National current affairs for UPSC and UKPSC aspirants. Each article explains a PIB release, scheme, report or event, and picks out the facts that matter for the exam.
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The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has renamed the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP). The programme will now be the Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana. The Cabinet took the decision on 14 October 2026. Moreover, it approved the scheme’s continuation from 2026-27 to 2030-31 with an outlay of Rs 53,428 crore. As […]
Read MoreJapan’s space agency JAXA has sent its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft towards Mars. The MMX Phobos mission flew on the tenth H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center. JAXA had fixed the launch for 4:41 am JST on 20 October 2026. Notably, MMX aims to land on Phobos, collect samples and return them to Earth […]
Read MoreA PIB backgrounder of 18 October 2026 has highlighted Kufri Jamunia, India’s first purple-fleshed biofortified potato. The ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Shimla, developed this variety and released it in 2024. Notably, both its skin and flesh are deep purple because of high anthocyanin pigments. Moreover, it contains more vitamin C, zinc and iron than […]
Read MoreFSSAI has proposed a ban on added sugar in infant food for babies up to six months. Its draft amends the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020. The Gazette of India carried the draft on 16 October 2026. Under it, makers cannot add sucrose and fructose to products for infants up […]
Read MoreOil marketing companies (OMCs) received 987 crore litres of ethanol in Ethanol Supply Year 2025-26 till September 2026. These figures come from All India Distillers’ Association (AIDA) data, reported on 15 October 2026. The total allocation for the year stands at 1,197 crore litres. So, overall fulfilment reached 82.5%. Notably, maize emerged as the largest […]
Read MoreIndia’s list of wetlands of international importance has now grown to 103. Chandigarh’s Sukhna Lake and Uttar Pradesh’s Sauj Jheel are the newest additions. Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh shared the news on 16 October 2026. Notably, the Sukhna Lake Ramsar site lies at the foot of the Shivalik hills. According to […]
Read MoreThe Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the Nobel Prize in Economics 2026 on 12 October 2026. The prize goes to American economists Robert E. Hall of Stanford University and Michael Woodford of Columbia University. The Academy honoured them “for the microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilization”. Notably, their work underpins the New Keynesian models that […]
Read MoreLadakh has launched India’s first high-altitude snow leopard safari. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena flagged off six safari vehicles on 7 October 2026. Notably, the launch took place during Wildlife Week celebrations at Choglamsar in Leh. Moreover, the safari aims to promote responsible wildlife tourism. Routes of the Snow Leopard Safari At first, the vehicles […]
Read MoreThe Nobel Prize in Literature 2026 has gone to Canadian author Anne Carson. Notably, the Swedish Academy announced the prize on 8 October 2026. It honours her “bold and inventive oeuvre”. In the Academy’s words, her work is “in playful dialogue with the classical tradition”. Moreover, it “has created new forms for contemporary literature.” Who […]
Read MoreThe Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 has gone to Henri B Kagan and Kenso Soai. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced it on 7 October 2026. Notably, it honours them “for the discovery of nonlinear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis”. Moreover, their work helps explain one of chemistry’s oldest mysteries. Who Won […]
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