Background
The Nirmalam campaign now being rolled out across Kerala is run by the Local Self Government Department with the Suchitwa Mission, so the standing sanitation machinery is worth knowing.
Suchitwa Keralam is a State-sponsored scheme under the Local Self Government Department that partly funds waste management projects implemented by grama panchayats and urban local bodies.
It covers solid waste processing plants and their modification, collection and transportation equipment, source-level treatment of biodegradable waste, septage treatment plants and institutional sewage treatment.
It also funds IEC activities including workshops, research and development and capacity building, and assistance to self-help groups and entrepreneurs working in waste management.
The Suchitwa Mission is the supporting institution and has empanelled service providers to help local governments set up source-level treatment.
The Haritha Karma Sena collects non-biodegradable waste door to door and, in urban areas, uses motorised and battery-operated vehicles.
Rural work under the scheme includes sanitary complexes and toilet reconstruction, while urban work includes construction and demolition waste plants and mechanised septage management.
Department:
Local Self Government Department
Supporting institution:
Suchitwa Mission
Why it matters for exams: Kerala PSC asks which department a sanitation scheme sits under and what the Haritha Karma Sena actually does.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
IEC Information, Education and Communication — Awareness work such as workshops and campaigns that goes with a government programme.
Septage Septage — The sludge and liquid pumped out of septic tanks, which needs separate treatment.
2 October 2026
Kerala is launching 'Nirmalam - Puthuyuga Shuchithwa Keralam', a five-year waste management campaign run by the Local Self Government Department with the Suchitwa Mission.
The state-level inauguration is to be held at the Sunny Convention Centre at North Paravur in Ernakulam on 2 October 2026, with Chief Minister V D Satheesan formally launching the campaign.
The target is to make the State completely waste-free by 30 March 2031, marked as Zero Waste Day.
In the short-term phase, from 2 October 2026 to 2 October 2027, bio-waste processing is to be set up in 30 per cent of households and institutions, 20 per cent of bulk waste generators are to segregate waste at source, 100 local bodies are to be raised to full bio-waste treatment capacity and 40 per cent of sanitary waste is to be processed scientifically with two new plants.
The medium-term phase, from 2 October 2027 to 5 June 2030, is to extend bio-waste processing to 70 per cent of households and institutions, upgrade 500 local bodies and put four sanitary waste plants into operation.
The long-term phase, from 5 June 2030 to 30 March 2031, is to achieve 100 per cent bio-waste processing, 100 per cent collection and scientific management of inorganic waste, and recycling plants for plastic, glass, e-waste, textile and paper.
The plan includes 12 RDF plants and a 500 TPD waste-to-energy plant in Kochi.
Local Self Government Minister K M Shaji announced the campaign at a press conference at the Secretariat.
Target date for a waste-free Kerala:
30 March 2031
Short-term household target:
30 per cent
RDF plants planned:
12
Kochi waste-to-energy plant:
500 TPD
Why it matters for exams: A newly launched flagship State campaign with a named scheme, a dated target and a clear implementing department is standard one-mark material for Kerala PSC.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
RDF Refuse Derived Fuel — Fuel made from the combustible part of non-recyclable waste, burnt in industrial kilns or power plants.
TPD Tonnes Per Day — The amount of waste a plant can handle in a day.
Background
Today's Belgian news includes a prime ministerial visit to India, which rests on one of India's oldest European relationships.
The Embassy of India in Brussels records that Belgium was among the first European countries to establish diplomatic relations with independent India in September 1947.
Trade in diamonds dominates the bilateral trade relationship.
The Embassy gives India as Belgium's 14th largest export destination and India as the 15th largest importer to Belgium.
On the Embassy's figures there are around 24,732 members of the Indian diaspora in Belgium, of whom 14,286 are Non-Resident Indians and around 10,446 are Persons of Indian Origin.
The Non-Resident Indian figure includes around 764 Indian students and around 2000 IT professionals.
Diplomatic relations established:
September 1947
Dominant trade:
diamonds
Indian diaspora in Belgium:
around 24,732
Non-Resident Indians:
14,286
Persons of Indian Origin:
around 10,446
Why it matters for exams: The year diplomatic relations began, the diamond trade and the diaspora numbers are the three things asked about India-Belgium ties.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
NRI Non-Resident Indian — An Indian citizen residing outside India.
PIO Person of Indian Origin — A person of Indian descent holding another country's nationality.
Background
The budget negotiations in today's Belgian news are federal negotiations, and they can only be read against Belgium's layered state structure.
Belgium is a federal state, composed of communities and regions.
The concept of community refers to persons who make up a community and the bond that unifies them, namely their language and culture; Belgium has the Flemish, the French and the German-speaking Communities.
The regions were established on the basis of economic interests and are the Flemish Region, the Brussels Capital Region and the Walloon Region.
The European Union's country profile for Belgium records that decision-making powers are divided between three levels of government: the federal government, three language-based communities and three regions, which are legally equal but hold powers in different fields.
The Federal State keeps foreign affairs, defence and justice among its competences.
Communities:
Flemish, French, German-speaking
Regions:
Flemish Region, Brussels Capital Region, Walloon Region
Basis of Communities:
language and culture
Basis of Regions:
economic interests
Why it matters for exams: Belgium's distinction between Communities, built on language, and Regions, built on economy, is a comparative-federalism favourite.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Community A language and culture based entity in Belgium — Competent for education, culture and person-related matters.
Region A territory based entity in Belgium — Competent for economy, employment and territory-related matters.
Background
The euro-area interest rate decision and the budget talks in today's Belgian news both rest on the same fact: Belgium has been inside the European project from its beginning.
The European Union's own country profile gives Belgium's capital city as Brussels and its official EU languages as Dutch, French and German.
Belgium's currency is the euro and it has been an EU member country since 1 January 1958.
It has been a Schengen area member since 26 March 1995.
The profile describes Belgium's political system as a federal constitutional monarchy in which the king is the head of state and the prime minister is the head of government in a multi-party system.
Belgium's population is given as 11 900 123 and it sends 22 representatives to the European Parliament.
Capital:
Brussels
Official EU languages:
Dutch, French, German
Currency:
euro
EU member since:
1 January 1958
Schengen member since:
26 March 1995
MEPs:
22
Why it matters for exams: Capital, currency, official languages and accession dates are the standard country-profile questions, and Belgium's three languages are a favourite trap.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
Schengen area The European zone of free movement without internal border checks — Separate from EU membership itself.
MEP Member of the European Parliament — Directly elected by voters in each member state.
Background
Belgium's capital is the backdrop to today's Belgian news, from the federal budget negotiations to the national demonstration called in the city, and Brussels is also the seat of NATO.
NATO describes its Headquarters as located at Boulevard Leopold III in Brussels, Belgium.
It is the political and administrative centre of the Alliance and the permanent home of the North Atlantic Council.
The Headquarters moved to Belgium after France withdrew from NATO's integrated military command structure in 1966.
The new site in Belgium was built in six months and was inaugurated on 16 October 1967.
NATO's military command structure is separate from this political headquarters.
Address:
Boulevard Leopold III, Brussels
Inaugurated:
16 October 1967
Construction time:
six months
Why it matters for exams: Which city hosts which international body is among the most frequently asked static questions, and Brussels carries both NATO and the EU institutions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization — A political and military alliance of North American and European states.
North Atlantic Council NATO's principal political decision-making body — Every Ally has a permanent seat on it.
2 October 2026
Prime Minister of Belgium Bart De Wever paid an official visit to India from 2 to 4 September 2026 and a joint statement was issued.
He was accompanied by Belgium's Minister of Defence and Foreign Trade Theo Francken and a delegation of officials and business leaders.
The two Prime Ministers expressed their determination to strengthen cooperation with a view to enabling the doubling of bilateral trade in the next five years.
A Letter of Intent was signed between the two Defence Ministries, a Memorandum of Understanding on renewable energy cooperation was renewed, and an MoU was signed between India's Central Bureau of Investigation and Belgium's Federal Police on combating transnational organised crime and cybercrime.
The joint statement records the India-Belgium Strategic Dialogue launched on 15 July 2026 and an India-Belgium Investment Fast-Track Mechanism.
It also notes an Indo-Belgian economic and investment corridor to be taken forward by SFPIM and the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund.
Visit dates:
2 to 4 September 2026
Trade goal:
doubling bilateral trade in the next 5 years
Defence instrument:
Letter of Intent between the Defence Ministries
Strategic Dialogue launched:
15 July 2026
Why it matters for exams: Bilateral visits and the exact instruments signed are standard international relations questions for civil services and PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
MoU Memorandum of Understanding — A written understanding between two sides, usually not a binding treaty.
NIIF National Investment and Infrastructure Fund — India's sovereign-backed infrastructure investment fund.
CBI Central Bureau of Investigation — India's principal federal investigating agency.
2 October 2026
The State Election Commission, Uttarakhand issued an order on 7 September 2026 bringing the Model Code of Conduct into force for the Municipal Council, Kichha and the Municipal Council, Siraulikalan, in Udham Singh Nagar district.
On the same date the Commission issued the notification for the election of the chairpersons and members of these two municipal councils.
The Commission's current notifications also cover the general election of Up-Pradhans of Gram Panchayats in all districts of Uttarakhand except Haridwar district, and the notification of the electoral roll for the District Planning Committee.
Uttarakhand has a separate State Election Commission for local body elections, distinct from the Election Commission of India.
Udham Singh Nagar, in which both these municipal councils lie, is a plains district of the Kumaon division.
Date of the order:
7 September 2026
Municipal councils covered:
Kichha and Siraulikalan
District:
Udham Singh Nagar
Why it matters for exams: The split between the Election Commission of India and a State Election Commission under Articles 243K and 243ZA is a standard polity question.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Model Code of Conduct Rules of conduct in force once an election is announced — Once in force it restricts new government announcements and the use of official machinery for campaigning.
Up-Pradhan Deputy head of a Gram Panchayat — The elected deputy to the Pradhan, who heads a village panchayat in north India.
2 October 2026
A division bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Pankaj Purohit of the Uttarakhand High Court dismissed, in September 2026, a writ petition challenging the identification of land for shifting the High Court from Nainital to Haldwani.
The petition attacked the District Magistrate's order identifying the land and a Full Court resolution on the proposed shift.
About 73 hectares of forest land in the Tarai-Central Forest Division near the Bel Baba temple at Rudrapur has been identified for the new complex.
The bench held that prior approval of the Central Government under Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 is not required as of now, and would be needed when the stage of de-reservation of forest or use of forest land for non-forest purpose arises.
On the objection that the site falls in an elephant corridor, the court noted that the proposed site is about 10 kilometres away from identified corridors.
The bench also noted Nainital's infrastructure limitations and the high cost of living there for litigants.
Forest land identified:
about 73 hectares
Distance from identified elephant corridors:
about 10 kilometres
Present seat of the High Court:
Nainital
Why it matters for exams: The seat of a High Court and Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 are both frequently tested, and this item ties them together.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Division bench A bench of two judges — Writ petitions of this kind are heard by two judges sitting together rather than a single judge.
De-reservation Removal of the reserved-forest status of land — Until land loses its forest status, it cannot legally be built on for a non-forest purpose.
2 October 2026
The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) said in late September 2026 that the state's disaster management system is on full alert following heavy rainfall warnings issued by the meteorological department.
Disaster Management Minister Madan Kaushik said the weather is being monitored continuously at the state and district levels and that field teams deployed in sensitive areas remain vigilant.
The State Emergency Operation Centre and the District Emergency Operation Centres are actively monitoring the situation.
Special surveillance was ordered on rivers, landslide-prone zones and vulnerable road routes, and relief and rescue resources are kept on standby in sensitive areas.
Residents were asked to avoid unnecessary travel during bad weather and to stay away from rivers and seasonal streams, and to comply with weather-related warnings and guidelines issued by the administration.
The minister said the government's priority is the safety of state residents.
Authority issuing the alert:
USDMA
Minister in charge:
Madan Kaushik
Why it matters for exams: USDMA and the State and District Emergency Operation Centres are the named institutions in Uttarakhand's disaster machinery, a standard exam topic.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
USDMA Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority — The state's apex disaster management body, which issues alerts and coordinates the districts.
SEOC State Emergency Operation Centre — The round-the-clock control room from which a state tracks and directs disaster response.
2 October 2026
The Election Commission announced a schedule under which 12 Rajya Sabha seats go to the polls on 16 October 2026.
The 12 comprise biennial elections to 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh and one seat in Uttarakhand, and a by-election to one seat in West Bengal.
The notification was issued on 29 September, the last date for filing nominations is 6 October, scrutiny of nominations is on 7 October and withdrawal closes on 9 October.
The Uttarakhand seat falls vacant with the retirement of BJP member Naresh Bansal.
In Uttar Pradesh, eight BJP members, one Samajwadi Party member and one Bahujan Samaj Party member are retiring.
The West Bengal vacancy was created by the resignation of a Trinamool Congress member in July 2026.
Seats polling on 16 October 2026:
12
Uttarakhand's share:
1 seat
Notification issued:
29 September
Last date for nominations:
6 October
Why it matters for exams: Rajya Sabha seat strength by state and the biennial-election mechanism are repeatedly asked in polity papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Biennial election Election held every two years — One third of the Rajya Sabha retires every two years, so seats fall vacant in staggered batches rather than all at once.
2 October 2026
Joint teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the District Disaster Response Force (DDRF) rescued and escorted approximately 1,500 pilgrims to Gaurikund on 28 September 2026.
The pilgrims were held up at Chirbasa, about 3 km from Gaurikund on the Kedarnath trek route, where debris from a landslide had blocked the path.
Continuous rockfalls from the hillside made movement across the stretch hazardous, so the teams guided the pilgrims across the slide zone on foot.
The SDRF team was led by Sub-Inspector Ashish Dimri from Sonprayag.
The Char Dham Yatra had been suspended for two consecutive days because of heavy rainfall when the rescue was carried out.
Pilgrims escorted to safety:
approximately 1,500
Distance of Chirbasa from Gaurikund:
about 3 km
Why it matters for exams: The three-tier SDRF-NDRF-DDRF structure and the Gaurikund road head are standard disaster-management questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
SDRF State Disaster Response Force — A state-level rescue force; Uttarakhand's SDRF is drawn from the state police and posted along the pilgrim routes.
NDRF National Disaster Response Force — The Union government's specialist disaster response force, raised under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
2 October 2026
The United Nations observes the International Day of Non-Violence on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.
The day was established by General Assembly resolution A/RES/61/271, adopted on 15 June 2007.
The UN page for the day carries Gandhi's words that non-violence "is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind" and is "mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man".
The observance defines non-violence as the rejection of physical force to achieve social or political change.
It groups non-violent action into three categories: protest and persuasion, non-cooperation, and non-violent intervention.
The page cites Professor Gene Sharp's definition of non-violent action as a technique by which people who reject passivity and submission can wage conflict without violence.
Date observed:
2 October
Resolution:
A/RES/61/271
Resolution adopted:
15 June 2007
Categories of non-violent action:
3
Why it matters for exams: The resolution number and the three categories of non-violent action are the exact details asked about this UN day.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
General Assembly resolution A decision adopted by the UN General Assembly — Resolutions numbered by session, as in 61/271 for the 61st session.
Non-cooperation Withholding of cooperation from an authority — One of the three categories of non-violent action named by the UN.
2 October 2026
The radioactive legacy of United States nuclear bomb testing in the Marshall Islands was taken up at the Human Rights Council on Thursday.
The Council addressed the impact of 67 known tests conducted between 1946 and 1958.
UN deputy rights chief Awa Dabo said the legacy lives on in the bodies of Marshallese people and in "lands poisoned and communities displaced".
She said justice must be served for people unable to return to the atolls contaminated by the detonations.
Virtually every Marshallese family has been touched by enduring health consequences, which include elevated rates of cancer, she said.
Ms Dabo called on United States authorities to declassify data on radiation exposure and testing records.
The issue was also raised this week at a high-level General Assembly meeting.
Known tests:
67
Years of testing:
1946 to 1958
UN official who spoke:
Awa Dabo, UN deputy rights chief
Why it matters for exams: Bikini Atoll and the Marshall Islands tests are standard examples in questions on nuclear disarmament and the Pacific.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Atoll A ring-shaped coral island enclosing a lagoon — Bikini and Enewetak in the Marshall Islands were used as test sites.
Human Rights Council UN body of 47 member states based in Geneva — It examines human rights situations and reports to the General Assembly.
2 October 2026
Members of Algeria's National People's Assembly voted on Thursday to amend the penal code so that the death penalty can be imposed for arson.
The amendment covers anyone who attempts to undermine public security and order, national unity or economic and environmental stability.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called for the amendment in September 2026, after at least 12 people died in wildfires in the country's northeast.
Algeria has kept a moratorium on carrying out executions since the last case in 1993.
Justice Minister Lotfi Boudjemaa said the adoption of the death penalty for these acts is the appropriate legal response to curb such crimes.
Amnesty International called the move "a deeply retrograde response" and urged a focus on prevention and emergency response.
The text now goes to the upper house, the Council of the Nation, before ratification by the President.
Date of vote:
1 October 2026
Deaths in the northeast wildfires:
At least 12
Last execution:
1993
Next stage:
Council of the Nation
Why it matters for exams: It shows how a climate-driven disaster is answered with criminal law, and names the two chambers of Algeria's parliament.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
National People's Assembly Lower house of Algeria's parliament — Known by its French initials APN.
Council of the Nation Upper house of Algeria's parliament — A bill must pass it before the President ratifies it.
Moratorium A suspension of a practice without repealing the law — Algeria has not carried out an execution since 1993, though sentences are still passed.
2 October 2026
Ethiopia announced that it would close its embassy in the Eritrean capital Asmara and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats in Addis Ababa persona non grata, requiring them to leave within 48 hours.
Eritrea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs then said it had "no option but to reciprocate in kind and sever all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia".
Ethiopia also declared an Egyptian diplomat persona non grata, and Egypt expelled an Ethiopian embassy counsellor in return.
Federal forces are fighting the Tigray People's Liberation Front and allied groups across Tigray, Amhara and Afar; government-aligned forces say they took the town of Alamata on 28 September 2026.
Seven Ethiopian armed and political groups announced an alliance on 20 September 2026 called the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival.
The rupture reverses the rapprochement of 2018, for which Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019.
Ethiopia lost its coastline when Eritrea became independent in 1993.
Eritrean diplomats expelled:
10
Time given to leave:
48 hours
Opposition alliance announced:
20 September 2026
Eritrean independence:
1993
Why it matters for exams: The Horn of Africa, Red Sea access and Ethiopia's landlocked status are standard map and current affairs topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Persona non grata A diplomat declared unacceptable by the host state — The host country may require such a diplomat to leave within a stated time.
TPLF Tigray People's Liberation Front — The dominant political and armed movement in Ethiopia's Tigray region.
Asmara Capital of Eritrea — Ethiopia's embassy there is being closed.
2 October 2026
The UN General Assembly met on Thursday to examine the Security Council's latest veto, cast by China and Russia against a United States-backed panel of experts on Iran's nuclear facilities.
The veto initiative, established in 2022, requires the General Assembly to meet within 10 working days of any veto cast in the Security Council.
The five permanent members with the veto are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States; a single negative vote by any of them defeats a resolution.
Khalilur Rahman, President of the Assembly's 81st session, said the veto initiative "cannot substitute for effective Security Council action".
Sun Lei, Deputy Permanent Representative of China, said his delegation voted against the draft to uphold "a correct sense of right and wrong".
Hedda Samson, Deputy Head of the European Union delegation, said the need for a panel of experts is "even great today".
The Assembly President will send a summary of the discussion back to the Security Council.
Date of debate:
1 October 2026
Veto initiative established:
2022
Deadline for Assembly to meet:
Within 10 working days of a veto
Permanent members holding the veto:
5
Why it matters for exams: The veto initiative of 2022 is a standard question on how the General Assembly checks the Security Council.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Veto Negative vote by a permanent member of the UN Security Council — A single negative vote by China, France, Russia, the UK or the US defeats a draft resolution.
Panel of experts Group of specialists monitoring a UN sanctions regime — Such panels report to the Security Council on how far sanctions are being observed.
JCPOA Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — The 2015 agreement on Iran's nuclear programme.
2 October 2026
The Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 will not meet the Chief Justice of India and Supreme Court judges.
The informal interaction had been proposed for 6 October 2026, and it was called off after objections were raised; the position became public on 1 October 2026.
The committee is chaired by Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament P. P. Chaudhary.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal had opposed the proposal, saying it was unprecedented and unconstitutional and that it would breach the separation of powers because sitting judges could later rule on the validity of the Bills.
The two Bills together provide a framework for holding Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections simultaneously.
The committee had earlier consulted former Chief Justices, retired Supreme Court judges and legal experts.
Date proposed for the meeting:
6 October 2026
JPC Chairperson:
P. P. Chaudhary
Bills under examination:
Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024
Why it matters for exams: The episode is a clean illustration of separation of powers between the legislature and the judiciary on a pending constitutional amendment.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
JPC Joint Parliamentary Committee — A committee with members from both Houses, set up to examine a specific Bill or subject.
Separation of powers Separation of powers — The principle that the legislature, executive and judiciary keep to their own spheres.
2 October 2026
NITI Aayog, in collaboration with the Government of West Bengal and with technical support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), organised a National Workshop on SDG Budgeting in Kolkata on 29 September 2026 under NITI Aayog's State Support Mission; the release was issued on 2 October 2026.
Participants came from 32 States and Union Territories.
The 'Guide on Mapping State Budgets to the SDGs', developed jointly by NITI Aayog, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and UNDP, was discussed at the workshop as a practical framework for aligning State budgets with the Goals.
West Bengal Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta and NITI Aayog Member R. Balasubramaniam attended, with CAG K. Sanjay Murthy and Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran joining virtually.
Haryana, Odisha, Meghalaya and West Bengal shared their SDG budget tagging experience.
West Bengal mapped its budget to the goal level of the SDGs for the first time and integrated the exercise into its Integrated Financial Management System.
Venue:
Kolkata
Workshop date:
29 September 2026
States and UTs represented:
32
Guide discussed:
Guide on Mapping State Budgets to the SDGs
Partners:
NITI Aayog, CAG and UNDP
Why it matters for exams: SDG budget tagging at the state level connects NITI Aayog, the CAG and UNDP in one governance question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SDG Sustainable Development Goals — The seventeen global goals adopted by UN members for 2030.
UNDP United Nations Development Programme — The UN's development agency, which works with Indian states on SDG planning.
Budget tagging SDG budget tagging — Marking budget lines against specific goals so spending can be traced to outcomes.
2 October 2026
The Government of India, in consultation with the Union Territory of Ladakh, has identified 28 places and features located in the UT of Ladakh by standard place and feature names on the official map of the Survey of India.
The Ministry of Home Affairs announced this on 2 October 2026.
The names include the peaks Atisha Giri, Kanishka Peak and Zorawar Peak.
They also include Chapchingal Pass, Shachmirk Pass and Skamri Glacier.
The release said that identifying them formally on the Survey of India map of the UT of Ladakh is aimed at facilitating their accurate recognition and better awareness.
Places and features identified:
28
Map authority:
Survey of India
Ministry:
Ministry of Home Affairs
Why it matters for exams: Official place-name standardisation in a border Union Territory combines map authority, Home Ministry powers and physical geography in one question.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Survey of India Survey of India — India's national survey and mapping organisation, which publishes the country's official maps.
UT Union Territory — A region administered directly by the Union government.