UPSC Current Affairs, 25 October 2026

Road Ministry seeks CERT-In audit of VAHAN, SARATHI over data on sale

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has sought a forensic security audit of its VAHAN, SARATHI, e-Challan and PUCC portals by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). The move follows reports of vehicle-owner data being sold through apps and websites for as little as ₹5. It has also asked MeitY to review its data-sharing policy, officials said.

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Bundibugyo Ebola: TUMAINI vaccine trial starts in DR Congo; outbreak reaches Nigeria

The TUMAINI trial of vaccines against Bundibugyo virus disease, a form of Ebola, began in Bunia in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 23 October 2026, vaccinating contacts of cases in rings. No vaccine or treatment is approved for this virus. On 20 October Nigeria became the outbreak's fifth affected country, after the DRC, Uganda, France and Kenya.

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MHA's Ladakh draft: proposed Article 371K body, regulations need L-G assent

A Ministry of Home Affairs draft for consultation on Ladakh proposes a Union Territory-level elected body with constitutional status under a new Article 371K. A Presidential regulation under Article 240 would set its composition, elections and powers. Its regulations would take effect only after the Lieutenant Governor's assent, and Central laws would continue to apply.

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DGHS bars reuse of single-use medical devices in all hospitals

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has prohibited the reuse of single-use medical devices and disposable surgical items. The ban, in a letter dated 16 October 2026, covers all public and private healthcare facilities. States, Union Territories, the Drugs Controller General of India and State drug controllers have been asked to inspect hospitals and act against violations.

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AgriStack and the Farmer ID: how India's farmer registry works

Why in news: On 24 October 2026 the Agriculture Ministry said 11 crore Farmer IDs were created by 23 October, five months before the 31 March 2027 deadline.

AgriStack is the farmer-centric digital public infrastructure of the Digital Agriculture Mission, built by States with central support. Its three registries cover farmers, geo-referenced village maps and crops sown, and each farmer gets a Farmer ID tied to digitised land records. The Agriculture Ministry says 11 crore Farmer IDs now exist, ahead of target.

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DRDO's Air Independent Propulsion module for submarines enters Setting to Work Phase-2

The Defence Research and Development Organisation's indigenous Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) energy module entered Setting to Work Phase-2 on 24 October 2026 at a Larsen and Toubro plant in Gujarat. AIP lets diesel-electric submarines stay underwater longer by cutting their need for atmospheric oxygen. The module is to be fitted on a Kalvari-class submarine in early 2027.

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