2 October 2026
Eurostat's flash estimate released on 2 October 2026 puts Austria's annual inflation at 3.5 per cent in September 2026, up from 2.9 per cent in August.
Euro area annual inflation is expected to be 3.8 per cent in September 2026, up from 3.2 per cent in August.
The rates are measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, which allows member states to be compared on the same basis.
Energy is expected to show the highest annual rate among euro area components at 18.8 per cent, against 14.3 per cent in August.
Services are estimated at 3.2 per cent, food, alcohol and tobacco at 1.4 per cent and non-energy industrial goods at 1.1 per cent.
Austria uses the euro, so its figure feeds into the euro area aggregate; from 1 January 2026 the euro area has 21 members after Bulgaria joined.
The full set of September figures for the euro area, the European Union and the member states is due on 16 October 2026.
Austria, annual HICP inflation:
3.5% (September 2026, flash estimate)
Austria, August 2026:
2.9%
Euro area, September 2026:
3.8%
Euro area energy component:
18.8%
Why it matters for exams: Harmonised inflation figures and the euro area's membership count are routine data questions, and Austria's position relative to the euro area average is the comparison examiners ask for.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
HICP Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices — The common price index used across the European Union so that inflation rates can be compared.
Flash estimate Flash estimate — An early figure published before the full data, based on partial returns.
Eurostat Statistical Office of the European Union — The European Union's statistical office, which publishes the euro area inflation estimates.
2 October 2026
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, released its monthly unemployment estimate on 1 October 2026. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the euro area was 6.4 per cent in August 2026, unchanged from July 2026 and up from 6.3 per cent in August 2025. The rate for the European Union as a whole was 6.1 per cent, also unchanged from July 2026 and up from 6.0 per cent a year earlier. Eurostat estimated that 13.600 million people were unemployed in the EU in August 2026, of whom 11.357 million were in the euro area. Compared with July 2026, unemployment rose by 12 thousand in the EU and by 26 thousand in the euro area. Compared with August 2025 it rose by 348 thousand in the EU and by 267 thousand in the euro area. Youth unemployment, covering people under 25, stood at 15.4 per cent in the EU and 15.0 per cent in the euro area.
Euro area unemployment rate, August 2026:
6.4%
EU unemployment rate, August 2026:
6.1%
Unemployed in the EU:
13.600 million
Unemployed in the euro area:
11.357 million
EU youth unemployment rate:
15.4%
Why it matters for exams: Euro area and EU unemployment figures are standard economy questions, and the gap between the euro area rate and the wider EU rate is often asked.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Eurostat Statistical Office of the European Union — The European Union's statistical office, which compiles and publishes official EU statistics.
Euro area Euro area (eurozone) — The group of European Union member states that have adopted the euro as their currency.
Seasonally adjusted Seasonally adjusted data — A figure corrected for regular seasonal swings so that months can be compared with one another.
2 October 2026
Eurostat's flash estimate puts euro area annual inflation at 3.8 per cent in September 2026, up from 3.2 per cent in August.
Energy is expected to show the highest annual rate at 18.8 per cent, against 14.3 per cent in August.
Services are estimated at 3.2 per cent, food, alcohol and tobacco at 1.4 per cent and non-energy industrial goods at 1.1 per cent.
Inflation excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco is estimated at 2.5 per cent.
The monthly rate for September 2026 is estimated at 0.6 per cent.
The complete set of harmonised indices for September 2026 is scheduled for release on 16 October 2026.
The euro area has 21 members from 1 January 2026, when Bulgaria adopted the euro.
Annual inflation, September 2026:
3.8 per cent
Annual inflation, August 2026:
3.2 per cent
Energy:
18.8 per cent
Services:
3.2 per cent
Euro area members:
21
Why it matters for exams: Flash HICP estimates are the standard measure of euro area inflation and set the context for European Central Bank decisions.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
HICP Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices — The price index built on common rules so inflation can be compared across EU countries.
Flash estimate Early estimate released before full data — Eurostat issues it at the end of the reference month and revises it in mid-month.
Eurostat Statistical office of the European Union — It compiles and publishes official statistics for the EU.
2 October 2026
A new report by the UN refugee agency UNHCR says that of an estimated 13.1 million school-age refugee children worldwide in 2025, nearly half - 5.8 million - remain out of school.
Enrolment stood at 65 per cent at primary level but only 32 per cent at secondary level, making the transition to high school the biggest single gap.
Two in three refugee children arrive at primary school without the foundational learning that prepares them for the classroom.
Refugee enrolment in higher education reached a record 11 per cent in 2025, with more than 450,000 students in university or technical and vocational training, keeping the 15x30 pledge of 15 per cent by 2030 within reach.
Refugee enrolment remains below the national average in more than 80 per cent of reporting countries; in low-income and conflict-affected countries only 2 per cent of refugees were in higher education against 13 per cent of nationals.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih said cuts to education "risk reversing decades of collective investment".
School-age refugee children, 2025:
13.1 million
Out of school:
5.8 million
Primary enrolment:
65 per cent
Secondary enrolment:
32 per cent
Higher education enrolment, 2025:
11 per cent
Why it matters for exams: Refugee education figures recur in questions on the Sustainable Development Goals and on UNHCR's mandate.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees — The UN refugee agency, which protects and assists people forced to flee.
15x30 pledge Goal of 15 per cent refugee enrolment in higher education by 2030 — A UNHCR-led target for refugee access to universities and vocational training.
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.
1 October 2026
The International Labour Organization released a preliminary assessment of the late-August flash floods in northern Nepal on Thursday.
The flooding was triggered by a glacier collapse on the border with China; authorities say more than 1,450 people were killed and 5,786 are still missing.
Some 21,400 employed people live within four kilometres of the flood footprint.
The Rasuwa and Tatopani routes accounted for some 22 per cent of Nepal's imports from China over the past year, and Rasuwa handled nearly half of exports to China.
The ILO warns that informal, daily-wage and self-employed workers are at heightened risk.
Killed (authorities):
more than 1,450
Still missing:
5,786
Workers near flood footprint:
some 21,400
Imports from China via Rasuwa and Tatopani:
some 22 per cent
Why it matters for exams: Himalayan glacier hazards, UN agency reports and Nepal-China trade routes are recurring themes in geography and current-affairs papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ILO International Labour Organization — A UN agency that sets labour standards and studies employment.
Informal employment — Work without a formal contract, steady wages or social protection.
1 October 2026
On 1 October 2026 the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia released preliminary annual results of GDP for 2025.
GDP in 2025 amounted to RSD 10 558 438 million at current prices; it rose by 8,1% in nominal terms and by 2,1% in real terms.
By production, manufacturing had the largest share at 12.2%, ahead of wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles (9.9%) and information and communication (8.8%).
By use, individual consumption of households was 60.4% of GDP, gross fixed capital formation 22.8%, exports of goods and services 53.6% and imports 57.8%.
In real terms, exports of goods and services grew by 5.7% and imports by 7.8%.
GDP in 2025, current prices:
RSD 10 558 438 million
Growth in nominal terms:
8,1%
Growth in real terms:
2,1%
Largest share by production:
Manufacturing, 12.2%
Why it matters for exams: National accounts figures such as GDP growth, and the difference between nominal and real terms, are regular economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
Real terms Adjusted for price changes — Real growth removes the effect of price changes, while nominal growth does not.
RSD Serbian dinar — The currency in which the release states GDP at current prices.
1 October 2026
Eurostat's release of 1 October 2026 puts Austria's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate at 6.7 per cent in August 2026, up from 6.2 per cent in July 2026 and 6.0 per cent in August 2025.
The number of unemployed persons in Austria rose to 319 thousand in August 2026, from 295 thousand in July.
The euro area rate was 6.4 per cent in August 2026, stable compared with July and up from 6.3 per cent a year earlier, so Austria now stands above the euro area average.
The European Union rate was 6.1 per cent, also stable on the month.
Eurostat estimates that 13.600 million persons in the European Union, of whom 11.357 million in the euro area, were unemployed in August 2026.
Youth unemployment was 15.4 per cent in the European Union and 15.0 per cent in the euro area.
The figures use the International Labour Organisation definition, which counts as unemployed those without a job who have actively sought work in the last four weeks and can start within two weeks.
Austria, unemployment rate:
6.7% (August 2026)
Austria, July 2026:
6.2%
Unemployed persons in Austria:
319 thousand
Euro area rate:
6.4%
European Union rate:
6.1%
Why it matters for exams: The ILO definition of unemployment and a country's position against the euro area average are the two things examiners test with these monthly releases.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
ILO International Labour Organisation — The United Nations agency whose definition of unemployment Eurostat uses.
Seasonally adjusted Seasonally adjusted — Figures corrected for the regular swings of the calendar, so that months can be compared.
1 October 2026
Justice Vinod Diwakar delivered the judgment in Pappu Met @ Pappu v State of U.P. and Another, reported as 2026:AHC:204628.
The judgment records that 16.15 lakh criminal cases in Uttar Pradesh are pending without charges having been framed — 14.08 lakh in magisterial courts and 2.07 lakh in sessions courts.
It notes that 22.51 lakh charge-sheets were filed between 2021 and 2025.
On staffing, the judgment counts 10,352 vacancies across the High Court registry and the district judiciary: 1,122 judicial officer posts of 4,625 sanctioned, 7,834 district staff posts of 28,552 sanctioned, and 1,396 registry posts of 4,138 sanctioned.
It also records 1,65,930 bail orders passed in defiance of High Court guidelines between August 2025 and early 2026.
The judgment says judicial discipline is not a matter of choice but a constitutional imperative, and that the chief-justice-centric model of High Court administration requires recalibration.
It asks that full court meetings be convened, noting that only 16 were held over a decade.
Criminal cases awaiting framing of charges:
16.15 lakh
Total vacancies counted:
10,352
Judicial officer vacancies:
1,122 of 4,625 sanctioned
Charge-sheets filed 2021-2025:
22.51 lakh
Why it matters for exams: Judicial pendency and vacancy figures are standard data points for questions on judicial reform, and Uttar Pradesh carries the largest subordinate judiciary workload in the country.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Framing of charges Framing of charges by a criminal court — The stage at which a court formally sets out the accusations a person must answer before the trial begins.
Full court Full court meeting of a High Court — A meeting of all the judges of a High Court, used mainly for administrative decisions.
1 October 2026
The National Statistics Office (NSO) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation is conducting the Forward-Looking Survey on Private Corporate Sector CAPEX Investment Intentions, called CAPEX 2026, during October to December 2026.
This is the third round. The inaugural survey, CAPEX 2024, was conducted between November 2024 and January 2025 and the second during October–December 2025.
The survey collects capital expenditure undertaken in recent financial years, provisional capital expenditure in the current financial year and investment intentions for the forthcoming financial year, along with investment strategy, objectives, sources of financing and investment in green energy and robotics.
The survey frame is prepared from active enterprises registered with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, subject to prescribed eligibility and turnover criteria, and the survey is conducted under the provisions of the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008.
Enterprises self-compile and submit responses on a dedicated and secure web portal, which offers an instruction manual, a video guide, an AI chatbot and a bilingual questionnaire.
CAPEX 2025 had found that in provisional aggregate capital expenditure for 2025-26, manufacturing accounted for the largest share at 50.17%, amounting to ₹5,73,900 crore, followed by information and communication at 16.38% or ₹1,87,395 crore.
From CAPEX 2025, a fixed panel of 3,819 enterprises showed an overall realisation ratio of 96.3% for the capital expenditure actually incurred in 2024-25, and a modest growth of 1.9% over the actual CAPEX reported by these enterprises in 2024-25.
Survey period:
October–December 2026
Conducting agency:
National Statistics Office (NSO), MoSPI
Legal basis:
Collection of Statistics Act, 2008
Manufacturing share, provisional 2025-26 (CAPEX 2025):
50.17%, ₹5,73,900 crore
Fixed panel and realisation ratio:
3,819 enterprises; 96.3%
Why it matters for exams: Official surveys and the Act under which they are conducted, together with sector shares in private capital expenditure, are frequently asked in economy and statistics questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CAPEX Capital expenditure — Spending by an enterprise on creating or upgrading fixed assets such as plant, machinery and buildings.
NSO National Statistics Office — The statistical agency of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation that conducts large official surveys in India.
Realisation ratio Realisation ratio — The share of planned capital expenditure that enterprises actually spent, used to judge how closely intentions matched outcomes.
1 October 2026
The Reserve Bank of India released data on India's International Investment Position (IIP) for end-June 2026 in a press release dated 30 September 2026. Net claims of non-residents on India increased by US$ 16.5 billion during Q1:2026-27 to US$ 220.3 billion as at end-June 2026. The RBI attributed this mainly to an increase in external liabilities by US$ 11.6 billion and a decline of US$ 4.9 billion in the foreign-owned assets. The ratio of India's international assets to international liabilities moderated to 84.6 per cent in June 2026 from 85.7 per cent a quarter ago. The rise in foreign liabilities of Indian residents was mainly on account of increased direct investment of US$ 15.7 billion and other investment of US$ 4.2 billion, compensating for a decline of US$ 14 billion in portfolio equity investments. Reserve assets accounted for 55.1 per cent of India's international financial assets, while overseas direct investment accounted for over one fourth share. The share of debt liabilities in total external liabilities stood at 56.9 per cent as on end-June 2026. India's total international assets stood at US$ 1,212.5 billion in June 2026.
Net claims of non-residents:
US$ 220.3 billion at end-June 2026
Change during Q1:2026-27:
Increase of US$ 16.5 billion
Assets to liabilities ratio:
84.6 per cent, from 85.7 per cent a quarter ago
Share of reserve assets:
55.1 per cent of international financial assets
Share of debt liabilities:
56.9 per cent of total external liabilities
Why it matters for exams: The International Investment Position is a standard RBI data release whose headline figures and ratios are asked in economy sections.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IIP International Investment Position — A statement of the stock of a country's external financial assets and liabilities at a point in time.
Reserve assets External assets held by the central bank — They include foreign currency assets, gold and the reserve position in the IMF.
Background
The 2025 edition of the World Happiness Report states that Finland leads the world in happiness for the eighth year in a row, with Finns reporting an average score of 7.736 out of 10.
The report notes that Nordic nations once again top the ranking.
The European Union's country page records that Finland accounts for 1.6% of the EU's total GDP.
It ranks tenth in the European Union with a GDP per capita of EUR 40,000.
Finland's population is recorded as 5,635,971.
World Happiness Report rank (2025 edition):
First, for the eighth year in a row
Average score:
7.736 out of 10
Share of EU GDP:
1.6%
GDP per capita:
EUR 40,000 (tenth in the EU)
Population:
5,635,971
Why it matters for exams: The country placed first in the World Happiness Report is asked in almost every index-based question set, and the per capita income figure anchors Finland's economic profile.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
World Happiness Report World Happiness Report — An annual publication that ranks countries by how their people rate their own lives.
GDP per capita Gross Domestic Product per capita — The total output of an economy divided by its population.
30 September 2026
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka reported that the external current account recorded a surplus of US$ 133 million in August 2026.
The cumulative trade deficit reached US$ 7.2 billion during January-August 2026.
Workers' remittances increased by 10.0% year-on-year to US$ 749 million in August 2026, with cumulative remittances of US$ 6.1 billion for January-August 2026.
Tourism earnings were estimated at US$ 264 million in August 2026, while cumulative earnings during January-August 2026 declined by 10.0% to US$ 2.1 billion.
Gross official reserves, including the swap facility with the People's Bank of China, increased to US$ 6.9 billion by end August 2026.
Current account balance, August 2026:
Surplus of US$ 133 million
Trade deficit, January-August 2026:
US$ 7.2 billion
Workers' remittances, August 2026:
US$ 749 million
Tourism earnings, August 2026:
US$ 264 million
Gross official reserves, end August 2026:
US$ 6.9 billion
Why it matters for exams: Remittances, tourism and reserves are the three external props of Sri Lanka's recovery and are asked as a set.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Current account Record of a country's trade, services, income and transfers — A surplus means more foreign currency came in on these heads than went out.
GOR Gross official reserves — The foreign assets a central bank holds, counted before deducting liabilities.
30 September 2026
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka reported that Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI, 2021=100) based headline inflation (year-on-year) remained unchanged at 8.0%.
Food inflation (Y-o-Y) increased to 8.7% in September 2026 from 8.5% in August 2026.
Non-food inflation (Y-o-Y) remained unchanged at 7.7%.
Core inflation (Y-o-Y) accelerated to 5.4% in September 2026 from 5.1% in August 2026.
The Central Bank published the statement on 30 September 2026.
Headline inflation (Y-o-Y):
8.0%
Food inflation (Y-o-Y):
8.7%
Non-food inflation (Y-o-Y):
7.7%
Core inflation (Y-o-Y):
5.4%
Why it matters for exams: Sri Lanka's inflation path is the standard measure of how far its post-crisis recovery has gone, and the CCPI is the index examiners name.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CCPI Colombo Consumer Price Index — Sri Lanka's headline retail price index, with 2021 as its base year.
Core inflation Inflation excluding volatile food and energy prices — It shows the underlying price trend once volatile items are set aside.
30 September 2026
The UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, said in an alert on 30 September 2026 that children go to bed hungry in at least one in five households in Lebanon, and that four in five households struggle to afford basic necessities.
Its report "An Enduring Nightmare" says about one in three surveyed families said their children had missed necessary healthcare, and 14 per cent said at least one child was working.
Since 2 March 2026 at least 261 children have been killed and 1,056 injured, an average of seven children killed or injured every day over six months.
UNICEF said 436 schools have been damaged or destroyed, putting around 100,000 children at risk of losing access to a classroom.
Of the more than one million people displaced within weeks of the escalation, nearly 330,000 have yet to go home, nearly six months after the 17 April ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel.
Households where children go to bed hungry:
at least 1 in 5
Children killed and injured since 2 March 2026:
261 killed, 1,056 injured
Schools damaged or destroyed:
436
Why it matters for exams: UN agency reports and humanitarian data on children in conflict feature in current-affairs and international-organisation questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund — The UN agency that works for children's rights, health and education.
30 September 2026
The UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) launched "Crime and Justice in a Changing World" on 30 September 2026 at the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi.
Homicides fell from 5.9 per 100,000 people in 2015 to 5.2 in 2023 and are projected to decline 25 per cent between 2015 and 2030 on current trends.
Latin America and the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa together account for roughly two thirds of all homicide victims.
Criminal profit is shifting to transnational markets, with networks diversifying into trafficking, migrant smuggling and natural resources; in Cambodia illicit proceeds from cybercrime and illegal gambling are estimated at $12.5 billion to $19 billion a year.
A 2025 survey of 42 countries found 57 per cent of adults had experienced a scam and 23 per cent had lost money in 12 months.
Homicide rate per 100,000:
5.9 in 2015 to 5.2 in 2023
Share of homicide victims in two regions:
roughly two thirds
Adults who experienced a scam (42-country survey):
57%
Why it matters for exams: UN reports, crime statistics and transnational organised crime are regular topics in reports and security sections.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNICRI UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute — A UN research body that produced the report on crime and justice trends.
30 September 2026
The Reserve Bank of India released India's external debt data for the quarter ended June 2026.
At end-June 2026, India's external debt was placed at US$ 778.2 billion, an increase of US$ 15.4 billion over its level at end-March 2026.
The external debt to GDP ratio moderated to 20.8 per cent at end-June 2026 from 20.9 per cent at end-March 2026.
Valuation gains due to the appreciation of the US dollar against major currencies such as the Yen and the Euro amounted to US$ 0.9 billion; excluding that valuation effect, external debt would have increased by US$ 16.4 billion.
Long-term debt, with an original maturity of above one year, stood at US$ 624.7 billion, up US$ 11.2 billion over end-March 2026, while the share of short-term debt in total external debt rose to 19.7 per cent from 19.6 per cent.
US dollar-denominated debt remained the largest component with a share of 54.8 per cent, followed by debt denominated in the Indian rupee at 29.8 per cent, the Yen at 6.9 per cent, SDR at 4.1 per cent and the Euro at 3.5 per cent.
Loans remained the largest instrument-wise component at 34.3 per cent, and debt service stood at 5.6 per cent of current receipts, the same as at end-March 2026.
External debt at end-June 2026:
US$ 778.2 billion
Increase over end-March 2026:
US$ 15.4 billion
External debt to GDP ratio:
20.8 per cent
Long-term debt:
US$ 624.7 billion
Share of short-term debt:
19.7 per cent
Largest currency component:
US dollar, 54.8 per cent
Debt service:
5.6 per cent of current receipts
Why it matters for exams: External debt levels, the debt to GDP ratio and the short-term debt to reserves ratio are standard economy questions, and the currency composition of India's external debt is a frequent one-mark fact.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
SDR Special Drawing Rights — The International Monetary Fund's reserve asset, whose value is based on a basket of major currencies.
Debt service Debt service — Principal repayments plus interest payments made on external debt in a period.
Long-term debt Long-term debt — Debt with an original maturity of above one year.
30 September 2026
China's official manufacturing purchasing managers' index climbed to 50.1 in September 2026 from 49.8 in August, the National Bureau of Statistics said. A reading above 50 reflects expansion. Of the 21 industries surveyed, 12 reported a PMI above the expansion threshold. The production sub-index rose to 51.7 and the new orders index stood at 50.5. A separate private survey, the RatingDog PMI, rose to 52.1 from 51.5.
Manufacturing PMI, September:
50.1
Manufacturing PMI, August:
49.8
Production sub-index:
51.7
Why it matters for exams: PMI is a standard economic indicator; knowing the 50 threshold is a common exam point.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PMI Purchasing Managers' Index — A monthly survey-based index where above 50 means expansion and below 50 means contraction.
30 September 2026
A new UN report, Crime and Justice in a Changing World, was presented at the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi. It was prepared by the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI). Homicides fell from 5.9 per 100,000 people in 2015 to 5.2 in 2023. Latin America and the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa together account for roughly two thirds of all homicide victims. Criminal networks are diversifying into trafficking, migrant smuggling and the exploitation of natural resources.
Homicide rate 2015:
5.9
Homicide rate 2023:
5.2
Venue of the Crime Congress:
Abu Dhabi
Why it matters for exams: UN bodies, global reports and crime statistics are regular exam topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNICRI UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute — A UN research body on crime prevention and criminal justice.
30 September 2026
UNICEF says children go to bed hungry in at least one in five households in Lebanon, and four in five households struggle to afford basic necessities. Its report An Enduring Nightmare says about 770,000 children have experienced psychological distress over the past six months. Since 2 March 2026 at least 261 children have been killed and 1,056 injured. A total of 436 schools have been damaged or destroyed. A Lebanon-Israel ceasefire agreement was reached on 17 April, but airstrikes and demolitions continue.
Children killed since 2 March 2026:
at least 261
Schools damaged or destroyed:
436
Children with psychological distress:
about 770,000
Why it matters for exams: Child welfare, conflict impact reporting and UNICEF's role are recurring exam themes.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund — The UN agency that works for children's rights, health, nutrition and education.
OCHA UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs — The UN body that coordinates emergency humanitarian response.