10 October 2026
The Reserve Bank of India announced regulatory measures for the foreign exchange market on 10 October 2026, issued through A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 25 and Circular No. 26.
Authorised Dealers may no longer permit users to rebook any rupee foreign exchange derivative contract, deliverable or non-deliverable, that was cancelled with any Authorised Dealer after the directions were issued. Rollover on maturity continues to be allowed.
The limit for taking rupee foreign exchange derivative contracts to hedge contracted exposures without producing documentary evidence of the underlying exposure has been reduced from USD 100 million to USD 5 million equivalent across all Authorised Dealers.
The same reduction from USD 100 million to USD 5 million equivalent applies to exchange traded rupee currency derivatives taken without proof of underlying exposure, across all Recognised Stock Exchanges put together.
Authorised Dealers must now obtain and keep an undertaking from the user that the same exposure has not been hedged with any other Authorised Dealer.
A Foreign Exchange Risk Reserve has been introduced for rupee derivative contracts with a notional value above USD 2 million equivalent that hedge current account exposures where the user buys foreign currency against the rupee. The reserve is 20 per cent of the rupee equivalent of the notional amount of each transaction and must be held with the Reserve Bank in cash.
The Reserve Bank said the measures respond to evolving conditions and are meant to ensure the orderly functioning of the foreign exchange market.
Earlier hedging threshold without underlying exposure:
USD 100 million
New threshold:
USD 5 million
Foreign Exchange Risk Reserve:
20 per cent of the rupee equivalent of the notional amount
Notional value above which the reserve applies:
USD 2 million
Circulars:
A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 25 and No. 26
Why it matters for exams: Hedging rules, Authorised Dealers and a new cash reserve with the Reserve Bank are standard economy questions in Kerala PSC and UPSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
AD Authorised Dealer — A bank or institution permitted by the Reserve Bank to deal in foreign exchange.
A.P. (DIR Series) Authorised Persons (Directions) Series — The series of circulars through which the Reserve Bank issues foreign exchange directions.
Notional amount Notional amount of a derivative contract — The face value on which a derivative contract's payments are calculated.
10 October 2026
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant constituted a Standing Committee on Judicial Well-being on 10 October 2026, World Mental Health Day.
Justice K.V. Viswanathan, Judge of the Supreme Court of India, chairs the committee.
Its members are Dr. Savita Malhotra, former Dean of PGIMER Chandigarh and Professor and Head of the Department of Psychiatry; Mr. Rajat Mitra, psychologist and Director and Co-founder of Swanchetan Society for Mental Health; Ms. Mrinal Kanwar, Advocate-on-Record of the Supreme Court of India; and Ms. Aarti Singh, Registrar (J), Centre for Research and Planning, Supreme Court of India.
The committee is to be a continuing institutional platform that identifies areas needing institutional intervention, coordinates welfare measures, develops guidance and periodically reviews support initiatives for judicial officers.
It was set up on the findings of a study by the Supreme Court's Centre for Research and Planning on the well-being of District Judiciary officers, which covered occupational stress, workload, exhaustion, staffing, infrastructure, transfers, work-life balance and institutional support.
The press release refers to the Nauru Declaration on Judicial Well-being, adopted on 25 July 2024, which calls for systemic and evidence-based measures to protect the physical and mental health of judges.
It also notes that the United Nations General Assembly in March 2025 designated 25 July every year as the International Day for Judicial Well-being.
Chairperson:
Justice K.V. Viswanathan
Constituted by:
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant
Members besides the chair:
Four
Nauru Declaration on Judicial Well-being adopted:
25 July 2024
International Day for Judicial Well-being:
25 July
Why it matters for exams: Supreme Court committees, their chairpersons and the international days behind them are regular general knowledge questions in PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PGIMER Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research — A central medical institute at Chandigarh.
AoR Advocate-on-Record — An advocate entitled to file cases in the Supreme Court on a party's behalf.
District Judiciary District Judiciary — The subordinate courts in the districts, below the High Courts.
10 October 2026
The Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) Yard 3040, named Shreyas, was launched at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
Mrs Reyman Kochhar launched the ship in the presence of Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.
Senior officials of the Indian Navy, the Ministry of Defence, GRSE and industry partners attended the ceremony.
NGOPV construction is under way at two shipyards, Goa Shipyard Limited in Goa and GRSE in Kolkata.
The ships are indigenously designed and built and will supplement the existing OPVs and NOPVs of the Indian Navy.
Their roles include maritime surveillance, search and rescue, protection of offshore assets, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and anti-piracy missions.
Shreyas is a Sanskrit word meaning Best or Most Excellent.
The Ministry of Defence placed the launch within the Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives.
Ship and yard number:
Shreyas, Yard 3040
Shipyard:
GRSE, Kolkata
Launched by:
Mrs Reyman Kochhar
Other NGOPV shipyard:
Goa Shipyard Limited, Goa
Why it matters for exams: Ship names, yard numbers and the shipyards that build them are standard objective questions in defence current affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NGOPV Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel — A patrol ship class built for coastal and offshore surveillance rather than fleet combat.
GRSE Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers — A defence shipyard at Kolkata under the Ministry of Defence.
HADR Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief — Naval missions that carry relief and rescue after disasters.
9 October 2026
The National Testing Agency issued a notice on 9 October 2026 inviting online applications for the SWAYAM July 2026 semester examination.
The notice covers 662 courses, with the course-wise schedule given in Annexure-I.
The online application window runs from 9 October 2026 to 31 October 2026 up to 11.50 pm.
Fee payment is allowed up to 1 November 2026 by credit card, debit card, net banking or UPI, and the correction window is open on 2 and 3 November 2026 up to 11.50 pm on the website only.
The examination will be held on 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 December 2026 as a computer based test of 180 minutes, in shifts from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm and from 3 pm to 6 pm.
Candidates are directed to the Information Bulletin on the SWAYAM examination website, and the notice gives the helpline numbers 011-40759000 and 011-69227700 and the email swayam@nta.ac.in.
Courses covered:
662
Application window:
9 October 2026 to 31 October 2026
Fee payment up to:
1 November 2026
Correction window:
2 and 3 November 2026
Examination dates:
8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 December 2026
Duration:
180 minutes, computer based test
Why it matters for exams: SWAYAM and the National Testing Agency are both standing education topics, and the examination calendar is asked as a current affairs fact.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SWAYAM Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds — The Government of India's online course platform, whose examinations are conducted by the National Testing Agency.
NTA National Testing Agency — The agency that conducts major national entrance and qualifying examinations in India.
CBT Computer Based Test — An examination written on a computer at a designated centre.
10 October 2026
Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, chaired the Fourth All Science and Technology Clusters' Meet on 9 and 10 October 2026 at Panjab University, Chandigarh.
The meet was hosted by PI-RAHI, the PU-IIT Ropar Regional Accelerator for Holistic Innovations Foundation.
Representatives of all eight S&T Clusters took part, including the Pune Knowledge Cluster, DRIIV of Delhi, the Bengaluru Science and Technology Cluster and the Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad.
Prof. Sood said the clusters are increasingly acting as National Technology Accelerators and called for stronger inter-cluster collaboration.
The clusters hold 12 international MoUs, and a collaboration with the UK Catapult Network in healthcare, emerging technologies and net-zero technologies was announced.
Launches at the meet included an Automatic Weather Station, the Kalaanubhav portal for artisan crafts of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, SPARKS 2.0, IGNITE 2.0 and GINI 2.0.
The EVChargex battery-swapping station at Panchkula was presented as moving indigenous battery-swapping technology from pilot to commercial use.
A Digital Podiatric Clinic using AI-powered foot screening for diabetic foot conditions was inaugurated at the Panjab University Health Centre.
The S&T Clusters programme was conceived in 2020 on the recommendations of the Prime Minister's Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council.
Chaired by:
Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser
Venue and dates:
Panjab University, Chandigarh, 9-10 October 2026
Clusters represented:
8
International MoUs held:
12
Host:
PI-RAHI
Why it matters for exams: The S&T Clusters programme, the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser and PM-STIAC are standard science and governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PSA Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India — The senior science adviser who heads the office coordinating cross-ministry science programmes.
PM-STIAC Prime Minister's Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council — The council whose recommendations shaped the S&T Clusters programme in 2020.
10 October 2026
The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare reviewed the first year of the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PM DDKY), which covers 100 aspirational agricultural districts.
The Union Cabinet approved the scheme on 16 July 2025 and the Prime Minister launched it on 11 October 2025; it runs for six years from 2025-26.
Districts were selected on three indicators, low agricultural productivity, low cropping intensity and low agricultural credit disbursement, and at least one district was selected from every State.
The scheme converges 36 central schemes implemented with 11 ministries and departments, along with State schemes and private sector participation.
Progress is tracked through 121 indicators, 74 output and 47 outcome indicators, with districts ranked monthly on the PM DDKY dashboard since November 2025.
The average score across six objectives rose from 18.85 in April 2026 to 46.89 in August 2026, a gain of 28.04 points.
All 100 districts have prepared District Action Plans through District DDKY Committees chaired by the District Magistrate or Collector.
State committees are chaired by the Chief Secretary, while the National Executive Committee is chaired by the Union Agriculture Minister.
Districts covered:
100
Central schemes converged:
36 across 11 ministries and departments
Monitoring indicators:
121 (74 output, 47 outcome)
Average score:
18.85 in April 2026 to 46.89 in August 2026
Duration:
Six years from 2025-26
Why it matters for exams: PM DDKY is a flagship district-level agriculture scheme, and its coverage, convergence and committee structure are frequent objective questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Cropping intensity Cropping intensity — The number of crops grown on the same land in a year, shown as a percentage of the net sown area.
Outcome indicator Outcome indicator — A measure of the result on the ground, as against an output indicator that measures work done.
10 October 2026
Dr Sanjeeb Kumar Sahoo and Dr Amaresh Chandra Panda of the BRIC-Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, feature in the world's Top 2% scientists list for 2026.
The list is compiled by Stanford University and published by Elsevier.
Both scientists have appeared on the list every year from 2019 to 2026, eight consecutive years.
Dr Sahoo, in Clinical Medicine with the sub-field Pharmacology and Pharmacy, is ranked 302 of 166,116 authors in his sub-field and 51,868 globally.
Dr Panda, in Biomedical Research with the sub-field Developmental Biology, is ranked 908 of 167,121 authors in his sub-field and 41,810 globally.
The 2026 edition of the list includes 6,954 Indian researchers.
Rankings use a composite score built from total citations, the h-index and the hm-index, and exclude self-citations.
The underlying data is the August 2026 update prepared by John P. A. Ioannidis and published in the Elsevier Data Repository.
Institute:
BRIC-Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar
Scientists named:
Dr Sanjeeb Kumar Sahoo and Dr Amaresh Chandra Panda
List compiled and published by:
Stanford University; published by Elsevier
Indian researchers in the 2026 list:
6,954
Consecutive years listed:
2019 to 2026, eight years
Why it matters for exams: The Stanford-Elsevier Top 2% scientists list and the institutes whose researchers appear on it are common questions on research recognition.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
h-index Hirsch index — A number that is high only when a researcher has many papers that are each cited many times.
BRIC Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council — The council under which several central biotechnology research institutes were brought together.
10 October 2026
The second meeting of GI-AI4FS, the United Nations global initiative on artificial intelligence for agri-food systems, was held in New Delhi on 10 October 2026.
The initiative is coordinated by the International Telecommunication Union along with the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Food Programme.
The Telecommunication Engineering Centre of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, hosted the meeting alongside India Mobile Congress 2026, and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare co-organised it.
About 70 participants attended in person and 25 joined online, from international organisations, government departments, agricultural research institutes, academia, industry and standards development organisations.
Speakers at the opening session included Dr. Sebastian Bosse, chair of GI-AI4FS, Mr. Krishnan Pallassana of the Food and Agriculture Organization, Dr. Bilel Jamoussi of the International Telecommunication Union, Dr. A. K. Nayak of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Mr. Syed Tauseef Abbas of the Telecommunication Engineering Centre.
The agenda covered a proposed governance and coordination structure, nomination of chairs, co-chairs and members of working groups, the scope of those working groups and their priority areas and initial tasks.
A two-day international artificial intelligence hackathon for agri-food systems was held at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research campus in New Delhi on 8 and 9 October 2026, and selected teams presented their solutions at the meeting.
Initiative:
GI-AI4FS, second meeting
Coordinating agency:
International Telecommunication Union
Partner agencies:
FAO, IFAD and WFP
Indian host:
Telecommunication Engineering Centre, Department of Telecommunications
Participation:
About 70 in person and 25 online
Hackathon:
8 and 9 October 2026 at the ICAR campus, New Delhi
Why it matters for exams: The question setter can combine the United Nations agencies behind the initiative with the Indian bodies that hosted it, which is a common linking pattern.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ITU International Telecommunication Union — The United Nations specialised agency for information and communication technologies.
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development — A United Nations agency that finances rural development.
TEC Telecommunication Engineering Centre — The technical and standards body of the Department of Telecommunications.
ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research — The apex body for agricultural research and education in India.
10 October 2026
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) distributed ₹2.02 crore from the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) fund, collected from the seed sector, for grassroots biodiversity conservation and community welfare.
The money went as shares to 27 State Biodiversity Boards and 3 Union Territory Biodiversity Councils.
The top ten States together received ₹1.43 crore, with Madhya Pradesh getting ₹23,81,072 and West Bengal ₹23,32,913.
Where the sources of biological resources could not be traced and individual beneficiaries could not be identified, shares were allocated by the cultivated area of the resource, using Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare statistics, on the advice of an expert committee.
Seven seed companies contributed, among them East West Seeds India, Syngenta India, Limagrain India and Nunhems India, for crops including rice, brinjal, cauliflower, chilli, tomato and okra.
With this release, the NBA's total ABS distributions reach ₹202 crore.
The framework rests on the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2024-2030.
The release noted that COP 17 of the Convention on Biological Diversity opens at Yerevan, Armenia on 19 October 2026.
Amount distributed:
₹2.02 crore
Recipients:
27 State Biodiversity Boards and 3 Union Territory Biodiversity Councils
Top ten States' share:
₹1.43 crore
Cumulative ABS distribution:
₹202 crore
Governing law:
Biological Diversity Act, 2002
Why it matters for exams: Access and benefit sharing under the Biological Diversity Act is a recurring environment topic, and the figures and the number of boards are easy objective questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ABS Access and Benefit Sharing — The rule that users of a biological resource must share benefits with those who conserved or supplied it.
NBA National Biodiversity Authority — The statutory body under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, based at Chennai.
NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan — India's plan of biodiversity targets, with the current edition running 2024-2030.
Background
The PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement Scheme, known as PM E-DRIVE, supports faster adoption of electric vehicles through upfront purchase incentives and the development of charging infrastructure.
It is implemented on a pan-India basis with a total outlay of ₹11,900 crore, and the scheme period has been extended to 31 March 2028.
The categories covered are electric two wheelers, electric three wheelers including registered e-rickshaws and e-carts and L5, e-ambulances, e-trucks, e-buses, charging infrastructure, and upgradation of testing agencies.
Registered electric two wheelers receive an incentive of ₹2,500/kWh capped at ₹5,000 per vehicle, for vehicles priced up to ₹1.5 lakh ex-factory, with a fund allocation of ₹2,767 crore.
₹4,391 crore has been allocated for the deployment of 14,028 e-buses, ₹2,000 crore has been earmarked for public charging stations nationwide, and ₹780 crore for modernisation and upgradation of vehicle testing agencies.
E-vouchers pass the demand incentive to the buyer as an upfront reduction in price, and the amount is later reimbursed to the manufacturer by the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
Total outlay:
₹11,900 crore
Scheme extended until:
31 March 2028
Incentive for registered e-2 wheelers:
₹2,500/kWh, capped at ₹5,000 per vehicle
Allocation for e-buses:
₹4,391 crore for 14,028 e-buses
Implementing ministry:
Ministry of Heavy Industries
Why it matters for exams: A named scheme with its implementing ministry, outlay and per-kWh incentive is exactly the kind of detail a scheme question turns on.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
PM E-DRIVE PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement Scheme — The central scheme giving upfront incentives for electric vehicles and funding charging infrastructure.
EV PCS Electric vehicle public charging station — A charging station open to the public, supported by grant under the scheme.
Background
The Namami Gange Programme is an integrated conservation mission approved as a flagship programme by the Union Government with a budget outlay of Rs 20,000 crore.
Its twin objectives are the effective abatement of pollution and the conservation and rejuvenation of the National River Ganga.
The programme is executed by the National Mission for Clean Ganga under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, in the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
The eight main pillars of the programme are sewerage treatment infrastructure, river-front development, river-surface cleaning, bio-diversity, afforestation, public awareness, industrial effluent monitoring and Ganga Gram.
Implementation is divided into entry-level activities for immediate visible impact, medium-term activities to be implemented within five years, and long-term activities within ten years.
The forestry component for the Ganga is implemented by the State Forest Departments of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, with financial support from the Mission.
Among its sewerage works, 200 sewerage infrastructure projects have been sanctioned at a total cost of Rs 31,810 crore, of which 116 have been completed and made operational.
Budget outlay:
Rs 20,000 crore
Implementing mission:
National Mission for Clean Ganga
Ministry:
Ministry of Jal Shakti
Main pillars:
Eight, from sewerage treatment to Ganga Gram
Sewerage projects sanctioned:
200 projects at Rs 31,810 crore, 116 completed
Why it matters for exams: The eight pillars, the implementing mission and the ministry under which it sits are the details asked about Ganga rejuvenation.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NMCG National Mission for Clean Ganga — The body that implements the Namami Gange Programme under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Ganga Gram Ganga Gram — The component that takes sanitation work to gram panchayats on the bank of the Ganga.
Background
The GST Council approved in principle the creation of a National Bench of the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal, to be situated at New Delhi.
The Tribunal is presided over by its President and consists of one Technical Member from the Centre and one Technical Member from the State.
All GST anti-profiteering complaints are now dealt with by the Competition Commission of India.
Earlier, the National Anti-profiteering Authority was set up to check unfair profiteering by registered suppliers and to ensure that the benefit of a reduction in GST rates and of input tax credit was passed on to consumers through lower prices; it was initially set up for two years and later extended.
Among the Council's other process decisions, the e-way bill mechanism was introduced for self-reporting businesses, and the e-invoicing system was approved, with e-invoicing made mandatory for firms with annual turnover of Rs 5 crore or more for business-to-business supplies.
The Council also records the rationalisation of rates, with the items in the 28 per cent slab brought down from 226 to 37.
Seat of the National Bench:
New Delhi
Composition of the National Bench:
President, one Technical Member (Centre), one Technical Member (State)
Anti-profiteering complaints:
Dealt with by the Competition Commission of India
E-invoicing threshold:
Annual turnover of Rs 5 crore or more, for business-to-business supplies
Items in the 28 per cent slab:
Reduced from 226 to 37
Why it matters for exams: Which body now hears anti-profiteering complaints, and the composition of the GST Appellate Tribunal's National Bench, are the kind of institutional shifts examiners test.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
GSTAT Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal — The tribunal that hears appeals against orders passed under the GST laws.
Anti-profiteering Anti-profiteering under GST — The requirement that a supplier pass on a rate cut or input tax credit benefit to the consumer as a lower price.