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. Cabinet Approves PM Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana for 2026-27 to 2030-31
The Cabinet cleared a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme with an outlay of Rs 7,395.55 crore to strengthen Panchayat-level planning, capacity and audit, so that Finance Commission grants and national schemes convert into local outcomes.
2. Concerns over the Census 2027 individual-level questions
The Centre has notified the questions for the population enumeration phase of Census 2027, adding personal identifiers such as Aadhaar, mobile and passport numbers.
The questions for the population enumeration phase of Census 2027 were notified by the Central government.
New items ask for details of parents of every individual and of spouses of married persons in the household.
Other new questions cover declared nationality, permanent residential address, place of COVID-19 vaccination and total number of bank accounts.
Identifiers sought: mobile number, Aadhaar number, Voter ID number (if available), passport number (for Indian passport holders) and driving licence availability.
Key terms
Population enumeration
— The phase of the Census in which every individual is counted and asked personal and demographic questions.
Aadhaar number
— A unique identity number, one of the identifiers now sought from individuals in Census 2027.
Voter ID number
— Electoral identity number of a person, to be recorded if available.
Privacy
— Concern that collecting personal identifiers in a Census may enable profiling or misuse of individual data.
3. E100 Allowed in Flex-Fuel Vehicles: CMVR Amendments Explained
The Road Transport Ministry amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 to permit ethanol fuels up to 100% (E100) in OEM-designed flex-fuel vehicles, extending India's ethanol push beyond E20 while leaving existing vehicle owners…
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways amended Rules 115 (emission standards) and 115E (emission testing provisions) of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
E100 (pure ethanol) is now listed alongside E85 in several tables of Rule 115; both may be used only in flex-fuel vehicles designed by original equipment manufacturers.
The changes ease homologation and type approval by agencies such as the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) for E100-powered vehicles.
India reached 20% ethanol blending (E20) in 2025, five years ahead of the 2030 target in the National Policy on Biofuels, 2018.
From April 2026, all BS-VI vehicles must meet E20 emission norms and all petrol sold nationwide must be E20.
Key terms
E100
— Fuel made entirely of ethanol, subject to applicable fuel specifications, usable only in OEM-designed flex-fuel vehicles.
E85
— Fuel containing up to 85% ethanol.
Flex-fuel vehicle
— A vehicle able to run on petrol, ethanol blends of varying proportions, or pure ethanol.
Homologation
— Official certification by authorised agencies that vehicles and components meet technical, safety and environmental standards before sale or road use.
National Policy on Biofuels, 2018
— Policy that set the original 2030 deadline for 20% ethanol blending in petrol.
4. Fouled waters: Rajasthan's industrial river pollution and the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has again rebuked Rajasthan over untreated industrial effluents in the Jojari and other western rivers, restricting construction and hazardous industry near them and raising the prospect of 'polluter pays' liability.
The Jojari, Luni and Bandi are seasonal rivers in arid western Rajasthan, flowing through Jodhpur, Balotra and Pali; textile-dyeing and steel units discharge untreated effluent into them, affecting about 20 lakh people.
The Supreme Court began a suo motu writ petition in 2025 and set up a High-level Ecosystem Oversight Committee under Justice Sangeet Lodha to audit treatment plants and draft a river restoration plan.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta banned construction within 100 m of the river edges and hazardous industries within 500 m of the present course or flood lines.
State submissions in 2025 showed sewage treatment plants handle only about half the sewage generated in the three urban centres, while common effluent treatment plants are underused.
The Court has cited the 'polluter pays' principle as a basis for State liability and warned of a CBI probe into possible official-industry collusion.
Key terms
Suo motu writ petition
— A case a court starts on its own initiative, without a petitioner, over a matter of public concern.
Polluter pays principle
— The polluter must bear the cost of the damage caused and of restoring the environment.
Common effluent treatment plant
— A shared facility that treats the wastewater of many small industrial units.
Flood line
— The boundary of the area a river may inundate in floods, used to demarcate no-construction zones.
Public interest litigation
— A petition filed in court to protect public rights or interests, which can be taken up even by someone not directly affected.
The Cabinet cleared a Rs 10,000 crore scheme running to FY 2039-40 to build domestic shipping container manufacturing, cut import reliance and make maritime logistics supply chains more resilient.
6. India and Mexico Begin Preferential Trade Agreement Negotiations
India and Mexico signed Terms of Reference that formally launch talks on a Preferential Trade Agreement, aiming to expand bilateral trade, investment and diversified supply chains.
Terms of Reference for a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) signed, setting the framework, scope, modalities and roadmap for talks.
Follows the Modi–Claudia Sheinbaum meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada in June 2025.
India's side was led by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal; Mexico was represented by Undersecretary of Foreign Trade Luis Rosendo Gutiérrez Romano, on behalf of Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon.
Negotiating areas: market access for goods, rules of origin, customs procedures and trade facilitation, dispute settlement, SPS measures, technical barriers to trade, trade remedies.
A Mexican business mission to India is under discussion for the first quarter of 2027.
Key terms
Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA)
— A pact in which partners give each other tariff concessions on a selected set of goods, narrower than a free trade agreement.
Terms of Reference
— The document setting the framework, scope, modalities and roadmap for a negotiation.
Rules of origin
— Criteria that determine whether a good qualifies as made in a partner country and so earns preferential tariff treatment.
Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures
— Rules protecting human, animal and plant health in traded goods, especially food and agricultural products.
Technical barriers to trade
— Product standards, regulations and conformity procedures that can restrict trade.
7. India releases four biodiversity, biosafety and ABS publications at CBD COP-17
At a CBD COP-17 side event in Yerevan, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav released four publications, including I-OECM guidelines, and pushed for turning global biodiversity targets into implementation, finance and lasting outcomes.
Event held at the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP-17) to the CBD in Yerevan, Armenia; organised by MoEFCC with the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and UNDP.
Four releases: Guidelines for Designation of India's OECMs (I-OECMs) 2026; 5th National Report on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety; CBD Handbook: Reference Guide and Indian Perspective; and the book 'India's ABS Success Story'.
COP-17 President is Hambardzum Matevosyan, Armenia's Environment Minister; the CBD Secretariat's ABS unit head, Dr Taukondjo Shikongo, also attended.
The Minister cited the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Nagoya Protocol on fair and equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources.
He also invoked LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) and called for South-South learning.
Key terms
OECM
— Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measure: an area outside protected areas that delivers lasting conservation outcomes through its governance and management.
Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS)
— Framework ensuring fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.
Nagoya Protocol
— Treaty under the CBD that sets the basis for fair and equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources.
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
— Protocol under the CBD on biosafety governance, with Parties submitting periodic national reports.
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
— Global framework of biodiversity targets whose implementation countries are expected to resource and report on.
8. Do 30% Trade-Margin Caps on Cancer Drugs Cut Treatment Costs?
The NPPA has capped trade margins at 30% on 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs, but experts doubt patients will see lower bills unless hospitals and dealers pass on savings and patented drugs are tackled.
Trade margins on 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs are capped at 30%, extending a 2019 cap that covered 42 drugs; it takes effect on November 9.
The government estimates patient savings of about ₹2,500 crore a year.
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) applies the cap on the price to stockist (PTS); for example, a drug with PTS ₹70 can have an MRP of at most ₹100, excluding GST.
The NPPA's revised list of 28 October shows MRPs of 37 drugs unchanged, while palbociclib and thiotepa brands fell by over 90%.
Out-of-pocket spending is estimated at 50-80% of direct cancer treatment costs; drugs make up roughly 50-70% of care costs.
Key terms
Trade margin
— The mark-up between the price at which a drug is sold to the trade (PTS) and the MRP paid by the consumer.
Price to stockist (PTS)
— The price at which the manufacturer sells to the stockist; the base on which the margin cap is calculated.
Non-scheduled drugs
— Medicines outside the National List of Essential Medicines, whose prices are not directly fixed and are controlled mainly through limits on annual increases or on trade margins.
Compulsory licensing
— A legal power under the Patent Act and TRIPS to let others produce a patented drug without the patent holder's consent, to improve access and competition.
Out-of-pocket expenditure
— Health spending paid directly by households, not covered by insurance or the state.
9. India's anaemia programme expands while NFHS-6 drops anaemia data
NFHS-6 fact sheets omit anaemia for the first time since the late 1990s, just as Anaemia Mukt Bharat is restructured to 7×7×7, leaving no national yardstick to judge progress, especially for women.
NFHS-5 (2019–21): 71.4% of women aged 15–49 in West Bengal were anaemic, the highest among major states, against about 39% of men; the national figure for women was 57%.
NFHS-6 fact sheets leave out anaemia, the first national health survey since the late 1990s to do so; the official reason is that finger-prick blood samples are not fully reliable.
Nationally, 59.1% of adolescent girls were anaemic versus 31.1% of boys; 67.1% of children aged 6–59 months were anaemic.
In June the Anaemia Mukt Bharat strategy moved from 6×6×6 to 7×7×7, adding testing and treatment, a digital 'T4' tracking system and a national centre of excellence for anaemia.
Bankura fieldwork (2025) found women discarding iron-fortified rice kernels that 'looked like plastic' and skipping iron-folic acid tablets.
Key terms
Anaemia Mukt Bharat
— National programme against anaemia, restructured in June from a 6×6×6 to a 7×7×7 framework.
NFHS
— National Family Health Survey, the periodic household survey that gave India's anaemia estimates; NFHS-5 covered 2019–21.
Fortified rice
— Rice with added iron, distributed to tackle anaemia; its acceptance was poor in the Bankura fieldwork.
Postpartum haemorrhage
— Heavy bleeding after childbirth, which anaemia makes more dangerous for the mother.
T4 tracking system
— Digital system under the revised programme to track testing and treatment, which can be broken down by sex.
10. Lancet Countdown: Declare climate change a global health emergency
The 10th Lancet Countdown report, released before COP 31, links three million heat deaths in 2016-23 to warming and urges treating climate change as a global health emergency with a long-term, integrated response.
Lancet Countdown's 10th report involved 146 researchers from 30 countries and was published ahead of COP 31 (November 2026).
Heat caused about three million deaths in 2016-2023; a record 710,000 in 2023, with over 70% of that toll linked to human-caused climate change.
Warming cut worker productivity, costing the global economy over $1 trillion a year for three years; Southeast Asia lost 3.9% and Africa 3.2% of GDP, against 0.2% for Europe.
Clean energy investment hit $2.1 trillion in 2025, double fossil fuel investment, yet fossil fuels still supply about 80% of global energy and air pollution from them causes 2.73 million deaths a year.
Since 2016, 56 of 194 WHO member states have adapted health and early-warning systems; climate-health research funding reached $316 million in 2024, with 84% going to wealthy countries.
Key terms
Lancet Countdown
— A research collaboration tracking links between climate change and health, reporting annually in The Lancet.
Paris Agreement
— The 2015 legally binding climate treaty aiming to hold warming well below 2°C and pursue 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Heat-related deaths attributable to climate change
— Observed heat deaths minus those expected without human-caused warming.
NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution)
— A country's self-declared climate action pledge under the Paris Agreement.
11. Cyclone Arnab hits east coast: how cyclones are named
Very severe cyclonic storm Arnab, the year's first named cyclone, made landfall in Andhra Pradesh; the article explains how North Indian Ocean cyclones get names from a regional list and why naming matters.
Arnab made landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28 as a 'very severe cyclonic storm', with Odisha also affected; it was first spotted on October 25 by IMD's regional specialised meteorological centre.
The name was suggested by Bangladesh (Bengali for 'ocean'); it does not imply the storm originated in or will hit Bangladesh.
A system is named once maximum sustained surface winds reach at least 34 knots (about 62 km/h); depressions below this stay unnamed.
Naming in the region began in 2000 under the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC); the panel grew by five members (Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Yemen) in 2018.
The IMD list has 169 names, 13 from each of 13 countries; names are used in sequence and never repeated; maximum length is eight letters.
Key terms
WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC)
— Regional body that finalises the list of cyclone names for the North Indian Ocean from member countries' suggestions.
Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre
— IMD's role of tracking cyclones in the region and assigning names once a system meets the intensity criterion.
Named tropical cyclone threshold
— A system gets a name when maximum sustained surface winds reach at least 34 knots (~62 km/h).
Very severe cyclonic storm
— IMD intensity category used to describe Arnab at landfall, with winds of well over 100 km/h.
12. Cabinet Approves Khelo India Sports Goods Manufacturing Scheme
The Union Cabinet cleared a Rs 1,856.67 crore scheme (2026 to 2033-34) to build cluster-based sports goods manufacturing, cut import dependence and raise exports.
Total outlay is Rs 1,856.67 crore for 2026 to 2033-34; the scheme was announced in Union Budget 2026-27.
Dedicated Sports Goods Manufacturing Zones (SGMZs) will be set up, converging with the BHAVYA Scheme and NICDC Industrial Parks.
Anchor Investment Support and Turnover Linked Support together carry an outlay of Rs 1,130 crore.
Rs 105 crore is earmarked to help manufacturers obtain and renew certifications from International Sports Federations.
Centres of Excellence in premier institutions will work on sports equipment, material sciences and protective gear, with R&D convergence with the Anusandhan National Research Foundation.
Key terms
Sports Goods Manufacturing Zones (SGMZs)
— Dedicated clusters where manufacturers, suppliers, testing and design facilities are co-located to build an integrated ecosystem.
Anchor Investment Support
— Incentive to attract leading manufacturers, brands and retail chains to set up units in the designated zones.
Turnover Linked Support
— Incentive tied to production and capacity growth, rewarding sustained manufacturing output.
Anusandhan National Research Foundation
— National research body with which the scheme's R&D activities are to be converged.
Khelo Bharat Niti 2025
— National sports policy vision with which the scheme is aligned.
13. ₹1,000 Crore PMEGP Margin Money Subsidy Released for 11,333 Micro Enterprises
The MSME Ministry released ₹1,000 crore of margin money subsidy under PMEGP to help 11,333 new micro-enterprises, reinforcing the scheme's role in non-farm self-employment, especially in rural areas.
Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi released ₹1,000 crore Margin Money (MM) subsidy under PMEGP at Kartavya Bhawan-3, New Delhi.
The tranche covers 11,333 beneficiaries with bank-sanctioned loans of about ₹3,260 crore, expected to create over 1.02 lakh jobs.
PMEGP is a credit-linked subsidy scheme for new micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector, run by the Ministry of MSME.
KVIC is the national implementing agency, supported by KVIBs, District Industries Centres and the Coir Board.
Since 2014-15: over 8.38 lakh units set up, about 75 lakh jobs, MM subsidy above ₹25,193 crore; about 80% of units are rural, about 50% of beneficiaries are SC/ST/OBC and about 40% of units are women-owned.
Key terms
Margin Money subsidy
— Government grant covering a share of the project cost for a bank-sanctioned loan, reducing the entrepreneur's own contribution.
PMEGP
— Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme, a credit-linked subsidy scheme for setting up new micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector.
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
— Statutory body that is the national implementing agency for PMEGP.
Aspirational Districts
— Districts lagging on development indicators that get focused policy attention; they are a priority area for this subsidy.
14. Thoothukudi Mega Shipyard: Sonowal Meets HD Hyundai Chairman in Seoul
India and HD Hyundai's shipbuilding arm agreed on a joint working group, a joint venture structure and a DPR within six months for a $4 billion greenfield shipyard at Thoothukudi, which is meant to be India's largest commercial shipyard.
Union Ports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal met HD Hyundai Chairman Chung Ki-sun in Seoul during a four-day South Korea visit.
The proposed greenfield shipyard at Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu involves about $4 billion of investment and is being developed under the Shipbuilding Development Scheme.
Planned capacity is about 2.5 million GT a year, subject to validation by the DPR; it is expected to become India's largest commercial shipyard.
The partners are NSHIP-TN (National Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Park, Tamil Nadu Limited) and HD KSOE, which would be a primary strategic investor; they signed an MoU on 20 April 2026.
A joint working group will oversee the project, and the DPR is to be finalised within six months.
Key terms
Greenfield project
— A facility built from scratch on undeveloped land, as opposed to expanding an existing one.
Detailed Project Report (DPR)
— A document setting out the technical and financial plan for a project, including product mix, capacity, infrastructure, costs and schedule.
Gross Tonnage (GT)
— A measure of a ship's overall internal volume, used here to express yard capacity.
Joint working group (JWG)
— A team of officials from both sides that oversees project development and coordinates activities.
Strategic investor
— A partner that brings technology and operational expertise along with capital.
15. UNESCO experts urge stronger community role in Hampi conservation
After visiting Hampi, a UNESCO expert committee gave preliminary advice on community participation, a stronger management authority and impact assessments; its full report is due by mid-December.
The UNESCO experts shared preliminary observations with Karnataka Tourism Department officials at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru, on October 28, four days after their site visit.
Areas flagged: greater local community participation, better institutional capacity for the Hampi World Heritage Area Management Authority (HWHAMA), continuity in heritage administration, and systematic Heritage Impact Assessments for future projects.
The detailed UNESCO expert committee report is expected by mid-December.
Experts named in the report: George Abungu (Kenya), who described Hampi as a living community, and Ichida Shimoda (Japan), who recommended specialised manpower and adequate funds for HWHAMA.
The state's Development Commissioner said Hampi's Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) must be protected without compromise.
Key terms
Outstanding Universal Value (OUV)
— The cultural or natural significance that justifies a site's World Heritage listing and must be preserved.
HWHAMA
— Hampi World Heritage Area Management Authority, the body that manages the Hampi heritage area.
Heritage Impact Assessment
— A systematic study of how a proposed development would affect a heritage site's values.
Living heritage
— A heritage site where communities still live, work and practise traditions, so people are part of its conservation.
16. NHAI annual local toll pass for residents within 20 km
From November 1, residents within 20 km of a toll plaza can buy a yearly concessional pass for non-commercial vehicles via the Rajmargyatra app, which works out cheaper than the monthly pass.
Eligibility: residents within 20 km of a national highway toll plaza, non-commercial vehicles; sold on the Rajmargyatra app from November 1.
Annual fee: Rs 1,500 where the plaza is outside municipal or town limits; Rs 3,000 where it is inside them (e.g. Delhi-NCR and other metros).
Existing monthly pass for a non-commercial vehicle costs Rs 350; the monthly digital local pass was first rolled out at Mundka-Bakkarwala plaza on UER-II, Delhi.
Pass is valid only for the one plaza it is issued for and is non-transferable.
Notified by MoRTH through the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2026, under the National Highways Act, 1956.
Key terms
NHAI
— National Highways Authority of India, the body that builds, maintains and manages national highways and collects user fees.
FASTag
— Electronic toll payment tag linked to a vehicle, used for cashless toll collection.
Closed user fee collection system
— Toll model where fee is charged based on entry and exit points of a highway or expressway, so no local pass is given.
Rajmargyatra app
— The NHAI app through which the local pass can be purchased.
VAHAN
— Vehicle registration database used to verify vehicle details for the pass.
17. How El Niño made Cyclone Arnab stronger and faster
Cyclone Arnab, the first North Indian Ocean cyclone of 2026, hit the Andhra Pradesh coast as a very severe storm; the article ties its quick intensification, speed and southerly track to a strengthening El Niño.
Arnab is the first cyclone of 2026 in the North Indian Ocean basin (Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea); it began as a low-pressure system in the southeast Bay of Bengal on October 23 and became a cyclone by October 26.
Landfall began around 1 am on Wednesday between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, with winds of 125-135 kmph gusting to 140 kmph (very severe category); IMD had advanced its landfall forecast.
It held its intensity for at least six hours after landfall and stayed nearly stationary near Narsapur and Yanam, which slowed the landfall process.
Over 1,80,000 people were evacuated in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha; Visakhapatnam recorded 217 mm of rain.
Niño 3.4 region sea surface temperatures ran 2-2.8°C above normal from July to September; ocean temperatures of 26°C or more at 50-100 m depth favour cyclone formation.
Key terms
El Niño
— Abnormal warming of surface waters in the equatorial and central Pacific Ocean that disturbs rainfall, temperature and wind patterns.
Landfall
— The process in which a cyclone's eye (centre) crosses from sea onto land; damage is usually greatest at this time.
Monsoon trough
— A band of low pressure that shifts north and south and brings rainfall to different parts of India.
Niño 3.4 region
— The equatorial Pacific zone whose sea surface temperature anomaly is used to measure El Niño's intensity.
Rapid intensification
— Quick strengthening of a cyclone over the sea, fuelled by warm ocean heat and favourable atmospheric conditions.
18. DA hike: 3-point rise to 63% for Central employees
The Centre raised dearness allowance and dearness relief by three percentage points to 63% of basic pay and pension, effective retrospectively from July 1, 2026, costing the exchequer about Rs 10,016 crore a year.
19. Israel elections: Netanyahu weakened but not rejected, hung Knesset
Partial counts show neither Netanyahu's bloc nor Eisenkot's opposition bloc reaching the 61 seats needed in the 120-seat Knesset, leaving Arab-led parties and coalition bargaining decisive.
Partial count: Netanyahu-led bloc about 54 seats, Gadi Eisenkot-led opposition bloc 47, Arab-led parties 19, in a 120-member Knesset; 61 needed for a majority.
Israel's PM is not directly elected: voters choose Knesset members, and the president tasks the MK best placed to command a majority with forming the government.
The MK assigned has 28 days to form a government, and the president may grant an extension; the largest party does not automatically govern.
March 2025 law gave the government greater control over judicial appointments; a second reform allowing the Knesset to re-enact laws struck down by the Supreme Court is still pending.
INSS survey (October 2025): 72% dissatisfied with the government's handling of the Gaza war, while 57% were satisfied with the military's handling.
Key terms
Knesset
— Israel's 120-member unicameral parliament; a government must hold the confidence of a majority, i.e. 61 seats.
Kingmaker
— A party or bloc whose seats decide which side can reach a majority and form the government.
Judicial overhaul
— Netanyahu government's package to increase political control over judicial appointments and let the Knesset re-enact laws struck down by the Supreme Court.
Government formation
— Process in which the president assigns an MK to build a coalition within 28 days, extendable.
20. Kuki-Zo Council threatens to pull MLAs, reconsider SoO pact
Alleging selective security action in Manipur, the Kuki-Zo Council threatened to withdraw its MLAs from the state government and review SoO cooperation, while renewing its demand for a Union Territory with a legislature.
Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) warned it may call on its MLAs to withdraw from the Manipur government and urge SoO groups to reconsider cooperation.
Trigger: security forces took over the designated Sinai camp at Saimol, Kangpokpi, on October 23, after three Meitei men were killed near the Imphal East-Kangpokpi border on October 19.
Police arrested 17 people whose identities did not match the SoO cadre list; only 1 of 159 registered cadres was present at verification.
KZC claims over 250 Kuki-Zo killed and over 40,000 displaced since May 2023, and 32 Kuki-Zo civilians killed since March 2026 in violence attributed to NSCN-IM and ZUF(K).
Core demand: a separate Union Territory with a legislature.
Key terms
Suspension of Operations (SoO)
— A ceasefire pact under which militant cadres stay in designated camps and halt operations while talks continue.
Kuki-Zo Council (KZC)
— A body representing Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur, which is pressing for a separate administration.
Union Territory with legislature
— A centrally administered unit with its own elected assembly, as in Delhi and Puducherry; the KZC demands this for its community.
NSCN-IM
— A Naga armed group with a ceasefire with the Centre that, per the KZC, does not extend to Manipur.
Ladakh's administration says its liberalised Excise Policy 2026–27 was withdrawn and the older policy restored, rejecting Sonam Wangchuk's claim of liquor shops spreading across the UT; the row shows the tension between governance claims…
Excise Policy 2026–27, notified in June, was rolled back on August 6 after feedback from people and social organisations.
The older 2025–26 excise policy (issued April 4, 2025) was restored; it allows only two liquor shops in Leh, of which one is operational after an auction on October 14.
The administration lists 50 retail vends in bars with restaurants: 38 in Leh, 7 in Nubra, 3 in Zanskar and 2 in Changthang; there are also 2 beer bars in Leh.
The rolled-back policy had proposed raising retail liquor outlets from 2 to 20; Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena had defended it as a way to cut narcotics dependence.
Licences depend on distance criteria from highways, religious institutions and educational institutions.
Key terms
Excise Policy
— Annual framework that governs licensing, auction and sale of liquor, and the revenue from it.
Union Territory administration
— Governance of a UT by the Centre through its Lieutenant Governor, here without an elected legislature.
Distance criteria
— Licensing rule requiring liquor outlets to stay a prescribed distance from highways, religious sites and educational institutions.
Policy rollback
— Withdrawal of a notified policy, here after public feedback, with the earlier policy restored.
With reference to Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) for Central government personnel in India, consider the following statements:
1. DA is paid to serving employees and DR to pensioners, to cushion the impact of rising prices on their incomes.
2. The rates are calculated using the Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW), released monthly by the Labour Bureau.
3. The formula currently followed is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
DA goes to serving employees and DR to pensioners to offset inflation eroding purchasing power, so statement 1 is correct.
The Labour Bureau releases the CPI-IW monthly, and it is used to compute DA/DR, so statement 2 is correct.
The increase follows the accepted formula based on the 7th Central Pay Commission, so statement 3 is correct.
a Omits statement 1, which is correct: DA is for employees and DR for pensioners.
b Omits statement 3, which is correct: the formula rests on the 7th CPC recommendations.
c Omits statement 2, which is correct: CPI-IW from the Labour Bureau is used.
With reference to the India-Mexico Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) negotiations, consider the following statements:
1. The Terms of Reference signed by the two countries establish the framework, scope, modalities and roadmap for the negotiations.
2. The initiative follows an understanding reached between the leaders of the two countries on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada.
3. The negotiating areas covered include rules of origin, trade facilitation, dispute settlement and sanitary and phytosanitary measures.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer: (a)
The Terms of Reference set out the framework, scope, modalities and roadmap for negotiations, so statement 1 is correct.
The understanding between PM Modi and President Sheinbaum was reached on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada, so statement 2 is correct.
The Terms of Reference cover market access for goods, rules of origin, customs procedures and trade facilitation, dispute settlement, SPS measures, TBT and trade remedies, so statement 3 is correct.
b Omits statement 2, which is also correct: the leaders met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada.
c Omits statement 3, which is also correct: rules of origin, dispute settlement and SPS measures are covered.
d Omits statement 1, which is also correct: the Terms of Reference establish the framework, scope, modalities and roadmap.
With reference to the publications released by India at the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP-17) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, consider the following statements:
1. The Guidelines for the Designation of India's Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (I-OECMs) 2026 support recognition of conservation outcomes beyond conventional protected areas.
2. The 5th National Report was prepared under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
3. The book 'India's ABS Success Story' deals with Access and Benefit Sharing.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
The I-OECM guidelines support recognising conservation outcomes outside conventional protected areas, so statement 1 is correct.
The 5th National Report relates to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, so statement 2 is correct.
'India's ABS Success Story' highlights India's role in Access and Benefit Sharing, so statement 3 is correct.
With reference to the government formation process in Israel's Knesset, consider the following statements:
1. Voters directly elect the Prime Minister, while the 120 members of the Knesset are elected separately.
2. The President, after consulting representatives of the elected parties, assigns the task of forming a government to the member of the Knesset considered best placed to succeed.
3. The largest party in the Knesset automatically gets to form the government.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
Israel does not directly elect its prime minister; voters elect the 120 Knesset members and the government must command a parliamentary majority's confidence.
The President, after consulting party representatives, assigns the task to the MK best placed to succeed, so statement 2 is correct.
The largest party does not automatically govern, so statement 3 is wrong.
a Statement 1 is wrong because the Prime Minister is not directly elected; only the Knesset is.
b Both statements 1 and 3 are incorrect, as the PM is not directly elected and the largest party does not automatically govern.
d Statements 1 and 3 are incorrect, so including them makes this option wrong.
Consider the following statements regarding Cyclone Arnab:
1. It is the first cyclone of 2026 in the North Indian Ocean basin, which comprises the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
2. It lost intensity immediately after landfall, as cyclones usually do on meeting the landmass.
3. Landfall is the process in which the cyclone's eye crosses from the sea over to the landmass.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Answer: (b)
Arnab is the first cyclone of 2026 in the North Indian Ocean basin, so statement 1 is correct.
Landfall is when the cyclone's eye crosses from sea to land, so statement 3 is correct.
Arnab did not weaken at once; it kept its intensity for at least six hours after landfall, so statement 2 is wrong.
a Two statements (1 and 3) are correct, not one.
c Statement 2 is incorrect; Arnab held its intensity for at least six hours after landfall.
With reference to the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), consider the following statements:
1. It is a credit-linked subsidy programme administered by the Ministry of MSME and implemented nationally by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission.
2. Financial assistance is given as a margin money subsidy on bank-sanctioned project loans for setting up new micro-enterprises.
3. It is meant mainly for the expansion of existing farm-based enterprises.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
PMEGP is a flagship credit-linked subsidy scheme of the Ministry of MSME, implemented nationally by KVIC with KVIBs, District Industries Centres and the Coir Board.
The support is a margin money subsidy on bank-sanctioned loans for new micro-enterprises.
Statement 3 is wrong: the scheme targets new micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector, not expansion of farm-based units.
a Statement 2 is correct, so excluding it is wrong, and statement 3 is incorrect.
c Statement 3 is incorrect, so all three cannot be correct.
d Statement 3 is incorrect, as PMEGP targets new non-farm micro-enterprises.
With reference to the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana (PM VGSY), consider the following statements:
1. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme approved for 2026-27 to 2030-31, co-terminus with the Sixteenth Finance Commission period.
2. It replaces the existing departmental arrangements for delivering individual schemes with a single unified delivery agency at the Panchayat level.
3. It builds on the eGramSwaraj portal and existing e-Panchayat systems to bring scheme, beneficiary and community asset information onto a common digital platform.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
PM VGSY is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for 2026-27 to 2030-31, matching the Sixteenth Finance Commission period, so statement 1 is correct.
It builds on eGramSwaraj and e-Panchayat systems for a common digital platform, so statement 3 is correct.
Existing departmental arrangements for delivering individual schemes continue, so statement 2 is incorrect.
a Statement 2 is wrong, since existing departmental delivery arrangements continue.
b Omits statement 3, which is correct: the scheme builds on eGramSwaraj and e-Panchayat systems.
d Statement 2 is wrong, since existing departmental delivery arrangements continue, and statement 1 is correct but left out.
With reference to the individual-level questions notified for the population enumeration phase of Census 2027, consider the following statements:
1. Respondents are asked to provide details of the parents of every individual and of the spouses of married persons in the household.
2. Aadhaar number, Voter ID number and Passport number are sought from every respondent, whether or not the person holds the document.
3. Questions on nationality as declared and on permanent residential address are included.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
Statements 1 and 3 match the notified questions: parents' and spouses' details, nationality as declared and permanent residential address are all sought.
Statement 2 is wrong: Aadhaar and Voter ID are sought only if available, and the Passport number only if the person holds an Indian passport.
a Includes statement 2, which is wrong because these IDs are sought only if available or held, and excludes correct statement 1.
b Statement 2 is wrong because the ID questions are conditional on availability or holding.
d Omits statement 3, which is correct: nationality as declared and permanent address are asked.
With reference to the naming of cyclones in the North Indian Ocean region, consider the following statements:
1. The WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC) finalises the list of names after countries send in their suggestions.
2. Names of tropical cyclones over the North Indian Ocean are reused after a fixed cycle of years.
3. A proposed name is expected to be neutral to politics, religious beliefs, cultures and gender.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
The WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones finalises the list after member countries send suggestions, so statement 1 is correct.
Proposed names must be neutral to politics, religious beliefs, cultures and gender, so statement 3 is correct.
Names over the North Indian Ocean are not repeated; once used, a name ceases to be used again, so statement 2 is wrong.
a Statement 2 is wrong: used names are not repeated.
b Omits statement 3, which is correct: neutrality of names is a guideline.
c Statement 2 is wrong because names are never reused, and it leaves out statement 1.
With reference to the Container Manufacturing Promotion Scheme (CMPS), consider the following statements:
1. It was announced in the Union Budget 2026–27 and has been approved by the Union Cabinet.
2. Interest subvention under it is available only for greenfield facilities, and not for expansion of existing units.
3. Operational Expenditure Assistance under it is meant to bridge the cost gap and improve the competitiveness of domestically manufactured containers.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
Statement 1 is correct: the scheme was announced in Budget 2026–27 and cleared by the Cabinet.
Statement 2 is wrong: Interest Subvention Assistance covers both greenfield facilities and Brownfield expansion of existing capacities.
Statement 3 is correct: OEA bridges the cost gap for containers made to global shipping standards.
a Statement 2 is wrong because brownfield expansion is also covered, and statement 1 is correct.
b Statement 3 is also correct, so '1 only' is incomplete.
d Statement 2 is wrong because interest subvention also covers brownfield expansion.
With reference to the Supreme Court's proceedings on industrial pollution of the Jojari river in Rajasthan, consider the following statements:
1. The Court initiated a suo motu writ petition and constituted a High-level Ecosystem Oversight Committee to audit the treatment plants and draft a plan to restore the rivers.
2. The Court banned construction within 100 metres of the rivers' edges and hazardous industries within 500 metres of the present river path or the flood lines where available.
3. The Court upheld the 2022 National Green Tribunal order imposing compensation on the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
The Court began a suo motu writ petition in 2025 and set up a High-level Ecosystem Oversight Committee under Justice Sangeet Lodha to audit plants and draft a restoration plan, so statement 1 is correct.
It barred construction within 100 m of the river edges and hazardous industries within 500 m of the river path or flood lines, so statement 2 is correct.
The Court stayed the 2022 NGT compensation order and did not uphold it. It then criticised local authorities for failing to enforce pollution norms, so statement 3 is wrong.
a Statement 2 is also correct, since the Court imposed the 100 m and 500 m restrictions.
b Statement 3 is wrong because the Court stayed the NGT order, and statement 1 is correct, so this option is incorrect.
c Statement 3 is wrong, because the Court stayed the 2022 NGT order rather than upholding it.
With reference to the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA)'s order capping trade margins on non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs, consider the following statements:
1. The cap of 30% extends an earlier 2019 cap that covered a smaller set of anti-cancer drugs.
2. The margin ceiling is counted from the ex-factory price of the drug rather than the price to stockist (PTS).
3. The order places a ceiling on the trade margin and not on the underlying price of the drug.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
The 30% cap on 137 drugs extends a 2019 cap that covered 42 drugs, so statement 1 is correct.
The order counts the cap from the PTS, not from the ex-factory price or landed cost, so statement 2 is wrong.
The government is putting a ceiling on profit (trade margin), not on the underlying price, so statement 3 is correct.
a Omits statement 3, which is also correct.
c Statement 2 is wrong because the cap is counted from the PTS; it also leaves out statement 1.
With reference to the annual local pass for residents near national highway toll plazas, consider the following statements:
1. It is available to residents living within 20 km of a toll plaza for a non-commercial vehicle and allows unlimited travel through that plaza for a year.
2. A single pass can be used at any toll plaza within the same State.
3. It is also issued on expressways where fee is levied on the closed user fee collection system.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
The pass is for non-commercial vehicles of residents within 20 km and gives unlimited travel through the local plaza for a year.
It covers only the plaza for which it is issued; it is not transferable and cannot be used at other plazas, so statement 2 is wrong.
The notification bars such passes on highways or expressways under the closed user fee collection system, so statement 3 is wrong.
a Statement 2 is wrong: the pass is valid only for the specific plaza it is issued for.
c Statements 2 and 3 are incorrect.
d Both 2 and 3 contradict the notification; statement 1 is correct.
With reference to the restructuring of the Anaemia Mukt Bharat programme, consider the following statements:
1. The earlier 6×6×6 arrangement has been replaced by a 7×7×7 scheme.
2. The revised scheme includes a digital tracking system and a new national centre of excellence for anaemia.
3. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) fact sheets continue the practice of reporting anaemia estimates that began in the late 1990s.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (a)
The 6×6×6 framework (six beneficiary groups, six interventions, six institutional mechanisms) was replaced by 7×7×7.
The new scheme includes testing and treatment, a digital 'T4' tracking system and a national centre of excellence for anaemia.
Statement 3 is wrong: NFHS-6 omitted anaemia, the first national health survey since the late 1990s to do so.
b Statement 2 is also correct, so 1 only is incomplete.
c Statement 3 is false; NFHS-6 did not report anaemia.
d Statement 3 is false because NFHS-6 omitted anaemia, and statement 1 is also correct.
With reference to the Khelo India Sports Goods Manufacturing Scheme, consider the following statements:
1. Sports Goods Manufacturing Zones are to be developed through convergence with existing industrial infrastructure under the BHAVYA Scheme and NICDC Industrial Parks.
2. The Anchor Investment Support component encourages leading manufacturers, brands and retail chains to establish facilities within designated Sports Goods Manufacturing Zones.
3. Research and development activities are to be encouraged through convergence with the Anusandhan National Research Foundation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
All three statements match the scheme's design.
SGMZs use existing industrial infrastructure under BHAVYA and NICDC Industrial Parks, promoting cluster-based manufacturing.
Anchor Investment Support attracts domestic and global manufacturers, brands and retail chains into the zones.
R&D is encouraged through convergence with the Anusandhan National Research Foundation.
a Statements 2 and 3 are also correct, so 1 only is incomplete.
b Statement 3 is also correct, so this option omits it.
d Statement 1 is also correct, so this option omits it.
With reference to the Lancet Countdown report on health and climate change, consider the following statements:
1. It calls for climate change to be declared a "global health emergency" and for an integrated, long-term response that builds resilience instead of responding to one emergency after another.
2. The share of heat-related deaths attributed to human-caused climate change was estimated by subtracting the deaths that would have occurred without climate change from the heat-related deaths recorded by states.
3. It found that Europe suffered the largest GDP loss from reduced worker productivity due to warming among the regions assessed.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
Statement 1 is correct: the report urges a global health emergency declaration and a cohesive long-term response that builds resilience and capacities.
Statement 2 is correct: researchers compiled recorded heat-related deaths and subtracted those that would have occurred without climate change.
Statement 3 is wrong: Southeast Asia (3.9%) and Africa (3.2%) were hardest hit, while Europe lost only 0.2% of GDP.
a Statement 3 is incorrect, since Europe was among the least affected, not the most.
c Omits statement 2, which is also correct.
d Statement 3 is incorrect, as Southeast Asia and Africa bore the largest losses.
With reference to the recent amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 on ethanol-based fuels, consider the following statements:
1. The amendments permit the use of fuel containing up to 100% ethanol (E100) and modify Rule 115 and Rule 115E.
2. E85 or E100 may be used in any petrol vehicle that is already compatible with E20.
3. The notification requires owners of existing vehicles to modify their vehicles to run on E85 in the future.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways amended the CMVR, 1989 to permit E100, modifying Rule 115 (emission standards) and Rule 115E (emission testing provisions); statement 1 is correct.
The explanatory note says E85 or E100 may be used only in flex-fuel vehicles designed by original equipment manufacturers; compatibility with E10 or E20 does not establish suitability for E85, so statement 2 is wrong.
The notification does not require existing vehicle owners to switch or modify their vehicles, now or in future; statement 3 is wrong.
a Statements 2 and 3 contradict the Ministry's clarification.
c Statement 2 is wrong: E20 compatibility does not imply suitability for E85 or E100.
d Both 2 and 3 are wrong; existing owners need not switch or modify, and E20 compatibility is not enough.
With reference to the current demands and allegations of the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) in Manipur, consider the following statements:
1. It has reiterated its demand for a separate Union Territory with a legislature.
2. It has threatened to ask Kuki-Zo armed groups under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement to reconsider their cooperation with the government.
3. It has questioned why the NSCN-IM is allegedly being allowed to operate freely in Manipur despite its ceasefire arrangement with the Centre not extending to the state.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
All three statements match the KZC's position: it demands a Union Territory with a legislature, and it threatens to urge SoO groups to reconsider cooperation.
It also questions why the NSCN-IM is allowed to operate freely in Manipur, since its ceasefire arrangement with the Centre does not extend to the state.
Therefore 1, 2 and 3 are all correct.
a Omits statement 1, which is also correct.
c Omits statements 2 and 3, which are also correct.
With reference to the proposed greenfield shipyard at Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, consider the following statements:
1. It is being developed under the Shipbuilding Development Scheme of the Government of India.
2. HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering has expressed its intent to participate as a primary strategic investor.
3. National Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Park, Tamil Nadu Limited is expected to facilitate waterfront land and enabling infrastructure for the project.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
The shipyard is being developed under the Government of India's Shipbuilding Development Scheme.
HD KSOE, the shipbuilding arm of HD Hyundai, reiterated its intent to be a primary strategic investor.
NSHIP-TN will facilitate suitable waterfront land, enabling infrastructure and utilities, and coordination for statutory approvals.
Hence all three statements are correct.
a Omits statement 3, which is also correct: NSHIP-TN facilitates land and infrastructure.
b Omits statement 1, which is also correct: the yard comes under the Shipbuilding Development Scheme.
c Omits statement 2, which is also correct: HD KSOE is the intended primary strategic investor.
With reference to the recent UNESCO expert committee visit to Hampi World Heritage Site, consider the following statements:
1. The experts identified stronger participation of local communities and systematic Heritage Impact Assessments for future development projects as areas needing continued attention.
2. The experts recommended strengthening the Hampi World Heritage Area Management Authority (HWHAMA) with specialised manpower and adequate financial resources.
3. The experts described their role as that of investigators assessing violations by the state and national authorities.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
Statements 1 and 2 match the preliminary observations: community participation, Heritage Impact Assessments, and a stronger HWHAMA with specialised manpower and finances.
Statement 3 is wrong: the delegation said it came as friends and partners, not as investigators, to work with state and national authorities.
a Statement 3 is incorrect, because the delegation described itself as friends and partners.
b Statement 2 is also correct, so '1 only' is incomplete.
c Statement 3 is incorrect, because the experts said they were not investigators.
With reference to the excise regime in the Union Territory of Ladakh, consider the following statements:
1. The Excise Policy 2026–27 was rolled back after feedback from the people and social organisations, and the excise policy for 2025–26 was restored.
2. The liberalised policy proposed to expand retail liquor outlets from two to 20, with the stated aim of reducing dependence on narcotic substances.
3. Licences are granted to applicants who meet prescribed norms, including distance criteria from highways, religious institutions and educational institutions.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
The Excise Policy 2026–27 was rolled back on August 6 after feedback, and the 2025–26 policy of April 4, 2025 was restored.
The liberalised policy proposed raising retail outlets from two to 20, and the Lieutenant Governor linked it to curbing narcotics dependence.
Licensing is subject to norms including distance criteria from highways, religious and educational institutions.
All three statements are correct.
a Omits statement 2, which is also correct since the proposal was to expand from two to 20 outlets.
c Omits statement 3, which is also correct since distance criteria apply to licences.
d Omits statement 1, which is also correct since the rollback and restoration did occur.
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