Current affairs for UPSC
Daily notes mapped to syllabus topics, with “Asked before” PYQs and original practice MCQs.
GS2 · IR (India–Africa)The Indian Council of Agricultural Research signed a five-year MoU with Ghana's CSIR-Crops Research Institute, Accra, on 7 October 2026 in the presence of both Foreign Ministers. The first phase focuses on tomato research; the MoU also covers cassava and yam processing, post-harvest cold chain, and exchange of scientists and germplasm.
UPSC angle: Prelims: ICAR, Ghana. · Mains GS-II: India-Africa development partnership.
7 Oct 2026GS2 · Welfare schemesThe Rural Development Ministry has notified 375 permissible works under the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, the law that replaced MGNREGA. That is 41% more than the 266 works earlier. Works fall under four pillars: water security (128), core rural infrastructure (111), livelihood infrastructure (98) and disaster preparedness (38), all planned through Gram Sabha-approved village plans.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Act name, 125 days, works count. · Mains GS-II: welfare schemes; GS-III: rural employment.
6 Oct 2026GS3 · Defence technologyDRDO flight-tested an indigenous High-Altitude Platform on 6 October 2026. The lighter-than-air system climbed to 21 km above mean sea level and stayed at 20 km for over 30 minutes before a controlled descent and recovery. It is being developed by ADRDE, Agra, as a long-endurance stratospheric surveillance airship.
UPSC angle: Prelims: HAPS, ADRDE. · Mains GS-III: defence technology.
6 Oct 2026GS3 · Economy (MSMEs, capital markets)The Cabinet on 6 October 2026 approved a ₹10,000 crore government commitment to the SME Growth Fund, announced in Para 28 of the Union Budget 2026-27. The fund, set up as an Alternative Investment Fund, will give long-term equity to growth-stage small and medium enterprises, mostly in manufacturing, including those in Tier II and III city clusters.
UPSC angle: Prelims: AIF, SGF size. · Mains GS-III: MSME finance.
6 Oct 2026GS3 · InfrastructureThe Union Cabinet approved an Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority on 6 October 2026, set up as a special purpose vehicle. It will prepare a National Transport Master Plan of ten years or more across all modes, technically appraise and monitor Central projects of ₹500 crore or more, and build a National Transport Data Repository.
UPSC angle: Prelims: ITLA facts. · Mains GS-III: infrastructure, logistics.
6 Oct 2026GS3 · Science (space)A study coordinated by ARIES, Nainital, with 106 scientists from 18 countries, tracked the blazar OJ 287 from 2015 to 2025. OJ 287, about 4 billion light years away, has two supermassive black holes in a 12-year orbit. The study estimated the central black hole at no less than 3.89 billion solar masses.
UPSC angle: Prelims: space science terms. · Mains: limited.
6 Oct 2026GS2 · IRDuring the Swiss President's State Visit to India from 5 to 7 October 2026, the two countries signed a Migration and Mobility Partnership offering multiple-entry visas of up to five years and renewable one-year student permits. A Young Professionals agreement allows 300 exchanges a year each way, which may rise to 500. A transport technology MoU was also signed.
UPSC angle: Prelims: EFTA members. · Mains GS-II: India-Europe relations, diaspora.
5 Oct 2026GS2 · Polity (judiciary)On 5 October 2026 the President appointed three High Court Chief Justices as judges of the Supreme Court: Justice Sunita Agarwal (Gujarat), Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya (Delhi) and Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh (Telangana). The first two have Allahabad as their parent High Court and the third Jharkhand.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Article 124. · Mains GS-II: judicial appointments.
5 Oct 2026GS3 · Cyber securityThe Department of Telecommunications' Sanchar Saathi portal, launched in May 2023, has crossed 30 crore visits. It has blocked 60.96 lakh lost or stolen phones, traced 37.85 lakh and helped recover over 14 lakh. Citizen reports through Chakshu feed the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator, which has helped prevent suspected losses of over ₹5,000 crore.
UPSC angle: Prelims: tools and names. · Mains GS-III: cyber security; GS-II: e-governance.
5 Oct 2026GS3 · Environment (species conservation)On 5 October 2026 KJP21, a 32-month-old Indian-born female cheetah, gave birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park. India now has 60 cheetahs, 41 of them born in India. KJP21 is the third Indian-born female to breed, and the father is from Botswana, starting a Botswanan lineage in India.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Kuno, cheetah facts. · Mains GS-III: species reintroduction.
5 Oct 2026 
