17 October 2026
The National Investigation Agency has filed a charge sheet against five accused, including United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent chief Paresh Baruah, over the recovery of an improvised explosive device in Guwahati.
The device was recovered on 15 August 2024 at Motilal Nehru Road, Panbazar, in Guwahati.
The charge sheet was filed before the NIA special court at Guwahati.
The accused are charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 and the Explosive Substances Act, 1908.
The case was registered at Panbazar police station on 16 August 2024 and re-registered by the NIA on 27 February 2025; ULFA (I) is a banned terrorist outfit.
Accused charge-sheeted:
5
IED recovery date:
15 August 2024
Place of recovery:
Motilal Nehru Road, Panbazar, Guwahati
Court:
NIA special court, Guwahati
Why it matters for exams: The three statutes used together, and the fact that the NIA re-registers a State police case, are both standard internal-security questions.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
UAPA Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 — The central law used to ban organisations and prosecute terrorist and unlawful activity.
IED Improvised Explosive Device — A bomb made from non-standard components rather than manufactured as military ordnance.
15 October 2026
Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the Assam Police for a sustained crackdown against narcotics and drug networks.
The crackdown resulted in over 900 arrests and over 500 cases, with narcotics seized worth over 180 crore rupees.
Action was taken against 703 hotspots, and properties worth nearly 31 crore rupees have been attached, with the process still under way.
In a social media post the Home Minister said the Vision Document on Narcotics Control 2026-29 reaffirms the commitment to dismantling drug networks, targeting their finances and protecting young people under the Nasha Mukt Bharat vision.
He said the fight against drugs will continue with unwavering resolve.
Arrests:
over 900
Cases:
over 500
Value of narcotics seized:
over 180 crore rupees
Hotspots acted against:
703
Properties attached:
nearly 31 crore rupees
Why it matters for exams: The Vision Document on Narcotics Control 2026-29 and the Nasha Mukt Bharat framing are both nameable policy instruments, and the enforcement figures are quotable.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
Nasha Mukt Bharat Drug-Free India campaign — The national campaign against substance abuse, combining enforcement with demand reduction.
14 October 2026
A team of the Indian Army's Assam Regiment won a Gold Medal at Exercise Cambrian Patrol 2026, a military patrolling exercise held in Wales in the United Kingdom.
The exercise ran from 2 to 12 October 2026.
The Assam Regiment team competed against more than one hundred teams.
It was one of ten teams awarded Gold Medals.
The result was announced through the Indian Army's social media post.
Exercise:
Exercise Cambrian Patrol 2026
Host country:
Wales, United Kingdom
Dates:
2 to 12 October 2026
Teams in the fray:
more than 100
Gold Medal teams:
10
Why it matters for exams: Exercise Cambrian Patrol is one of the named international exercises Indian contingents take part in, and the regiment and host country are both askable.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
Cambrian Patrol British Army patrolling exercise — A long-distance patrolling and endurance competition hosted in Wales, open to teams from many armies.
Background
Majuli District in Assam has an area of 1245 sq km and includes the main Majuli Island with an area of 522 sq km, a large number of smaller islands, and the Brahmaputra River up to its south bank touching Jorhat and Sibsagar Districts.
The area of the island was 734 sq km in 1914, whereas the minimum area was recorded to be 502 sq km in 2004.
The entire Majuli island is a part of the alluvial flood plains of the Brahmaputra river; the Island is formed of soil consisting mainly of silt deposits, and the soil is without cohesion and thus susceptible to erosion.
The problem of erosion was severe after the disastrous earthquake of 1950, and as per Survey of India topo-sheets and satellite imagery data the island lost 206.7 sqkm from the year 1949 upto the year 2004.
The Brahmaputra Board was requested by the Government of Assam in 1999 to take up necessary measures for protection of the island, and work started in January 2004 in four phases.
Major works included raising and strengthening 96.25 km of embankment with breach closure at 24 locations, construction of five spurs with boulder and geo-bag, numerous RCC porcupine screens and bank revetment.
Erosion in most of the vulnerable locations, except for a length of about 10 km along the Brahmaputra, could be contained through these measures.
The area of Majuli Island increased from 502.21 sq km in 2004 to 524.29 sq km in 2016, a net gain of 22.08 sq km as per study on satellite imageries.
The Brahmaputra is described as one of the most difficult rivers to tackle, as it is very dynamic with morphology changing continuously and carries the highest silt amongst the rivers of its size.
Majuli District area:
1245 sq km
Majuli Island area:
522 sq km
Area in 1914:
734 sq km
Net gain, 2004 to 2016:
22.08 sq km
Why it matters for exams: Majuli is the standard question on river islands and on the Brahmaputra Board, and the figures show erosion being reversed rather than only reported.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
RCC Reinforced Cement Concrete — The material used for the porcupine screens laid in the river to trap silt.
Background
The Kaziranga National Park is one of the oldest wildlife conservancy reserves of India, first notified in 1905 and constituted as Reserved Forest in 1908 with an area of 228.825 Sq. Km.
It was specially established for conservation and protection of the Greater One Horned Rhinoceros, whose number was estimated at twenty pairs then.
Kaziranga was declared a Game Sanctuary in 1916 and opened to visitors in 1938.
It was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1950, and notified as Kaziranga National Park in 1974 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, with an area of 429.93 Sq. Km, which was subsequently extended to 899 Sq. Km.
The park is famous for the Big Five, namely the Rhinoceros, Tiger, Elephant, Asiatic Wild Buffalo and the Eastern Swamp Deer.
It houses the largest population of One Horned Rhinoceros in the world and has about 68% of the entire world population of the species.
It also has one of the highest densities of tigers in the wild in the world, and houses almost the entire population of the Eastern Swamp Deer.
Kaziranga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Northeast India is part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot.
First notified:
1905
Reserved Forest area:
228.825 Sq. Km
Declared a national park:
1974
Area after extension:
899 Sq. Km
Why it matters for exams: The sequence of Kaziranga's legal status, the Act under which it became a national park and its share of the world rhinoceros population are repeatedly asked.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Big Five Rhinoceros, Tiger, Elephant, Asiatic Wild Buffalo, Eastern Swamp Deer — The five large mammals for which Kaziranga is best known.
Background
Research on all aspects of tea cultivation and processing is carried out at the Tocklai Tea Research Institute, Jorhat, the oldest and the largest research station of its kind in the world.
Tea research in India began with the establishment of the Scientific Department of the Indian Tea Association in the year 1900, and was consolidated with the creation of the Tocklai Experimental Station in 1911.
The formation of the Tea Research Association in 1964, with Tocklai at the centre of all activities, expanded tea research to cover the entire Northeast India.
Its advisory network covers 1,076 tea estates occupying 341,049 hectares of land spread over the South Bank, North Bank, Upper Assam, Cachar, Tripura, Dooars, Darjeeling and Terai.
The Government of India, through the Tea Board, implements the Tea Development and Promotion Scheme, under which, out of the Tea Board's overall budget, 152.76 Crore rupees was allocated and 150.20 Crore rupees was utilized for activities specific to the State of Assam during the period 2021-22 to 2025-26, up to 31 October 2025.
Activities in Assam under the scheme over that same period included re-plantation of tea in 437.42 Ha area, the formation of 318 SHGs, 143 FPOs and 26 FPCs, and the setting up of 31 mini tea factories.
They also included conversion of 30.32 Ha area of tea plantations into organic, the setting up of 30 farm field schools and the organisation of 1343 capacity building programs.
The export of Indian tea, which includes Assam Tea, grew from 751.07 million USD in 2021-22 to 923.89 million USD in 2024-25.
Tocklai Experimental Station created:
1911
Tea Research Association formed:
1964
Tea estates in advisory network:
1,076
Allocation for Assam under the scheme:
152.76 Crore rupees
Why it matters for exams: Tocklai is the standard question on India's tea research, and the Tea Board's scheme explains how small growers in Assam are organised.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
FPO Farmer Producer Organisation — A body of growers formed so that small producers can move up the value chain.
Background
Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, the Memorandum of Settlement signed on 15 August 1985, provides that constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, as may be appropriate, shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.
Clause 7 renews the commitment of the Government to the speedy all round economic development of Assam so as to improve the standard of living of the people, with special emphasis on education and science and technology through the establishment of national institutions.
The Government of Assam has established a department named the Implementation of Assam Accord Department.
Steps taken under these clauses include the establishment of the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra with a total construction cost of Rs. 20.35 crore, of which Rs. 18.85 crore was contributed by the Government of India.
Rs. 21.00 Crore was granted as financial assistance to 219 Satras of Assam, and Rs. 7.00 Crore was provided for the protection, preservation and development of 11 historical monuments.
The Anandaram Borooah Institute of Language, Art and Culture Assam was established on 12th December, 1989 with financial assistance from the Government of Assam.
A Central University at Tezpur, an IIT at Guwahati and the Numaligarh Refinery in Golaghat district were established, and 100 Foreigners Tribunals were set up for the detection and deportation of illegal migrants in Assam.
The Government notified a High Level Committee for the implementation of Clause 6, headed by M.P. Bezbarauah, with terms of reference that included assessing the appropriate level of reservation of seats in the Assam Legislative Assembly and local bodies for the Assamese people, and a mandate to report within six months.
Clause examined by the High Level Committee:
Clause 6
Satras given financial assistance:
219
Foreigners Tribunals established:
100
Institute of Language, Art and Culture established:
12th December, 1989
Why it matters for exams: Clause 6 is the part of the Assam Accord examiners ask about, and the measures listed under Clauses 6 and 7 explain why Tezpur University and the Foreigners Tribunals exist.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Satra Vaishnavite monastery of Assam — An institution of Assam's Vaishnavite tradition; 219 of them received assistance under the Accord.
Background
Kaziranga National Park, which has reopened for the 2026-27 tourist season and is in the news as its ranges take visitors again, is known for rhinos but also holds one of India's richest butterfly assemblages.
Over 446 butterfly species have been recorded at Kaziranga, making it the second richest park in India for butterflies.
Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh has the most butterfly species in the country.
The records include 18 butterfly species new to India, among them the Burmese Threering, the Glassy Cerulean and the Dark-bordered.
The work was built up by Monsoon Jyoti Gogoi, a scientist from Kaziranga who has studied the region's butterflies since 2007; the park authority noted the significance of the count given that Kaziranga lies outside the Himalayan and Patkai mountain ranges.
Butterfly species at Kaziranga:
over 446
Rank in India:
second
Richest park in India:
Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh
Species new to India:
18
Why it matters for exams: Examiners pair Kaziranga with Namdapha on biodiversity rankings, and the Patkai range placement is a geography hook.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
Patkai Patkai range — The hill range along India's border with Myanmar, in the far north-east.
Background
Assam's tea garden labour lines are back in public argument as the State Assembly's handling of community questions, including the Bodo nameplate row, keeps the House in the news.
The Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holdings (Amendment) Bill, 2025 removed labour lines from the purposes treated as ancillary to special cultivation.
It provides for preferential land settlement with tea garden workers, and lets the government acquire land under labour lines in a manner to be prescribed, with all rights and titles over that land vesting in the government.
There are 825 tea estates in Assam, with about 2,18,553 bighas under labour colonies.
About 3.33 lakh workers who live in labour lines without legal title stand to gain land rights; the Bill excludes Joloha tea garden workers.
Tea estates in Assam:
825
Land under labour colonies:
about 2,18,553 bighas
Workers who stand to gain:
about 3.33 lakh
Bill:
Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holdings (Amendment) Bill, 2025
Why it matters for exams: Land ceiling law, preferential settlement and the tea garden workforce come together here, and the estate and bigha figures are the quotable part.
UPSC
In plain words
Labour line Tea estate workers' housing settlement — The rows of quarters inside a tea estate where its workers live, historically without land title.
Land ceiling Ceiling on land holdings — The statutory maximum area of land a person or body may hold, with listed exemptions.
Background
The Zubeen Garg death case is live before the Gauhati High Court, which has been granting bail to accused in it, so the shape of the investigation matters.
The Special Investigation Team of the Assam Police filed a charge sheet of 3,500 pages before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Guwahati.
The case was first registered by the Criminal Investigation Department.
The charges are criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide not amounting to murder and causing death by negligence, and investigators later added murder charges.
The singer died on 19 September 2025 after losing consciousness while swimming during a yacht outing in Singapore, and police arrested seven people connected to his final trip there.
Pages in the charge sheet:
3,500
Court:
Chief Judicial Magistrate, Guwahati
Date of death:
19 September 2025, Singapore
People arrested:
7
Why it matters for exams: It shows the ladder of homicide charges in the new criminal codes and the CID-to-SIT handover, both of which examiners ask about.
UPSC
In plain words
SIT Special Investigation Team — A team constituted to investigate one case or set of cases, outside the normal station hierarchy.
CJM Chief Judicial Magistrate — The senior-most judicial magistrate in a district, before whom charge sheets in many cases are filed.