8 October 2026
The World Bank released the October 2026 edition of its Nigeria Development Update in Abuja on 8 October 2026, with the special topic "Beyond the Federal Purse: How Higher Revenues Reshaped State Priorities". Real gross domestic product grew by 4.2 per cent in the first half of 2026, against 3.9 per cent and 3.5 per cent in the same periods of 2025 and 2024, and the report projects average growth of 4.4 per cent from 2026 to 2028. Gross federation revenues rose 69 per cent in real terms between 2023 and 2025, state revenues rose about 93 per cent in 2019 constant prices and state expenditures about 92 per cent, with the capital expenditure share rising from 46 per cent to 61 per cent. The current account surplus reached 12 billion dollars, or 7.1 per cent of GDP, in the first half of 2026, up from 8.6 billion dollars and 6.7 per cent of GDP a year earlier, and gross external reserves rose above 54 billion dollars in September. Headline inflation had fallen from 27.6 per cent in January 2025 to 15.2 per cent in December 2025, and the report expects it to decline gradually to about 12 per cent by 2028. The World Bank Country Director for Nigeria is Mathew Verghis.
Real GDP growth, first half of 2026:
4.2 per cent
Projected average growth, 2026-2028:
4.4 per cent
Real rise in federation revenues, 2023-2025:
69 per cent
Current account surplus, first half of 2026:
$12 billion (7.1 per cent of GDP)
Gross external reserves in September:
above $54 billion
Why it matters for exams: The Nigeria Development Update is the World Bank's flagship country report on Nigeria, and its growth and revenue figures are the ones set against India's in comparative questions.
UPSCBank
In plain words
NDU Nigeria Development Update — The World Bank's twice-yearly report on Nigeria's economy, each edition carrying a special topic.
Current account Current account of the balance of payments — The record of a country's trade in goods and services together with incomes and transfers; a surplus means receipts exceed payments.
8 October 2026
UNESCO released its Global Education Monitoring Report gender report on 8 October 2026, ahead of the International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October.
The report finds that girls and boys are now enrolled in equal numbers from pre-primary through upper secondary education.
The share of girls married before the age of 18 fell from 25 per cent in 2000 to 18 per cent in 2025, but remains 25 per cent in Central and Southern Asia and 31 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa.
About 6 million pregnant girls and young mothers aged 10 to 19 were out of school in sub-Saharan Africa in 2024, and fewer than 5 per cent of pregnant and parenting girls in the region return to school.
UNESCO data for 2026 show that 58 per cent of countries guarantee education without discrimination by sex or gender, while only 35 per cent explicitly protect the right to education of pregnant and parenting girls.
The Central African Republic, Tanzania, Cameroon, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone and Togo have ended bans on education for married, pregnant and parenting girls and women.
UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany said too many girls still face barriers to accessing, completing and thriving in school.
The report also records national gains, including Nepal closing a 33-point gap in lower secondary completion between 1990 and 2024.
Girls married before 18:
25% in 2000 to 18% in 2025
Sub-Saharan Africa share:
31%
Out of school in sub-Saharan Africa, 2024:
About 6 million pregnant girls and young mothers aged 10-19
Countries protecting pregnant and parenting girls:
35%
Why it matters for exams: The Global Education Monitoring Report is a named UNESCO publication whose headline figures are often asked in reports and indices questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
GEM Report Global Education Monitoring Report — An independent UNESCO-hosted report that tracks progress on education targets.
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — The UN agency for education, science and culture, headquartered in Paris.
8 October 2026
The World Trade Organization released its Global Trade Outlook and Statistics update.
It raised its forecast for world merchandise trade volume growth in 2026 to 3.9 per cent, from 1.9 per cent in the earlier estimate.
For 2027 it expects merchandise trade volume to grow 4.1 per cent.
The forecast for commercial services trade volume in 2026 was cut to 3.3 per cent, from 4.8 per cent in the March forecast.
Services trade volume is expected to expand 6.4 per cent in 2027.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said an integrated global economy and a rules-based trading system gave economies the flexibility to keep essential goods flowing.
Merchandise trade volume growth, 2026:
3.9%
Earlier 2026 estimate:
1.9%
Merchandise trade volume growth, 2027:
4.1%
Commercial services trade volume growth, 2026:
3.3%
Services growth expected in 2027:
6.4%
Why it matters for exams: Trade body forecasts and the name of the WTO Director-General are standard economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
WTO World Trade Organization — The intergovernmental body that administers the rules of international trade and settles trade disputes.
Trade volume Trade measured in quantity terms — Trade counted by quantity rather than by value, so price changes do not distort the growth figure.
8 October 2026
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) issued the report Layers of Deprivation: Multidimensional Poverty in Myanmar on 8 October 2026.
It finds more than two in three people endure multidimensional poverty or are at risk of falling into it, with over 37 million people, 68 per cent of the population, facing overlapping crises.
Deficits in health and living standards account for more than 80 per cent of multidimensional poverty.
Rakhine state is among the most severe hotspots: more than two-thirds of its population is multidimensionally poor and nearly a third is severely poor.
By the end of August roughly 600,000 people had been affected by flooding. Myanmar has been in civil war since the military seized power in February 2021.
People facing overlapping crises:
Over 37 million (68 per cent)
Share of poverty from health and living standards:
More than 80 per cent
People hit by flooding by end-August:
Roughly 600,000
Why it matters for exams: Multidimensional poverty measurement and UNDP reports are recurring items in reports-and-indices questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNDP United Nations Development Programme — The UN's global development network.
Multidimensional poverty Poverty measured across several deprivations — Poverty measured by overlapping deprivations such as health, housing and services, not income alone.
8 October 2026
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) verified that at least 52 women and one girl were arrested or detained in Herat and Kabul between July and September, as announced on 8 October 2026.
Many were detained for not wearing a chador, having visible hair, wearing colourful scarves or makeup, or being in public without a mahram (male guardian). They were released after several hours.
UNAMA urged the de facto authorities to cease discriminatory enforcement practices targeting women and girls.
IOM's Returnee Resilience Overview covers nearly 6.5 million Afghans who returned from Iran and Pakistan since 2023.
In its key findings on undocumented returnee households and individuals who had been in Afghanistan for at least eight months, among those aged 14 and above, 53 per cent had no completed education and 69 per cent had not been employed in the 30 days before the interview; 77 per cent lived in transitional shelters.
Women and girls arrested (Jul-Sep):
At least 52 women and one girl
Returnees since 2023:
Nearly 6.5 million
Returnees with no completed education:
53 per cent
Why it matters for exams: UN missions, IOM data and human rights questions on Afghanistan feature in international relations papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNAMA United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan — The UN political mission that monitors and reports on human rights in Afghanistan.
IOM International Organization for Migration — The UN migration agency.
Mahram Male guardian — A male guardian whom women are required to be accompanied by in public under the dress code rules.
8 October 2026
WHO published 'Universal social protection inclusive of people with tuberculosis: monitoring and evaluation framework' on 8 October 2026, with the International Labour Organization.
It helps countries track progress toward the End TB Strategy target that no TB-affected household faces catastrophic total costs.
It also tracks the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting commitment to cover 100% of people with TB with a health and social benefits package by 2027.
It offers core, proxy and expanded indicators.
Countries can start with existing data and gradually link TB, health and social protection information systems.
It also assesses the timeliness, adequacy and comprehensiveness of benefits.
Coverage commitment:
100% of people with TB by 2027
Length of framework:
47 pages
Why it matters for exams: End TB Strategy targets and the 2027 UN commitment are common global-health questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
End TB Strategy End TB Strategy — WHO's strategy to end the tuberculosis epidemic, including zero catastrophic costs for affected households.
8 October 2026
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence at The Oberoi, New Delhi, on 8 October 2026.
The event was organised by the IndiaAI Mission and MeitY with the World Bank Group.
The report says AI can widen access to expertise and raise productivity, but gains depend on electricity, connectivity, computing, data, skills and institutions.
It notes that only one of the world's 25 low-income countries has published a national AI strategy.
Vaishnaw cited a 35% rise in TB detection and a 40% rise in sugarcane yields at Baramati with 30% less water and fertiliser.
Report:
World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence
Low-income countries with a national AI strategy:
1 of 25
TB detection rise:
35%
Baramati sugarcane yield rise:
40%
Why it matters for exams: Flagship international reports and India's AI governance programmes are common in science-technology and reports-and-indices questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IndiaAI Mission IndiaAI Mission — The government mission built on seven pillars, including compute capacity and the AIKosh datasets platform.
World Development Report World Development Report — The World Bank's annual flagship report on a major development theme.
8 October 2026
A PIB release of 8 October 2026 reported findings of the Ayush Service Sector Report, a study by RIS released on Ayurveda Day 2026.
Women account for 43 per cent of the overall Ayush services workforce.
Their share is above 60 per cent in spas and wellness resorts, 58 per cent in educational institutes, 57 per cent in day-care centres and 53 per cent in hospitals.
The sector was estimated at US$36.92 billion in FY2024-25, a 16.91 per cent CAGR since FY2022-23.
Medical Value Travel generated an estimated US$1.77 billion in FY2024-25.
Women in workforce:
43 per cent
Sector size, FY2024-25:
US$36.92 billion
CAGR since FY2022-23:
16.91 per cent
Medical Value Travel:
US$1.77 billion
Why it matters for exams: Sector reports and women's workforce participation figures are favoured in economy and social-issues questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
RIS Research and Information System for Developing Countries — A policy research institute that prepared the Ayush Service Sector Report.
CAGR Compound Annual Growth Rate — The yearly growth rate that would take a value from its start to its end figure.
8 October 2026
The World Bank's Afghanistan Development Update (Spring 2026) was released on 26 May 2026, with a special focus on private sector development.
It estimates real GDP growth at 4.8 per cent, with the outlook for 2026 at about 4 per cent.
GDP per capita fell 5.6 per cent, because the return of around 3.7 million Afghans outpaced economic expansion, with population growth of around 11 per cent in 2025.
Inflation averaged 3.6 per cent and then rose to 7.6 per cent by March 2026.
Domestic revenue was 19.8 per cent of GDP in 2025 and the current account deficit was an estimated 36.1 per cent of GDP.
Faris Hadad-Zervos, World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan, said the economy 'is showing resilience in the face of significant headwinds, but growth alone is not enough'.
Real GDP growth:
4.8 percent
Change in GDP per capita:
Down 5.6 percent
Afghans returned:
Around 3.7 million
Inflation by March 2026:
7.6 percent
Domestic revenue, 2025:
19.8 percent of GDP
Why it matters for exams: The gap between headline growth and falling per capita income is a clean illustration of how population change can cancel out GDP gains.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
GDP per capita Gross domestic product divided by population — It can fall even when total output grows, if population grows faster.
Current account deficit Excess of payments abroad over receipts on current transactions — Estimated at 36.1 per cent of GDP for Afghanistan in 2025.
8 October 2026
The statement of the forty-fifth meeting of the Polio IHR Emergency Committee was published by the World Health Organization on 25 August 2026.
It records three wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Afghanistan in 2026 to date, against 21 WPV1 cases in 2025.
Afghanistan had 17 WPV1-positive environmental samples in 2026 to date, against 94 in 2025, and the most recent WPV1 detection recorded was on 23 February 2026.
Cases came from the South and East Regions, and the Committee called the South Region the greatest concern, with intense transmission and evidence of prolonged undetected circulation.
No house-to-house campaigns have been held in Afghanistan since October 2024 because of security concerns, and the Committee urged the country to explore moving to house-to-house vaccination nationwide.
Afghanistan and Pakistan are treated as a single epidemiological bloc, with continued cross-border risk including from undocumented returnees.
WPV1 cases in Afghanistan, 2026 to date:
3
WPV1 cases in Afghanistan, 2025:
21
WPV1-positive environmental samples, 2026 to date:
17
Last house-to-house campaign:
October 2024
Why it matters for exams: Afghanistan and Pakistan are the last two countries with endemic wild poliovirus, so polio figures for them recur in health current affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
WPV1 Wild poliovirus type 1 — The only wild poliovirus serotype still circulating, found in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
IHR International Health Regulations — The WHO legal framework under which the polio Emergency Committee meets.
8 October 2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization released its Food Price Index for September 2026 on 2 October 2026.
The index averaged 136.0 points, up 2.0 points or 1.5 per cent from the revised August level.
It stood 7.4 points, or 5.8 per cent, above its level a year earlier and 24.3 points, or 15.1 per cent, below its March 2022 peak.
The cereal price index rose 5.1 per cent to 122.8 points and the vegetable oil index rose 0.9 per cent to 198.6 points.
The sugar index rose 6.1 per cent to 114.0 points, its third straight monthly rise and its highest level since April 2025.
The meat index fell 1.1 per cent to 127.9 points and the dairy index slipped 0.1 per cent to 119.1 points.
Index value:
136.0 points
Change from August:
up 1.5%
Change from a year earlier:
up 5.8%
Sugar index:
114.0 points, up 6.1%
Released:
2 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: The FAO Food Price Index and its five sub-indices are a recurring economy and index question.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
FFPI FAO Food Price Index — A monthly measure of the change in international prices of a basket of food commodities.
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization — The UN agency for food and agriculture, headquartered in Rome.
Background
The Human Development Index is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and having a decent standard of living.
The Index is the geometric mean of normalized indices for each of the three dimensions.
The health dimension is assessed by life expectancy at birth.
The education dimension is measured by mean years of schooling for adults aged 25 years and more, together with expected years of schooling for children of school entering age.
The standard of living dimension is measured by gross national income per capita, and the Index uses the logarithm of income to reflect the diminishing importance of income as gross national income rises.
Three dimensions are therefore captured by four indicators: the two education indicators are averaged first, and the three dimension indices are then combined as a geometric mean.
The Index is published by the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programme.
It can be used to question national policy choices by asking how two countries with the same level of gross national income per capita can end up with different human development outcomes.
Dimensions:
3
Indicators:
4
Aggregation:
Geometric mean
Standard of living indicator:
Gross national income per capita
Why it matters for exams: The composition of the Human Development Index is asked every year: the three dimensions, the four indicators, and the fact that the dimensions are combined as a geometric mean rather than a simple average.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
Geometric mean The nth root of the product of n numbers — Using it means a very low score in one dimension cannot be hidden by a high score in another.
Expected years of schooling The schooling a child of school entering age can expect to receive — It is one of the two education indicators, the other being mean years of schooling for adults aged 25 and over.
Background
The World Health Organization places Myanmar in its South East Asia region.
WHO's country data gives Myanmar a population of 54 133 798 for 2023.
By World Bank income level Myanmar is classed as lower-middle income.
Current health expenditure in Myanmar is recorded at 5.63 per cent of GDP for 2021.
WHO's country data for Myanmar also tracks new HIV infections, tuberculosis incidence, malaria incidence, maternal mortality, under-five mortality, neonatal mortality and road traffic deaths.
Life expectancy at birth and healthy life expectancy are reported by sex for the period 2000 to 2021.
WHO region:
South East Asia
Population:
54 133 798 (2023)
World Bank income level:
Lower-middle income
Current health expenditure:
5.63 per cent of GDP (2021)
Why it matters for exams: Which WHO region a country belongs to, and its World Bank income class, are small facts that decide a mark in both PSC and SSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
WHO South East Asia Region One of the six regions of the World Health Organization — The WHO region that includes India, Myanmar, Thailand, Bangladesh and others, with its office in New Delhi.
Current health expenditure Total spending on health as a share of GDP — All spending on health in a year, public and private, measured as a share of the economy.
Background
The World Bank follows Myanmar's economy through a publication called the Myanmar Economic Monitor.
Its June 2026 edition projects growth of 2 per cent in the 2026/27 fiscal year, after a projected contraction of 2.5 per cent in 2025/26 driven largely by the earthquake.
From 2011 to 2019 Myanmar's economy had grown by an average of 6 per cent a year.
The World Bank puts the direct damages of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake at US$11 billion, or 14 per cent of GDP, with over 17 million people affected and 9 million severely.
It records poverty at 31.0 per cent in 2024 and internal displacement at 3.5 million.
Almost 20 million people in Myanmar, including 6 million children, need humanitarian assistance.
Earthquake direct damages:
US$11 billion
Damages as share of GDP:
14 per cent
Poverty rate:
31.0 per cent in 2024
People needing humanitarian assistance:
almost 20 million
Why it matters for exams: The names of institutional publications and the headline damage and poverty figures are standard economy questions for both Kerala PSC and UPSC.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
GDP Gross Domestic Product — The total value of goods and services produced inside a country in a year.
Internal displacement Forced movement within one's own country — People driven from their homes who remain inside the borders of their own country.
Background
UN-OHRLLS, the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, publishes both of the lists on which Afghanistan appears.
The List of LDCs opens Afghanistan Angola Bangladesh and runs on through the alphabet.
On the List of LLDCs, Afghanistan is entry 1. Afghanistan and the numbering runs to 32. Zimbabwe. An asterisk stands against its name, and the page's legend reads Also Least Developed Country, so Afghanistan is counted in both groups at once.
The World Trade Organization recognizes as least-developed countries those countries which have been designated as such by the United Nations. Its page records that there are currently 44 least-developed countries on the UN list, 37 of which to date have become WTO members, and its own enumeration begins These are: Afghanistan Angola Bangladesh. Afghanistan is itself a WTO member, so it sits inside that group of LDC members.
Position on the LDC list:
First, ahead of Angola and Bangladesh
Position on the LLDC list:
1. Afghanistan
Entries on the LLDC list:
runs to 32. Zimbabwe
LDCs on the UN list:
44 least-developed countries on the UN list
LDCs that are WTO members:
37 of which to date have become WTO members
Why it matters for exams: Which countries are in the LDC category, which are landlocked developing countries, and which are in both, is standard ground for economy and reports questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
LDC Least developed country — A UN category for countries with the lowest income and human development indicators, carrying special support measures.
LLDC Landlocked developing country — A developing country with no sea coast, which must move its overseas trade across a neighbour.
7 October 2026
The World Health Organization published the Global Roadmap for Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy 2026-2035 and beyond.
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, particularly pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, are major causes of maternal death and severe illness worldwide.
WHO says they also contribute to stillbirth, preterm birth, newborn deaths and health-system costs, and have lasting effects on women's cardiovascular health.
Deaths from these disorders have declined too slowly over the past three decades, even as progress was made against other causes of maternal mortality.
The roadmap sets coordinated actions across five areas: research and innovation; norms and standards; access to health products; implementation; and advocacy and accountability.
It is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal targets 3.1 and 3.2 and was prepared with the Human Reproduction Special Programme.
The report runs to 74 pages and carries ISBN 978-92-4-012548-3.
Period covered:
2026-2035 and beyond
Action areas:
five
SDG targets:
3.1 and 3.2
Why it matters for exams: Maternal mortality causes and the SDG 3 targets are standard questions, and this roadmap names both.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Pre-eclampsia Pre-eclampsia — High blood pressure arising in pregnancy with signs of organ damage; a leading cause of maternal death.
SDG 3.1 Sustainable Development Goal target 3.1 — The global target on reducing the maternal mortality ratio.
7 October 2026
The Monetary Policy Committee resolution of October 7, 2026 projects CPI inflation at 5.2 per cent for 2026-27.
The quarterly path is 4.9 per cent in Q2, 6.0 per cent in Q3 and 5.7 per cent in Q4, with Q1 of 2027-28 at 5.6 per cent.
Real GDP growth for 2026-27 is projected at 7.1 per cent.
The quarterly path for growth is 7.2 per cent in Q2, 6.9 per cent in Q3 and 6.8 per cent in Q4, with Q1 of 2027-28 at 7.1 per cent.
Risks to both the growth and the inflation projections are described as evenly balanced.
CPI inflation 2026-27:
5.2 per cent
Real GDP growth 2026-27:
7.1 per cent
Q3 inflation:
6.0 per cent
Q2 growth:
7.2 per cent
Why it matters for exams: Examiners ask for the central bank's own projection of growth and inflation for the current financial year, and the quarterly path is the detail that separates a careful candidate from a vague one.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
CPI Consumer Price Index — The retail price index that the RBI targets under the flexible inflation targeting framework.
GDP Gross Domestic Product — Real GDP is output measured at constant prices, so growth in it excludes price change.
Background
The World Bank's country overview for Bhutan records that 12.4 per cent of the population remained under Bhutan's national poverty threshold in 2022.
The regional spread is wide, from 1.5 per cent in Thimphu to 41.4 per cent in Zhemgang.
Thimphu is Bhutan's capital and Zhemgang is one of its central dzongkhags.
The figure is measured against Bhutan's own national poverty line, not an international one.
National poverty, 2022:
12.4%
Thimphu:
1.5%
Zhemgang:
41.4%
Why it matters for exams: The contrast between a capital city and a remote district is the classic illustration of regional inequality within a small country.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
National poverty line National poverty line — A country's own income or consumption threshold for counting the poor, set separately from international lines.
Background
The World Bank's country overview records that Bhutan graduated from the United Nations' list of Least Developed Countries in December 2023.
Bhutan is now classified as a lower-middle income country, with GDP per capita around $3,718.
The overview describes revenues from hydropower exports to India as central to Bhutan's growth and investment.
Graduation from the LDC category means a country has crossed the UN thresholds on income, human assets and economic vulnerability and gives up the special treatment reserved for LDCs.
LDC graduation:
December 2023
Income class:
lower-middle income
GDP per capita:
around $3,718
Why it matters for exams: The LDC category and which countries have graduated from it is a recurring objective question.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
LDC Least Developed Country — A UN category of low-income countries facing severe structural obstacles to development, which receive special trade and aid treatment.
7 October 2026
The World Bank's country overview for Bhutan reports that real gross domestic product grew rapidly at 8.1 percent in FY24/25.
It projects growth of 7.1 percent for FY25/26 and 6.4 percent for FY26/27.
Headline inflation softened to 2.6 percent in FY24/25 from 4.3 percent in FY23/24.
Bhutan is classified as a lower-middle income country, with GDP per capita around $3,718.
Revenues from hydropower exports to India are described as central to the economy.
Real GDP growth FY24/25:
8.1 percent
Inflation FY24/25:
2.6 percent
GDP per capita:
around $3,718
Income class:
lower-middle income
Why it matters for exams: A multilateral lender's own figures on a neighbour's growth, inflation and income class are frequently asked.
UPSCBank