11 October 2026
Saudi Arabia's General Directorate of Passports began procedures on Sunday, 11 October 2026, to regularise the status of Yemeni nationals living in the Kingdom without legal residency. The move implements a directive of King Salman in response to a request from Rashad Al-Alimi, President of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council. Yemenis without identity documents or passports will be granted a free six-month visit visa, booked through the Absher platform. Holders of expired visit visas and visitor IDs whose fingerprints are registered will have their visas extended electronically for six months, provided they hold valid passports. Residents with expired permits and workers reported absent from work who hold valid travel documents can transfer to other employers through Absher, Qiwa and Musaned; Gulf News said the absence category covers workers reported absent before 16 June 2026. The services are offered at designated centres: four in the Riyadh region, two in Makkah, three in Asir, two in Jazan, three in the Eastern Province and two in Al-Jouf.
Free visit visa:
six months
Service centres:
16 (Riyadh 4, Makkah 2, Asir 3, Jazan 2, Eastern Province 3, Al-Jouf 2)
Platforms:
Absher, Qiwa, Musaned
Why it matters for exams: Saudi migration and labour rules, and its ties with Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, matter for questions on the Gulf labour market and the Yemen conflict.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Absher Absher — The Saudi Interior Ministry's online platform for passport, visa and residency services.
11 October 2026
An Indian national injured in the 10 October 2026 attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh died on Sunday, 11 October, the Embassy of India in Riyadh said. The Embassy said it was in touch with the family and would provide all support for the early repatriation of the mortal remains. Gulf News said eleven Indians were among the injured. India TV said the death raised the toll of the Saturday attack to 13. India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned the repeated attacks and expressed solidarity with the government and people of Saudi Arabia. The Embassy advised Indians in Saudi Arabia to stay alert and follow local authorities, and listed the 24-hour PBSK helpline 8002471234.
Indians injured (Gulf News):
Eleven
Saturday attack toll after the death:
13
PBSK helpline:
8002471234
Why it matters for exams: Saudi Arabia hosts one of the largest Indian communities abroad, so the safety of Indians there is a recurring India–Saudi theme.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PBSK Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra — The Indian Mission's welfare and help centre for Indian workers and residents abroad.
11 October 2026
Raphaël Glucksmann, a Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Place Publique movement, won France's centre-left presidential primary in the first round on Sunday, 11 October 2026, with 66.17% of the vote. Organisers said 120,787 people took part. Socialist Party head Olivier Faure came second with about 14%, and former 2007 presidential candidate Ségolène Royal was third with under 8%. Glucksmann becomes the social-democratic candidate for the 2027 presidential election. Voting was extended to 6 p.m. on Sunday after a cyberattack slowed it.
Winner's share:
66.17%
Participants:
120,787
Runner-up:
Olivier Faure, about 14%
Why it matters for exams: Elections in major democracies and their candidates are standard world affairs questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Primary Primary election — A vote held to choose a party's or camp's candidate for a later election.
11 October 2026
At least 139 migrants died after their boat capsized off Djibouti, with 84 people still missing, the UN migration agency IOM said on 11 October 2026. The toll rose from 109 after 30 more bodies were recovered. The boat was carrying 305 people from Djibouti towards Yemen when it went down near Guehere, north of Obock; about 82 people survived. IOM described it as one of the deadliest shipwrecks recorded on the Eastern Route from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula. IOM Director General Amy Pope said safe and legal pathways save lives. Survivors are being helped at IOM's Migrant Response Centre in Obock.
Confirmed dead:
139
Missing:
84
People on board:
305
Survivors:
About 82
Why it matters for exams: Migration routes, the Horn of Africa and the role of IOM are recurring world affairs and geography questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IOM International Organization for Migration — The UN migration agency, headquartered in Geneva.
Eastern Route Eastern Route — The migration route from the Horn of Africa across the sea to Yemen and the Gulf.
11 October 2026
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay placed a list of demands before Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai on 11 October 2026. He sought the immediate, unconditional release of the pending Central share of Rs 5,110 crore under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. He asked for early approval of Chennai Metro Phase-3, early sanction for an interstate metro link between Hosur and Bommasandra in Karnataka, and reconsideration of metro projects for Coimbatore and Madurai. He sought high-speed rail corridors from Chennai to Kanniyakumari and Chennai to Coimbatore, and six-laning of the Chengalpattu–Tiruchirappalli section of GST Road (NH-32). He also asked that the Godavari–Cauvery link be declared a national project and that the proposal to make Tamil the principal language of proceedings in the Madras High Court be cleared.
Samagra Shiksha dues sought:
Rs 5,110 crore
Interstate metro:
Hosur–Bommasandra
High-speed rail sought:
Chennai–Kanniyakumari, Chennai–Coimbatore
River link:
Godavari–Cauvery as national project
Why it matters for exams: Centre-State fiscal transfers under Samagra Shiksha and river-linking projects are key federalism and economy topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Samagra Shiksha Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan — The centrally sponsored scheme for school education from pre-school to Class 12, funded jointly by the Centre and States.
11 October 2026
In a post on X late on Saturday, 10 October 2026, President Lee Jae Myung said he would keep visiting ordinary neighbourhoods with minimal security and engaging people through social media, despite criticism.
He wrote that "the president is the people's foremost public servant".
Lee compared his situation to that of the late President Roh Moo-hyun, who was also criticised for an informal style.
On Sunday, 11 October, Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations and communication, said Lee had pledged to communicate "more actively and directly with the public" on his flight home from a state visit to Mexico late last month.
President:
Lee Jae Myung
Recent state visit:
Mexico
Why it matters for exams: Identifies South Korea's President and recalls a former President, Roh Moo-hyun.
Kerala PSCUPSC
11 October 2026
South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised its travel alert for Saudi Arabia to Level 3, the second-highest level, effective 10 pm on Sunday, 11 October 2026.
South Korean nationals were advised to leave Saudi Arabia unless they had urgent business; those planning to travel there were told to cancel or postpone their trips.
The decision followed a meeting Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held with South Korean diplomatic missions in 15 West Asian nations, including Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran and Israel.
It came after Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
Cho urged diplomats in the region to take extra care in protecting nationals.
Alert level:
Level 3
Effective:
10 pm, 11 October 2026
Missions consulted:
15 West Asian nations
Why it matters for exams: Shows how a country protects its citizens abroad during the Saudi-Houthi conflict, and names South Korea's Foreign Minister.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Houthis Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) — An armed group based in Yemen that controls Sanaa and much of northern Yemen.
11 October 2026
Tran Thanh Man, Chairman of Viet Nam's National Assembly, arrived in Beijing on 11 October 2026 for an official visit at the invitation of Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC).
He is to co-chair the second session of the cooperation committee between Viet Nam's National Assembly and China's NPC, a body set up in 2024.
The same day he met Wang Huning, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
Wang said Xi Jinping has maintained close strategic communication with To Lam.
Tran Thanh Man said Viet Nam firmly adheres to the one-China policy.
Host:
Zhao Leji, Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee
Cooperation committee set up:
2024
Why it matters for exams: China's political institutions (NPC, CPPCC) and China–Viet Nam ties are frequently asked in world-affairs papers.
UPSC
In plain words
NPC National People's Congress — China's national legislature, whose Standing Committee acts between its annual sessions.
CPPCC Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference — China's top political advisory body.
One-China policy One-China policy — The position that there is one China, with Beijing as its government.
11 October 2026
Polish police arrested a man in his sixties in the Lower Silesia region, suspected of planning an attack on Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński announced on 11 October 2026.
Kierwiński told the state broadcaster TVP Info that security services tracked the man down through a detailed analysis of content posted online.
Government spokesperson Adam Szłapka said Tusk learned of the threat on Sunday morning.
Tusk and Kosiniak-Kamysz thanked the police for their swift and decisive response.
Authorities were already on high alert after a wave of school violence that week.
Interior Minister:
Marcin Kierwiński
Region of arrest:
Lower Silesia
Why it matters for exams: Security threats to European leaders amid the war in Ukraine are part of the current international security picture.
UPSC
In plain words
TVP Info Telewizja Polska Info — The news channel of Poland's state broadcaster.
11 October 2026
Independent candidate Łukasz Gibała won the run-off for mayor of Kraków, Poland, on 11 October 2026 with 62.12% of the vote.
He defeated Monika Piątkowska of the Civic Coalition (KO), the main party in Prime Minister Donald Tusk's governing coalition, who received 37.88%.
Turnout was 44.27%.
The election followed a grassroots recall referendum in May in which residents voted to remove the KO mayor Aleksander Miszalski.
In the first round two weeks earlier, Gibała had led a field of seven candidates with 36.4%.
Gibała's vote share:
62.12%
Piątkowska's vote share:
37.88%
Turnout:
44.27%
Why it matters for exams: Recall referendums and setbacks for governing parties in European local elections illustrate direct-democracy tools often asked in polity papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
KO Civic Coalition (Koalicja Obywatelska) — The centrist alliance that is the main party in Donald Tusk's governing coalition.
Recall referendum Recall referendum — A vote in which citizens decide whether to remove an elected official before the term ends.
11 October 2026
Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia will visit Mizoram on October 12 and 13, 2026, the DoNER Ministry said on 11 October.
It will be his second visit to the State as DoNER Minister.
On 12 October he is to travel from Aizawl to Tuivamit to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of 10 projects along with Chief Minister Lalduhoma.
He will interact with students of Mizoram University and of the Ministry's Ashtalakshmi Darshan Program.
On 13 October he is to deliver the keynote address at the North East Bankers' Conclave 3.0 at Mizoram University, focused on financial inclusion and access to credit.
Projects to be inaugurated or founded:
10
Visit dates:
October 12 and 13, 2026
Why it matters for exams: The DoNER Ministry's role and North-East financial inclusion are regular topics in polity and economy papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DoNER Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region — The Union ministry responsible for development schemes in the eight North-Eastern States.
Ashtalakshmi Darshan Ashtalakshmi Darshan Program — A DoNER youth exchange programme named after the eight North-Eastern States, called the 'Ashtalakshmi'.
11 October 2026
The Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW) of the Ministry of Defence said on 11 October 2026 that it is taking part in the Government of India's nationwide Special Campaign 6.0.
The campaign runs from October 2 to October 31, 2026, and aims to institutionalise Swachhata and reduce pendency in government processes.
DESW is prioritising the collection, segregation and disposal of e-waste in line with the E-Waste (Management) Rules, under the idea of 'Waste to Wealth'.
Its offices are holding cleanliness drives and Shramdaan, and streamlining the disposal of grievances and Parliamentary assurances.
The department says it wants to turn campaign-based steps into lasting administrative practice for the service of veterans.
Campaign period:
October 2 to October 31, 2026
Edition:
Special Campaign 6.0
Why it matters for exams: Special Campaign drives on cleanliness and pending files, and the e-waste rules, are recurring governance and environment topics.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
DESW Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare — The department of the Ministry of Defence that handles the welfare and resettlement of ex-servicemen.
Shramdaan Voluntary labour — Voluntary physical work offered for a common cause, such as cleaning.
11 October 2026
A Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) Court in New Delhi on 11 October 2026 released Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das of the CJP, who had been placed under preventive arrest the previous day.
Delhi Police said the three were produced before the SEM, Delhi Cantt, and that all due legal procedures were followed.
They were released on furnishing a surety bond of 50 thousand rupees for maintaining peace and good behaviour for a period of one year.
The CJP had led protests in Delhi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Surety bond:
50 thousand rupees
Period of the bond:
one year
Why it matters for exams: Preventive arrest and security for keeping the peace, ordered by executive magistrates, are part of the criminal-procedure syllabus.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SEM Special Executive Magistrate — An executive magistrate empowered to deal with matters such as security for keeping the peace.
Preventive arrest Preventive arrest — Arrest made to prevent the commission of an offence rather than to punish one already committed.
SIR Special Intensive Revision — An intensive house-to-house revision of electoral rolls conducted by the Election Commission.
11 October 2026
The Consulate General of India in Dubai confirmed on 11 October 2026 that all 22 Indian crew members aboard the oil tanker MT GEM No. 2 had been rescued and were safe.
The rescue followed a fire on the vessel off the Ras Al Khaimah coast.
The Coast Guard Division of the UAE National Guard Command rescued the 22 crew after receiving a report of the fire on October 10.
The crew received first aid and were reported to be in stable health.
The Consulate said it was in touch with UAE authorities and extending all possible assistance to the seafarers.
Indian crew rescued:
22
Location:
Off the Ras Al Khaimah coast
Why it matters for exams: The safety of Indian seafarers in Gulf waters during the regional conflict is a live consular and maritime issue.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Consulate General Consulate General of India — A diplomatic office in a foreign city that serves citizens there, below the level of an embassy.
11 October 2026
An Indian national injured in the 10 October attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh died on 11 October 2026, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh said.
His death raised the toll of the attack to 13; he was from Hyderabad.
The Embassy had earlier said 11 Indians were among the more than 300 people injured.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said the Embassy was taking all necessary steps, and the Embassy said it would support the early repatriation of the mortal remains.
The Ministry of External Affairs said repeated attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are completely unacceptable and must cease immediately.
Indian nationals in Saudi Arabia were advised to stay alert and follow the instructions of local authorities.
Death toll after the Indian national's death:
13
Indians among the injured:
11
Why it matters for exams: The welfare of the Indian diaspora in the Gulf during the West Asian conflict is a recurring international-relations theme.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Repatriation of mortal remains Repatriation of mortal remains — Bringing the body of a citizen who died abroad back to the home country, often with consular help.
11 October 2026
India on 11 October 2026 rejected remarks by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on recent events in New Delhi, calling them unwarranted and an unacceptable interference in its internal affairs.
The Ministry of External Affairs said India guarantees the right to peaceful assembly under its Constitution, and that the right is exercised subject to public order and safety.
It said law enforcement authorities acted strictly according to the law and that legal avenues are available to all.
The statement said the OHCHR had not commented on violent responses to protests in India's neighbourhood, and that such double standards erode the credibility of multilateral institutions.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal gave the response; OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan had urged the release of those it called arbitrarily detained.
UN body:
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
MEA spokesperson:
Randhir Jaiswal
Why it matters for exams: India's position on UN human rights bodies and the constitutional right to peaceful assembly are core polity and international-relations topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights — The UN Secretariat office in Geneva that leads the UN's human rights work.
MEA Ministry of External Affairs — The Union ministry that conducts India's foreign relations.
11 October 2026
The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN), Madhya Pradesh Unit, seized 4,209.80 kg of poppy straw in two operations, the Ministry of Finance said on 11 October 2026.
On 5 October, CBN Neemuch officers stopped a container truck on the Udaipur–Chittorgarh highway and recovered 929.08 kg of poppy straw.
On 9 October, a Tata truck intercepted on the Gandhisagar–Bhanpura road in Mandsaur yielded 3,280.72 kg, hidden beneath 100 bags of wheat used as cover cargo.
Three persons were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and two vehicles were seized.
The CBN said investigations are under way to trace the source and the intended recipients.
Total poppy straw seized:
4,209.80 kg
Seizure in Mandsaur (9 October):
3,280.72 kg
Persons arrested:
3
Why it matters for exams: Narcotics enforcement agencies, the NDPS Act and the Malwa poppy belt are standard governance and internal-security topics.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
CBN Central Bureau of Narcotics — A central agency that licenses legal opium poppy cultivation and acts against illicit trafficking.
NDPS Act, 1985 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 — The central law that prohibits and punishes illicit dealing in narcotic and psychotropic substances.
Poppy straw Dried parts of the opium poppy plant — All parts of the opium poppy after harvesting, except the seeds; it is a controlled narcotic.
Background
Rajasthan is heading into Panchayati Raj elections, with parties releasing their rural manifestos.
The Panchayati Raj system was first implemented in independent India on October 2, 1959, in Rajasthan, at Nagaur, about 260 kilometres from Jaipur.
It became part of the Constitution through the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992, which came into force on April 24, 1993.
According to New India Samachar (April 2026), the system today spans about 260,000 panchayats.
First implemented:
2 October 1959
Place:
Nagaur, Rajasthan
Distance from Jaipur:
260 km
Constitutional amendment:
73rd Amendment, 1992 (in force April 24, 1993)
Why it matters for exams: Where and when Panchayati Raj began is a standard question in Kerala PSC and UPSC polity papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Panchayati Raj Panchayati Raj — The three-tier system of rural local self-government in India.
11 October 2026
Rajasthan Chief Secretary V Srinivas left on Sunday for Greece to represent India at the annual conference of the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA) in Athens.
India holds the presidency of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) for the 2025-28 term, with Srinivas as president.
He will deliver the inaugural and valedictory addresses and present an initial preview of the IIAS Governance Index.
The conference, on the theme 'Rethinking Governance for a Changing World', brings together participants from more than 100 countries.
Srinivas is the first Indian to hold the IIAS presidency.
IIAS presidency term:
2025-28
Participating countries:
more than 100
Why it matters for exams: International bodies headed by Indians and governance indices are common persons-and-reports questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IIAS International Institute of Administrative Sciences — A Brussels-based international body for research on public administration.
IASIA International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration — An IIAS association of schools and institutes that teach public administration.
11 October 2026
The Rajasthan government has set 2028 as the target to complete Jaipur Metro Line 1, Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation CMD Vaibhav Galriya said.
Chief Secretary V Srinivas launched tunnel boring machine operations at Galta Gate for the underground section towards Badi Chaupar, beneath the Walled City.
The extension will take the metro from Badi Chaupar via Galta Gate to Transport Nagar on Delhi Road.
JMRC dropped the earlier plan for a station at Ramganj Chaupar inside the Walled City in favour of Galta Gate.
The first Jaipur Metro service, between Mansarovar and Chandpole, was flagged off on June 3, 2015, and the extension to Badi Chaupar was inaugurated on Sept 23, 2020.
JMRC is also considering a 37th station for Line 2, at Taroon Ki Khoot on Tonk Road.
Line 1 completion target:
2028
First service opened:
June 3, 2015
Station dropped:
Ramganj Chaupar
Why it matters for exams: Metro rail projects in heritage cities, and Jaipur's World Heritage status, are useful State-focus facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
JMRC Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation — The State company that builds and runs the Jaipur Metro.
TBM Tunnel boring machine — A machine that digs a tunnel and lines it as it moves forward.