Current affairs — 29 October 2026

Prelims pointers

• The 12-member Federal Open Market Committee voted 10-2 to hold its target rate at 3.75% to 4.00%.
• Governor Lisa Cook and Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack dissented and sought a 0.25-percentage-point increase.
• The Federal Reserve’s stated long-term inflation goal is two percent, while September consumer inflation was 3.7%.
• The Fed has a dual mandate to maintain maximum employment while keeping inflation at its long-term target.
• The report says U.S. unemployment had been largely stable around 4.2% over the preceding year.

Prelims pointers

• DIPAM data show ₹62,124 crore mobilised through disinvestment and asset monetisation in April-September 2026.
• Of the April-September total, ₹55,757 crore came from disinvestment, and overall collections reached 78% of the ₹80,000-crore annual target.
• The 2021 New Public Sector Enterprise Policy envisages a bare-minimum PSE presence in strategic sectors.
• National Monetisation Pipeline 2.0 targets ₹16.72 lakh crore for FY26-30 after Phase 1 achieved 90% of its goal.
• CII analysis cited in the article estimates about ₹9 lakh crore from reducing government stakes to 51% across 95 listed PSEs.

Prelims pointers

• Arnab was the first named storm of the year's North Indian Ocean cyclone season.
• It made landfall as a very severe cyclonic storm on October 28 after rapidly intensifying.
• Core winds were 125-135 kmph, and parts of five Andhra Pradesh locations received over 100 mm of rain.
• The storm began landfall several hours earlier than the India Meteorological Department had predicted.
• IMD alerts covered Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur and Kalahandi.

Prelims pointers

• The proposed High Court relocation involved diversion of 30 hectares of reserved forest land in Lamachaur.
• The Regional Empowered Committee said suitable non-forest alternatives had not been adequately explored.
• The site near Belbaba Temple lies in the Bhakhra Range and the project would require felling 123 trees.
• The State proposed compensatory afforestation over 60 hectares at an estimated cost exceeding ₹3.68 crore.
• An earlier Gaulapar relocation proposal was rejected in January 2024 and would have required felling 4,238 trees.

Prelims pointers

• Monsoon Wings was conceptualised by Aswathi Asokan through her curriculum-development role at Bengaluru-based Nature Classrooms.
• The game features blue tiger, plain tiger, striped tiger and common crow, all described as common milkweed butterflies.
• These butterflies have been documented undertaking annual monsoon-driven migration from the Western Ghats to the Eastern Ghats and back.
• The game has six rounds representing stages of the journey; positive events move teams forward and negative events move them back.
• The butterfly life cycle presented in the game proceeds through egg, larva, pupa and adult stages.

Prelims pointers

• A 2020 study estimated India’s coastal salt marshes at around 290 sq. km, with the largest areas in Gujarat.
• Researchers transferred 306 sq. metres of live Dutch salt marsh to a 300-metre wave flume at Deltares.
• The marsh lost only 7 mm of elevation while surface vegetation lost 75–80% of its biomass.
• Salt-marsh plants reduced 75-cm wave heights by 6–22%, but reduced two-metre waves by only up to 6%.
• For modelled once-in-a-century storms with waves no higher than one metre, plants cut wave height by over 10% and sometimes by up to 50%.

Prelims pointers

• The study compared 65 Parkinson’s patients with 65 healthy individuals, most of whom were the patients’ spouses.
• Researchers from CUSAT and SCTIMST analysed stool samples using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.
• Patients had more bacteria potentially linked to inflammation and fewer beneficial bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids.
• Short-chain fatty acids help maintain the gut lining and regulate the immune system, according to the report.
• The ICMR-funded findings were published online in the journal npj Parkinson’s Disease.

Prelims pointers

• UNSW researchers examined 1,383,803 papers worldwide in ecology and evolution for evidence of taxonomic bias.
• Vertebrates appeared in 53.9% of the papers although they represent only 4.7% of animal biodiversity.
• Birds and mammals comprise less than 1% of animal biodiversity but dominate conservation and research efforts.
• Arachnids and insects were often relegated to taxonomically specialised journals that probably reach narrower audiences.
• The authors proposed outreach on neglected taxa, taxonomically equitable education and taxonomically diverse research experiences.

Prelims pointers

• The Federal Reserve retained its benchmark interest-rate range at 3.75% to 4.0% at the October meeting.
• The 12-member committee voted 10-2 to hold rates, while Lisa Cook and Beth Hammack preferred a 25-basis-point increase.
• From 2027, one FOMC meeting is to focus exclusively on broader monetary-policy strategy rather than rate-setting.
• In 2028, the Fed expects to hold two strategy-focused meetings and six other policy meetings.
• The rupee traded at 95.30-95.36 per dollar on October 29, down 8-14 paise from its previous close.

Prelims pointers

• Andy Burnham was appointed U.K. Prime Minister on July 20, 2026 and expressed interest in visiting India during a conversation with Narendra Modi.
• The India-U.K. Free Trade Agreement had entered into force 100 days before the October 29 report and was signed just over a year earlier.
• Deals worth £12 billion were reported since the FTA's signing, while the bilateral trade target is about $120 billion by 2030.
• Indian investors were described as the second-largest source of new investment projects in the U.K. over the preceding several years.
• Seven U.K. mayors and one local authority had recently brought more than 200 businesses to India to seek partners.

Prelims pointers

• Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh-Yanam coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam early on October 28, 2026 as a very severe cyclonic storm.
• At landfall, Arnab had sustained winds of 125-135 kmph, gusting to 150 kmph; the IMD said the process ended by 8 a.m.
• A Fujiwara effect involves two nearby cyclonic systems orbiting a common centre and potentially merging into a larger cyclone.
• The phenomenon is named after Japanese meteorologist Sakuhei Fujiwara, who first described it in the 1920s.
• The IMD noted interaction with a southwest Bay of Bengal low-pressure area but did not describe the event as a Fujiwara merger.

Prelims pointers

• The Supreme Court called for full indemnification when a digital-arrest fraud results from a financial institution’s lack of due diligence.
• The court sought to examine the proposed Reserve Bank of India (Know Your Customer) Amendment Directions, 2026.
• Financial institutions were asked to consider temporarily suspending transactions that deviate uncharacteristically from an account’s history.
• States were directed to submit information on digital-arrest FIRs and the status of their investigation and prosecution.
• The Attorney-General said the proposed RBI directions would be notified by November 30 and operationalised by December 31.

Prelims pointers

• Telangana received 5,20,331 pre-SIR Form-6 applications for new enrolment between January 1 and June 14, 2026.
• The SIR declaration sought details from the 2002 SIR or, where unavailable, one of 12 listed citizenship documents.
• By October 28, 3,22,785 pre-SIR applications were accepted, 1,92,574 were rejected and 4,972 remained pending.
• The rejected applications represented 37% of the total, and officials attributed the rejections to the missing declaration form.
• Rejected applicants had to apply afresh and obtain processing by November 7, 2026 for inclusion in final rolls.

Prelims pointers

• Census 2027 population enumeration begins on December 1 in Uttar Pradesh and three other poll-bound States, and in February 2027 elsewhere.
• The population-enumeration phase contains 40 questions and is expected to require 20 to 25 minutes with each respondent.
• A senior Census official said the Aadhaar question is optional, is not linked to citizenship, and may be skipped by an unwilling respondent.
• For caste Question 10 C, non-SC/ST respondents enter caste in an open field and may choose not to declare caste or state that they have no caste.
• India’s first digital Census will use about 34 lakh enumerators, including private individuals, to capture data through a phone app.

Prelims pointers

• Iranian forces reported at least four tankers catching fire after mine strikes in or east of the Strait of Hormuz.
• The IRGC said three tankers used an unauthorised southern route after switching off radar and navigation systems and ignoring warnings.
• The Strait of Hormuz normally carries about one-fifth of global oil and gas consumption, according to the article.
• CENTCOM said on October 25, 2026 that it had helped Gulf countries export 1.5 billion barrels of oil through Hormuz since the summer.
• Iran considers the southern corridor near the Omani coast unauthorised, while CENTCOM said primary transit routes had been cleared of mines.

Prelims pointers

• The 15th RCNCA meeting was held by videoconference on October 27, 2026 under the chairmanship of C. R. Paatil.
• The Memorandum of Agreement was signed in New Delhi on July 7, 2026 by Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
• The MoA is a one-time settlement of pending inter-State dues, claims and financial liabilities.
• The settlement addresses cost-sharing disputes concerning construction of the Sardar Sarovar Project.
• The RCNCA approved payment modalities for outstanding NWDT Award project dues within financial year 2026-27.

Prelims pointers

• Ayushman Vay Vandana was launched on October 29, 2024 for all citizens aged 70 years and above, regardless of socio-economic status.
• The National Health Authority implements the initiative under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Eligible senior citizens receive up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.
• By October 20, 2026, the scheme had authorised 23.46 lakh hospital admissions valued at ₹5,668.80 crore.
• Cataract surgery accounted for 4.71 lakh treatments, while PTCA had the largest authorised value at approximately ₹649 crore.

Prelims pointers

• DIPAM conducted the initial IDBI bid round in financial year 2025-26 under internal practices described as indicative guidelines.
• Independent agencies prepared contemporaneous fair valuations as comparators; there was no a-priori bidding benchmark.
• CCEA empowered the Core Group of Secretaries on Disinvestment on August 16, 2017 to handle procedural issues and deviations.
• The CGD determined the best-offer round without increasing or decreasing the reserve price after the initial bids were not approved.
• The business valuation used listed public-sector banks under the Comparable Company Method because suitable comparable transactions were unavailable.

Prelims pointers

• MoEFCC held the coastal-resilience workshop in New Delhi on October 29-30, 2026 under the GCF-ECRICC project.
• GCF-ECRICC focuses on mangroves, coastal watersheds, seagrass, salt marshes and corals, together with vulnerable-community livelihoods.
• Project progress was highlighted in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha for possible replication and scaling.
• The ECRICC Didi Climate Champion model involves women mostly from coastal communities translating technical climate knowledge locally.
• The National Coastal Mission was described as the fulcrum for resilience and adaptive interventions building on GCF-ECRICC outputs.

Prelims pointers

• The 13th ADMM-Plus was held in Cebu, Philippines, and was addressed by India's Defence Minister on October 29, 2026.
• India and Malaysia co-chair the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group on Counter-Terrorism for the 2024-2027 cycle.
• India designated 2026 as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation and conducted the second ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise.
• The address linked maritime governance to UNCLOS, freedom of navigation and overflight, stable sea lanes, search and rescue, and humanitarian assistance.
• A dedicated defence Youth Bridge was proposed for people-to-people connectivity, digital innovation and capacity building.

Prelims pointers

• NCDC cumulatively disbursed ₹4,14,586 crore from the establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation through October 25, 2026.
• In FY 2025-26, NCDC reported ₹1,27,596 crore in disbursements, ₹1,475 crore net profit, 99.84% loan recovery and zero net NPA.
• The NCDC (Amendment) Act, 2026 was published in the Gazette on August 14, 2026 after passage by Parliament and presidential assent.
• A ₹2,000-crore central grant was approved to enable NCDC to mobilise ₹20,000 crore from the market over four years.
• Sahakar Navachar Yojana provides eligible cooperatives a 100% grant up to ₹25 lakh; 20% of its ₹10-crore corpus is earmarked for specified priority regions and sections.

Prelims pointers

• AyushTech Innovate is a National Open Ayurveda AI Challenge organised by Techfest, IIT Bombay, with the Ministry of Ayush and AIIA.
• The challenge uses AyurParam, IIT Bombay's open-source Ayurveda Large Language Model, and its grand finale is scheduled for December 15-18, 2026.
• The World Ayurveda Foundation MoU will establish the AI in Ay Secretariat for Artificial Intelligence in Ayurveda.
• The Reliance Retail Limited (Pahadi Local) MoU covers development, testing, manufacturing and marketing of Ayurveda-based skincare products.
• AIIA-iCAINE was established on October 29, 2021 under the Ministry of Ayush's mandate and is described as India's first public-sector Ayurveda business incubator.

Prelims pointers

• The 24th PM-KISAN instalment was scheduled for October 30, 2026 at Banaskantha, Gujarat, with over ₹18,690 crore for more than 9.34 crore farmers.
• PM-KISAN provides income support to eligible farmer families through Direct Benefit Transfer into their bank accounts.
• The first 23 PM-KISAN instalments had disbursed more than ₹4.47 lakh crore to eligible farmers.
• The programme included dedication of 521 Agriculture Infrastructure Fund units and inauguration of 12 horticulture clusters.
• The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund had attracted approximately ₹1.75 lakh crore of investment across more than 2.28 lakh projects.

Prelims pointers

• The New Amnesty Scheme, 2025 originally ran from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026.
• ESIC extended the scheme for three months, from October 1 through December 31, 2026, on existing terms.
• Ad-hoc assessments may be settled by paying actual contributions and interest without damages being levied.
• Cases involving dues already paid may be withdrawn after payment of 10% of the disputed damages.
• Court cases filed up to March 31, 2025 are eligible under this one-time dispute-resolution initiative.

Prelims pointers

• The Government of India constituted the Ganga Flood Control Board on April 18, 1972 for coordinated Ganga Basin flood management.
• The Union Minister of Jal Shakti chairs the GFCB, and the GFCC chairman serves as its member secretary.
• The Punah Bharan Mobile App was developed by the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics with the National Water Mission.
• The proposed GFCC mandate includes basin planning, scheme appraisal, morphology and sedimentation studies, and an FMIS.
• The Board discussed risk-based basin master plans and the adequacy of waterways and ventways beneath bridges.

Prelims pointers

• The Delhi Declaration on Local Action for Global Climate Goals was adopted in New Delhi on October 28, 2026.
• ICLEI South Asia organised the second ARISE Cities Forum with NIUA and support from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• More than 200 participants from over 50 cities across more than 18 countries attended the October 27-28 forum.
• The declaration sets out ten shared commitments and is intended to carry Global South urban priorities to COP31 in Antalya.
• ICLEI South Asia launched the Delhi Biodiversity Map at the forum’s closing ceremony.

Prelims pointers

• The 193-member UN General Assembly adopted the Cuba embargo resolution on October 28, 2026 by 130 votes to 17, with 25 abstentions.
• India’s statement supporting the resolution was delivered by Soumya Nair, Counsellor at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
• The resolution calls for ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba.
• India cited a UN Secretary-General report saying Cuba lacked over 60% of essential medicines and food production fell by more than 50% in five years.
• The article states that UN General Assembly resolutions of this nature are not legally binding.

Prelims pointers

• FRB 2034 carries an interest rate of 7.26% per annum for the half-year beginning October 30, 2026.
• The announced half-year interest period for FRB 2034 ends on April 29, 2027.
• The bond’s base rate equals the average Weighted Average Yield of the last three relevant Treasury-bill auctions.
• The reference securities used for the FRB 2034 base rate are 182-day Treasury Bills.
• FRB 2034 adds a fixed spread of 0.98 percentage point to its auction-yield-based base rate.

Prelims pointers

• SGB 2019-20 Series VI was issued on October 30, 2019 under a Government of India notification dated September 30, 2019.
• Premature redemption may be permitted after the fifth year from issue, on a date on which interest is payable.
• The premature-redemption price due on October 30, 2026 was fixed at ₹14,213 per unit of Sovereign Gold Bond.
• The price is based on the simple average of the previous three business days’ closing prices of gold of 999 purity.
• IBJA closing prices for October 27, October 28 and October 29, 2026 were used for the October 30 redemption.