1 November 2026
Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit has assumed charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force. He began the day by paying homage at the National War Memorial and then received a ceremonial Guard of Honour at Air Force Station New Delhi. In his first address he described his plan through the word VAYU. V stands for Vigilance, Victory and Readiness, A for Aatmanirbharta or self-reliance in platforms, sensors and weapons, Y for Yukti or ingenuity in doctrine and technology, and U for Unity of Effort with the Army, the Navy and national agencies. He tied the last pillar to the national JAI idea of Jointness, Aatmanirbharta and Innovation. He is an Experimental Test Pilot and Qualified Flying Instructor with more than 3,500 flying hours. He has earlier served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee, as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command and as Vice Chief of the Air Staff.
Office:
29th Chief of the Air Staff
Flying experience:
over 3,500 flying hours
Why it matters for exams: The holder of the office of Chief of the Air Staff and the four pillars of his stated VAYU vision are standard appointment questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
VAYU Vigilance and Victory, Aatmanirbharta, Yukti, Unity of Effort — The four-pillar vision the new Air Chief set out on taking charge.
JAI Jointness, Aatmanirbharta and Innovation — The national idea of tri-service jointness, self-reliance and innovation in defence.
1 November 2026
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has started a trial that extends DigiYatra, the face-based airport entry system, to international travel. The trial runs over November and December 2026 at seven airports: Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar. It is open to Indian citizens who hold an e-passport and are flying on selected international flights of Air India and IndiGo. A traveller adds the passport in the DigiYatra app by scanning the machine readable zone, reading the passport chip over NFC, taking a selfie and confirming the details, after which the record sits in a DigiYatra wallet. It works at terminal entry points, security hold areas and boarding gates where the equipment exists, and it does not replace immigration or airline checks, so documents still have to be carried. The ministry says the platform has more than 26.5 million users and has handled more than 110 million journeys across 39 domestic airports, with 25 more domestic airports planned by 2027.
Airports in trial:
7
Platform users:
more than 26.5 million
Journeys facilitated:
more than 110 million across 39 domestic airports
Why it matters for exams: DigiYatra is a Ministry of Civil Aviation platform, and the seven-airport international trial list is the new fact.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NFC Near Field Communication — The short-range wireless method the app uses to read the chip inside an e-passport.
SHA Security Hold Area — The part of a terminal a passenger enters after security screening.
1 November 2026
Coal India Limited, the Ministry of Coal company established on 1 November 1975, marked its 51st Foundation Day and entered its 52nd year. The company reported its best month on record in October 2026. Total coal supply reached 70.3 million tonnes, above the earlier high of 69.4 million tonnes in March 2026. Supply to the power sector was 57.1 million tonnes, above the previous best of 56.5 million tonnes. Production touched 67.2 million tonnes, the highest ever for an October, against 62.47 million tonnes in October 2024. Each of these three figures was about 19 per cent higher than a year earlier. Rail evacuation also set a record, with daily rake loading for the power sector reaching 310 rakes. Coal India produced 79 million tonnes in its first year of operation and 768 million tonnes in 2025-26, and its target for 2026-27 is 815 million tonnes.
Established:
1 November 1975
Record monthly supply:
70.3 MT (October 2026)
Target for 2026-27:
815 MT
Why it matters for exams: Coal India Limited was set up in 1975 under the Ministry of Coal, and its production target and record month are quotable figures.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MT million tonnes — The unit in which Coal India reports its production and supply.
Rake a full trainload of wagons — Coal India measures rail evacuation in rakes loaded per day.
1 November 2026
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju represented India at the raising and consecration of 108 stupas at the Gelephu Mindfulness City in Bhutan. The project was conceived by the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who also oversaw its execution, and volunteers put up the stupas in a single day. Each stupa stands 15 metres tall, and they are placed 108 metres apart along an 11.7-kilometre stretch beside the Aie, also called the Mau, close to the Assam border. Rijiju joined the King and Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay in prayers at Stupa No. 76, which the King dedicated to the Indian Prime Minister. The minister was in Bhutan from 31 October to 2 November, and his talks covered development, trade, energy, investment, connectivity and culture, with India reaffirming its support for the Gelephu project.
Stupas consecrated:
108
Height of each stupa:
15 metres
Stretch covered:
11.7 km
Why it matters for exams: Gelephu Mindfulness City, the King of Bhutan and the Prime Minister of Bhutan are the durable facts in an India-Bhutan question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Stupa a Buddhist dome-shaped monument — A mound-like structure built as a Buddhist shrine or reliquary.
1 November 2026
The National Organ Transplant Games 2026 were inaugurated by the Vice-President of India, C. P. Radhakrishnan, at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi. The event is organised by the Renal Care Foundation and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital along with NOTTO, the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Dr A. K. Bhalla is the organising chairman and Dr D. S.
Venue:
Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi
Participants in the record:
570 recipients and donors
Why it matters for exams: NOTTO is the Health Ministry organisation for organ and tissue transplantation, and the Games venue and the Tadasana record are the new facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NOTTO National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation — The national body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that coordinates organ and tissue transplantation.
1 November 2026
The Prime Minister will inaugurate the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit and Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on 2 November. The four-day summit runs to 5 November and carries the theme Invest. Innovate. Inspire. More than 130 countries and over 40 ministers are expected, along with policymakers, investors, financial institutions and industry. Nine Country Partners have joined, among them Australia, the European Union, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Thirteen States and Union Territories will present their renewable energy potential, investment openings and manufacturing capacity, and the expo will have over 400 exhibitors covering solar and wind power, green hydrogen and energy storage. Two major meetings run alongside it: the ninth session of the International Solar Alliance Assembly and the fourth International Conference on Green Hydrogen.
Venue:
Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi
Theme:
Invest. Innovate. Inspire.
Exhibitors:
over 400
Why it matters for exams: The theme and venue of the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit and the two bodies meeting alongside it are the durable facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ICGH International Conference on Green Hydrogen — A conference on green hydrogen held alongside the renewable energy summit.