4 October 2026
Central Reserve Police Force units, including its CoBRA units, and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police have begun vacating camps in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.
The camp at Renganar, set up about fifteen years ago, has been vacated, and withdrawals are under way at Metapal, Jaram and Badegudra.
More than 65,000 central paramilitary personnel are deployed across the seven Bastar districts.
The Dantewada district collector is Devesh Kumar Dhruv.
Vacated camps are to be converted into Seva Dera public service and skill centres or handed over to the local police after security assessments.
The Union Home Minister had announced in May 2026 that 70 of the 196 security camps in Bastar would be turned into public service centres, the first being the Shaheed Veer Gundadhur Seva Dera at Netanar near Jagdalpur.
Camps to be converted:
70 of 196
Paramilitary strength in Bastar:
more than 65,000 across seven districts
First service centre:
Netanar, near Jagdalpur
Why it matters for exams: The shift from security camps to service delivery in Bastar is the live internal security question on Chhattisgarh.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
CoBRA Commando Battalion for Resolute Action — A specialised jungle-warfare force raised within the Central Reserve Police Force.
Seva Dera Shaheed Veer Gundadhur Seva Dera — The name given to Bastar security camps converted into centres that deliver government services and skill training.
Gundadhur Veer Gundadhur — A tribal leader of Bastar remembered for the Bhumkal uprising of 1910 against colonial rule.
4 October 2026
Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh addressed the Indian Air Force's annual press conference ahead of Air Force Day at the Air Force auditorium, Subroto Park, New Delhi, on 3 October 2026. He said India aims to sign a contract worth Rs 3.25 lakh crore for 114 Rafale fighter aircraft by the end of the current financial year. On unmanned systems he said drones are evolutionary rather than revolutionary for the Air Force, which has operated them for two decades. Asked whether a separate drone force was needed, he said he did not think so, and that drones must operate together with fighters and other weapon systems, citing Operation Sindoor.
Aircraft number:
114 Rafale fighter jets
Contract value:
Rs 3.25 lakh crore
Venue:
Air Force auditorium, Subroto Park, New Delhi
Date:
3 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: Fighter acquisition numbers, the Air Force Day press conference and the drone debate are standard defence current affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MRFA Multi Role Fighter Aircraft — The Indian Air Force's programme to buy 114 fighter aircraft able to perform several combat roles.
4 October 2026
Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said in an interview published on 3 October 2026 that Somalia will not accept an Israeli military presence on its territory under any circumstances.
He said Israel intends to set up a naval base at Berbera and to use the city's airport.
Berbera is a port on the Gulf of Aden in the self-declared territory of Somaliland.
Israel recognised Somaliland in late December 2025.
Somaliland declared independence in 1991; the United Nations treats the territory as part of Somalia.
Mohamud said Somalia has never established diplomatic relations with Israel.
Port named:
Berbera
Somaliland independence declared:
1991
Israel's recognition of Somaliland:
December 2025
Why it matters for exams: Unrecognised states and the strategic ports of the Horn of Africa are standard material for questions on sovereignty and maritime geography.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Somaliland Self-declared republic in north-western Somalia — It declared independence in 1991 and runs its own administration, but the United Nations continues to treat it as part of Somalia.
4 October 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on 4 October 2026 that the United States is proposing a meeting at the technical level in a trilateral format with Ukraine and Russia before the end of October.
He spoke at a news conference in Kyiv alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine was open to holding the meeting in the United Arab Emirates or any other country proposed by the American side.
He said he had spoken to the United States negotiating team on 3 October 2026.
Possible agenda items include a ceasefire covering energy facilities and the reopening of Black Sea grain corridors.
The war has continued for more than four and a half years.
Proposed format:
Trilateral, technical level
Proposed venue:
United Arab Emirates
Timeline:
By the end of October 2026
Why it matters for exams: The diplomacy of the Russia-Ukraine war, and the Black Sea grain corridor in particular, recur in international relations and economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
4 October 2026
Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, announced on 4 October 2026 the launch of military operations to retake territory held by the Houthi group.
He said the country was "embarking on a decisive phase in the history of our nation".
He also said the operations were "not a war against our people in Sanaa, Hodeidah, and Sa'ada".
Armed forces spokesman Colonel Majid al-Nuzaili offered an amnesty to Houthi fighters who break away.
Al-Alimi praised Saudi Arabia's backing and appealed for wider international support.
The Houthi group calls itself Ansar Allah and holds the capital Sanaa and the Red Sea port of Hodeidah.
Announced by:
Rashad al-Alimi
Body:
Presidential Leadership Council
Date:
4 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: West Asian conflicts and the bodies that govern divided states are a standing part of the international relations syllabus.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PLC Presidential Leadership Council — The eight-member body that has headed Yemen's internationally recognised government since 2022.
Background
The National Liberation Army, in Spanish Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional or ELN, is estimated at between 2,500 and almost 6,200 members and operates in north-western, south-western and eastern departments and near the Venezuelan border.
The Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia, also called the Gulf Clan or Clan del Golfo, is estimated at between 1,200 and 9,000 members and is reported present in more than 200 of Colombia's 1,123 municipalities, with traditional strongholds in Antioquia, Choco and Cordoba.
Groups formed by members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia who did not demobilise include the Estado Mayor Central and the Segunda Marquetalia; FARC dissident groups have a presence in 119 municipalities, almost 11 per cent of the country's total.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, demobilised following the peace accord with the government, after which dissident factions re-formed.
All armed groups and criminal gangs together are estimated at between 17,600 and 36,000 members.
ELN estimated strength:
2,500 to almost 6,200
Gulf Clan estimated strength:
1,200 to 9,000
Municipalities in Colombia:
1,123
All armed groups and gangs:
17,600 to 36,000 members
Why it matters for exams: The names and abbreviations of Colombia's armed groups recur in questions on the country's peace process and on internal conflicts generally.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ELN Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional, the National Liberation Army — A Colombian armed group active mainly in the country's north-west, south-west and east.
FARC Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia — The guerrilla group that demobilised under the peace accord with the Colombian government.
4 October 2026
Yemen's Houthis said on Saturday, 3 October 2026 that they had hit an Aramco facility in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, with ballistic missiles and drones.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree described the strikes as "precise and direct" and said they "led to fires breaking out" at the site.
Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki called the Houthi account "misleading".
The coalition said it carried out 97 precise targeting operations on Sunday against Houthi positions on the Tor al-Baha front and the Taiz axis. Yemen's government forces spokesman, Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, said those operations targeted at least 260 Houthi fighters and destroyed or disabled 44 military vehicles.
Fighting in Yemen intensified after the 2022 truce collapsed in July 2026. The Houthis have since taken the port city of Mocha and islands in the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
The South China Morning Post reported that combined casualties in the fighting around the Red Sea gateway passed 300, with 84 government troops and 57 Houthi fighters killed between Saturday midday and early Sunday.
Target named by Houthis:
Aramco facility in Riyadh
Coalition operations:
97 targeting operations on Sunday
Figures given by Yemen's government forces spokesman:
At least 260 Houthi fighters, 44 military vehicles
Truce collapsed:
July 2026
Places taken by Houthis:
Mocha and islands in the Bab al-Mandeb strait
Why it matters for exams: The Yemen war sits astride the Bab al-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea shipping route, so questions link the fighting to chokepoint geography and to energy security.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Bab al-Mandeb Bab al-Mandeb strait — The strait between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
Aramco Saudi Arabian Oil Company — Saudi Arabia's state oil company, the largest crude oil producer in the world by output.
Background
The Corfu Channel case (United Kingdom v. Albania) arose out of explosions of mines that damaged some British warships passing through the Corfu Channel in 1946, in a part of Albanian waters that had been swept earlier. The ships were severely damaged and members of the crew were killed. The United Kingdom brought the dispute to the International Court of Justice by an Application filed on 22 May 1947, arguing that Albania had laid, or allowed a third State to lay, the mines. The dispute gave rise to three Judgments by the Court.
Parties:
United Kingdom and Albania
Judgments:
Three
Cause:
Mine explosions in the Corfu Channel
Why it matters for exams: Landmark ICJ cases and the states involved are a recurring international-law topic.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ICJ International Court of Justice — The principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
Background
NATO was created by 12 countries from Europe and North America on 4 April 1949. Since then, 20 more countries have joined through 10 rounds of enlargement, and NATO has 32 member countries, called Allies, that take decisions by consensus. Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty sets out how countries can join: membership is open to any European State in a position to further the principles of the Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area. Any decision to invite a country is taken by the North Atlantic Council, NATO's principal political decision-making body.
Founding countries:
12
Member countries:
32
Accession rule:
Article 10
Why it matters for exams: NATO's founding strength, accession rule and decision body are standard defence-alliance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
North Atlantic Council NATO's principal political decision-making body — Decides on inviting new members by consensus.
4 October 2026
DW reports that the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan reignited in mid-September after months of comparative calm.
On 18 September an attack on a police compound in Kohat, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, took place; a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) took responsibility for it.
Pakistan says Afghanistan's Taliban government gives the TTP a safe haven; Afghanistan denies this.
Clashes at the border and Pakistani air strikes inside Afghanistan followed, including in Paktika and Kunar provinces.
On Thursday night, 1 October, Pakistan struck targets in Afghanistan. The Taliban say between nine and 10 civilians were killed; Pakistan says the strike killed 22 militants. DW says the results of the attack are disputed.
The border follows the Durand Line, drawn in 1893 by a British diplomat and an Afghan emir.
Kohat attack:
18 September
Pakistan's figure for the early-October strike:
22 militants killed
Taliban's figure for the early-October strike:
nine to 10 civilians killed
Durand Line drawn:
1893
Why it matters for exams: South Asian security, the TTP and the Durand Line are staple international-relations topics for UPSC and PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
TTP Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan — A Pakistani militant group, separate from but linked to the Afghan Taliban.
Durand Line — The 1893 line that now forms the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
4 October 2026
On 25 August 2026 Argentina's foreign ministry issued a statement on the Strait of Magellan after friction with Chile.
The trigger was a remark by the head of Argentina's Air Force General Staff, after which Chile announced a formal diplomatic protest.
Argentina's statement said both instruments are fully in force and are considered definitive: the 1881 Boundary Treaty, which recognises Chilean sovereignty over the strait, and the 1984 Treaty of Peace and Friendship.
Boundary Treaty:
1881
Treaty of Peace and Friendship:
1984
Argentine statement:
25 August 2026
Why it matters for exams: Straits and boundary treaties between neighbours are a common geography and international-relations pairing; the Strait of Magellan links the Atlantic and Pacific.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Strait of Magellan Estrecho de Magallanes — The channel between mainland South America and Tierra del Fuego linking the Atlantic and Pacific.
Background
Background to Chile's neighbour relations, a standing fact on Chile's borders: the International Court of Justice judgment of 1 October 2018 in Bolivia v. Chile.
The Court concluded that none of the bases put forward established an obligation for Chile to negotiate Bolivia's sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean.
The Court added that its finding should not prevent the parties from continuing dialogue.
It said meaningful negotiations were possible if there was willingness on the part of the parties, on Bolivia's landlocked situation, which it called a matter of mutual interest.
Judgment:
1 October 2018
Case:
Bolivia v. Chile
Why it matters for exams: ICJ judgments between neighbouring states, and the idea of a landlocked country, are recurring international-law and geography questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ICJ International Court of Justice — The principal judicial organ of the United Nations, based at The Hague.
Landlocked Landlocked state — A country with no coastline of its own.
4 October 2026
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv by train on Sunday morning, 4 October, with Economy Minister Katherina Reiche and a delegation of leading German economic figures.
He said 'Ukraine will need all our support in the coming weeks' as winter approaches and Russian attacks intensify.
'A fifth winter of war is about to begin,' he said, and added that he would tell President Zelenskyy: 'You can count on our help.'
He also said: 'If Russia is not stopped, it will turn its war machine against us sooner or later.'
In recent days Russia has attacked several bridges across the Dnipro river in Kyiv, as well as energy infrastructure.
It is the fourth visit to Ukraine by a German chancellor since the full-scale Russian invasion began in February 2022.
Arrived:
Sunday 4 October, by train
Accompanied by:
Economy Minister Katherina Reiche and German business leaders
German chancellor visits to Ukraine since February 2022:
fourth
Russian strikes in recent days:
several Dnipro bridges and energy infrastructure in Kyiv
Why it matters for exams: The Russia-Ukraine war and European defence support are among the most frequently asked world-affairs topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Dnipro River — The river that divides Kyiv into western and eastern banks.
4 October 2026
India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi spoke at the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026 in Dhaka on Saturday (October 3, 2026).
On the extradition of Bangladesh's deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said a legal process is in place and 'nobody can give you a time frame'.
He said India had 'hardly any choice' in accepting Hasina in August 2024, when she was still Prime Minister, and that she was not brought to India by the Indian Air Force or Army.
The Bay of Bengal Conversation is an annual conclave organised by the Dhaka-based Centre for Governance Studies; Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman gave the opening remarks.
India and Bangladesh signed an extradition treaty in 2013, which lists grounds on which extradition may be halted, including 'offence of a political character'.
India-Bangladesh extradition treaty:
2013
Venue of the conclave:
Dhaka
Why it matters for exams: Extradition treaties and India's neighbourhood diplomacy are common topics; the 2013 India-Bangladesh treaty is a ready fact.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Extradition Extradition — The formal handing over of a person to another country to face trial or punishment.
High Commissioner High Commissioner — The head of a diplomatic mission between Commonwealth countries, equivalent to an ambassador.
Background
The Union Cabinet approved the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in the rank of a four-star General on 24 December 2019.
The CDS heads the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), created within the Ministry of Defence, and functions as its Secretary.
The CDS is also the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Principal Military Adviser to the Raksha Mantri on all tri-Services matters.
The CDS does not exercise any military command, including over the three Service Chiefs, so that impartial advice can be given to the political leadership.
The DMA's mandate includes promoting jointness and facilitating the restructuring of Military Commands, including through the establishment of joint or theatre commands.
Rank of the post:
Four-star General
Department headed:
Department of Military Affairs
Role on the Chiefs of Staff Committee:
Permanent Chairman
Why it matters for exams: The CDS's role, the Department of Military Affairs and the theatre command idea recur in defence and polity papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DMA Department of Military Affairs — The department within the Ministry of Defence headed by the CDS, dealing with the three Services.
Theatre command Joint or integrated command — A single command that brings Army, Navy and Air Force assets in a region under one commander.
3 October 2026
The Prime Minister's Office of Japan published instructions issued by the Prime Minister at 06:40 on 3 October 2026 in response to a suspected ballistic missile launch by North Korea.
The first instruction was to dedicate maximum effort to gather and analyse information, and to provide the public with information in a timely and appropriate manner.
The second was to ensure the safety of aircraft, vessels and other assets.
The third was to take all possible measures for precaution, including readiness for contingencies.
The instructions are published in provisional English translation on the Prime Minister's Office website.
Date and time of instructions:
3 October 2026, 06:40
Number of instructions:
3
Issuing office:
Prime Minister's Office of Japan
Why it matters for exams: Japan's crisis-response machinery and its security environment in North-East Asia are standard Country Focus questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Ballistic missile Ballistic missile — A missile that is powered only in its early flight and then follows a free-falling path to its target.
3 October 2026
The Army leg of the Defence Correspondents Course 2026 commenced at Tezpur with an address by the Corps Commander, which set the context for the participants' engagement with the Indian Army.
The inaugural address was followed by a welcome address by the Deputy General Officer Commanding of the 5 Mountain Division.
An orientation briefing by the Colonel General Staff took the defence correspondents through the programme, its training objectives and the broad framework of the Army leg.
A session on the 1962 operations gave participants historical context and an appreciation of the challenges of mountain warfare.
The discussion covered operational lessons and the importance of terrain, logistics and the circumstances surrounding military decisions when past campaigns are examined.
Venue of the Army leg:
Tezpur
Formation hosting it:
5 Mountain Division
Campaign studied in the session:
the 1962 operations
Why it matters for exams: Places the 5 Mountain Division and Tezpur on the map and ties them to the 1962 operations and mountain warfare.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
Defence Correspondents Course — A Ministry of Defence course that takes journalists through the working of the armed forces.
Corps Commander — The officer, usually a Lieutenant General, who commands an Army corps.
Mountain Division — An Army division trained and equipped to fight in high-altitude mountain terrain.
3 October 2026
Ethiopia announced on 1 October 2026 that it was closing its embassy in Asmara and ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave within 48 hours; Eritrea answered by cutting all diplomatic relations.
Fighting between federal forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) erupted on 23 September 2026 across Tigray, Afar and Amhara, raising fears of a return to the 2020-2022 civil war.
AFP reported on 3 October 2026 that federal forces had entered Mekelle, the Tigray capital, after residents said the TPLF had abandoned the city; AFP also noted unverified reports that the city's airport had fallen to a pro-government militia the day before.
Ethiopia also expelled an Egyptian diplomat and Egypt ordered an Ethiopian embassy official out in return; the two are at odds over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile.
The break reverses 2018, when Prime Minister Abiy restored relations with Asmara after two decades of hostility.
Eritrean diplomats ordered out:
10, within 48 hours
Fighting began:
23 September 2026
Tigray capital:
Mekelle
Why it matters for exams: Horn of Africa conflicts and the Nile dam dispute are recurring world-affairs topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
TPLF Tigray People's Liberation Front — The main anti-government group, based in the Tigray capital Mekelle.
GERD Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam — A hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile that Egypt fears will cut its share of Nile water.
3 October 2026
On 2 October 2026 the Border Security Force shot dead two men along the International Border in Punjab; the BSF said three people kept moving towards the border fence despite repeated warnings.
On 3 October Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned India's Chargé d'Affaires in Islamabad and described the dead men as unarmed civilians.
Late that evening India's Ministry of External Affairs summoned Pakistan's Chargé d'Affaires, lodged a strong protest over what it called continued facilitation of illegal cross-border infiltration, and rejected Pakistan's statement.
Chargés d'Affaires are the highest-ranking diplomats in each capital, since both sides downgraded missions and recalled High Commissioners in 2019.
The BSF handed the bodies to the Pakistan Rangers on Saturday.
Incident date:
2 October 2026
Envoys summoned:
Chargé d'Affaires of both countries
Missions downgraded since:
2019
Why it matters for exams: India-Pakistan diplomatic ties, the BSF's role on the International Border and the 2019 downgrade of missions are standard international relations questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Chargé d'Affaires Chargé d'Affaires — A diplomat who heads a mission in the absence of an ambassador or High Commissioner.
BSF Border Security Force — The central force that guards India's borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
3 October 2026
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh addressed a press conference on 3 October 2026, ahead of the 94th Air Force Day on 8 October.
He said the Indian Air Force must induct 36 to 40 aircraft a year so that its fighter squadrons do not fall below 30, against a sanctioned strength of 42.
He said the delay in Tejas Mk-1A deliveries from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited "is going to hurt us"; the 83-jet deal worth ₹48,000 crore was signed in February 2021 and no jet has been delivered yet.
India cleared a proposal in February 2026 to buy 114 Rafale jets from France under a government-to-government framework, and he hoped the MRFA deal could be signed in this financial year.
Sanctioned fighter squadrons:
42
Annual induction needed:
36 to 40
Tejas Mk-1A order (2021):
83 jets, ₹48,000 crore
Rafale proposal:
114 jets
Why it matters for exams: Fighter squadron strength, the Tejas programme and the Rafale deal with France are recurring defence topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MRFA Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft — The IAF programme under which 114 Rafale jets are proposed to be bought from France.
HAL Hindustan Aeronautics Limited — The public sector company that builds the Tejas for the IAF.