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Current affairsPM-AJAY Scheme: 18,093 Villages Declared Adarsh Grams, Rs 1,730 Crore Released for SC DevelopmentThe Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has declared 18,093 villages as Adarsh Grams under the Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY) — a 100% centrally sponsored scheme launched in FY 2021-22 to uplift Scheduled Caste-dominated villages. Separately, Rs 1,730 crore has been released to states under the scheme's Grants-in-Aid component to skill over 2.5 lakh SC beneficiaries. The scheme merges three earlier SC welfare schemes into a unified framework. Current affairsInternational Day of the Girl Child 2026 (October 11): Theme, Child Marriage, and India's Legal FrameworkThe United Nations observes International Day of the Girl Child every year on 11 October. The 2026 theme is "End child marriage and invest in girls' rights," reflecting the global urgency to eliminate child marriage affecting approximately 12 million girls annually. India, home to the largest number of child brides globally in absolute terms, has robust legal provisions against child marriage while continuing to address enforcement and social norm gaps. Current affairsDDU-GKY 2.0: 70,000 Rural Youth Begin Skill Training Across 24 States/UTs in October 2026Approximately 70,000 rural youth across 2,015 training batches in 24 states and Union Territories began skill training under DDU-GKY 2.0 (Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana 2.0) in October 2026. The revamped scheme, running for 2026–28, targets over 9 lakh rural youth across 31 states/UTs in NSQF-aligned, placement-linked training programmes run in Public-Private Partnership mode. Current affairsUPSC at 100: Centenary Celebrations Mark a Century of Constitutional Civil Service Recruitment in IndiaThe Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) completed 100 years on October 1, 2026 — exactly a century after the first Public Service Commission convened on October 1, 1926 under the Government of India Act, 1919. Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked the milestone at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, releasing a commemorative coin, postage stamp, and a volume of 100 landmark judgements that shaped UPSC jurisprudence. Current affairsGender Snapshot 2026 (UN Women & UN DESA): 1 in 3 Gender Equality Institutions Weakened, SDG 5 Off Track by 171 YearsUN Women and UN DESA jointly released the Gender Snapshot 2026 on September 17, 2026, revealing that 1 in 3 national gender equality institutions lost institutional power in just two years, while bilateral aid for gender equality fell 13% between 2023 and 2024. Not a single SDG 5 (Gender Equality) indicator is on track by 2030, and gender equality globally is 171 years away at the current pace of progress. Current affairsGlobal Gender Gap Index 2026: India Ranks 131st with 64.5% Parity — Gaps in Economic Participation and Political EmpowermentIndia ranked 131st out of countries surveyed in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index 2026, with an overall gender parity score of 64.5%. While India performs relatively better on health and survival, it continues to lag significantly on economic participation and opportunity, and political empowerment — dimensions critical for UPSC Social Justice and Governance papers. Current affairsMahatma Ayyankali's 163rd Birth Anniversary: The Social Revolutionary Who Gave Kerala's Dalits the Right to Walk on Public RoadsAugust 28, 2026 marks the 163rd birth anniversary of Mahatma Ayyankali (1863–1941), the pioneering social reformer and Dalit rights leader from Travancore (present-day Kerala) who led mass campaigns for freedom of movement on public roads, access to education for Dalit children, and labour rights for agricultural workers — transforming Kerala's caste-ridden social landscape. Current affairsSupreme Court Reduces Judicial Service Practice Requirement to 1 Year: Bhumika Trust Case 2026 — Complete UPSC GuideIn Bhumika Trust v. Union of India (August 21, 2026), a three-judge Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant reduced the mandatory law practice requirement for Civil Judge (Junior Division) recruitment from three years to one year, introduced a transitional waiver for notifications issued up to March 31, 2027, and mandated structured Academy training plus a two-year clerkship for all fresh appointees. Current affairsNTA Overhaul 2026: Four-Tier Paper Checking, 600 Expert Replacement, CISF Security — Restoring Exam Integrity After NEET and UGC-NET ScandalsThe Ministry of Education announced a sweeping overhaul of the National Testing Agency (NTA) in August 2026 — replacing 600 subject-matter experts, introducing a four-tier question-paper checking system, deploying CISF security at NTA offices, and filling ten new leadership roles (CTO, CFO, CISO, GM Test Security, GM R&D). The reforms follow prolonged controversy over paper leaks in NEET-UG and UGC-NET and the enactment of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.