26 October 2026
The Parliament of India is hosting the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum on 26 October 2026 in the Parliament House Complex. Ahead of the two-day Forum, Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla held a bilateral meeting with the parliamentary delegation from Russia, led by Mr Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. Birla said a people-centric approach will guide India's BRICS Presidency in 2026. He noted that the two countries will complete 80 years of diplomatic relations in 2027. He called for regular meetings of the India-Russia Inter-Parliamentary Commission and more exchanges of young and women parliamentarians. He also reiterated the need for reform of the United Nations Security Council and appreciated Russia's support for India's permanent membership. Later in the day he met parliamentary delegations from Cuba, Egypt and Belarus.
Edition:
12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum
Russian delegation leader:
Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma
Years of diplomatic relations in 2027:
80 years
Why it matters for exams: BRICS, its members and India's 2026 Presidency are standard questions, and parliamentary diplomacy links polity with international relations.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
State Duma State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation — The lower house of Russia's parliament.
26 October 2026
The Narcotics Control Bureau spearheaded Operation Trident in the early hours of 23 October 2026, with 38 multi-agency teams striking 38 locations in Assam, Mizoram and Manipur at the same time. The NCB worked in coordination with the Mizoram Police and the Enforcement Directorate. The Ministry of Home Affairs said the operation revealed hawala transactions worth Rs 100 crore, froze 1,424 bank accounts and attached properties worth Rs 17.82 crore. It also seized 500 detonators and Rs 12 lakh in cash, and 18 people were arrested. Locations covered included Aizawl, Champhai and the Indo-Myanmar border trading town of Zokhawthar in Mizoram, with linked operative bases in Churachandpur in Manipur. The operation follows the Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026-2029) and its shift from a seizure-centric to a network-centric and financial disruption approach.
Teams and locations:
38 teams at 38 locations
Hawala transactions revealed:
₹100 crore
Bank accounts frozen:
1,424
Properties attached:
₹17.82 crore
Why it matters for exams: The NCB, its parent ministry and the states on the Indo-Myanmar border are frequently asked in internal security questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
NCB Narcotics Control Bureau — India's apex drug law enforcement agency, under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
ED Enforcement Directorate — The agency that investigates money laundering and foreign exchange offences.
26 October 2026
The Central Consumer Protection Authority has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh on M/s Hogar Technologies and Innovations LLP for misleading advertisements and product listings of walkie-talkies. The listings did not clearly disclose the operating frequencies of the devices, the applicable licensing requirements and regulatory approvals. The order was passed under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, by the CCPA headed by Chief Commissioner Smt Nidhi Khare with Commissioner Shri Anupam Mishra. Under the Use of Low Power and Very Low Power Short Range Radio Frequency Devices (Exemption from Licensing Requirement) Rules, 2018, personal mobile radios operating within 446.0-446.2 MHz are exempt from a licence, subject to conditions. The CCPA held that possession of regulatory approvals does not remove an advertiser's obligation to give accurate and complete material information at the pre-purchase stage. More than 16,970 non-compliant listings were identified across online platforms and notices were issued to 13 e-commerce entities. The CCPA has passed final orders against 12 entities with cumulative penalties of Rs 58 lakh in this category.
Penalty:
₹1 lakh
Licence-exempt frequency band:
446.0–446.2 MHz
Non-compliant listings found:
Over 16,970
Cumulative penalties on 12 entities:
₹58 lakh
Why it matters for exams: The CCPA and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 are standard polity and economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
CCPA Central Consumer Protection Authority — The regulator set up under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 to act against misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices.
26 October 2026
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal commenced a visit to the Netherlands on 25 October 2026 to strengthen India-Netherlands economic ties. In Rotterdam he toured the Port of Rotterdam with its Chief Executive Officer Mr Boudewijn Siemons. The Press Information Bureau release describes Rotterdam as Europe's largest port and a gateway for Indian goods to the European market. The visit was placed in the context of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, which is expected to create significant new opportunities for Indian exporters. The Minister also attended an Indian community interaction hosted by the Embassy of India in Amsterdam, with approximately 70 participants. The programme highlighted maritime logistics and closer economic integration between India and Europe.
Port visited:
Port of Rotterdam, Europe's largest port
Port CEO:
Boudewijn Siemons
Diaspora interaction:
Approximately 70 participants in Amsterdam
Why it matters for exams: The India-EU FTA, Europe's largest port and the Commerce Ministry's portfolio are regular current affairs questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
FTA Free Trade Agreement — A treaty under which countries cut tariffs and other barriers on trade between them.
26 October 2026
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal began a four-day visit to South Korea on 25 October 2026. He opened the trip in Busan, which he called the hub of Korea's maritime industry, with an interaction with Indian professionals working in Korean shipbuilding. India's Ambassador to South Korea, Shri Gourangalal Das, introduced the community, which includes people from Samsung Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, HD Hyundai, DNV and the Indian Register of Shipping. The Minister referred to VOYAGES, the framework adopted by the two countries in April during South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to India, which covers cooperation in shipbuilding, shipping and maritime logistics. He said India aims to become one of the world's top five shipbuilding nations by 2047, under Maritime India Vision 2030 and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. He will take part in a ministerial roundtable in Busan for World Maritime Day, where the secretary-general of the International Maritime Organisation is expected.
Visit length:
Four days, beginning in Busan
Bilateral framework:
VOYAGES
Shipbuilding target:
Top five shipbuilding nations by 2047
Ambassador to South Korea:
Gourangalal Das
Why it matters for exams: VOYAGES, Maritime India Vision 2030 and the IMO are the kind of names and targets examiners ask about.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
IMO International Maritime Organisation — The United Nations agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping.
26 October 2026
The Indian Navy's First Training Squadron, comprising INS Tir, INS Sujata and Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi, departed Male, Maldives, on 24 October 2026 on completion of a three-day port call. The call was part of the Squadron's Long Range Training Deployment. It culminated in a Passage Exercise with Maldives Coast Guard Ship Imaduddin, to improve coordination between the two maritime forces. The programme included training interactions with the Maldives National Defence Force and a blood donation camp in which over 40 personnel took part. A deck reception was co-hosted by the High Commission of India and the Senior Officer of the Squadron, and was attended by HE Ali Shareef, Minister of Climate Change, Environment and Energy. The Ministry of Defence said the port call was in line with the vision of MAHASAGAR, which stands for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.
Squadron ships:
INS Tir, INS Sujata and Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi
Partner ship in PASSEX:
Maldives Coast Guard Ship Imaduddin
Port call length:
Three days at Male
Why it matters for exams: Ship names, PASSEX, MAHASAGAR and India-Maldives defence ties are standard defence current affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
MAHASAGAR Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions — India's stated vision for maritime cooperation in its wider neighbourhood.
PASSEX Passage Exercise — A short exercise two navies hold when their ships pass each other.
26 October 2026
Shri Rajiv Gauba, Member, NITI Aayog, speaking at the valedictory session of the 2nd National Urban Conclave on 25 October 2026, called for comprehensive reforms in urban governance, planning and financing. He said India's population would stabilise at approximately 165 crore around 2060, and that the urban population would increase from approximately 50 crore at present to 85 crore, with nearly half of India's population expected to live in urban areas by 2050. He said the budgetary outlay for the urban sector has grown 10-fold and that investments of about Rs 3.7 lakh crore have been made in metro rail and bus systems. He pointed to the Rs 1 lakh crore Urban Challenge Fund announced in the 2025-26 budget and this year's budget allocation of Rs 5,000 crore each for 7 city economic regions over five years. Referring to the report Moving Towards Effective City Governance, developed jointly by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, he called for directly elected mayors with 5-year terms, a Mayor-in-Council system and timely municipal elections. He said states should devolve all 18 functions to urban local bodies in line with the 74th Amendment. He noted that the share of Central Finance Commission grants to urban local bodies has increased to 45 per cent from 36 per cent.
Urban population projection:
From approximately 50 crore at present to 85 crore
Urban Challenge Fund:
₹1 lakh crore
City economic regions:
₹5,000 crore each for 7 regions over five years
Finance Commission grant share to urban local bodies:
45 per cent, up from 36 per cent
Why it matters for exams: The 74th Amendment, the 18 functions of urban local bodies and NITI Aayog are among the most asked polity topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ULB Urban Local Body — A municipal corporation, municipality or nagar panchayat that governs a town or city.
26 October 2026
The National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Kundli, hosted Hack the Fork, described as India's first AI and Food Tech Hackathon. The 24-hour hackathon was inaugurated on October 24 and concluded on October 25, with participating teams presenting their solutions before an expert jury. It was organised by Hack the Fork, a France-based non-profit initiative, in collaboration with NIFTEM-K. From an initial pool of over 85 applicant teams, 25 teams were shortlisted, and 22 teams from 10 states, comprising over 90 participants, took part. The participants represented institutions including IITs, IIITs and the University of Delhi. The challenge focused on harnessing Artificial Intelligence to advance the alternative protein industry, covering plant-based food innovation, fermentation technologies, nutritional optimisation, food safety and food waste reduction. The winning teams competed for prizes worth Rs 1.5 lakh, along with opportunities to enter the institute's Startup Incubation Programme. Dr Harinder Singh Oberoi is the Director of NIFTEM-K.
Hackathon:
Hack the Fork, 24 hours
Teams in the final round:
22 teams from 10 states, over 90 participants
Prizes:
₹1.5 lakh
Why it matters for exams: NIFTEM, its ministry and the idea of alternative proteins are new-syllabus science and economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NIFTEM-K National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Kundli — An institute under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
26 October 2026
The Air Intelligence Unit of Kolkata Customs intercepted and seized 220 live plants weighing approximately 17 kg from an international passenger arriving from Bangkok, Thailand, at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata, on Saturday, October 24, 2026. The passenger had arrived on IndiGo Flight No. 6E-1058. The recovered consignment comprised 150 guava plants, 20 jamun plants and 50 Caladium plants. The competent plant quarantine authority found that the plants had been imported without a valid import permit or phytosanitary certificate. It issued a deportation and destruction order, and the goods were seized under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. Kolkata Customs advised international passengers not to carry live plants, saplings, cuttings, seeds, bulbs or roots in their baggage unless all prescribed requirements have been fulfilled, noting that unauthorised plant material can facilitate the entry of foreign pests, plant diseases and invasive species.
Plants seized:
220 live plants, approximately 17 kg
Composition:
150 guava, 20 jamun and 50 Caladium plants
Airport:
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
Why it matters for exams: The Customs Act, 1962, phytosanitary certificates and invasive species are asked in both agriculture and polity sections.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Phytosanitary certificate Phytosanitary certificate — A document certifying that plants or plant products are free of specified pests and diseases.
26 October 2026
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated an Easy Business Unit of J&K Bank at Village Chakra in Hiranagar, Kathua, on 25 October 2026. The facility is aimed at bringing banking services closer to residents and enabling access to financial transactions, government welfare schemes and digital banking facilities. The Minister said the number of J&K Bank branches in Kathua district has increased from 31 in 2014 to 55 in the last twelve years, with 13 new branches added and 11 in the pipeline. He said roads now extend up to the zero line in several stretches along the international border, and that bunkers have been constructed in border areas in accordance with prescribed security standards. On financial inclusion he said that under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana more than 59 crore bank accounts have been opened across the country, enabling people to receive government benefits through Direct Benefit Transfers. He also highlighted the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, which provides collateral-free loans to eligible micro and small entrepreneurs.
PMJDY accounts:
More than 59 crore
J&K Bank branches in Kathua:
From 31 in 2014 to 55
Location:
Village Chakra, Hiranagar, Kathua
Why it matters for exams: PMJDY account numbers, Direct Benefit Transfer and the Mudra Yojana are standard banking-exam facts.
Kerala PSCSSCBank
In plain words
PMJDY Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana — The national financial inclusion mission for basic bank accounts.
DBT Direct Benefit Transfer — Paying government benefits straight into a beneficiary's bank account.
26 October 2026
The Prime Minister extended greetings on the occasion of Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti in a Press Information Bureau release issued on 26 October 2026. The release says the Prime Minister shared a Sanskrit Subhashitam in a series of posts on X, highlighting the compassion of Maharshi Valmiki and the foundation of the Ramayana. It explains that when Maharishi Valmiki went to gather kusha grass and sacrificial twigs, he heard the plaintive call of the female krauncha bird. The compassion awakened in his pure heart found expression as a shloka. This very shloka became the foundation of the Ramayana. The release says the verse reflects the compassion, equanimity, penance and wisdom of Maharishi Valmiki.
Occasion:
Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti
Bird in the story:
The female krauncha bird
Why it matters for exams: The authorship and language of the Ramayana are among the most frequently asked art and culture facts.
Kerala PSCSSC
In plain words
Shloka Shloka — A verse form used in Sanskrit epic poetry.
Background
A PIB Backgrounder published on 26 October 2026 sets out how the Catch the Rain campaign works. Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain was launched on 22 March 2021 on World Water Day, with the guiding theme Catch the Rain, Where It Falls, When It Falls. It builds on the success of Jal Shakti Abhiyan 2019, which covered 1,592 water-stressed blocks across 256 districts. Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari 1.0 was implemented from 1 April 2024 to 31 May 2025 and followed the principles of Community, CSR and Cost, the 3Cs; more than 10 lakh groundwater recharge structures were constructed during it. Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari 2.0, launched on 1 June 2025, focused particularly on over-exploited and critical districts. Under the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari initiative, over 1.55 crore Artificial Recharge and Storage Structures have been constructed. An Impact Evaluation Study of JSJB 1.0 evaluated 23 lakh structures using rainfall data between 1 June 2025 and 31 December 2025, and estimated 2.43 billion cubic metres of groundwater recharge. The 2026 initiative, launched on June 1, 2026, integrated the approach with the Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain campaign.
Launch of Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain:
22 March 2021, on World Water Day
Jal Shakti Abhiyan 2019 coverage:
1,592 water-stressed blocks across 256 districts
Structures under Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari:
Over 1.55 crore Artificial Recharge and Storage Structures
Estimated recharge:
2.43 billion cubic metres
Why it matters for exams: The launch date, World Water Day and the 3Cs of Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari are exactly the kind of scheme detail examiners ask.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
JSJB Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari — A community-participation water conservation initiative built on the 3Cs of Community, CSR and Cost.