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Current affairsAATAL: India's World-First Integrated Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosol Toxicity Analysis Laboratory at IITM, New DelhiUnion Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated the Integrated Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosol Toxicity Analysis Laboratory (AATAL) at the IITM New Delhi campus on October 24, 2026. Described as the world's first of its kind, the ₹80 crore facility — set up under Mission Mausam — analyses the chemical fingerprint of Delhi-NCR's air pollution at 400-metre resolution, providing 72-hour forecasts and enabling source-attribution to guide targeted interventions. Current affairsFund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD): $21.6 Million for Nepal FloodsThe Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), operationalised under the UNFCCC framework, has provisionally set aside $21.6 million for Nepal following the devastating August 2026 floods — marking the fund's first-ever allocation for a specific disaster. The allocation covers less than 0.5% of Nepal's estimated $4.77 billion recovery needs, highlighting the vast gap in climate finance for vulnerable nations. Current affairsFarmer ID Scheme: India Creates 11 Crore Digital Farmer IDs Ahead of ScheduleIndia achieved its target of creating 11 crore (110 million) Farmer IDs on 23 October 2026 — five months ahead of the 31 March 2027 deadline — under the Digital Agriculture Mission. The Farmer ID functions as an Aadhaar-linked unique digital identity for farmers, dynamically linked to state land records and crop data, enabling seamless access to government schemes, credit, insurance, and disaster relief. Current affairsLadakh Bench of J&K High Court Inaugurated: Access to Justice in India's Highest UTChief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant inaugurated the Ladakh Bench of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh at Melongthang, Leh on October 18–19, 2026, ending years of geographic inaccessibility to justice for Ladakh's residents. The bench, approved by the Union Cabinet in August 2026, operates as a fully IT-enabled, paperless court and marks the culmination of judicial reforms triggered by the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019. Current affairsGlobal Hunger Index 2026: India Ranks 100th, Remains in 'Serious' CategoryThe Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2026, released on October 14, 2026, by Welthungerhilfe, the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV), and Helvetas, ranked India 100th among 122 countries with a GHI score of 24.1 — still in the 'serious' category despite significant improvement from a score of 37 in 2006. The 2026 report's theme is "No Security Without Food Security." Current affairsTRISHNA Mission: ISRO-CNES Joint Thermal Infrared Satellite for Water, Agriculture, and Urban Heat MonitoringTRISHNA (Thermal infraRed Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural resource Assessment) is a joint Earth observation satellite mission between ISRO (India) and CNES (France) designed to map surface temperature, evapotranspiration, and water stress at high spatial resolution — the third major Indo-French space collaboration and a key asset for India's water security, agriculture planning, and climate monitoring. Current affairsSouthwest Monsoon 2026 Ends with 12.6% Rainfall Deficit — Worst Since 2015, East and Northeast India Hardest HitIndia's 2026 southwest monsoon season (June–September) ended with a cumulative rainfall deficit of approximately 12.6% below the Long Period Average (LPA), recording 87% of normal rainfall at about 759 mm against the seasonal normal of 869 mm. It is the worst monsoon since 2015 and the fourth-lowest since 2001. East and Northeast India suffered the most severe deficit at 25.6% below normal, with the region recording its lowest monsoon rainfall since 1901. Current affairsCabinet Approves Rabi MSP 2027-28: Safflower Gets Highest Hike of ₹675/quintal, Wheat at ₹2,610The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all six mandated Rabi crops for the 2027-28 marketing season on September 30, 2026. Safflower received the highest absolute increase of ₹675/quintal, followed by mustard/rapeseed at ₹413/quintal. Wheat MSP was set at ₹2,610/quintal, up by ₹25. All MSPs are fixed at a minimum of 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production, as announced in Union Budget 2018-19. Current affairsPRAMAAN: India Issues First Certificates Under Its National Forest and Agroforestry Certification SchemeEnvironment Minister Bhupender Yadav presented India's first PRAMAAN certificates on September 29, 2026. PRAMAAN (Programme for Recognition and Accreditation of sustainable Management practices for Agroforestry And Natural forestry resources) is India's first government-run national forest and agroforestry certification scheme, implemented by IIFM Bhopal. First recipients: AP Forest Development Corporation (33,000 ha) and an Odisha bamboo farmer. Current affairsWorldSkills Shanghai 2026: India Finishes 10th Globally with 6 Silver Medals and 20 Medals for ExcellenceIndia finished 10th globally at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 (48th WorldSkills Competition) with 6 Silver Medals and 20 Medals for Excellence — a significant improvement from its 13th-place finish at WorldSkills Lyon 2024. Saniya Joshi won India's first-ever medal in Retail Sales. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship congratulated Team India. Current affairsIndia's First LNG-Powered Train Flagged Off from Sabarmati; Kavach 4.0 Expanded to 404 km in GujaratIndia's first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)-diesel dual-fuel train was flagged off from Sabarmati Railway Station, Ahmedabad on 27 September 2026, alongside the announcement of Kavach 4.0 train protection system expansion across 404 route kilometres of Gujarat's Ahmedabad Division — part of a ₹1,472 crore railway modernisation package. Current affairsDRDO's First High-Value Deep Tech TDF Agreement: Indigenous 20 mK Dilution Refrigerator for Quantum ComputingThe Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) signed its first high-value deep-tech project agreement under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) Scheme with Zero mK India Private Limited of Alwar, Rajasthan, for the indigenous development of a 20 millikelvin (mK) Dilution Refrigerator — a critical piece of equipment for quantum computing platforms and strategic quantum technologies under the National Quantum Mission.
In previous-year questions
- Which of the following correctly identifies the apex body for Ganga rejuvenation policy and its chairperson, as restructured in 2017?UPSC · Current Affairs
- IN-SPACe, established under the Indian Space Policy 2023, plays which primary role in India's space sector?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The National Water Mission (NWM), which seeks to increase water use efficiency by 20%, is one of how many missions under India's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC, 2008)?UPSC · Current Affairs
- India's National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) is one of how many missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), 2008?UPSC · Current Affairs