National Current Affairs for UPSC
Every National story from the daily editions, newest first, each in short with why it matters for Prelims and Mains.
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NationalGS3
Drug trafficking law in India: NDPS Act, PIT-NDPS, NCB and NCORD
Why in news: On 21 October 2026, Police Commemoration Day, the Home Minister restated the Home Ministry's target of freeing India from drugs by 31 December 2029.
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 grades drug offences by quantity, with 10 to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment for a commercial quantity; the PIT-NDPS Act, 1988 allows preventive detention of traffickers. The Narcotics Control Bureau and a four-tier NCORD coordinate enforcement. A 2026-2029 roadmap underpins the Home Ministry's target of a drug-free India by 31 December 2029.
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NationalGS3GS2
Bihar relaxes VB-G RAM G farm-season pause for 38 disaster-hit districts
Bihar's Rural Development Department has relaxed the farm-season pause on VB-G RAM G works in 22 flood-hit and 16 drought-hit districts, it said on 21 October, so work can continue through the break notified from 22 October. The order cites flood repairs, a slump in farm jobs and workers returning home for festivals.
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NationalPrelimsGS2
PARAKH turns PRS 2024 learning gaps into monthly district action
PARAKH, the National Assessment Centre under NCERT, has rolled out a nationwide framework of monthly, competency-based teaching and testing to close learning gaps found by PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan (PRS) 2024. District teams are to pick weak competencies, set monthly targets, teach to them and test students. The plan covers 781 districts in all 36 states and UTs.
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NationalPrelimsGS3
HFSS foods: FSSAI's draft limits and front-of-pack warning labels
Why in news: FSSAI published draft HFSS limits for school food on 7 August 2026, and its Supreme Court affidavits since August propose front-of-pack warnings.
Foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) are processed foods whose nutrient content crosses limits a regulator fixes. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) restricts their sale to children on school campuses. It has now proposed numeric limits for school food and, before the Supreme Court, front-of-pack warnings.
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NationalGS1Prelims
ASI begins fresh excavation at Kashipur (Govisana), Uttarakhand
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) this week began a fresh excavation at the Kashipur mound in Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand, which Alexander Cunningham identified with Govisana in Xuanzang's account. The Dehradun Circle expects to dig until March, seeking scientific evidence for earlier finds and the site's full cultural sequence.
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NationalGS3GS2
Tamil Nadu funds 25 extra work days beyond VB-G RAM G's 125
Tamil Nadu has sanctioned Rs 100 crore for 'Vetri 150', a State-funded scheme giving 25 more days of wage work to vulnerable rural households that complete the 125 days guaranteed under the Centre's VB-G RAM G Act, 2025. The extra days, taking them to 150 in 2026-27, go first to women-headed, Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and forest-rights households.
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NationalGS1Prelims
Chhattisgarh's Sirpur enters India's UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List
India has placed the Sirpur Cultural and Archaeological Landscape in Chhattisgarh on its UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, in an entry submitted on 28 September 2026 under criteria (ii) and (iv). The site, dating from the 5th to the 12th century CE, holds Hindu, Buddhist and Jain monuments. A detailed nomination dossier must follow before any inscription.
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NationalGS3GS2
VB-G RAM G Act, 2025: the rural job guarantee that replaced MGNREGA
Why in news: The Ministry of Rural Development notified a Schedule of 375 permissible works on 6 October 2026; the Opposition criticised the Act on 20 October 2026.
The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, which replaced MGNREGA, guarantees every rural household whose adults volunteer for unskilled manual work 125 days of wage employment a year. The Centre and States share its cost. On 6 October 2026, the Ministry of Rural Development notified the list of works it permits.
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NationalGS2GS3
Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and the cybercrime-response chain
Why in news: I4C's National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit flagged, on 19 October 2026, deepfake Facebook and Instagram ads of the Prime Minister, Finance Minister and chief ministers.
The Home Ministry's Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) coordinates India's response to cybercrime: complaints through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and helpline 1930, fund freezes through CFCFRMS, and takedown notices through the Sahyog portal. On 19 October 2026, it warned that deepfake ads impersonating the Prime Minister and chief ministers promote fake welfare schemes.
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NationalGS2GS3
Suspension of Operations (SoO) in Manipur: ground rules, ceasefires, peace accords
Why in news: On 19 October 2026 suspected armed militants killed three firewood collectors in Manipur, police said; reports said the SoO pact had not been renewed.
In Manipur, a Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement is a tripartite truce: the Union, the State and armed groups suspend operations while cadres stay in designated camps under ground rules. The pact with the KNO and UPF was valid until 3 September 2026; reports said it was not renewed. On 19 October 2026, suspected militants killed three firewood collectors there.
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NationalPrelimsGS3
FSSAI directs cold-chain compliance for perishables under 2011 Licensing Regulations
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed food business operators to keep khoa, paneer, meat and fish at the prescribed temperature from sourcing to the end consumer. The advisory restates existing licence conditions and creates no new rule. It tells State food safety officers and Indian Railways to check consignments in transit.
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NationalPrelimsGS2
Supreme Court: digital safety and sex education must enter school curriculum
The Supreme Court on 15 October 2026 said digital safety and age-appropriate sex education must be taught together in the core school curriculum. Children are to learn about their bodies, safe and unsafe touch and consent from the primary stage. Teachers must be trained to spot grooming and to report abuse under the POCSO Act.
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NationalPrelimsGS2
CBI flags lapses in National Testing Agency's NEET-UG paper-setting process
The Central Bureau of Investigation has told the Union Ministry of Education that the National Testing Agency let subject experts work at several paper-setting stages for NEET-UG 2026 and see the final question sets, officers said on 19 October 2026. It also found short CCTV backups and no frisking, and suggests a different expert for each stage.
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NationalGS3GS2
River boat safety: Inland Vessels Act 2021, NDMA guidelines, district duties
Why in news: A boat carrying children capsized in the Ganga near Raghopur in Bihar's Vaishali district on 13 October 2026, killing 13.
The Inland Vessels Act, 2021 gives motorised river vessels one national system of survey and registration, while hand-powered country boats are left to State enrolment under its Chapter XVII. NDMA's 2017 boat-safety guidelines ask States and districts to enforce capacity limits and safety gear. A boat capsize in Bihar's Vaishali district killed 13 children on 13 October 2026.
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NationalGS2Prelims
Fire safety governance: State subject, National Building Code, Model Fire Bill
Why in news: The Home Ministry has asked the MCD to plan a fire and structural audit of every Delhi house, with a report due by end-October 2026.
Fire service is a State subject and a municipal function in the Twelfth Schedule under Article 243W. The Centre steers it through the National Building Code, binding only through State bye-laws, a 2019 Model Fire Bill and a 2023 modernisation scheme. The Home Ministry has now asked Delhi's civic body to plan a fire and structural audit of every home.
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NationalGS4GS2
Kolkata pandal stampede: NDMA's crowd management guide and what failed
A crush at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on 17 October 2026 killed at least 19 people and injured 25. A preliminary police probe found that an organisers' announcement that the pandal would collapse set off the rush amid rain. Seven people were arrested; the State plans to set up a judge-led Special Investigation Team.
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NationalPrelimsGS4
Gwalior temple truck crash: CSP removed, eight police suspended, inquiry ordered
A paddy-laden truck stopped at a police barricade near Gwalior's Sheetla Mata Temple lost control on a slope at 1:30 am on 18 October 2026, hitting Saptami devotees, stalls and the temple gate. Reported tolls range from 13 to at least 15 dead. Madhya Pradesh's Chief Minister ordered the CSP removed, eight police personnel suspended and a detailed inquiry.
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NationalGS3GS2
FSSAI issues notices over misleading labels on coffee-flavoured milk drinks
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said on 17 October 2026 it had issued notices over coffee-flavoured milk drinks labelled “Flavoured Milk” on the front but “Proprietary Food” on the back, and advertised differently online. Their makers must explain why action should not be initiated under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
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NationalPrelimsGS2
Patient safety in Indian hospitals: the national framework and safety cells
Why in news: On 8 October 2026, the National Medical Commission required medical colleges to form Patient Safety Committees/Cells and advised them to name nodal officers.
Patient safety means keeping avoidable harm from health care to a minimum. The Health Ministry's National Patient Safety Implementation Framework set goals for 2018-2025, and the National Patient Safety Secretariat at the Directorate General of Health Services works across eleven domains. On 8 October 2026, the National Medical Commission required every medical college to form a Patient Safety Committee/Cell.
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NationalPrelimsGS2
Mumps and the UIP: why India gives MR, not MMR
Why in news: A report of 18 October 2026 says Keralam's mumps outbreak, running since late 2023, has renewed demands to add MMR to the UIP.
Mumps is a contagious viral infection that swells the salivary glands and can cause deafness, meningitis and orchitis. India's Universal Immunization Programme gives the MR vaccine against measles and rubella but not mumps, which the MMR vaccine adds. A mumps outbreak in Keralam since late 2023 has renewed demands to switch to MMR.
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NationalGS1Prelims
UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage lists and India's 16 elements
UNESCO's 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage protects living traditions through a Representative List, an Urgent Safeguarding List and a Register of Good Safeguarding Practices. India has 16 inscribed elements, all on the Representative List, the latest being Deepavali in December 2025. Durga Puja in Kolkata, celebrated in September or October, joined in 2021.
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NationalGS2
NPPA notifies 30% trade-margin cap on 137 anti-cancer drugs
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority on 17 October 2026 notified an order capping trade margins at 30% on 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs, invoking Paragraph 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. Manufacturers must report revised prices within seven days; lower prices apply from 9 November. The NPPA estimates MRPs could fall by up to 70%.
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NationalPrelimsGS2
Crowd disasters and NDMA's guide on managing mass gatherings
Why in news: A stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on 17 October 2026 killed at least 19 people, per PTI.
Crowd disasters such as stampedes are man-made and preventable, says the National Disaster Management Authority's 2014 guide, which sorts their causes into six groups and puts the first duty on organisers and district administrations. A crush at a Durga Puja pandal exit in north Kolkata on 17 October 2026 killed at least 19 people, per PTI.
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NationalPrelimsGS2
DGMA bars Indian seafarers from Sarawak's inland and coastal vessels
The Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) on 8 October 2026 barred licensed recruitment agencies from placing Indian seafarers on vessels operating only in the inland, riverine, coastal or port-limit waters of Malaysia's Sarawak Region. Its Circular 66 of 2026, issued under section 301 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, cites recurring fatal accidents involving young Indian seafarers.
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NationalPrelimsGS2
Aircraft accident investigation in India: the AAIB and its rules
Why in news: In mid-October 2026 the AAIB made public its final report on the 14 September 2023 Learjet 45XR crash at Mumbai airport.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), an attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation set up in 2012, investigates air accidents under ICAO Annex 13 and the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2025, to prevent repeats, not to fix blame. Its final report on the September 2023 Learjet crash at Mumbai puts the system in focus.
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NationalGS1Prelims
Cochin Jews of Kerala: Malabari, Paradesi and the Anjuvannam copper plates
Why in news: On 12 October 2026, an arson attempt close to the Kadavumbhagam Synagogue in Kochi's Ernakulam Market turned attention to Kerala's dwindling Jewish community.
The Cochin Jews are Kerala's historic Jewish community: Malabari Jews, settled since early times, and Paradesi Jews, who came from Europe and West Asia in the 15th and 16th centuries. Copper plates of around 1000 CE granted their leader Joseph Rabban the Anjuvannam settlement. An attempted arson near Ernakulam's Kadavumbhagam Synagogue on 12 October 2026 has revived interest.
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NationalGS3GS2
FSSAI proposes maximum residue limits for two neonicotinoids in tea
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed maximum residue limits (MRLs) of 20 mg/kg for acetamiprid and 50 mg/kg for imidacloprid in tea. The draft Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Amendment Regulations, 2026 appeared in the Gazette of India on 16 October 2026. Objections and suggestions are invited for 60 days.
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NationalPrelimsGS2
FSSAI draft would bar added sucrose and fructose in infant foods
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed barring the addition of sucrose and fructose to food products meant for infants up to six months old. The draft Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Amendment Regulations, 2026 were published in the Gazette of India on 16 October and are open for comments for 60 days.
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NationalPrelimsGS2
NIRF, NAAC binary accreditation and the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill
Why in news: On 6 October 2026 the 2026 NIRF rankings were reported delayed as a large number of flagged retracted papers are scrutinised.
The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), launched by the Ministry of Education in 2015, ranks higher education institutions on five weighted parameters, while NAAC accredits them. Since 2025 NIRF deducts marks for retracted papers. The 2026 rankings, usually out by September, are delayed as a large number of flagged retractions are scrutinised.
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NationalGS2Prelims
Disaster Management Act, 2005 and its 2025 amendment
Why in news: On 1 August 2026 the Union Home Minister approved advance release of ₹2,117.85 crore from the Central share of SDRF to flood-affected States.
The Disaster Management Act, 2005 builds India's disaster governance in tiers: the NDMA under the Prime Minister, State authorities under Chief Ministers and district authorities under Collectors, backed by a response force and dedicated funds. Its 2025 amendment made the NCMC and HLC statutory. On 1 August 2026, ₹2,117.85 crore of SDRF advances was approved for flood-hit States.
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Other subjects
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