UPSC current affairs, 28 October 2026

• On 5 October 2026 the Supreme Court issued notice but declined to pass an ex parte interim order suspending Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
• The petitioners asked for file notings to be preserved, saying they were crucial to deciding whether Commission decisions were unanimous or unilateral.

GS2 constitutional bodies: raises questions of internal accountability and collective decision-making in the Election Commission during electoral roll revision.

• The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project is planned on the Siang river with a capacity of about 11,200 MW, for energy and water security and flood moderation.
• Residents' concerns centre on the project's social and environmental impact, especially on the Adi community of the Siang valley.
• In September the State Cabinet approved an empowered high-level committee, chaired by Ojing Tasing, to oversee pre-feasibility survey work.

GS3 and GS1: large dams in the Northeast pit energy, water security and flood control against displacement and tribal consent; consultation and trust are central.

2025 · GS1 · 15 marks Does tribal development in India centre around two axes, those of displacement and of rehabilitation? Give your opinion.

How to use it: The Siang project shows displacement fears at the centre of tribal development: concerns over its impact on the Adi community led to protests and consultations with 72 villages.

• NITI Aayog estimates 86% of India's 2070 building stock is yet to be built.
• The Ministry of Power plans about 590 GW of generation additions over 2023 to 2032.
• India's crude steel capacity is about 200 million tonnes (2024-25), with a target of 300 million tonnes by 2030-31.

GS3 climate and infrastructure: a late-developer advantage argument; avoiding carbon lock-in is cheaper than retrofitting, but high cost of capital is a constraint.

• High Court judges, including Chief Justices, are appointed by the President under Article 217.
• Acting Chief Justices of High Courts are appointed under Article 223.

GS2 judiciary: illustrates the collegium's role in senior judicial appointments and the use of acting arrangements while regular appointments are pending.

2025 · GS2 · 15 marks Discuss the evolution of collegium system in India. Critically examine the advantages and disadvantages of the system of appointment of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India and that of the USA.

How to use it: A current example of the collegium recommending High Court Chief Justices, with formal appointment by the President under Article 217.

• Bt cotton, approved in 2002, is the only GM crop in commercial cultivation in India.
• In 2024 the Supreme Court gave a split verdict on the environmental release of GM mustard but asked the Centre to frame a national policy on GM crops.

GS3 biotechnology: feeds the debate on GM and gene-edited crops, balancing food security and indigenous capability against biosafety and farmer-dependence concerns.

• ICRA projects fresh NPAs of about Rs 1.3 lakh crore for private banks and Rs 1 lakh crore for public sector banks in FY27.
• ICRA expects private bank slippages to stay high in the second half of FY27.

GS3 banking: asset quality risks are shifting to private banks through unsecured retail and MSME exposure, relevant to financial stability and credit growth.

• InvITs are regulated by SEBI under the SEBI (Infrastructure Investment Trusts) Regulations, 2014.
• Listed InvIT units trade on stock exchanges, giving investors liquidity.

GS3 infrastructure financing: InvITs let the state and developers recycle capital from completed assets while giving savers an income product, deepening capital markets.

• The India Semiconductor Mission was launched in 2021 under MeitY with an incentive outlay of Rs 76,000 crore.
• India Semiconductor Mission 2.0, announced in the Union Budget 2026-27, focuses on equipment, materials, indigenous chip IP and supply-chain resilience.

GS3 technology and industrial policy: highlights the gap between chip design strength and weak capability in equipment, materials and fabrication.

2025 · GS3 · 15 marks India aims to become a semiconductor manufacturing hub. What are the challenges faced by the semiconductor industry in India? Mention the salient features of the India Semiconductor Mission.

How to use it: Shows a key challenge, dependence on imported technology beyond design, and features of the mission: 2021 launch, Rs 76,000 crore outlay, and ISM 2.0's equipment and materials focus.

• The forum is to be held at Purana Qila in Delhi.

GS2 India and its neighbourhood: shows India separating its multilateral obligations as an SCO host from its bilateral stance on Pakistan.

• The CEC found compensatory afforestation of 30,462 ha against a target of 34,169 ha in Himachal Pradesh.
• Of 1,007 hydropower projects in the State, 866 are below 10 MW, the CEC noted.
• The Supreme Court asked the CEC in July 2026 to examine the State's ecology issues in a suo motu case begun in July 2025.

GS3 disaster management and environment: carrying capacity, afforestation gaps and road and hydro construction in a fragile Himalayan state.

2026 · GS3 · 10 marks Discuss how the contradiction between 'rapid infrastructure development' and 'disaster-risk reduction' in ecologically-sensitive areas of India can be managed, with suitable examples.

How to use it: The CEC's Himachal recommendations, carrying capacity studies and mandatory clearance for wider hill roads, show how infrastructure growth can be reconciled with disaster-risk reduction.

• The released bustards come from the breeding centre at Sam in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan.
• Two bustards were released on 4 October and two more males on 14 October 2026 in Desert National Park.
• The Great Indian Bustard is a critically endangered species.

GS3 conservation: reintroduction of captive-bred birds faces natural predation risk, so release protocols and habitat management decide success.

2020 · Prelims With reference to India's Desert National Park, which of the following statements are correct? 1. It is spread over two districts. 2. There is no human habitation inside the Park. 3. It is one of the natural habitats…

How to use it: Confirms Desert National Park as a habitat where captive-bred Great Indian Bustards are being released, supporting statement 3.

• The western branch of the International North-South Transport Corridor runs through Azerbaijan.
• India proposed more participation by Azerbaijani professionals in the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme.

GS2 India and Eurasia: connectivity through the INSTC and energy ties make Azerbaijan relevant despite its alignment with Turkey and Pakistan.

• The 57th GST Council approved scrapping arrest powers and raising the prosecution threshold from Rs 1 crore to Rs 5 crore; these need Parliament to amend the law.
• A circular recognises set-off of export receivables against import payables, under RBI directions, as a valid settlement for export of services.

GS3 tax administration: a move from officer discretion to rule-based GST administration, aimed at reducing litigation and improving ease of doing business.

• The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 replaced the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 and set up FSSAI.
• FSSAI regulations permit eight synthetic food colours, generally up to 100 ppm.

GS2 health: weak enforcement of food safety standards at the vendor level; states are stepping up checks on adulterants.

• SIMBEX began in 1994 as Exercise Lion King.
• The opening ceremony was held on board INS Nilgiri and INS Kamorta at Visakhapatnam.

GS3 and GS2: India-Singapore naval cooperation supports interoperability and India's Act East engagement in the Indian Ocean.

• Garuda Shakti is a joint special forces exercise between India and Indonesia.
• The Indian Army contingent for the 2026 edition is drawn from the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces).

GS3 and GS2: defence diplomacy with Indonesia, a key maritime neighbour, builds interoperability in special operations in jungle environments.

• AVYAY is run by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and subsumed the National Action Plan for Senior Citizens.
• Elderline, the national helpline for senior citizens, is 14567.
• Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana, launched in 2017 and now part of AVYAY, provides assistive living devices.

GS2 vulnerable sections: India's ageing population needs care homes, assistive devices and caregivers; AVYAY is the main central framework.

• NITI Aayog released a CCUS policy framework in November 2022.
• National CCUS centres were set up in 2022 at IIT Bombay and JNCASR, Bengaluru.
• The Union Budget 2026-27 set aside Rs 20,000 crore over five years for CCUS in power, steel, cement, refineries and chemicals.

GS3 climate change: CCUS is needed where emissions cannot be cut by renewables alone, but cost and storage geology remain challenges.