15 October 2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization opened its Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum in Rome on 13 October 2026, as part of the World Food Forum.
Thirty-eight countries and five regional initiatives presented a record $20.16 billion in proposed agrifood investments, against $17.3 billion pitched by governments in 2025.
Since 2022 the Hand-in-Hand Initiative has turned national priorities into 387 investment cases totalling $47.26 billion, with the potential to benefit more than 338 million people.
Of that total, $7.88 billion has been committed or is under negotiation, and participation has expanded to 87 countries.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said too many opportunities are untapped because of high risks, and that Hand-in-Hand is changing how these investments are designed, de-risked and financed.
Proposed investments:
$20.16 billion
Countries presenting:
38, with five regional initiatives
Investment cases since 2022:
387, totalling $47.26 billion
Committed or under negotiation:
$7.88 billion
Why it matters for exams: The Hand-in-Hand Initiative and the World Food Forum are FAO instruments an examiner can place against named figures.
UPSC
In plain words
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization — The United Nations agency for food, agriculture and rural development, based in Rome.
De-risking De-risking — Using public money or guarantees to lower the risk a private investor faces.
15 October 2026
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan laid the foundation stone for a new fishing harbour at Vizhinjam and inaugurated the renovation of the existing harbour.
The function was held at Thennurkonam on the Vizhinjam-Poovar road, with Fisheries Minister V.E. Abdul Gafoor presiding.
The new fishing harbour will cost Rs 260 crore and is being built by Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited as a government-funded work. It will have a 235 m breakwater, a 340 m fish landing wharf and a 400 m reclamation bund, with two auction halls, about 12,285 sq m of parking, a 1 km internal road and an administrative building.
The existing harbour will be renovated at Rs 90 crore over two years, funded by the State through VISL.
A new fish market of about 8,212 sq ft, with 30 display outlets, shops and freezer rooms, will cost Rs 2.76 crore.
New breakwaters for both harbours will cost Rs 125 crore and will be built by the Harbour Engineering Department.
The Chief Minister also distributed Rs 35 crore to 1,335 beneficiaries as compensation for the extra fuel costs fishermen face because of the international port's breakwater construction.
New fishing harbour:
Rs 260 crore
Renovation of existing harbour:
Rs 90 crore over two years
New breakwaters:
Rs 125 crore
Fuel cost compensation:
Rs 35 crore to 1,335 beneficiaries
Why it matters for exams: Vizhinjam is the state's flagship port location and the fisheries works there carry exact costs and dimensions that make clean questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Breakwater Breakwater — A wall built into the sea to break waves and protect a harbour basin.
VISL Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited — The Kerala government company that holds the state's interest in the Vizhinjam port project.
15 October 2026
Minister K.A. Thulasi said the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Development Department has taken up housing construction for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families and will consider 10,000 applications in the first phase.
She was speaking at the online inauguration of a post-matric girls' hostel at Mayithara in Cherthala, Alappuzha district.
The Minister said all 32 projects under the department's 100-day action programme have been completed.
Menus in post-matric hostels have been upgraded and a special loan scheme for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe women has been launched.
A thousand study rooms have been built.
P. Prasad MLA presided over the function.
Applications in first phase:
10,000
Minister:
K.A. Thulasi
Venue of announcement:
Mayithara, Cherthala, Alappuzha
Why it matters for exams: The department in charge of housing for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families, and the first-phase figure, are both exam-sized facts.
Kerala PSC
15 October 2026
The Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes Welfare Department has completed all 32 projects it announced under the State government's 100-day action plan.
The Dakshayani self-employment subsidy scheme for women gives up to Rs 3.75 lakh to an individual entrepreneur and up to Rs 11.25 lakh to a group.
The Priyadarshini scheme gives interest-free loans of up to Rs 5 lakh.
The department reports Rs 200 crore in loans distributed to 16,000 beneficiaries and 600 people placed in jobs within the 100 days through skill training.
A thousand study rooms were completed and development work finished in 50 Ambedkar villages.
Four post-matric hostels were started, at Kozhinjampara, Manissery, Aluva and Cherthala, and five multi-purpose centres in Wayanad, Palakkad, Malappuram, Thrissur and Kozhikode.
Thirty new initial learning centres were started under the Scheduled Tribes Development Department, and tribal extension offices in Palakkad, Wayanad, Idukki and Kozhikode were upgraded to smart offices.
The Panchami Gramam pilot runs in Kongad constituency in Palakkad and applies where at least three Scheduled Caste families live.
Projects completed:
32
Dakshayani subsidy:
Up to Rs 3.75 lakh individual, Rs 11.25 lakh group
Priyadarshini loan:
Interest-free, up to Rs 5 lakh
Loans distributed:
Rs 200 crore to 16,000 beneficiaries
Study rooms:
1,000
Why it matters for exams: Scheme names with exact subsidy ceilings are among the most frequently asked Kerala PSC facts.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Post-matric hostel Post-matriculation hostel — A hostel for students who have passed the tenth standard and are studying further.
Background
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh cited the Aroma Mission and the Purple Revolution on 13 October at the 13th All India Sustainable Mountain Development Summit, hosted by SKUAST-Kashmir, as examples of science-led livelihoods in Jammu and Kashmir.
CSIR developed an elite variety of lavender suited to the temperate regions of J&K, gave farmers free saplings and agro-technologies, and installed distillation units for essential oil.
The success of lavender cultivation in J&K earned it the name 'Purple Revolution'.
Bhaderwah hosts a Lavender Festival organised by CSIR-IIIM Jammu; at the 2025 festival Dr. Singh said 50 distillation units were operational there, supplying lavender products to Maharashtra and other states.
Lavender is also grown in areas such as Gulmarg and Padder.
Crop:
Lavender
Programme:
CSIR Aroma Mission
Distillation units in Bhaderwah (2025):
50
Lead institute:
CSIR-IIIM Jammu
Why it matters for exams: The coloured 'revolutions' in Indian agriculture and CSIR's Aroma Mission are favourite one-liners.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
CSIR-IIIM CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine — A CSIR laboratory in Jammu that leads lavender work under the Aroma Mission.
Aroma Mission — A CSIR programme to promote cultivation and processing of aromatic crops for farmers' income.
15 October 2026
The Government of India has constituted a committee to examine issues relating to sugarcane farmers and the sugar sector, announced in a release of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. Prof. Ramesh Chand, former Member of NITI Aayog, is the chairman. The members are the Agriculture Commissioner in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the Joint Secretary (Sugar) in the Department of Food and Public Distribution, and the Joint Secretary (Legal Metrology) in the Department of Consumer Affairs. The terms of reference include examining farmers' demand for higher remunerative returns, the demand to revise the ex-mill Minimum Selling Price of sugar, the existing mechanisms for testing and reporting sugar recovery, sugarcane weighment practices at mills including calibration and verification, and the weight deductions applied to mechanically harvested sugarcane and their effect on cane prices paid to farmers. The committee may consult farmers' representatives, sugar mill associations, State Governments and other experts, and is to submit findings and recommendations to the competent authority as early as possible.
Chairman:
Prof. Ramesh Chand, former Member, NITI Aayog
Ministry issuing the release:
Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
Members:
3 officials
Why it matters for exams: Committee chairmanships and the exact terms of reference on cane pricing and the ex-mill Minimum Selling Price are frequently asked.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
MSP of sugar Minimum Selling Price of sugar — The floor price at which mills may sell sugar at the factory gate.
Legal Metrology Legal Metrology — The branch of government that regulates weights and measures.
15 October 2026
Fisheries Minister V.E. Abdul Gafoor told the Kerala Legislative Assembly that the Government plans a comprehensive housing scheme for fishermen that would merge existing programmes, including Punargeham, into a single scheme. He said the Government is actively considering raising the house-construction grant, because complaints say the present amount is not enough, and that the Punargeham budget has not been cut and funds will be given to complete the houses. He was replying to Parakkal Abdulla, who raised complaints that LIFE Mission houses were not reaching fishermen on time. The Minister said the State aims to double fish production within five years with new inland fisheries projects, and that Rs 50 crore has been allocated under the sub-plan for Blue Economy activities. Tourism projects at existing harbours will be examined, and Vettam panchayat will be considered for the Integrated Model Village project in a later phase. Questions were also raised by T.M. Sasi, Faisal Babu, V. Muraleedharan, Kurukkoli Moideen, C.V. Shanthakumar and P.K. Navas.
Blue Economy sub-plan allocation:
Rs 50 crore
Fish production target:
Double within five years
Why it matters for exams: Merging Punargeham into one fishermen housing scheme, with the Blue Economy sub-plan figure, links welfare delivery to the coastal economy.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Punargeham Punargeham scheme — Kerala's scheme to move fishing families living within 50 m of the sea to safer housing.
LIFE Mission Livelihood Inclusion and Financial Empowerment Mission — Kerala's mass housing mission for the landless and homeless.
15 October 2026
Kerala has formally asked the Union Government to amend the law so that the seven-year waiting period before a death certificate can be issued for a person lost at sea is reduced. Fisheries Minister V.E. Abdul Gafoor said this in the Kerala Legislative Assembly, replying to questions from M. Vincent and C.R. Manoj. Under the law as it stands, a death certificate for a missing person can be issued only after seven years have passed since the disappearance, which the Government said causes serious hardship to fishing families. Cases in which seven years have already passed will be taken up urgently. Jobs for the families of those who died in the Ockhi disaster will be considered on the basis of educational qualifications. Compensation for fishermen who lost boats and nets in accidents involving ships and containers will be speeded up; a related case is pending before the High Court.
Present waiting period:
Seven years
Minister who replied:
V.E. Abdul Gafoor, Fisheries
Why it matters for exams: A State asking the Union Government for a central legal amendment on behalf of one occupational group is a clean example of Centre-State legislative interaction.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Ockhi Cyclone Ockhi — The 2017 cyclone in which many Kerala fishermen went missing at sea.
Background
Kashmir Saffron is entered in India's Geographical Indications Registry with application number 635.
Its date of filing is 03-12-2018 and its status is shown as Registered.
The geographical indication is registered in Class 30 and the goods are recorded as Agricultural.
The applicant is The Agriculture Production Department J & K, with Jammu & Kashmir given as the geographical area.
The registration carries certificate number 366 and is shown as valid up to 02-12-2028.
The application was published in Journal Number 127, and more than a hundred authorised users are listed against the registration.
GI application number:
635
Class:
30
Goods:
Agricultural
Certificate number:
366
Why it matters for exams: Geographical indication questions ask which product belongs to which state and under which class it is registered, and saffron is the best known farm GI of the Kashmir valley.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Geographical Indication GI — A sign used on goods that have a specific geographical origin and qualities owed to that origin.
Authorised user — A producer in the registered area who is permitted on the register to use the geographical indication.
14 October 2026
The UN World Food Programme said on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, that intensifying fighting in Yemen has cut off life-saving assistance to 800,000 people.
Shifting frontlines, blocked roads and growing insecurity severely restrict access to the city of Taiz and other conflict zones.
WFP country director in Yemen El-Khidir Daloum warned the situation could rapidly spiral into a humanitarian catastrophe.
Taiz is Yemen's third largest city, and 10 of its 16 districts are already classified at emergency levels of food insecurity.
WFP and partners cannot access more than 600,000 people in Taiz, including more than 200,000 women and children.
More than 18 million people in Yemen face acute food insecurity and 2.2 million children under five are acutely malnourished.
People out of reach nationwide:
800,000
People out of reach in Taiz:
More than 600,000
Facing acute food insecurity:
More than 18 million
Why it matters for exams: Humanitarian crisis figures and the UN agency responsible are frequently asked in international affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
WFP World Food Programme — The UN agency that delivers food assistance in emergencies, headquartered in Rome.
14 October 2026
Cheruvayal Raman, the Padma Shri awardee and tribal farmer known for preserving Kerala's traditional paddy varieties, died on 14 October 2026 at the age of 75. He was undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode. Of the more than 100 traditional varieties that existed in Wayanad a century ago, he cultivated and conserved 30, helping safeguard the region's agricultural biodiversity. A native of Edavaka Kammana near Mananthavady in Wayanad district, he was widely known as 'Nellachan', the 'Father of Rice in Wayanad'. He took up farming at the age of 17 without any formal training in agriculture. He was conferred the Padma Shri in 2023.
Age at death:
75
Traditional paddy varieties conserved:
30
District:
Wayanad
Padma Shri:
2023
Why it matters for exams: Padma awardees from Kerala and in-situ conservation of indigenous crop varieties are recurring Kerala PSC and UPSC agriculture and awards questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
In-situ conservation Conservation in the natural habitat — Protecting crop varieties by continuing to grow them on farms rather than storing them only in gene banks.
14 October 2026
SC/ST and Backward Classes Welfare Minister K.A. Thulasi told the Assembly that 546 of the 860 nagars chosen under the Ambedkar Grama development scheme from 2016 to 2026 have been completed.
Under the Dakshayani scheme, self-employment ventures of Scheduled Caste women get a subsidy of up to 75 per cent of project cost: up to ₹10 lakh for groups and ₹3.75 lakh for individuals.
The Panchami Grama scheme gives ₹40 lakh to a village, with at most two villages per Assembly constituency a year.
A study-room grant of ₹2 lakh will reach 5,000 Scheduled Caste students this year, and four new post-matric hostels are planned.
The Samagra 2026 scheme has given loans of over ₹200 crore to more than 16,000 beneficiaries; 17 mobile medical units serve tribal areas.
Ambedkar Grama nagars completed:
546 of 860
Panchami Grama grant:
₹40 lakh a village
Dakshayani subsidy:
Up to 75% (₹10 lakh group / ₹3.75 lakh individual)
Study-room grant:
₹2 lakh, 5,000 students
Why it matters for exams: Kerala's SC/ST welfare schemes, their names and their ceilings are routinely asked in Kerala PSC papers.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Nagar Nagar — The term Kerala now uses for settlements earlier called colonies, chiefly of Scheduled Caste and tribal families.
Post-matric hostel Post-matric hostel — A hostel for students studying beyond Class 10.
14 October 2026
Cheruvayal Raman, the Wayanad farmer known as the guardian of native paddy, has died at the age of 74.
He belonged to the tribal community in Wayanad and conserved traditional and indigenous rice varieties on his own land.
He received the Padma Shri in 2023 for his contribution to sustainable agriculture and the preservation of biodiversity.
He was also the first recipient of the Oommen Chandy memorial award for outstanding contribution to Kerala's farm sector.
Agriculture Minister T. Siddique had announced his selection for the 2025 Kerala State Farm Awards, which carried a cash prize of ₹5 lakh.
Age at death:
74
Padma Shri:
2023
District:
Wayanad
Farm award prize:
₹5 lakh
Known as:
Guardian of native paddy
Why it matters for exams: Padma awardees from Kerala and the people behind the State's agro-biodiversity work are standard one-mark questions in Kerala PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Agro-biodiversity Diversity of crops and crop varieties — The range of crop species and local varieties kept alive in farming.
14 October 2026
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh, also known as Lalan Singh, held bilateral talks in New Delhi with Rt Hon Dame Angela Eagle, the UK's Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The talks covered animal health, sustainable livestock production, scientific research, genomics and advanced reproductive technologies.
Both sides discussed capacity building through the exchange of technical expertise and best practices.
They also explored opportunities under the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.
Market access and regulatory issues for livestock, dairy, marine and other animal-origin products were taken up.
The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation and promoting sustainable growth in animal husbandry and allied sectors.
Indian minister:
Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh
UK minister:
Rt Hon Dame Angela Eagle
Venue:
New Delhi
Trade framework:
India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement
Why it matters for exams: The India-UK CETA and the ministries that implement it are live international-relations and economy material for both exams.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CETA Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement — The trade agreement framework between India and the UK covering goods, services and regulatory issues.
14 October 2026
The ICAR-National Soybean Research Institute, Indore, released preliminary results from a Soybean Harvest Day held on 9 October 2026.
One acre each of the improved varieties NRC 268 and NRC 270 was harvested.
Both varieties gave about 20 quintals per hectare despite adverse weather.
India's average soybean productivity is about 10 to 11 quintals per hectare.
ICAR trials, including those under the All India Coordinated Research Project on Soybean, indicate 15 to 20 quintals per hectare with improved varieties and production practices.
Under favourable conditions the yield can reach about 22 to 25 quintals per hectare.
Dr M. L. Jat, Secretary of DARE and Director General of ICAR, called the results encouraging.
Varieties:
NRC 268 and NRC 270
Trial yield:
About 20 quintals per hectare
National average:
About 10 to 11 quintals per hectare
Institute:
ICAR-National Soybean Research Institute, Indore
Why it matters for exams: New crop varieties and ICAR institutes are standard agriculture questions, and yield comparisons against the national average are easy to set.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research — The apex body for coordinating agricultural research and education in India, under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education.
Quintal Unit of mass equal to 100 kilograms — Crop yields in India are commonly reported in quintals per hectare.
13 October 2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization opened its Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum with a record 20.16 billion US dollars in proposed agrifood investments.
The four-day event is part of the World Food Forum, a platform for transforming agrifood systems through youth, science and innovation, and investment.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said building resilience requires sustained investment in agrifood systems but too many opportunities are untapped because of high risks.
The proposed investments span staple crops, livestock, fisheries and high-value commodities such as coffee and cocoa.
The opening session featured a panel moderated by FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero with the agriculture ministers of Bhutan, Jordan, Mozambique and Tajikistan.
The Hand-in-Hand model brings together four pillars: governments, FAO, international financial institutions and private investors.
Proposed investments:
US$ 20.16 billion
FAO Director-General:
QU Dongyu
FAO Chief Economist:
Maximo Torero
Duration:
Four days
Why it matters for exams: FAO initiatives, their heads and headline investment figures are common in agriculture and international organisation questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization — The UN specialised agency for food security and agriculture, headquartered in Rome.
Hand-in-Hand Initiative FAO Hand-in-Hand Initiative — A country-led, data-driven FAO programme to identify and finance agrifood investment priorities.
13 October 2026
The Kerala Government has sanctioned ₹63.37 crore to clear Supplyco's liability from paddy procurement. The money compensates mill owners who processed paddy procured through Supplyco in the 2022-23 season. Mill owners had asked for the out-turn ratio to be lowered from 68% to 64.5%, but the Centre did not agree. Under the central norm, mills must return 68 kg of rice from every 100 kg of paddy. Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob announced the sanction. The State will again ask the Centre to revise the ratio.
Amount sanctioned:
₹63.37 crore
Central norm (OTR):
68%
Ratio sought by mills:
64.5%
Why it matters for exams: Combines a State sanction, the out-turn ratio and Centre-State financial responsibility.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
OTR Out Turn Ratio — The quantity of rice a mill must return from each quintal of paddy.
Supplyco Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation — The State agency that procures paddy and sells subsidised goods.
13 October 2026
The National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Kundli (NIFTEM-K), under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, held a roundtable on "Pulse Protein Innovation, Value Addition and Strategic Partnerships" on 13 October 2026.
Ken Cheveldayoff, Minister of Advanced Education in the Government of Saskatchewan, Canada, attended along with a University of Saskatchewan delegation.
Pulse Canada, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and Alberta Pulse Growers took part, with Indian participants including ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur, ICRISAT and IIT Delhi.
NIFTEM-K Director Dr Harinder Singh Oberoi said the Memorandum of Understanding between NIFTEM-K and the University of Saskatchewan should be turned into a clear, time-bound plan of action that benefits both countries.
Event date:
13 October 2026
Host institute:
NIFTEM-K, Kundli
Canadian minister:
Ken Cheveldayoff
Why it matters for exams: India-Canada links in pulses and food processing connect agriculture, trade and institutions in one exam-friendly fact.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
NIFTEM-K National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Kundli — An Institute of National Importance under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
ICRISAT International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics — A research body that works on crops grown in dry regions.
Background
The National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) turns subsidised foodgrains from a welfare benefit into a legal entitlement. Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households, which the Act treats as the poorest of the poor, are legally entitled to receive 35 kg of foodgrains per family per month. Priority households are entitled to 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month. The Act provides for coverage of up to 75 per cent of the rural population and up to 50 per cent of the urban population for highly subsidised foodgrains through the Targeted Public Distribution System. On the population figures of Census 2011, that coverage works out to about 81.35 crore persons. The Government has stated that there is no change in the entitlement of foodgrains of beneficiaries under the Act, and that no proposal for universalisation of the coverage is under consideration. The identification of eligible households within the coverage limits is done by the State Governments and Union Territory administrations.
Antyodaya household entitlement:
35 kg of foodgrains per family per month
Priority household entitlement:
5 kg of foodgrains per person per month
Coverage:
Up to 75% of the rural and up to 50% of the urban population
Persons covered:
About 81.35 crore at Census 2011
Why it matters for exams: The two entitlement figures and the coverage ceilings of the food security law are among the most frequently asked scheme facts in both State and central examinations.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
NFSA National Food Security Act — The law that makes subsidised foodgrains a legal entitlement for identified households.
AAY Antyodaya Anna Yojana — The category of the poorest households, entitled to a fixed quantity per family.
TPDS Targeted Public Distribution System — The ration shop network through which the entitlement is delivered.
Background
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the largest humanitarian agency saving lives in emergencies and using assistance to help communities become self-sufficient and resilient to shocks.
WFP was established in 1961.
Its first development programme was launched in Sudan in 1963.
In 1963 the Aswan High Dam on the Nile in southern Egypt led to the resettlement of 50,000 Nubian people, and WFP provided food while developing their new lands.
The UN asked WFP to lead emergency logistics for all UN agencies and NGOs, and WFP operates the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS).
WFP was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020, recognising its role in preventing the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.
Established:
1961
First development programme:
Sudan, 1963
Nubians resettled after Aswan High Dam:
50,000
Nobel Peace Prize:
2020
Why it matters for exams: WFP's founding, first programme and Nobel Peace Prize are standard UPSC and Kerala PSC questions on UN agencies and awards.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNHAS UN Humanitarian Air Service — A service operated by WFP that flies humanitarian workers and cargo to hard-to-reach places.
Humanitarian logistics Emergency supply coordination — WFP leads emergency logistics for UN agencies and NGOs.