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
POLITY
★ Important One-liners
- NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON e-GOVERNANCE REFORMS – DHARAMSHALA: The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), with the Government of Himachal Pradesh, is holding a two-day National Conference on e-Governance Reforms in Dharamshala on 16–17 October 2026
- Brings together senior officials and practitioners to discuss e-Governance reforms, digital transformation, innovation and good governance practices
- DARPG works under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
ECONOMY
PLFS September 2026: Unemployment Rate Steady at 5%
Why in News: According to the monthly Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) of the National Statistics Office (NSO), India’s Unemployment Rate (UR) for persons aged 15 years and above stood at 5% in September 2026 – unchanged from August. The monthly estimates are based on 3,70,513 persons surveyed.
Key Indicators – September 2026
| Indicator | Rural | Urban | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate (UR) | 4.2% | 6.9% | 5.0% |
| Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) | 58.0% | 50.7% | 55.5% |
| Female UR | 3.9% | 9.2% | 5.2% |
| Female LFPR | 38.9% | 25.9% | 34.6% |
| Worker Population Ratio (WPR) | — | — | 52.7% |
Month-on-Month (vs August 2026)
- UR: Rural 4.1% → 4.2%; Urban 6.8% → 6.9%; overall steady at 5%.
- Female UR: 5.1% → 5.2%; rural female UR (3.9%) is the lowest in 2026; urban female UR 8.9% → 9.2%.
- LFPR: 55.6% → 55.5%; rural 58.2% → 58%; urban 50.4% → 50.7%.
- Urban female LFPR: 25.4% → 25.9% – highest since October 2025.
- WPR: 52.8% → 52.7%.
Year-on-Year (vs September 2025)
- Overall UR fell by 0.2 percentage points to 5%; rural UR fell from 4.6% to 4.2%; urban UR 6.8% → 6.9%.
- LFPR rose from 55.3% to 55.5%; female LFPR rose from 34.1% to 34.6%; WPR rose from 52.4% to 52.7%.
- Unemployment declined year-on-year for both men and women.
Understanding the Terms (Simple Explanation)
- LFPR: % of people (15+) who are working or looking for work – i.e., in the labour force.
- WPR: % of people (15+) who are actually employed.
- UR: % of the labour force (not total population) that is unemployed but seeking work.
- Current Weekly Status (CWS): Activity status based on the last 7 days – used for monthly estimates.
GS Facts: PLFS
- Launched by the NSO (MoSPI) in April 2017; replaced the earlier Employment–Unemployment Surveys of NSSO
- Monthly estimates (CWS) began in 2025
- Also gives quarterly urban and annual estimates
- NSO formed in 2019 by merging CSO and NSSO.
⚠ Exam Trap: UR is calculated on the labour force, while LFPR and WPR are calculated on the total population (15+). Urban UR (6.9%) is higher than rural UR (4.2%), but rural LFPR is higher than urban.
★ Important One-liners
- NATIONAL STRATEGIC TRADE COMMAND CENTRE (NSTCC) LAUNCHED: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal launched the NSTCC at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi
- An integrated analytics and visualisation platform turning trade data into actionable insights – dashboards on trade indicators, scheme performance, application pendency, processing timelines, regional trends and compliance
- SCOMET: Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies – India’s list of dual-use items whose export needs a licence from DGFT; India is a member of MTCR (2016), Wassenaar Arrangement (2017) and Australia Group (2018).
SCIENCE & TECH
8th India–UK Science and Innovation Council Meeting; Genomics Centre of Excellence Inaugurated
Why in News: Dr. Jitendra Singh, MoS (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, and the UK’s Rt Hon Jonathan Reynolds, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, co-chaired the 8th India–UK Science and Innovation Council (SIC) meeting in New Delhi. They also inaugurated the BRIC-CDFD–ONT India Genomics Centre of Excellence.
Key Highlights
- Genomics Centre of Excellence: Joint centre of BRIC-CDFD (Hyderabad) and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT), UK.
- DST–Innovate UK: 8 joint industrial R&D projects in advanced manufacturing, power electronics and net-zero technologies.
- Focus technologies: AI, quantum, semiconductors, critical minerals, advanced materials, biotechnology, telecom and net-zero.
- Joint research: Antimicrobial resistance, healthcare, agriculture, climate and weather (South Asian monsoon hazards, risk-based forecasting), geohazards.
Frameworks Behind the Cooperation
- India–UK Research and Innovation MoU; Technology Security Initiative (TSI); India–UK Vision 2035.
Key Terms
- BRIC: Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council – an apex body of DBT formed by merging its autonomous institutes.
- CDFD: Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad.
- ANRF: Anusandhan National Research Foundation – set up under the ANRF Act, 2023 to fund research across India.
GS Facts: India–UK
- Comprehensive Strategic Partnership since 2021 (Roadmap 2030)
- India–UK CETA (trade agreement) signed in July 2025
- Technology Security Initiative launched in 2024
- UK is among India’s top sources of FDI.
★ Important One-liners
- BENGALURU-BORN ASTRONOMER TO LEAD NASA’S ‘PUFFINS’ MISSION: Dr. Ramya Anche, assistant research professor at the Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, selected as Principal Investigator of NASA’s $20 million mission PUFFINS (Polarimetry in the Ultraviolet to Find Features in INterStellar dust)
- A SmallSat under NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers programme; targeted launch 2030
- A 10-inch telescope will observe ultraviolet light from about 70 distant stars
- Will study the smallest interstellar dust grains (about the size of a common cold virus) to understand how stars and planets form – solving a 50-year-old mystery.
- MICROSOFT UNVEILS ‘AZURE MAIA 300’ AI CHIP: Microsoft introduced Azure Maia 300, its third-generation AI accelerator, as a complete system for cloud-scale agentic inference
- Co-designs software, silicon, rack infrastructure, networking and data centres; designed to keep data close, provide high memory capacity and bandwidth, and minimise data movement within fixed power and cooling limits
DEFENCE
MoD Signs ₹4,106 crore Contracts for GSAT-7C Satellite and Varunastra Torpedoes
Why in News: The Ministry of Defence signed contracts worth about ₹4,106 crore on 15 October 2026 – for a dedicated communication satellite, GSAT-7C, for the Indian Air Force, and Varunastra Heavy Weight Torpedoes for the Indian Navy.
The Two Contracts
| Item | Contractor | Value | For |
|---|---|---|---|
| GSAT-7C satellite | NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), Bengaluru | ₹2,563 cr | Indian Air Force |
| Varunastra torpedoes | Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), Hyderabad | ₹1,543 cr | Indian Navy |
GSAT-7C
- Indigenously designed, developed and manufactured military communication satellite.
- Will give secure, resilient and seamless communication among IAF assets (aircraft, ground stations, AWACS, drones).
- GSAT-7 series: GSAT-7 ‘Rukmini’ (2013) – Navy; GSAT-7A (2018) – IAF; GSAT-7R – Navy.
Varunastra
- Indigenous ship-launched anti-submarine heavyweight torpedo developed by DRDO’s Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam.
- Advanced manoeuvring; can engage enemy submarines at long range – boosts the Navy’s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability.
- Heavyweight torpedo: Large torpedo fired from ships/submarines; lightweight torpedo: smaller, dropped from helicopters/aircraft or fired from ships.
GS Facts: Space & Defence PSUs
- NSIL – NewSpace India Ltd., commercial arm of ISRO, set up in 2019 under the Department of Space
- BDL – Bharat Dynamics Ltd., Hyderabad; makes missiles and torpedoes (Akash, Astra, Varunastra)
- NSTL Visakhapatnam – DRDO lab for underwater weapons.
⚠ Exam Trap: GSAT-7C is for the Air Force (contract with NSIL), while Varunastra is for the Navy (contract with BDL). Varunastra was developed by NSTL Visakhapatnam, not NPOL Kochi.
★ Important One-liners
- ASSAM REGIMENT WINS GOLD AT EXERCISE CAMBRIAN PATROL 2026: Indian Army’s Assam Regiment team won a Gold Medal at Exercise Cambrian Patrol 2026 held in Wales, United Kingdom (2–12 October 2026)
- Competed against 100+ teams; among 10 teams awarded Gold
- Showed endurance, tactical skills and teamwork
- Cambrian Patrol: a demanding international military patrolling exercise organised by the British Army in the Cambrian Mountains / Brecon Beacons of Wales
- Assam Regiment: raised in 1941 at Shillong.
ENVIRONMENT
India’s Ramsar Sites Rise to 103: Sukhna Wetland and Sauj Jheel Added
Why in News: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced that Sukhna Wetland (Chandigarh) and Sauj Jheel (Uttar Pradesh) have been added to the List of Wetlands of International Importance, taking India’s Ramsar sites to 103.
Sukhna Wetland, Chandigarh (Ramsar Site No. 2602)
- Peri-urban reservoir at the edge of Chandigarh, at the base of the Outer Himalayas (Shivaliks); regulates sediment and water flows.
- Habitats from open water to littoral vegetation, scrub and forest; important for birds of the Central Asian Flyway.
- Notable species: Common pochard (Vulnerable), Pallas’s fish eagle (Endangered), black pond turtle (Endangered).
- Challenges: Sediment inflow and invasive species – managed through soil and moisture conservation and removal of invasive plants.
Sauj Jheel, Uttar Pradesh (Ramsar Site No. 2603)
- Shallow lake surrounded by farmland in the Ganga floodplain; close to Saman Bird Sanctuary (a Ramsar site) in Mainpuri district.
- Vegetation: sacred lotus and wild sugarcane (Saccharum spontaneum).
- Supports 30,000+ waterbirds; an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) of BirdLife International.
- Notable species: Sarus crane (Vulnerable; State bird of UP) and greater spotted eagle (Vulnerable).
- Proposed management: Seasonal fishing ban, curbs on fine-mesh nets, control of cattle access.
About the Ramsar Convention
- Signed on 2 February 1971 at Ramsar, Iran; in force from 1975 – the oldest global environmental treaty focused on a single ecosystem.
- India joined in 1982; first sites: Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) (1981).
- Montreux Record: list of Ramsar sites facing threats – India’s Keoladeo and Loktak Lake are on it.
- World Wetlands Day: 2 February. Tamil Nadu has the highest number of Ramsar sites in India.
GS Facts: Wetland Laws & Schemes
- Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
- National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA)
- Amrit Dharohar scheme (2023) for Ramsar sites
- Central Asian Flyway – migratory bird route from Siberia/Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent.
⚠ Exam Trap: Sukhna is in Chandigarh (UT), not Punjab or Haryana. Sauj Jheel lies near Saman Bird Sanctuary (UP), not in Chandigarh. The Montreux Record lists threatened Ramsar sites – Chilika was removed from it in 2002.
Asiatic Lions Return to Gujarat’s Barda Wildlife Sanctuary after 144 Years
Why in News: Barda Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat, where lions had disappeared for nearly 144 years, is now home to 17 Asiatic lions. A study in the journal PLOS One – ‘Beyond Gir: Barda Wildlife Sanctuary as a Potential Stronghold for Asiatic Lions’ – found Barda has suitable habitat and prey to support lions in the long term.
Key Findings of the Study
- GPS collars on 6 lions (1 male, 5 females); 1,69,000+ location points recorded (January 2023 – July 2025).
- Lions are using Barda’s forests and grasslands and establishing home ranges.
- Diet: Wild pigs – 55% of recorded dietary occurrences; domestic cattle – 17% (shows the need to manage human–lion conflict).
How Lions Returned
- Natural dispersal: A male lion moved in from the south-western parts of Gir.
- Planned effort: The Gujarat Forest Department introduced five females to establish a population.
- Barda was declared a sanctuary in 1979, when the Gir–Barda Project was launched to make it a second home for lions.
- Monitoring: 8 full-time lion trackers; stronger response to human–wildlife conflict; Minister Arjun Modhwadia stressed protecting smaller habitats and connectivity.
About Barda Wildlife Sanctuary
- In the Saurashtra region across Porbandar and Devbhumi Dwarka districts; area 192.31 sq km; about 15 km from Porbandar.
- Flora: babul, dhav, rayan, ber, jamun, amli, bamboo; medicinal guggal. Fauna: leopards, hyenas, jackals, sambar, chital, chinkara.
Why a Second Home Matters
- Almost all Asiatic lions live in one landscape (Gir) – risky in case of disease outbreaks (e.g., canine distemper virus deaths in 2018), natural disasters or fires.
GS Facts: Asiatic Lion
- Scientific name: Panthera leo persica
- Found in the wild only in Gujarat (Saurashtra)
- Schedule I, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
- 2025 lion census: 891 lions
- Project Lion for long-term conservation
- Supreme Court (2013) had ordered translocation of some lions to Kuno (MP).
⚠ Exam Trap: Barda is in Gujarat (Porbandar–Devbhumi Dwarka) – not Kuno. The study was in PLOS One. Wild pigs (55%), not cattle, were the main prey. Barda became a sanctuary in 1979.
Antarctic Sea Ice Records Third-Lowest Winter Maximum
Why in News: According to NASA and the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), Antarctic sea ice reached its annual maximum on 14 September 2026, covering about 17.59 million sq km – the third-lowest maximum in the satellite record and about 1 million sq km below the long-term average.
Key Points
- The four lowest winter maxima on record have all occurred in the past four years.
- Antarctic sea ice usually peaks in September (end of Southern Hemisphere winter) and is lowest in February.
- Trend: From 1979 to 2014, it increased by about 1% per decade (record highs in 2012–14); since 2016, it has mostly stayed below normal; record low minimum and maximum both occurred in 2023.
- Experts: ‘This is not a one-off event… it’s a now problem‘ – likely linked to global warming.
Arctic vs Antarctic
- Arctic: An ocean basin surrounded by land – sea ice is confined.
- Antarctic: A continent surrounded by ocean – sea ice can spread far in winter, reaching warmer latitudes, so more melts in summer.
How is it Measured?
- Satellites with passive microwave sensors – sea ice emits more microwave energy than open water; microwaves pass through clouds.
- Satellites used: NASA’s Nimbus-7 (from 1978), DMSP (from 1987), NASA’s Aqua (2002–11), and JAXA’s GCOM-W (from 2025).
Why Sea Ice Matters
- Albedo effect: White ice reflects sunlight; less ice → darker ocean absorbs more heat → more warming.
- Supports marine life (krill, penguins, seals) and affects ocean circulation.
- Note: Melting sea ice does not directly raise sea level (it already floats), unlike melting land ice (ice sheets and glaciers).
GS Facts: India in Antarctica
- Antarctic Treaty (1959; in force 1961) – India joined in 1983
- Indian stations: Dakshin Gangotri (1983, first), Maitri (1989) and Bharati (2012)
- Indian Antarctic Act, 2022
- Nodal agency: NCPOR, Goa (National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research).
⚠ Exam Trap: Antarctic sea ice peaks in September and is lowest in February – the opposite of the Arctic. Melting sea ice does not directly raise sea levels. 2026 was the third-lowest, not the lowest (record low maximum: 2023).
FAO’s State of the World’s Forests 2026: ‘Restoring Forests and Landscapes’
Why in News: The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) 2026 report of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), titled ‘Restoring Forests and Landscapes: The Way Forward for a Sustainable Future’, says forest restoration is now an urgent ecological and economic necessity, not just a conservation choice.
Key Global Figures
- Forests: 4.14 billion hectares (32% of land); store 714 gigatonnes of carbon; host up to 80% of terrestrial biodiversity.
- Degradation: 1.56 billion hectares of land degraded – over 10% of world land, about 5.2 times India’s area – including 460 million hectares of forest.
- Deforestation: About 489 million hectares cleared since 1990, though net annual loss has slowed compared to the 1990s.
- Target: Restore an additional 470 million hectares by 2030 (about 65.6 million ha per year from 2027).
Economics
- Cost of inaction: USD 878 billion to USD 6.3 trillion per year.
- Returns: Up to USD 30 in benefits for every USD 1 invested in restoration.
Four Action Pathways
- People (empower local communities), Land (context-specific landscape planning), Finance (public–private resources) and Policy (coherent legal frameworks).
- Success stories: Africa’s Great Green Wall, China’s Three-North Program, Kenya’s water harvesting in Amboseli, erosion control in Turkey’s Murat River watershed.
India Connect
- India pledged to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 (Bonn Challenge target).
- ISFR 2023: India’s forest and tree cover is 25.17% of its geographical area; Aravalli Green Wall Project (2023).
GS Facts: FAO
- Set up in 1945; HQ Rome, Italy
- World Food Day: 16 October (FAO’s founding day)
- Publishes SOFO (biennial), SOFI (food security) and Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA)
- UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration: 2021–2030.
⚠ Exam Trap: SOFO is published by FAO (not UNEP) and is biennial. Forests cover 32% of land; degraded land is 1.56 billion ha (of which 460 million ha is forest). The Three-North Program is China’s – Africa’s is the Great Green Wall.
✍ Mains Angle (UPSC)
Q. ‘Restoration of degraded landscapes is the cheapest climate solution.’ Discuss with reference to FAO’s SOFO 2026 and India’s restoration commitments.
Value points: Cost of inaction, Bonn Challenge (26 mn ha), Aravalli Green Wall, community participation, agroforestry and natural regeneration.
HEALTH
★ Important One-liners
- KAUMARACON-2026 – AYURVEDIC PAEDIATRICS CONFERENCE: Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan inaugurated KAUMARACON-2026 at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi – an autonomous body under the Ministry of Ayush
- Third international conference on Kaumarabhritya (Ayurvedic paediatrics – care of children), held 15–17 October 2026
- Theme: ‘Shaping the Future of Child Health: Global Perspectives, Research Innovations, and Clinical Frontiers in Kaumarabhritya’
- Also marked AIIA’s Foundation Day – a decade of progress
- Kaumarabhritya is one of the eight branches (Ashtanga) of Ayurveda.
ART & CULTURE
★ Important One-liners
- ‘TAKSHANAM’ – SCULPTURE EXHIBITION AT NGMA: Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurated TAKSHANAM at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi
- Over 250 sculptures by 150 artists of different generations and styles
- Name from the Sanskrit root ‘takṣ’ – ‘to carve, shape and fashion’
- Explores continuities, transitions and new possibilities in Indian sculpture
- NGMA: set up in 1954 at Jaipur House, New Delhi; branches in Mumbai and Bengaluru.
TAMILNADU
CM Launches Tamil Nadu Semiconductor Ecosystem Scheme 2026
Why in News: Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay launched the Tamil Nadu Semiconductor Ecosystem Scheme 2026 at the Secretariat, Chennai on 15 October 2026 – to make Tamil Nadu a leading semiconductor and advanced electronics manufacturing hub and attract fresh investments.
Two Categories of Support
- Category 1: Additional State incentives – over and above Central assistance – for projects approved under the Centre’s Semicon India Programme 2.0 / India Semiconductor Mission (ISM).
- Category 2: Support for eligible projects that do not fall under the Central scheme but are important for strengthening Tamil Nadu’s semiconductor ecosystem.
Centre’s Semicon India Programme 2.0
- Approved by the Union Government on 15 July 2026.
- Covers the entire value chain – chip design, semiconductor manufacturing equipment and raw materials, wafer fabrication (fabs), R&D and skill development.
Know the Terms
- Fab (wafer fabrication): Plant that makes chips on silicon wafers – the most capital-intensive step.
- ATMP/OSAT: Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging of chips.
- Guidance Tamil Nadu: The State’s nodal investment promotion agency.
GS Facts: Semiconductors in India
- Semicon India Programme (2021) – ₹76,000 crore outlay
- India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) works under MeitY
- India’s first commercial fab: Tata Electronics–PSMC, Dholera (Gujarat)
- Tamil Nadu is India’s largest electronics exporting State.
⚠ Exam Trap: Category 1 gives extra State incentives on top of the Centre’s ISM/Semicon 2.0 support; Category 2 covers projects outside the Central scheme. Semicon India Programme 2.0 was approved by the Centre (July 2026), not by the State.
★ Important One-liners
- TWO NEW JUDGES FOR MADRAS HIGH COURT: Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari administered the oath to Justices D. Lingeswaran (from Radhapuram, Tirunelveli) and B. Karthikeyan (from Thanjavur), elevated from the district judiciary on 15 October 2026
- Working strength rose from 65 to 67 against a sanctioned strength of 75; 56 are permanent judges, the rest additional judges
- Both joined the district judiciary in January 2014
- Madras High Court: set up in 1862 – one of the three chartered High Courts (with Calcutta and Bombay) under the Indian High Courts Act, 1861; Madurai Bench since 2004
- HC judges are appointed under Article 217; additional judges under Article 224 (up to 2 years).
AWARDS
★ Important One-liners
- JINDAL STEEL WINS WORLDSTEEL ‘STEELIE AWARD’ 2026: Jindal Steel Ltd. won the 2026 Steelie Award for Excellence in People for ‘Dakshata – Engineering Safety: One Duty Position at a Time’
- Announced by the World Steel Association (worldsteel) at the 17th Steelie Awards in New Delhi on 12 October 2026
- Dakshata defines safety skills for each duty position, assesses capability, fills gaps and reassesses
- Covered 27,100+ employees across 6 locations; assessment of 11,639 non-executives showed safety knowledge score 0.81 vs practical skill score 0.71
- worldsteel: set up in 1967; HQ Brussels
- India is the world’s 2nd largest steel producer.
SPORTS
★ Important One-liners
- SHUBMAN GILL – RECORD 5th ICC PLAYER OF THE MONTH AWARD: Shubman Gill won the ICC Player of the Month award (announced 13 October 2026) for September 2026, for his batting in India’s ODI series against the West Indies
- His 5th award – a record among men; earlier awards: January 2023, September 2023, February 2025, July 2025
- Equals the overall record of West Indies captain Hayley Matthews (5 women’s awards)
- Shafali Verma won the women’s award for September, for performances in the Asia Cup and Asian Games
- ICC introduced these awards in 2021; ICC HQ: Dubai.
RAPID REVISION
| Topic | Key Fact to Remember |
|---|---|
| Ramsar sites | 103 – Sukhna Wetland (Chandigarh), Sauj Jheel (UP) |
| Sauj Jheel | Near Saman Bird Sanctuary; 30,000+ waterbirds; IBA |
| Barda WLS | 17 Asiatic lions after 144 years; Porbandar–Devbhumi Dwarka |
| Barda lion diet | Wild pigs 55%; cattle 17% |
| Antarctic sea ice | Max 17.59 mn sq km on 14 Sept – 3rd lowest |
| FAO SOFO 2026 | ‘Restoring Forests and Landscapes’; forests 32% of land |
| PLFS Sept 2026 | UR 5%; LFPR 55.5%; WPR 52.7% |
| Female LFPR | 34.6% (urban female LFPR 25.9% – highest since Oct 2025) |
| GSAT-7C | IAF comms satellite; NSIL; ₹2,563 cr |
| Varunastra | Heavyweight torpedo; BDL; ₹1,543 cr; NSTL |
| Cambrian Patrol 2026 | Assam Regiment – Gold; Wales, UK |
| India–UK SIC | 8th meeting; BRIC-CDFD–ONT Genomics CoE |
| PUFFINS | NASA SmallSat; PI Ramya Anche; launch 2030 |
| Azure Maia 300 | Microsoft’s 3rd-gen AI accelerator |
| NSTCC | Trade analytics platform; SCOMET dashboard |
| TN Semiconductor Scheme | Launched 15 Oct 2026; two categories |
| Madras HC | Working strength 67 / sanctioned 75 |
| KAUMARACON-2026 | Ayurvedic paediatrics; AIIA New Delhi |
| TAKSHANAM | Sculpture exhibition; NGMA New Delhi |
| Steelie Award 2026 | Jindal Steel – Excellence in People |
| ICC POTM (Sept 2026) | Shubman Gill (5th – record) & Shafali Verma |
TOP 5 QUIZ OF THE DAY
Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS):
1. The Unemployment Rate is calculated as a percentage of the total population aged 15 years and above.
2. In September 2026, the urban unemployment rate was higher than the rural unemployment rate.
3. PLFS is conducted by the National Statistics Office.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 2 and 3 only
- (b) 1 and 2 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Q2. Consider the following pairs (Item – Contractor/Developer):
1. GSAT-7C – NewSpace India Limited
2. Varunastra – Bharat Dynamics Limited
3. Exercise Cambrian Patrol – French Army
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- (a) Only one
- (b) Only two
- (c) All three
- (d) None
Q3. Consider the following pairs (Ramsar site – State/UT):
1. Sukhna Wetland – Chandigarh
2. Sauj Jheel – Madhya Pradesh
3. Saman Bird Sanctuary – Rajasthan
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- (a) Only one
- (b) Only two
- (c) All three
- (d) None
Q4. Consider the following statements regarding Antarctic sea ice:
1. It usually reaches its maximum extent in September.
2. Melting of sea ice directly causes a significant rise in global sea level.
3. Its extent is measured using satellites with passive microwave sensors.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Q5. Consider the following statements:
1. The Madras High Court is one of the three chartered High Courts established in 1862.
2. Additional judges of a High Court are appointed under Article 224 for a period not exceeding two years.
3. The Tamil Nadu Semiconductor Ecosystem Scheme provides support only to projects approved under the Centre’s India Semiconductor Mission.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 1 only
- (c) 2 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
Q1 – (a): Statement 1 is wrong – UR is calculated on the labour force, not the total population. Urban UR (6.9%) is higher than rural (4.2%); PLFS is conducted by the NSO.
Q2 – (b): Pairs 1 and 2 are correct – GSAT-7C → NSIL (₹2,563 cr, IAF); Varunastra → BDL (₹1,543 cr, Navy). Cambrian Patrol is organised by the British Army in Wales.
Q3 – (a): Only pair 1 is correct. Sauj Jheel and the nearby Saman Bird Sanctuary are both in Uttar Pradesh (Mainpuri district).
Q4 – (c): Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Sea ice already floats on the ocean, so its melting does not directly raise sea level.
Q5 – (a): Statements 1 and 2 are correct – Madras HC (1862) is a chartered High Court; additional judges serve up to 2 years (Art. 224). The TN scheme also supports projects outside the Central scheme (Category 2).
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