Daily GK Quiz – 18 October 2026
Daily Challenge #3 · 5 questions on Geography, Economics, Indian Polity, General Science and Reasoning, with answers and explanations. Try each one before you open the answer.
Q1 · Geography · World Geography
Which of the following desert regions is classified as a subtropical high-pressure desert located in southwestern Africa, bounded by the Atlantic Ocean?
- A. Kalahari Desert
- B. Namib Desert
- C. Atacama Desert
- D. Patagonian Desert
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Answer: B. Namib Desert
The Namib Desert is classified as a subtropical high-pressure desert situated along the southwestern coast of Africa, influenced heavily by the cold Benguela Current. The Kalahari Desert lies further inland and experiences semi-arid conditions, unlike the hyper-arid coastal Namib. It stands among the oldest deserts on Earth, featuring massive shifting sand dunes.
Question page →Q2 · Economics · Economic Basics
Which of the following curves represents the graphical representation of income inequality within a population?
- A. Phillips Curve
- B. Lorenz Curve
- C. Laffer Curve
- D. Engel Curve
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Answer: B. Lorenz Curve
The Lorenz curve plots cumulative percentages of total income received against cumulative numbers of recipients, providing a direct visual measure of income inequality within an economy. In contrast, the Phillips curve depicts the inverse relation between inflation and unemployment, while the Laffer curve illustrates tax revenue dynamics. Quantitative tools for measuring economic inequality are vital components of economics syllabi.
Question page →Q3 · Indian Polity · Parliament & Executive
Which parliamentary committee in India scrutinizes the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) relating to the appropriation accounts and finance accounts of the Union?
- A. Estimates Committee
- B. Public Accounts Committee
- C. Committee on Public Undertakings
- D. Business Advisory Committee
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Answer: B. Public Accounts Committee
The Public Accounts Committee examines the appropriation accounts and the finance accounts of the Union and the audit report presented by the CAG, ensuring accountability in public spending. Other committees like the Estimates Committee examine how policies can be made more efficient rather than auditing accounts after expenditure. The PAC consists of 22 members, with 15 from the Lok Sabha and 7 from the Rajya Sabha.
Question page →Q4 · General Science · Physics
What is the phenomenon responsible for the formation of a rainbow in the sky after rainfall?
- A. Total internal reflection and refraction only
- B. Dispersion, refraction, and total internal reflection of sunlight
- C. Interference and diffraction of light waves
- D. Scattering of light by tiny dust particles
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Answer: B. Dispersion, refraction, and total internal reflection of sunlight
Rainbow formation is an optical phenomenon caused by the combined effects of dispersion, refraction, and total internal reflection of sunlight passing through spherical water droplets suspended in the atmosphere. Sunlight refracts upon entering a droplet, disperses into its component spectrum, reflects off the inner back surface, and refracts again as it exits toward the observer. Scattering accounts for the blue color of the clear daytime sky rather than rainbow spectra.
Question page →Q5 · Reasoning · Number & Letter Series
What number comes next in the series: 3, 8, 18, 38, 78, ?
- A. 154
- B. 158
- C. 156
- D. 160
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Answer: B. 158
Each term is the previous term × 2 + 2: 3 × 2 + 2 = 8, 8 × 2 + 2 = 18, 18 × 2 + 2 = 38, 38 × 2 + 2 = 78. So the next term is 78 × 2 + 2 = 158.
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