National Current Affairs for UPSC

16 October 2026

Sports Ministry issues norms for revised National Sports Federations assistance scheme

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on 16 October 2026 released operational guidelines for the revised Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations, approved for 2026-27 to 2030-31 at Rs 7,386.74 crore. New components include planned Olympic Training Centres, up to Rs 50 crore for hosting an international event, and support for indigenous-sports federations' global outreach.

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16 October 2026

Global Hunger Index: publishers, indicators and method

Why in news: The 2026 Global Hunger Index, released in October 2026, scores India at 24.1, in the 'serious' band, per its publishers.

The Global Hunger Index is an annual, peer-reviewed report that scores hunger in countries on a 100-point scale from four indicators: undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and child mortality. Its 2026 edition, released in October 2026, puts India's score at 24.1, in the 'serious' band, per its publishers.

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16 October 2026

Foreign university campuses in India: UGC Regulations, 2023 and GIFT IFSC

Why in news: On 15 October 2026, the University of Liverpool opened its Bengaluru campus, following a May 2025 Letter of Intent under the UGC's 2023 Regulations.

Foreign universities can open Indian campuses by two routes: the UGC Regulations, 2023, open to institutions in the global top 500, and the International Financial Services Centres Authority's 2022 regulations for GIFT City, Gujarat. The University of Liverpool opened its Bengaluru campus under the UGC route on 15 October 2026, with nearly 300 students.

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16 October 2026

Measles and rubella: the MR vaccine and India's elimination goal

Measles and rubella are contagious airborne viral diseases prevented by the combined measles-rubella (MR) vaccine, given free in two doses at 9-12 and 16-24 months under the Universal Immunization Programme. India's target is to eliminate both by 2026, the goal of the National Zero Measles-Rubella Elimination Campaign launched in April 2025.

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16 October 2026

Rock art in India: petroglyphs, rock paintings and their protection

Why in news: On 15 October 2026 the Prime Minister inaugurated India's first Petroglyph Conservation Park in Leh, one of five Ladakh projects, PIB said.

Rock art is imagery made on natural rock, chiefly painted onto it (pictographs) or carved, pecked or engraved into it (petroglyphs). NCERT dates India's earliest rock paintings to the Upper Palaeolithic; Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh is a World Heritage Site. On 15 October 2026 the Prime Minister inaugurated what the Government calls India's first Petroglyph Conservation Park, in Leh.

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16 October 2026

PM inaugurates India's first Petroglyph Conservation Park at Leh's Sindhu Ghat

The Prime Minister on 15 October 2026 inaugurated, by video conference, what the Prime Minister's Office calls India's first Petroglyph Conservation Park, at Sindhu Ghat in Leh, to shelter Ladakh's prehistoric rock carvings. He also dedicated the 298-km Nimmu-Padum-Darcha road over Shinkun La and opened a geothermal-heated terminal at Leh airport, among five projects worth about Rs 3,350 crore.

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15 October 2026

Drug demand reduction: NAPDDR and Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan

Why in news: On 15 October 2026, PIB released a case study of an Odisha man who recovered from alcohol dependence at a NAPDDR-supported centre in Dhenkanal.

The National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction, run by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment since 2018, funds prevention, counselling, treatment and rehabilitation for people dependent on drugs and alcohol. Its campaign, the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, began on 15 August 2020 and now covers every district. A PIB case study on 15 October 2026 traced a recovery.

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15 October 2026

DoT orders Calling Name Presentation on 4G and above from 1 November

In a circular dated 13 October 2026, the Department of Telecommunications instructed all access-service providers to introduce Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) on 4G and higher-generation networks from 1 November 2026, for every user without a separate request. An unsaved domestic caller will appear under the name in their operator's subscriber records. 2G, 3G and landlines will be considered separately.

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15 October 2026

Cell broadcast and civil defence: how India warns its public

Why in news: The Indian Express reported on 15 October 2026 that C-DOT is trialling a prototype sounding air raid sirens by cell broadcast, from Jaisalmer to Mumbai.

Cell broadcast sends one geo-targeted alert to every phone in an area within seconds, without phone numbers, apps or internet. Developed by C-DOT and linked to NDMA's CAP-based SACHET, it was launched nationwide on 2 May 2026. A C-DOT prototype using it to sound civil defence sirens was field-tested in Mumbai on 8 October 2026, a press report says.

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15 October 2026

High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes: mandate and method

Why in news: On 14 October 2026 the committee's chairman launched demography.mha.gov.in, a portal seeking inputs from governments, institutions and citizens.

The High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes is a Ministry of Home Affairs panel, constituted on 26 May 2026 under retired Supreme Court judge Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar, to study the nature, causes and consequences of demographic change and recommend measures. On 14 October 2026 it opened a portal inviting governments, organisations and citizens to send inputs.

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15 October 2026

Keralam Bill proposes registering elder-care centres, recognising living wills

The Keralam government presented the Keralam Senior Citizens (Care and Protection of Rights) Bill, 2026, in the Legislative Assembly on 13 October. If passed, it would make registration compulsory for elder-care centres and caregivers, recognise living wills, and punish abuse, abandonment or seizure of a resident's property with up to three years in jail.

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14 October 2026

Tele-MANAS: the National Tele Mental Health Programme (14416)

Why in news: On 9 October 2026, before World Mental Health Day, the Health Ministry said Tele-MANAS had received 47,75,644 calls through 53 cells in 36 States/UTs.

Tele-MANAS (Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States) is the Union Health Ministry's free, round-the-clock mental health helpline on 14416, launched on 10 October 2022. Counsellors in State cells answer first and refer callers onward to specialists, district services or e-Sanjeevani. The Ministry said on 9 October 2026 that it had received 47,75,644 calls since launch.

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14 October 2026

Greater India Society at 100: India's cultural links across Asia

The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts opened a three-day international conference in New Delhi on 14 October 2026, marking the centenary of the Greater India Society, or Brihattar Bharat Parishad, founded in Calcutta in 1926. Held under the Ministry of Culture's Brihattar Bharat Scheme (2026-2031), it gathers scholars and envoys from 50 nations, per IGNCA.

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14 October 2026

Cabinet extends National Social Assistance Programme to 2030-31, renames it

The Union Cabinet on 14 October 2026 extended the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) to 2030-31 with Rs 53,428 crore and renamed it the Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana. Its disability pension now needs 40% disability instead of 80% and pays Rs 375 or Rs 625 a month. The government puts beneficiaries at 3.20 crore.

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14 October 2026

National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme and the 2030 elimination goal

The National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme, launched on 28 July 2018 under the National Health Mission, offers free screening, diagnosis and drugs for hepatitis B and C. It aims at countrywide elimination of hepatitis C by 2030, in line with SDG 3.3. India has reaffirmed its goal of ending hepatitis B and C as public health threats by 2030.

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13 October 2026

National Culture Fund: funding heritage conservation through CSR

Why in news: HAL, the National Culture Fund and the ASI signed an agreement on 13 October 2026 for Rs 23.60 crore of heritage works.

The National Culture Fund, a Ministry of Culture trust set up in 1996, lets companies, PSUs and individuals pay for conserving monuments and cultural traditions as partners of the government, with a 100% tax deduction on donations. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has now approved Rs 23.60 crore in principle through it for works at Hampi, the Taj Mahal and Bekal Fort.

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13 October 2026

India's TB elimination drive: NTEP, TB Mukt Bharat and BPaLM

Why in news: PIB's explainer 'Towards a TB-Free India' of 13 October 2026 reviewed NTEP's progress as the JOSH youth awareness campaign began in 55 districts.

The National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) of the Health Ministry aims to end tuberculosis in India before the global 2030 target, through early detection, free treatment, prevention and patient support such as Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana cash aid. A PIB explainer of 13 October 2026 reviewed its progress, citing WHO's figure of a 21% fall in TB incidence over 2015-2024.

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13 October 2026

Caring for India's elderly: the Maintenance Act, NPHCE and AVYAY

Why in news: The National Institute of Social Defence scheduled a five-day geriatric-care course for about 50 frontline workers in Diu from 9 October 2026.

The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 obliges children and heirs to maintain parents, enforced through Maintenance Tribunals. Health care runs through the Health Ministry's NPHCE; old age homes and assistive devices through the Social Justice Ministry's Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana. The National Institute of Social Defence scheduled geriatric-care training in Diu from 9 October.

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13 October 2026

Tribal Affairs Ministry launches financial literacy drive for PVTG villages

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) have launched PVTG Vitta Samriddha Gram, a financial-literacy drive for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups. Officials said its first phase aims to cover about 200 villages in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh by March 2027, through camps explaining concessional loans.

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13 October 2026

Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023: managing street dogs and rabies

The Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, make local bodies sterilise street dogs, vaccinate them against rabies and return them to their area instead of relocating them. Organisations recognised by the Animal Welfare Board of India do the work.

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13 October 2026

Lakshadweep declared fully literate under ULLAS literacy scheme

Lakshadweep Administrator Praful Patel on October 11, 2026 declared the Union Territory fully literate under ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, at a function in Kavaratti. Its Department of Education had identified 1,113 adult non-literates in a survey. The department says all eligible learners then passed the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT).

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13 October 2026

Drug price control in India: DPCO 2013, NLEM and NPPA

Why in news: On 12 October 2026, the Centre told the Supreme Court of a 30% trade-margin cap on non-scheduled cancer drugs; the Court asked why not others.

India controls medicine prices through the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, made under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority fixes ceiling prices for the National List of Essential Medicines and limits yearly price rises on others. On 12 October 2026, the Supreme Court questioned why the Centre's proposed 30% trade-margin cap covers only cancer drugs.

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13 October 2026

Army signs five-year MoU with Food Corporation of India, launches Bharat Rice

The Indian Army on 12 October 2026 launched 'Bharat Rice' for defence personnel and signed a five-year MoU letting it use the Food Corporation of India's warehouses, manpower and material-handling equipment in operational contingencies. NAFED will supply the rice, milled to defence specifications, during 2026-27, delivering it straight to Army supply depots in Ladakh, the North-east and elsewhere.

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12 October 2026

NDRF drought aid: central team ends Maharashtra survey; memorandum next

The Centre's 11-member inter-ministerial central team finished a three-day survey of drought-hit Maharashtra on 10 October 2026 and met the Chief Minister on 11 October. The State, which has declared drought in 265 of its 358 talukas, has sought Rs 17,500 crore in an interim request and will file a detailed memorandum for National Disaster Response Fund help.

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12 October 2026

Drought declaration: Manual for Drought Management, 2016, SDRF and NDRF

Why in news: On 11 October 2026 the central drought assessment team met Maharashtra's Chief Minister in Mumbai; Andhra Pradesh declared 388 mandals drought-hit on 1 October.

A State government declares drought by notification under the Manual for Drought Management, 2016, after a rainfall trigger, an impact trigger and field verification. Relief comes from the State Disaster Response Fund; a severe drought can also draw on the National Disaster Response Fund. A central team assessing Maharashtra's drought met the Chief Minister on 11 October 2026.

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11 October 2026

Lighthouses and the DGLL: India's marine aids to navigation

Lighthouses are aids to navigation that guide ships past dangerous coasts. India's are run by the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL), under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and governed by the Marine Aids to Navigation Act, 2021. Four lighthouses being built on the Brahmaputra will be India's first on an inland waterway.

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11 October 2026

Prasar Bharati and PBSHABD: the public broadcaster's free news feed

Why in news: PBSHABD, Prasar Bharati's free news feed, now serves 3,600 media organisations, with a PBSHABD 2.0 planned, the government said on 24 September 2026.

Prasar Bharati, the autonomous public broadcaster created by the Prasar Bharati Act, 1990, runs Akashvani and Doordarshan. Its PBSHABD service, launched in March 2024, gives registered media outlets free news in five formats and 15 Indian languages. About 3,600 outlets now use it, free until March 2027, the government said on 24 September 2026.

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11 October 2026

Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 and manual scavenging: the 2013 Act, NAMASTE

Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs' mission launched on 1 October 2021, aims for garbage-free cities and an end to hazardous entry into sewers and septic tanks through machines, protective gear and training. A PIB feature on 1 October 2026 described its July 2025 monsoon cleanliness campaign and city steps to protect sanitation workers.

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11 October 2026

PM-SETU: hub-and-spoke upgrade of government Industrial Training Institutes

Why in news: In PM-SETU's first year, 850 ITIs were identified and 14 cluster plans worth Rs 3,446 crore approved, the government said on 3 October 2026.

PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs) is a Rs 60,000 crore centrally sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to upgrade 1,000 government Industrial Training Institutes as 200 hubs and 800 spokes, under industry-led management. By its first anniversary on 4 October 2026, 850 ITIs had been identified.

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11 October 2026

Behaviour change in Swachh Bharat Mission: SBCC, Swachhagrahis and ODF protocols

Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) is how the Swachh Bharat Mission makes toilet use and clean habits last: home visits by Swachhagrahis, village vigilance committees, mass media, and certification such as ODF, ODF+ and ODF++. The Mission, launched on 2 October 2014, turned twelve on 2 October 2026, when the government published a note on this approach.

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