10 October 2026
The Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) Yard 3040, named Shreyas, was launched at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
Mrs Reyman Kochhar launched the ship in the presence of Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.
Senior officials of the Indian Navy, the Ministry of Defence, GRSE and industry partners attended the ceremony.
NGOPV construction is under way at two shipyards, Goa Shipyard Limited in Goa and GRSE in Kolkata.
The ships are indigenously designed and built and will supplement the existing OPVs and NOPVs of the Indian Navy.
Their roles include maritime surveillance, search and rescue, protection of offshore assets, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and anti-piracy missions.
Shreyas is a Sanskrit word meaning Best or Most Excellent.
The Ministry of Defence placed the launch within the Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives.
Ship and yard number:
Shreyas, Yard 3040
Shipyard:
GRSE, Kolkata
Launched by:
Mrs Reyman Kochhar
Other NGOPV shipyard:
Goa Shipyard Limited, Goa
Why it matters for exams: Ship names, yard numbers and the shipyards that build them are standard objective questions in defence current affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NGOPV Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel — A patrol ship class built for coastal and offshore surveillance rather than fleet combat.
GRSE Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers — A defence shipyard at Kolkata under the Ministry of Defence.
HADR Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief — Naval missions that carry relief and rescue after disasters.
10 October 2026
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate end to the renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia. The statement was issued on Friday night in New York by his Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric. Guterres said he was deeply worried by reports that Eritrean forces are present in Ethiopia and urged the signatories of the 2022 Pretoria Agreement, which ended the civil war in Tigray, to return to dialogue under its framework. He said the fighting in the Tigray, Afar and Amhara regions risks escalating in ways that would further destabilise the wider region. He reminded all States in the region of their Charter obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, and of the principle of non-interference in internal affairs. UN humanitarian affairs chief Tom Fletcher asked all parties to give aid workers safe and rapid access, and the UN said verified displacement figures are not yet available. In Amhara, a government-led effort to help displaced people return from the town of Kobo has been suspended after security there deteriorated. In a letter to the Security Council, Ethiopia's foreign minister said Eritrean troops had advanced up to 60 kilometres into the region, a claim Eritrea rejected.
Peace deal invoked:
Pretoria Agreement, 2022
Depth of advance stated by Ethiopia:
up to 60 kilometres
Regions affected:
Tigray, Afar and Amhara
Why it matters for exams: The Horn of Africa crisis links the UN Charter's rules on the use of force with the 2022 Pretoria Agreement, both standard international relations topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
TPLF Tigray People's Liberation Front — The party that had controlled Ethiopia's Tigray region and fought the federal government.
Pretoria Agreement Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, 2022 — The deal signed in South Africa that ended the Tigray civil war.
Background
As France reviews its defence spending in the 2027 budget, which raises defence credits by 6.4 billion euros, its place in NATO is a standing exam fact. France is one of the 12 founding members that signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C. on 4 April 1949. The other founders are Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. NATO now has 32 member countries.
Founding members:
12
Current members:
32
Treaty signed:
4 April 1949, Washington, D.C.
Why it matters for exams: NATO's founding members, treaty date and size are frequent international-organisation questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization — A political and military alliance of European and North American countries formed under the 1949 North Atlantic Treaty.
10 October 2026
At its press briefing of 1 October 2026, the French foreign ministry said France can send assets to Saudi Arabia in support and defence of energy infrastructure, including the east-west corridor at Yanbu. The spokesperson called the posture strictly defensive and non-co-belligerent. The spokesperson referred to an announcement made a few days earlier by the French presidency. The briefing also said talks on a UN Security Council resolution on the Strait of Hormuz are under way, with France committed to freedom of navigation under the law of the sea.
Destination:
Saudi Arabia (Yanbu corridor)
Posture:
Strictly defensive
Announcement:
By the French presidency, a few days before the 1 October 2026 briefing
Why it matters for exams: Overseas deployments, the Red Sea and Hormuz energy routes and UN Security Council diplomacy are regular international-affairs topics.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
UNCLOS principle Freedom of navigation under the law of the sea — The rule that ships may pass international waters and straits under the law of the sea.
Background
Background to the 40th anniversary of Mizoram's Peace Accord Day, when Chief Minister Lalduhoma spoke of peace and stability.
The Memorandum of Settlement was signed in New Delhi on 30 June 1986 by R.D. Pradhan for the Centre, Lalkhama for Mizoram and Laldenga of the Mizo National Front (MNF).
The MNF agreed to end violence and abide by the Constitution, and the Centre agreed to grant statehood.
The conflict began in the early 1960s and lasted about two decades; Mizoram had been a district of Assam before becoming a union territory.
Signed on:
30 June 1986, New Delhi
For the Centre:
R.D. Pradhan
For the MNF:
Laldenga
Insurgency lasted:
About two decades
Why it matters for exams: The 1986 accord is the standard example of a negotiated end to an insurgency and of how statehood followed.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
MNF Mizo National Front — The group led by Laldenga that signed the 1986 settlement.
10 October 2026
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh addressed participants of Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 at Air Force Station Jodhpur on 10 October 2026.
The Indian Air Force is hosting the second edition of the multinational exercise from 26 September to 12 October 2026; the inaugural edition was in 2024.
Seven Friendly Foreign Countries are taking part: Australia, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, with 32 nations as observers.
He said defence Atmanirbharta is a national policy and called for cooperation on research, co-development, co-production, maintenance, training and innovation.
He said future military power will depend on how quickly forces sense, understand, decide and act.
Edition:
Second (first in 2024)
Exercise period:
26 September to 12 October 2026
Friendly Foreign Countries:
7
Observer nations:
32
Why it matters for exams: Multinational exercises, participating countries and defence self-reliance policy are standard defence and IR questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Atmanirbharta Self-reliance — India's policy of building domestic capability in defence production and technology.
10 October 2026
Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh will make an official visit to Cyprus and Greece from 12 to 15 October 2026, the Ministry of Defence said on 10 October.
In Cyprus he will meet counterparts at the Ministry of Defence and the political leadership.
In Greece he will hold talks with senior defence and military leadership.
Maritime security and defence industrial cooperation will remain prominent themes.
The release notes that the Cypriot President visited India in May 2026 and the Greek Minister of National Defence visited in February 2026, and that the visit assumes added significance as India seeks to strengthen defence cooperation with European Union partners following the signing of the India-EU Security and Defence Partnership.
Visit dates:
12 to 15 October 2026
Countries:
Cyprus and Greece
Led by:
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh
Key themes:
Maritime security, defence industrial cooperation
Why it matters for exams: India's bilateral defence engagements and its security partnerships with the European Union are regular international-relations questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Defence Secretary Secretary, Department of Defence — The senior civil servant who heads the Department of Defence in the Ministry of Defence.
Background
NATO describes collective defence as its most fundamental principle.
Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty states that an armed attack against one NATO member shall be considered an attack against them all, and it triggers an obligation for each member to come to the assistance of the one attacked.
That assistance may or may not involve the use of armed force, and can include any action the Allies deem necessary to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.
Article 5 is consistent with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which recognises that a State that is the victim of an armed attack has the inherent right to individual or collective self-defence and may request others to come to its assistance.
Within the NATO context, Article 5 translates that right of self-defence into a mutual assistance obligation.
NATO invoked Article 5 for the first and only time in its history after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the United States.
Though applied only once, Article 5 underpins NATO's wider deterrence and defence work, including military exercises and the deployment of its standing military forces.
Times Article 5 has been invoked:
Once
Corresponding UN Charter article:
Article 51
Why it matters for exams: That Article 5 has been invoked only once, and the link between it and Article 51 of the UN Charter, are the facts examiners test on collective defence.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Article 5 Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty — The collective defence clause under which an attack on one member counts as an attack on all.
Article 51 Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations — The article that recognises the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence against armed attack.
Background
There are four Geneva Conventions, listed by the International Committee of the Red Cross as the First, Second, Third and Fourth Convention, together with their Additional Protocols.
They are international treaties that contain the most important rules limiting the barbarity of war.
They protect people who do not take part in the fighting, such as civilians, medics and aid workers, and those who can no longer fight, such as the wounded, the sick, the shipwrecked and prisoners of war.
The Conventions and their Protocols are at the core of international humanitarian law, the body of law that regulates the conduct of armed conflict and seeks to limit its effects.
They call for measures to prevent or put an end to all breaches, and contain stringent rules on what are known as grave breaches.
Those who commit grave breaches must be pursued and tried or extradited, whatever their nationality.
The ICRC publishes Commentaries on each Convention and Protocol, and is updating them to reflect how the treaties are now interpreted.
Geneva Conventions:
Four
Body of law they form the core of:
International humanitarian law
Why it matters for exams: The number of Conventions, who they protect and the obligation to try or extradite for grave breaches are the standard international humanitarian law questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
IHL International humanitarian law — The law that regulates the conduct of armed conflict and seeks to limit its effects.
ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross — The body that publishes the Commentaries on the Geneva Conventions and their Protocols.
Grave breaches Grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions — The most serious violations, which States must pursue and try or extradite whatever the offender's nationality.
Background
The United Kingdom delivered a statement at the UN Security Council on Russia's intensifying attacks on Ukraine, which it can do as a permanent member. The memberships behind that are these.
The United Nations lists the five permanent members of the Security Council as China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States.
NATO lists the United Kingdom as a member since 1949, when the North Atlantic Treaty was signed in Washington, D.C. on 4 April; the United Kingdom was one of the twelve founding members and the alliance now has 32 member countries.
The Commonwealth records that the United Kingdom joined in 1926, when it helped found the British Commonwealth of Nations, and that King Charles III is Head of the Commonwealth as well as Head of State of 15 Commonwealth countries.
UN Security Council permanent members:
China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States
UK joined NATO:
1949
North Atlantic Treaty signed:
4 April 1949, Washington, D.C.
NATO members now:
32
UK joined the Commonwealth:
1926
Why it matters for exams: The five permanent members, NATO's founding membership and the Commonwealth's origin are asked in almost every general knowledge paper, and the UK sits in all three.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Permanent member Permanent member of the UN Security Council — One of five states with a permanent seat and the power to veto a substantive Council decision.
North Atlantic Treaty North Atlantic Treaty — The 1949 treaty signed in Washington, D.C. that created NATO.
10 October 2026
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala inaugurated the nineteenth edition of the Cocon security and hacking conference and said Kerala Police will strengthen its Cyberdome to meet cyber threats. He said government, police, researchers, technical institutions and the private sector must work together, and stressed data protection, personal privacy and lawful, responsible security systems as the use of artificial intelligence grows. Kerala Police, working with iHub Robotics, has readied indigenously developed robots for traffic control, disaster management, rescue and industrial automation. Kerala Police signed a memorandum of understanding with the Kochi-based company at the conference; trials are to begin shortly, and the robots go into the field after a pilot run in coordination with Cyberdome. Daksha is designed for traffic control. Kavach assists rescue work in difficult terrain and delivers essential supplies. Thara gives information in several languages and guides visitors. The stated aim is to reduce the burden on police personnel who stand for hours in sun and rain and to make policing more efficient. The government will also train cyber security officials, run public awareness work and strengthen international cooperation and public-private partnerships. Deputy National Security Adviser T. V. Ravichandran, Challa Srinivasulu Shetty and Directors General of Police Ravada Chandrasekhar and Manoj Abraham attended.
Conference:
19th Cocon security and hacking conference
Robot for traffic control:
Daksha
Robot for rescue in difficult terrain:
Kavach
Technology partner:
iHub Robotics
Why it matters for exams: Named technology initiatives of Kerala Police, and the robots' individual roles, are the kind of matching question examiners like.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Cyberdome Cyberdome — The Kerala Police technology research and development centre for cyber security and cyber crime.
10 October 2026
The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification on 25 September 2026 under Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958.
It declares the whole of Manipur a disturbed area for six months with effect from 1 October 2026, that is until 31 March 2027 unless withdrawn earlier.
Areas falling under 13 police stations in five districts are kept outside the declaration.
The excluded police stations are six in Imphal West, three in Imphal East, two in Bishnupur, one in Thoubal and one in Kakching.
The five districts are Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching.
Act and section:
Section 3, Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958
Notification date:
25 September 2026
In force from:
1 October 2026
In force until:
31 March 2027
Police station areas excluded:
13, in five districts
Why it matters for exams: AFSPA, its Section 3 disturbed area declaration and the exact exclusions are a recurring polity and internal security question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
AFSPA Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 — Once an area is declared disturbed under Section 3, the Act gives the armed forces special powers in that area.
Background
NATO records that Germany became a NATO member on 6 May 1955, six years after the alliance was created by 12 countries from Europe and North America with the Washington Treaty of 4 April 1949. The then Federal Republic of Germany was NATO's 15th member country, and NATO records that the Warsaw Pact was formed in 1955 in reaction to West Germany's accession. At present NATO has 32 member countries, the two most recent being Finland, which joined on 4 April 2023 as the 31st member, and Sweden, which joined on 7 March 2024 as the 32nd. Germany is not a founding member of NATO, a point examiners like to test. It is also a member of the European Union, the G7, the G20, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the United Nations, and it is not a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Germany's NATO accession:
6 May 1955
NATO member countries:
32
Founding members:
12
Why it matters for exams: Whether Germany was a NATO founder, and the current member count, are classic objective questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization — A political and military alliance of North American and European states, with headquarters in Brussels.
10 October 2026
The German federal government's draft budget for 2027 provides more than 109 billion euros for defence, supplemented by money from the Bundeswehr special fund. The cabinet adopted the draft on 6 July 2026 and it was presented in the Bundestag on 8 September 2026. More than 36 billion euros is set aside for federal investment in 2027; on top of that come 10 billion euros for the Climate and Transformation Fund and around 8 billion euros to support the Laender and municipalities, with around 118 billion euros available in all. The government titles the budget an estimate in the service of prosperity and security. In Germany the Bundestag holds the power of the purse, and the budget becomes law only after the full parliamentary reading and a final vote.
Defence spending, 2027 draft:
more than 109 billion euros
Federal investment:
more than 36 billion euros
Climate and Transformation Fund:
10 billion euros
Support for Laender and municipalities:
around 8 billion euros
Why it matters for exams: Germany's sharply higher defence spending is central to questions on NATO burden sharing and European rearmament.
UPSCBank
In plain words
Bundeswehr Federal Defence Forces — The unified armed forces of Germany.
Sondervermoegen Special fund — An off-budget fund in German public finance, used for Bundeswehr modernisation and for infrastructure.
10 October 2026
Ukraine's counter-offensive in the Donetsk region, named Operation Vivaldi, has retaken about 175 sq km around the town of Lyman, according to a review of the week to 8 October 2026. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the operation as successful but incomplete. Russia had hoped to use Lyman as a springboard towards Sloviansk and Kramatorsk; the village of Kryva Luka, east of Sloviansk on the Siversky Donets river, is seen as the next key point. A bomb struck two city buses in Kramatorsk on 8 October, killing at least 30 people. Ukraine's military put Russian casualties in September at 46,230, a record for 2026, of which it said more than 70 per cent, or 33,087, were confirmed killed. The Institute for the Study of War, which tracks territory from open sources, assessed that Russia lost 80 sq km of ground during September.
Operation name:
Operation Vivaldi
Area retaken around Lyman:
about 175 sq km
Kramatorsk bus attack, 8 October:
at least 30 killed
Russian casualties in September (Ukrainian figures):
46,230
Why it matters for exams: Place names and front-line changes in the Russia-Ukraine war are tested in map-based and defence questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ISW Institute for the Study of War — A Washington-based research group that maps territorial control in the war from open-source material.
10 October 2026
Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said two attacks struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on 8 October 2026. The first hit airport facilities and the second hit a Saudia aircraft parked on the ground with no passengers aboard. Three Saudi citizens were killed, among them a pilot of the national carrier Saudia, named by the airline as Captain Hamoud Ali al-Kalthami. Dozens of people of various nationalities were wounded, with injuries ranging from minor to severe. A Houthi military spokesperson said the group had fired a ballistic missile at the airport. Operations later resumed and air traffic returned to normal while the authorities assessed the damage.
Airport:
King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh
Date:
8 October 2026
Killed:
3 Saudi citizens, including a Saudia pilot
Aircraft hit:
A parked Saudia aircraft, no passengers aboard
Why it matters for exams: Attacks on West Asian aviation hubs tie together the Yemen conflict, Red Sea security and civil aviation regulation.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
GACA General Authority of Civil Aviation — Saudi Arabia's civil aviation regulator, which issued the casualty statement.
10 October 2026
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh presented the SIDM Champion Awards 2026 at the 8th Annual Session of the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers in New Delhi on 9 October 2026.
Fifteen Champion Awards were given for indigenous technology development, product innovation, design, import substitution, manufacturing excellence and export contribution.
He said India's defence exports reached a record ₹38,424 crore in FY 2025-26, and that the target is ₹50,000 crore by 2029.
He recalled his call to raise the private sector's share of total defence production from about 24% to 50%.
Spending on research and development, he said, should be treated as an investment that strengthens operational readiness and competitiveness.
He added that national security increasingly depends on India's own capacity to design, develop, manufacture and control the technology its armed forces use.
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Director General (Acquisition) A. Anbarasu and SIDM office bearers were present.
Defence exports, FY 2025-26:
₹38,424 crore
Export target by 2029:
₹50,000 crore
Private share of defence production:
about 24%, target 50%
Awards presented:
15 Champion Awards
Why it matters for exams: The defence export figure and the 24% to 50% private share target are directly quotable numbers for both PSC and UPSC answers.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
SIDM Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers — An industry body of Indian defence manufacturers that works as an interface between industry and the Ministry of Defence.
10 October 2026
The Indian Navy will commission the Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) 'Mangrol' at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai on 12 October 2026.
The ship has been built by Cochin Shipyard Limited and is the third vessel of this class delivered by the yard.
It has over 80% indigenous content and is powered by three diesel engines driving waterjets, which allow sharp turns in shallow coastal waters.
Its fit includes the Abhay Hull-Mounted Sonar, lightweight torpedoes, an indigenous anti-submarine rocket launcher and the Maareech Advanced Torpedo Decoy System.
The craft is meant for underwater surveillance, low intensity maritime operations and mine warfare close to the coast, where larger warships cannot operate easily.
VAdm Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, will preside over the commissioning ceremony.
The ship is named after Mangrol, a coastal town and fishing port in the Junagadh district of Gujarat, and carries forward the legacy of the earlier minesweeper INS Mangrol (M85).
Builder:
Cochin Shipyard Limited
Commissioning:
12 October 2026, Naval Dockyard, Mumbai
Indigenous content:
over 80%
Presiding officer:
VAdm Sanjay Vatsayan, FOC-in-C Western Naval Command
Why it matters for exams: Ship names, their builders and the indigenous content figures are standard one-mark questions in defence current affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
ASW-SWC Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft — A small warship built to hunt submarines in coastal waters too shallow for larger ships.
9 October 2026
The UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday that Israeli military incursions into southern Syria are intensifying, with some 280 incidents recorded in September alone. That is the highest monthly figure this year. The incidents include raids on homes, restrictions on movement, harassment of civilians and arbitrary detention. OHCHR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said 49 Syrians are believed to remain in Israeli custody, a figure the office said has not been independently verified. Former detainees have described detention lasting over a year in some cases, with no reasons given and transfers to unknown facilities. On Monday a 22-year-old man from Jaba town in Quneitra governorate was killed by Israeli forces near Al-Hamidiyah while walking at night; no warning shots are known to have been fired. On Wednesday a farmer with a disability was shot in the leg during an incursion in northern Quneitra, then detained while bleeding and released an hour and a half later. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called for a prompt and impartial investigation into the killing and urged Israel to stop harassing civilians.
Incidents in September:
some 280
Syrians believed in custody:
49
Governorate most affected:
Quneitra
Why it matters for exams: OHCHR monitoring figures and the role of the High Commissioner are recurring questions on the UN human rights machinery.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights — The UN office in Geneva that monitors and reports on human rights worldwide.
9 October 2026
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presented the SIDM Champion Awards 2026 at the 8th Annual Session of the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers in New Delhi on 9 October 2026. Fifteen awards were given to organisations for indigenous technology development, product innovation, design, import substitution, manufacturing excellence and exports. Defence exports reached a record ₹38,424 crore in 2025-26, more than 60 per cent above the previous financial year. The target is ₹50,000 crore of defence exports by 2029. He recalled his call to raise the private sector's share of total defence production from about 24 per cent to 50 per cent. The theme of the session was 'Sovereign Capabilities, Contested Frontiers: Accelerating India's Strategic Autonomy in an Era of Disruption'. SIDM was founded in 2017. Of the 2025-26 exports, defence public sector undertakings accounted for 54.84 per cent and the private sector for 45.16 per cent.
Defence exports 2025-26:
₹38,424 crore
Growth over previous year:
more than 60 per cent
Export target:
₹50,000 crore by 2029
Awards presented:
15
Share of defence PSUs in exports:
54.84 per cent
Why it matters for exams: The latest defence export figure and the export target are among the most frequently asked defence economy facts.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
SIDM Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers — An industry body founded in 2017 representing large defence firms, MSMEs, startups, academia and foreign original equipment manufacturers.
iDEX Innovations for Defence Excellence — A Ministry of Defence programme that funds startups and innovators to build defence technologies.
Positive Indigenisation List Positive Indigenisation List — A list of items that the armed forces may procure only from Indian sources after a stated date.