24 October 2026
Switzerland marked the 30th anniversary of the Partnership for Peace between Switzerland and NATO.
Representatives from 27 NATO member states visited Switzerland from 21 to 23 October 2026.
The focus was on the long-standing cooperation with NATO and its further development in light of the changing security situation in Europe.
The ambassadors were given an insight into specific aspects of Swiss security policy and cooperation with NATO.
The visit also provided an opportunity for high-level discussions.
Anniversary marked:
30 years
NATO member states represented:
27
Dates of visit:
21 to 23 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: Switzerland cooperates with NATO through the Partnership for Peace without being a member, a distinction often tested.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
PfP Partnership for Peace — A NATO programme of bilateral military and security cooperation with countries that are not members of the alliance.
24 October 2026
The nineteenth round of the bilateral human rights dialogue between Switzerland and China took place on 19 and 20 October 2026 in Switzerland.
The dialogue took place in Bern on 20 October.
The delegations held an open and critical discussion on the human rights situation in both countries and on current international challenges.
Key areas of focus included the protection of minorities and the impact of artificial intelligence on human rights.
The Swiss delegation was led by Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli.
Round:
19th
Dates:
19 and 20 October 2026
Venue of main session:
Bern
Head of Swiss delegation:
Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli
Why it matters for exams: Structured human rights dialogues are a recurring instrument of diplomacy and appear in international relations questions.
UPSC
In plain words
FDFA Federal Department of Foreign Affairs — The Swiss federal department that conducts the country's foreign policy.
24 October 2026
Switzerland and the United Nations organised an international meeting in Geneva on 21 October 2026 focusing on peace efforts in Sudan.
It was the sixth consultative meeting of its kind, bringing together states and international organisations working to find a solution to the conflict.
The meeting aimed to strengthen the coordination of diplomatic initiatives, promote de-escalation and support an inclusive political process.
It was held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva and was jointly hosted.
The organisers noted that the humanitarian crisis in Sudan continues to worsen.
City:
Geneva
Venue:
Palais des Nations
Date:
21 October 2026
Meeting in the series:
Sixth
Why it matters for exams: Geneva's role as a venue for UN diplomacy, and Swiss good offices, are standard international relations material.
UPSC
In plain words
Palais des Nations Palais des Nations — The main building of the United Nations Office at Geneva, and formerly the seat of the League of Nations.
24 October 2026
Swissmint launched the '125 years of the Aero Club of Switzerland' 20-franc silver coin on 22 October 2026.
It is the second coin in the three-part 'Swiss Aviation' series.
The series began in 2025 with the 'Pioneers of Swiss aviation' special coin.
Swissmint produces limited-edition collector coins under the name 'Swiss special coins'.
The issue commemorates the anniversary of the Aero Club of Switzerland (AeCS).
Denomination:
20 francs
Metal:
Silver
Anniversary:
125 years
Series:
Swiss Aviation (three coins)
Why it matters for exams: Commemorative coin issues and the names of national mints are routine static-plus-current questions.
SSCBank
In plain words
Swissmint Swiss Federal Mint — The federal body that mints Swiss circulation coins and collector coins.
24 September 2026
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is leaving the SNB policy rate unchanged at 0%.
The discount for banks' sight deposits above the remuneration threshold stays unchanged at 0.25 percentage points.
Inflation in Switzerland rose from 0.6% in May to 0.8% in August, mainly because goods inflation turned positive on higher prices for oil products.
The conditional inflation forecast puts average annual inflation at 0.7% for 2026, 0.8% for 2027 and 0.8% for 2028, assuming the policy rate stays at 0%.
The SNB expects Swiss growth of between 1.5% and 2% for 2026 as a whole and around 1.5% for 2027.
It remains willing to be active in the foreign exchange market as necessary.
SNB policy rate:
0%
Inflation in August:
0.8%
Inflation forecast 2026:
0.7%
Growth expected for 2026:
1.5% to 2%
Why it matters for exams: Central bank rate decisions of major economies are standard banking-awareness and economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
SNB Swiss National Bank — Switzerland's central bank, which sets the SNB policy rate and issues the Swiss franc.
Sight deposits Sight deposits — Money commercial banks hold at the central bank and can withdraw at any time.
1 October 2026
The Federal Statistical Office (FSO) at Neuchatel reported that Switzerland's Consumer Price Index (CPI) remained unchanged in September 2026 compared with the previous month.
The index stood at 101.5 points, with December 2025 taken as 100.
Inflation was +1.0% compared with the same month of the previous year.
The stability of the index was the result of contrasting trends that offset one another: prices for heating oil, petrol and diesel increased.
Prices for international package holidays, car rentals and car sharing decreased, as did those for hotels and parahotel accommodation.
CPI level:
101.5 points
Base:
December 2025 = 100
Annual inflation:
+1.0%
Month-on-month change:
Unchanged
Why it matters for exams: Inflation figures of major economies are asked directly and are needed to compare with India's own price data.
UPSCBank
In plain words
FSO Federal Statistical Office — Switzerland's national statistics agency, based at Neuchatel.
CPI Consumer Price Index — An index that measures the change in prices of a fixed basket of goods and services bought by households.
24 October 2026
Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), held a working lunch in Bern with Finland's minister for foreign affairs, Elina Valtonen.
The discussions focused on bilateral relations between Switzerland and Finland, the security situation in Europe and the war in Ukraine.
The talks also touched on the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which Finland chaired in 2025 and which Switzerland is chairing this year.
The meeting took place as part of events organised to mark the centenary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Finland.
Swiss foreign minister:
Ignazio Cassis
Finnish counterpart:
Elina Valtonen
OSCE chair in 2025:
Finland
Anniversary marked:
Centenary of diplomatic relations
Why it matters for exams: Which country chairs the OSCE in a given year is a frequently asked current affairs fact.
UPSC
In plain words
OSCE Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe — A regional security organisation whose chairmanship rotates among participating states each year.
24 October 2026
The Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) operates the federal collection facility for radioactive waste in accordance with the Swiss Radiation Protection Ordinance.
In the coming years a new building for this purpose will be realised on the PSI campus at Villigen.
The project is named SamBA and began in 2023.
The new building is scheduled to be operational by 2033.
The facility handles waste generated in medicine, industry and research.
Operator:
Paul Scherrer Institute
Project name:
SamBA
Project began:
2023
Operational by:
2033
Why it matters for exams: Radioactive waste management arrangements of individual countries appear in science and environment questions.
UPSC
In plain words
PSI Paul Scherrer Institute — Switzerland's largest research institute for natural and engineering sciences, at Villigen.
24 October 2026
The Swiss Armed Forces' Cyber Command hosted the Cyber Commanders Forum (CFF) 2026 in Thun from 19 to 21 October 2026.
The international meeting brought together representatives of military cyber organisations.
It provided an opportunity to discuss current challenges, share experiences and explore ways of working together to strengthen resilience in cyberspace.
The forum is hosted by a different participating nation each year.
The Swiss Armed Forces offered to host this year's event.
Host:
Swiss Armed Forces Cyber Command
Place:
Thun
Dates:
19 to 21 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: Cyber defence cooperation and the bodies that run it are growing areas in defence and security questions.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
CFF Cyber Commanders Forum — An annual international meeting of the heads of military cyber organisations, hosted by a different nation each year.
24 October 2026
Swiss Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis was in Spain and Andorra from 22 to 23 October 2026.
In Madrid he met his Spanish counterpart, Jose Manuel Albares Bueno.
He then visited the Principality of Andorra on 23 October for meetings with the prime minister, Xavier Espot Zamora, and the minister of foreign affairs, Imma Tor Faus, in the capital, Andorra la Vella.
Discussions in both countries focused on bilateral relations, European policy and geopolitical challenges.
Swiss Federal Councillor:
Ignazio Cassis
Spanish counterpart:
Jose Manuel Albares Bueno
Andorran prime minister:
Xavier Espot Zamora
Dates:
22 to 23 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: Bilateral visits by Switzerland's foreign minister and the capitals involved are straightforward current affairs facts.
UPSC
In plain words
Principality Principality — A state whose head of state is a prince or holds a princely title; Andorra is one.
Background
The National Council is the larger chamber of Switzerland's Federal Assembly and has 200 seats.
The 200 seats are allotted to the 26 cantons according to their respective populations, counted as the total number of residents.
The population figures are obtained from the registers in the year following the previous election.
Each canton is allotted at least one seat, whatever its population.
The presiding college for 2025/26 is headed by President Pierre-Andre Page, with Katja Christ as first vice president and Farah Rumy as second vice president.
Philippe Schwab is Secretary General of the Federal Assembly.
Seats:
200
Cantons:
26
Minimum seats per canton:
One
Basis of allotment:
Resident population
Why it matters for exams: The size of Switzerland's two chambers and the cantonal basis of representation are standard comparative polity questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Canton Canton — A member state of the Swiss Confederation; there are 26 of them.
Federal Assembly Federal Assembly — Switzerland's two-chamber parliament, made up of the National Council and the Council of States.