Daily Current Affairs 6 October 2026 – UPSC, TNPSC, SSC & Bank Exams

How to use this material

Exam Tags & Source: Syllabus mapping for UPSC / TNPSC / SSC-RRB + clickable source link

Why in News: The news in 2–3 lines – read this first

▸ Sub-headings: Simple explanation + all facts, figures, names and years

GS Facts: Static GK linked to the news (blue box)

⚠ Exam Trap: Common confusions examiners use in options (orange box)

✍ Mains Angle: Probable Mains question with value points (purple box)

★ Important One-liners: Short news under each theme + Rapid Revision table. Highlighted = must-remember

✎ Top 5 Quiz: Day’s 5 most important MCQs at the end, with answer key

NATIONAL

First-ever National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) 2025-26

UPSC Prelims + GS-II (Governance) TNPSC Unit II – Current Events SSC/RRB Current Affairs

Why in News: The National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the key indicators and findings of India’s first-ever all-India National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), conducted from July 2025 to June 2026, through a factsheet.

What is the NHTS? (Simple Explanation)

• Meaning: A nationwide survey that records how Indians travel every day – how far they go, by which mode of transport, how much time it takes and how much it costs – mainly for going to educational institutions and workplaces.
• Why it matters: Gives reliable data for planning public transport, roads, metro/bus systems, location of schools and for policies on urban mobility, road safety and women’s workforce participation.
• Definition of a ‘Trip’: Any travel covering a distance of more than 1 km. Trips of less than 1 km were not recorded.

Survey Coverage (Sample Size)

• Villages covered: 14,274
• Urban blocks covered: 10,377
• Households surveyed: 4,92,023
• Persons covered: 20,34,371
• Survey period: July 2025 – June 2026

Student Mobility (Students aged 6 years and above)

• 66.4% of students travel more than 1 km daily to attend their educational institutions – i.e., nearly two-thirds of students.
• Rural: 65.6% | Urban: 68.1%
• Highest regular trip participation: 15–29 years age group – 79.1% in rural India and 73.3% in urban India.
• Shortest travel time: Students in North-eastern States, including Assam, reported comparatively shorter travel times of 15 to 19 minutes.

Mode of Travel – Students

• Walking – 37% (most common mode)
• Bus – 29.5%
• Bicycle – 15.8%
• Auto-rickshaw – 10.5% (rises to 14.4% in urban areas)
• Two-wheeler – 6.7% nationally (11.5% in urban areas)

Workforce Mobility (Workers aged 15 years and above)

• 57.6% of workers make trips of more than 1 km to fixed or non-fixed workplaces – Rural 54.5%, Urban 64.1%.
• Gender gap: Male workers 61.9% vs Female workers 41.9% make daily work trips of more than 1 km.
• Two-wheelers – single largest mode for workers: 42.6% of workplace commutes (Rural 37.1%, Urban 52.3%).

• Urban mass transit (monorail, metro, suburban rail, trams): only 5% of urban worker commutes nationally.

  • Higher usage in Maharashtra (20.7%), followed by West Bengal (16.5%) and Delhi (14.4%).

• Average travel time to workplace: around 20–23 minutes in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh; higher travel times in parts of southern India.

Commuting Costs (Average Monthly Expenditure)

• Gender difference: Male workers ₹835 per month vs Female workers ₹533 per month on travel to fixed workplaces.

Key Takeaways for Exams

• Walking still dominates student travel – shows the importance of nearby schools and safe footpaths. (Under RTE Act, 2009 model rules, a primary school should be available within 1 km of a habitation.)

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POLITY

Three High Court Chief Justices Elevated to the Supreme Court

UPSC Prelims + GS-II (Polity) TNPSC Unit V – Indian Polity SSC/RRB Polity

Why in News: In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India, the President of India appointed three Chief Justices of High Courts as Judges of the Supreme Court of India.

Newly Appointed Supreme Court Judges

• PHC (Parent High Court): The High Court where a judge was originally appointed as a judge before being transferred or elevated.

How are Supreme Court Judges Appointed?

• Article 124(2): Every SC judge is appointed by the President after consultation with such judges of the SC and HCs as the President deems necessary.

• Collegium System: Recommendation is made by the CJI + 4 senior-most judges of the Supreme Court.

  • First Judges Case (1981) – S.P. Gupta case: primacy to the Executive.

  • Second Judges Case (1993) – Collegium system created; primacy to the judiciary.

  • Third Judges Case (1998) – Collegium expanded to CJI + 4 senior-most judges.

  • Fourth Judges Case (2015) – NJAC (99th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2014) struck down.

• Memorandum of Procedure (MoP): Document that guides the appointment process between the judiciary and the government.

Key Constitutional Provisions

• Qualifications [Art. 124(3)]: Citizen of India and – (a) HC judge for 5 years, or (b) HC advocate for 10 years, or (c) a distinguished jurist in the President’s opinion.
• Oath [Art. 124(6)]: Taken before the President or a person appointed by him (form in the Third Schedule).
• Retirement age: SC judges – 65 years; HC judges – 62 years (Art. 217).
• Removal [Art. 124(4)]: On grounds of proved misbehaviour or incapacity, by a special majority in both Houses; procedure under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.

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ECONOMY

TRAI: Indian Telecom Services – Yearly Performance Indicators 2025-26

UPSC Prelims + GS-III (Economy) TNPSC Unit VI – Indian Economy SSC/RRB Economy

Why in News: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released ‘The Indian Telecom Services – Yearly Performance Indicators’ for 2025-26. India’s internet subscriber base crossed 1,092 million (about 109 crore) by March 2026.

Internet Subscribers

• Total internet subscribers: increased from 969.10 million (March 2025) to 1,092.79 million (March 2026) – yearly growth of 12.76%.
• Broadband subscribers: 1,065.88 million | Narrowband subscribers: 26.91 million (March 2026).
• Broadband share: about 97.5% of all internet users are on broadband.
• Broadband growth: from 944.12 million (March 2025) to 1,065.88 million (March 2026) – yearly growth of 12.90%.

Telephone Subscribers and Tele-density (March 2026)

• *Overall subscriber figure is the sum of urban and rural subscribers given above.

Understanding the Terms

• Tele-density: Number of telephone connections per 100 people. Urban tele-density is above 100% because many people use more than one SIM, and migrant workers often register connections in cities.
• Broadband: Internet connection with a minimum download speed of 2 Mbps (as per Department of Telecommunications norms). Below this is narrowband.
• Digital divide: Urban tele-density (151.47%) is about 2.5 times rural tele-density (60.46%) – shows the need for rural connectivity programmes like BharatNet, funded through Digital Bharat Nidhi (which replaced the Universal Service Obligation Fund under the Telecommunications Act, 2023).

8th Edition of Windergy India 2026 in Chennai

UPSC Prelims + GS-III (Economy) TNPSC Unit VI – Indian Economy SSC/RRB Economy

Why in News: Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Pralhad Joshi, will inaugurate the 8th edition of Windergy India on 8 October 2026 at the Chennai Trade Centre – India’s premier wind energy show.

About the Event

• Edition: 8th | Venue: Chennai Trade Centre, Tamil Nadu | Duration: Three days from 8 October 2026.
• Dignitaries: Shri Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy and Power, and Thiru C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar, Minister for Energy Resources and Law, Govt. of Tamil Nadu.
• Highlights: Global MoU announcements, launch of key sectoral reports and recognition of States showing leadership in wind energy.

India’s Wind Energy – Key Numbers

• Record addition: 6.05 GW of wind capacity added in FY 2025-26 (highest ever).
• Cumulative capacity: 58.52 GW by August 2026.
• Under implementation: 28 GW.
• Target: 100 GW of wind capacity by 2030.

Static Linkages

• Global rank: India has the 4th largest installed wind power capacity in the world (after China, USA and Germany).
• National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE): Located in Chennai; autonomous body under MNRE (set up in 1998 as C-WET).
• Leading wind States: Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra. Muppandal (Kanyakumari, TN) is one of India’s largest onshore wind farm clusters.
• Offshore wind: National Offshore Wind Energy Policy, 2015; target of 30 GW offshore wind by 2030.
• Bigger goal: 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 (part of India’s Panchamrit pledge at COP26, Glasgow).

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SCIENCE & TECH

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DEFENCE

Launch of Fleet Support Ship-1 (FSS-1) at Hindustan Shipyard Limited

UPSC Prelims + GS-III (Defence & Security) TNPSC Unit II – Current Events SSC/RRB Defence

Why in News: In a major show of India’s indigenous shipbuilding capability, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh will launch Fleet Support Ship-1 (FSS-1), lay the keel of FSS-5, and inaugurate the upgraded Slipway-4 and a 300-tonne Goliath Crane at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam on 6 October 2026.

What are Fleet Support Ships?

• Meaning: Large tanker-cum-supply ships that replenish warships at sea with fuel, water, ammunition, food and spares – often called the Navy’s ‘floating petrol pumps and supply stores’.
• Benefit: Warships need not return to port for supplies → extends the Navy’s endurance and reach across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) → supports India’s blue-water navy ambitions.

Key Facts of the FSS Programme

• Number of ships: Five Fleet Support Ships being built for the Indian Navy; FSS-1 is the first.
• Size: 43,500 tonnes each.
• Speed of construction: FSS-1 enters the waters of the Bay of Bengal just 18 months after steel cutting.
• FSS-5 keel laying: Shows the programme’s steady march towards series production.
• Contract: Signed between the Ministry of Defence and HSL in August 2023 (about ₹19,000 crore for five ships).

Infrastructure Upgrade at HSL

• Upgraded Slipway-4: Extended length and enhanced load-bearing capability.
• 300-tonne Goliath Crane: Heavy-lift crane supporting the slipway.
• Result: HSL can now build and launch vessels of up to 45,000 DWT – greatly expanding capacity for large and complex platforms.

Exercise MOUNTAIN GUARDIAN 2026 (India–UAE)

UPSC Prelims + GS-III (Defence & Security) TNPSC Unit II – Current Events SSC/RRB Defence

Why in News: The India–UAE Joint Military Exercise MOUNTAIN GUARDIAN 2026 commenced at the Foreign Training Node, Chaubatia, Uttarakhand, with a focus on Mountain Warfare.

Key Details

• Duration: 5 to 18 October 2026.
• Venue: Foreign Training Node, Chaubatia (near Ranikhet, Almora district), Uttarakhand.
• Aim: Enhance interoperability, mutual understanding and cooperation, with focus on mountain warfare.
• Strength: 92 personnel with equal representation from both Armies (46 each).
• Indian Army contingent: Troops from a Bhairav Battalion.
• UAE Army contingent: Troops from a Mountain Infantry Battalion.
• Women participation: Women officers and combatants from both Armies are taking part in specialist roles.
• Provides a platform to exchange professional experience and best practices.

About Bhairav Battalions

• New light commando battalions raised by the Indian Army in 2025 – designed to be agile, fast-striking units, filling the gap between regular infantry and Para (Special Forces).

Other India–UAE Military Exercises

• Desert Cyclone – Army (first edition 2024, Rajasthan)
• Zayed Talwar – Navy
• Desert Eagle – Air Force

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ENVIRONMENT

Project Cheetah: India-born KJP21 Gives Birth to Five Cubs at Kuno

UPSC Prelims + GS-III (Environment) TNPSC Unit III – Geography SSC/RRB Environment

Why in News: In another milestone for Project Cheetah, KJP21, a 32-month-old Indian-born female cheetah, gave birth to five healthy cubs at Kuno National Park (Madhya Pradesh) on 5 October 2026, taking India’s total cheetah population to 60, including 41 Indian-born cheetahs.

Key Highlights

• Mother: KJP21 – 32 months old, born in India.
• Cubs: Five healthy cubs.
• Milestone: KJP21 is the third Indian-born female cheetah to give birth, after Mukhi and KGP12 – marks the emergence of the next generation of India’s cheetah population.
• Population now: 60 cheetahs, of which 41 are Indian-born.
• Botswanan lineage: The cubs’ father is a male cheetah from Botswana → marks the beginning of the Botswanan lineage in India and adds a new genetic lineage.

Why a New Genetic Lineage Matters

• A small founder population (only a few imported animals) risks inbreeding. New bloodlines (Namibia, South Africa and now Botswana) increase genetic diversity, making the population healthier and more resilient to disease and environmental change.

About Project Cheetah

• Nature: World’s first intercontinental translocation of a large wild carnivore.
• Launch: 17 September 2022 – 8 cheetahs from Namibia released into Kuno by the Prime Minister.
• Second batch: 12 cheetahs from South Africa in February 2023.
• Implementing agency: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under MoEFCC, with MP Forest Department and Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
• Second site: Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (Mandsaur–Neemuch, MP) – cheetahs shifted in 2025.
• History: Cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952 – the only large mammal to go extinct in India after Independence.

About the Cheetah

• Scientific name: Acinonyx jubatus; fastest land animal (~100–120 km/h).
• IUCN status: African cheetah – Vulnerable; Asiatic cheetah – Critically Endangered (survives only in Iran).
• India’s reintroduced cheetahs are African cheetahs.

About Kuno National Park

• Located in Sheopur district, Madhya Pradesh, in the Vindhyan hills; named after the Kuno river (tributary of the Chambal).
• Declared a National Park in 2018

Great Indian Bustard: First Captive-bred Birds Released into the Wild

UPSC Prelims + GS-III (Environment) TNPSC Unit III – Geography SSC/RRB Environment

Why in News: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav released two captive-bred male Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) into the wild at Sam in the Desert National Park, Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) on Sunday (4 October 2026). Rajasthan Forest and Environment Minister Sanjay Sharma was also present.

Significance of the Release

• Marks the transition of India’s GIB programme from building a conservation-breeding population to rewilding and augmenting the species in its natural habitat.
• Scientific learnings will be used to refine protocols for future reintroductions.
• Outcome of nearly a decade of efforts by scientists, researchers and ground staff.

Bustard Recovery Programme

• Partners: MoEFCC + Rajasthan Forest Department + Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun.
• Technical collaboration: International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC), Abu Dhabi (UAE).
• Funding: National CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority).
• Focus areas: Conservation breeding, habitat management, threat mitigation, habitat restoration and community engagement.

Numbers to Remember

• Breeding centres: Sam and Ramdevra (Jaisalmer) – together house 97 birds.
• 40 birds from wild-laid eggs; 57 bred in captivity.
• 86 birds kept for captive reproduction; 11 earmarked for release – of these, 2 released now (first step).
• Chicks produced: 24 live chicks in 2025 and 29 in 2026.

About the Great Indian Bustard

• Scientific name: Ardeotis nigriceps; one of the heaviest flying birds in the world.
• Protection status: IUCN – Critically Endangered; Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972; Appendix I of CMS.
• State bird of Rajasthan; main population in the Thar desert, with small numbers in Gujarat (Kutch), Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
• Wild population: estimated around 150 birds.
• Major threats: Collision with overhead power lines (poor frontal vision), habitat loss, and slow breeding (usually one egg per clutch).
• Supreme Court: In 2021 (M.K. Ranjitsinh case), ordered undergrounding of power lines in GIB habitats; in 2024, modified the order and recognised a right against the adverse effects of climate change (Articles 14 & 21).

India–Japan Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM): Operational Manual Launched

UPSC Prelims + GS-III (Environment) TNPSC Unit III – Geography SSC/RRB Environment

Why in News: On 30 September 2026, Japan’s Ambassador to India H.E. Mr. Keiichi Ono and the then Secretary (MoEFCC) Shri Tanmay Kumar jointly launched the Operational Manual for the India–Japan Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) in New Delhi.

What is the JCM? (Simple Explanation)

• A bilateral carbon-credit mechanism started by Japan in 2013. Japan supports low-carbon technologies in a partner country; the emission reductions achieved are converted into carbon credits shared between both countries – helping both meet their climate targets (NDCs).

Objectives of India–Japan JCM

• Promote deployment of advanced low-carbon technologies.
• Mobilise climate finance and facilitate technology cooperation.
• Support high-integrity emission reductions and removals in India.
• Strengthen confidence and transparency in international carbon markets and contribute to India’s sustainable development.

Timeline

• 7 August 2025: Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) signed.
• 8 June 2026: Rules of Implementation (RoI) adopted.
• 30 September 2026: Operational Manual launched – signals a shift from institutional preparation to implementation.

About the Operational Manual

• Provides a clear, transparent and comprehensive procedural framework for JCM activities.
• Covers the entire project cycle – from submission of a Project Idea Note to the issuance and authorisation of JCM credits.

Article 6 of the Paris Agreement

• Article 6.2: Cooperative approaches – countries trade emission reductions bilaterally as Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs). India–Japan JCM operates under Article 6.2.
• Article 6.4: A UN-supervised global carbon crediting mechanism (Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism, successor to Kyoto’s CDM).
• Article 6.8: Non-market approaches (e.g., capacity building, technology transfer).
• Corresponding adjustment: Accounting rule to ensure the same reduction is not counted twice by two countries.
• Article 6 rulebook was finalised at COP29, Baku (2024).

India’s Domestic Carbon Market

• Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), 2023 – notified under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 (amended 2022); Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is the administrator.

Pacific Pre-COP31 Climate Summit Begins in Nadi, Fiji

UPSC Prelims + GS-III (Environment) TNPSC Unit III – Geography SSC/RRB Environment

Why in News: The UN ‘pre-COP’ climate summit began on 5 October 2026 in Nadi, Fiji, where Pacific leaders are seeking to draw global attention to life on the frontline of climate change.

Key Details

• Opened by: Fiji’s Climate Minister Lynda Tabuya, on behalf of Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, opened the stakeholder programme of the Pacific pre-COP31.
• Venues: Talks are being held in Nadi (Fiji) and on the atoll nation of Tuvalu.
• Purpose: Precursor to COP31, to be held next month (November 2026) in Türkiye.

What is a Pre-COP?

• An informal ministerial meeting held about a month before the main COP to set the agenda and build consensus on key negotiation issues.

COP31 Arrangement

• As agreed at COP30 (Belém, Brazil, 2025): Türkiye hosts COP31 (in Antalya), Australia leads the negotiations, and the pre-COP is held in the Pacific.

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HEALTH

New York Declares Statewide Disaster Emergency over Measles

UPSC Prelims + GS-II (Health) TNPSC Unit I – General Science SSC/RRB Health

Why in News: New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a statewide disaster emergency over a measles outbreak, after 108 cases were reported in the State in 2026.

Key Details

• New York: 108 cases this year; since 15 July, 92 cases reported in 18 counties.
• Pennsylvania: 977 cases, many in rural counties along the New York border.
• Order: All measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) shots must be reported to New York State or New York City immunization registries within 72 hours.

About Measles

• Cause: Measles virus – genus Morbillivirus, family Paramyxoviridae.
• Spread: Through the air (coughing, sneezing); one of the most contagious diseases – one patient can infect 12–18 unvaccinated people.
• Symptoms: High fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, Koplik’s spots (white spots inside the mouth), followed by a skin rash.
• Complications: Pneumonia, encephalitis (brain swelling), blindness; more severe in malnourished children (vitamin A deficiency).
• Prevention: Two doses of vaccine. About 95% coverage is needed for herd immunity.

India Connect

• India’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) gives MR (Measles-Rubella) vaccine at 9–12 months and 16–24 months.
• India targets elimination of Measles and Rubella by 2026; India received the Measles and Rubella Champion Award in 2024.
• The USA had declared measles eliminated in 2000

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INTERNATIONAL

State Visit of Swiss President Guy Parmelin to India (5–7 October 2026)

UPSC Prelims + GS-II (International Relations) TNPSC Unit II – Current Events SSC/RRB International

Why in News: President of the Swiss Confederation, Guy Parmelin, is on a three-day State Visit to India from 5 to 7 October 2026 at the invitation of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Five MoUs/Agreements were concluded.

About the Visit

• Parmelin’s first State Visit to India and his second visit this year – he earlier attended the AI Impact Summit in February 2026.
• EAM S. Jaishankar met the Swiss leader ahead of talks with PM Modi.
• Focus of talks: Trade and investment, mobility and critical technologies.

Outcomes: MoUs / Agreements

• 1. MoU on Migration and Mobility Partnership (MMP):

  • Develops migration and mobility cooperation under equal treatment principles; prevents and combats irregular migration, human exploitation and trafficking.

  • Provides multiple-entry visas for up to 5 years, with stays of up to 6 months on each visit, and renewable 1-year student permits.

• 2. Agreement on the Exchange of Young Professionals (YPS):

  • Young professionals can take up temporary employment in the other country to improve professional and language skills.

  • 300 persons annually per country (may increase to 500); timeline of 30/90 days for verification of nationality/residency status.

• 3. MoU on Transportation Technologies, Mobility Systems and Infrastructure:

  • Between Switzerland’s Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) and India’s Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH).

  • Areas: electric vehicles, ropeways, circular economy, tunnels and other transport sectors.

• 4. Letter of Intent (LoI) – DST and Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF):

  • Long-term cooperation between Indian and Swiss research communities; supports exploratory collaboration and future joint research.

• 5. Implementation Arrangement (IA) – DST and Zurich University of Applied Sciences:

  • Cooperation in innovation, technology transfer and entrepreneurship; implements the Indo–Swiss Academia–Industry Training (AIT India) programme for early-stage startups.

• Announcement: Inaugural session of the Indo-Swiss Research Flagship event in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Gifts by PM Modi – Showcasing Indian Crafts

• Three Indian cheeses (Switzerland is world-famous for cheese):

  • Gulmarg – French-style Brie; heart-shaped, soft, creamy, from pasteurised cow’s milk; won Super Gold at 2026 Mundial do Queijo do Brasil.

  • Konark – French Tomme-style; rustic rind, lemony finish; won gold at 2023 World Cheese Awards (Norway) and silver in Switzerland (2025).

  • Yeoor – mountain-style cheese inspired by Swiss Gruyère; matured 8–9 months; rose-petal and fennel decorated rind; ideal for fondue.

• Kashmiri walnut wood wall panel – hand-carved in deep relief from Himalayan walnut wood; shows landscapes, flora, horses, carriages and village life; reflects indigenous and Central Asian influences.
• For Mrs. Caroline Parmelin: A Kutchi shawl (handwoven, Kutch, Gujarat; geometric motifs, supplementary-weft weaving) placed in a Sadeli box (Surat, Gujarat; geometric patterns made by layering contrasting materials).

India–Switzerland Relations: Static Facts

• Treaty of Friendship signed in 1948.
• India–EFTA TEPA (Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement): signed 10 March 2024, in force from 1 October 2025; EFTA committed USD 100 billion investment and 1 million jobs in India over 15 years.
• Switzerland: Capital Bern; currency Swiss Franc; 7-member Federal Council – the Presidency rotates every year among its members (Parmelin was also President in 2021); 4 official languages – German, French, Italian, Romansh.

India Helps Clear Landmines in Cambodia under Mekong–Ganga Cooperation

UPSC Prelims + GS-II (International Relations) TNPSC Unit II – Current Events SSC/RRB International

Why in News: About 1.98 lakh sq. metres (1,97,810 sq. m) of land affected by landmines in Koh Kong province, Cambodia, was made safe and handed over to local people under a project implemented with India’s support.

Key Details

• Beneficiaries: About 134 families.
• Framework: Carried out under the Mekong–Ganga Cooperation (MGC) initiative.
• Handover: Attended by Tanu Priya, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, Phnom Penh, along with Cambodian officials.
• Use of land: Now safe for agriculture, housing, livelihoods and other socio-economic activities.

Why does Cambodia have Landmines?

• Decades of war and internal conflict (1970s–1990s, including the Khmer Rouge period) left landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) buried across the country – threatening lives and blocking use of land for farming and development.

About Mekong–Ganga Cooperation (MGC)

• Members (6): India, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam.
• Launched: 10 November 2000 at Vientiane, Laos.
• Name: From the two great rivers – Mekong and Ganga.
• Original areas: Tourism, culture, education, transport and communication; India funds Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) in member countries.
• MGC Asian Traditional Textiles Museum is in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Putin at Valdai Club: Kaliningrad in Focus

UPSC Prelims + GS-II (International Relations) TNPSC Unit II – Current Events SSC/RRB International

Why in News: Speaking at the 23rd annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed rising geopolitical tensions over Kaliningrad, Russia’s heavily militarised Baltic Sea exclave.

About Kaliningrad

• Location: Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea coast, completely separated from mainland Russia.
• Borders: Surrounded by NATO members – Poland and Lithuania.
• Military role: Home base of Russia’s Baltic Fleet; one of the most heavily militarised regions in Europe.
• History: Known as Königsberg during centuries of Prussian and German rule (birthplace of philosopher Immanuel Kant); ceded to the Soviet Union after World War II and renamed Kaliningrad (after Soviet leader Mikhail Kalinin).
• Ice-free port: Gives Russia year-round access to the Baltic Sea.

Why is it a Flashpoint?

• Suwałki Gap: A narrow (~65 km) land strip along the Poland–Lithuania border linking Kaliningrad to Belarus – seen as NATO’s most vulnerable point.
• With Finland (2023) and Sweden (2024) joining NATO, the Baltic Sea is now almost surrounded by NATO members.

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TAMILNADU

Annan Seer Scheme: ₹812 crore Allocated in First Phase

UPSC Prelims + GS-II (State Schemes) TNPSC Unit IX – Development Administration in TN SSC/RRB State GK

Why in News: The Tamil Nadu government issued an order allocating ₹812 crore in the first phase for the Annan Seer scheme, under which eligible brides will be given eight grams of gold and a silk saree.

Key Features

• Benefit: 8 grams gold + silk saree to eligible brides.
• Eligibility: Women from families with annual income not exceeding ₹2.5 lakh.
• Phase-I allocation: ₹812 crore.
• Department: Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department; order issued by Secretary Pallavi Baldev.
• Coverage: Marriages taking place on or after the date of the Government Order.
• Application: Online; detailed guidelines to be issued separately.
• Procurement: Gold and sarees to be procured under the Tamil Nadu Transparency in Tenders Act, 1996.
• Gold price: Based on the rate fixed by the Indian Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA).

Meaning of the Name

• ‘Annan’ means elder brother and ‘Seer’ refers to the traditional gifts given to a bride by her family – the State acts like an elder brother giving wedding gifts.

Background

• The earlier Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Marriage Assistance Scheme gave gold for marriage; it was converted into Pudhumai Penn in 2022 (₹1,000 per month to girl students from government schools pursuing higher education).
• Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar – social reformer of the Self-Respect Movement; campaigned against the Devadasi system.

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AWARDS

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2026: Optogenetics

UPSC Prelims (Awards) TNPSC Unit II – Current Events SSC/RRB Awards

Why in News: The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Peter Hegemann, Georg Nagel and Karl Deisseroth for discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics – a method that uses light to control specific nerve cells in the brain.

The Laureates

• Peter Hegemann (Germany) and Georg Nagel (Germany) – discovered that channelrhodopsin is a light-gated ion channel.
• Karl Deisseroth (USA) – used these channels to develop optogenetics for controlling brain cells.

What are Light-gated Ion Channels?

• Proteins that act like tiny doors in a cell’s membrane – but light controls whether the door is open or closed.
• When light of a particular wavelength hits the protein, it changes shape and opens, allowing charged particles (ions) to flow through – this can switch a nerve cell ON.
• Key protein – Channelrhodopsin: Found in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, which uses it to sense light and swim towards it.

What is Optogenetics?

• Opto (light) + Genetics – a technique to switch specific nerve cells on or off using light.
• How it works: (1) The gene for a light-sensitive channel is inserted into selected neurons; (2) light is delivered through a thin optical fibre; (3) scientists observe the effect on memory, emotions and behaviour.
• Why revolutionary: Earlier brain mapping (20th century) could link brain areas to functions but could not prove cause and effect – the Nobel Committee compared it to a ‘sketch map full of question marks’. Optogenetics can prove causal links.
• Nobel Committee Chair Per Svenningsson said optogenetics allows mapping the brain in a way once only dreamed of.

Applications

• Understanding how nerve cells shape memories, feelings and behaviour.
• Research on Parkinson’s disease, depression, epilepsy, addiction and pain.
• Early trials to partially restore vision in inherited blindness (retinitis pigmentosa).

About the Nobel Prize in Medicine

• Awarded by the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm (Sweden).
• First awarded in 1901 to Emil von Behring (serum therapy for diphtheria).
• 2025 winners: Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi – for discoveries on peripheral immune tolerance (regulatory T cells).
• Indian-origin laureate: Har Gobind Khorana (1968) – interpretation of the genetic code.

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TOP 5 QUIZ OF THE DAY

ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS

Q1 – (b): Trips of less than 1 km were not recorded. The survey was released by the NSO, and walking (37%) is the top mode for students.

Q2 – (a): SC judges retire at 65; 62 is the retirement age of High Court judges (Art. 217).

Q3 – (c): All three are correct – Mountain Guardian and Desert Cyclone (Army), Zayed Talwar (Navy), Desert Eagle (Air Force).

Q4 – (c): JCM is a bilateral cooperative approach under Article 6.2 (ITMOs). Article 6.4 is the UN-supervised crediting mechanism.

Q5 – (b): The GIB is the State bird of Rajasthan. It is Critically Endangered, and power-line collisions are its biggest threat.

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