Current affairs — 26 October 2026

Prelims pointers

• The Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer ordered reverification of entries made by computer operators after the post-SIR final rolls were published on April 10, 2026.
• Future physical applications were directed to be digitised exclusively by Booth Level Officers through the BLO App, not by computer assistants.
• Electoral Registration Officers were instructed to review pending Form-6, Form-7 and Form-8 applications daily and dispose of them according to rules.
• Officials were instructed not to share their ERONET login IDs or passwords and to preserve all physically received forms properly.
• The report says Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 covers breach of official duty connected with preparing electoral rolls.

Prelims pointers

• The RBI’s new Data Centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute were inaugurated in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on October 25, 2026.
• The new Data Centre will house RBI mission-critical systems, including RTGS and NEFT.
• The Cybersecurity Training Institute will build expertise in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
• The release links resilient technological infrastructure with safeguarding financial stability and supporting sustained economic growth.
• RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra emphasised digital infrastructure, cybersecurity and indigenous technological capabilities in his address.

Prelims pointers

• Claude Cohen-Tannoudji shared the 1997 Physics Nobel Prize for work that enabled manipulation and cooling of atoms with laser light.
• Doppler cooling uses photon momentum and directional absorption to reduce an atom's average kinetic energy.
• Sisyphus cooling repeatedly converts an atom's kinetic energy to potential energy and removes energy through optical pumping.
• Cohen-Tannoudji's group developed methods that cooled atoms to a few nanokelvins above absolute zero.
• In 1994, Cohen-Tannoudji wrote in Current Science about S. Pancharatnam's work on optical pumping.

Prelims pointers

• The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 contains 44 sections in nine chapters and one Schedule.
• Consent-manager provisions are set to begin on November 13, 2026, with other substantive obligations from May 13, 2027.
• Under the framework described, the patient is the data principal and the hospital is the data fiduciary.
• Failure to take reasonable safeguards can attract a penalty of up to ₹250 crore.
• A 2023 study estimated a 17.7% budget increase for one urban PHC, falling to about 6% per PHC when applied across 400 PHCs.

Prelims pointers

• The proposal exposes mercury-198 to high-energy neutrons, producing mercury-197 that decays into stable gold-197.
• The conversion of mercury nuclei into gold nuclei is nuclear transmutation, not nuclear fusion.
• Natural mercury contains about 10% mercury-198, while Marathon's simulations assumed enrichment to 90%.
• Gold-195, a possible radioactive by-product, has a half-life of about 186 days.
• The 2025 preprint projected about 2,000 kg of gold annually per gigawatt of thermal fusion power using computer simulations.

Prelims pointers

• The proposed Tehran security meeting would involve Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye.
• The named visiting officials were Khalid bin Salman, General Asim Munir and Ibrahim Kalin.
• Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei was named as the Iranian participant in the meeting.
• The meeting was proposed during Pakistani Army chief Asim Munir’s visit to Tehran in the preceding week.
• Around one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas used to travel through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the report.

Prelims pointers

• Gujarat declared Devbhoomi Dwarka, Kutch, Jamnagar and Porbandar districts drought-affected on October 26, 2026.
• The declaration followed the Centre’s 2016 drought guideline and was announced as effective for six months.
• Gujarat received 89% rain overall during the monsoon, while the four declared districts received very little rain.
• SDRF crop-failure assistance was announced at ₹8,500 per hectare for up to two hectares.
• Affected districts were promised 150 days of employment under VB-G RAM G from November 1, alongside discounted fodder and cattle-shelter support.

Prelims pointers

• The report was issued by the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, composed of independent experts commissioned by the UN.
• The commission said Israeli control in Gaza rose from 53% in October 2025 to at least 60%.
• The report said at least 196 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire across the advancing front, including 18 women, 32 boys and 11 girls.
• The commission said it investigated seven bodily-harm cases spanning November 2023 to June 2026.
• The findings could be used by International Criminal Court prosecutors or in other jurisdictions, according to the report.

Prelims pointers

• The proposed Tummidihatti barrage is across the Pranahita river and Telangana seeks to raise it from 148 metres to 152 metres.
• The 148-metre height was envisaged in an agreement reached in 2016.
• The proposed joint committee would be headed by the Principal Secretaries of the two States' Irrigation Departments.
• The committee is to examine water availability, technical feasibility, submergence, compensation and possible alternatives.
• The Central Water Commission is to continue its technical examination within its jurisdiction.

Prelims pointers

• IMD classifies a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm by maximum sustained wind speeds of 118-167 kmph.
• An Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm has winds of 168-221 kmph, while a Super Cyclonic Storm exceeds 221 kmph.
• IMD records list ten Very Severe Cyclonic Storms affecting the Andhra Pradesh coast between 1970 and 2023.
• Phailin, Lehar and Madi were the three Very Severe Cyclonic Storms recorded in 2013.
• Titli formed over the Bay of Bengal in October 2018 and made landfall near Palasa.

Prelims pointers

• Virtual autopsy uses CT and MRI imaging to create three-dimensional data of the whole body or relevant parts.
• Its objectives include determining cause and manner of death, establishing identity and collecting evidence for litigation and investigation.
• Forensic experts said a medico-legal autopsy remains mandatory in suspicious or unnatural deaths.
• A December 2025 project report for Kottayam estimated ₹15.5 crore in capital cost and ₹2.5 crore in annual recurring cost.
• The proposed system would link Radiology and Forensic Medicine with the judiciary and law-enforcement agencies.

Prelims pointers

• Karnataka began the Special Intensive Revision with 5.54 crore voters and deleted 1.07 crore names during the exercise.
• The draft electoral roll contained 4.54 crore voters after around one crore names had been removed.
• The largest deletion category covered 80.62 lakh voters who had shifted residence or were not found at their addresses.
• Draft-stage deletions included 16.39 lakh recorded deaths, over seven lakh duplicate entries and 3.83 lakh under ‘Others’.
• Only 7,87,534 applications for inclusion were received, a count that also included new-voter applications.

Prelims pointers

• Kolamarka Conservation Reserve in Gadchiroli, known for wild buffaloes, was approved for declaration as a wildlife sanctuary.
• The board approved 14 conservation reserves across Pune, Raigad, Nashik, Nandurbar, Thane, Palghar and Chandrapur districts.
• A total of 588.767 hectares from six villages was approved for inclusion in the newly expanded Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Critical-wildlife-habitat proposals covered 100.139 sq km of Koka Wildlife Sanctuary and 255.79 sq km of Jayakwadi Bird Sanctuary.
• The decisions were taken at the 26th meeting of the Maharashtra State Board for Wildlife, chaired by the Chief Minister.

Prelims pointers

• Iranian state television described the October 26, 2026 gathering in Tehran as a first meeting involving Iran and Mecca pact countries.
• The meeting brought Iran together with representatives from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey.
• Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey were described in the report as recent signatories to the Mecca defence pact.
• Iran and the three Mecca pact countries agreed after the Tehran meeting to continue their discussions.
• The stated aim of future discussions was to strengthen cooperation, including on regional peace and security.

Prelims pointers

• The programme targets training 10,000 medical and allied service providers by March 2029 under the Vision Document on Narcotic Control: 2026–2029.
• The phased target is 2,000 trainees in the current financial year, 3,000 in 2027–28 and 5,000 in 2028–29.
• Six institutions under the Drug De-Addiction Programme will conduct training, with NDDTC, AIIMS coordinating overall implementation.
• Live online training for doctors and medical officers will run weekly for 12 weeks, with a combined capacity of 300 participants per week.
• The blended programme includes live online sessions, five-day in-person training and self-paced courses for different healthcare personnel.

Prelims pointers

• ADMM is ASEAN's highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism, while ADMM-Plus includes ASEAN members and eight Dialogue Partners.
• The eight ADMM-Plus Dialogue Partners are India, the US, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
• India became an ASEAN Dialogue Partner in 1992, and the inaugural ADMM-Plus met in Hanoi on October 12, 2010.
• ADMM-Plus ministerial meetings have been held annually since 2017; the Philippines chaired the mechanism in 2026.
• India and Malaysia co-chaired the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group on Counter-Terrorism for the 2024–2027 cycle.

Prelims pointers

• The Defence Acquisition Council accorded Acceptance of Necessity to proposals estimated at about ₹2,12,000 crore on October 26, 2026.
• Acceptance of Necessity was described in the release as in-principle administrative approval for capital acquisition proposals.
• Light Multi Role Helicopters are intended for use by both the Indian Army and Indian Air Force.
• The Navy's approved Active Offboard Decoy System is meant to enhance anti-missile defence against modern anti-ship missiles.
• Approximately 82% of the procurements covered by the AoNs are intended to be made from Indian industry.

Prelims pointers

• SWAVLAMBAN is the Indian Navy's Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Seminar; its fifth edition was held on October 26–27, 2026 at Manekshaw Centre.
• Navy-specific iDEX challenges increased from 20 in 2022 to 229, representing about 35% of all defence-sector iDEX challenges.
• The Navy reported 41 Acceptance of Necessity cases worth over ₹3,500 crore and 25 contracts worth over ₹1,900 crore.
• The proposed Dual Technology Roadmap would identify technologies serving both civilian and military requirements.
• SWAVLAMBAN 5.0 was organised by the Indian Navy with the Defence Innovation Organisation and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers.

Prelims pointers

• India hosted the 61st CIML meeting from October 26 to 28, 2026 in New Delhi, the first time it hosted this OIML meeting.
• The OIML Certification System facilitates mutual acceptance of test results, and India is recognised as an OIML-CS Issuing Authority.
• The e-Maap National Portal is intended to provide integrated digital services in legal metrology.
• One Nation, One Time is the National Time Dissemination Project for accurate, reliable and traceable Indian Standard Time across India.
• OIML's Smart Recommendations initiative aims to develop machine-readable technical standards.

Prelims pointers

• MIB referred the issue to TRAI on December 15, 2025 under Section 11(1)(a) of the TRAI Act, 1997.
• TRAI recommended ALTD as a distinct sub-category under Television Channel Distribution Services under Section 3(1)(a) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
• The proposed national authorisation has an initial 20-year validity, renewable for successive 10-year periods.
• TRAI proposed a ₹10,000 application-processing fee and ₹1 lakh one-time entry fee, with no authorisation fee, bank guarantee or security deposit.
• MIB would maintain a Master ALTD app repository, and authorised ALTD providers would be the primary contact for consumer grievances.

Prelims pointers

• RELIEF expands to Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation and is a time-bound intervention under the Export Promotion Mission.
• Component II of RELIEF has been extended until March 31, 2027 through Notification No. 37/2026-27 dated September 30, 2026.
• Component II provides 95% risk coverage to encourage exporters to obtain ECGC cover for shipments to specified regions.
• Standalone Policies and Whole Turnover Policies obtained on or after March 16, 2026 are eligible under Component II.
• Full Container Load, Less than Container Load and reefer containers are covered cargo categories; energy shipments are excluded.

Prelims pointers

• The AABHAR Collection is a dedicated digital storefront on the Government e-Marketplace for curated gifts and hampers.
• Its offerings include products associated with the One District, One Product initiative and Geographical Indication tags.
• The collection had 294 product catalogue listings from 10 State and Central handloom and handicraft emporiums.
• Seven additional government emporiums and organisations were at an advanced stage of seller onboarding.
• The AABHAR Collection was launched in July 2024 to link the artisanal ecosystem with India’s public-procurement landscape.

Prelims pointers

• The Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga functions under the Ministry of Ayush.
• The five-day workshop on Patanjala Yoga Sutra was scheduled from 26 to 30 October 2026.
• Its subject was Vibhuti Pada studied in the light of the traditional commentary called Vyasa Bhashya.
• Vibhuti Pada is identified in the release as the third chapter of the Patanjala Yoga Sutra.
• Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi are collectively known as Samyama; Vibhuti Pada also discusses Siddhis or yogic attainments.

Prelims pointers

• The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum 2026 was inaugurated at Samvidhan Sadan in the Parliament House Complex, New Delhi.
• The two-day forum brought together parliamentary delegations from BRICS member and partner countries.
• Its stated theme was ‘Strengthening Parliaments for People-Centric Development’.
• The forum’s four interconnected pillars were resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.
• The release identified legislation, budgetary processes, deliberations and oversight as parliamentary routes for translating commitments into action.

Prelims pointers

• The article cites a January 20, 2025 U.S. executive order prioritising economic efficiency, prosperity, consumer choice and fiscal restraint in energy-policy engagements.
• It states that United States emissions increased by 133 megatons in 2025.
• China installed more wind and solar capacity in 2025 than all other countries combined, about ten times the capacity added by the United States.
• The article says non-fossil sources could provide 50% of China’s electricity generation by 2030.
• About 5.62 million new energy vehicles were registered in China during the first half of 2025.

Prelims pointers

• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was scheduled to host the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Atlanta on October 30–31.
• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was scheduled to represent India at the Atlanta meeting.
• The ministerial agenda included geopolitical crises contributing to global economic shocks and threats to freedom of navigation.
• Energy security, food security and supply chains were among the economic-security issues identified for cooperation.
• U.S. President Donald Trump was scheduled to host the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Miami on December 14–15.

Prelims pointers

• The four re-issued Government of India securities had a combined notified amount of ₹33,000 crore.
• The largest notified component was ₹12,000 crore for 6.57% GS 2033; the other amounts were ₹9,000 crore, ₹9,000 crore and ₹3,000 crore.
• The auction was scheduled for October 30, 2026 through RBI's e-Kuber system, with settlement on November 2, 2026.
• Under the multiple-price method, successful bids are accepted at their respective quoted yield or price.
• Up to 5% of the notified amount of each security is allotted to eligible participants under the non-competitive bidding facility.