13 October 2026
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said in a statement on Monday 12 October 2026 that conflict and drought are increasing the risk of famine across Sudan's Darfur and Kordofan regions.
"An El Nino-induced drought, affecting roughly half of the country, is compounding the impacts of conflict and displacement," the IPC said, as the war continues.
Poor vegetation growth affects nearly two-thirds of cropland in North Darfur and about half in South Darfur, West Kordofan and South Kordofan.
In Nyala, the proportion of children accessing nutrition services who were admitted for severe acute malnutrition doubled from approximately 5% to 11% between January and August. Two displacement camps in South Darfur also recorded global acute malnutrition above famine thresholds.
In May, nearly 19.5 million people, over 40% of the population, faced high levels of acute food insecurity, according to an IPC assessment; 135,000 of them were in Phase 5, the most severe classification.
The IPC said healthcare is extremely limited, often entirely inaccessible, while clean water is becoming increasingly scarce.
IPC statement:
Monday 12 October 2026
People in acute food insecurity (May):
nearly 19.5 million
People in Phase 5 (May):
135,000
Severe acute malnutrition admissions in Nyala:
from approximately 5% to 11%
Why it matters for exams: Famine monitoring, the IPC scale and the humanitarian crisis in Sudan are standard questions on reports and world affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IPC Integrated Food Security Phase Classification — A 21-member initiative that classifies the severity of food insecurity in phases, with Phase 5 the most severe.
El Nino Periodic warming of the central and eastern Pacific — A climate pattern that can cause drought in some regions, here linked to the drought in Sudan.
13 October 2026
The IMF's latest World Economic Outlook projects the UAE economy to contract by 3.9 per cent in 2026 and rebound at 7.7 per cent in 2027.
The rebound is conditional on shipping routes normalising and the Strait of Hormuz reopening.
The Middle East and North Africa region is the only region expected to contract in 2026, by an estimated 2 per cent.
Oman is the only GCC member forecast to grow in 2026, at 4.1 per cent.
The IMF projects global growth of 3.1 per cent in 2026 and 3.4 per cent in 2027.
IMF chief economist Silvana Tenreyro said the global economy has been resilient but that resilience is reaching its limits.
UAE growth 2026 (IMF):
-3.9 per cent
UAE growth 2027 (IMF):
7.7 per cent
MENA region 2026:
-2 per cent
Why it matters for exams: IMF forecasts, the Strait of Hormuz and GCC growth figures are frequent in economy and international-affairs papers, and a Gulf slowdown bears on Kerala's expatriate income.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
IMF International Monetary Fund — The global lender whose World Economic Outlook gives twice-yearly growth forecasts.
Strait of Hormuz Waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman — A key route for Gulf oil exports.
13 October 2026
WHO published the second edition of "Funding a tuberculosis-free future: an investment case for screening and preventive treatment" on 12 October 2026.
The modelling study examines the costs and benefits of tuberculosis (TB) screening plus TB preventive treatment (TPT) in four countries: Brazil, Georgia, Kenya and South Africa, which WHO says may serve as examples for other settings with a similar epidemiological context.
It finds that relatively modest investments in screening plus TPT can achieve significant health and economic benefits in all four countries and provide a return of up to US$ 54 for each dollar invested. "Up to" is a ceiling; the WHO page does not give the figure country by country.
The goal is to help countries advocate for and allocate more resources to scale up screening and TPT, towards new targets committed by Heads of State at the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on TB.
It is a 17-page technical document produced by WHO's HIV, TB, Hepatitis and STIs team.
Return on investment:
up to US$ 54 for each dollar invested
Countries modelled:
Brazil, Georgia, Kenya and South Africa
Edition:
second edition, 12 October 2026
Length:
17 pages
Why it matters for exams: WHO reports, TB control targets and the UN High-Level Meeting on TB are regular health and world-affairs topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
TPT TB preventive treatment — Treatment given to people at risk to stop TB infection from becoming active disease.
Investment case Costs and benefits assessment — A study that weighs the money needed against the health and economic returns.
13 October 2026
On 5 October 2026 Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in a post on X that identifying ineligible names illegally included in the voter list and removing them as per rules is essential, and called the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) an important effort to strengthen the country's democratic heritage.
His remarks came amid protests against SIR; the Election Commission says the revision follows established procedure.
The final SIR roll for Uttar Pradesh, released on 10 April 2026, listed 13,39,84,792 voters against 15.44 crore on the frozen roll of 27 October 2025.
The draft roll of 6 January 2026 had 12,55,56,025 voters, and 84,28,767 were added by the final list; about 2.04 crore names were deleted from the frozen roll.
Notices went to 2.22 crore entries flagged for logical discrepancies and 1.04 crore with family-name linkage gaps.
Final roll (10 April 2026):
13,39,84,792 voters
Frozen roll (27 October 2025):
15.44 crore
Draft roll (6 January 2026):
12,55,56,025
Added in final list:
84,28,767
Names deleted:
about 2.04 crore
Why it matters for exams: Electoral roll revision by the Election Commission under Article 324 is a recurring polity and current-affairs topic.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SIR Special Intensive Revision — An Election Commission exercise that re-verifies every elector and rebuilds the roll.
BLO Booth Level Officer — The local official who verifies electors house to house.
13 October 2026
The IMF published its twice-yearly World Economic Outlook in Bangkok on Tuesday 13 October 2026, as the IMF and World Bank annual meetings opened.
It revised 2026 global growth up to 3.1 per cent from 3 per cent in its previous outlook.
It forecasts the Middle East and Central Asia to shrink 0.3 per cent in 2026, against growth of 1.9 per cent projected in April, citing disruption to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Kuwait, Iraq and Qatar face the deepest contractions: 16.7, 16 and 15.6 per cent.
It puts US growth at 2.3 per cent and China at 4.5 per cent.
Emergency oil stocks are low, and the IMF warns that without rebuilding buffers the global economy could soon test the limits of resilience.
2026 global growth:
3.1 per cent (up from 3 per cent)
Middle East and Central Asia, 2026:
-0.3 per cent
Venue of release:
Bangkok
Why it matters for exams: The IMF's World Economic Outlook figures and the Annual Meetings are staple economy and reports questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
World Economic Outlook IMF's biannual forecast report — It projects growth and inflation for the world and for individual countries.
Strait of Hormuz Waterway between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf — In peacetime it carries about one-fifth of global oil supplies.
13 October 2026
Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr P. K. Mishra delivered the keynote at the inaugural session of the Conference of State Planning, Finance and IT Secretaries in New Delhi.
The conference was organised by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
He said a strong statistical system is essential for evidence-based policymaking and Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
He cited the new National Accounts Series with 2022-23 as the base year, with updated Consumer Price Index and Index of Industrial Production series.
He called statistics an instrument of cooperative federalism and said granular State, district and local data would be increasingly necessary.
He said AI and satellite imagery offer significant opportunities to improve official statistics, but that speed cannot come at the cost of accuracy.
Organiser:
MoSPI
Base year of new National Accounts Series:
2022-23
Why it matters for exams: The base-year revision of national accounts, CPI and IIP, and MoSPI's role are frequent economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MoSPI Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation — The Union ministry responsible for official statistics such as GDP, CPI and IIP.
Base year Base year — The reference year against which an index or series is measured.
13 October 2026
The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances released the 53rd monthly CPGRAMS report on Central Ministries/Departments for September 2026.
Central Ministries/Departments redressed 2,38,579 grievances; 2,27,837 were received and 85,687 remain pending.
The average grievance disposal time in 2026 is 13 days.
A total of 92,822 new users registered in September 2026, with the highest share from Uttar Pradesh (17%).
The Ministry of Labour and Employment received 37,492 grievances and the Department of Financial Services (Banking Division) 31,968.
The Department of Posts, the Insurance Division of the Department of Financial Services and the Department of Telecommunications are among the top performers in Group A of the Grievance Redressal Assessment and Index.
Grievances redressed, September 2026:
2,38,579
Average disposal time in 2026:
13 days
New users registered:
92,822
Why it matters for exams: Governance reforms, grievance redressal systems and their indices are regular questions in polity and administration papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CPGRAMS Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System — The online portal through which citizens lodge grievances with Central Ministries and States.
DARPG Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances — The Union department that runs CPGRAMS and publishes its reports.
12 October 2026
A report published by Eurodoc, the European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers, a Brussels-based federation representing early-career researchers, examines what first-year doctoral candidates earned in 2024-25 across 26 countries. The report was published in September 2026 and is available as a preprint on Zenodo. Its authors include Pil Maria Saugmann, Norbert Bencze, N. Dengo, A. Żyra and E. Hnátková. The report finds that higher-paying countries mostly use employment-based systems, while lower-paying countries more often fund doctoral candidates through scholarships. Salaries are taxed but may include pension and parental leave benefits, while scholarships are generally tax-exempt but often lack such benefits. The report cites Estonia, where a 2022 reform replaced a stipend of about 8,000 euros, roughly 9,000 US dollars, a year with a guaranteed salary about 2.5 times that amount.
Publisher:
Eurodoc, Brussels
Countries covered:
26
Period studied:
2024-25, first-year doctoral candidates
Published:
September 2026
Estonia reform:
2022: stipend of about 8,000 euros replaced by a salary about 2.5 times that
Why it matters for exams: Research funding models, the difference between a salary and a scholarship and the resulting social security entitlements are a standard education-policy comparison.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Eurodoc European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers — A Brussels-based federation of national associations of doctoral candidates and early-career researchers.
Preprint Preprint — A research paper shared publicly before formal peer review.
Stipend Stipend — A fixed sum paid to support a student, usually without employee status.
12 October 2026
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih told UNHCR's Executive Committee in Geneva on Monday, 12 October 2026, in his first keynote address to it, that the global protection system for asylum seekers risks buckling under funding cuts.
Some 117 million men, women and children are now forced from their homes.
UNHCR has received 3 billion dollars of the 8.5 billion dollars it needs this year, less than a third of its requirement.
Salih called it an exceptionally difficult year for the agency, marked by the departure of 8,000 staff since 2024.
So far in 2026 UNHCR has responded to 22 emergencies in 18 countries, from Yemen to the Horn of Africa and from Sudan to the Sahel.
He said funding gaps in Sudan threaten specialised medical care, legal assistance and psychological support for more than 50,000 survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, and that in Ethiopia refugee registration has been halted for tens of thousands arriving from South Sudan and Eritrea.
Nearly 14.5 million refugees in low- and middle-income countries depend on aid for their basic needs, and an initiative launched this year aims to halve the number in protracted displacement and dependent on aid by 2035.
"Efficiency has limits," Salih said. He is a former President of Iraq.
Forcibly displaced:
117 million
Funding received:
$3 billion of $8.5 billion needed
Staff lost since 2024:
8,000
Emergencies in 2026:
22 emergencies in 18 countries
High Commissioner:
Barham Salih
Why it matters for exams: UNHCR's mandate rests on non-refoulement, and the High Commissioner's Executive Committee address is where the agency's displacement total and funding gap are stated for the year.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees — The UN refugee agency, created after the Second World War to protect people fleeing persecution.
Non-refoulement — The rule that a person fleeing persecution must not be sent back to a place where they would be in danger.
Executive Committee — The body of states that approves UNHCR's programmes and budget and meets in Geneva each October.
Protracted displacement — A situation in which refugees remain away from home for years with no settled solution.
12 October 2026
The 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, a statistical update published on 12 October 2026 by the United Nations Development Programme with the University of Oxford, covers 108 countries.
Of the 6.3 billion people living in those countries, 1.2 billion, or 18.9 per cent, live in acute multidimensional poverty.
The number of people in multidimensional poverty has risen for the first time since the index was launched in 2010.
More than half of all multidimensionally poor people are children, 617 million in all, and more than 8 in 10 live in rural areas.
Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate of any world region, with 616 million people, 51.4 per cent of its population, multidimensionally poor.
This year's update adds new surveys from 13 countries and gives subnational estimates for 1,360 regions across 100 countries.
Among the 89 countries with trend data, 33 have halved their MPI value in fewer than 15 years, six of them in sub-Saharan Africa.
UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo called the rise in poverty "a wake-up call for the world", adding that progress is possible.
People in acute multidimensional poverty:
1.2 billion
Share of population covered:
18.9 per cent of 6.3 billion
Countries covered:
108
Poor children:
617 million
Sub-Saharan Africa:
616 million, 51.4 per cent of its population
Why it matters for exams: The global MPI's three dimensions, ten indicators and the one-third deprivation cut-off are standard questions, and this update reverses the index's long downward trend.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
MPI Multidimensional Poverty Index — A measure of poverty that counts overlapping deprivations in health, education and standard of living rather than income alone.
Acute multidimensional poverty — A person counts as poor on this index if deprived in at least one-third of its weighted indicators.
UNDP United Nations Development Programme — The UN's development agency, which publishes the Human Development Report and the global MPI.
Subnational estimate — A poverty figure worked out for a region or province inside a country rather than for the country as a whole.
12 October 2026
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released Consumer Price Index data for September 2026 on 12 October 2026.
Headline retail inflation rose to 5.54% from 4.83% in August 2026, a rise of 71 basis points.
Food inflation, measured by the Consumer Food Price Index, rose to 7.74% from 5.97%.
Rural inflation stood at 6.08% and urban inflation at 4.88%.
Onion inflation was 108.09% and silver jewellery 87.80%, while potato was at minus 11.50%.
Among States with a population above five million, Tamil Nadu recorded the highest headline rate at 6.81%.
The Monetary Policy Committee had raised the policy repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50% on 7 October 2026 and changed its stance to calibrated tightening.
Headline retail inflation:
5.54%
Food inflation (CFPI):
7.74%
Rural inflation:
6.08%
Urban inflation:
4.88%
August 2026 headline rate:
4.83%
Policy repo rate:
5.50%
Why it matters for exams: Monthly inflation figures and the repo rate are standing favourites in Kerala PSC and bank examinations.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
CPI Consumer Price Index — The index that tracks the retail prices a household pays for a fixed basket of goods and services.
CFPI Consumer Food Price Index — The food-only part of the Consumer Price Index.
Basis point One hundredth of one per cent — Interest rate changes are counted in these units, so 25 of them make a quarter of a percentage point.
Calibrated tightening — A policy stance under which the central bank may raise rates but will not lower them.
12 October 2026
On Monday, 12 October 2026, the Supreme Court heard a petition on how caste information will be recorded and verified in Census 2027. A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to return with the government's response within two weeks. The Court did not issue a formal notice at this stage and asked the petitioner, Akash Goel, to hand over a copy of the petition to the Solicitor General. It sought clarity on the procedure for collecting and verifying caste information and asked for a note on it. On 14 August, the government notified the Census 2027 questions under Section 8(1) of the Census Act, 1948; Item 10 seeks information on a person's caste status, including whether they belong to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe. The petition seeks a mechanism to record details of government-issued caste certificates and check their authenticity, and says it does not seek to impede the census.
Time given for government response:
Two weeks
Census 2027 questions notified:
14 August, under Section 8(1) of the Census Act, 1948
Item 10 of the schedule:
Caste status, including Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe
Bench:
CJI Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana
Why it matters for exams: Census 2027, the Census Act and the Supreme Court's handling of caste data are current polity and statistics topics.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Census Act, 1948 The law under which Census 2027 questions were notified — Section 8(1) was cited for the 14 August notification.
Solicitor General Second-highest law officer of the Union — Tushar Mehta was asked to bring the government's response.
12 October 2026
The World Health Organization published on 12 October 2026 the second edition of 'Funding a tuberculosis-free future: an investment case for screening and preventive treatment'. The report examines the costs and benefits of tuberculosis screening together with TB preventive treatment (TPT). It models four countries: Brazil, Georgia, Kenya and South Africa. It finds returns of up to US$ 54 for each dollar invested.
Return:
up to US$ 54 for each dollar invested
Countries modelled:
Brazil, Georgia, Kenya and South Africa
Edition:
Second edition
Why it matters for exams: WHO publications on disease control and their headline figures are common in health and current-affairs papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
TPT TB preventive treatment — Treatment given to prevent tuberculosis disease.
12 October 2026
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) issued a Sudan food insecurity and malnutrition alert on 12 October 2026. An El Nino-induced drought affects roughly half of the country and adds to conflict and displacement. The IPC warns of a growing famine risk across parts of Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan. In Nyala, the share of children admitted for severe acute malnutrition among those using nutrition services rose from about 5% to 11% between January and August. Two displacement camps in South Darfur recorded global acute malnutrition above famine thresholds. The alert calls for safe humanitarian access in frontline areas, especially North and West Kordofan.
Alert issued:
12 October 2026
Drought coverage:
roughly half of Sudan
Nyala severe acute malnutrition admissions:
about 5% to 11%
Why it matters for exams: Hunger reports, famine classifications and the agencies behind them are regular world-affairs and current-affairs questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IPC Integrated Food Security Phase Classification — A multi-stakeholder global initiative on food security.
12 October 2026
The Reserve Bank of India has launched the 116th round of its quarterly Industrial Outlook Survey of the Indian manufacturing sector for Q3:2026-27. The survey collects qualitative responses on demand, financial, employment and price conditions. It assesses sentiment for the current quarter and expectations for the next quarter, Q4:2026-27, and also covers the outlook for the first two quarters of 2027-28. The reference period is October-December 2026. Genesis Management and Market Research Pvt. Ltd. has been authorised to conduct the survey on the RBI's behalf, and findings are published in summary form without revealing respondents' identities.
Survey round:
116th
Quarter:
Q3:2026-27
Reference period:
October-December 2026
Conducting agency:
Genesis Management and Market Research Pvt. Ltd.
Why it matters for exams: RBI surveys and business-sentiment indicators are standard material for economy and bank-exam papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
12 October 2026
The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) issued a new alert on Monday 12 October 2026, warning that the risk of famine is growing in parts of Sudan.
A severe El Nino drought now covers more than half of Sudan, compounding war and displacement in Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan.
A survey of two camps in Eastern Jebel Marra, South Darfur, found acute malnutrition among children at 38 and 30.8 per cent, above the famine threshold.
Greater Kordofan has seen more than 300,000 people forced from their homes since October 2025.
The IPC's Famine Review Committee said survey data is not sufficient for a full analysis but the evidence points to a rapidly worsening situation.
As of 8 October, less than half of the humanitarian appeal for Sudan had been funded.
Acute malnutrition, two South Darfur camps:
38 and 30.8 per cent
Displaced in Greater Kordofan since October 2025:
More than 300,000
Alert issued:
12 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: The IPC scale, famine thresholds and the Sudan crisis are regular questions on hunger indices and humanitarian affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IPC Integrated Food Security Phase Classification — A global partnership that rates the severity of food insecurity and famine.
El Nino Periodic warming of the central Pacific — It alters rainfall worldwide and can cause drought in some regions.
11 October 2026
The Lancet Commission on 21st-century global threats to health presented its findings at the World Health Summit in Berlin. The Commission, of 37 experts, compared 17 threats from 2025 to 2100 across 204 countries and territories using disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). The threats range from 1.02 billion to 23.1 billion DALYs; COVID-19 caused about 500 million. Malicious use of AI, including for bioweapons, and nuclear conflict with nuclear famine were judged to carry risks of extinction in the next 75 years. Obesity has the largest cumulative expected amenable burden. Other threats listed include climate change, antimicrobial resistance and air pollution.
Threats assessed:
17
Period:
2025 to 2100
Countries and territories:
204
Commission members:
37 experts
Why it matters for exams: Global health reports and the DALY measure are commonly asked in health and science papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DALY Disability-adjusted life year — One year of healthy life lost to illness, disability or early death.
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 Lancet Commission on 21st Century Global Threats to Health has identified 17 major threats to human health over the next 75 years. It said malicious use of AI, including bioweapons, and nuclear conflict with nuclear famine carry risks of extinction, though their likelihood remains low. Other threats include air pollution, antimicrobial resistance, childhood malnutrition, climate breakdown and declining overseas aid. The commission measured each threat in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Limiting global heating to about 1.8C rather than 4.4C could prevent 1.89bn years of healthy life being lost. Prof Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, co-chairs the commission, whose findings were to be shared at the World Health Summit in Berlin on Sunday, 11 October 2026.
Threats identified:
17
Time horizon:
75 years
Healthy life-years saved at 1.8C vs 4.4C:
1.89bn
Why it matters for exams: Global health reports, DALYs and links between climate, AI and health are tested in UPSC-type questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DALY Disability-adjusted life year — One DALY is one lost year of healthy life, counting both early death and years lived with illness or disability.
11 October 2026
The UN migration agency IOM said on Sunday 11 October 2026 that at least 139 migrants died when their boat capsized off Djibouti.
The toll rose from 109 after 30 more bodies were recovered, and 84 people are still missing.
The boat carried 305 people from Djibouti towards Yemen and went down near Guehere, north of Obock, early on Friday; about 82 survived.
IOM called it one of the deadliest shipwrecks recorded on the Eastern Route, from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula.
Since 10 September IOM has recorded more than 20,000 movements into Djibouti from Ethiopia.
IOM Director General Amy Pope asked governments and donors to act before the next boat goes down.
Dead:
At least 139
Missing:
84
People aboard:
305
Why it matters for exams: UN agencies like IOM, migration routes and regional geography are tested in international-affairs and geography papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IOM International Organization for Migration — The UN migration agency.
Eastern Route Migration route from the Horn of Africa to the Gulf — It runs from Djibouti, Somalia and Ethiopia across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen and Saudi Arabia.