30 September 2026
The Ministry of Power has notified new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Norms for passenger vehicles.
They apply from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2032 to new passenger vehicles manufactured or imported for sale in India.
The fuel-consumption benchmark is tightened from 3.996 litres/100 km in 2027-28 to 3.3273 litres/100 km in 2031-32, an improvement of around 16.7 per cent.
The reference weight rises from 1,082 kg to 1,229 kg, and the flatter target line gives softer targets to lighter vehicles and tougher ones to heavier vehicles.
A Carbon Neutrality Factor recognises ethanol-blended petrol, biofuels and CBG.
Applicable period:
1 April 2027 to 31 March 2032
Benchmark 2027-28:
3.996 litres/100 km
Benchmark 2031-32:
3.3273 litres/100 km
Reference weight:
1,229 kg (from 1,082 kg)
Why it matters for exams: Vehicle-efficiency and energy-security regulation is a staple of UPSC, SSC and PSC current-affairs papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
29 September 2026
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has extended the due date for filing the Return of Income for Assessment Year 2026-27.
The date moves from 31st October, 2026 to 21st November, 2026 for persons subject to audit under the Income-tax Act, 1961.
The 'specified date' for furnishing the audit report for AY 2026-27 is extended from 30th September, 2026 to 21st October, 2026.
The relevant persons are those at Serial No. 2 in the Table below Explanation 2 to sub-section (1) of section 139.
A formal order or notification is being issued separately.
Assessment Year:
2026-27
Old return due date:
31 October 2026
New return due date:
21 November 2026
New audit report date:
21 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: Tax due-date changes and the role of CBDT are routinely asked in bank, SSC and UPSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
28 September 2026
The 30th meeting of the Full Commission of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) was held on 28.09.2026 under Chairperson Shri Rajesh Verma.
It approved modifications to the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Schedule for the National Capital Region.
The revised schedule has 25 actions in Stage-I, 8 in Stage-II, 10 in Stage-III and 5 in Stage-IV, a total of 48 actions.
Restrictions on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel LMVs are extended to Sonipat, besides Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar.
The exemption for BS-IV and below goods vehicles carrying essential commodities is removed in Stages III and IV.
Commission meeting:
30th Full Commission meeting, 28.09.2026
CAQM Chairperson:
Shri Rajesh Verma
Total GRAP actions:
48 (25 + 8 + 10 + 5)
District added:
Sonipat
Why it matters for exams: GRAP and CAQM feature repeatedly in environment and governance sections of UPSC and PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
29 September 2026
The 10th India-Republic of Korea Joint Committee Meeting on Defence Industries and Logistics Cooperation was held in New Delhi on September 29, 2026.
It was co-chaired by Shri Dinesh Mahur, Additional Secretary (Defence Production), and Mr. Kim Il Dong, Vice Minister, Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), Republic of Korea.
Larsen & Toubro and BEML took part from India; Hanwha Aerospace, Korean Air, Hanwha Systems, Korea Aerospace Industries and DS Navcours from Korea.
On the sidelines, Mr. Kim Il Dong called on Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth.
Both sides reaffirmed commitment to deepening cooperation in defence industries and logistics.
Meeting:
10th Joint Committee Meeting, New Delhi, 29 Sep 2026
Indian co-chair:
Dinesh Mahur, Additional Secretary (Defence Production)
Korean co-chair:
Kim Il Dong, Vice Minister, DAPA
Indian firms:
L&T, BEML
Why it matters for exams: India-abroad defence cooperation items are routinely asked in UPSC, SSC and PSC current-affairs papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
29 September 2026
The 2nd India-Italy Joint Working Group (JWG) on Tourism was held on 29 September 2026.
It was co-chaired by Shri Bhuvnesh Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, and Ms. Emanuela Tripi, Secretary-General, Ministry of Tourism, Italy.
Topics included exchange of tourism data, cine-tourism, destination twinning, skilling and Business-to-Business engagement.
Both sides agreed to set up focused technical groups and designate points of contact.
The proposed India-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism 2027 was also discussed.
Meeting:
2nd India-Italy JWG on Tourism, 29 Sep 2026
Indian co-chair:
Bhuvnesh Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism
Italian co-chair:
Emanuela Tripi, Secretary-General
Proposed year:
India-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism 2027
Why it matters for exams: Bilateral mechanisms and proposed 'Year of' events are favourite current-affairs fodder.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
29 September 2026
A Memorandum of Understanding has been exchanged between the Ministry of MSME and the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
It institutionalises sharing of unit-wise Udyam Registration data through APIs for the National Statistical Business Register (NSBR).
It was signed by Dr. Rajneesh of the Ministry of MSME and Dr. Dalip Singh of MoSPI.
The Statistical Business Register is a regularly updated central database of statistical units engaged in economic activities.
It helps identify the target population for economic surveys and supports survey sample selection.
Parties to MoU:
Ministry of MSME and MoSPI
Data source:
Udyam Registration (via APIs)
Purpose:
National Statistical Business Register
Date of release:
29 September 2026
Why it matters for exams: Statistical infrastructure and MoSPI's role are frequent exam topics.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
30 September 2026
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has hosted the draft Petroleum (Amendment) Bill, 2026 on its website on 30th September, 2026.
An explanatory note giving a brief overview of the amendments accompanies it.
The exercise is described as pre-legislative consultation.
Stakeholders and the public may send comments to the Under Secretary (Distribution) on or before 30th October 2026.
Inputs received will be duly examined.
Draft:
Petroleum (Amendment) Bill, 2026
Hosted on:
30 September 2026
Comments due:
30 October 2026
Ministry:
Petroleum and Natural Gas
Why it matters for exams: Pre-legislative consultation is a recurring polity and governance topic.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
29 September 2026
The Technology Development Board (TDB), Department of Science & Technology, has signed an agreement with Multi Nano Sense Technologies Private Limited, Nagpur, for ₹37.51 crore support under the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund.
The project has a total approved cost of ₹75.02 crore and aims to develop a MEMS + AFE SoC Multi-Gas Sensor platform.
The technology is to advance from TRL-4 to TRL-9.
Support will be given through Optionally Convertible Debt (OCD).
The project falls under the Deep Technology sector, with Quantum Technology as the sub-sector.
TDB support:
₹37.51 crore
Total approved cost:
₹75.02 crore
Instrument:
Optionally Convertible Debt (OCD)
Technology readiness:
TRL-4 to TRL-9
Why it matters for exams: Technology-funding bodies and TRL levels are popular in science-and-technology current affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
29 September 2026
The Government has prepared a roadmap to make Drug Free India by 2029, the 'Vision Document 2026-2029' for a Nasha Mukt Bharat.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched it at the 10th Apex-level NCORD (Narco Coordination Centre) meeting in New Delhi on 26 June 2026.
It followed consultations with more than 35 ministries, departments and agencies.
The roadmap runs from July 2026 to July 2029 on four pillars, with the mantra Detect, Disrupt and Destroy.
From 2019 to July 2026, 93,33,987 kilograms of narcotic and psychotropic substances with an estimated value of Rs.1,53,212 crore were seized.
Document:
Vision Document 2026-2029
Launched:
26 June 2026 at 10th Apex NCORD meeting
Consultations:
More than 35 ministries, departments and agencies
Seized 2019 to July 2026:
93,33,987 kg, estimated value Rs.1,53,212 crore
Why it matters for exams: Internal-security campaigns and their institutional architecture (NCORD, NCB) are regular exam themes.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
29 September 2026
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs, secured the deportation of Red Notice subject Sandeep Mistry from the UAE to India.
He is wanted in the Nirav Modi PNB Bank Fraud case.
A Red Notice was published in July 2026 through INTERPOL channels; he was arrested by UAE authorities and deported.
He arrived in Mumbai at 2355 Hrs on 28.09.2026 and was sent to jail custody.
More than 175 wanted criminals have been brought back to India through INTERPOL channels in the last few years.
Fugitive:
Sandeep Mistry (Nirav Modi PNB fraud case)
Deported from:
UAE
Red Notice published:
July 2026
Returned via INTERPOL channels:
More than 175
Why it matters for exams: India-UAE cooperation, INTERPOL Red Notices and CBI's nodal role are common in UPSC and PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
Background
The 73rd Amendment 1992 added a new Part IX to the constitution titled The Panchayats, covering provisions from Article 243 to 243(O), and a new Eleventh Schedule covering 29 subjects within the functions of the Panchayats. It implements article 40 of the DPSP, under which the State shall take steps to organise village panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of self-government. Part IX provides for a 3 tier Panchayat system at the village level, intermediate level and district level, but states with a population below 20 Lakh were given an option to not to have the intermediate level. Gram Sabha is a body consisting of all the persons registered in the electoral rolls relating to a village comprised within the area of Panchayat at the village level, and it is the only permanent unit in Panchayati Raj system. Seats are reserved for SCs and STs in proportion to their population at each level, and out of the total number of seats to be filled by the direct elections, 1/3rd have to be reserved for women. A clear term for 5 years has been provided for the Panchayats, and where a Panchayat is dissolved earlier the elections must take place before expiry of 6 months of the dissolution. Article 243F fixes 21 years as the minimum age to become a member of the Panchayat, and Article 243K provides for constitution of a State Election Commission in respect of the Panchayats. The provisions of part IX are not applicable to the entire states of Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram.
Part added to the Constitution:
Part IX, Article 243 to 243(O)
Schedule added:
Eleventh Schedule, 29 subjects
Directive Principle implemented:
article 40 of the DPSP
Term of a Panchayat:
5 years
Minimum age for membership:
21 years, under Article 243F
States to which Part IX does not apply:
Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram
Why it matters for exams: Which Part, which Schedule, how many subjects, the term, the minimum age and the exempted states are the exact points asked on rural local government.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
Background
The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) is conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) of the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MOSPI). PLFS was launched in 2017 essentially to address the requirement of generating estimate of the key employment and unemployment indicators quarterly for the urban areas only in the Current Weekly Status (CWS), and annually in both usual status (ps+ss) and CWS for rural and urban areas. The key labour market indicators it yields are the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR) and Unemployment Rate (UR). Usual Status (ps+ss) and Current Weekly Status (CWS) refer to frameworks for determining activity status of the person surveyed based on reference periods of last 365 days and last seven days preceding the date of survey, respectively. The sampling design of PLFS has been revamped from January 2025, so that the key indicators are now released on a monthly basis at the all-India level, the quarterly results cover rural areas as well, and the annual results follow the calendar year. The revamped design is a multistage stratified design in which district has been made the primary geographical unit, called basic stratum, for selecting First Stage Units (FSUs). A total sample size of 22,692 FSUs is planned to be surveyed (12,504 FSUs in the rural areas and 10,188 in the urban areas), against 12,800 FSUs surveyed upto December, 2024. A total of 12 households will be surveyed from each of the selected FSUs, giving an overall sample size of around 2,72,304 households, and each selected household is visited four times in four consecutive months.
Conducting agency:
National Statistics Office (NSO), MOSPI
Launched:
2017
Current Weekly Status reference period:
last seven days preceding the date of survey
Usual status (ps+ss) reference period:
last 365 days
Revamped sample size:
22,692 FSUs and around 2,72,304 households
Indicators estimated:
Labour Force Participation Rate, Worker Population Ratio, Unemployment Rate
Why it matters for exams: The agency that produces India's unemployment rate, the difference between the usual status and Current Weekly Status reference periods, and the survey's sample size are recurring questions on official statistics.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
Background
The National Quantum Mission (NQM) was approved on 19th April 2023 by the Union Cabinet, is set to span from 2023–24 to 2030–31, with a budget allocation of ₹6,003.65 crore. It is one of the nine initiatives under the Prime Minister’s Science Technology Innovation Advisory Council (PMSTIAC). Four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) have been set up, bringing together 14 Technical Groups across 17 states and 2 Union Territories. The four T-Hubs are at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru; the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras in association with the Centre for Development of Telematics, New Delhi; the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay; and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. Each hub focuses on one domain among Quantum Computing, Quantum Communication, Quantum Sensing & Metrology, and Quantum Materials & Devices, and together they involve 152 researchers from 43 institutions. Each T-Hub follows the Hub-Spoke-Spike model, in which research projects are the Spokes and individual research groups the Spikes operating alongside the central hubs. Mission targets include intermediate-scale quantum computers with 20-50 physical qubits in 3 years, 50-100 physical qubits in 5 years and 50-1000 physical qubits in 8 years. They also include satellite-enabled quantum-secured communication between two ground stations over 2000 km within India and inter-city quantum key distribution over 2000 km using trusted nodes.
Budget allocation:
₹6,003.65 crore
Mission period:
2023–24 to 2030–31
Approved by:
the Union Cabinet, on 19th April 2023
Thematic Hubs:
Four — IISc Bengaluru, IIT Madras, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi
Implementation model:
Hub-Spoke-Spike model
Researchers and institutions:
152 researchers from 43 institutions
Why it matters for exams: The outlay, the mission period, the number and location of the Thematic Hubs and the Hub-Spoke-Spike model are the details asked whenever a national science mission comes up.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The President of India has given assent to the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025. The resulting Act represents a comprehensive statutory overhaul of MGNREGA, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act enacted in 2005, which had guaranteed at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment each year to rural households willing to undertake unskilled manual work. The Act guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household in each financial year to such rural households whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work, with an aggregated 60-day no-work period to ensure the availability of agricultural labour during peak sowing and harvesting season, so that the 125 guaranteed days fall within the remaining 305 days. The disbursement of daily wages shall be made on a weekly basis or, in any case, not later than a fortnight after the date on which such work was done. Employment creation is integrated with infrastructure development through four priority verticals: water security through water-related works, core-rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure, and special works to mitigate extreme weather events. Assets created are aggregated into the Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack, and planning is decentralised through Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans spatially integrated with PM Gati Shakti. The programme shifts from a central sector scheme to a centrally sponsored framework, with a standard cost-sharing ratio of 60:40 between the Centre and states, 90:10 for North Eastern and Himalayan states, and 100 per cent central funding for Union Territories without legislatures. Where work is not provided, a daily unemployment allowance becomes payable after 15 days, with liability resting on the States, and the administrative expenditure ceiling rises from 6 per cent to 9 per cent, with social audits mandated at least once every six months.
Employment guaranteed:
125 days of wage employment per rural household in each financial year
Statute overhauled:
MGNREGA, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, and its earlier 100-day entitlement
No-work period:
an aggregated 60-day no-work period, leaving 305 days
Priority verticals:
four — water security, core-rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure, special works for extreme weather events
Cost sharing:
60:40 Centre and states; 90:10 for North Eastern and Himalayan states; 100 per cent for Union Territories without legislatures
Unemployment allowance:
payable after 15 days, liability resting on the States
Why it matters for exams: A change of statute in the rural employment guarantee resets every number an aspirant had memorised, so the days guaranteed, the no-work period, the cost-sharing ratios and who pays the unemployment allowance are all fresh question material.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
Background
The National Commission for Women is the body constituted under section 3 of the National Commission for Women Act, 1990 (Act 20 of 1990). The Act carries the date 30th August, 1990 and was brought into force on 31.1.1992. Under section 3 the Central Government shall constitute the body, and the Commission shall consist of a Chairperson, committed to the cause of women, five Members and a Member-Secretary, all to be nominated by the Central Government. A proviso requires that at least one Member each shall be from amongst persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes respectively. Under section 10 the Commission shall investigate and examine all matters relating to the safeguards provided for women under the Constitution and other laws, review, from time to time, the existing provisions of the Constitution and other laws affecting women and recommend amendments thereto, and look into complaints and take suo motu notice of matters relating to deprivation of women's rights. While investigating such matters the Commission shall have all the powers of a Civil Court trying a suit, in particular summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person from any part of India and examining him on oath. The Central Government shall cause the reports upon the working of those safeguards to be laid before each House of Parliament alongwith a memorandum explaining the action taken or proposed to be taken on the recommendations.
Statute:
National Commission for Women Act, 1990 (Act 20 of 1990)
Date carried by the Act:
30th August, 1990
Brought into force:
31.1.1992
Composition under section 3:
a Chairperson, five Members and a Member-Secretary
Powers while investigating:
all the powers of a Civil Court trying a suit
Why it matters for exams: The statute and its number, the section under which the Commission is constituted, the exact composition and the powers of a Civil Court are the points examiners use to separate the Commission from a merely advisory body.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC