13 October 2026
The Indian Navy is set to commission Samarthak at Naval Base, Karwar on 16 October 2026. Built by Larsen and Toubro Ltd under the Make in India initiative, she is the first of four Multi-Purpose Vessels being inducted into the Navy. Designed primarily for maritime surveillance and patrol, she can also undertake Low Intensity Maritime Operations, serve as a target deployment and trials platform and as an unmanned or autonomous system mothership. She is also capable of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and of conversion to a limited hospital ship. Her integrated combat suite combines indigenous sensors, weapons and electronic systems. Her crest shows an Indian elephant emerging from the waves, and her motto is 'Victory is Our Sole Aim'.
Commissioning date:
16 October 2026
Place:
Naval Base, Karwar
Builder:
Larsen and Toubro Ltd
Position in class:
First of four Multi-Purpose Vessels
Why it matters for exams: New inductions into the Navy, the shipyard that built them and the base where they are commissioned are routine defence questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
LIMO Low Intensity Maritime Operations — One of the secondary roles listed for Samarthak.
HADR Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief — Relief missions the vessel can also undertake.
13 October 2026
The PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2021, has completed five years, the Commerce Ministry said on 13 October 2026. The digital platform has integrated more than 1,800 data layers and covers 58 Central Ministries and Departments and all 36 States and Union Territories. The Network Planning Group has evaluated 421 infrastructure projects worth approximately ₹20.23 lakh crore. The platform was developed indigenously by BISAG-N. The release says the government has decided to set up an Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority (ITLA) for research, planning, appraisal, monitoring and impact assessment in transport and logistics.
Data layers integrated:
more than 1,800
Central Ministries and Departments:
58
Projects evaluated:
421, worth about ₹20.23 lakh crore
Developed by:
BISAG-N
Why it matters for exams: GatiShakti, its institutional set-up and its coverage figures are common in infrastructure and economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
BISAG-N Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics — The institute that built the GatiShakti platform.
ITLA Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority — A body the government has decided to set up for research, planning and monitoring in transport and logistics.
13 October 2026
The Indian Navy will commission the indigenous multi-purpose vessel Samarthak at Naval Base Karwar on 16 October 2026. The ship is built by Larsen and Toubro Ltd under the Make in India initiative. It is the first of four Multi-Purpose Vessels being inducted into the Navy. Its roles include maritime surveillance and patrol, low-intensity maritime operations, target deployment and trials, serving as a mothership for unmanned and autonomous systems, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, limited conversion to a hospital ship, and salvage operations. Its integrated combat suite combines indigenous sensors, weapons and electronic systems.
Vessel:
Samarthak
Builder:
Larsen and Toubro Ltd
Position in class:
First of 4 Multi-Purpose Vessels
Commissioning:
Naval Base Karwar, 16 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: Indigenous naval inductions and the Make in India defence push are frequent questions in defence and current-affairs papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
HADR Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief — Relief missions that navies carry out after disasters.
13 October 2026
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry on 7 October 2026.
It goes to Henri B. Kagan of France and Kenso Soai of Japan, "for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis".
Some molecules, such as amino acids, exist as two variants that are mirror images of each other, yet living organisms contain only one of them.
Kagan took the first decisive step in 1986; Soai published a key paper in 1995 and in 2003 produced a reaction in which only one mirror image formed.
Their work is decisive for chemists who design reactions for making pharmaceuticals.
The prize amount is 12 million Swedish kronor, shared equally.
Laureates:
Henri B. Kagan (France), Kenso Soai (Japan)
Announced:
7 October 2026
Prize amount:
12 million Swedish kronor, shared equally
Why it matters for exams: Nobel laureates, the awarding bodies and the work cited are standard questions in UPSC and Kerala PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Homochirality Same handedness — All amino acids in living cells share one mirror-image form.
Autocatalysis Self-catalysis — A reaction whose product speeds up its own formation.
13 October 2026
The PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, launched in October 2021, completes five years.
Its geospatial digital platform was developed indigenously by BISAG-N, the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics.
The platform integrates more than 1,800 data layers, covering 58 Central Ministries/Departments and all 36 States/Union Territories.
The Network Planning Group evaluated over 400 infrastructure projects worth approximately ₹20.23 lakh crore.
The PM GatiShakti Public platform, through the Unified Geospatial Interface, was launched in September 2025.
The Government has decided to set up an Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority (ITLA) for long-term transport planning.
Data layers integrated:
more than 1,800
Projects evaluated by NPG:
over 400, worth approximately ₹20.23 lakh crore
Developer:
BISAG-N
Why it matters for exams: GatiShakti is a flagship infrastructure planning framework; its developer, scale and the new logistics authority are likely recall questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
BISAG-N Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics — The institute that built the PM GatiShakti geospatial platform.
NPG Network Planning Group — The body that evaluates infrastructure projects on PM GatiShakti principles.
ITLA Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority — The authority the Government has decided to set up (also approved by the Union Cabinet) to strengthen research, planning, appraisal, monitoring and impact assessment in transport and logistics.
13 October 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi on 13 October 2026, the forum's debut in India.
He presented the idea of 'Power to Empower', saying the true value of power lies in its purpose.
He said startups have grown from a few hundred in 2014 to over 2.5 lakh, with over 45 percent led by women.
He cited the open-source CoWIN platform as an example of India sharing digital capability with partner countries.
He said India surpassed its target of 40 percent non-fossil installed electricity capacity in November 2021, nine years ahead of schedule.
He said India supplied vaccines to over 100 countries during the pandemic.
Theme of address:
Power to Empower
Startups:
over 2.5 lakh
Non-fossil capacity target met:
November 2021
Why it matters for exams: Questions on digital public infrastructure, the startup ecosystem and India's non-fossil capacity target are common in current affairs papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CoWIN COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network — India's open-source platform used to run COVID-19 vaccination.
JAM Trinity Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile — The link of bank accounts, Aadhaar identity and mobile numbers used for direct benefit transfers.
13 October 2026
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. disposed of WP(PIL) 15/2026, filed by C.R. Neelakandan, on 7 October 2026.
The PIL sought directions to make handling of passenger data at airports comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act and the DPDP Rules, 2025.
The Union said the Data Protection Board has been constituted but is not yet functional.
The court said it expects the Board to be made functional within eight weeks.
Counsel for the Digi Yatra Foundation submitted that, as of now, Aadhaar and Driving Licence can be considered proof of identity; the court said it expects authorities may also consider accepting Voter ID.
Case:
WP(PIL) 15/2026
Time given for Board:
eight weeks
ID proofs that can be considered now:
Aadhaar, Driving Licence
Why it matters for exams: Links the DPDP Act, the Data Protection Board and privacy rights to a live Kerala High Court case.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DPDP Act Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 — The law that governs how personal digital data is processed in India.
Digi Yatra Digi Yatra — A facial-recognition based paperless entry system at airports.
Data Protection Board Data Protection Board of India — The body set up under the DPDP Act to decide data protection complaints.
12 October 2026
Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda laid the foundation stone of the ICMR Centre for High Altitude Medicine and Public Health Research at Keylong, Himachal Pradesh. The centre is a collaboration between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Armed Forces Medical Services. AIIMS Bilaspur will take part in studying the health impact of high-altitude conditions. Research will cover low oxygen levels, extreme cold and the health of tribal communities and soldiers in border areas. It will also explore drone-enabled medicine delivery, digital health and artificial intelligence for remote areas.
Location:
Keylong, Himachal Pradesh
Partners:
ICMR, Armed Forces Medical Services, AIIMS Bilaspur
Why it matters for exams: Locations of new national research centres and the bodies behind them, such as ICMR, are standard factual questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ICMR Indian Council of Medical Research — India's apex body for formulating and promoting biomedical research.
12 October 2026
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, and Jonathan Reynolds, UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Trade, held the 8th India–UK Science and Innovation Council (SIC) meeting in New Delhi. The two jointly inaugurated the BRIC-CDFD–ONT India Genomics Centre of Excellence. The Council's agenda builds on the India–UK Research and Innovation MoU, the Technology Security Initiative and India–UK Vision 2035. Eight projects have been agreed under the DST–Innovate UK industrial research programme. Areas of cooperation include Artificial Intelligence, quantum technologies, semiconductors, critical minerals and net-zero technologies.
Meeting:
8th India–UK Science and Innovation Council
Projects agreed under DST–Innovate UK:
8
Why it matters for exams: Bilateral science bodies, their meeting numbers and the India–UK Vision 2035 framework are common in international relations and science questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
BRIC Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council — The umbrella body for the Department of Biotechnology's research institutes.
CDFD Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics — A Hyderabad-based institute for DNA fingerprinting and genetic diagnostics.
12 October 2026
The Research, Development and Innovation Fund (RDIF) announced its first cohort of 19 Second Level Fund Managers (SLFMs). The Empowered Group of Secretaries, meeting on October 08, 2026, approved 14 Alternative Investment Funds and 5 Focused Research Organisations. The total RDIF commitment to them is ₹7,131 crore. The ₹1 lakh crore RDI Scheme was launched by the Prime Minister in November 2025. The Fund is managed by an Independent Business Unit housed within the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) under the Department of Science and Technology. The fund managers will channel capital to enterprises working at Technology Readiness Level 4 and above.
Second Level Fund Managers approved:
19
Total RDIF commitment:
₹7,131 crore
Scheme size:
₹1 lakh crore
Why it matters for exams: The RDI Fund is India's main financing tool for private-sector research and is linked to the ANRF, both frequent topics in science and economy papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ANRF Anusandhan National Research Foundation — The national body that funds and steers research in India and houses the RDI Fund's business unit.
TRL Technology Readiness Level — A 1-to-9 scale of how close a technology is to real-world use.
12 October 2026
Nikon Instruments disqualified the first-place entry in its Nikon Small World in Motion microscopy competition. The video, awarded first place on 15 September 2026, showed hair-like cilia moving in the lungs, described as a super-resolution microscopy sequence of beating airway cilia from a child with primary ciliary dyskinesia. The entrant, Ning Xu, an optical engineer at the National University of Singapore, said his team used an artificial intelligence model in post-processing to enhance the visual presentation of the regions below the cilia. Scientists raised concerns on LinkedIn days after the award, questioning some features as biologically implausible. Competition rules bar artificial-intelligence-generated videos. Nikon said on 25 September that it was investigating and announced the disqualification on 9 October 2026, stating that after re-evaluating the video and supporting materials and consulting the judging panel it found the video did not comply with the rules. Nikon said the decision concerns only the video's eligibility and not the entrant's reputation, scientific contributions or intent. A university spokesperson said Xu entered before joining the university and that the submission is unrelated to his work there.
Competition:
Nikon Small World in Motion
First place awarded:
15 September 2026
Disqualification announced:
9 October 2026
Entrant:
Ning Xu, optical engineer
Subject of the video:
Beating airway cilia in primary ciliary dyskinesia
Why it matters for exams: Where artificial intelligence enhancement crosses into image manipulation is now a live question of research integrity, and this is a documented first instance in a major competition.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Cilia Cilia — Tiny hair-like structures on cells that beat to move fluid or particles.
Primary ciliary dyskinesia Primary ciliary dyskinesia — An inherited disorder in which cilia do not beat normally, affecting the airways.
Super-resolution microscopy Super-resolution microscopy — Imaging techniques that see detail finer than the usual limit of light microscopes.
11 October 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone in Chennai on 11 October 2026 for the Group II/III Lube Oil Base Stocks (LOBS) project at the Manali Refinery of Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL). The project will cost about ₹1,620 crore and have a capacity of 270 thousand metric tonnes per annum (TMTPA). Lube oil base stocks are the refined oils from which lubricants are blended. The project was among works worth over ₹13,000 crore launched in Tamil Nadu that day.
Project:
Group II/III Lube Oil Base Stocks (LOBS)
Location:
Manali Refinery, CPCL
Cost:
about ₹1,620 crore
Capacity:
270 TMTPA
Why it matters for exams: Refineries, their locations and the public sector companies that own them recur in economy and geography questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
LOBS Lube Oil Base Stocks — Refined base oils that are blended with additives to make lubricants.
TMTPA Thousand metric tonnes per annum — A unit of annual production or processing capacity.
CPCL Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited — A public sector refiner in Chennai that runs the Manali Refinery.
11 October 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre (SGBC) at IIT Madras to the nation on 11 October 2026. He launched a global scientific mission to map more than 100 human brains into 3D atlases at cellular resolution, covering the human lifespan from the foetal stage to old age. He also released C-STROKE, a human ischaemic stroke atlas with over 1,000 annotated microscopic sections from a stroke-affected brain. The centre was established in March 2022 with support from Sudha and Kris Gopalakrishnan and is headed by Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam. Its earlier atlases include Dharani, a 3D atlas of the human foetal brain released in 2024 with 5,132 brain sections.
Centre:
Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, IIT Madras
Mission:
Map more than 100 human brains
Atlas released:
C-STROKE (over 1,000 sections)
Established:
March 2022
Why it matters for exams: Indian neuroscience missions and named atlases such as Dharani and C-STROKE are likely science and technology questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Ischaemic stroke Ischaemic stroke — A stroke caused by a blocked blood vessel that cuts off blood supply to part of the brain.
SGBC Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre — The IIT Madras centre that produces cellular-resolution 3D atlases of the human brain.
11 October 2026
The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, hosted the APARC Early Career Researcher (ECR) Workshop on 11 October 2026, ahead of the APARC General Assembly 2026. Titled 'The ECR Nexus: Connecting Voices, Tools, and Science to Society', it also served as a curtain-raiser for the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC). Dr. T. Srinivasa Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, set out the objectives of the conclave. Around 120 national and international participants took part. IITM Director Dr. Suryachandra A. Rao gave the welcome address.
Participants:
Around 120
Host:
IITM, Pune
Why it matters for exams: IITM and the Ministry of Earth Sciences are frequent science-institution questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ESTIC Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave — A national conclave that brings together ministries, scientists, academia, industry and deep-tech startups.
11 October 2026
East Coast Railway (ECoR) plans to double its drone fleet from 11 to 22 by March 2027 to strengthen railway security.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) uses the drones under its 'DROAWK EYE – Observation, Detection, Prevention' initiative.
The present fleet comprises four drones in Khurda Road division, six in Sambalpur and one in Rayagada.
They are backed by 160 DGCA-certified drone pilots.
The drones help prevent sabotage and stone pelting and detect theft and intrusion on vulnerable stretches; they were also used for crowd management during the Puri Rath Yatra.
Drones now:
11
Target fleet:
22 by March 2027
By division:
Khurda Road 4, Sambalpur 6, Rayagada 1
DGCA-certified drone pilots:
160
Why it matters for exams: Use of drones and technology by the RPF for railway security is a science-and-security current affairs theme.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
RPF Railway Protection Force — The armed force of the Union responsible for the security of railway property and passengers.
DGCA Directorate General of Civil Aviation — India's civil aviation regulator, which certifies drone pilots.
11 October 2026
Russian technology company Yandex said on 11 October 2026 that its data centre in the Vladimir region, east of Moscow, had been shut down after a drone attack.
No one was injured, but some Yandex services were unavailable to users.
It was the third attack on Yandex data centres in about a week.
On 9 October a data centre in the Kaluga region was struck by Ukrainian drones and partly put out of action.
On 8 October an attack shut down the Sasovo hub, which houses two of the three supercomputers used to develop the company's AI model.
Yandex is heavily involved in Russia's artificial intelligence development.
Data centre shut:
Vladimir region
Earlier attacks:
Sasovo (8 October), Kaluga region (9 October)
Injuries:
None
Why it matters for exams: Attacks on digital infrastructure such as data centres show how the Russia–Ukraine war now targets technology and AI capacity.
Kerala PSCUPSC
11 October 2026
Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said on Sunday 11 October that the achievements of Iran's indigenous nuclear industry "cannot be stopped", citing electricity generation as a main use, and criticised the IAEA for not condemning repeated US threats to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities again, according to Al Jazeera. Organization spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said Iran will pursue its interests through diplomacy if possible and "in the field of battle" if not. Al Jazeera adds that Iran says a deal could involve diluting its high-enriched uranium in later stages but that it will not abandon enrichment, while US Vice President JD Vance said last week that Iran must make a "meaningful" reduction in enrichment capacity. TASS reported on 8 October that Eslami told the portal Es-Siyasa that inspections of nuclear facilities that have been attacked or are under threat are impossible, and that cooperation with the IAEA is prohibited by law.
Speaker:
Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran
Organization spokesman:
Behrouz Kamalvandi
Iran's position on enrichment:
Will not abandon enrichment
Why it matters for exams: The IAEA's access to Iran's nuclear sites and the enrichment question are core nuclear-diplomacy topics for UPSC.
UPSC
In plain words
IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency — The UN nuclear watchdog that inspects nuclear facilities.
10 October 2026
The Robotics for Good Youth Challenge India 2026–2027 was held on 10 October 2026 at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, on the sidelines of India Mobile Congress 2026.
It was organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Department of Telecommunications, with the I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics, the Technology Innovation Hub of IIT Delhi.
57 teams took part – 28 Junior and 29 Senior – with students aged 10 to 18 from 14 States; this year's mission was public health emergency response, linked to SDG 3.
Team Ferrum Incubators (Cambridge School, Noida) won the Senior category and Team Singularity (Gopalan International School, Karnataka) the Junior category.
The two winners will represent India at the Grand Finale in Geneva during the AI for Good Global Summit in June 2027.
The challenge is a flagship of ITU's AI for Good programme; the India edition began in 2024 during WTSA-24.
Teams:
57 (28 Junior, 29 Senior)
Senior winner:
Team Ferrum Incubators
Junior winner:
Team Singularity
Linked goal:
SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being
Why it matters for exams: ITU's role, its AI for Good programme and India's telecom events such as IMC are useful for science and technology papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ITU International Telecommunication Union — The UN specialised agency for information and communication technologies, headquartered in Geneva.
WTSA-24 World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 2024 — ITU's standardisation assembly, hosted by India in New Delhi in 2024.
10 October 2026
c0c0n 2026, the cyber security and hacking conference organised under the leadership of the Kerala Police, concluded in Kochi on Saturday, 10 October.
It was the 19th edition of the two-day conference, held at the Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala had inaugurated it on 9 October; over 200 speakers and 3,000 participants were expected across six tracks.
Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan inaugurated the valedictory session and distributed prizes.
The next edition is scheduled for September 21–28, 2027.
State Police Chief Ravada Azad Chandrasekhar is the c0c0n chairman.
Edition:
19th
Venue:
Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty
Duration:
Two days (9–10 October 2026)
Next edition:
September 21–28, 2027
Why it matters for exams: Cyber security initiatives of State police forces and their flagship events are asked in internal security and State GK papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
c0c0n c0c0n (pronounced 'cocon') — An annual international cyber security and hacking conference organised with the Kerala Police in Kochi.
10 October 2026
The second meeting of GI-AI4FS, the United Nations global initiative on artificial intelligence for agri-food systems, was held in New Delhi on 10 October 2026.
The initiative is coordinated by the International Telecommunication Union along with the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Food Programme.
The Telecommunication Engineering Centre of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, hosted the meeting alongside India Mobile Congress 2026, and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare co-organised it.
About 70 participants attended in person and 25 joined online, from international organisations, government departments, agricultural research institutes, academia, industry and standards development organisations.
Speakers at the opening session included Dr. Sebastian Bosse, chair of GI-AI4FS, Mr. Krishnan Pallassana of the Food and Agriculture Organization, Dr. Bilel Jamoussi of the International Telecommunication Union, Dr. A. K. Nayak of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Mr. Syed Tauseef Abbas of the Telecommunication Engineering Centre.
The agenda covered a proposed governance and coordination structure, nomination of chairs, co-chairs and members of working groups, the scope of those working groups and their priority areas and initial tasks.
A two-day international artificial intelligence hackathon for agri-food systems was held at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research campus in New Delhi on 8 and 9 October 2026, and selected teams presented their solutions at the meeting.
Initiative:
GI-AI4FS, second meeting
Coordinating agency:
International Telecommunication Union
Partner agencies:
FAO, IFAD and WFP
Indian host:
Telecommunication Engineering Centre, Department of Telecommunications
Participation:
About 70 in person and 25 online
Hackathon:
8 and 9 October 2026 at the ICAR campus, New Delhi
Why it matters for exams: The question setter can combine the United Nations agencies behind the initiative with the Indian bodies that hosted it, which is a common linking pattern.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ITU International Telecommunication Union — The United Nations specialised agency for information and communication technologies.
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development — A United Nations agency that finances rural development.
TEC Telecommunication Engineering Centre — The technical and standards body of the Department of Telecommunications.
ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research — The apex body for agricultural research and education in India.