13 October 2026
Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the first meeting of BIMSTEC Home Ministers in New Delhi on 13 October 2026. Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand took part, and the Union Home Secretary led the senior officials' meeting. The ministers approved the BIMSTEC Convention against Trafficking in Persons and the BIMSTEC Plan of Action on Drug Control. They also approved an MoU on capacity building to combat money laundering and terror financing, a Plan of Action on Illicit Financial Flows, and a Plan of Action on natural disaster preparedness in the Bay of Bengal region. The meeting adopted the Delhi Declaration on security cooperation under BIMSTEC. Shah said a BIMSTEC Disaster Management Centre is planned at Jamnagar, Gujarat.
Chair:
Union Home Minister Amit Shah
Venue:
New Delhi
Declaration adopted:
Delhi Declaration
Planned BIMSTEC Disaster Management Centre:
Jamnagar, Gujarat
Why it matters for exams: Regional groupings, their first-ever ministerial meetings and the places named in them are favourite questions in GK and international-relations sections.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
BIMSTEC Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation — A regional grouping of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
MoU Memorandum of Understanding — A written understanding between parties, here on training and cooperation against financial crime.
13 October 2026
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks in New Delhi on 13 October 2026 with Karel Havlíček, 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade of Czech Republic. The two leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of defence industrial cooperation between the two countries. They welcomed the ongoing collaboration and the successful establishment of various joint ventures. They agreed to expand the cooperation further, including under the India-Czech Joint Defence Committee, to promote 'Make-in-India' and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'. Havlíček is on a four-day visit to India and is scheduled to visit industries in Bengaluru and Mumbai.
Visiting leader:
Karel Havlíček, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
Length of visit:
Four days
Cooperation forum:
India-Czech Joint Defence Committee
Cities on itinerary:
Bengaluru and Mumbai
Why it matters for exams: Bilateral defence ties and the institutions that carry them (such as joint committees) appear in current-affairs and international-relations questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Joint Defence Committee India-Czech Joint Defence Committee — The bilateral forum under which the two sides agreed to take defence industrial cooperation forward.
Aatmanirbhar Bharat Self-reliant India — The national self-reliance campaign cited as a goal of the cooperation.
13 October 2026
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the National Culture Fund (NCF) and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) signed a Memorandum of Agreement on 13 October 2026 in New Delhi. It covers heritage conservation and development works at Hampi in Karnataka, the Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, and Bekal Fort in Kerala. HAL has accorded in-principle approval for financial support of ₹23.60 crore for the projects over the financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29. At Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the works include the historic North and South Bazaar areas, extending approximately 270 metres and 250 metres respectively. The projects will be carried out under the technical guidance and supervision of the ASI, with the NCF facilitating implementation.
HAL financial support (in-principle):
₹23.60 crore
Period:
2026-27 to 2028-29
Sites:
Hampi, Taj Mahal, Bekal Fort
Hampi works:
North Bazaar about 270 metres; South Bazaar about 250 metres
Why it matters for exams: Heritage sites, the bodies that protect them and corporate (CSR) support for them are standard art-and-culture and current-affairs material, and Bekal Fort is a Kerala site.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NCF National Culture Fund — Set up by the Ministry of Culture to bring the Government and the corporate sector together for heritage conservation and promotion.
ASI Archaeological Survey of India — Gives technical guidance and supervision for the projects.
13 October 2026
The Indian Navy is set to commission Samarthak at Naval Base, Karwar on 16 October 2026. Built by Larsen and Toubro Ltd under the Make in India initiative, she is the first of four Multi-Purpose Vessels being inducted into the Navy. Designed primarily for maritime surveillance and patrol, she can also undertake Low Intensity Maritime Operations, serve as a target deployment and trials platform and as an unmanned or autonomous system mothership. She is also capable of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and of conversion to a limited hospital ship. Her integrated combat suite combines indigenous sensors, weapons and electronic systems. Her crest shows an Indian elephant emerging from the waves, and her motto is 'Victory is Our Sole Aim'.
Commissioning date:
16 October 2026
Place:
Naval Base, Karwar
Builder:
Larsen and Toubro Ltd
Position in class:
First of four Multi-Purpose Vessels
Why it matters for exams: New inductions into the Navy, the shipyard that built them and the base where they are commissioned are routine defence questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
LIMO Low Intensity Maritime Operations — One of the secondary roles listed for Samarthak.
HADR Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief — Relief missions the vessel can also undertake.
13 October 2026
The Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) Scheme 2026, notified on 29 June 2026, carries a transitional Amnesty for Provident Fund (PF) trusts. It offers a one-time chance to regularise, with retrospective effect, the exempt status of PF trusts recognised under the Income Tax Act, 1961 but lacking a formal exemption order under section 17 of the EPF&MP Act, 1952 or section 143 of the Code on Social Security, 2020. The window runs for six months from notification and expires on 28 December 2026; operational guidelines were issued in a circular of 11 July 2026. Benefits include waivers of Code on Social Security requirements such as minimum employee headcount, corpus size and the 3-year compliance rule. After regularisation, establishments may comply either as exempt or as unexempt. EPFO is also coordinating with the Income Tax Department on data sharing to bring non-compliant trusts into the framework.
EPF Scheme 2026 notified:
29 June 2026
Amnesty window:
Six months, expiring 28 December 2026
Operational circular:
11 July 2026
Eligible trusts:
Income Tax-recognised PF trusts without a formal exemption order
Why it matters for exams: Social-security schemes, their deadlines and the statutes behind them (EPF&MP Act, Code on Social Security) are common in economy and governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
EPFO Employees' Provident Fund Organisation — The body urging eligible establishments to apply before the deadline.
Exempt establishment PF trust with an exemption order — An establishment that manages its own provident fund through a recognised trust under an exemption order.
13 October 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi on Tuesday, 13 October 2026. He said, 'India does not grow at anyone's expense. We grow with the world and for the world.' Calling India the 'mother of democracy', he cited more than 100 languages, around 80,000 registered newspapers and publications, and over 1,000 satellite television channels. He said India's renewable energy capacity has reached approximately 300 gigawatts (GW), up from about 75 GW in 2014, or nearly four times more capacity. The Prime Minister said India's target of sourcing 40 per cent of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 was achieved in November 2021, nine years ahead of schedule, and that India became the first G20 nation to do so. Business Standard reports that India's non-fossil power capacity, including nuclear power and large hydropower, stood at 304 GW at the end of August 2026, and that the remarks come ahead of the COP31 climate summit next month in Antalya, Turkey.
Renewable energy capacity:
Around 300 gigawatts (GW)
Non-fossil capacity, end of August 2026 (as reported by Business Standard):
304 GW
Pledge met:
40 per cent non-fossil installed capacity, nine years ahead of 2030, as stated by the Prime Minister
Registered newspapers and publications:
Around 80,000
Why it matters for exams: Headline energy and economy figures cited in the Prime Minister's address, and the climate-summit calendar, are frequent current-affairs questions.
UPSCSSCBank
In plain words
G20 Group of Twenty — The forum of major economies; the Prime Minister said India was the first member to meet its 40 per cent non-fossil pledge.
COP31 31st Conference of the Parties — The climate summit due next month in Antalya, Turkey.
12 October 2026
On Monday, 12 October 2026, a Division Bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha of the Karnataka High Court struck down Section 4 of the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or Posts in the Services under the State) Act, 2022, and Section 3 of the Act insofar as it takes aggregate reservation beyond the 50% ceiling. The Act raised Scheduled Caste reservation from 15% to 17% and Scheduled Tribe reservation from 3% to 7%; with reservation for other backward classes (OBC) of 32% unchanged, aggregate reservation rose from 50% to 56%. The Court held that the 50% ceiling is a firm rule grounded in the equality clauses, not a rule of prudence or an ad hoc, elastic rule, and that it admits departure only in extraordinary circumstances. It held that population growth, and reservation being lower than population share, are not extraordinary circumstances. Section 3 was struck down as violating Articles 14 and 15, and Section 4 as violating Articles 14 and 16. The Act, which replaced an Ordinance, came into effect retrospectively from 1 November 2022 and was based on the Nagamohan Das Commission Report.
SC reservation:
15% raised to 17% by the Act (struck down)
ST reservation:
3% raised to 7% by the Act (struck down)
Aggregate reservation:
50% raised to 56%, with reservation for other backward classes (OBC) of 32% unchanged
Bench:
Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha
Why it matters for exams: The 50% reservation ceiling and the Articles 14, 15 and 16 behind it are core polity topics, and this High Court ruling applies them.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
50% ceiling Ceiling on aggregate reservation — The Court traced this rule from M.R. Balaji to Indra Sawhney and held it a firm rule with an exception only in extraordinary circumstances.
Nagamohan Das Commission Commission whose report the 2022 Act was based on — The Court found that it proceeded on proportionate representation, though Article 16(4) speaks of adequate representation.
13 October 2026
On Tuesday, 13 October 2026, the Supreme Court asked the Delhi government to obtain inputs from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) on whether Jagtar Singh Hawara can be transferred from Tihar Jail in Delhi to a prison in Punjab. Hawara is serving a life sentence after being convicted in the 1995 assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. A bench of Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Prasanna B Varale heard his plea, filed primarily to enable him to meet his elderly mother. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, for the Delhi government, told the Court that a decision of this kind cannot be taken without IB inputs, relying on a Ministry of Home Affairs advisory on the transfer of high-risk prisoners between states, which provides for consultation with intelligence agencies; the Punjab government has filed an affidavit opposing the transfer. The Court said it would consider the request after the IB's assessment of the security and law-and-order implications, noting the Punjab government's objections. Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves appeared for Hawara. The matter will be heard next on 3 November.
Convict:
Jagtar Singh Hawara
Case:
1995 assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh
Present prison:
Tihar Jail, Delhi
Bench:
Justice MM Sundresh and Justice PB Varale
Why it matters for exams: Prisoner transfers between states, the role of the Intelligence Bureau and the Supreme Court's approach to security concerns are current-affairs and polity material.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IB Intelligence Bureau — The agency whose inputs on the security and law-and-order effects of the transfer the Delhi government was asked to obtain.
ASG Additional Solicitor General — A senior law officer of the Union who appeared for the Delhi government.
12 October 2026
On Monday, 12 October 2026, the Supreme Court heard a petition on how caste information will be recorded and verified in Census 2027. A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to return with the government's response within two weeks. The Court did not issue a formal notice at this stage and asked the petitioner, Akash Goel, to hand over a copy of the petition to the Solicitor General. It sought clarity on the procedure for collecting and verifying caste information and asked for a note on it. On 14 August, the government notified the Census 2027 questions under Section 8(1) of the Census Act, 1948; Item 10 seeks information on a person's caste status, including whether they belong to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe. The petition seeks a mechanism to record details of government-issued caste certificates and check their authenticity, and says it does not seek to impede the census.
Time given for government response:
Two weeks
Census 2027 questions notified:
14 August, under Section 8(1) of the Census Act, 1948
Item 10 of the schedule:
Caste status, including Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe
Bench:
CJI Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana
Why it matters for exams: Census 2027, the Census Act and the Supreme Court's handling of caste data are current polity and statistics topics.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Census Act, 1948 The law under which Census 2027 questions were notified — Section 8(1) was cited for the 14 August notification.
Solicitor General Second-highest law officer of the Union — Tushar Mehta was asked to bring the government's response.
12 October 2026
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released Consumer Price Index data for September 2026 on 12 October 2026.
Headline retail inflation rose to 5.54% from 4.83% in August 2026, a rise of 71 basis points.
Food inflation, measured by the Consumer Food Price Index, rose to 7.74% from 5.97%.
Rural inflation stood at 6.08% and urban inflation at 4.88%.
Onion inflation was 108.09% and silver jewellery 87.80%, while potato was at minus 11.50%.
Among States with a population above five million, Tamil Nadu recorded the highest headline rate at 6.81%.
The Monetary Policy Committee had raised the policy repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50% on 7 October 2026 and changed its stance to calibrated tightening.
Headline retail inflation:
5.54%
Food inflation (CFPI):
7.74%
Rural inflation:
6.08%
Urban inflation:
4.88%
August 2026 headline rate:
4.83%
Policy repo rate:
5.50%
Why it matters for exams: Monthly inflation figures and the repo rate are standing favourites in Kerala PSC and bank examinations.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
CPI Consumer Price Index — The index that tracks the retail prices a household pays for a fixed basket of goods and services.
CFPI Consumer Food Price Index — The food-only part of the Consumer Price Index.
Basis point One hundredth of one per cent — Interest rate changes are counted in these units, so 25 of them make a quarter of a percentage point.
Calibrated tightening — A policy stance under which the central bank may raise rates but will not lower them.
12 October 2026
The Reserve Bank of India launched the 116th round of its quarterly Industrial Outlook Survey on 12 October 2026 for the reference period October to December 2026.
On the same day it launched the 51st round of the quarterly Services and Infrastructure Outlook Survey for the same reference period.
The Industrial Outlook Survey assesses business sentiment in the manufacturing sector, while the Services and Infrastructure Outlook Survey covers selected companies in the services and infrastructure sectors.
Both surveys collect qualitative responses on demand conditions, financial conditions, employment conditions and the price situation for the current quarter, Q3:2026-27, and expectations for Q4:2026-27.
The outlook on key parameters for Q1:2027-28 and Q2:2027-28 is also covered.
M/s Genesis Management & Market Research Pvt. Ltd. has been authorised to conduct both surveys on behalf of the Reserve Bank, and the findings are released in summary form on the Bank's website without revealing the identity of respondents.
Industrial Outlook Survey round:
116th
Services and Infrastructure Outlook Survey round:
51st
Reference period:
October to December 2026
Current quarter covered:
Q3:2026-27
Why it matters for exams: Round numbers of the Reserve Bank's regular surveys and the sectors they cover are frequent one-mark questions in bank examinations.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
IOS Industrial Outlook Survey — A quarterly Reserve Bank survey of how manufacturing firms see demand, finance, jobs and prices.
SIOS Services and Infrastructure Outlook Survey — The companion quarterly survey covering services and infrastructure companies.
Business sentiment — How optimistic or pessimistic firms feel about their own trading conditions.
Qualitative response — An answer given as a direction such as better, same or worse, rather than as a number.
12 October 2026
The Supreme Court held that the venue specified for arbitral proceedings does not automatically become the seat of arbitration, and that the juridical seat must be found by reading the agreement in its entirety to decipher the true intention of the parties.
The Division Bench of Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Vijay Bishnoi decided the appeal in Arcis Clean Energy Pvt. Ltd. v. Parshva Innovation, neutral citation 2026 INSC 1109, arising from SLP Civil No. 35915 of 2025.
The Franchise Agreement of 3 August 2023 said in one clause that the precise location of the arbitration would be within Delhi, while another clause said the proceedings would be held in Goa, and a separate clause gave exclusive jurisdiction to competent courts in Goa.
The Court held that the juridical seat was Goa and that the Delhi High Court therefore had no jurisdiction to entertain the petition for appointment of an arbitrator under Section 11(6) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.
It set aside the Delhi High Court's order of 11 November 2025 appointing a sole arbitrator.
The Bench applied the tests laid down in BGS SGS SOMA JV v. NHPC Limited, which were affirmed in Arif Azim Company Limited.
Case:
Arcis Clean Energy Pvt. Ltd. v. Parshva Innovation
Neutral citation:
2026 INSC 1109
Bench:
Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Vijay Bishnoi
Juridical seat held:
Goa
Why it matters for exams: The seat and venue distinction decides which court can hear arbitration petitions, a settled favourite in law and governance papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Seat of arbitration — The legal home of an arbitration, which fixes which country's or State's courts supervise it.
Venue — The place where arbitral hearings are physically held, which may differ from the seat.
Section 11(6) Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — The provision under which a High Court appoints an arbitrator when the parties fail to do so.
Exclusive jurisdiction clause — A contract term that sends all disputes to the courts of one named place only.