3 October 2026
NABKISAN Finance Limited, a subsidiary of NABARD, listed India's first social bond dedicated to the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector on the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai on 1 October 2026.
The issue was oversubscribed 1.8 times and raised ₹180 crore.
The five-year bond carries a coupon rate of 8.10% and matures in September 2031; it is rated CRISIL AAA (Stable) and CARE AAA (Stable).
The proceeds will expand access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene in rural and underserved communities.
Water.org acted as Technical Advisor and Knowledge Partner for the issue.
Issuer:
NABKISAN Finance Limited (NABARD subsidiary)
Amount raised:
₹180 crore
Subscription:
1.8 times
Coupon rate:
8.10%
Maturity:
September 2031
Why it matters for exams: Social bonds, sustainable finance and NABARD's role in rural development are recurring economy and banking topics.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
NABARD National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development — The national development bank for agriculture and rural development; NABKISAN is its subsidiary.
WASH Water, Sanitation and Hygiene — The sector covering safe drinking water, toilets and hygiene practices.
Social bond — A bond whose proceeds are used for projects with social benefits.
3 October 2026
Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on 3 October 2026 that Navpreet Singh was deported from Türkiye and brought back to India.
In his post on X, Mr Shah described him as a hardened narco-trafficking kingpin and said he had obtained Turkish citizenship under the fake identity 'Navab Virk' and continued to smuggle heroin and methamphetamine into India from Afghanistan.
Mr Shah said he had been brought back to India and put behind bars in connection with cases involving drug trafficking and other crimes.
The PIB release states that 288 fugitives from 36 countries were brought back to India between 2019 and August 2026.
It also notes that BHARATPOL, launched in January 2025, connects more than 1,400 units of State and Central agencies.
Deported from:
Türkiye
Fugitives brought back (2019 to August 2026):
288 from 36 countries
BHARATPOL launched:
January 2025
Assets of fugitives attached under PMLA (2019 to 2026):
₹17,874 crore
Why it matters for exams: India's efforts to bring back fugitives, BHARATPOL and international law-enforcement cooperation are recurring internal-security topics.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
BHARATPOL — A portal that links the CBI, State police headquarters and district police on one platform for information-sharing.
PMLA Prevention of Money Laundering Act — The law under which assets linked to money laundering can be attached.
3 October 2026
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held bilateral talks in New Delhi on 28 September 2026 with Silvio Erkens, the Netherlands' Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature.
They reviewed ongoing cooperation and reiterated their resolve to enhance productivity through modern technology, innovation and knowledge exchange.
Progress on establishing 25 Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in the agriculture and horticulture sectors was discussed.
Both sides agreed to explore seed-sector cooperation through a work plan outlining key areas of cooperation.
PIB issued the release on 2 October 2026.
Meeting date:
28 September 2026
Venue:
New Delhi
Netherlands minister:
Silvio Erkens
Centres of Excellence discussed:
25
Why it matters for exams: India's bilateral partnerships in agriculture and the Centres of Excellence model are useful for international relations and agriculture questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
CoE Centre of Excellence — A specialised centre set up to promote research, skills and best practice in a field.
3 October 2026
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal attended the 65-year ceremony of the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) at the International Cruise Terminal, Mumbai, on 2 October 2026.
Founded in 1961 as a liner shipping company with 19 vessels, SCI now operates 58 vessels totalling 5.26 million deadweight tonnage (DWT).
Mr Sonowal asked SCI to take a leading role in self-reliant shipbuilding and tied its growth to the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.
He pointed to SCI's performance during the recent Strait of Hormuz crisis in safeguarding energy and trade security.
Capt. B.K. Tyagi is SCI's Chairman and Managing Director.
Founded:
1961
Fleet at founding:
19 vessels
Fleet now:
58 vessels
Total tonnage:
5.26 million DWT
National goal:
Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047
Why it matters for exams: Maritime sector milestones, public sector undertakings and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 feature in economy and current-affairs papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
DWT Deadweight tonnage — The total weight a ship can carry, including cargo, fuel, crew and supplies.
3 October 2026
The 140th meeting of the Enforcement Task Force (ETF) of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) was held on 1 October 2026.
For the 17-day period from 8 to 24 September 2026, 197 inspections were reported: 10 at construction and demolition sites, 111 in the industrial sector and 76 on diesel generator sets.
Violations were reported in 85 cases; proposed actions include closure of 4 C&D projects and 1 industrial unit and sealing of 28 DG sets.
The Commission's Flying Squads have so far inspected 28,744 units, projects or entities across NCR; 1,831 closure directions have been issued and 1,488 resumption orders issued after verification.
A special drive in Loni, Ghaziabad on 29 September 2026 found all 21 inspected units non-compliant.
ETF meeting:
140th, held on 1 October 2026
Inspections in 17 days:
197
Violation cases:
85
Cumulative inspections:
28,744
Closure directions issued:
1,831
Why it matters for exams: Institutions that enforce air-quality norms in Delhi-NCR are a common environment and governance topic.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
CAQM Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas — The commission that coordinates air-quality enforcement in the National Capital Region and adjoining areas.
ETF Enforcement Task Force — The CAQM body that reviews enforcement actions, inspections and compliance.
3 October 2026
On Gandhi Jayanti, 2 October 2026, more than 2.42 lakh Special Gram Sabhas were scheduled on the GPDP Portal and the Panchayat NIRNAY Portal.
They marked the start of the People's Plan Campaign 2026-27, 'Sabki Yojana, Sabka Vikas', under which Panchayats prepare Panchayat Development Plans for 2027-28.
Discussions covered devolution of Central Finance Commission grants to Panchayats, Own Source Revenue, secure property and land rights, drinking water, sanitation, food security and women's economic empowerment.
The campaign is led by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in collaboration with 21 Ministries and Departments of the Government of India.
Special Gram Sabhas:
More than 2.42 lakh
Campaign:
People's Plan Campaign 2026-27
Plans prepared for:
2027-28
Partner Ministries and Departments:
21
Why it matters for exams: Gram Sabha, Panchayat Development Plans and fiscal devolution to local bodies are core local-governance topics.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
GPDP Gram Panchayat Development Plan — The annual plan a Gram Panchayat prepares for local development.
Gram Sabha — The body of all registered voters of a village, which discusses local plans and priorities.
3 October 2026
On 2 October 2026, at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, 662 aids and assistive devices costing over ₹10 lakh were distributed to 114 senior citizens living in Senior Citizen Homes across Delhi-NCR.
Union Minister Dr Virendra Kumar and Minister of State B. L. Verma distributed them under the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY).
Dr Kumar said devices were given to 904 senior citizens at Bhavnagar, Gujarat on 1 October 2026, the International Day of Older Persons.
The Ministry plans to increase PM-Divya Asha Kendras from 109 to 300.
RVY was launched on 1 April 2017; ALIMCO is its implementing agency.
Devices distributed in Delhi-NCR:
662
Beneficiaries:
114 senior citizens
RVY launched:
1 April 2017
PM-Divya Asha Kendras planned:
From 109 to 300
Why it matters for exams: Welfare schemes for senior citizens and their implementing agencies are regular polity and social-justice questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
ALIMCO Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India — The public sector corporation that makes and supplies aids and assistive devices; it implements RVY.
RVY Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana — A scheme that provides aids and assistive devices to senior citizens in need.
3 October 2026
CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) celebrated its 85th Foundation Day on 1 October 2026 at Nagpur.
Chief Guest Dr Prakash Chauhan, Director, National Remote Sensing Centre (ISRO), Hyderabad, delivered the lecture 'Exploring Earth's Moon with Indian Lunar Missions'.
He outlined Chandrayaan-1 to Chandrayaan-3, the planned Chandrayaan-4 lunar sample-return mission, and Chandrayaan-5/LuPEX, a planned ISRO-JAXA mission to the Moon's southern polar region to study lunar volatiles including water.
NEERI Director Dr S. Venkata Mohan highlighted research on water, air quality, climate change and waste management, and initiatives such as NEERI-ZAR for flood-affected areas of Assam.
A policy brief on climate-attributed ecosystem loss and damage reporting for India was released.
Institute:
CSIR-NEERI, Nagpur
Foundation Day:
85th, on 1 October 2026
Chief Guest:
Dr Prakash Chauhan, Director, NRSC
Planned ISRO-JAXA mission:
Chandrayaan-5/LuPEX
Why it matters for exams: India's planned lunar missions and CSIR's research laboratories are recurring science and technology topics.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
CSIR-NEERI CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute — A CSIR laboratory in Nagpur working on environmental research.
NRSC National Remote Sensing Centre — The ISRO centre in Hyderabad for remote sensing applications.
3 October 2026
In a first for the Union Territory, two mineral blocks in Jammu and Kashmir were successfully auctioned through the Ministry of Mines under the Central Government's mineral auction process, PIB said on 2 October 2026.
The Koot-Kapran Limestone Block in Anantnag covers 22.43 hectares with estimated resources of 4.75 million tonnes, explored up to the G-4 stage.
The Wantrag Limestone Block in Anantnag covers 5.36 hectares with estimated resources of 10.853 million tonnes, explored up to the G-3 stage including 159 metres of drilling.
The Government of Jammu and Kashmir had entrusted the auction of mineral blocks to the Ministry of Mines.
Blocks auctioned:
2 limestone blocks, Anantnag
Koot-Kapran block:
22.43 hectares; 4.75 million tonnes
Wantrag block:
5.36 hectares; 10.853 million tonnes
Auction conducted by:
Ministry of Mines
Why it matters for exams: Mineral auctions, resource estimates and Union Territory development are useful for economy and geography questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Mineral block — A defined area with identified mineral resources that is offered for mining through auction.
Background
Article 280 of the Constitution requires the President, within two years from the commencement of the Constitution and thereafter at the expiration of every fifth year, or at such earlier time as the President considers necessary, to constitute a Finance Commission by order.
The Commission consists of a Chairman and four other members, all appointed by the President.
Its duty is to recommend the distribution between the Union and the States of the net proceeds of taxes that are to be, or may be, divided between them, and the allocation between the States of their respective shares.
It also recommends the principles which should govern the grants-in-aid of the revenues of the States out of the Consolidated Fund of India.
Article 280 further asks it to recommend the measures needed to augment the Consolidated Fund of a State so as to supplement the resources of the Panchayats and of the Municipalities in that State, on the basis of the recommendations made by the Finance Commission of the State.
Any other matter referred to the Commission by the President in the interests of sound finance also falls within its terms of reference, and the Commission determines its own procedure.
Under Article 281 the President must cause every recommendation of the Commission, together with an explanatory memorandum on the action taken on it, to be laid before each House of Parliament.
The Finance Commission (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1951 fixes the qualifications: the Chairman is selected from persons who have had experience in public affairs, and the four other members from persons who are, have been or are qualified to be appointed as Judges of a High Court, or have special knowledge of the finances and accounts of Government, or have had wide experience in financial matters and in administration, or have special knowledge of economics.
Membership Article 280 provides for:
a Chairman and four other members
Interval at which a Commission is to be constituted:
at the expiration of every fifth year
Outer limit for the first Commission after the Constitution commenced:
within two years from the commencement
Principles the Commission recommends on Union grants:
the principles which should govern the grants-in-aid
Residuary head in the terms of reference:
any other matter referred to the Commission by the President
Why it matters for exams: The Commission's membership, its five-yearly cycle, the five heads in its terms of reference and the Article 281 laying requirement are the standard objective questions on Centre-State fiscal relations.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
Consolidated Fund of India Consolidated Fund of India — The main government account into which all revenues flow and out of which spending needs legislative authorisation.
grants-in-aid grants-in-aid of the revenues of the States — Money the Union gives a State out of the Consolidated Fund of India over and above its share of taxes.
net proceeds net proceeds of a tax or duty — The collection from a tax after the cost of collecting it has been deducted.
Background
The Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016 inserted Article 279A, under which the GST Council is a constitutional body and a joint forum of the Centre and the States.
Article 279A(1) required the GST Council to be constituted by the President within 60 days of the commencement of Article 279A; the notification bringing Article 279A into force took effect from 12th September, 2016 and the Council was constituted on 15.09.2016.
Its members are the Union Finance Minister as Chairperson, the Union Minister of State in charge of Revenue or Finance, and the Minister in charge of finance or taxation or any other Minister nominated by each State Government.
Under Article 279A(4) the Council makes recommendations to the Union and the States on the goods and services that may be subjected to or exempted from GST, model GST laws, the principles that govern place of supply, threshold limits, and GST rates including floor rates with bands, as well as special rates for raising additional resources during natural calamities or disasters and special provisions for certain States.
Every decision of the Council is taken by a majority of not less than three-fourths of the weighted votes of the members present and voting.
Within that weighting, one-third of the total votes cast belongs to the Centre and two-thirds of the total votes cast to the States taken together.
The Secretary (Revenue) is the ex-officio Secretary to the GST Council, and the Council Secretariat has its office at New Delhi, manned by officers taken on deputation from both the Central and State Governments.
Because neither side alone commands three-fourths of the weighted votes, the design forces the Centre and the States to build agreement before a recommendation can carry.
Voting threshold for a decision of the Council:
three-fourths of the weighted votes of the members present and voting
Weight of the Centre's vote:
weightage of one-third of the total votes cast to the Centre
Weight of the States' votes:
weightage of two-thirds of the total votes cast to the States
Time limit for constituting the Council:
within 60 days of the commencement of Article 279A
Chairperson of the Council:
Union Finance Minister - Chairperson
Why it matters for exams: The weighted-voting arithmetic is the one question on the Council that cannot be answered by memory alone, and the composition and the 60-day limit are standard recall.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
GST Goods and Services Tax — A single indirect tax on the supply of goods and services, shared between the Union and the States.
weighted vote weighted vote — A vote counted not as one head but as a fixed share of the total, fixed here at one-third for the Centre and two-thirds for the States.
place of supply place of supply — The rule that decides which State a transaction is taxed in.
Background
The National Tiger Conservation Authority publishes a list of all the tiger reserves declared in India, giving for each one its protected-area notification year, the State it lies in, its tiger-reserve notification year, its core area, its buffer area and its total area.
Every reserve is therefore measured in two parts: an inner core area and an outer buffer area, and the two together make up the reserve's total area.
The list runs to 58 tiger reserves.
Their core areas come to 46701.29 sq km, their buffer areas to 37786.54 sq km and the reserves together to 84487.83 sq km.
Nagarjunsagar Sagar in Andhra Pradesh is the largest of them, with a core area of 2,595.72 sq km and a total area of 3,296.31 sq km.
Kerala has two reserves on the list, Periyar and Parambikulam; Periyar has a core of 881.00 sq km against a buffer of only 44.00 sq km, for a total of 925.00 sq km.
Nine reserves carry the earliest protected-area notification year of 1973-74: Bandipur, Corbett, Kanha, Manas, Melghat, Palamau, Ranthambore, Simlipal and Sunderban.
Under section 38 v (3) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 the State Government must prepare a Tiger Conservation Plan, including a staff development and deployment plan, for the proper management of each such area.
Number of tiger reserves in the list:
58
Total core area of all tiger reserves:
46701.29 sq km
Total buffer area of all tiger reserves:
37786.54 sq km
Total area of all tiger reserves:
84487.83 sq km
Total area of Nagarjunsagar Sagar, the largest reserve:
3,296.31
Total area of Periyar in Kerala:
925.00
Why it matters for exams: The core-and-buffer split is the single idea that unlocks most tiger reserve questions, and the totals and the largest reserve are the figures most often asked alongside it.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
NTCA National Tiger Conservation Authority — The statutory body that oversees Project Tiger and approves tiger conservation plans.
buffer area buffer area of a tiger reserve — The outer zone of a reserve where limited human use is allowed, unlike the strictly protected core.