7 October 2026
SAREX-2026, the 12th National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise, is being organised by the Indian Coast Guard, with the inauguration on 7 October 2026 and the search and rescue demonstration off the Paradip coast on 8 October 2026.
Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth is to inaugurate the exercise, and the 24th National Maritime Search and Rescue (NMSAR) Board Meeting is to be held at Bhubaneswar under the chairmanship of Director General Paramesh Sivamani.
32 observers from 30 countries are taking part, underlining international cooperation in search and rescue.
The exercise deploys 15 Coast Guard ships, two Dornier aircraft, three Advanced Light Helicopters and a Chetak helicopter.
Two Indian Navy ships take part, with Indian Air Force C-130J and Mi-17 aircraft in support, along with civil and State assets and shore-based support units.
The scenario simulates the ditching of a passenger aircraft at sea with 228 persons on board and its impact with the container vessel MV Zumba, creating concurrent maritime and aeronautical emergencies.
The stated aim is a faster, technology-enabled and internationally connected search and rescue framework with better distress-alert management.
Exercise:
SAREX-2026, the 12th National Maritime Search & Rescue Exercise
Dates:
Inauguration 7 October 2026; SAR demonstration off Paradip 8 October 2026
Observers:
32 observers from 30 countries
Coast Guard ships:
15
Persons on board in the simulated ditching:
228
NMSAR Board Meeting:
24th, at Bhubaneswar, chaired by DG Paramesh Sivamani
Why it matters for exams: Named exercises, the participating services and the Coast Guard's search and rescue role are standard defence questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SAREX National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise — The Indian Coast Guard's periodic national exercise to test maritime search and rescue readiness.
7 October 2026
Union Health Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda is to lead the national launch of JOSH Teams at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi on 8 October 2026.
JOSH stands for Joint Squad for Health, a structured mechanism to turn youth energy into organised community action for tuberculosis elimination.
In the first phase, JOSH Teams will be deployed across 55 districts in 11 States to strengthen youth-led community mobilisation.
The launch is a joint effort of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ministry of Defence.
Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Shri Sanjay Seth and Delhi Chief Minister Smt. Rekha Gupta are among those taking part.
The programme includes new Information, Education and Communication materials and the launch of Khushi Avatar, an AI-powered chatbot for TB awareness.
In 2025, 67,933 panchayats across 697 districts were recognised as TB Mukt.
JOSH:
Joint Squad for Health
First phase coverage:
55 districts in 11 States
Launch venue:
Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi
TB Mukt panchayats in 2025:
67,933 across 697 districts
AI chatbot:
Khushi Avatar
Why it matters for exams: TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, its figures and new named mechanisms such as JOSH Teams are standard health-scheme questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IEC Information, Education and Communication — Public-awareness material used in health campaigns.
6 October 2026
The Ministry of Defence announced that the Government has appointed Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, PVSM, AVSM, VM, VSM, at present the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff in the rank of Air Chief Marshal.
The appointment takes effect from the afternoon of October 31, 2026. The present Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, superannuates from office on October 31, 2026.
Born on December 09, 1966, Air Marshal Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 06, 1986.
Before becoming Vice Chief of the Air Staff he was Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, and earlier Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Air Command.
He has more than 3500 hours of flying experience on aircraft including Mirage-2000, variants of MiG, Kiran, Jaguar, IL-78, Hawk and Tejas, and is an Experimental Test Pilot and a Qualified Flying Instructor.
He has taken part in operations and exercises including Op-Safed Sagar, Op-Rakshak and Op-Sindoor, and was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2026.
Post:
29th Chief of the Air Staff
Rank:
Air Chief Marshal
Effective from:
Afternoon of October 31, 2026
Flying experience:
more than 3500 hours
Why it matters for exams: Service-chief appointments are a standard current affairs question in every national examination.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
Chief of the Air Staff Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) — The professional head of the Indian Air Force, who holds the rank of Air Chief Marshal.
PVSM Param Vishisht Seva Medal — The highest Indian military award for distinguished service of the most exceptional order in peacetime.
CISC Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee — The senior tri-service officer who heads Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff.
Qualified Flying Instructor Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) — A pilot formally certified by the air force to train other pilots.
6 October 2026
Population Enumeration for Census 2027 has been completed in the designated snow-bound areas of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, covering 5,292 Enumeration Blocks: 4,597 in Jammu & Kashmir and 695 in Ladakh.
This was announced by Amit Sharma, Chief Principal Census Officer and Director Census Operations for Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
The exercise was preceded by a Self-Enumeration phase from 17 to 31 August 2026 and field enumeration from 1 to 30 September 2026.
Ladakh has become the first Union Territory in the country to complete Population Enumeration for Census 2027, covering all 695 Enumeration Blocks, 367 in Leh and 328 in Kargil.
In Jammu & Kashmir the snow-bound enumeration covered 16 districts and 95 Charges. Doda recorded the highest number of completed Enumeration Blocks at 798, followed by Kishtwar with 602, Ramban with 418, Anantnag with 377 and Baramulla with 359.
Kishtwar, declared fully snow-bound, has become the first district in the country to complete Population Enumeration for Census 2027.
Enumeration was also completed in 125 Special Charges of Defence and Central Armed Police Forces in the snow-bound areas of Jammu & Kashmir and 47 Special Charges in Ladakh.
Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, visited Jammu & Kashmir in August and Ladakh in September to review the exercise.
Enumeration Blocks covered:
5,292
Jammu & Kashmir:
4,597 Enumeration Blocks
Ladakh:
695 Enumeration Blocks
First district to complete:
Kishtwar
Self-Enumeration phase:
17 to 31 August 2026
Why it matters for exams: Census 2027 phases, the first-completing district and Union Territory, and the Registrar General's office are direct examination facts.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Enumeration Block Enumeration Block (EB) — The smallest census field unit, a cluster of households assigned to one enumerator.
Population Enumeration Population Enumeration — The census phase in which every person is counted and their particulars recorded.
Special Charge Special Charge — A census charge created for defence and armed police establishments, enumerated under separate arrangements.
Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India — The officer under the Ministry of Home Affairs who conducts the census and maintains civil registration.
6 October 2026
The Reserve Bank of India released data on sectoral deployment of credit by non-banking financial companies for August 2026.
NBFC credit grew 15.8 per cent year-on-year in August 2026, against 10.0 per cent a year earlier.
Credit to agriculture and allied activities expanded 17.4 per cent year-on-year, up sharply from 5.1 per cent in August 2025.
Credit to industry grew 8.4 per cent year-on-year, little changed from 8.3 per cent a year earlier, with infrastructure credit steady.
Credit to services moderated to 16.2 per cent year-on-year from 24.0 per cent; commercial real estate expanded strongly while trade and transport decelerated.
Retail loans accelerated to 22.0 per cent year-on-year from 13.6 per cent, with faster growth in housing loans and loans against gold jewellery.
The data cover a sample of upper and middle layer NBFCs and housing finance companies accounting for about 87 per cent of total NBFC credit.
Overall NBFC credit growth:
15.8 per cent (y-o-y)
Agriculture and allied:
17.4 per cent (y-o-y)
Retail loans:
22.0 per cent (y-o-y)
Services:
16.2 per cent (y-o-y)
Sample coverage:
about 87 per cent of total NBFC credit
Why it matters for exams: Sectoral credit growth figures and the RBI's scale-based layering of NBFCs are standard banking examination material.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
NBFC Non-Banking Financial Company — A company registered under the Companies Act that lends and invests but does not hold a banking licence.
Upper and middle layer Upper Layer and Middle Layer NBFCs — Two of the tiers in the Reserve Bank's scale-based regulatory framework for NBFCs, which carry stricter norms than the base layer.
Housing finance company Housing Finance Company (HFC) — An NBFC whose principal business is providing finance for housing, regulated by the Reserve Bank.
Year-on-year Year-on-year (y-o-y) — A comparison of a figure with the same month or quarter of the previous year.
6 October 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with Board members of the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) at Seva Teerth.
He said technology must become a tool for inclusive and sustainable development, and stressed democratising access to technology.
He said digital services must be made affordable for the Global South so that the digital divide does not widen.
On digital and cyber fraud he said the answer requires technology-driven solutions, along with user awareness campaigns about fraudulent calls.
He called for global standards and mechanisms that let users identify deepfakes and the origin of AI-generated content.
He described Digital Public Infrastructure as transformative for developing nations.
Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia and Minister of State Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar were present.
GSMA Board members pointed to cooperation opportunities in 5G, 6G, AI, cybersecurity, digital inclusion and satellite connectivity.
Venue:
Seva Teerth
Minister of Communications:
Jyotiraditya Scindia
Areas of cooperation named:
5G, 6G, AI, cybersecurity, digital inclusion, satellite connectivity
Why it matters for exams: Telecom diplomacy, Digital Public Infrastructure and deepfake regulation are standing themes in governance and science questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
GSMA Global System for Mobile Communications Association — An industry association of mobile network operators worldwide.
DPI Digital Public Infrastructure — Shared digital systems such as identity, payments and data exchange built as public utilities.
6 October 2026
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav led the Indian delegation at the UNFCCC's Pre-COP31 meetings, co-hosted by Australia, Fiji and Tuvalu.
Addressing the Leaders' Plenary in Fiji, he called for equal attention to adaptation, mitigation and means of implementation as the world moves towards COP31.
He said the principles of Equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities must be upheld in letter and spirit, and that there cannot be a one-size-fits-all pathway to climate action.
India offered to share its coastal resilience and space-based expertise with its Pacific partners, citing the work of the Indian Space Research Organisation, the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management and the National Centre for Coastal Research.
The Minister listed Indian expertise in coastal vulnerability assessment, shoreline change mapping, marine spatial plans, integrated coastal management plans and the Blue Economy, and in shoreline monitoring, inundation assessment, cyclone early warning and climate-risk assessment using Earth-observation capabilities.
Referring to his visit to Tuvalu, he said the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project showed how the provision of means of implementation translates into resilience on the ground.
Pre-COP is a preparatory meeting held a few weeks before the annual UN Climate Change Conference, which this year will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, in November.
Pre-COP31 co-hosts:
Australia, Fiji and Tuvalu
COP31 venue:
Antalya, Türkiye
COP31 month:
November
Indian bodies named:
ISRO, NCSCM, NCCR
Why it matters for exams: The venue of COP31, the Pre-COP hosts and the CBDR-RC principle are frequently asked environment questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Pre-COP Pre-Conference of the Parties meeting — A preparatory ministerial meeting held a few weeks before the annual UN Climate Change Conference.
CBDR-RC Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities — The climate negotiation principle that all countries must act but their obligations differ with their historical responsibility and capacity.
UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change — The 1992 treaty under which the annual climate conferences are held.
Means of implementation Means of implementation — In climate talks, the finance, technology transfer and capacity building that developing countries need to deliver climate action.
NCSCM National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management — A centre under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change working on coastal zone management.
5 October 2026
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence carried out an intelligence-led operation along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Cooch Behar District.
The suspects were intercepted near Chowdhurihat while travelling on two motorcycles.
Officers recovered 72 gold biscuits of 116 grams each, totalling 8.3 kg of foreign-origin gold.
The seized gold is valued at approximately Rs. 12.37 crore.
The gold was concealed in specially tailored cloth waist belts worn by two of the persons.
Four individuals were apprehended and the gold was seized under relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.
Further investigation is under way to identify the syndicates distributing the contraband gold.
Gold seized:
8.3 kg
Value:
approximately Rs. 12.37 crore
Gold biscuits:
72, of 116 grams each
District:
Cooch Behar
Persons apprehended:
Four
Why it matters for exams: Customs enforcement bodies, the Customs Act, 1962 and gold smuggling routes are frequently asked in economy and internal security sections.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DRI Directorate of Revenue Intelligence — The apex anti-smuggling intelligence agency under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.
6 October 2026
The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions has notified the Autonomous Boards and Central Assessment Committee (Establishment, Constitution, Functions and Powers) Regulations, 2026, under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021.
The Regulations provide for Autonomous Boards under the State Allied and Healthcare Councils, with responsibilities for education, institutional assessment, professional ethics and registration.
Each Autonomous Board will have 10 to 20 members including a President, with representation from recognised allied and healthcare professional categories, and prescribed qualifications, experience, tenure, age limits and declarations of assets, liabilities and conflicts of interest.
The Undergraduate and Postgraduate Boards will implement standards for recognised courses and competency-based frameworks. The Assessment and Rating Board will evaluate applications for recognition and Letters of Permission, inspect institutions, empanel assessors and publish rating information on the State Council website. The Ethics and Registration Board will verify documents, support the State registers and evaluate complaints.
Inspections will be carried out by three-member inspection teams comprising relevant Board representation and empanelled assessors, with the prior approval of the State Council, and the team must submit an Institution Verification Report; safeguards bar inspections where there is a conflict of interest.
For States without a functional State Council, the Regulations provide a Central Assessment Committee of 10 to 30 members including a President, supervised by the Commission, whose President will be appointed annually on a rotational basis among different professions.
Parent Act:
National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021
Autonomous Board size:
10 to 20 members including a President
Central Assessment Committee size:
10 to 30 members including a President
Inspection team:
three members
Why it matters for exams: The NCAHP Act, 2021 and the bodies created under it are a standing topic in health governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NCAHP National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions — The statutory commission that regulates education and practice in allied and healthcare professions in India.
Allied and healthcare professions Allied and healthcare professions — Health occupations other than medicine, dentistry and nursing, such as physiotherapy, radiography and laboratory technology.
Letter of Permission Letter of Permission (LoP) — The written permission a regulator grants an institution to start or continue a recognised course.
Central Assessment Committee Central Assessment Committee (CAC) — A committee that performs the functions of Autonomous Boards in States where no functional State Council exists.
6 October 2026
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has published an Approach Paper on expanding the scope and coverage of the Index of Services Production and invited comments from stakeholders.
MoSPI began a monthly compilation of the Index of Services Production for the formal sector on a trial basis in July 2026, with 2024-25 as the base year.
The initial framework tracks 19 broad service sub-sectors using high-frequency administrative data and data on outward supplies from GST, together accounting for about 60 per cent of services-sector Gross Value Added.
Core government tasks, non-market activities and GST-exempt services are excluded from the present framework.
The Approach Paper sets out methods to bring in three service areas left out so far: Education, Human Health and Residential Care, and Public Administration and Defence. Together these represent nearly 21 per cent of services GVA for 2024-25.
Adding them would take the monthly index's coverage to approximately 78.4 per cent of services-sector GVA and allow a unified all-encompassing index.
Comments and suggestions may be sent by 16 October 2026. The Ministry notes that the services sector drives more than half of the national Gross Value Added.
Base year:
2024-25
Present coverage:
approximately 60 per cent of services-sector GVA
Proposed coverage:
approximately 78.4 per cent of services-sector GVA
Sub-sectors tracked now:
19
Last date for comments:
16 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: A new national statistical index, its base year and its coverage are directly examinable economy facts.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
ISP Index of Services Production — A monthly index that measures short-term movements in the output of the services sector.
GVA Gross Value Added — The value of output minus the value of intermediate inputs, used to measure the contribution of a sector.
Base year Base year — The reference year whose level is taken as 100 when an index is constructed.
Outward supplies Outward supplies under GST — Sales reported by a business in its goods and services tax returns.
5 October 2026
The IndiaAI Mission organised an AIKosh University Engagement Programme at the National Institute of Technology, Andhra Pradesh, Tadepalligudem on 5 October 2026.
AIKosh is India's unified data platform and central repository for artificial intelligence resources.
It hosts over 16,000 datasets, more than 350 AI models and more than 200 use cases, along with toolkits and benchmarks.
The platform offers AIKosh MCP (Model Context Protocol) and AIKosh SDK, which let users discover datasets and models through natural language queries.
Over 160 students took part in expert sessions, live demonstrations and hands-on activities.
Shri Md. Y. Safirulla K, Director of the IndiaAI Mission, and Dr KV Krishna Rao, Director of NIT Andhra Pradesh, spoke at the programme.
The IndiaAI Mission was approved by the Government of India in March 2024 and operates under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Datasets on AIKosh:
over 16,000
AI models:
350+
Use cases:
200+
Students at the programme:
over 160
Mission approved:
March 2024
Why it matters for exams: AIKosh, the IndiaAI Mission and its parent ministry are high-frequency science and technology facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
AIKosh India's unified AI data and model repository — A central platform offering datasets, models, toolkits and benchmarks for AI work in India.
MeitY Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology — The Union ministry under which the IndiaAI Mission operates.
6 October 2026
General Dhiraj Seth, Chief of the Army Staff, flagged in the members of the Joint Indo-Argentine Army Mountaineering Expedition in New Delhi.
The team summited Mt Abi Gamin, 7,355 metres, on 17 September 2026 and Mt Kamet, 7,756 metres, on 21 September 2026.
Mt Kamet is in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, and is the third-highest peak in India after Mt Kanchenjunga and Mt Nanda Devi.
The 35-member expedition was led by Lieutenant Colonel Chirag Chatterjee and comprised 25 personnel of the Indian Army and 10 personnel of the Argentine Army. It was flagged off from the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, on 21 August 2026.
This was the third joint mountaineering venture between the two Armies. The earlier two were to Mt Aconcagua, 6,962 metres, in Mendoza, Argentina, in January 2025, and Mt Kun, 7,077 metres, in the Suru Valley, Ladakh, in August 2025.
The Ministry of Defence said the expeditions have strengthened professional cooperation, interoperability and mutual trust between the two Armies.
Mt Kamet height:
7,756 metres
Mt Abi Gamin height:
7,355 metres
Team composition:
25 Indian Army and 10 Argentine Army personnel
Mt Kamet location:
Chamoli district, Uttarakhand
Why it matters for exams: The ranking of Indian peaks and India's joint military ventures with named countries are both frequent questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
COAS Chief of the Army Staff — The professional head of the Indian Army, who holds the rank of General.
Flag in Flagging in — The formal ceremony at which a returning expedition or convoy is received.
Manekshaw Centre Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi — The Indian Army's convention centre in Delhi Cantonment, named after Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.