17 October 2026
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has taken up Trade Margin Rationalisation for 137 identified non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs. The Maximum Retail Price of these medicines is expected to fall by up to 70 per cent, depending on the existing price structure. The revised prices come into force on the 9th of November. NPPA works under the Department of Pharmaceuticals in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. In a 2019 pilot the trade margin on 42 anti-cancer drugs was capped at 30 per cent, which reduced the price of 526 brands by up to 90 per cent. State Drug Controllers are to ensure that manufacturers, dealers, retailers and hospitals charge the reduced prices, which can be checked on the Pharma Sahi Daam app.
Drugs covered:
137 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs
Expected price fall:
up to 70%
Effective from:
9 November
2019 pilot:
42 drugs, margin capped at 30%
Why it matters for exams: Price control of medicines is a standing question area, and the number of drugs, the extent of the cut and the parent ministry are all directly askable.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NPPA National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority — The body that fixes and monitors prices of medicines in India.
Non-scheduled drug A medicine outside Schedule I of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order — Its price is not directly fixed, so the trade margin is capped instead.
17 October 2026
Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space, said India's space economy is likely to reach 40 to 45 billion US dollars in seven to eight years. He put the present value of the sector at about 9 billion, and said the opening of the space sector to private players produced significant results within five to six years. He was speaking at a media roundtable titled Space, Sovereignty and New Economy, organised by the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi. He said greater domestic and international investment, faster regulatory approvals and sustainable business models are needed to scale Indian enterprises globally. He added that generating demand is essential for private space companies to grow, while domestic capability remains important for national security and strategic autonomy.
Projected size:
40 to 45 billion US dollars in 7-8 years
Present size:
about 9 billion
Minister:
Dr Jitendra Singh, MoS Atomic Energy and Space
Event:
Bloomberg New Economy Forum roundtable, New Delhi
Why it matters for exams: The size of the space economy and the minister who holds the Department of Space are both standard one-mark facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Department of Space Department of Space, Government of India — The department under which ISRO and IN-SPACe function, held by the Prime Minister with a Minister of State.
17 October 2026
Three ships of the Indian Navy's First Training Squadron departed Port Victoria in Seychelles on 15 October after completing a port call, the Defence Ministry said. The ships were INS Tir, INS Sujata and the Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi. The Senior Officer of the squadron and the commanding officers of the ships called on Major General Michael Rosette, Chief of Defence Forces of the Seychelles Defence Force. The visit included cross-training visits, firefighting and small-arms training for Seychelles Defence Force personnel, a medical camp and distribution of essential supplies. On departure the squadron held a passage exercise with the Seychelles Coast Guard Ship Andromache involving joint patrolling, communication drills and coordinated manoeuvres. The ministry linked the deployment to the MAHASAGAR vision, which stands for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.
Ships:
INS Tir, INS Sujata, ICGS Sarathi
Port:
Port Victoria, Seychelles
Departure:
15 October
Partner exercise:
PASSEX with SCG Ship Andromache
Why it matters for exams: Ship names, the partner country and the full form of MAHASAGAR are the kind of detail defence questions turn on.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
MAHASAGAR Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions — India's stated maritime outreach vision for the wider Indian Ocean region.
PASSEX Passage Exercise — A short exercise two navies hold when their ships cross paths.
17 October 2026
The High Powered Enquiry Committee constituted by the Supreme Court has launched a portal at hpec.nic.in for complaints and representations. The committee will examine the issues listed in the Supreme Court's order concerning the violence of July 2026 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and at places outside Delhi. The Ministry of Home Affairs said priority will be given to the use of pellet guns, targeted violence and harassment of women protesters, and excessive violence and destruction of property on either side. Affected persons, including affected police personnel, may use the portal, and anyone may send information or suggestions. Submissions may also be made in person or by post at the committee office at Shiksha Sadan in New Delhi between 2 pm and 4 pm on working days, or by email. The portal protects vulnerable witnesses and can keep a person's identity confidential on request.
Portal:
hpec.nic.in
Committee:
High Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC)
Office:
Shiksha Sadan, New Delhi, 2 pm to 4 pm on working days
Period examined:
Violence of July 2026
Why it matters for exams: Court-monitored inquiry committees and the way they take evidence are a recurring polity and law question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
HPEC High Powered Enquiry Committee — A committee set up on the Supreme Court's order to inquire into a specific set of incidents.
17 October 2026
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has notified draft amendments proposing maximum residue limits for two pesticides in tea. The draft sets a limit of 20 mg per kg for Acetamiprid and 50 mg per kg for Imidacloprid. The amendments are proposed as the draft Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Amendment Regulations, 2026, and the limits are subject to finalisation of the draft. Average pesticide use in India is under 0.5 kg per hectare against a global average of 2.38 kg per hectare. Maximum residue limits matter for tea because a large part of Indian production is exported and buyers test consignments against such limits.
Acetamiprid limit:
20 mg per kg
Imidacloprid limit:
50 mg per kg
Draft regulations:
Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Amendment Regulations, 2026
India's pesticide use:
under 0.5 kg per hectare against a global average of 2.38 kg per hectare
Why it matters for exams: FSSAI regulations, the names of the regulations and the figures in them are frequently asked in food safety and agriculture questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MRL Maximum Residue Limit — The highest level of a pesticide residue legally allowed in a food.
FSSAI Food Safety and Standards Authority of India — The statutory regulator for food standards, set up under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
16 October 2026
The Securities and Exchange Board of India has revised the timings and operational framework of the Closing Auction Session in the equity cash market and updated the settlement methodology for stock and index derivatives. The session will run for ten minutes, from 3.30 pm to 3.40 pm on all trading days, with separate phases for calculating the reference price and for placing orders. The order entry window will close at a random time between 3.38 pm and 3.40 pm. Stock and index derivatives will trade until 3.45 pm, and the post closing session in the cash market will run from 3.50 pm to 4 pm with trades at the closing price. Most of the revised provisions take effect on 7 December 2026, while the provisions on unexecuted limit and iceberg orders take effect on 8 February 2027. Exchanges and clearing corporations must make the system and procedural changes within seven days of the circular.
Session timing:
3.30 pm to 3.40 pm
Random order cutoff:
between 3.38 pm and 3.40 pm
Main effective date:
7 December 2026
Unexecuted order rules from:
8 February 2027
Why it matters for exams: Market microstructure changes by SEBI, with dates of effect, are standard banking and economy exam material.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
Closing Auction Session Closing Auction Session (CAS) — A short window at the end of the day in which the closing price is discovered by auction instead of an average of trades.
VWAP Volume Weighted Average Price — An average price in which each trade is weighted by its quantity.
16 October 2026
Cargo moved on India's inland waterways rose to 218 million metric tonnes in 2025-26 from 29 million metric tonnes in 2014-15, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said. That is a compound annual growth rate of 20.13 per cent. The 200 million metric tonne target set under Maritime India Vision 2030 has already been exceeded. India has 111 National Waterways covering 20,187 km across 23 states and four Union Territories. The ministry attributed the growth to hydrographic surveys, modern navigation infrastructure and digital information systems.
Cargo in 2025-26:
218 MMT
Cargo in 2014-15:
29 MMT
CAGR:
20.13%
National Waterways:
111, covering 20,187 km in 23 states and 4 UTs
Why it matters for exams: The number of National Waterways, their total length and the cargo figure are frequently asked infrastructure data points.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
MMT Million Metric Tonnes — The unit in which bulk cargo volumes are reported.
Maritime India Vision 2030 Maritime India Vision 2030 — The ministry's ten year blueprint for ports, shipping and waterways.
17 October 2026
India won both gold and silver in the junior men's one-lap road race at the World Skate Games 2026 in Asuncion, Paraguay. Sixteen-year-old speed skater Anirudhan Vinod took the gold with a time of 30.394 seconds. Lohnath Arun Prasath finished 0.025 seconds behind him for the silver. The World Skate Games is the multi-discipline world championship of roller sports, held under World Skate, the international federation for roller sports and skateboarding.
Gold:
Anirudhan Vinod, 30.394 seconds
Silver:
Lohnath Arun Prasath, 0.025 seconds behind
Venue:
Asuncion, Paraguay
Event:
Junior men's one-lap road race, World Skate Games 2026
Why it matters for exams: Medal winners in a world championship, with the venue and the event, are a standard sports question.
Kerala PSCSSC
In plain words
World Skate World Skate — The international federation recognised for roller sports and skateboarding.
17 October 2026
India's Amruta Pujari won the silver medal in the women's 72 kg category at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas in the United States. She lost the gold medal bout 0-6 to Iryna Zablotska of Ukraine. A day earlier, Komal had won bronze for India in the women's 59 kg category at the same championships. The Under-23 championships are held by United World Wrestling as the age-group world title between the junior and senior levels.
Medal:
Silver, women's 72 kg
Final score:
0-6 to Iryna Zablotska of Ukraine
Venue:
Las Vegas, United States
Other Indian medal:
Komal, bronze in women's 59 kg
Why it matters for exams: Medallists, weight categories and venues of world wrestling championships are routinely asked.
Kerala PSCSSC
In plain words
United World Wrestling United World Wrestling — The international governing body for the sport of wrestling.
17 October 2026
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, speaking as Chancellor at the 34th convocation of the National Law School of India University in Bengaluru, told graduates to build intellectual independence, fairness and respect for differing views. He said disagreement should not come at the cost of a person's dignity, and urged hearing before judging and distinguishing a person from a position. He said legal education should go beyond doctrine and include engaging with people who see the world differently, and described the law as a living process shaped by those who practise it. He warned graduates against trading professional integrity for convenience when shortcuts look tempting. Theatre artist Arundhati Nag was the chief guest and delivered the convocation address. The ceremony was held on 17 October 2026.
Occasion:
34th convocation of NLSIU, Bengaluru
Speaker:
CJI Surya Kant, as Chancellor
Chief guest:
Arundhati Nag, theatre artist
Date:
17 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: The identity of the Chief Justice of India and his role as Chancellor of NLSIU are both directly examinable.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NLSIU National Law School of India University — India's first national law university, established at Bengaluru in 1987, with the Chief Justice of India as its Chancellor.
16 October 2026
The International Monetary Fund's October 2026 Regional Economic Outlook for Asia and the Pacific says India's efforts to diversify its oil supplies helped it cope with the disruptions in energy markets linked to the conflict in West Asia. The report warns that prolonged high energy prices could create inflationary pressures. The Regional Economic Outlook is published twice a year for each IMF region and is distinct from the global World Economic Outlook. India is a large net importer of crude oil, so the source mix of its imports is a direct determinant of its current account and of retail fuel prices.
Publication:
IMF Regional Economic Outlook for Asia and the Pacific, October 2026
Finding on India:
Diversification of oil supplies helped absorb energy market disruption
Risk flagged:
Prolonged high energy prices could create inflationary pressures
Why it matters for exams: IMF publications and what they say about India are a recurring economy question, and the Regional Economic Outlook is often confused with the World Economic Outlook.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
Regional Economic Outlook IMF Regional Economic Outlook — A half-yearly IMF report on one region, separate from the global World Economic Outlook.
16 October 2026
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman encouraged Japanese investors to explore opportunities in data centres in tier two and tier three cities in India. She was in Bangkok, Thailand, for the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, on an official visit of five days running until the 18th of the month. On the sidelines of the meetings she met Kazuhiko Amakawa, Governor of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. The two sides discussed the use of the 600 million dollar India-Japan Fund for cooperation.
Venue:
Bangkok, Thailand
Occasion:
Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group
Met:
Kazuhiko Amakawa, Governor, Japan Bank for International Cooperation
Fund discussed:
600 million dollar India-Japan Fund
Why it matters for exams: The venue of the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings and the size of the India-Japan Fund are both askable facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
JBIC Japan Bank for International Cooperation — Japan's policy-based financial institution for overseas investment and development finance.