What mattered in the last day or two — from PIB, The Hindu and The Indian Express, written in our own words — then 21 questions in UPSC's formats. +2 for a right answer, −0.67 for a wrong one, 0 for a blank.
1. VB-G RAM G: New 125-Day Rural Employment Framework
The VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, in force since 1 July 2026, replaces Mahatma Gandhi NREGA with a 125-day wage guarantee tied to Gram Panchayat-level planning and asset creation.
VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 came into force on 1 July 2026 and guarantees 125 days of wage employment per financial year to rural households whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work.
Four thematic areas: water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure and mitigation of extreme weather events.
Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans (VGPPs) are the core planning tool; the framework lists 318 permissible work types, and plans are consolidated at Block, District, State and national levels.
Interim allocation for FY 2026-27 is Rs 93,841 crore, with a Mother Sanction of Rs 25,880 crore issued as the first instalment.
As of 24 Sept 2026: 10.88 crore active workers, 31.69+ crore person-days, 61.65% women's participation, wage rates of Rs 300-450 per day, and 15.17 crore Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards.
Key terms
Viksit Gram Panchayat Plan (VGPP)
— An integrated, participatory village plan prepared with the Gram Sabha, built on asset mapping and gap assessment.
Saturation-oriented planning
— Aims to cover all eligible needs and beneficiaries in an area rather than leaving gaps.
Whole-of-Government approach
— Pooling resources and interventions of different schemes and departments for a common goal.
Mother Sanction
— The first-instalment sanction of funds issued to States/UTs under the allocation.
e-Measurement Book (e-MB)
— A digital record of the measurement of work done, used to monitor works and verify payments.
2. 'Godzilla' El Niño: Record Pacific Warming and Its Impact on India
A rapidly intensifying 2026 El Niño is forecast to peak in October-December with record Pacific warming, weakening India's monsoon and threatening food, water and growth worldwide into 2027.
WMO said on October 21 that this El Niño's effects will be felt into 2027; it is expected to peak during October-December.
El Niño emerged in June; India's southwest monsoon ended at 87% of the Long Period Average (LPA), the fourth driest since 2001 and 13th driest since 1901.
August rainfall was 83% of LPA and September 92%; the northeast monsoon is expected to be normal over the southern peninsula.
An El Niño is declared when the three-month average Relative Ocean Nino Index (RONI) in the Nino 3.4 region exceeds 0.5°C; La Niña when it is below -0.5°C.
July-September RONI showed 2 to 2.8°C warming; WMO expects about 3.8°C above normal at the epicentre, against the 2014-15 El Niño peak of 2.3°C.
Key terms
El Niño
— Abnormal warming of Pacific surface waters that suppresses Indian monsoon rainfall and raises temperatures in many regions.
ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation)
— Pacific ocean-atmosphere interaction with warm (El Niño), neutral and cool (La Niña) phases.
Relative Ocean Nino Index (RONI)
— Temperature deviation from normal in the Nino 3.4 region used to declare ENSO phases and strength.
Long Period Average (LPA)
— Benchmark average rainfall against which monsoon performance is measured as a percentage.
Nino 3.4 region
— Equatorial Pacific zone whose sea surface temperature anomaly usually decides the onset and strength of ENSO phases.
3. ISRO's NVS-03 launch to revive NavIC regional navigation system
ISRO plans to launch NVS-03 on October 30 so NavIC again has the four working satellites needed to give standalone positioning, after clock failures and failed launches left it unable to do so.
NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) is the operational name of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS); it covers India and a region up to 1,500 km beyond.
Designed as a seven-satellite constellation: open service accurate to about 10 m, plus a restricted, paid service for select users such as the military.
Of 11 navigation satellites launched since 2013 (system cost about Rs 2,250 crore), six have failed, mainly because of defective imported atomic clocks.
Only IRNSS-1B, IRNSS-1I and NVS-01 are working, so NavIC cannot give standalone positioning; its timing service still works. Four satellites are the minimum for positioning.
Second-generation NVS satellites carry indigenous atomic clocks with a 12-year life and add an L1 signal alongside L5 and S.
Key terms
NavIC
— India's regional satellite navigation system, officially IRNSS, giving positioning, navigation and timing over India and its neighbourhood.
PNT services
— Positioning, Navigation and Timing, the three services a navigation satellite system provides.
Atomic clock
— A very precise onboard clock that lets a satellite measure signal travel time and so fix a user's location.
Quasi-Zenith Satellite System
— Japan's four-satellite regional system that augments GPS signals over the Asia-Oceania region.
Pyro valve
— An explosive-actuated valve that opens a propellant line to ignite an engine; its failure to fire stopped NVS-02's manoeuvres.
India reached its target of 11 crore Farmer IDs by October 23, 2026, five months before the March 2027 deadline. The IDs give farmers a verified digital identity to access credit, insurance, relief and MSP procurement.
5. Indigenous AIP Energy Module for Navy submarines enters Setting to Work Phase-2
DRDO's Naval Materials Research Laboratory-developed Air Independent Propulsion energy module has reached Setting to Work Phase-2 at L&T Hazira, bringing longer underwater endurance for Kalvari-class submarines closer.
6. NBA Disburses ₹1.04 Crore ABS Benefits from Agricultural Biological Resources
The National Biodiversity Authority shared about ₹1.04 crore of access and benefit-sharing money from crop-related companies with State Biodiversity Boards and UT Biodiversity Councils, using an area-based formula.
NBA disbursed about ₹1.04 crore (₹1,03,63,188) among 27 State Biodiversity Boards and 2 UT Biodiversity Councils.
Payers: Crystal Crop Protection, Savannah Seeds and Nunhems India, for access to pearl millet, jowar, maize, rice and bottle gourd.
Uttar Pradesh got the largest share (about ₹10.36 lakh), followed by Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
Agriculture sector ABS contributions total about ₹87 crore; NBA has released over ₹204 crore in ABS benefits overall.
India's experience will be showcased at a CBD COP 17 side event in Yerevan, Armenia, on 28 October 2026.
Key terms
Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS)
— A mechanism under which users of biological resources share the resulting benefits fairly with the country or communities providing them.
State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs)
— State-level bodies under the Biological Diversity Act that regulate access to biological resources and receive ABS funds.
Nagoya Protocol
— International agreement under the CBD on fair and equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources.
Area-based approach
— Distributing benefit money in proportion to crop cultivation area and geographical distribution when individual claimants cannot be identified.
Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
— Global biodiversity framework whose Target 13 calls for fair sharing of benefits from genetic resources, digital sequence information and traditional knowledge.
7. India-China face-offs in Arunachal: Roots of border tensions
Indian and Chinese troops are reportedly in face-offs at several points in Arunachal Pradesh, testing the post-2020 effort to normalise ties and underlining the unresolved LAC and China's claim over the state.
ITBP DG Shatrujeet Kapur confirmed face-offs at multiple Arunachal locations; since late July 2026 PLA troops reportedly confronted Indian forces near Asaphila and Taksing in Upper Subansiri, with tents pitched 6-7 km from India's perception of the LAC.
MEA says friction arises when Chinese forces depart from established patrolling patterns in border pockets; defence sources report no violent clash.
China calls Arunachal 'Zangnan' or South Tibet and has issued Chinese names for places there since 2017, most recently in April; India calls the state an 'inalienable and integral part'.
In August India formally listed 27 places on the Survey of India map of Arunachal, including Longju, held by China since 1959.
Corps Commander-level talks were held on September 6 at the Wacha-Damai border meeting point in the Kibithoo sector; NSA Ajit Doval and Wang Yi, as Special Representatives, met in Beijing on August 25.
Key terms
Line of Actual Control (LAC)
— The undelineated de facto boundary between Indian and Chinese-controlled territory, perceived differently by each side.
Face-off
— A confrontation of troops at close range on the border without necessarily involving violence.
Special Representatives
— The designated officials (India's NSA and China's Foreign Minister) who hold talks on the boundary question.
Corps Commander-level talks
— Military negotiations between senior army commanders of the two sides to resolve friction on the LAC.
Zangnan
— China's name for Arunachal Pradesh, which it claims as part of southern Tibet.
8. AATAL: Real-Time Air Pollution Source Lab Opens for Delhi NCR
The Ministry of Earth Sciences opened AATAL at IITM's Delhi branch, a facility that analyses what air pollution is made of and where it comes from, to guide targeted action in Delhi-NCR.
AATAL stands for Integrated Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosol Toxicity Analysis Laboratory; it was inaugurated by Dr Jitendra Singh at IITM's Delhi Branch.
It was set up under Mission Mausam and is described as a first-of-its-kind integrated facility.
It is linked to IITM's AIRWISE (Air Quality Warning and Integrated Decision Support System for Emissions), which forecasts at 400 m resolution for the next 72 hours.
It analyses PM2.5, metals, toxic elements and other components of gases and aerosols.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and other agencies are meant to use its outputs for targeted interventions.
Key terms
Source apportionment
— Estimating how much each source, such as vehicles, dust or stubble burning, contributes to measured pollution.
PM2.5
— Fine particulate matter of 2.5 micrometres or less that penetrates deep into the lungs.
Aerosol toxicity
— The harmful potential of airborne particles depending on their chemical makeup, such as metals.
Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)
— The statutory body coordinating air-quality action in Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas.
Mission Mausam
— The Government of India mission to strengthen weather and atmospheric science and services, under which AATAL was set up.
9. CAQM reviews paddy stubble management in Amritsar, Tarn Taran
The Commission for Air Quality Management reviewed stubble measures in two Punjab districts after a rise in fire incidents, pressing for more use of stubble as fuel and timely delivery of machinery to farmers.
CAQM team led by Chairperson Rajesh Verma met Deputy Commissioners and officers of Amritsar and Tarn Taran (Punjab).
Review covered in-situ and ex-situ stubble management, infrastructure, and action taken against the rise in fire incidents.
Sector-wise Nodal Officers to be made responsible for actual stubble use in thermal power plants, brick kilns and industries, and for monitoring and reporting compliance.
Tarn Taran continues to report among the highest numbers of stubble burning cases; its Deputy Commissioner was told to give it top priority.
The team inspected an Amritsar industrial boiler running on paddy stubble pellets as fuel.
Key terms
CAQM
— Statutory commission that coordinates, monitors and enforces air quality measures in the NCR and adjoining areas.
In-situ management
— Handling crop residue in the field itself, for example mixing it into the soil, instead of burning.
Ex-situ management
— Collecting residue from the field and putting it to use elsewhere, such as fuel or industrial feedstock.
Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs)
— Centres that rent out agricultural machinery to farmers, including residue management machines.
Paddy stubble pellets
— Processed paddy residue compressed into pellets for use as fuel in boilers.
10. Pacific 'Victoria Mode' linked to drying of north India: IMD-IITM study
An IMD-IITM paper in MAUSAM finds semi-arid zones expanding in north-west India and blames the negative phase of the North Pacific 'Victoria Mode' for reduced moisture inflow, with risks to food supply and settlement.
Study by IMD and IITM scientists, published in MAUSAM, the IMD's in-house journal.
North-west India's hot semi-arid steppe zone grew from 25.7% (1951-80) to 33.1% (1991-2020); temperate zone shrank from 25.8% to 18.7%.
Drying across west and east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Gangetic West Bengal is attributed to the negative phase of the Victoria Mode (VM), a North Pacific sea-surface temperature pattern distinct from the PDO.
In peninsular India, steppe fell from 30.3% to 16.4% while tropical savannah rose from 61.6% to 75.7%; Konkan-Goa, coastal Karnataka and Kerala saw tropical monsoon zones expand.
Method: climate types mapped on IMD gridded data (0.25° squares, about 25 km) across five 30-year windows.
Key terms
Victoria Mode (VM)
— A recurring pattern of warm and cool sea-surface water in the North Pacific, separate from the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.
Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)
— A long-lived pattern of Pacific temperature variability that correlates negatively with Indian monsoon rainfall.
El Niño
— Warming of the central Pacific linked to a weaker southwest monsoon in India.
Steppe zone
— Dry but not desert climate with limited rainfall and an average annual temperature of 18°C or more.
Tropical savannah
— Warm zone with the coldest month at 18°C or above and a clear dry season, rain falling mainly in monsoon months.
The National Medical Commission has withdrawn its 2023 regulations on maintaining medical education standards, which carried specific penalties for violations by colleges; critics fear weaker oversight while the NMC says it only removes…
NMC withdrew the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (MSMER-2023) by a notification dated October 14, published in the Gazette on October 17.
No single new regulation replaces it; Annual Disclosure Reports (ADRs) by medical colleges continue under the NMC Act, 2019 and other applicable regulations.
The withdrawn rules had fines of up to ₹1 crore for specified violations and personal penalties of up to ₹5 lakh for faculty, HoDs, deans and others submitting false records.
The NMC works through four autonomous boards: undergraduate and postgraduate education standards, assessment and rating of colleges, and ethics and medical registration.
The withdrawal is not retrospective: actions taken, approvals granted and pending proceedings remain protected under the old rules.
Key terms
MSMER-2023
— NMC regulations on maintaining medical education standards, with penalties and enforcement procedures, now withdrawn.
Annual Disclosure Report (ADR)
— Yearly report medical colleges submit to the NMC on faculty, infrastructure, clinical facilities and patient load.
National Medical Commission Act, 2019
— Statute that created the NMC and gives it powers of inspection, enforcement and regulation of medical education.
Non-retrospective withdrawal
— A repeal that leaves past actions, approvals and pending proceedings under the old rules unaffected.
12. Kargil Democratic Alliance warns of agitation over MHA's Ladakh proposal
The Kargil Democratic Alliance has accused the MHA of intimidation and rejected its new draft for Ladakh, demanding a return to the May 22 assurances of a legislature and constitutional safeguards, or it will begin street protests.
KDA co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbalai threatened street agitation if the MHA does not return to the May 22 agenda.
KDA and the Leh Apex Body (LAB) demand a legislature under a proposed Article 239AAA and constitutional guarantees on the lines of Article 371.
On May 22 the MHA had promised a customised sui generis model, drawing on the best Article 371 provisions in a special section 'K'.
KDA rejected the October 15 MHA sub-committee presentation as an NEFA-type arrangement that invokes Article 240 and vests powers in the Lieutenant Governor, the President and the bureaucracy.
The group also objected to Ladakh administration notifications on Nautor land, liquor licences and privatisation in education.
Key terms
Article 239AA
— A constitutional provision that gives Delhi a legislature as a Union Territory. The KDA cites a similar proposed article, 239AAA, for Ladakh.
Article 371
— Constitutional provisions granting special safeguards to certain states.
Article 240
— Empowers the President to make regulations for peace, progress and good government of specified Union Territories.
Sui generis model
— A unique, custom-made arrangement not copied from existing templates.
North East Frontier Agency (NEFA)
— A former administratively governed frontier tract in the northeast, cited by the KDA as a regressive model.
13. Falling short: Marco Rubio's second India visit yields little
US Secretary of State Rubio's three-day India trip, his second in five months, raised hopes of a reset but produced no agreements or joint press address, leaving trade, tariff and visa irritants unresolved.
Rubio visited Mumbai and Jamnagar (Reliance refinery) but not New Delhi; it was his second India visit in about five months.
No agreements were announced and Rubio and EAM S. Jaishankar held no joint press address.
Expected agenda: Bilateral Trade Agreement, US sanctions on Russian oil imports, Trump-Modi meetings at the ASEAN summit in Manila and G-20 in Miami, a Quad Summit, and a date for Trump's India visit.
Rubio pitched for India to buy more American and US-licensed Venezuelan oil and more defence equipment.
He attended the 'Freedom 250' event in Mumbai, marking 250 years of US Independence, and called India-US alignment on core national interests 'extraordinary'.
Key terms
Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA)
— A trade pact between India and the US that India hopes to conclude to ease tariff and market access issues.
Quad
— Grouping that India has been trying to host a summit for, planned on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit.
H-1B
— US work visa category whose restrictions affect Indian professionals and remain a bilateral irritant.
Operation Sindoor
— 2025 Indian operation whose portrayal by the US has caused discomfort in India.
14. Keralam's switch to generic SMA drug Risdiplam sparks row
Keralam replaced Roche's branded Evrysdi with Natco's much cheaper generic Natsmart in its free SMA programme; some parents question its proof of safety and efficacy, and a 'clinical trial' sticker on a bottle has added to the dispute.
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare genetic disorder that progressively weakens muscles and impairs movement and breathing.
Risdiplam (Roche's brand Evrysdi) is an oral, at-home SMA treatment, launched in India in July 2021 as the first approved drug for SMA.
Keralam began free Risdiplam in 2022; an SMA clinic was set up at SAT Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, a Centre of Excellence for Rare Diseases.
Natco Pharma won the right to market a generic after a Delhi High Court verdict: Natsmart at about ₹15,900 per bottle versus Roche's roughly ₹6.3 lakh.
In 2026 Keralam announced extending coverage to genetically confirmed Type 2 patients up to age 25, with ₹30 crore in the State budget; 109 children under 12 currently receive the drug free.
Key terms
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)
— A rare, life-threatening genetic disorder that progressively weakens muscles, hurting mobility and respiratory function.
Risdiplam
— An oral, at-home drug that slows motor degeneration and stabilises breathing in SMA; sold by Roche as Evrysdi.
Generic drug
— A lower-cost version of a branded medicine, sold under a different name once it gains regulatory approval.
Bioequivalence
— Evidence that a generic delivers the same amount of active drug in the body as the original, at a comparable rate.
Centre of Excellence for Rare Diseases
— A designated hospital providing specialised diagnosis and care for rare disorders, such as SAT Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram.
15. Blue tiger butterflies migrate to Western Ghats with North-East monsoon
Lakhs of blue tiger and dark blue tiger butterflies are flying from the Eastern Ghats to the Western Ghats to escape the North-East monsoon rains, a cyclical movement tracked by citizen observers.
Species involved: blue tiger (Tirumala limniace) and dark blue tiger, along with common and double-banded crows and a few emigrants.
Route: from the Eastern Ghats across the Tamil Nadu plains and the Mysore plateau to the Western Ghats forests.
Observers in Coimbatore counted up to 100-120 butterflies per minute; counts are coordinated via the WhatsApp group Butterfly Migration India and groups like The Nature and Butterfly Society (started 2013).
Return journey: later generations (perhaps the third or fourth) fly back to the Eastern Ghats around May, with pre-monsoon showers before the South-West monsoon.
Butterflies stop for puddling on moist mud to take up minerals, salts and moisture.
Key terms
Puddling
— Butterflies gathering on moist soil to absorb minerals, salts and water.
Host plant
— The plant on which a butterfly lays eggs and whose leaves the larvae eat.
North-East monsoon
— The retreating-monsoon rains of October-December that mainly affect Tamil Nadu and the east coast.
Bioindicator
— A species whose abundance or behaviour signals the state of the environment.
OMCs' ethanol tender for ESY 2026-27 prices rice-based and maize ethanol differently and excludes cane juice, syrup and B-heavy molasses routes, drawing objections from grain-ethanol makers and the sugar industry over allocation fairness.
Tender floated by Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) for Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2026-27.
Prices per litre: ₹60.32 for surplus foodgrains (SFG), capped at 108 crore litres for the first three quarters; ₹64 for damaged foodgrains (DFG); ₹66 for maize plus ₹2.79 extra.
Ethanol from sugarcane juice, sugar syrup and B-heavy molasses is excluded; C-heavy molasses ethanol remains eligible.
Industry expects DFG-based allocation to exceed 700 crore litres in ESY 2026-27, against about 60 crore litres in ESY 2025-26.
GEMA and ISMA are the industry bodies voicing concerns; ISMA objects to preference for plants with Long-Term Offtake Agreements.
Key terms
Ethanol Supply Year (ESY)
— The procurement cycle for which OMCs invite ethanol supply tenders for blending with petrol.
17. Forex rule confusion delays service export payments to individuals
Banks are demanding a five-page Export Declaration Form even from freelancers and small exporters, despite RBI saying individuals are exempt under its new export-import forex regulations, so payments are being held up.
RBI's Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Goods and Services) Regulations were issued on January 13 and took effect on October 1.
Service exporters must file an Export Declaration Form (EDF) with the full export value within 30 days of the end of the month in which the invoice was raised.
Individuals such as freelancers and consultants are exempt, irrespective of amount, as Governor Sanjay Malhotra and Deputy Governor Rohit Jain have said publicly.
RBI promised an FAQ on October 7 to clear the confusion, but none has been issued so far.
Only 2 of 90 banks (HDFC Bank and SBI) publish a policy framework on the new rules, per the Foreign Exchange Dealers' Association of India.
Key terms
Export Declaration Form (EDF)
— A form in which an exporter declares the export value and details to the bank under the forex rules.
Authorised Dealer bank
— A bank permitted by RBI to handle foreign exchange transactions and ensure compliance with FEMA.
FEMA
— The Foreign Exchange Management Act, the law governing foreign exchange dealings and payments in India.
De minimis exemption
— A threshold below which small transactions are excused from a compliance requirement.
18. How India's Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project took a long detour
The 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail, begun in 2017 with Japan, is now due to open its first section by December 2027 at nearly double the cost, and is becoming a hybrid of Japanese, European and Indian systems.
19. NICDC launches Bihar Integrated Manufacturing City Gaya Limited (BIMCGL)
The SPV for the Integrated Manufacturing Cluster at Gaya, under the Amritsar–Kolkata Industrial Corridor, was formally launched, with fresh investor MoUs signed. It is meant to speed up industrialisation and jobs in Bihar.
BIMCGL is the Special Purpose Vehicle implementing the Integrated Manufacturing Cluster (IMC) at Gaya under the Amritsar–Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC), part of the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP).
It is a 50:50 joint venture of the Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA) and NICDIT; it was incorporated on 6 January 2025.
The IMC covers 1,670 acres in Dobhi block, Gaya; the Centre approved it on 28 August 2024 at ₹1,339 crore, with expected investment of about ₹16,500 crore and about 1.10 lakh jobs.
At the launch, 12 MoUs were signed for about 300 acres, with proposed investment of about ₹4,200 crore and 16,095 jobs; earlier MoUs cover about 2,586 acres and ₹31,750 crore.
The Centre released the first equity tranche of ₹132 crore in September 2025 against transfer of 415 acres; the launch also unveiled an Integrated Land Allotment Portal and the Bihar Business Connect 2027 curtain raiser.
Key terms
Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)
— A separate company set up to execute a specific project, here the Gaya industrial cluster.
Integrated Manufacturing Cluster (IMC)
— A planned industrial area with common infrastructure and utilities for manufacturers and MSMEs.
National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP)
— The national programme to develop industrial corridors, with nodes such as Gaya developed under the Amritsar–Kolkata corridor.
NICDIT
— National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust, which holds half the equity in BIMCGL.
EPC contractor
— A contractor responsible for engineering, procurement and construction of the works.
20. West Asia tensions rise; Iran's Qalibaf cancels Delhi BRICS visit
Iran's parliament speaker Qalibaf skipped the BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi amid fears of fresh US/Israel–Iran escalation, though an Iranian delegation will still attend.
12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum (Speakers' meeting): October 26-27, Central Hall of Parliament, New Delhi; host is Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
PM Modi is expected to inaugurate it on October 26; BRICS members and partner countries attend, including high-level Russian and Chinese representatives
Iran's embassy cited 'unforeseen circumstances' for Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf's absence, but said an Iranian parliamentary delegation will participate
US cut staff at its embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE, officially citing Houthi threats; a DNI memo flagged intensified Iranian efforts to target US personnel
Israel votes on October 27; US Congressional elections are on November 3; Iran's Revolutionary Guard navy has threatened US bases over US escorting of ships in the Strait of Hormuz
Key terms
BRICS Parliamentary Forum
— Meeting of legislative presiding officers and lawmakers of BRICS members and partners to promote parliamentary cooperation.
Strait of Hormuz
— Narrow waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a large share of world energy trade passes.
Houthis
— Yemen-based militant group fighting a Saudi-led coalition and launching missile and drone strikes.
Revolutionary Guard
— Iran's powerful military force, whose navy has threatened US bases over Hormuz.
21. Hyderabad human chain protests SIR of electoral rolls, CEC Act
Civil society groups formed a human chain at Tank Bund demanding that the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls be scrapped and the CEC Act, 2023 be repealed, alleging mass voter deletion in Telangana.
Protest held at Tank Bund, Hussain Sagar Lake, Hyderabad, against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Demands: scrap SIR, remove the Chief Election Commissioner, repeal the CEC Act, 2023, and restore all deleted voters.
Protesters cited 73 lakh deletions and notices to 93 lakh 'doubtful' voters in Telangana, and 13.4 crore deletions nationwide (claims by protesters, not verified in the report).
SIR is under way in Telangana; final rolls are due to be published on 9 November.
Booth Level Officers (BLOs) carry the field burden of the exercise.
Key terms
Special Intensive Revision (SIR)
— A thorough re-verification of the electoral roll, with enumeration and checking of electors, as opposed to a routine update.
CEC Act, 2023
— The law governing the appointment, conditions of service and tenure of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners.
Booth Level Officer (BLO)
— The local official who verifies electors and maintains the roll at the polling-station level.
Disenfranchisement
— Loss of the right to vote, here through deletion of names from the electoral roll.
Statement-I: The AIP system is considered important for the diesel-electric submarines of the Indian Navy.
Statement-II: The AIP system allows such submarines to operate underwater with reduced dependence on atmospheric oxygen, thereby boosting endurance.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer: (c)
The AIP system boosts underwater endurance of diesel-electric submarines by reducing dependence on atmospheric oxygen.
This mechanism is exactly why the system is valuable to the Navy, so Statement-II explains Statement-I.
a Statement-II gives the very reason for the importance in Statement-I, so it does explain it.
b Statement-I is correct, since AIP enhances Navy underwater capability.
d Statement-II is factually correct as per the source.
With reference to the recent visit of the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to India, consider the following statements:
1. His itinerary included Mumbai and Jamnagar but not New Delhi.
2. The two sides announced a Bilateral Trade Agreement at a joint press address with the External Affairs Minister.
3. He pitched for India to buy more American and U.S.-licensed Venezuelan oil.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (a)
The visit covered Mumbai and Jamnagar (Reliance refinery) but not New Delhi, which gave the Opposition fodder for criticism.
Rubio urged India to buy more American and U.S.-licensed Venezuelan oil.
No agreements were announced and there was no joint press address, so statement 2 is wrong.
b Statement 1 is true, so excluding it is wrong; statement 2 is also false.
c Statement 2 is wrong: no agreement was announced and no joint press address was held.
d Statement 2 is false, since no agreements or joint press address occurred.
Consider the following statements regarding the implementation of the RBI's new foreign exchange reporting regulations for export and import of goods and services:
1. Banks have been asking individual service exporters to fill the EDF despite public RBI clarifications that individuals are exempt.
2. The regulations were issued by the RBI in January, with the reporting requirement taking effect from October 1.
3. The Foreign Exchange Dealers' Association of India itself issues the EDF framework for exporters.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
Banks, including HDFC Bank in one case, demanded the EDF from individuals despite statements by the Governor and Deputy Governor.
The regulations were issued on January 13 and the requirement began on October 1.
The EDF framework comes from the RBI; FEDAI only hosts information on banks' policy frameworks, so statement 3 is wrong.
a Statement 3 wrongly credits FEDAI with issuing the framework.
b Statement 3 is wrong, since the RBI frames the regulations, not FEDAI; and statement 1 is true but omitted.
d Statement 2 is also correct (issued in January, effective October 1).
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: Large numbers of butterflies descend on moist mud after rainfall along ghat sections during their migration.
Statement-II: Puddling allows the butterflies to extract minerals, salts and moisture that strengthen their airborne capacity.
Which one of the following is correct in the context of the above statements?
Answer: (a)
Butterflies were seen descending on moist mud after rain at Anaikatti, Coimbatore (puddling).
Puddling extracts minerals, salts and moisture needed for airborne capacity.
This is exactly why they descend on moist mud, so Statement-II explains Statement-I.
b Statement-II gives the reason for the behaviour in Statement-I, so it does explain it.
c Statement-II is correct as per the source.
d Statement-I is correct as the butterflies were observed puddling.
Consider the following statements regarding the stakeholder responses to the ESY 2026–27 ethanol tender:
Statement-I: The Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) welcomed the exclusion of ethanol from sugarcane juice, sugar syrup and B-heavy molasses.
Statement-II: Such exclusion is consistent with the need to safeguard domestic sugar availability amid uncertainty over the forthcoming crop.
Which one of the following is correct?
Answer: (a)
ISMA welcomed the exclusion of ethanol from cane juice, sugar syrup and B-heavy molasses.
Its reasoning was that the approach safeguards domestic sugar availability given uncertainty over the next crop.
Statement-II is therefore the reason behind ISMA's welcome, so it explains Statement-I.
b Statement-I is correct; ISMA did welcome the exclusion.
c Statement-II is correct; it reflects ISMA's argument.
d Statement-II is exactly ISMA's stated reason, so it does explain Statement-I.
With reference to the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, 2025, consider the following statements:
1. It provides a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment every financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work.
2. Its works are focused on four thematic areas, including water security and mitigation of extreme weather events.
3. Its Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans are approved at the Block level and then sent to the Gram Sabha for recommendation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
The Act guarantees 125 days of wage employment per financial year to rural households whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work.
It focuses on four thematic areas: water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure and mitigation of extreme weather events.
Statement 3 is wrong: VGPPs are prepared with the participation of the Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat, and the Gram Sabha recommends and approves them. They are consolidated upward later, not approved top-down.
a Statement 2 is also correct, so 1 only is incomplete.
b Statement 1 is correct, and statement 3 reverses the bottom-up approval process.
c Statement 3 is incorrect, since the Gram Sabha recommends and approves VGPPs.
With reference to the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the withdrawal of the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (MSMER-2023), consider the following statements:
1. The NMC functions through four autonomous boards, two of which set standards for undergraduate and postgraduate medical education.
2. The withdrawal was replaced by a single new regulation that now governs Annual Disclosure Reports of medical colleges.
3. Matters arising after the withdrawal will be governed by the NMC Act, 2019 and the statutory and regulatory provisions then in force.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
The NMC works through four autonomous boards: two for UG and PG education standards, one for assessment and rating of colleges, and one for registration and ethics.
Statement 2 is wrong: no single new regulation replaces MSMER-2023; ADR requirements continue under the NMC Act, 2019 and other applicable regulations.
Statement 3 is correct, as post-withdrawal matters fall under the NMC Act and the provisions then in force.
a Statement 2 is incorrect because no single new regulation replaced MSMER-2023.
b Statement 3 is also correct, so '1 only' is incomplete.
c Statement 2 is incorrect, so not all three are correct.
With reference to the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), consider the following statements:
1. ENSO has three phases: warm (El Niño), neutral and cool (La Niña).
2. Temperature anomalies in the Nino 3.4 region of the equatorial Pacific are usually the deciding factor in declaring the onset and strength of ENSO phases.
3. An El Niño is declared when the three-month average of the Relative Ocean Nino Index exceeds 0.5 degrees Celsius.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (a)
ENSO is an ocean-atmosphere interaction over the Pacific with three phases: El Niño (warm), neutral and La Niña (cool).
Nino 3.4 region anomalies usually decide the onset and strength of ENSO phases.
The RONI is computed from this region; a three-month average above 0.5 degrees Celsius leads to an El Niño declaration, while below -0.5 degrees Celsius leads to La Niña.
All three statements are correct.
b Statement 1 is also correct, so this option leaves it out wrongly.
c Statement 3 is also correct, so this option leaves it out wrongly.
d Statement 2 is also correct, so this option leaves it out wrongly.
With reference to the Farmer ID initiative in India, consider the following statements:
1. It is being implemented under the Digital Agriculture Mission of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.
2. It provides farmers a unique digital identity so that repeated document verification for schemes, credit and insurance can be reduced.
3. It is meant only for landowning farmers, with tenant farmers and actual cultivators kept outside its scope.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
Farmer ID is a unique digital identity for farmers created under the Digital Agriculture Mission of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare; it cuts paperwork and repeated verification.
Statement 3 is wrong: States and UTs are taking steps, as per applicable rules, to bring tenant farmers and actual cultivators onto the platform so that no eligible farmer is left out.
a Statement 3 is incorrect because tenant farmers and actual cultivators are being brought in.
b Statement 3 is incorrect, and statement 2 is correct, so this pairing fails.
d Statement 3 is incorrect, and statement 1 is correct, so this pairing fails.
With reference to the demands of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and the Leh Apex Body (LAB) for Ladakh, consider the following statements:
1. They seek a legislature for Ladakh under a proposed Article 239 AAA.
2. They seek constitutional guarantees for Ladakh under Article 371.
3. They have welcomed the Ministry of Home Affairs' proposal to vest powers in the Lieutenant Governor under Article 240.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
The KDA and LAB say they will not back down from demands for a legislature under the proposed Article 239 AAA and for constitutional guarantees under Article 371.
The KDA rejected the MHA sub-committee's presentation, which invoked Article 240 to vest powers in the Lieutenant Governor, the President and the bureaucracy, calling it a hollow proposal.
So statements 1 and 2 are correct and statement 3 is wrong.
a Includes statement 3, which is wrong, and leaves out statement 1, which is correct.
b Statement 3 is wrong because the KDA rejected the Article 240 approach.
c Omits statement 2, which is also correct: the groups demand Article 371-type guarantees.
With reference to NavIC, consider the following statements:
1. It is the operational name of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), designed as a seven-satellite constellation.
2. A minimum of four operational satellites is required to provide basic positioning service.
3. The second-generation satellites starting with NVS-01 transmit signals only in the L5 and S frequencies.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
NavIC is the operational name of IRNSS and is a seven-satellite regional constellation; positioning needs at least four operational satellites.
Statement 3 is wrong: the NVS series adds a third frequency, L1, besides L5 and S, improving interoperability with GPS.
Hence only statements 1 and 2 are correct.
a Statement 3 is incorrect, so not all three are correct.
b Statement 2 is correct, and statement 3 is incorrect because L1 is added.
d Statement 3 is incorrect, as NVS satellites also send L1 signals, and statement 1 is correct.
With reference to the 'Victoria Mode' (VM) discussed in a study by scientists of the IMD and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, consider the following statements:
1. It is a recurring pattern of warm and cool surface water in the North Pacific, separate from the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.
2. The drying of northern India covering Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Gangetic West Bengal is attributed to its positive phase.
3. The study explicitly establishes the VM as a consequence of El Niño events.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
Statement 1 is correct: the VM is a recurring warm-cool surface water pattern in the North Pacific, distinct from the PDO.
Statement 2 is wrong: the drying is attributed to the negative phase of the VM, which reduced moisture inflow.
Statement 3 is wrong: earlier studies found most VM events were followed by El Niño, but the MAUSAM study does not explicitly link the VM to El Niño, and the VM is not described as its consequence.
a Statement 1 is correct and is left out, while statements 2 and 3 are both incorrect.
b Statements 2 and 3 are altered and incorrect.
d Statement 2 is wrong because the negative phase, not the positive phase, is blamed for the drying.
With reference to the India-China border situation in Arunachal Pradesh, consider the following statements:
1. The Ministry of External Affairs has stated that friction points typically arise when Chinese forces depart from established patrolling patterns in border pockets.
2. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been periodically releasing Chinese names for places in Arunachal Pradesh since 2017.
3. India has formally identified places in Arunachal Pradesh by standard names on the Survey of India map, a step announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
China's Civil Affairs Ministry, not its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has released the Chinese names since 2017, so statement 2 is wrong.
The MEA's remark on departures from patrolling patterns is correct.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said the formal identification on the Survey of India map aims at accurate recognition and public awareness, so statement 3 is correct.
a Statement 2 wrongly names China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and it omits statement 3, which is correct.
b It treats statement 2 as correct and leaves out statement 1, which is also correct.
c Statement 2 is altered, because the names come from China's Civil Affairs Ministry.
With reference to the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) disbursal by the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) from agricultural biological resources, consider the following statements:
1. The NBA distributes the benefit-sharing component on an area-based approach where biological resources are procured through markets or intermediaries and individual benefit claimers cannot be identified.
2. The allocations are determined proportionately, using the geographical distribution and cultivation area of the crops as published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
3. The funds received by State Biodiversity Boards can be used only for documentation of biological resources.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
The NBA uses an area-based approach where claimers cannot be identified, as resources are procured via markets, traders or intermediaries.
Allocations are proportionate to geographical distribution and cultivation area, based on agricultural statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Statement 3 is wrong: funds can be used for conservation, sustainable use, documentation, research, capacity building and strengthening local biodiversity governance.
a Includes statement 3, which wrongly restricts use of funds to documentation alone.
b Includes statement 3 and omits the correct statement 2.
c Statement 3 is incorrect, so all three cannot be correct.
With reference to the Integrated Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosol Toxicity Analysis Laboratory (AATAL) inaugurated for Delhi NCR, consider the following statements:
1. It has been established under Mission Mausam and is located at the Delhi Branch of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.
2. It is meant to report overall pollution levels only, while identification of sources is left to other agencies.
3. It is integrated with the AIRWISE decision support system, which combines air-quality forecasts, observations and source-apportionment information.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
AATAL was set up under Mission Mausam at IITM's Delhi Branch, so statement 1 is correct.
It is integrated with IITM's AIRWISE, which combines forecasts, observations and source-apportionment information, so statement 3 is correct.
Statement 2 is wrong: AATAL is equipped to identify real-time sources and their relative contributions, going beyond simply reporting pollution levels.
a Includes statement 2, which wrongly says AATAL does not identify sources.
b Includes statement 2, which is wrong because AATAL itself identifies real-time sources.
d Omits statement 3, which is correct because AATAL is integrated with AIRWISE.
With reference to the treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) in India, consider the following statements:
1. Risdiplam, marketed as Evrysdi, is an oral treatment for SMA that can be taken at home.
2. Keralam has been providing Risdiplam free of cost to eligible children through government hospitals since 2022.
3. Natsmart, the generic version of Risdiplam, is marketed by Roche Pharmaceuticals under a patient assistance programme.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (a)
Risdiplam (Evrysdi) is described as the first at-home, oral treatment for SMA, so statement 1 is correct.
Keralam was the first State to give Risdiplam free through government hospitals in 2022, so statement 2 is correct.
Natsmart is the generic developed and marketed by Natco Pharma, not Roche; Roche's patient assistance programme concerned Evrysdi. Statement 3 is wrong.
b Omits statement 2, which is correct.
c Includes statement 3, which wrongly attributes Natsmart to Roche.
d Statement 3 is incorrect, since Natsmart is Natco's product, not Roche's.
With reference to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, consider the following statements:
1. It is a joint venture with Japan, and the Union Cabinet approved it in December 2015.
2. The project is now heading towards a hybrid solution with Japanese track and civil infrastructure design, European signalling systems and India-made trains.
3. Land acquisition uncertainty arose from a change of government in Gujarat after the 2019 elections.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (a)
Cabinet approval came in December 2015, and the project is a joint venture with Japan, so statement 1 is correct.
The project is moving to a hybrid model of Japanese track and civil design, European signalling and India-made trains, so statement 2 is correct.
The land acquisition uncertainty followed the 2019 change of government in Maharashtra, not Gujarat, so statement 3 is wrong.
b Statement 3 wrongly names Gujarat; the change of government was in Maharashtra.
c Statement 2 is also correct, so '1 only' leaves out a true statement.
d Statement 3 is incorrect because the state was Maharashtra, not Gujarat.
With reference to the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), consider the following statements:
1. It has directed that sector-wise Nodal Officers be made responsible for ensuring actual utilisation of paddy stubble by the respective sectors or industries.
2. It treats paddy stubble management as a matter of in-situ solutions only, since ex-situ utilisation falls outside its mandate.
3. It has stressed that paddy stubble be used as fuel in thermal power plants, brick kilns and industries wherever feasible.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
CAQM directed sector-wise Nodal Officers to ensure actual utilisation and to monitor and report compliance.
It emphasised maximum use of stubble as fuel in thermal power plants, brick kilns and industries where feasible.
Statement 2 is wrong: CAQM reviewed both in-situ and ex-situ utilisation and calls for a comprehensive residue-management and resource-utilisation approach.
a Statement 2 is incorrect because ex-situ utilisation is also within the Commission's approach.
c Statement 2 is incorrect, and statements 1 and 3 are correct.
d Statement 2 is incorrect, so not all three are correct.
With reference to the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum to be held in New Delhi, consider the following statements:
1. The Lok Sabha Speaker is the host of the Forum, which is to be held in the Central Hall of Parliament.
2. Participation is restricted to presiding officers of BRICS full member countries, with partner countries excluded.
3. The Iranian parliamentary delegation will not take part in the meeting after the Iranian Speaker cancelled his visit.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
The Forum is hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, with the Central Hall of Parliament as the venue, so statement 1 is correct.
The event is to be attended by presiding officers, lawmakers and delegates from BRICS member and partner countries, so statement 2 is wrong.
The Iranian embassy said Iran's parliamentary delegation will still participate; only Speaker Qalibaf is not coming, so statement 3 is wrong.
a Statements 2 and 3 are both wrong; partners attend and the Iranian delegation will participate.
b Statements 2 and 3 are incorrect.
d Statement 2 is wrong because partner countries are also invited.
With reference to Bihar Integrated Manufacturing City Gaya Limited (BIMCGL), consider the following statements:
1. It is a Special Purpose Vehicle implementing the Integrated Manufacturing Cluster at Gaya under the Amritsar–Kolkata Industrial Corridor.
2. It is a joint venture between the Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority and the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust, with equal equity participation.
3. It functions as a subsidiary of the Ministry of MSME, which supervises industrial land allotment at Gaya.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
BIMCGL is the SPV implementing the IMC at Gaya under the Amritsar–Kolkata Industrial Corridor, part of the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme.
It is a joint venture of BIADA and NICDIT with equal equity participation.
Statement 3 is wrong: it is a BIADA–NICDIT joint venture, not a subsidiary of the Ministry of MSME.
a Statement 3 is incorrect; BIMCGL is not an MSME Ministry subsidiary.
With reference to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the related controversy in Telangana, consider the following statements:
1. Protesters demanded the repeal of the CEC Act, 2023, arguing that it undermined fairness in the appointment of Election Commissioners.
2. Protesters demanded the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner, alleging that the two other Election Commissioners had endorsed all the decisions on the SIR.
3. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were described by participants as being relieved of work because of the SIR.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
Statement 1 is correct: the protesters criticised the CEC Act, 2023 for undermining fairness in the appointment of Election Commissioners and for granting them blanket immunity.
Statement 2 is wrong: the protesters said the two other Election Commissioners had raised 14 formal objections, which were disregarded.
Statement 3 is wrong: participants said the process added to the burden on BLOs.
a Both statements 2 and 3 are wrong and statement 1 is correct.
b Statements 2 and 3 are inaccurate.
c Statement 2 is wrong, since the other Election Commissioners were said to have objected, not endorsed.
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