is arguably the Wainganga-Pranhita system (formed by Wainganga, Penganga, and Wardha rivers merging), feeding the massive Godavari River, the largest Peninsular river itself; however, if looking for a major tributary to a major river system, the Amaravati River (282 km) is noted as the longest tributary of the Kaveri River.

3. Where is the world's highest electric vehicle (EV) charging station located?

➡️ Kaza, Himachal Pradesh

💡 Did You Know?

🇮🇳 The Isolated Tribe

North Sentinel Island in the Andamans is home to the Sentinelese, one of the last uncontacted peoples in the world. The Indian government strictly prohibits visiting the island to protect them.

🌍 Country with No Capital

Nauru is the only country in the world that does not have an official capital city. Yaren District acts as the de facto capital where government offices are located.

❓ Question of the Day

Who is known as the 'Guardian of the Public Purse' in India?

Answer: Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

Under Article 148, the CAG controls the entire financial system of the country at both the Centre and the State levels.

✍️ Answer These Questions

1. Where are the headquarters of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) located?

2. Who was the first Indian woman to travel to space?

➡️ Submit your answers using the form below:

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