Current affairs — 4 November 2026

Prelims pointers

• The U.S.-Israel security-assistance accord was a 10-year arrangement signed three years before its 2019 implementation and scheduled to run through 2028.
• Under the accord, Israel received about $3.8 billion each year for purchasing weapons.
• Donald Trump said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to end the assistance.
• The Council on Foreign Relations estimated that Israel has received more than $300 billion in inflation-adjusted U.S. economic and military assistance since 1948.
• Benjamin Netanyahu had called for greater Israeli military autonomy and said he wanted U.S. support eventually reduced to zero.

Prelims pointers

• Kochi Corporation approved a concept note for 30 projects worth more than ₹1,500 crore under the Urban Challenge Fund.
• The Urban Challenge Fund described in the article is scheduled to operate from 2026 to 2031.
• The Union government will provide 25% of eligible project cost as a grant under the UCF.
• At least 50% of project cost must be raised through bonds, bank loans and public-private partnerships.
• The concept note first goes to the State government; DPRs follow only for projects it approves for submission to the Centre.

Prelims pointers

• The Gambia instituted the Rohingya genocide case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice under the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.
• The Genocide Convention permits any state to raise the alarm when it suspects that genocide is being committed.
• The ICJ settles disputes between states but has no independent means of enforcing its judgments.
• In 2020, the ICJ ordered Myanmar to take all measures within its power to prevent acts described by the Genocide Convention.
• In 2024, the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor sought an arrest warrant for Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing over alleged crimes against humanity.

Prelims pointers

• CAQM invoked GRAP Stage 2 after Delhi’s average AQI reached 324, classified as “very poor”.
• GRAP Stage 2 applies when the Air Quality Index is between 301 and 400.
• Stage 2 dust-control measures include mechanical road cleaning, water sprinkling and anti-smog guns.
• Delhi-registered petrol and diesel cars meeting BS-IV or higher norms may operate with a valid PUC certificate.
• Ambulances, fire-brigade tenders and police vehicles are completely exempt from the stated vehicle restrictions.

Prelims pointers

• NavIC means Navigation with Indian Constellation and is the operational name of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System.
• NVS-03 is the third satellite in a series of five next-generation satellites designed to strengthen NavIC.
• The NVS-03 navigation payload operates in the L1, L5 and S frequency bands, according to ISRO.
• NavIC coverage described for NVS-03 includes India and a region extending 1,500 km beyond India’s boundaries.
• NVS-03 carries an indigenous atomic clock along with imported atomic clocks.

Prelims pointers

• Green hydrogen is produced by splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable power.
• Steel manufacturing and chemical refining are identified as principal industrial users of green hydrogen.
• Maritime shipping, aviation and long-haul trucking are listed as heavy-transport sectors that could use green hydrogen.
• The cited research examined desert production areas in Australia, Chile and North Africa and found higher water needs than industry claims.
• North Africa faces particular difficulty because regional groundwater is already severely depleted.

Prelims pointers

• The Indian Bengal fox is Vulpes bengalensis, while the golden jackal is Canis aureus.
• Both species are currently in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which provides the highest legal protection.
• When the Wildlife (Protection) Act was enacted in 1972, both species were listed in Schedule V, the vermin category.
• A preliminary Tamil Nadu study found surviving pockets in Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai, Salem, Villupuram and Madurai districts.
• Tamil Nadu sanctioned ₹1.3 crore this year for threat, habitat-use and distribution assessments supporting a conservation roadmap.

Prelims pointers

• The Science Gallery Bengaluru programme called QUANTUM contains 34 exhibits combining science and art.
• ‘Mr. Tomkins meets Schrödinger’ was set up by The Hashtag# Collective and depicts Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment.
• The Hashtag# Collective includes Parvathi Nayar, Saira Biju, Abin Chaudhuri, Biju Kuriakose and Sindhura V.S.
• Erwin Schrödinger devised the cat thought experiment in 1935 to contemplate the quantum phenomenon of superposition.
• Superposition allows a physical system to exist in a combination of multiple possible states at the same time.

Prelims pointers

• The HSBC India Services PMI Business Activity Index increased from 55.2 in September to 55.8 in October 2026.
• A PMI reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 indicates contraction.
• New export orders recorded their slowest expansion since February 2023, according to the survey account.
• India’s composite PMI rose from 55.9 in September to 56.2 in October, the fastest aggregate-output rise in four months.
• S&P Global compiles the services PMI from questionnaires sent to a panel of around 400 service-sector companies.

Prelims pointers

• The RBI constituted the TCCFM pursuant to an announcement in the Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies dated October 7, 2026.
• The TCCFM is to be chaired by the RBI Deputy Governor in charge of the Financial Markets Regulation Department.
• Its market remit includes money, government securities and foreign exchange markets, along with their derivatives and infrastructure.
• The committee is designed as a forum for structured RBI engagement with market participants and other stakeholders.
• Its terms cover trading, clearing, settlement and reporting, as well as market efficiency, liquidity, resilience, deepening and broadening.

Prelims pointers

• A seven-judge Constitution Bench unanimously found the nearly 27-year-old reference no longer required adjudication.
• The Court said S. Kodar v. State of Kerala, decided by a five-judge Bench in 1974, continues to hold the field.
• S. Kodar treated a surcharge based on sales tax payable as a higher sales-tax rate, not a tax on dealer income.
• Section 5A imposed 10% additional tax from ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore turnover and 15% above ₹1 crore.
• The dispute contrasted Entry 54 of List II on sale or purchase of goods with Entry 82 of List I on income tax.

Prelims pointers

• The reported midterm results gave Democrats control of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
• The 2026 sanctions law envisages tariffs of up to 100% on countries importing large quantities of Russian oil and gas.
• A Section 301 investigation examines whether strategic excess manufacturing capacity harms the U.S. economy.
• The President can authorise additional tariffs from Section 301 findings without Congress approval, according to the report.
• Section 232 tariffs of 50% covered steel and aluminium imports, including those from India.

Prelims pointers

• GSLV-F18 launched the NVS-03 navigation satellite in the early hours of October 30, 2026.
• The launch took place from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
• GSLV-F18 placed NVS-03 into a geosynchronous transfer orbit as intended.
• The report’s launch caption describes NVS-03 as a second-generation navigation satellite.
• V. Narayanan was identified in the report as the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation.

Prelims pointers

• CMFRI hosted the symposium on societal applications in fisheries and aquaculture using remote-sensing imagery.
• Around 300 participants from 30 countries attended the programme in Kochi.
• Experts linked warming seas, marine heatwaves and coral bleaching with challenges to fisheries and coastal livelihoods.
• The proposed monitoring mix includes satellite remote sensing, ocean observations, climate models, AI and in-situ data.
• Scientists said integrated monitoring could improve understanding of marine change and enable timely advisories and early warnings.

Prelims pointers

• The Independent International Commission of Inquiry submitted its report to the UN General Assembly on October 14, 2026.
• The report examined killings and serious bodily and mental harm by Israeli and Palestinian security forces since October 2023.
• The Commission’s crimes-against-humanity analysis included widespread or systematic attack, state policy, nexus, knowledge and intent.
• The Palestinian Authority was established for interim governing responsibilities under the September 1993 Oslo Accord and May 1994 Gaza-Jericho Agreement.
• The Commission urged member states to regulate artificial intelligence used in armed conflicts and law-enforcement operations.

Prelims pointers

• Jitin Prasada visited Poland on 2–3 November 2026 with a business delegation of 12 Indian companies.
• The India–Poland Strategic Partnership was established in 2024 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Poland.
• Talks with Krzysztof Gawkowski covered artificial intelligence, semiconductors, data centres and cybersecurity.
• Talks with Michal Baranowski covered critical minerals, semiconductors and start-up partnerships, with emphasis on co-development and technology transfer.
• On 3 November, Prasada addressed the India–Poland Business Forum at the Polish National Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw.

Prelims pointers

• The proposal amends the Drugs Rules, 1945 and concerns drugs declared Not of Standard Quality on specified critical parameters.
• The five specified parameters are assay, dissolution, related substances, impurities and sterility.
• Immediate suspension may be ordered by the Central Licensing Approving Authority or the relevant State Licensing Authority.
• Restoration requires effective Root Cause Analysis and verified Corrective and Preventive Action by the manufacturer.
• Proposed Form 13 reporting would include DCGI, the relevant State or UT authority, and the drug’s manufacturer and marketer.

Prelims pointers

• Network Anubhav combines data from TRAI’s MySpeed and MyCall apps, independent drive tests and a DND web interface.
• Users can view cellular and fixed-broadband observations by service provider, technology, location, download speed and upload speed.
• P50 is the median speed: half of tests in an area recorded a speed at or above the displayed value.
• For mobile broadband, P80 means 80% of tests were at or above the value; fixed broadband uses P90 on the same basis for 90% of tests.
• The DND interface supports commercial-communication preferences, spam complaints, complaint tracking and consolidated or provider-wise complaint information.

Prelims pointers

• The grid-scale storage VGF scheme provides ₹14,500 crore from FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31 for 92 GWh of new capacity.
• The capacity mix is 60 GWh hydro pumped storage, 30 GWh battery energy storage and 2 GWh alternative storage technologies.
• The scheme estimates total investment of ₹97,600 crore and identifies a grid-scale storage requirement of 411 GWh by 2031-32.
• Storage capacity will be allocated through tariff-based competitive bidding, with both public and private participation specified.
• Battery energy storage projects under the scheme must meet a minimum domestic-content requirement of 40%.

Prelims pointers

• The critical-mineral processing scheme has a ₹2,814 crore outlay and runs from FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31.
• A capital subsidy of 30% of eligible investment will support two lithium plants and two nickel plants.
• Each lithium plant must have at least 30 kt capacity, while each nickel plant must have at least 50 kt capacity.
• Support is capped at ₹500 crore per lithium beneficiary and ₹900 crore per nickel beneficiary.
• Beneficiaries will pass technical qualification and financial bidding; selection uses the lowest CAPEX support sought, with incentives paid in three milestone-linked tranches.

Prelims pointers

• VISTAR is a central sector scheme for FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31 with an approved outlay of ₹4,371.10 crore.
• Its three components cover comprehensive statistical operations, Support for Statistical Strengthening, and the Economic Census.
• MoSPI proposes 59 surveys during the 16th Finance Commission cycle, compared with 43 major surveys conducted previously.
• SSS 2.0 will support State/UT statistical capacity through a redesigned, deliverable-linked framework focused on granular and local data.
• The 8th Economic Census will cover non-farm establishments and hired workers up to Gram Panchayat and Ward level and support a National Statistical Business Register.

Prelims pointers

• The FTSC scheme has been extended from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031 with a total outlay of ₹3,788.04 crore.
• The Central share is ₹2,353.15 crore, funded from the Nirbhaya Fund; the State/UT share is ₹1,434.89 crore.
• The scheme provides for expansion from 779 functional FTSCs to as many as 850 courts, based on case-pendency data.
• Each FTSC is provided one judicial officer, an exclusive Special Public Prosecutor and six support staff.
• Since the scheme’s launch on 2 October 2019, 4,02,457 cases have been disposed of; 779 FTSCs are currently functional, including 399 exclusive POCSO Courts.

Prelims pointers

• Om Birla proposed a common digital Audit Monitoring Platform for State legislatures on the lines of the platform available to parliamentary committees.
• The proposed platform is meant to track audit observations, strengthen follow-up and support timely examination and disposal of audit reports.
• The source states that the CAG conducts independent and impartial audits, while PACs examine findings, scrutinise facts and follow up recommendations.
• Representatives from 27 States participated in the conference of PAC chairpersons held at Thiruvananthapuram.
• K. C. Venugopal proposed at least one annual meeting between Union and State PACs devoted to scrutiny of Centrally Sponsored Schemes.

Prelims pointers

• India’s I-OECM Guidelines support Target 3, or 30x30, of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
• OECMs recognise sustained in-situ biodiversity outcomes outside legally protected and conserved areas.
• Illustrative OECM sites include sacred groves, community-managed irrigation tanks, seagrass beds and seasonal fisheries-ban areas.
• NBA and the concerned State Board or UT Council each have a 30-day stage for preliminary examination and validation, respectively.
• Every recognised site requires measurable monitoring indicators assessed at least once every five years.

Prelims pointers

• Matsya is designed to carry three aquanauts to depths of 5,000–6,000 metres under the Samudrayaan Mission.
• India is working toward its first human deep-sea mission to a depth of up to 6,000 metres by 2028.
• NIOT Chennai has developed capability to conduct trials at depths of 5,000–6,000 metres in the Central Indian Ocean Basin.
• The Ocean Mineral Explorer enables high-resolution exploration of hydrothermal sulphide deposits.
• Ocean-related satellite observations cited include ocean colour, sea-surface temperature and wind vectors.

Prelims pointers

• Kashi Tamil Sangamam 5.0 is scheduled from November 28 to December 12, 2026.
• The fifth edition’s theme is ‘Thirukkural Payilvom–Thirukkural Abhyas Karen’.
• Around 1,400 Tamil Nadu participants are to travel in seven groups of about 200 persons each.
• The itinerary covers Varanasi, Prayagraj and Ayodhya during an eight-day journey split between travel and structured visits.
• IIT Madras and Banaras Hindu University are nodal coordinating institutions for Tamil Nadu and Kashi, respectively.

Prelims pointers

• The Agnipath Scheme will continue after the review of its first four years of implementation.
• Based on merit, 25% of Agniveers are to be offered regular employment in the Defence Forces, as envisaged earlier.
• The Cabinet approved an additional two-year engagement for the willing remaining 75% of Agniveers.
• After the additional engagement, regular enrolment is subject to each Agniveer’s willingness and meeting the selection criteria.
• The second engagement period is to provide higher remuneration, an enhanced Seva Nidhi package and seniority benefits.

Prelims pointers

• IPRD is the Indian Navy’s annual apex-level international strategic conference; its 2026 edition was conducted with the National Maritime Foundation.
• The non-traditional maritime threats identified included piracy, trafficking, illegal fishing, cyber-attacks and natural disasters.
• Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 was described as India’s national blueprint for maritime transformation, emphasising technology, research, education and skills.
• MAHASAGAR stands for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.
• The Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019 and covers seven interconnected areas of maritime cooperation.

Prelims pointers

• MANAGE Hyderabad is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship recognised MANAGE as a Centre of Excellence-Skills in the agriculture sector.
• MANAGE was established in 1987 to strengthen agricultural extension and provides training, consultancy, research and policy support.
• The certificate was presented at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi, on 2 November 2026 and is valid for three years.
• MANAGE offers diplomas in agri-warehousing, agricultural extension management and a two-year regular programme in agri-business management.

Prelims pointers

• The PAC chairpersons’ conference was held at Thiruvananthapuram on 3–4 November 2026, and the resolution was adopted on 4 November 2026.
• The resolution proposes a digital portal for continuous peer learning, exchange of best practices and sharing of procedural innovations among PACs.
• It seeks standardised timelines for submission of Action Taken Notes on audit paragraphs and on recommendations of Public Accounts Committees.
• It calls for a digital oversight system such as the Audit Para Monitoring System in all State/UT Public Accounts Committees.
• State/UT PACs are asked to consider at least three sittings each month and sub-committees to examine and clear pending audit observations.

Prelims pointers

• The proposal concerns Schedule M of the Drugs Rules, 1945 and was issued through G.S.R. No. 953(E) dated October 28, 2026.
• The international benchmark is WHO Technical Report Series No. 1044, Annexure 2, on GMP for sterile pharmaceutical products.
• Grade A areas handle exposed products, containers and sterilised components in sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• The proposed revision would treat any detected microbial growth in a Grade A area as a trigger for investigation.
• Stakeholders and members of the public were invited to submit objections and suggestions on the proposed amendment.

Prelims pointers

• Chief Labour Commissioner Sonal Mishra chaired the Railway Board interaction on November 3, 2026 in Dwarka, New Delhi.
• The CLC(C) is holding one-to-one interactions with Ministries, Departments and Central Public Sector Undertakings on Labour Code implementation.
• The presentation covered contract labour, registration, licensing and possible upgrades to the Shramik Kalyan Portal.
• CRIS and NIC representatives participated virtually in the interaction.
• The meeting explored alignment of railway digital-compliance systems with the Shram Suvidha and SAMADHAN portals.

Prelims pointers

• IICA signed an MoU with the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre, Hyderabad, to strengthen arbitration and mediation collaboration.
• IAMC is an autonomous institution established with support from the Government of Telangana and the High Court of Telangana.
• The collaboration plans customised courses, workshops, seminars and skills programmes for arbitrators, mediators and dispute-resolution professionals.
• The MoU highlights mediation support for the MSME sector, joint initiatives and policy-oriented research.
• IICA is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and works on research, policy support, capacity building and professional development.

Prelims pointers

• Iran said four oil tankers struck naval mines in a prohibited passage south of the Strait of Hormuz and remained on fire.
• The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said two additional non-compliant ships or vessels had been halted.
• The Guards also reported shooting down a drone over the Strait of Hormuz.
• The article identifies Qeshm as the largest island in the Strait of Hormuz.
• The Strait of Hormuz is described as a vital global energy conduit, and Iran said reopening it depended on U.S. acceptance of its demands.

Prelims pointers

• ISRO launched NVS-03 on October 30, 2026, and GSLV injected it into a 170.3 km by 38,080 km orbit.
• Four orbit manoeuvres and a cumulative LAM-engine burn of 6,164 seconds placed NVS-03 in geosynchronous orbit.
• The final reported orbit was 35,765 km by 36,196 km at an inclination of 29.980 degrees.
• NVS-03 is the third next-generation navigation satellite intended to continue navigation services for the IRNSS series.
• NVS-03 carries an indigenous atomic clock and provides L1, L5 and S-band signals over India and 1,500 km around its boundary.