10 October 2026
Dr Sanjeeb Kumar Sahoo and Dr Amaresh Chandra Panda of the BRIC-Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, feature in the world's Top 2% scientists list for 2026.
The list is compiled by Stanford University and published by Elsevier.
Both scientists have appeared on the list every year from 2019 to 2026, eight consecutive years.
Dr Sahoo, in Clinical Medicine with the sub-field Pharmacology and Pharmacy, is ranked 302 of 166,116 authors in his sub-field and 51,868 globally.
Dr Panda, in Biomedical Research with the sub-field Developmental Biology, is ranked 908 of 167,121 authors in his sub-field and 41,810 globally.
The 2026 edition of the list includes 6,954 Indian researchers.
Rankings use a composite score built from total citations, the h-index and the hm-index, and exclude self-citations.
The underlying data is the August 2026 update prepared by John P. A. Ioannidis and published in the Elsevier Data Repository.
Institute:
BRIC-Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar
Scientists named:
Dr Sanjeeb Kumar Sahoo and Dr Amaresh Chandra Panda
List compiled and published by:
Stanford University; published by Elsevier
Indian researchers in the 2026 list:
6,954
Consecutive years listed:
2019 to 2026, eight years
Why it matters for exams: The Stanford-Elsevier Top 2% scientists list and the institutes whose researchers appear on it are common questions on research recognition.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
h-index Hirsch index — A number that is high only when a researcher has many papers that are each cited many times.
BRIC Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council — The council under which several central biotechnology research institutes were brought together.
10 October 2026
Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, chaired the Fourth All Science and Technology Clusters' Meet on 9 and 10 October 2026 at Panjab University, Chandigarh.
The meet was hosted by PI-RAHI, the PU-IIT Ropar Regional Accelerator for Holistic Innovations Foundation.
Representatives of all eight S&T Clusters took part, including the Pune Knowledge Cluster, DRIIV of Delhi, the Bengaluru Science and Technology Cluster and the Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad.
Prof. Sood said the clusters are increasingly acting as National Technology Accelerators and called for stronger inter-cluster collaboration.
The clusters hold 12 international MoUs, and a collaboration with the UK Catapult Network in healthcare, emerging technologies and net-zero technologies was announced.
Launches at the meet included an Automatic Weather Station, the Kalaanubhav portal for artisan crafts of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, SPARKS 2.0, IGNITE 2.0 and GINI 2.0.
The EVChargex battery-swapping station at Panchkula was presented as moving indigenous battery-swapping technology from pilot to commercial use.
A Digital Podiatric Clinic using AI-powered foot screening for diabetic foot conditions was inaugurated at the Panjab University Health Centre.
The S&T Clusters programme was conceived in 2020 on the recommendations of the Prime Minister's Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council.
Chaired by:
Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser
Venue and dates:
Panjab University, Chandigarh, 9-10 October 2026
Clusters represented:
8
International MoUs held:
12
Host:
PI-RAHI
Why it matters for exams: The S&T Clusters programme, the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser and PM-STIAC are standard science and governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PSA Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India — The senior science adviser who heads the office coordinating cross-ministry science programmes.
PM-STIAC Prime Minister's Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council — The council whose recommendations shaped the S&T Clusters programme in 2020.
10 October 2026
The Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) Yard 3040, named Shreyas, was launched at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
Mrs Reyman Kochhar launched the ship in the presence of Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.
Senior officials of the Indian Navy, the Ministry of Defence, GRSE and industry partners attended the ceremony.
NGOPV construction is under way at two shipyards, Goa Shipyard Limited in Goa and GRSE in Kolkata.
The ships are indigenously designed and built and will supplement the existing OPVs and NOPVs of the Indian Navy.
Their roles include maritime surveillance, search and rescue, protection of offshore assets, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and anti-piracy missions.
Shreyas is a Sanskrit word meaning Best or Most Excellent.
The Ministry of Defence placed the launch within the Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives.
Ship and yard number:
Shreyas, Yard 3040
Shipyard:
GRSE, Kolkata
Launched by:
Mrs Reyman Kochhar
Other NGOPV shipyard:
Goa Shipyard Limited, Goa
Why it matters for exams: Ship names, yard numbers and the shipyards that build them are standard objective questions in defence current affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NGOPV Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel — A patrol ship class built for coastal and offshore surveillance rather than fleet combat.
GRSE Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers — A defence shipyard at Kolkata under the Ministry of Defence.
HADR Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief — Naval missions that carry relief and rescue after disasters.
10 October 2026
Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, addressed the 121st Annual Session of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi on 10 October 2026.
He said India set an eight-year target of 2,000 km of quantum-secure communication under the National Quantum Mission and has reached the 1,000 km milestone in three years.
He said the bioeconomy target is US$300 billion by 2030.
He urged industry to join research projects early and to help turn scientific research into commercial enterprises.
He referred to the government's Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) initiative, which seeks greater private-sector participation in R&D.
Quantum-secure communication target:
2,000 km in eight years
Milestone reached:
1,000 km in three years
Bioeconomy target:
US$300 billion by 2030
Why it matters for exams: The National Quantum Mission and the push for private R&D are frequent science-and-technology policy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
RDI Research, Development and Innovation — A government initiative seeking greater private-sector participation in research and development.
PHDCCI PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry — An industry body whose 121st Annual Session was addressed by the minister.
10 October 2026
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the Nobel Prize in Physics 2026 on 6 October 2026.
It goes to Francis Halzen of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA, "for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin".
Halzen first presented his vision for capturing neutrinos at the South Pole in 1988. IceCube covers a cubic kilometre of ice and was finished in 2011.
When a neutrino collides with an atomic nucleus it produces a flash of light, which sensors in the clear glacial ice can track.
Halzen was born in 1944 in Tienen, Belgium. The prize amount is 12 million Swedish kronor.
Laureate:
Francis Halzen
Announced:
6 October 2026
Prize amount:
12 million Swedish kronor
Observatory:
IceCube Neutrino Observatory
Why it matters for exams: Nobel laureates, their fields and prize amounts are staple awards questions; neutrino astronomy links physics to Antarctica.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Neutrino Neutrino — An elusive particle that passes through the Earth and our bodies without being noticed.
IceCube IceCube Neutrino Observatory — A cubic kilometre of South Pole ice equipped with light sensors.
Background
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is a global agreement to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the chemicals that deplete it.
The phase-out plan covers both the production and the consumption of ozone-depleting substances.
The agreement was signed in 1987 and entered into force in 1989.
The parties meet once a year to take decisions on implementation, including adjusting or amending the Protocol, which has been done six times.
The most recent amendment is the Kigali Amendment, which called for the phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons in 2016.
HFCs had come in as replacements for ozone-depleting substances eliminated by the original Protocol; they do not deplete the ozone layer but are powerful greenhouse gases.
Times the Protocol has been adjusted or amended:
Six
Meetings of the parties:
Once a year
Most recent amendment:
The Kigali Amendment
Why it matters for exams: The Kigali Amendment and the reason HFCs were brought in are standard environment questions, and the production-and-consumption coverage is a frequent trap.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
HFCs Hydrofluorocarbons — Gases used in place of ozone-depleting substances that do not harm the ozone layer but warm the climate strongly.
Kigali Amendment Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol — The amendment that brought hydrofluorocarbons under the Protocol for a phase-down.
10 October 2026
The High Court of Meghalaya issued a notification dated 7 October 2026 designating the court of Shri Flavian R Marak, Judicial Magistrate First Class, as a Virtual Court for traffic eChallan cases in the State of Meghalaya.
The designation takes effect immediately and holds until further orders.
The jurisdiction stated in the notification is the whole State of Meghalaya, so traffic eChallan matters go to one designated virtual court rather than being taken up court by court.
The notification is issued by order of the Chief Justice and is in supersession of the Registry's earlier notification of 6 October 2021, which had designated a different magistrate's court for this purpose.
A virtual court lets a person pay the fine or contest the challan online without a physical appearance.
Date of notification:
7 October 2026
Court designated:
Court of Shri Flavian R Marak, Judicial Magistrate First Class
Function:
Virtual Court for traffic eChallan cases
Jurisdiction:
State of Meghalaya
Effect:
Immediate, until further order(s)
Why it matters for exams: Virtual courts are part of the e-Courts push, and a State-wide designation by a High Court is a concrete instance an examiner can build a question around.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
eChallan Electronic challan — A traffic penalty notice generated and served electronically instead of on paper.
Virtual Court Virtual Court — A court designated to deal with a class of cases online, without the parties appearing in person.
Background
Hurricane Isaias came ashore on the United States Gulf coast on 9 October 2026 as a category 2 storm, a rating given on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, so the scale itself is worth knowing. The National Hurricane Center describes the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale as a 1 to 5 rating based only on a hurricane's maximum sustained wind speed. This scale does not take into account other potentially deadly hazards such as storm surge, rainfall flooding, and tornadoes. The scale estimates potential property damage. While all hurricanes produce life-threatening winds, hurricanes rated Category 3 and higher are known as major hurricanes, which can cause devastating to catastrophic wind damage and significant loss of life. Hurricanes of all categories can produce deadly storm surge, rain-induced floods, and tornadoes, and these hazards require people to take protective action, including evacuating from areas vulnerable to storm surge. In the western North Pacific, the term super typhoon is used for tropical cyclones with sustained winds exceeding 150 mph.
Scale range:
1 to 5
Major hurricane threshold:
Category 3 and higher
Super typhoon, western North Pacific:
sustained winds exceeding 150 mph
Why it matters for exams: Examiners ask what the hurricane category measures and what it leaves out, and the major hurricane threshold is a one-line fact.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Maximum sustained wind Maximum sustained wind speed — The highest average wind speed measured over a standard period, used to rate a hurricane.
Major hurricane Major hurricane — A hurricane rated Category 3 or above on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
10 October 2026
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala inaugurated the nineteenth edition of the Cocon security and hacking conference and said Kerala Police will strengthen its Cyberdome to meet cyber threats. He said government, police, researchers, technical institutions and the private sector must work together, and stressed data protection, personal privacy and lawful, responsible security systems as the use of artificial intelligence grows. Kerala Police, working with iHub Robotics, has readied indigenously developed robots for traffic control, disaster management, rescue and industrial automation. Kerala Police signed a memorandum of understanding with the Kochi-based company at the conference; trials are to begin shortly, and the robots go into the field after a pilot run in coordination with Cyberdome. Daksha is designed for traffic control. Kavach assists rescue work in difficult terrain and delivers essential supplies. Thara gives information in several languages and guides visitors. The stated aim is to reduce the burden on police personnel who stand for hours in sun and rain and to make policing more efficient. The government will also train cyber security officials, run public awareness work and strengthen international cooperation and public-private partnerships. Deputy National Security Adviser T. V. Ravichandran, Challa Srinivasulu Shetty and Directors General of Police Ravada Chandrasekhar and Manoj Abraham attended.
Conference:
19th Cocon security and hacking conference
Robot for traffic control:
Daksha
Robot for rescue in difficult terrain:
Kavach
Technology partner:
iHub Robotics
Why it matters for exams: Named technology initiatives of Kerala Police, and the robots' individual roles, are the kind of matching question examiners like.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Cyberdome Cyberdome — The Kerala Police technology research and development centre for cyber security and cyber crime.
10 October 2026
A paper published in Nature on 7 October 2026 sets out 'byteification', a two-stage procedure that retrofits existing subword-based large language models into byte-level models. The authors report doing this with 49.1 billion tokens in all, under one per cent of a typical pretraining budget. They build Bolmo 7B and Bolmo 1B from Olmo 3 7B and OLMo 2 1B, Bwen 8B from Qwen3 8B Base, and Blama 8B from Llama 3 8B. Bolmo 7B gains 16.5 percentage points on STEM tasks over BLT 7B, a byte-level model trained from random initialisation. The byteified models substantially outperform their own source models on character-level tasks. Unlike earlier latent-tokeniser designs, the boundary predictor uses one byte of future context, which better matches how subword tokenisers place boundaries.
Journal and date:
Nature, 7 October 2026
Training tokens used:
49.1B tokens
Share of a typical pretraining budget:
under 1%
Gain on STEM tasks:
16.5 percentage points (Bolmo 7B over BLT 7B)
Why it matters for exams: Tokenisation and model-efficiency research is now standard science and technology current affairs material.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Tokenisation Tokenisation — Splitting text into the units a language model reads; subword tokens are the common choice, bytes the alternative.
10 October 2026
The Department of Posts, under the Ministry of Communications, and Blue Dart Express Limited signed an agreement in New Delhi on 9 October 2026 for India Post parcel services across the country.
Under it Blue Dart will use India Post's network of 1.64 lakh post offices to deliver parcels in urban, semi-urban and rural areas, including remote locations with limited facilities.
The service will cover prepaid as well as COD parcels, with OTP-based delivery authentication and real-time shipment tracking.
The stated aim is faster delivery, better coordination and a simpler parcel process built on easy-to-use technology.
For the Department of Posts it means growth in parcel business and closer links with the organised logistics sector; for Blue Dart it means wider reach and better service in remote areas.
The partnership is intended to strengthen logistics for India's growing e-commerce sector.
Parties:
Department of Posts and Blue Dart Express Limited
Date and place:
9 October 2026, New Delhi
Post office network:
1.64 lakh post offices
Delivery features:
COD parcels, OTP-based delivery authentication, real-time shipment tracking
Why it matters for exams: The size of the India Post network is a frequently asked figure, and public-private tie-ups in logistics are standard economy material.
Kerala PSCSSCBank
In plain words
COD Cash on Delivery — A payment option where the buyer pays for the parcel when it is handed over, not in advance.
10 October 2026
The 3rd International Bharat 6G Symposium 2026 was held at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, New Delhi, alongside the India Mobile Congress 2026, and was organised by the Bharat 6G Alliance.
Five new agreements were exchanged with GSMA, one6G, the GTI Alliance, the 6G Innovation Forum (6G IF) Taiwan and VOICE, for joint research, testing and information sharing.
The Alliance released ten white papers and reports, including a progress report on shared 6G principles.
The symposium had over 75 speakers, including more than 30 international experts, and covered spectrum and WRC-27, AI-native networks, testbeds and global standards for IMT-2030.
The valedictory session was addressed by Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, who said India is moving from being a large telecom market to a telecom technology nation.
He said affordability, access and coverage should be design requirements for 6G rather than afterthoughts, and that terrestrial and satellite networks together can reach remote villages, islands and oceans.
The Department of Telecommunications also presented a curtain raiser for the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2026, to be held on 27-29 October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam.
The Bharat 6G Alliance was founded in July 2023 as an industry-led platform bringing together operators, startups, academia and research institutions.
Agreements exchanged:
5 (GSMA, one6G, GTI Alliance, 6G IF Taiwan, VOICE)
White papers released:
10
Venue:
Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, New Delhi
Bharat 6G Alliance founded:
July 2023
Why it matters for exams: The Bharat 6G Alliance, its founding year and its international partners are a likely science and technology question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IMT-2030 International Mobile Telecommunications-2030 — The ITU framework of requirements under which sixth generation mobile standards are being defined.
10 October 2026
The Indian Navy will commission the Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) 'Mangrol' at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai on 12 October 2026.
The ship has been built by Cochin Shipyard Limited and is the third vessel of this class delivered by the yard.
It has over 80% indigenous content and is powered by three diesel engines driving waterjets, which allow sharp turns in shallow coastal waters.
Its fit includes the Abhay Hull-Mounted Sonar, lightweight torpedoes, an indigenous anti-submarine rocket launcher and the Maareech Advanced Torpedo Decoy System.
The craft is meant for underwater surveillance, low intensity maritime operations and mine warfare close to the coast, where larger warships cannot operate easily.
VAdm Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, will preside over the commissioning ceremony.
The ship is named after Mangrol, a coastal town and fishing port in the Junagadh district of Gujarat, and carries forward the legacy of the earlier minesweeper INS Mangrol (M85).
Builder:
Cochin Shipyard Limited
Commissioning:
12 October 2026, Naval Dockyard, Mumbai
Indigenous content:
over 80%
Presiding officer:
VAdm Sanjay Vatsayan, FOC-in-C Western Naval Command
Why it matters for exams: Ship names, their builders and the indigenous content figures are standard one-mark questions in defence current affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
ASW-SWC Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft — A small warship built to hunt submarines in coastal waters too shallow for larger ships.
10 October 2026
Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education invited applications on 9 October 2026 for the second batch of content creators for the KITE Victers and PM e-Vidya channels.
The recruitment is to prepare a panel of teachers from government and aided schools in Kerala.
Applications are to be filed online through the KITE portal, www.kite.kerala.gov.in.
Each applicant must record a two-minute video of a classroom session or an explanation of an educational idea, upload it to a personal Google Drive and paste the link in the application form.
The last date to apply is 17 October 2026 at 5 p.m.
Shortlisted candidates will be called for an interview and a practical training session at the KITE Victers studios in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam or Kozhikode.
Channels:
KITE Victers and PM e-Vidya
Video length required:
Two minutes
Last date:
17 October 2026, 5 p.m.
Studio centres:
Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kozhikode
Why it matters for exams: KITE and the Victers channel are standard Kerala PSC questions on the State's school education technology set-up.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
KITE Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education — The Kerala government body that handles technology in school education and runs the Victers channel.
Background
The Man and the Biosphere Programme operates under the guidance of UNESCO Member States.
Its main governing body is the International Co-ordinating Council, also known as the MAB Council or MAB-ICC.
The Council is composed of 34 Member States, elected by the biennial General Conference for four years.
Each Member State has one vote, but can choose to send more experts or advisers to the Council sessions.
The MAB-ICC usually meets once a year, and its sessions are usually held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris or hosted by a MAB-ICC Member State.
At its meetings the Council elects a chairperson and five vice-chairpersons, of whom one functions as a rapporteur; these form the MAB Bureau, to which the authority of the Council is delegated between sessions.
The MAB-ICC designates new biosphere reserves and takes note of recommendations on periodic review reports of biosphere reserves.
The MAB Secretariat implements the decisions of the Council and coordinates the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, while the International Advisory Committee for Biosphere Reserves gives scientific and technical advice on that Network.
Members of the MAB Council:
34 Member States
Term of a Council member:
four years
Body that elects the Council:
biennial General Conference
Votes per Member State:
one vote
Composition of the MAB Bureau:
a chairperson and five vice-chairpersons
How often the Council meets:
once a year
Why it matters for exams: Biosphere reserves are asked every year, and the body that actually designates them, with its size and term, is the part candidates most often get wrong.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MAB Man and the Biosphere Programme — The UNESCO programme that designates biosphere reserves and works on the relationship between people and their environment.
MAB-ICC International Co-ordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme — The main governing body of the MAB Programme, composed of 34 Member States.
MAB Bureau Bureau of the MAB Council — The chairperson and five vice-chairpersons elected by the Council, who exercise its authority between sessions.
Background
The World Meteorological Organization comprises the World Meteorological Congress, the Executive Council, Regional Associations, two Technical Commissions and the Research Board, and the Secretariat.
The World Meteorological Congress is the highest decision-making body, and additional bodies are established by Congress.
The Executive Council implements decisions adopted by the Congress.
The six Regional Associations coordinate meteorological, hydrological and related activities within their respective Regions.
Experts on the Technical Commissions and the Research Board study technical matters and make recommendations to Congress and the Executive Council.
The Officers of WMO are a President and three Vice-Presidents, who are also chair and vice-chairs of Congress and the Executive Council.
All Officers and members of the Executive Council act as representatives of the Organization and not of particular Members.
The Secretary-General directs the work of the Secretariat, headquartered in Geneva, and is the legal representative of the Organization.
Regional Associations:
six
Technical Commissions:
two
Officers of WMO:
a President and three Vice-Presidents
Secretariat headquarters:
Geneva
Why it matters for exams: International organisations are a standing topic, and the Congress-Executive Council-Regional Association ladder of the WMO is the part most often asked.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
WMO World Meteorological Organization — The specialized agency of the United Nations system for weather, climate and water.
World Meteorological Congress World Meteorological Congress — The highest decision-making body of the WMO, which also establishes additional bodies.
Executive Council Executive Council of the WMO — The body that implements the decisions adopted by the Congress.
9 October 2026
Speaking at the Innovation Nation Summit in Manchester, Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced £1 billion from UK Research and Innovation over the next four years for high-growth innovation clusters in the priority sectors of the Industrial Strategy.
The first partnerships to be set up by No.10 North cover the Northern Growth Corridor and the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor, in life sciences, digital and technology, and advanced manufacturing.
Established mayoral strategic authorities in England are to receive dedicated devolved research and development funding.
The Local Innovation Partnerships Fund is to be devolved to established Mayors from 2028, and Good Growth Funds are to give local leaders a single, flexible, long-term growth budget.
The Local Innovation Partnerships Fund announcement applies only to England, and the government said it will work with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on extending local empowerment.
The Prime Minister said in the speech, 'We can be the world's innovation nation.'
UKRI funding announced:
£1 billion
Period:
Next four years
Local Innovation Partnerships Fund devolved from:
2028
Venue:
Innovation Nation Summit, Manchester
Why it matters for exams: It pairs a named funding figure with the UK's devolution machinery, which is the kind of governance detail examiners use to test understanding of a unitary state with devolved administrations.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UKRI UK Research and Innovation — The United Kingdom's main public body for funding research and innovation.
Mayoral strategic authority Mayoral strategic authority — An English sub-national body led by a directly elected mayor to which central powers and budgets are devolved.
9 October 2026
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck south-central Panama just before 15:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on 9 October 2026. The US Geological Survey put the epicentre about 10km (6.2 miles) from the town of Pitaloza Arriba, and the quake was registered as occurring at a depth of just 12km. About 4.6 million people felt moderate to severe tremors, according to the USGS, which said the effects of the quake were likely to be widespread. One side of a cathedral in Penonome collapsed along with one of its spires, buildings were damaged in Penonome and Sona, and many people were evacuated from buildings in Panama City, about 200km from the epicentre. Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino said his entire government was mobilising in response to the earthquake. Tsunami warnings were initially issued for 11 countries neighbouring Panama before the US Tsunami Warning System confirmed there was no threat. The Panama Canal was unaffected, the authority that oversees marine traffic through it said. No casualties had been reported at the time of the reports.
Magnitude:
7.7
Depth:
12km
People who felt moderate to severe shaking:
about 4.6 million
Countries initially under tsunami warning:
11
Why it matters for exams: Magnitude, epicentre, depth and the link between a shallow focus and surface damage are standard geography questions, and the Panama Canal's status was part of the news.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
USGS United States Geological Survey — The US science agency that locates and measures earthquakes worldwide.
Epicentre Epicentre of an earthquake — The point on the earth's surface directly above where an earthquake begins.
9 October 2026
The India Meteorological Department held a Training Workshop on Cyclone and Marine Weather Warning Services for users on 9 October 2026, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. More than 650 participants joined, including stakeholders, disaster managers and media representatives, and the workshop was livestreamed on YouTube for the general public. Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, opened the workshop and spoke on progress in cyclone forecasting, multi-agency coordination and the role of the media in carrying warnings to the last mile. A key highlight was a demonstration of the Cyclone and Marine Weather Services Decision Support System for Public, an integrated platform to help the public, stakeholders and disaster managers take timely decisions. IMD experts presented forecast products and warning bulletins for coastal communities, fishermen, ports and maritime stakeholders.
Participants:
more than 650
Director General of Meteorology:
Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra
Ministry:
Ministry of Earth Sciences
Why it matters for exams: The IMD's warning products and the name of the Director General of Meteorology are regularly asked in disaster management questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IMD India Meteorological Department — The national weather service under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, which issues cyclone and marine warnings.
DSS Decision Support System — A platform that brings forecasts and impact data together so a user can act on them.
9 October 2026
The National Highways Authority of India is to install Retrofit Emission Control Devices on 25 Diesel Generator sets at Package-IV of the Dwarka Expressway.
Package-IV is 8.7 km long and connects Basai to the Kherki Dhaula and Delhi-Gurugram Expressway cloverleaf intersection.
The step follows directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management on diesel generator sets in the Delhi National Capital Region.
The measure is aimed at reducing air pollution, particularly in winter, when the Graded Response Action Plan is in force.
The work covers installation, testing and commissioning along with comprehensive maintenance support.
NHAI has required GPS-tagged photographs of RECD installations at each DG-set location for verification and compliance.
DG sets covered:
25
Stretch:
Package-IV of the Dwarka Expressway
Length:
8.7 km
Directing body:
Commission for Air Quality Management
Why it matters for exams: The Commission for Air Quality Management and the Graded Response Action Plan are recurring environment questions, and this links them to a named highway project.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
RECD Retrofit Emission Control Device — A device fitted to an existing diesel generator set to cut the pollutants in its exhaust.
GRAP Graded Response Action Plan — A set of anti-pollution measures for the Delhi National Capital Region that tighten as air quality worsens.