14 October 2026
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved payment of a Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days' wages to railway employees. It covers 11,40,770 non-gazetted railway employees and will cost ₹2,009.61 crore. The maximum amount payable to an eligible employee for the 78 days is ₹17,951. The bonus is paid every year before the Durga Puja and Dussehra holidays. Categories covered include track maintenance staff, loco pilots, train managers (guards), station masters, supervisors, technicians, technician helpers, pointsmen, ministerial staff and other Group 'C' staff. In 2025-26 Indian Railways loaded a record 1,670 million tonnes of freight and carried about 7.41 billion passengers.
Days of wages:
78 days
Employees covered:
11,40,770
Total cost:
₹2,009.61 crore
Maximum per employee:
₹17,951
Freight loaded 2025-26:
1,670 million tonnes
Why it matters for exams: The number of days, the number of employees and the maximum payable are the exact figures asked in economy and Railways questions each year.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PLB Productivity Linked Bonus — A bonus paid to railway staff linked to the system's measured productivity, expressed as a number of days' wages.
Non-gazetted Non-gazetted employees — Government staff whose appointments are not notified in the official Gazette, mainly Group 'C' and similar grades.
14 October 2026
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the continuation of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) for 2026-27 to 2030-31 with a total outlay of ₹53,428 crore. The programme is renamed Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana. Its four components are renamed the Pradhan Mantri Vriddhavastha Pension Yojana (old age pension), the Pradhan Mantri Vidhwa Pension Yojana (widow pension), the Pradhan Mantri Divyangjan Pension Yojana (disability pension) and the Pradhan Mantri Parivar Labh Yojana (family benefit). For the disability pension, monthly assistance rises to ₹375 for beneficiaries aged 0-79 and ₹625 for those aged 80 and above, the benchmark disability threshold falls from 80 per cent to 40 per cent, and the minimum age criterion becomes birth; detailed guidelines on eligibility, beneficiary numbers and rates are to be issued within three months. About 3.20 crore beneficiaries across all 36 States and Union Territories are covered. The old age, widow and family benefit components continue in their existing form. NSAP was launched on 15 August 1995 and draws on Article 41 of the Constitution.
Total outlay:
₹53,428 crore
Period:
2026-27 to 2030-31
Beneficiaries:
About 3.20 crore
Disability threshold:
80% reduced to 40%
NSAP launch:
15 August 1995
Why it matters for exams: A renamed centrally funded pension programme with a fresh outlay, a new disability threshold and a constitutional anchor in Article 41 is standard material for scheme and Directive Principles questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NSAP National Social Assistance Programme — A fully centrally funded programme of pensions for the elderly, widows and persons with disabilities.
Article 41 Article 41 of the Constitution of India — A Directive Principle asking the State to secure public assistance in old age, sickness and disablement.
Benchmark disability Benchmark disability — A specified minimum percentage of a disability that makes a person eligible for benefits.
14 October 2026
Qatar is chairing the fourth and final Inter-regional Preparatory Meeting for the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 (PP-26).
The chair is Eng. Ahmad bin Abdulla AlMuslemani, President of Qatar's Communications Regulatory Authority and Chair-Designate of PP-26.
PP-26 is set for 9 to 27 November 2026 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center.
Held every four years, it is ITU's principal governing body, with 194 Member States.
It elects ITU's five top officials and 48 Member States to the ITU Council.
Conference dates:
9 to 27 November 2026
ITU Member States:
194
Council seats:
48
Why it matters for exams: ITU is a UN specialised agency, and Qatar hosting its main governing conference links an international body to a Country Focus fact.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
ITU International Telecommunication Union — The UN specialised agency for information and communication technologies.
PP-26 Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 — ITU's principal governing conference, held every four years.
14 October 2026
Russia arrested Japanese journalist Yuki Imai of the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper on the far-eastern island of Sakhalin.
Russia's Federal Security Service says he was collecting information on Russia's defence capabilities, and a Moscow court ordered him held in pre-trial detention.
The charge carries up to 20 years in prison.
Japan's foreign ministry urged Moscow to give him fair and impartial treatment and asked for prompt information.
The arrest comes amid rising tension after Vladimir Putin's August trip to the Kuril Islands, which both countries claim.
Journalist:
Yuki Imai, Hokkaido Shimbun
Place of arrest:
Sakhalin
Maximum sentence:
Up to 20 years
Why it matters for exams: The Kuril Islands dispute and press freedom are linked world-affairs topics, with the Northern Territories a long-running Russia-Japan issue.
UPSC
In plain words
Kuril Islands Archipelago between Hokkaido and Kamchatka — Islands administered by Russia, four of the southernmost of which Japan claims as its Northern Territories.
14 October 2026
The trial of a Ukrainian former military officer, identified under German privacy rules as Serhii K., opened on 14 October 2026 at the Hamburg Higher Regional Court.
Prosecutors say he led a group that attached timer-controlled explosives to the Nord Stream pipelines on the seabed near the Danish island of Bornholm on 26 September 2022.
He is charged with offences that include being an accomplice to war crimes by attacking civilian infrastructure, and he and Ukraine deny involvement.
He was arrested in Italy in August 2025 and extradited to Germany in November 2025.
The trial is expected to run into February 2027.
Court:
Hamburg Higher Regional Court
Blasts:
26 September 2022
Location:
Near Bornholm, Baltic Sea
Trial expected to run into:
February 2027
Why it matters for exams: Energy security, Baltic geography and the law of war meet in this case, a natural link question for world-affairs papers.
UPSC
In plain words
Nord Stream Russia-Germany gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea — Pipelines built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany.
14 October 2026
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed airlines to ensure the MOBIKINS MK-PB-04 power bank is not carried on any flight to, from or within India.
The circular, dated 29 September 2026 and signed by DG Vir Vikram Yadav, covers passenger baggage, both checked-in and cabin, and cargo.
The circular cites a recent fire incident involving the model. The most recent power bank fire was on 11 October 2026, when a power bank in the overhead bin of an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Chennai caught fire and the flight was diverted to Hyderabad as a precaution.
The restriction names one model and is not a blanket ban on power banks.
Nepal Airlines also asked passengers travelling between Nepal and India not to carry the model.
The move has renewed calls for strict enforcement of the Bureau of Indian Standards' Compulsory Registration Scheme for portable batteries.
Banned model:
MOBIKINS MK-PB-04
Circular dated:
29 September 2026
Fire on IndiGo flight:
11 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: Aviation regulation, the DGCA's role and BIS standards are regular topics in governance and general-awareness papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
DGCA Directorate General of Civil Aviation — India's civil aviation safety regulator.
BIS CRS Bureau of Indian Standards Compulsory Registration Scheme — A scheme under which listed products, including portable batteries, must carry a BIS registration number.
14 October 2026
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the maiden ASEAN-India Defence Think Tank Forum at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) in New Delhi on 14 October 2026.
He said India seeks an Indo-Pacific where all countries, large and small, make their own choices, protect their interests and pursue development in peace.
He listed patrol vessels, radars, air-defence systems, helicopters, drones and other technologies as areas for cooperation, along with co-development, co-production, maintenance, repair and overhaul, and training.
He said 2026 has been designated as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation and called for sharing maritime information and closer cooperation among navies and coast guards.
He placed the Act East policy, SAGAR and MAHASAGAR at the centre of India's approach to the region.
Forum:
First ASEAN-India Defence Think Tank Forum
Venue:
MP-IDSA, New Delhi
Theme year:
2026 is the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation
Why it matters for exams: India's Act East policy and its maritime doctrines SAGAR and MAHASAGAR are staple topics in international relations and defence questions.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
SAGAR Security and Growth for All in the Region — India's earlier vision for maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region.
MAHASAGAR Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions — India's wider maritime vision that builds on SAGAR.
MRO Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul — Servicing work that keeps defence equipment in use over its life.
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.
Background
Turkiye is a founding member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The OECD was established on 30 September 1961.
The Organisation has 38 members.
Its headquarters is in Paris, where its Council meets.
Membership of the OECD is separate from membership of the European Union.
Turkiye's status:
Founding member
Established:
30 September 1961
Members:
38
Headquarters:
Paris
Why it matters for exams: Which bodies Turkiye belongs to, and which it does not, is a recurring country-focus question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development — An inter-governmental economic organisation; India is a partner but not a member.
Background
The Montreux Convention has been implemented since 1936 and governs passage through the Turkish Straits.
Merchant vessels have freedom of passage through the Straits.
Aircraft carriers cannot pass through the Turkish Straits, whether or not they belong to a Black Sea littoral state.
Only submarines of littoral states may pass, and only to reach their Black Sea base for the first time after construction or purchase, or for repairs in dockyards outside the Black Sea.
Foreign naval forces in transit are limited to 9 vessels with an aggregate tonnage of 15,000 tons.
Non-littoral states may keep warships of up to 45,000 tons in total in the Black Sea, with no more than 30,000 tons from any one state, and such warships may stay no more than 21 days.
Warship passage must be notified to Turkiye through diplomatic channels 8 days in advance for littoral states and 15 days in advance for non-littoral states.
The Turkish Straits Vessel Traffic Services Centre manages merchant vessel passages under the 1998 Maritime Traffic Regulations.
In force since:
1936
Warships in transit:
9 vessels, 15,000 tons
Non-littoral tonnage in the Black Sea:
45,000 tons, up to 30,000 tons from one state
Maximum stay:
21 days
Why it matters for exams: The Straits regime is a standing question in geography and international relations, and is raised whenever the Black Sea is in the news.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Turkish Straits The Bosphorus and the Dardanelles with the Sea of Marmara — The waterway linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean through Turkiye.
Littoral state A state with a coast on a given sea — Under the Convention, Black Sea littoral states enjoy wider passage rights than others.
14 October 2026
Turkiye will host the 13th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Ankara on 29-30 October 2026.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan received the Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States, Kubanychbek Omuraliev, in Ankara on 8 September 2026.
Preparations for the 13th Summit were taken up at that meeting.
Turkiye is a member of the Organization of Turkic States.
Summit:
13th OTS Summit
Venue:
Ankara
Dates:
29-30 October 2026
OTS Secretary General:
Kubanychbek Omuraliev
Why it matters for exams: Regional groupings that India is not part of, and their summits, appear in international relations questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
OTS Organization of Turkic States — An intergovernmental grouping of Turkic-speaking states of which Turkiye is a member.
14 October 2026
Trade Minister Omer Bolat announced Turkiye's foreign trade figures in Istanbul on 3 October 2026.
Exports in the first nine months of 2026 were $211 billion, a record for the period and 5.2 per cent higher than a year earlier.
Imports over the same nine months were $282 billion, up 5.4 per cent.
The nine-month foreign trade deficit was $71.03 billion, 5.8 per cent wider than a year earlier.
September 2026 exports were $25.98 billion, the highest figure recorded for any September, up 15.4 per cent.
September imports were $31.21 billion and the monthly trade deficit was $5.23 billion, 24.8 per cent narrower than a year earlier.
Exports, January-September 2026:
$211 billion
Imports, January-September 2026:
$282 billion
Nine-month trade deficit:
$71.03 billion
September 2026 exports:
$25.98 billion
Why it matters for exams: Trade balances of major economies recur in questions on external sector comparisons.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Trade deficit Excess of imports over exports — The gap when a country buys more goods from abroad than it sells.
14 October 2026
The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkiye (CBRT) sets the country's policy rate, which is the one-week repo auction rate.
The rate stands at 37.00 per cent.
It was brought down to 37.00 per cent from 38.00 per cent on 23 January 2026.
The step before that had taken the rate from 39.50 per cent to 38.00 per cent on 12 December 2025.
The Monetary Policy Committee left the rate unchanged at its meeting on 10 September 2026, with the overnight lending rate at 40 per cent and the overnight borrowing rate at 35.5 per cent.
The Committee's next scheduled meeting is on 22 October 2026.
Policy rate:
37.00 per cent
Previous level:
38.00 per cent
In force since:
23 January 2026
Why it matters for exams: Policy rates of large emerging economies are set beside the RBI repo rate in economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CBRT Central Bank of the Republic of Turkiye — Turkiye's central bank, whose Monetary Policy Committee fixes the policy rate.
Repo Repurchase agreement — A short-term loan against securities; the one-week repo auction rate is Turkiye's policy rate.
14 October 2026
Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam announced a curfew in an address to the nation on Tuesday, 13 October 2026.
It took effect at 8:30 pm local time and ran until 6 am, and covered the capital Port Louis and other major population centres.
The unrest followed the shooting of Elodie Thomas, aged 27, by police in the south of the capital while she was travelling home from work in a van.
The Health Ministry said she had successful surgery to remove a bullet. Police said an investigation is under way.
Protesters burned tyres and blocked roads on Monday and the unrest continued overnight.
The Education Ministry said some schools closed on Tuesday because of the turmoil, and the prime minister's office said the situation had returned to normal with the public sector operating as usual.
The cabinet was due to meet on Wednesday to assess the situation.
Curfew hours:
8:30 pm to 6 am
Announced by:
Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam
Date:
13 October 2026
Area covered:
Port Louis and other major population centres
Why it matters for exams: Mauritius is a small Indian Ocean island state whose capital, leadership and location are standard map and polity questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Port Louis Port Louis — The capital and largest city of Mauritius, on the island's north-west coast.
Curfew Curfew — An order barring people from public places during stated hours.
14 October 2026
The Swiss air quality monitor IQAir ranked Singapore and Kuala Lumpur as the world's two most polluted cities on Tuesday, with air quality index readings of 199 and 183.
The haze comes from fires on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo, the most intense in 11 years, which have been spurred by a strengthening El Nino.
Indonesia has deployed about 60,000 personnel, but thick smoke has grounded 34 aircraft, including planes and helicopters, and cloud seeding is not possible without suitable rain clouds.
Firefly, a low-cost subsidiary of Malaysia Aviation Group, first cancelled flights between Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport near Kuala Lumpur and Seletar Airport in Singapore on 10 October and has extended the suspension.
Singapore has activated subsidised treatment for haze-related illnesses, something last done in 2015.
Schools reopened in most Malaysian states on Tuesday but remain closed in three states, one federal territory and several districts.
Malaysia's Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said he would press for stronger regional mechanisms at the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting next month, noting that haze is not classified as a natural disaster under the existing ASEAN disaster mechanism.
Singapore air quality index:
199
Kuala Lumpur air quality index:
183
Indonesian personnel deployed:
about 60,000
Aircraft grounded:
34
Why it matters for exams: Transboundary haze links El Nino, forest fires, air quality indices and ASEAN cooperation in one question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
AQI Air Quality Index — A single number summarising air pollution; readings above 150 are generally treated as unhealthy and above 300 as hazardous.
ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations — A regional grouping of ten Southeast Asian states; the Philippines chairs it in 2026 and the 49th summit is due in Manila.
Background
Background to the Kerala High Court proceedings this week on the Crime Branch investigation into a State Planning Board recruitment examination conducted by the Kerala Public Service Commission.
The Kerala Public Service Commission was formed on 1 November 1956, when the State of Kerala came into being, by transforming the Travancore-Cochin Public Service Commission into it.
In Travancore, a Public Service Commissioner selected candidates for direct recruitment to government posts, and G.D. Nokes was appointed the first Commissioner on 14 June 1936.
In Cochin, a Staff Selection Board was set up in 1936 for initial recruitment to lower posts, and a three-member Cochin Public Service Commission was constituted in 1947 under an Act of the State Legislature.
After Travancore and Cochin merged on 1 July 1949, a three-member Commission including the Chairman was created by Ordinance, exercising broadly the functions set out in the Government of India Act, 1935; it continued under constitutional provisions from 26 January 1950.
The strength of the Commission was raised in stages — five members in 1959, seven in 1971, eight in 1981, nine in 1982, thirteen in 1983 and fourteen in 1984 — reaching the present strength of eighteen in 2005.
Formed:
1 November 1956
First Travancore Public Service Commissioner:
G.D. Nokes, 14 June 1936
Cochin Public Service Commission:
Three members, 1947
Present strength:
18 members (since 2005)
Why it matters for exams: The formation date, predecessor bodies and present strength of the Kerala PSC are directly asked in State examinations.
Kerala PSCUPSC
14 October 2026
The Kerala High Court has designated advocate P.B. Menon as a Senior Advocate with effect from 12.10.2026.
The notification records that the Chief Justice and Judges resolved to designate him under Section 16(2) of the Advocates Act, 1961, read with Rule 2 of the High Court of Kerala (Designation of Senior Advocates) Rules, 2026.
Menon, who hails from Palakkad district and practises on the civil side in his hometown, began litigation in the early 1950s after graduating from Madras Law College, a career spanning about 76 years.
In 2023, at the age of 97, he entered the Guinness World Records as the longest-serving lawyer in the world.
Bar and Bench reports that the designation came on the initiative of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and was timed to his 100th birthday on 15 October, and that it may be the first time the Kerala High Court has designated a lawyer practising before mofussil courts as a Senior Advocate.
Effective from:
12.10.2026
Legal provision:
Section 16(2), Advocates Act, 1961
Guinness record year:
2023
Home district:
Palakkad
Why it matters for exams: Senior Advocate designation under Section 16 of the Advocates Act, 1961 is a standard polity and judiciary question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Mofussil court Mofussil court — A court outside the main metropolitan or High Court centre, usually a district or taluk court.
Background
The State of Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh under the Uttar Pradesh Reorganization Act enacted by Parliament, and Part IV of that Act provides for its High Court.
The court's own account records that it became the eighteenth High Court in the country.
The seat of the High Court is at Nainital, in the Kumaon region of the State.
The sanctioned strength of judges was seven when the court was created and has since been increased to eleven.
Justice Ashok A. Desai, transferred from the Allahabad High Court, was its first Chief Justice.
Seat:
Nainital
Sanctioned judge strength:
7 at creation, since increased to 11
First Chief Justice:
Justice Ashok A. Desai
Why it matters for exams: Seats and sanctioned strengths of High Courts, and the Acts that created them, are standard polity questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Kumaon Kumaon division — One of the two administrative divisions of Uttarakhand, the other being Garhwal.
14 October 2026
Mufti Shamoon Qasmi, the newly appointed Chairman of the Uttarakhand Minority Hunar Council, paid a courtesy call on Governor Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (Retd.) at Lok Bhavan, Dehradun, on 12 October 2026.
The Council works on skills and crafts among members of minority communities in the State.
The Governor said the skills and talents of minority community members should be developed and linked to self-reliance and employment.
He asked for special attention to skill development, including connecting young people with modern technology and innovation.
He also asked the Council to create platforms for skilled persons and to recognise top performers so that their achievements encourage others.
Body:
Uttarakhand Minority Hunar Council
Newly appointed Chairman:
Mufti Shamoon Qasmi
Why it matters for exams: State minority welfare bodies and their office-bearers are routine appointment questions in state-focused papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Hunar Hunar (skill or craft) — An Urdu and Hindi word for skill or craft, used in the Council's name.
14 October 2026
A programme marking the twenty-first anniversary of the Right to Information Act, 2005 was held at Lok Bhavan, Dehradun, on 7 October 2026.
Governor Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (Retd.) was the Chief Guest and felicitated the winners of the Dr. R.S. Tolia State-Level RTI Act Debate Competition-2026.
Chief Information Commissioner Radha Raturi briefed the gathering on the functioning and activities of the State Information Commission.
The Governor asked the State Information Commission to use artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to make access to information simpler and wider, particularly in remote and hilly areas.
Information Commissioner Dalip Singh Kunwar and former Information Commissioner Yogesh Bhatt were among those present, along with students from schools and colleges.
Anniversary marked:
21st anniversary of the RTI Act, 2005
Chief Information Commissioner:
Radha Raturi
Why it matters for exams: The RTI Act's year of enactment and the State Information Commission's role are repeatedly tested in polity papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
RTI Right to Information — The 2005 law that lets any citizen seek information held by a public authority.