
The Indian Express published its weekly current affairs quiz on Saturday, 17 October 2026, featuring 10 key questions for UPSC CSE Prelims 2027 aspirants. The quiz covers topics relevant to Indian art and culture, economy, digital markets and cybersecurity, with detailed explanations for each answer.

One question asks which Indian festivals are inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The correct answer lists Garba of Gujarat, Kumbh Mela, and Durga Puja in Kolkata, while Bihu of Assam and Onam of Kerala are not on the list. Another question defines 'dark patterns' as deceptive design strategies used by online platforms to hide costs or add services without consent.
The quiz aims to help aspirants build a strong foundation alongside regular current affairs preparation for the 2027 preliminary examination.
The quiz focuses on factual recall and conceptual clarity for a high-stakes exam, but the topics it selects reveal current policy and cultural priorities. The inclusion of dark patterns and AI agent cybersecurity shows that digital economy regulations and emerging technology risks are now standard syllabus items, not optional extras. Aspirants who skip these areas will lose marks. The answer on UNESCO listings confirms that only three Indian festivals are on the representative list, a point candidates must memorise precisely. The next step for readers is to review the full explanations and attempt the following week's quiz on 24 October.
Source: indianexpress.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.