Current Affairs

Union Cabinet approved the ₹1.86 lakh crore PM-DHARA (PM-Developing Harmonized and Accelerated Renewable-energy Access) scheme to strengthen India’s Intra-State Transmission System (InSTS) and deploy Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) for renewable evacuation and grid flexibility. It enables evacuation of up to 135 GW across States/UTs and 50 GWh BESS, targeted by FY 2032-33. Outlay: ₹1,36,378 crore for InSTS under Green Energy Corridor Phase-III and ₹50,000 crore for BESS; Central Financial Support ₹54,082 crore. Greenfield InSTS via TBCB; brownfield works on CPB. State Transmission Utilities implement; TSPs participate on BOOM model.

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched NCM 2.0 implementation guidelines in New Delhi. A Central Sector Scheme under MoEFCC, NCM 2.0 subsumes NCM 1.0 (2021-22 to 2025-26), with ₹767 crore outlay for 2025-26 to 2030-31. It covers Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Andaman & Nicobar, Puducherry and Lakshadweep for climate resilience, ecosystem conservation, ICZMP/CMSP, livelihoods, pollution control and treaty obligations.

Alaska’s thawing permafrost is releasing acids and metals, turning rivers orange for dozens of miles and altering water chemistry. Permafrost is ground frozen at ≤0°C for at least 2 years; oldest known occurs in Siberia (~650,000 years). It occurs on land/ocean floor, 1->1,000 m thick, under ~¼ Northern Hemisphere land (85% Alaska; 55% Russia/Canada; probably all Antarctica). It is ice-bound soil/rock with near-surface organic carbon and an active layer (10-15 cm in colder regions). Thaw raises sea level, emits CO2/methane, destabilises ground/infrastructure, releases mercury/toxins, and may revive dormant microbes.

In 1952, after the Aruppukottai (Madras State; now Tamil Nadu) Lok Sabha bypoll-vacated by Forward Bloc leader U. Muthuramalinga Thevar-Forward Bloc (Marxist Group) candidate M.D. Ramasamy defeated Congress’s Rajathi Kunjithapatham by 18,835 votes. CM C. Rajagopalachari (from April 10, 1952; Congress lacked majority) sought a confidence vote; moved by Finance Minister C. Subramaniam. Debate began June 30, 1952; Speaker J. Sivashanmugam Pillai called it the first such motion; British practice followed; after 71 members spoke, government won 200-151, reinforcing floor-test convention and collective responsibility under Articles 164(2) and 75(3).

Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare prohibited registration of Paraquat Dichloride, a fast-acting non-selective contact ammonium herbicide used for pre-emergence weed control / zero-tillage / desiccation (cotton, paddy, tea, maize, sugarcane). Order issued under Section 27(2) read with Section 28, Insecticides Act, 1968; Registration Committee to recall Section 9 certificates; States to halt supply/trade/use. Highly toxic: no antidote; 10-15 ml fatal; pulmonary fibrosis, renal failure, liver necrosis; linked to accidental poisonings / self-harm. Already banned/restricted in 60+ countries (EU, China, Brazil, UK); aligns with NMNF and promotes less-toxic alternatives (glufosinate-ammonium / selective pre-emergence herbicides).

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) 2024-25 for manufacturing; reference period is April 2024-March 2025, with fieldwork October 2025-June 2026. It provides data on composition, growth and structure, covering output, GVA, employment, capital formation, wages/income; inputs for National Accounts Statistics and policymaking. Coverage includes Factories Act, 1948 [Sec. 2m(i)/(ii)] units, Bidi and Cigar Workers Act, 1966 units, selected electricity undertakings, and BRE units (≥100 workers). Data collected under Collection of Statistics Act, 2008 (amended 2017) and 2011 rules; web-portal based; establishment-based approach.

University of Chicago-led Climate Impact Lab projects ~451,000 additional global heat-related deaths due to a strong El Niño; Sahel to bear highest burden; Nigeria highest at ~31,400. Sahel is semi-arid belt between Sahara and tropical savannas, from Atlantic to Red Sea, spanning Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Nigeria, Sudan, Senegal, Eritrea. Risk drivers: extreme heat, poverty, unreliable electricity/cooling, agriculture/outdoor exposure, limited healthcare; vulnerable: 65+, 0-4, chronic patients, outdoor workers. Immediate adaptation: heat early warnings, Heat Action Plans, cooling/hydration centres, targeted outreach, worker protection, hospital surge readiness. El Niño is abnormal warming of central/eastern tropical Pacific, altering global circulation, temperature and rainfall.

Jharkhand’s traditional musical instrument, the Mandar, has received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag. It is a double-headed percussion instrument central to Jharkhand’s folk and tribal culture. Mandar is cylindrical, made of red clay with a mid-bulge, hollow, with leather-covered ends tied by braided cords; the right opening is smaller and coated with Kiran for resonance. Played slung by shoulder rope, it features in festivals, crop celebrations, rituals and cultural events among tribal and non-tribal communities, and in dance-song performances for centuries.

J&K CM Omar Abdullah moved an Assembly resolution for immediate restoration of statehood; amendments seeking inclusion of Articles 370/35A as before August 5, 2019 were moved then withdrawn. Article 370 (adopted October 17, 1949) limited Parliament to defence, foreign relations and communications (Instrument of Accession), allowed a separate constitution, and restricted outsiders’ entry/land. Delhi Agreement (July 1952) accepted SC jurisdiction, Indian flag supremacy, and Article 352 Emergency for internal disturbances with state concurrence. Article 35A was inserted by a 1954 Presidential Order, empowering the J&K Assembly to define “permanent residents” and confer property/jobs/scholarship rights. On August 5, 2019, the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 2019 superseded the 1954 Order, made Article 370 inoperative, nullified J&K’s constitution, and extended the entire Constitution; Clause 3 required Constituent Assembly “recommendation”, reinterpreted via Article 367 as Legislative Assembly/Governor during President’s Rule. The Supreme Court upheld this in 2023. India approached UNSC in January 1948; UNCIP mediated a ceasefire; UNSC Resolution 47 sought demilitarisation for a plebiscite.

Botanists discovered a new plant species, Didymocarpus nautiyalii, in Shi-Yomi district, Arunachal Pradesh, highlighting Eastern Himalaya botanical diversity. It belongs to the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. It grows on moist rock surfaces (roadside walls, near waterfalls) in subtropical evergreen forests above 1,000 m. About 8 cm tall, with leathery leaves and bluish-purple flowers; differs from D. albiflorus by shorter stem, reduced leaf stalks, smaller calyx, shorter corolla, and hairless ovary. IUCN status: Data Deficient.

The 2nd India-Italy Joint Working Group on Tourism was held and agreed to strengthen bilateral tourism cooperation. Italy lies in south-central Europe on the Apennine Peninsula; borders Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and France; enclaves Vatican City and San Marino; seas include Adriatic, Sea of Sicily, Ionian, Ligurian and Tyrrhenian; capital Rome; Mediterranean climate; Alps and Apennines; rivers Po and Adige; highest point Mont Blanc; active volcanoes Mt Etna and Stromboli; resources include coal, antimony, mercury, zinc, potash, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite, natural gas and crude oil.

At FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO-28) in Rome, Italy (28 September-2 October 2026), India reported progress on forest/tree cover, restoration, sustainable forest management and climate action, and backed a proposed UN Decade for Afforestation and Reforestation (2027-2036). Priorities included localised SFM, technology transfer, measurable outcomes, improved climate/biodiversity/blended finance and coordination. Initiatives: Aravalli Green Wall (6.45 million ha), MISHTI mangroves, Plant4Mother (3.5 billion saplings). Under the Bonn Challenge, India targets 26 million ha restoration by 2030; 21.76 million ha achieved. Additional carbon sink: 2.29 billion tCO₂e by 2021; target 3.5-4 billion tCO₂e by 2035 (vs 2005), supporting NDCs.

India added 5 sites to UNESCO Tentative List (total 78): MP-Bagh Caves, Dhar (9 Buddhist caves, 4th-6th CE murals); Ginnorgarh Fort, Sehore/Ratapani (Raj Gond, water management); Chambal temples, Morena (Bateshwar, Padavali, Kakarmath; 8th-11th CE Nagara); Udaigiri Caves, Vidisha (Gupta, 20 caves, Varaha). Serial transnational “Sites of Satyagraha” (India-South Africa, 9 components: Pietermaritzburg, Phoenix; Gandhi Satyagraha Smarak, Sabarmati, Mani Bhavan, Harijan Sevak Sangh, Sevagram, Aga Khan Palace, Gandhi Smriti).

First PRAMAAN certificates under the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme (IFWCS) were awarded at an event organised by its operating agency, Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal. Recipients included Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation (33,000 ha plantations) and a bamboo farmer from Odisha linked to the Odisha Bamboo Development Agency. IFWCS covers Forest Management, Trees Outside Forests and Chain of Custody; Forest Management is assessed via Indian Forest Management Standard (IFMS) under National Working Plan Code, 2023, using independent third-party audits. Certification bodies are accredited by NABCB under QCI, benchmarked internationally, supporting sustainable, deforestation-free sourcing, market access and inclusion of smallholders/tribals.

NSO’s 80th Round report “Domestic Tourism in India”, based on a survey (July 2025-June 2026), finds pilgrimage/religious travel is the largest overnight-trip category (48%), followed by health/medical travel (30%). Health/medical is the most expensive category, with shopping second. Rural households make over twice the overnight medical trips per 100 households than urban; hired vehicles dominate. Seniors (60+) form 32.3% of overnight health/medical trips.

Ladakh, a Union Territory without a Legislative Assembly under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, seeks Sixth Schedule status for protection of culture, land rights and political representation. The Sixth Schedule (Articles 244(2), 275(1)) applies to specified tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, providing Autonomous District Councils (max 30 members). The Centre proposes Article 371-K (Part XXI) for a directly elected legislature, potentially above LAHDCs, while retaining UT status; similar special UT arrangements exist for Delhi (Articles 239AA, 239AB).

INCOIS issued a Red Alert for all coastal districts of Kerala due to dangerous sea conditions from potential swell waves. Swell waves are long-wavelength surface gravity waves that travel away from their origin; in India they are called Kallakkadal waves by Kerala fishermen. Generated mainly by distant windstorms, they can travel thousands of kilometres. INCOIS Swell Surge Forecast System (2020) provides 7-day advance warning.

Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve, Assam, recorded the Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) for the first time, adding a new species to its biodiversity inventory. Indian peafowl (pheasant group) is India’s national bird; males are peacocks and females peahens. It is a resident breeder across the Indian subcontinent, inhabiting forests near water and human-dominated landscapes, omnivorous, and IUCN ‘Least Concern’.

A 60-member Indian Armed Forces contingent departed for Oskemen, Kazakhstan, for the 9th India-Kazakhstan Exercise KAZIND. The Indian team is mainly from a GARHWAL RIFLES battalion, with other arms/services and Indian Air Force personnel. KAZIND-2026 focuses on joint counter-terror operations in a sub-conventional environment under a UN mandate, in semi-urban and mountainous terrain, emphasising air mobility, integrated UAS/Counter-UAS, and joint drills like raids and cordon-and-search.

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY), a Central Sector sub-scheme under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, launched in 2024, aims to integrate insurance into aquaculture risk management across all States / UTs. With >₹6,000 crore (FY2023-24 to FY2026-27), it formalises fisheries, supports micro/small enterprises, uses NFDP, targets 1 lakh ha insurance cover, offers 10% extra incentive to SC/ST/Women, and has four components with PMUs.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced 9 decisions after a meeting of its three-member Commission, responding to internal objections on electoral roll management (voter registration, deletion and restoration), IT systems and internal procedures. ECINet is ECI’s integrated digital platform; ERONet manages electoral rolls. Concerns included independent database audit, field-officer access, ECI oversight of IT modules and transparency. Form 6 is for inclusion; ECI clarified prescribed forms under Registration of Electors Rules. ECI is a constitutional body under Article 324.

Ministry of Home Affairs extended AFSPA, 1958 in notified “disturbed areas” of Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for 6 months (1 Oct 2026-31 Mar 2027) after periodic security reviews citing ethnic friction, insurgency and Indo-Myanmar border security. Manipur: whole state except 13 police stations in Imphal East/West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kakching. Nagaland: Dimapur, Niuland, Chümoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, Peren, Meluri and 21 police stations in Kohima, Mokokchung, Longleng, Wokha, Zunheboto. Arunachal: Tirap, Changlang, Longding and Namsai district areas under Namsai, Mahadevpur, Chowkham police stations. Sections 3/4/6 cover disturbed-area notification, powers to fire/arrest/search/destroy, and prior Central sanction for prosecution; SC: NPMHR v UOI (6‑monthly review, Do’s/Don’ts, prompt handover to police), EEVFAM v UOI (2016) limits immunity, orders CBI/SIT probes; Jeevan Reddy Committee and 2nd ARC advised repeal and incorporation into UAPA.

MoSPI introduced a new GDP series with 2022-23 as base year, replacing 2011-12, with added methodological changes: multi-activity GVA split between manufacturing/services using MCA MGT-7/MGT-7A; inclusion of housing services for government accommodation (construction cost net of repairs and fixed capital consumption); revised asset lives (dwellings 60-75 vs 70-80 years, periodically reviewed); household financial savings data shifted to SEBI, enabling REITs/InvITs/AIFs; valuables savings for 2022-23 at ₹1.65 lakh crore (₹64,504 crore earlier), based on 2019 AIDIS; fresh AIDIS July 2026-June 2027; inclusion of rooftop solar self-consumption in utilities sector.

India adopted universal adult suffrage from the Republic’s start. Article 326 enables adult voting, operationalised by RPA 1950 (electoral rolls; S19: 18+, ordinarily resident, not disqualified; S21: ECI directions) and RPA 1951 (conduct, candidature, offences; S62). ECI’s constitutional role flows from Article 324. First general election had ~173 million voters; CEC Sukumar Sen introduced symbols. Constituent Assembly rejected Fundamental Right status. SC: Kuldip Nayar (2006, 5J) held right to elect statutory; Rajbala (2015) called it constitutional; Anoop Baranwal (2023) didn’t revisit; dissent (Ajay Rastogi) linked Arts 19(1)(a)/21. Roll issues: omissions, ineligible/duplicate entries, wrong details; Parliament regulates via law.

IRDAI issued consultation paper “Recalibrating Economics of Insurance Distribution” (distribution, structure, expenses, commissions), inviting comments by October 25. It proposes life first-year commission caps: 20% (distributors) and 25% (agents), after caps were scrapped in 2023. It proposes lowering Expense of Management (admin/distribution costs) over 5 years to 12.5% of gross direct premium (life) and 20% (general), with limits for 2028-29; CareEdge says 20/22 life and 28/31 general insurers exceed these. IRDAI cites faster commission growth than premiums; penetration is 3.7% in 2024-25 (premium/GDP). FDI in insurance raised to 100% (December; notified May 2026); India is 10th largest market. Persistency: 5-year active 71% (online) vs 43% (corporate agents); banks’ distribution income rose to 5.1% of PBT in 2025-26 (3.5% in 2022-23).

Leg pain while walking may indicate peripheral artery disease (PAD), i.e., narrowing/blockage reducing blood flow to arms/legs. Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood from heart; aorta is largest; ~10% blood is in arteries. Layers: tunica intima, media, externa. Types: elastic (aorta, pulmonary) and muscular (femoral, radial, brachial). Key arteries: coronary, carotid, vertebral, iliac, subclavian, celiac/mesenteric. Arteries lack valves; veins have valves. Arterial harms: atherosclerosis, aneurysm, clot, CAD/carotid disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, PAD, vasculitis.