26 October 2026
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisition proposals costing about Rs 2,12,000 crore.
Acceptance of Necessity is the in-principle administrative approval that begins a defence purchase.
About 82 per cent of the procurement under these approvals will be made from Indian industry.
For the Army the list includes High Mobility Vehicles, a Self-Propelled Tracked Gun System, Light Multi Role Helicopters, Very Short Range Air Defence System and a Long Range Kamikaze Drone System.
For the Navy it includes the Active Offboard Decoy System against anti-ship missiles.
For the Air Force it includes helicopters, air defence systems and a Mobile X-Band Doppler Weather Radar System.
Value of approvals:
Rs 2,12,000 crore
Share from Indian industry:
about 82%
Why it matters for exams: Acceptance of Necessity and the Defence Acquisition Council are standard defence-procurement questions in UPSC and PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
AoN Acceptance of Necessity — The first, in-principle approval the Defence Acquisition Council gives to a purchase proposal.
VSHORADS Very Short Range Air Defence System — A shoulder-fired air defence missile system against low-flying aerial threats.
26 October 2026
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India released its Recommendations on the Authorisation Framework for Application-based Linear Television Distribution (ALTD) Services.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had referred the subject to TRAI under Section 11(1)(a) of the TRAI Act, 1997.
TRAI recommends treating ALTD as a sub-category of Television Channel Distribution Services under Section 3(1)(a) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
An ALTD service aggregates Central Government approved linear television channels and delivers them over the public internet or other IP networks through apps or websites.
The authorisation is proposed for an initial validity of 20 years, renewable for successive 10-year periods, with a one-time entry fee of Rs 1 lakh and an application processing fee of Rs 10,000.
TRAI received 207 comments and 11 counter-comments on its consultation paper.
Initial validity:
20 years
One-time entry fee:
Rs 1 lakh
Comments received:
207 comments and 11 counter-comments
Why it matters for exams: TRAI's statutory powers and the Telecommunications Act, 2023 are regular polity and science-technology questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ALTD Application-based Linear Television Distribution — A service that delivers approved linear TV channels through apps or websites over the internet.
TRAI Telecom Regulatory Authority of India — The statutory regulator for telecom and broadcasting tariffs and services in India.
26 October 2026
The Department of Commerce extended the timelines of Component II of the RELIEF initiative to 31 March 2027.
RELIEF stands for Resilience and Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation. It is a time-bound intervention under the Export Promotion Mission and was launched on 19 March 2026.
The extension was notified through Notification No. 37/2026-27 dated 30 September 2026.
The reason given is continued geopolitical disruption in West Asia and its effect on maritime logistics in the Gulf and nearby regions.
Component II encourages exporters to take Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India cover for shipments to specified regions, with 95 per cent risk coverage and protection against premium increases.
Standalone Policies and Whole Turnover Policies taken on or after 16 March 2026 are eligible. Full Container Load, Less than Container Load and reefer containers are covered, while energy shipments are excluded.
Extended until:
31 March 2027
Risk coverage:
95 per cent
Why it matters for exams: ECGC and the Export Promotion Mission are standard trade and banking questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
RELIEF Resilience and Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation — A time-bound scheme under the Export Promotion Mission for exporters hit by West Asian shipping disruption.
ECGC Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India — A government-owned company that insures Indian exporters against payment risks.
26 October 2026
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will lead the Indian delegation to the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus at Cebu in the Philippines on 28 and 29 October 2026.
The Philippines chairs the 2026 meeting. He will speak in the session on Exchange of Views on Regional and International Security Issues.
ADMM-Plus brings together the 11 ASEAN members with eight Dialogue Partners: India, the United States, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
The ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.
For the 2024-2027 cycle India co-chairs the ADMM-Plus Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism along with Malaysia.
India's participation is placed within its Act East Policy.
Venue:
Cebu, Philippines
ASEAN members:
11
Dialogue Partners:
8
Why it matters for exams: ASEAN membership, ADMM-Plus and the Act East Policy are repeatedly asked in international relations questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ADMM-Plus ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus — ASEAN's defence consultation forum with its eight Dialogue Partners.
ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations — A regional grouping of Southeast Asian countries with its secretariat at Jakarta.
26 October 2026
INS Trishul arrived at Civitavecchia in Italy on 25 October 2026 during an operational deployment to the Mediterranean Sea.
Before entering harbour the ship carried out a Passage Exercise, or PASSEX, with the Italian Naval Ship Carlo Margottini.
The exercise covered coordinated manoeuvring drills, communication procedures, replenishment approaches, cross-deck landings, personnel transfers and boarding operations.
The Ministry of Defence said the two navies exchanged best practices during the exercise.
The port call includes professional interactions, cultural visits and exchanges, and the ship will be open to visitors.
The visit is presented as reinforcing the maritime partnership between India and Italy.
Port:
Civitavecchia, Italy
Partner ship:
Italian Naval Ship Carlo Margottini
Why it matters for exams: PASSEX, Indian Navy ship names and India-Italy defence contacts are common current affairs questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PASSEX Passage Exercise — A short exercise two navies hold when their ships meet while passing, to practise working together.
26 October 2026
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released its Monthly Flash Report on Central Sector Infrastructure Projects for September 2026.
The report tracks 1,853 ongoing projects across 17 Central Ministries and Departments, with a latest project cost of Rs 37.56 lakh crore.
Of these, 780 are Mega projects costing Rs 1,000 crore and above and 1,073 are Major projects.
Expenditure so far is Rs 17.73 lakh crore, about 47.21 per cent of the project cost.
Transport and Logistics accounts for 1,320 projects worth Rs 20.07 lakh crore and Energy for 225 projects worth Rs 11.04 lakh crore.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways leads with 974 projects worth Rs 9.46 lakh crore, followed by Railways with 284 projects worth Rs 7.21 lakh crore.
Projects tracked:
1,853
Latest project cost:
Rs 37.56 lakh crore
Expenditure so far:
Rs 17.73 lakh crore
Why it matters for exams: MoSPI is the agency that monitors central infrastructure projects, a frequent question on statistical bodies.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MoSPI Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation — The Union ministry that produces India's official statistics and monitors central projects.
Mega project Project costing Rs 1,000 crore and above — The cost threshold MoSPI uses to call a central sector project a Mega project.
26 October 2026
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has proposed that the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises, or ASUSE, move from the calendar year to the financial year.
ASUSE 2027-28 is proposed to run from April 2027 to March 2028. The National Statistics Office has conducted the survey since 2021-22.
The change aligns ASUSE with the Annual Survey of Industries and the Annual Survey of Incorporated Services Sector Enterprises.
The existing ASUSE 2026 schedule will still run through January to March 2027 so that quarterly estimates are not broken.
The proposed schedule adds questions for the first time on constraints faced by female entrepreneurs, on sources of electricity used, and on fixed-asset investment over a longer reference period.
Two questions sought by the Ministry of Textiles will identify handloom, power-loom and handicraft establishments. Comments may be sent until 15 November 2026.
New survey period:
April 2027 to March 2028
Comments deadline:
15 November 2026
Why it matters for exams: ASUSE is India's main survey of the unorganised non-farm sector and is asked about in economy papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ASUSE Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises — A National Statistics Office survey of small non-farm businesses that are not registered as companies.
CAPI Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing — A survey method in which the interviewer records answers directly on a device.
26 October 2026
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called for Aatmanirbharta 2.0, the next leap in defence self-reliance, at SWAVLAMBAN 2026.
SWAVLAMBAN is the Indian Navy's Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Seminar. The fifth edition is being held at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, on 26 and 27 October 2026 on the theme Strength and Power through Innovation and Indigenisation.
It is organised by the Indian Navy with the Defence Innovation Organisation and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers.
He asked for advanced and cost-effective technologies, stronger research and development with funding for high-risk projects, and resilient supply chains, and proposed a Dual Technology Roadmap for technologies serving both civil and military needs.
Navy-specific iDEX challenges have risen from 20 in 2022 to 229, about 35 per cent of all iDEX challenges in the defence sector, drawing more than 4,000 proposals.
The Navy has 41 Acceptance of Necessity cases worth over Rs 3,500 crore and has signed 25 contracts worth over Rs 1,900 crore.
Navy iDEX challenges:
229
AoN cases:
41 worth over Rs 3,500 crore
Contracts signed:
25 worth over Rs 1,900 crore
Why it matters for exams: iDEX, the Defence Innovation Organisation and SWAVLAMBAN are standard defence self-reliance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
iDEX Innovations for Defence Excellence — A Ministry of Defence programme that funds start-ups and small firms to solve defence problems.
SIDM Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers — An industry body of Indian defence manufacturing companies.
26 October 2026
The Technology Development Board, a body under the Department of Science and Technology, signed an agreement with Manastu Space Technologies Private Limited of Navi Mumbai.
The Board will provide Rs 116 crore from the Research Development and Innovation Fund as Optionally Convertible Debt. The total project cost is Rs 277.63 crore.
The project is a green propulsion system for satellites and launch vehicles, covering thrust levels from 5 mN to 300 N.
It uses a hydrogen peroxide based propellant with additives along with an integrated engine and catalyst system, including an ultra-high-temperature ceramic catalyst.
The aim is to move the technology from TRL-6 to TRL-9, that is from a demonstrated prototype to flight-proven readiness.
The technology has already been demonstrated in space.
TDB support:
Rs 116 crore
Total project cost:
Rs 277.63 crore
Thrust range:
5 mN to 300 N
Why it matters for exams: The Technology Development Board and green propulsion are typical science and technology questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
TDB Technology Development Board — A statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology that funds the commercialisation of Indian technology.
TRL Technology Readiness Level — A scale from 1 to 9 that measures how ready a technology is for real use.
23 October 2026
The Reserve Bank of India issued the Reserve Bank of India (Commercial Banks - Forthcoming Instructions) Second Amendment Directions, 2026 on minimum capital requirements for operational risk.
The parent Directions were issued on 28 November 2025. Their Chapter IV set out minimum capital requirements for operational risk but left the effective date and the mapping of Business Indicator components to be notified later.
The amendment specifies the implementation date for the Basel III Standardised Approach for minimum operational risk capital.
It also provides an indicative mapping of Business Indicator components to financial statement schedules and line items, and incorporates further clarifications issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.
A Governor's Statement of 1 October 2025 had said the revised Basel III capital adequacy framework for commercial banks would take effect on 1 April 2027.
Small Finance Banks, Payment Banks and Regional Rural Banks are excluded from that framework.
Revised Basel III framework effective from:
April 1, 2027
Parent Directions issued:
November 28, 2025
Why it matters for exams: Basel norms, operational risk and the RBI's regulatory powers are core banking examination topics.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
Operational risk Risk of loss from failed internal processes, people, systems or external events — One of the three main risks for which banks must hold regulatory capital.
BCBS Basel Committee on Banking Supervision — The global standard setter for bank regulation, hosted by the Bank for International Settlements at Basel.
26 October 2026
The Central Board of Secondary Education is holding the 4th National Summit on Facilitating School-to-Work Transition in New Delhi on 26 and 27 October 2026.
It is organised by CBSE in association with the Sahodaya School Complexes of Delhi and the National Capital Region.
The summit works on four priorities: technology with digital safety and skills; design, creativity and innovation; recognition of skills through the National Credit Framework; and career guidance with equitable pathways.
T. K. Anil Kumar, Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy, and CBSE Chairman Mandeep Bhandari are taking part.
School leaders, educators, industry experts and policymakers attend interactive sessions, expert discussions and case-based paper and poster presentations from CBSE-affiliated schools.
The Board links the summit to the National Education Policy 2020, which seeks to break down barriers between academic and vocational streams.
Edition:
4th National Summit
Venue:
New Delhi
Why it matters for exams: CBSE, the National Credit Framework and NEP 2020 are frequent education questions in PSC and teaching exams.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NCrF National Credit Framework — A framework that gives academic credit for school, higher education, vocational and experiential learning on one scale.
Sahodaya Sahodaya School Complex — A cluster of CBSE-affiliated schools in an area that work together on training and activities.
26 October 2026
Central public sector enterprises under the Ministry of Coal reported their results under Special Campaign 6, the Government of India's drive for cleanliness and pendency disposal.
They cleaned 1,696 sites against a target of 1,565 and an area of 130.16 lakh square feet against a target of 101.80 lakh square feet.
They disposed of 16,158 metric tons of scrap against a target of 10,909 metric tons, earning about Rs 53.94 crore.
78,635 physical and electronic files were reviewed against a target of 59,593, and 70,093 files were weeded out and closed.
South Eastern Coalfields Limited installed an e-waste collection bin made from recycled scrap at its headquarters, and Coal India Limited renovated its headquarters canteen and reopened it as Cilantro on 5 October 2026.
Western Coalfields Limited supported the education of more than 160 girl students at the Mata Sabri Balika Awasiya Shiksha Parisar at Parasia in Chhindwara.
Area cleaned:
130.16 lakh sq. ft.
Scrap disposed:
16,158 metric tons
Revenue from scrap:
about Rs 53.94 crore
Why it matters for exams: Coal India and its subsidiaries, and the Special Campaign for pendency disposal, are regular governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CPSE Central Public Sector Enterprise — A company in which the Central Government holds a majority stake.
SECL South Eastern Coalfields Limited — A subsidiary of Coal India Limited with coalfields mainly in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.