2 October 2026
Joint teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the District Disaster Response Force (DDRF) rescued and escorted approximately 1,500 pilgrims to Gaurikund on 28 September 2026.
The pilgrims were held up at Chirbasa, about 3 km from Gaurikund on the Kedarnath trek route, where debris from a landslide had blocked the path.
Continuous rockfalls from the hillside made movement across the stretch hazardous, so the teams guided the pilgrims across the slide zone on foot.
The SDRF team was led by Sub-Inspector Ashish Dimri from Sonprayag.
The Char Dham Yatra had been suspended for two consecutive days because of heavy rainfall when the rescue was carried out.
Pilgrims escorted to safety:
approximately 1,500
Distance of Chirbasa from Gaurikund:
about 3 km
Why it matters for exams: The three-tier SDRF-NDRF-DDRF structure and the Gaurikund road head are standard disaster-management questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
SDRF State Disaster Response Force — A state-level rescue force; Uttarakhand's SDRF is drawn from the state police and posted along the pilgrim routes.
NDRF National Disaster Response Force — The Union government's specialist disaster response force, raised under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
2 October 2026
The Election Commission announced a schedule under which 12 Rajya Sabha seats go to the polls on 16 October 2026.
The 12 comprise biennial elections to 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh and one seat in Uttarakhand, and a by-election to one seat in West Bengal.
The notification was issued on 29 September, the last date for filing nominations is 6 October, scrutiny of nominations is on 7 October and withdrawal closes on 9 October.
The Uttarakhand seat falls vacant with the retirement of BJP member Naresh Bansal.
In Uttar Pradesh, eight BJP members, one Samajwadi Party member and one Bahujan Samaj Party member are retiring.
The West Bengal vacancy was created by the resignation of a Trinamool Congress member in July 2026.
Seats polling on 16 October 2026:
12
Uttarakhand's share:
1 seat
Notification issued:
29 September
Last date for nominations:
6 October
Why it matters for exams: Rajya Sabha seat strength by state and the biennial-election mechanism are repeatedly asked in polity papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Biennial election Election held every two years — One third of the Rajya Sabha retires every two years, so seats fall vacant in staggered batches rather than all at once.
2 October 2026
The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) said in late September 2026 that the state's disaster management system is on full alert following heavy rainfall warnings issued by the meteorological department.
Disaster Management Minister Madan Kaushik said the weather is being monitored continuously at the state and district levels and that field teams deployed in sensitive areas remain vigilant.
The State Emergency Operation Centre and the District Emergency Operation Centres are actively monitoring the situation.
Special surveillance was ordered on rivers, landslide-prone zones and vulnerable road routes, and relief and rescue resources are kept on standby in sensitive areas.
Residents were asked to avoid unnecessary travel during bad weather and to stay away from rivers and seasonal streams, and to comply with weather-related warnings and guidelines issued by the administration.
The minister said the government's priority is the safety of state residents.
Authority issuing the alert:
USDMA
Minister in charge:
Madan Kaushik
Why it matters for exams: USDMA and the State and District Emergency Operation Centres are the named institutions in Uttarakhand's disaster machinery, a standard exam topic.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
USDMA Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority — The state's apex disaster management body, which issues alerts and coordinates the districts.
SEOC State Emergency Operation Centre — The round-the-clock control room from which a state tracks and directs disaster response.
2 October 2026
The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority flagged off an expert team on 8 September 2026 to survey two high-altitude glacial lakes.
Saraswati Tal lies in Chamoli district at about 5,700 metres and Kedartal in Uttarkashi district at about 4,750 metres.
The team is to carry out bathymetry surveys and assess the lakes' present condition, water level and changes in size, so that glacial lake hazards can be reduced.
The team draws on USDMA, ULMMC, the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences Lucknow, the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, NIH Roorkee, SDRF, NDRF and the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, and the release names 20 members.
Secretary, Disaster Management and Rehabilitation, Vinod Kumar Suman flagged off the team, and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Disaster Management Minister Madan Kaushik conveyed their good wishes to it.
13 glacial lakes in Uttarakhand have been identified as sensitive, of which four have already been surveyed.
Saraswati Tal altitude:
about 5,700 metres
Kedartal altitude:
about 4,750 metres
Size of the expert team:
20 members named
Why it matters for exams: Glacial lake outburst risk in the Himalaya is a live exam theme, and this names the two lakes, their districts and their altitudes.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Bathymetry Measurement of the depth and shape of a water body's floor — Mapping a lake bed shows how much water it holds, which decides how dangerous a sudden breach would be.
ULMMC Uttarakhand Landslide Mitigation and Management Centre — The state centre set up to study and reduce landslide risk.
2 October 2026
A division bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Pankaj Purohit of the Uttarakhand High Court dismissed, in September 2026, a writ petition challenging the identification of land for shifting the High Court from Nainital to Haldwani.
The petition attacked the District Magistrate's order identifying the land and a Full Court resolution on the proposed shift.
About 73 hectares of forest land in the Tarai-Central Forest Division near the Bel Baba temple at Rudrapur has been identified for the new complex.
The bench held that prior approval of the Central Government under Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 is not required as of now, and would be needed when the stage of de-reservation of forest or use of forest land for non-forest purpose arises.
On the objection that the site falls in an elephant corridor, the court noted that the proposed site is about 10 kilometres away from identified corridors.
The bench also noted Nainital's infrastructure limitations and the high cost of living there for litigants.
Forest land identified:
about 73 hectares
Distance from identified elephant corridors:
about 10 kilometres
Present seat of the High Court:
Nainital
Why it matters for exams: The seat of a High Court and Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 are both frequently tested, and this item ties them together.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Division bench A bench of two judges — Writ petitions of this kind are heard by two judges sitting together rather than a single judge.
De-reservation Removal of the reserved-forest status of land — Until land loses its forest status, it cannot legally be built on for a non-forest purpose.
2 October 2026
The State Election Commission, Uttarakhand issued an order on 7 September 2026 bringing the Model Code of Conduct into force for the Municipal Council, Kichha and the Municipal Council, Siraulikalan, in Udham Singh Nagar district.
On the same date the Commission issued the notification for the election of the chairpersons and members of these two municipal councils.
The Commission's current notifications also cover the general election of Up-Pradhans of Gram Panchayats in all districts of Uttarakhand except Haridwar district, and the notification of the electoral roll for the District Planning Committee.
Uttarakhand has a separate State Election Commission for local body elections, distinct from the Election Commission of India.
Udham Singh Nagar, in which both these municipal councils lie, is a plains district of the Kumaon division.
Date of the order:
7 September 2026
Municipal councils covered:
Kichha and Siraulikalan
District:
Udham Singh Nagar
Why it matters for exams: The split between the Election Commission of India and a State Election Commission under Articles 243K and 243ZA is a standard polity question.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Model Code of Conduct Rules of conduct in force once an election is announced — Once in force it restricts new government announcements and the use of official machinery for campaigning.
Up-Pradhan Deputy head of a Gram Panchayat — The elected deputy to the Pradhan, who heads a village panchayat in north India.
Background
Saraswati Tal, one of the two glacial lakes a state expert team set out to survey, lies in Chamoli district, the same district that holds Uttarakhand's natural World Heritage site.
Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1988 and the property was extended in 2005, under criteria (vii) and (x).
The property covers 71,210 hectares, with a buffer zone of 514,857 hectares.
Nanda Devi National Park is dominated by the 7,817 m peak of Nanda Devi, India's second highest mountain, and is a remote mountain wilderness; the Valley of Flowers offers a gentler landscape of alpine flower meadows.
The parks shelter threatened species including the snow leopard, the Himalayan musk deer and the bharal or blue sheep.
The site lies in the West Himalaya, in a transition zone between the Zanskar and Great Himalaya ranges, and has seen minimal human impact since 1983.
Year inscribed:
1988
Extension:
2005
Property area:
71,210 hectares
Buffer zone:
514,857 hectares
Height of Nanda Devi:
7,817 m
Why it matters for exams: India's World Heritage list is asked almost every year, and the 1988 inscription with the 2005 extension is the detail that separates candidates.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Buffer zone A surrounding area given added protection — Land around a World Heritage property that is managed to shield the core site from outside pressure.
Bharal Blue sheep — A high-altitude Himalayan wild sheep and the main natural prey of the snow leopard.
Background
Kedartal, the second glacial lake in the state expert team's survey, lies in Uttarkashi district, the district described here.
Uttarkashi was established on February 24, 1960 out of portions of the former Tehri Garhwal district.
The district covers 8016 sq. kms. and occupies the extreme north-west corner of the state.
It borders Himachal Pradesh, Tibet and Chamoli district.
The sacred town stands between the Varuna (Syalam Gad) and the Asi (Kaligad), and the Ganga here is the Bhagirathi.
Uttarkashi is described as the northern counterpart of Varanasi, both having a Manikarnika Ghat and a Vishwanath temple.
Date of formation:
February 24, 1960
Area:
8016 sq. kms.
Parent district:
Tehri Garhwal
Why it matters for exams: District formation dates, areas and river names for Uttarakhand are standard one-mark questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Bhagirathi The headstream of the Ganga from Gangotri — It takes the name Ganga only after meeting the Alaknanda at Devprayag.