Current Affairs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PM highlighted Modhera Sun Temple’s millennium history, destruction during invasions, reconstruction, and Modhera’s transformation into India’s first 24×7 village. The Surya temple is at Modhera, Mehsana (Gujarat), on the Pushpavati; built after 1026-27 CE under Chaulukya king Bhima I in Maru-Gurjara (Chaulukya) style. ASI maintains it; no worship now; UNESCO-listed (2014). East-west complex: Gudhamandapa, Sabhamandapa (52 pillars/52 weeks) and stepped Kunda with many shrines; Ramayana, Mahabharata and Krishna carvings; equinox rays enter the sanctum, with a diamond used to reflect light to other idols.

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying launched the Livestock Insurance Portal in New Delhi as an initiative under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. It provides a single integrated, technology-driven platform for animals covered under the Livestock Insurance Scheme, enabling policy issuance, claim processing, monitoring and reporting. Available in Hindi, English and 11 regional languages, it improves coordination, real-time monitoring, data-driven management and risk protection for livestock farmers.

World Economic Forum, with Zurich Insurance Group, released the biennial Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2026 covering 110 economies. Evolved from WEF’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (2007-2019) and relaunched in 2022, TTDI assesses conditions for sustainable, resilient tourism (not tourist volume). Japan ranked 1st; India rose to 31st (39th in 2024). India’s strengths include low costs, cultural resources and natural attractions; gaps: skills, sustainability and infrastructure.

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the Inception Workshop for 6th cycle Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Tiger Reserves (MEE-TR 2026) in New Delhi; organised by NTCA with Wildlife Institute of India; Technical Manual released. Cycle expands to all 58 notified tiger reserves. Adapted from IUCN-WCPA; evaluates context, planning, inputs, processes, outputs, outcomes. Past cycles: 2006(28), 2010(39), 2014(43), 2018(50), 2022(51); Periyar topped 2022 (94.38%); quadrennial claim. New mandatory solid-waste criterion (camps, tourism corridors, rescue-centre biomedical/organic waste); evidence via remote sensing, geo-tagged logs, spatial platforms; teams include communities, youth, sociologists, retired officers, scientists; scrutinises Section 38V (WPA 1972) relocation and Eco-Development Committees; bands: Excellent ≥90, Very Good 75-89, Good 60-74, Fair 50–59.

Oxford Economics’ annual Global Cities Index 2026 ranks 1,000 cities on Economics, Human Capital, Quality of Life, Environment and Governance, assessing current performance and future potential. Top five: New York, London, Paris, Seattle, San Francisco. India has ~100 cities; key ranks: Delhi 268, Bengaluru 311 (+20; “City to Watch”), Mumbai 330, Chennai 381, Hyderabad 421, Pune 427. Delhi: 63rd-largest economy; 13th in Human Capital; 2nd-worst air quality; projected 14th by 2050 (>USD 2 trillion). Mumbai leads India in corporate HQs (23rd). Low infrastructure, QoL and income equality depress rankings.

India co-hosted the launch of OneSCD, a global partnership to advance equity and transform sickle cell disease (SCD) care, on the sidelines of UNGA 81 in New York. OneSCD emphasises population-wide screening to identify affected persons and carriers, early diagnosis, counselling, treatment and follow-up, addressing residence and socio-economic barriers. It aligns with India’s National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (2023), targeting elimination by 2047 through integrated, equitable care. SCD is a hereditary haemoglobin disorder causing sickled RBCs, anaemia and recurrent pain.

Under Mission Pégase 26, the French Air and Space Force deployed to Air Force Station, Jodhpur: four Rafale F4 fighters, three A330 MRTT Phénix aircraft and two A400M Atlas aircraft, with about 300 personnel. The seventh edition runs September 8–October 15, covers over 40,000 km, linking the Arctic–Indo-Pacific–Middle East route, aiming at readiness, partnerships and freedom of air navigation. In India, it joins IAF’s multinational Tarang Shakti 2026 across Jodhpur and adjoining bases.

TRAI launched the Digital Connectivity Rating (DCR) Platform, an integrated digital interface to rate digital connectivity of residential, commercial and government properties, including constructed and under-construction. It brings Property Managers, registered Digital Connectivity Rating Agencies (DCRAs) and consumers on one portal. PMs register properties, apply, upload documents, select DCRA and track status. DCRAs assess via mobile app. Consumers search by name/certificate ID/location and verify digitally signed certificates via QR code.

COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye (9-20 November 2026) will prioritise global electrification, alongside waste reduction and climate-resilient buildings. The proposed COP31 “35-by-35” pledge targets raising electricity’s share in global final energy demand from ~23% to 35% by 2035. An IEA report cites declining technology costs; IPCC links electrification to net-zero systems. 1.5°C pathways project 48-58% by 2050; IEA scenario estimates ~40% end-use emissions fall by 2035. About 730 million lack electricity access.

Election Commission of India (ECI) is a constitutional body under Article 324, empowered for “superintendence, direction and control” of electoral rolls and elections to Parliament, State Legislatures, and President/Vice-President. Since 1993, it has three members (CEC+2 ECs). The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023 (Sections 17-18) mandates unanimity “as far as possible”, else majority; each has one vote; no CEC casting vote. T.N. Seshan v Union of India (1995) affirmed equal status. Dissents may be recorded; past differences include 2009 Navin Chawla removal request and Ashok Lavasa’s 2019 dissents (resigned 2020). In 2025 SIR, EC Sukhbir Singh Sandhu cautioned against harassment of vulnerable groups; decision reported unanimous.

Indian Coast Guard OPV ICGS Shaunak (Samarth-class) sailed from Chennai to Perth for the QUAD-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission with India, Australia, Japan and the US to enhance maritime interoperability via shipboard activities and professional exchanges. Six Sea Riders embarked (India-2, Japan-2, Australia-1, US-1). Indigenously built by Goa Shipyard Ltd, commissioned 21 Feb 2017; based Visakhapatnam under CG Region (East) for EEZ surveillance. Specs: 105 m, 2500 t, 2×9100 kW; 26 knots, 6500 NM; 30 mm CRN-91; supports helicopters, boats, oil-spill response; aligns with MAHASAGAR.

Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru, and Arizona State University reported observational evidence that relativistic jets from central supermassive black holes heat the circumgalactic medium (CGM), a diffuse gas-dust halo extending 10-20 times beyond a galaxy’s stellar disk and serving as its main gas reservoir. Jet-CGM collisions create shocks with two excitation peaks (inner disk boundary and outer CGM edge), preventing cooling, suppressing star formation, and driving AGN-feedback evolution toward passive elliptical galaxies.

At the Global Cooling Pledge Assembly 2026 in Singapore, the inaugural Cool Leaders Award, established under the UNEP Cool Coalition, will globally recognise leadership in sustainable cooling and protection from extreme heat. First Cool Leaders: Singapore (passive cooling, heat resilience), UAE (district cooling, global policy), and Dong Mingzhu of Gree Electric (ultra-efficient low-carbon technologies, Zero Carbon Source air-conditioning). UNEP Cool Coalition (2019) is a 250+ actor platform aligned with Paris Agreement, Kigali Amendment and 2030 Agenda.

External Affairs Minister chaired the Foreign Ministers’ meeting of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. FIPIC, India’s multilateral platform with 14 Pacific Island countries, was established in 2014 during the PM’s Fiji visit, aligned with Act East Policy. Annual trade is about $300 million. Summits: 2014 Suva, 2015 Jaipur, 2023 Port Moresby.

ARIES (Nainital) studied broadband X-ray emission from four classical TeV blazars-Mrk 421, Mrk 501, PG 1553+113 and PKS 2155-304 (very-high-energy gamma-ray emitting AGN)-using NASA’s NICER (soft) and NuSTAR (hard). In moderate-to-low states of Mrk 421/501, an extra low-energy component indicated accretion-disk contribution (first direct evidence in Mrk 501); Mrk 421 also showed an unresolved Gaussian feature. PG 1553+113 and PKS 2155-304 followed synchrotron models, challenging jet-only assumptions.