22 October 2026
India has objected to a United Nations Special Rapporteur describing the D-Company, led by the fugitive Dawood Ibrahim, as an 'India-based' criminal group, calling the report factually inaccurate. Raghoo Puri, First Secretary at India's Permanent Mission to the UN, made the intervention on October 21, 2026 in the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, responding to a report by Ben Saul, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. Puri said the report cited the UN Security Council listing of the leader of the 'India-based D-Company' in 2003 for links with Al-Qaeda, but omitted that Ibrahim had been wanted in India in connection with terror attacks since 1993. He said Ibrahim had fled India before the listing, and that repeated factual inaccuracies in such reports cause tremendous harm to the organisation.
Forum:
Third Committee of the UN General Assembly
Year of the Security Council listing cited:
2003
Why it matters for exams: It links the UN General Assembly's Third Committee, the Special Rapporteur system and the Security Council's 1267 style terror listings in one current example.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Third Committee The Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee of the UN General Assembly — It is the General Assembly committee that takes up human rights and social questions.
Special Rapporteur An independent expert appointed under the UN human rights machinery — The post is unpaid and the holder reports on a specific theme or country.
22 October 2026
India has advised its nationals living in France and those travelling there to remain vigilant and exercise caution amid continuing unrest, violent clashes and localised curfews. The advisory was issued on October 21, 2026 by the Embassy of India in France, which urged Indian nationals to avoid large gatherings and crowded places where protests are taking place and to follow instructions issued by local authorities. 'In view of the recent developments and localised curfews imposed in France, please remain vigilant and exercise due caution,' the advisory said. The unrest began with student demonstrations over high school conditions and widened into protests over inflation and living costs, with looting, arson and clashes between demonstrators and police. The mission asked nationals to stay informed through local news and official updates.
Issued by:
Embassy of India in France
Date of advisory:
October 21, 2026
Why it matters for exams: Travel advisories are the standard instrument through which an Indian mission abroad protects nationals, and examiners ask which body issues them.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
Travel advisory A formal caution issued to citizens about conditions in another country — In India it is issued by the Ministry of External Affairs or by the mission concerned.
Curfew An official order keeping people indoors during stated hours — A localised curfew applies only to named areas rather than a whole country.
22 October 2026
The Reserve Bank of India released the minutes of its Monetary Policy Committee meeting held from October 5 to 7, 2026 on October 21, 2026. The MPC voted unanimously to raise the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.5 per cent, but external members Dr Nagesh Kumar and Prof Ram Singh dissented on the decision to shift the policy stance from neutral to calibrated tightening. Prof Ram Singh said he did not favour shifting the stance to tightening mode as it may signal an extended cycle of rate hikes. Governor Sanjay Malhotra said headline CPI inflation is projected to touch the upper tolerance band of 6 per cent in the third quarter and remain significantly above 5 per cent in the next two quarters. Members broadly acknowledged the risks from the West Asia conflict, rising oil prices and the spread of inflation beyond food and fuel.
Repo rate:
5.5%
Rate increase:
25 basis points (bps)
Meeting dates:
October 5-7 meeting
Why it matters for exams: The composition of the MPC, the meaning of a stance change and the inflation tolerance band are standard bank and civil services questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
MPC Monetary Policy Committee — The six-member committee that fixes India's policy repo rate.
Basis point One hundredth of one percentage point — Twenty-five basis points therefore mean a quarter of a percentage point.
22 October 2026
Jio Platforms Ltd's public offer was fully subscribed within 100 minutes of opening on October 21, 2026, making it the fastest-ever subscribed initial public offer in India. The offer is for Rs 30,213 crore with a price band of Rs 1,065 to Rs 1,119 per share, and is a fresh offering of up to 27 crore shares with no offer-for-sale component. The portion marked for Qualified Institutional Buyers crossed full subscription in the first 10 minutes and later crossed 2.86 times. The issue stays open until October 23 and is set to exceed Hyundai Motor India's Rs 27,870 crore offer of 2024 to become India's largest by value. On October 19, 2026 the company allotted shares worth about Rs 8,110 crore to 212 anchor investors at Rs 1,119 apiece.
Issue size:
₹30,213 crore
Price band:
₹1,065 to ₹1,119 per share
Previous largest IPO:
Hyundai Motor India's ₹27,870 crore 2024 IPO
Why it matters for exams: Bank and SSC papers ask for the largest Indian IPO by value and for the meaning of the QIB portion in a public issue.
UPSCSSCBank
In plain words
QIB Qualified Institutional Buyer — An institutional investor class registered with SEBI that gets a reserved share of a public issue.
Offer for sale A component in which existing shareholders sell their shares — Its absence means all the money raised goes to the company itself.
22 October 2026
Essar Ports Ltd has received a Letter of Award from the Deendayal Port Authority to develop a multipurpose cargo terminal at Tuna Tekra in Kandla, Gujarat, at an estimated cost of Rs 2,276.06 crore under the public-private partnership model. The company emerged as the highest bidder in a global competitive bidding process and the project will be implemented on a build, operate and transfer basis. Essar Ports will contribute Rs 1,552.57 crore and the Deendayal Port Authority will invest Rs 723.49 crore. The terminal will have an annual cargo-handling capacity of 18.33 million tonnes and four berths of 300 metres each, an aggregate berth length of 1,200 metres. It is designed for Cape-size vessels of up to 170,000 deadweight tonnes with a draft capability of up to 18 metres.
Estimated cost:
₹2,276.06 crore
Annual capacity:
18.33 million tonnes
Berths:
four berths, each measuring 300 metres
Why it matters for exams: Port names and the authority that owns them are a standing question area, and Deendayal Port Authority is the former Kandla Port Trust.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
BOT Build, Operate and Transfer — A concession model in which the builder runs the asset for a period and then hands it back.
Draft The depth of water a loaded ship needs — A deeper draft lets a port receive larger vessels.
22 October 2026
The Department of Fisheries of the Government of Madhya Pradesh and the Department of Fisheries under the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying are organising the Fisheries Investors and Exporters Conclave 2026 at Bhopal on 23 October 2026. The Conclave aims to strengthen links between inland fisheries production and investment, processing, cold-chain infrastructure, value addition and export markets, shifting from a production-oriented approach to an integrated value-chain model. It will bring together investors, exporters, fisheries cooperatives, Fish Farmer Producer Organisations and more than 1,000 fish farmers from various parts of Madhya Pradesh. A key feature will be the release of the Madhya Pradesh Fisheries Investment and Export Guidelines, 2026; the State has been notified by the Centre as a Reservoir Fisheries Cluster. The programme also includes Standard Operating Procedures on the export potential of inland States and the virtual inauguration of Integrated Cage Culture Units.
Date and place:
23 October 2026 in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
Fish farmers expected:
more than 1,000 fish farmers
Policy to be released:
MADHYA PRADESH FISHERIES INVESTMENT AND EXPORT GUIDELINES, 2026
Why it matters for exams: It shows how an inland State is being pulled into the fisheries export chain, and names the Union Ministry that handles fisheries.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
FFPO Fish Farmer Producer Organisation — A collective of fish farmers formed to get better prices and services.
Cage culture Rearing fish in enclosures placed inside a reservoir or river — It lets open water bodies be used for fish farming without draining them.
22 October 2026
The GUESSS India 2025 National Survey Report was released by the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi in partnership with REVA University, Bangalore, and announced on 21 October 2026. It finds that more than one in five Indian college students, or 22 per cent, has already started a business, close to the global average of 23 per cent. The survey covered 25,783 students from more than 1,200 higher-education institutions in 34 states and union territories, and found that 43 in 100 Indian students want to start a business, the same as the global average. The share who want to run their own business right after their studies rose from 14.0 per cent in the 2023 survey to 16.2 per cent in 2025, while the share who want a government job right after studies fell from 12.7 per cent to 10.1 per cent. Of student businesses with regular sales, 31 per cent were founded in 2025 alone, against a global figure of 18 per cent.
Students surveyed:
25,783 students
Already started a business:
22%
Want to start a business:
43 in 100
Why it matters for exams: Survey reports with named host institutions and sample sizes are frequent one-mark questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
GUESSS Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students' Survey — An international survey of entrepreneurial intention among university students.
Incubator A campus facility that supports new ventures — It gives student founders space, mentoring and early funding links.
22 October 2026
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has issued notices to Nestle India and Zydus Wellness Product Ltd over misleading claims in certain products and has asked the companies to provide scientific proof to support their advertisements. The regulator said on October 22, 2026 that notices went to Nestle India over two food products, Lactogen Pro 1 Powder and Nan Excella Pro Stage 1, and to Zydus Wellness over its food product Complan. For Lactogen Pro 1 Powder, the FSSAI asked for scientific substantiation of the claim that the product contains whey protein, which is a part of milk protein that is easy to digest. For Nan Excella Pro Stage 1, the claim that 5 HMOs, or human milk oligosaccharides, help support the normal immune system was held non-compliant with provisions that prohibit claims relating to the prevention, alleviation, treatment or cure of a disease, disorder or physiological condition unless specifically permitted.
Companies issued notices:
Nestle India and Zydus Wellness Product Ltd
Nestle products named:
Lactogen Pro 1 Powder and Nan Excella Pro Stage 1
Why it matters for exams: The FSSAI's power over advertisements and claims, and the statute it works under, are standard questions on consumer and food regulation.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
FSSAI Food Safety and Standards Authority of India — The regulator set up under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
HMO Human milk oligosaccharide — A class of carbohydrates naturally present in human breast milk.
22 October 2026
Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha has ordered that the election process for all 100 urban local bodies for which the notification was issued on October 14 be stopped forthwith, in view of the Supreme Court's directions. The order, reported on October 22, 2026, covers elections to 13 Municipal Corporations and 87 Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats. The nomination process had been completed between October 16 and 18 and scrutiny of nominations was held on October 19. The Supreme Court directed the State Election Commission to postpone publication of the final list of candidates till October 25, and to consider the representations made by the petitioner party and other candidates, including documentary and electronic evidence. The Commissioner said the Commission would pass an order after obtaining reports from the Collectors, District Election Authorities and the police on October 22.
Urban local bodies affected:
100 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)
Break-up:
13 Municipal Corporations, 87 Municipalities and Nagar Panchayats
Final list postponed till:
October 25
Why it matters for exams: It shows a State Election Commission acting under Article 243ZA machinery being directed by the Supreme Court mid-process.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
ULB Urban Local Body — The municipal tier of local government, such as a corporation, municipality or nagar panchayat.
State Election Commission The constitutional body that conducts local body elections in a State — It is separate from the Election Commission of India, which handles Parliament and Assembly polls.
Background
The Khelo India Scheme was formulated by merging the erstwhile Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA), the Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme (USIS) and the National Sports Talent Search Scheme (NSTSS). RGKA had envisaged sports complexes in all blocks, USIS was the precursor to the infrastructure component, and NSTSS envisaged searching and nurturing sporting talent. 'Khelo India - National Programme for Development of Sports' was revamped with 12 verticals and launched in October, 2017. Its primary focus is a national level platform for athletes to showcase their talent and to be identified for further grooming and financial support. A Khelo India Athlete receives funding of Rs 6.28 lakh per annum, which includes Rs 10,000 per month as an out of pocket allowance, besides support for training, equipment, diet and education. 1000 Khelo India Centers are being set up at the district level, and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has partnered with States to create the Khelo India State Center of Excellence. A national inventory of playfields and sports infrastructure has been prepared on a Geographic Information System, with 11,227 playfields geo-tagged. The Mission Olympic Cell was formed in April 2016 and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme was revamped to support elite athletes, while the FIT India Movement was launched as a people's movement on August 29, 2019.
Schemes merged:
RGKA, USIS and NSTSS
Verticals:
12
Funding per athlete:
Rs 6.28 lakh per annum
Playfields geo-tagged:
11,227
Why it matters for exams: Sports policy questions ask which schemes were merged into Khelo India, what a Khelo India Athlete receives and which cell supports Olympic athletes.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
TOPS Target Olympic Podium Scheme — A scheme that gives sustained support to elite athletes preparing for the Olympics.
Geo-tagging Geo-tagging — Recording the exact map coordinates of a place so it can be located and tracked.
Background
The Soil Health Card Scheme was launched at Suratgarh in Rajasthan on 19.02.2015, with the slogan "Swasth Dharaa. Khet Haraa." - Healthy Earth, Green Farm. The card is a printed report handed over to a farmer for each of his holdings. It carries the status of the soil with respect to 12 parameters: Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium as macro-nutrients; Sulphur as a secondary nutrient; Zinc, Iron, Copper, Manganese and Boron as micro-nutrients; and pH, EC and OC as physical parameters. On that basis the card indicates the fertilizer recommendation and the soil amendment required for the farm, and advises the farmer on the quantities to apply so as to realize optimal yields. The scheme also aims to strengthen the functioning of Soil Testing Laboratories through capacity building, the involvement of agriculture students and effective linkage with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and State Agricultural Universities. The International Year of Soils was celebrated in 2015, the same year this programme was launched in India to assess the nutrient status of every farm holding in the country.
Launched at:
Suratgarh, Rajasthan
Parameters on the card:
12
Secondary nutrient listed:
Sulphur
Slogan:
Swasth Dharaa. Khet Haraa.
Why it matters for exams: The twelve parameters and the grouping into macro, secondary and micro nutrients are a favourite objective question, and the launch place is often asked with it.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Macro-nutrient Macro-nutrient — A nutrient a crop needs in large quantity, such as nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium.
EC Electrical conductivity — A measure of the salt content of soil, read from how well it conducts electricity.
Background
The Accessible India Campaign was launched on World Disability Day, December 3, 2015. As per the Census 2011 there are 2.68 crore persons with disabilities in India, and the campaign was framed to create barrier-free environments and accessible ecosystems for them. It envisages accessibility features in three verticals: the built-up environment, the transportation sector, and the information and communication technology ecosystem. The campaign drew inspiration from the UNCRPD, and its action plan and targets have been derived from Goal 3 of the Incheon Strategy, which endeavours to "Make the Right Real". To provide full legislative cover to the campaign and a right to accessibility, the Government enacted the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which came into force from April 2017; accessibility thereby became a right rather than a welfare measure. Section 40 provides for rules laying down standards of accessibility in all three components in urban and rural areas, Sections 41 to 43 provide for access to transport, information technology and universally designed consumer products, Section 44 makes observance of the standards mandatory, and Sections 45 and 46 set the time limit for making existing infrastructure and services accessible - Buildings (5 years) and Services (2 years). Non-compliance with the provisions of the Act or Rules has been made punishable by fines and imprisonment.
Launched on:
World Disability Day, December 3, 2015
Persons with disabilities:
2.68 crore (Census 2011)
Legislative cover:
Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016
Time limits:
Buildings 5 years, Services 2 years
Why it matters for exams: Disability rights questions turn on the three verticals, the Act that backs the campaign and the time limits it sets for buildings and services.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
UNCRPD United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities — The international treaty on the rights of persons with disabilities that the campaign draws on.
Incheon Strategy Incheon Strategy — A regional set of disability goals whose third goal is on access to the physical environment and information.