6 October 2026
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Government of India's commitment of ₹10,000 crore towards the establishment of the SME Growth Fund. The fund is meant for direct equity investment in small and medium enterprises. It targets growth capital for enterprises in manufacturing, services, technology and innovation-driven sectors. The Cabinet noted a structural gap in equity development capital for such enterprises. A majority of the funds is to go to small and medium manufacturing enterprises.
Fund size:
₹10,000 crore (Government of India commitment)
Mode:
Direct equity investment
Why it matters for exams: Equity-support schemes for MSMEs and Cabinet decisions on economy are regular exam material.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Equity Ownership stake in a company — Money raised by selling a share of ownership rather than borrowing.
6 October 2026
The Union Cabinet approved the establishment of the Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority (ITLA), set up as a Special Purpose Vehicle. It will act as the apex body for integrated transport and logistics planning, research, project evaluation and monitoring, policy support and data analysis. ITLA will develop national transport master plans spanning ten years or more. It will technically evaluate infrastructure projects costing 500 crore rupees or more. It will also set up a National Transport Data Repository integrating GSTN e-way bills, FASTag, GPS and urban traffic data.
Project threshold:
₹500 crore or more
Master plan horizon:
Ten years or more
Data platform:
National Transport Data Repository
Why it matters for exams: Logistics-cost reduction and infrastructure planning bodies are recurring topics in economy and governance papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SPV Special Purpose Vehicle — A separate entity created for one defined purpose.
6 October 2026
The Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth ₹661.50 crore with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited. It covers the BrahMos Fire Control System and Launcher for Indian Navy warships. The procurement is under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category with a minimum of 68 percent indigenous content. The project will generate employment over a period of three years. The contract was signed on 6 October 2026 in New Delhi in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.
Contract value:
₹661.50 crore
Indigenous content:
Minimum 68 percent
Category:
Buy (Indian-IDDM)
Employment generation period:
Three years
Why it matters for exams: Defence procurement categories and indigenous-content figures are favourite factual questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IDDM Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured — A Defence Acquisition Procedure category favouring home-built systems.
6 October 2026
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched FSS-1 'Surya', the first indigenous Fleet Support Ship, at Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam. The ship has cargo and liquid transfer capability, maintenance workshops, a helicopter deck and self-defence systems. The keel of FSS-5, the fifth fleet support ship, was also laid. The upgraded Slipway-4, able to build and launch ships of up to 45,000 DWT, and a 300-tonne Goliath crane built under Make in India were inaugurated.
Ship launched:
FSS-1 'Surya'
Slipway-4 capacity:
Up to 45,000 DWT
Crane:
300-tonne Goliath crane
Why it matters for exams: Naval shipbuilding milestones and Make in India defence projects feature in defence and science-tech sections.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DWT Deadweight tonnage — The total weight a ship can carry, including cargo and fuel.
6 October 2026
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh held a bilateral meeting with Swiss President Guy Parmelin in New Delhi on strengthening long-term cooperation in science, technology, research and innovation. The Indo-Swiss Research Framework (ISRF) now seeks to take the partnership from a project-based model towards a more strategic, system-level partnership. Dr Singh welcomed the progress towards the ISRF and the Indo-Swiss Joint Scientific Board, a Letter of Intent between the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Department of Science & Technology (DST), and an Implementation Agreement between the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and DST. President Parmelin said Switzerland has earmarked a further CHF 45 million for the partnership.
Swiss allocation:
45 million Swiss francs (further CHF 45 million earmarked)
Swiss leader:
President Guy Parmelin
Bodies welcomed:
Indo-Swiss Research Framework; Indo-Swiss Joint Scientific Board
Why it matters for exams: India's bilateral agreements with other countries are staple current-affairs questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
LoI Letter of Intent — A document stating the parties' intention to cooperate before a full agreement.
6 October 2026
The Ministry of Steel reported growth in India's steel sector in the first half of FY 2026-27. Crude steel production was 85.1 million tonnes against 82.7 million tonnes a year earlier, a rise of 2.9 per cent. Finished steel consumption was 84.9 million tonnes against 79.0 million tonnes, up 7.5 per cent. Finished steel imports were 4,141.8 thousand tonnes worth ₹43,690.1 crore, and exports were 3,547.8 thousand tonnes worth ₹28,263.7 crore. India was a net importer by volume.
Crude steel:
85.1 million tonnes
Consumption growth:
7.5 per cent
Import value:
₹43,690.1 crore
Why it matters for exams: Production and consumption figures for core industries appear in economy and report-based questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Crude steel Steel in its first solid form — Steel produced from the furnace before it is rolled into finished products.
6 October 2026
A study led by the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, with lead researcher Dr Alok C. Gupta, reported new insight into the binary black hole system OJ 287. The object lies about 4 billion light-years away. The central black hole mass was estimated to be at least 3.89 billion solar masses and the orbital period is 12 years. Observations ran from 2015 to 2025 using about two dozen telescopes. The work involved 106 scientists from 48 institutions across 18 countries.
Object:
OJ 287
Distance:
About 4 billion light-years
Orbital period:
12 years
Scientists:
106 from 48 institutions in 18 countries
Why it matters for exams: Indian institutes and astronomy discoveries are frequent in science and technology sections.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Binary black hole Two black holes orbiting each other — A pair of black holes bound by gravity that circle a common centre.
6 October 2026
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has issued an order mandating expansion of Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) cameras at industries in the National Capital Region and adjoining areas. The cameras are for real-time monitoring of fuel use and compliance. They are to cover fuel storage areas, fuel charging points and gas meters. Industries are to install the additional cameras by 31.10.2026, and State Pollution Control Boards and the DPCC are to submit a status report on implementation by 01.11.2026. Real-time video feeds are to be streamed to the servers of the Central Pollution Control Board, State Pollution Control Boards and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee.
Installation deadline:
31.10.2026
Status report due:
01.11.2026
Camera type:
Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ)
Why it matters for exams: Air-quality governance bodies and pollution-control measures are frequent environment questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CAQM Commission for Air Quality Management — A statutory commission for air quality in the NCR and adjoining areas.
Background
The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) is conducted by the National Statistics Office in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, as one of the surveys conducted by NSS. It was launched in April 2017 to produce the key employment and unemployment indicators: the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), the Worker Population Ratio (WPR) and the Unemployment Rate (UR). LFPR is the percentage of persons in the labour force in the population; WPR is the percentage of employed persons in the population; and UR is the percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in the labour force. A person's activity status is fixed under two frameworks: Usual Status (ps+ss), which uses a reference period of the last 365 days, and Current Weekly Status (CWS), which uses the last seven days preceding the date of survey. At the start the quarterly results covered urban areas only, in CWS, while the annual report covered rural and urban areas in both approaches, and the survey used a rotational panel sampling design in urban areas. The sampling design was revamped from January 2025: monthly estimates of LFPR, WPR and UR are now produced for the all-India level in CWS, the quarterly estimates extend to rural areas, and the annual results follow the calendar year.
Conducting agency:
National Statistics Office
Launched in:
April 2017
Usual Status reference period:
last 365 days
Current Weekly Status reference period:
last seven days
Sampling design revamped from:
January 2025
Why it matters for exams: Questions turn on who conducts the survey, what each of the three indicators measures, and the difference between the 365-day and seven-day reference periods, which is the commonest point of confusion.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
PLFS Periodic Labour Force Survey — India's regular household survey of employment and unemployment.
LFPR Labour Force Participation Rate — The share of the population that is working, or seeking or available for work.
WPR Worker Population Ratio — The share of the population that is actually employed.
CWS Current Weekly Status — Activity status judged over the seven days before the survey visit.
Labour force — Everyone who is working, or seeking or available for work; those outside it are not counted as unemployed.
Background
Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) is the regional navigation satellite system established by the Indian Space Research Organisation; it was earlier known as the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). NavIC is designed with a constellation of 7 satellites and a network of ground stations working round the clock. Three satellites are placed in geostationary orbit, at 32.5°E, 83°E and 129.5°E, and four in inclined geosynchronous orbit with equatorial crossings at 55°E and 111.75°E, at an inclination of 29°. It offers two services, the Standard Position Service (SPS) for civilian users and the Restricted Service (RS) for strategic users, in both the L5 (1176.45 MHz) and S band (2498.028 MHz); a new civilian signal is being introduced in the L1 band (1575.42 MHz). The coverage area includes India and a region up to 1500 km beyond Indian boundary, with user position accuracy better than 20m and timing accuracy better than 50ns. The International Maritime Organisation has recognised NavIC as a component of worldwide radio navigation system for maritime applications. GAGAN is a different thing: GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation, implemented by ISRO with the Airports Authority of India, is a satellite based augmentation system (SBAS) for Indian airspace that adds the accuracy, availability and integrity needed for phases of flight from en-route to approach. It is inter-operable with other such systems including the United States' WAAS, the European EGNOS and the Japanese MSAS, and has been certified by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for RNP 0.1 and APV-1 services.
NavIC constellation:
constellation of 7 satellites
Coverage beyond the Indian boundary:
1500 km
Position accuracy:
better than 20m
Timing accuracy:
better than 50ns
Civilian service frequency in L5:
1176.45 MHz
GAGAN implemented with:
Airports Authority of India
Why it matters for exams: NavIC and GAGAN are regularly set against each other in examinations, and the number of satellites, the service bands, the 1500 km coverage and the role of the Airports Authority of India are the details most often asked.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
NavIC Navigation with Indian Constellation — India's own regional satellite navigation system, formerly called IRNSS.
SBAS Satellite based augmentation system — A system that corrects and checks signals from a navigation constellation so aircraft can rely on them.
Geostationary orbit — An orbit over the equator in which a satellite stays above the same point on the ground.
GNSS Global navigation satellite system — The general term for all satellite positioning systems, of which GPS is only one.
Background
The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in January 2019, with the object of improving air quality in 131 non-attainment and Million Plus Cities and Urban Agglomerations across 24 States/UTs by engaging all relevant stakeholders. The programme first aimed at a reduction of 20-30% in PM10 concentrations by 2024-25 compared with the baseline year of 2017-18. That target has since been revised to achieve up to a 40% reduction in PM10 levels, or to meet the national standards, by 2025-26. City specific targets ranging from 4-15% have been given for the reduction in annual PM10 concentrations, to be met by implementing city specific action plans. In addition, an annual target of 15% improvement in Good Days, meaning days on which the Air Quality Index is below 200, has been prescribed for 49 Million Plus cities and Urban Agglomerations.
Launched in:
January 2019
Cities covered:
131 non-attainment and Million Plus Cities
States and union territories covered:
24 States/UTs
Baseline year:
baseline year of 2017-18
Revised PM10 reduction target:
40%
City specific targets:
4-15%
Why it matters for exams: The launching ministry, the baseline year, the revised PM10 reduction target and the band of city specific targets are the facts asked about this programme, and the Good Days target is the part most often missed.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
NCAP National Clean Air Programme — India's national programme for reducing particulate air pollution in the worst affected cities.
PM10 Particulate matter of 10 micrometres or less in diameter — Airborne dust particles small enough to be drawn into the airways.
Non-attainment city — A city that has not met the national ambient air quality standards over a stated period.
AQI Air Quality Index — A single number that converts pollutant concentrations into a scale the public can read.
Background
The Press Information Bureau records that the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana was launched by the Prime Minister on 28th August 2014 as the National Mission for Financial Inclusion.
The scheme ensures that every unbanked adult has access to a basic bank account, with zero balance requirements and no maintenance charges.
Each account comes with a free RuPay debit card offering an accident insurance cover of ₹2 lakh.
Account holders are eligible for an overdraft facility of up to ₹10,000.
A fully KYC compliant account is a BSBD account with no restriction on balances or on the number and value of deposits in a month.
A minimum of four free withdrawals a month, including ATM withdrawals at any ATM, is provided, after which banks may charge.
The scheme sits at the core of the Jan-Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile trinity, described as a diversion-proof mechanism for subsidy delivery.
Launched on:
28th August 2014
Accident insurance cover on the RuPay card:
₹2 lakh
Overdraft facility:
up to ₹10,000
Free withdrawals a month:
Minimum of four
Balance requirement:
Zero balance, no maintenance charges
Why it matters for exams: The ₹2 lakh accident cover, the ₹10,000 overdraft and the four free withdrawals are the figures a financial inclusion question asks for.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
BSBD account Basic Savings Bank Deposit account — A no-frills savings account with no minimum balance requirement.
JAM Jan-Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile — The combination of bank account, Aadhaar and mobile number used to deliver benefits directly.
Overdraft Overdraft facility — Permission to draw more than the balance in an account, up to a set limit.