UPSC Prelims facts, November 2026

Every exam-ready fact from November 2026's current affairs, grouped by subject: names, numbers, provisions, places and bodies.

Polity and governance

SC: rescued bonded labourers must get immediate aid within seven days of release

In Surendra Manjhi v. Union of India (2 November 2026), the Supreme Court said immediate aid to rescued bonded labourers should ordinarily be paid within seven days of the release certificate.
Release certificates should ordinarily be issued within 24 hours of bondage being determined, in a uniform format the Union must prescribe.
Pending criminal cases and disputes between States cannot by themselves delay immediate assistance.
The Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourer, 2021 offers ₹1 lakh, ₹2 lakh or ₹3 lakh by category, and up to ₹30,000 as immediate assistance.
The court treated identification, release and rehabilitation as one continuing duty flowing from Articles 21 and 23.

Explained: What Legislative Councils do, and why only six States have one

Six States have Legislative Councils: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Under Article 169, Parliament creates or abolishes a Council by ordinary law after a special-majority resolution of the State Assembly; it is not a constitutional amendment under Article 368.
A Council cannot exceed one-third of the Assembly's strength and cannot have fewer than 40 members (Article 171).
A Council can delay an ordinary Bill for about four months at most, and must return a Money Bill within 14 days (Articles 197 and 198).
The Council is a permanent House: one-third of members retire every second year (Article 172).

CJI asks why litigants rush to the Supreme Court for early hearings in High Court cases

CJI Surya Kant flagged a growing trend of litigants asking the Supreme Court to order early hearings in High Court cases.
He said the Supreme Court respects High Courts' control over their rosters but listing must become transparent and predictable.
Article 226 gives High Courts writ power for fundamental and other legal rights, wider than Article 32.
The Kerala High Court, formed in 1956, traces its roots to the Travancore High Court (1887).

Why social media takedowns are in focus: MeitY advisories and a three-hour removal window

MeitY issued an advisory to all intermediaries on 8 October 2026 and a Meta-specific advisory on recommendation systems on 10 October 2026.
The IT Amendment Rules, 2026, in force from 20 February 2026, cut the takedown window after a court order or government intimation from 36 hours to 3 hours.
Section 69A of the IT Act lets the Centre block online content on grounds such as sovereignty, security of the State and public order; Section 79 gives intermediaries conditional safe harbour.
In Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015) the Supreme Court struck down Section 66A, upheld Section 69A and read down Section 79(3)(b) to court orders and government notifications.
Content removed under a platform's own community standards goes first to the grievance officer and then to the Grievance Appellate Committee, not straight to a court.

Government plans Foreigners Regional Registration Offices in all State capitals by 2027
- The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 consolidated four earlier laws on immigration and foreigners.
- Under the Act, the Bureau of Immigration handles immigration functions, assisted by FRROs authorised by the Central Government.
- FRROs register foreigners after arrival, issue residential permits and exit permits, and grant permission for protected and restricted areas.
Bombay High Court says OCI cardholders do not have a right to protest
- The FRRO, Mumbai, issued the 'leave India' notice directing the actor to leave by 28 October.
- The Centre argued that Article 21 does not give a foreign national a right to reside in India.
Uttarakhand helicopter crash probe finds no Mayday call
- Operators opposed the DGCA's requirement of two mandatory pilots, citing financial unviability; a final decision is due before next year's yatra.
- The Federation of Indian Pilots sought a safety review of commercial helicopter operators in Uttarakhand and a national committee on helicopter safety.
Review finds gaps in property declarations of top Secretary-level officials
- Section 44 of the Lokpal Act requires public servants to declare their assets; rules under it, amended in 2016, are still pending.
- Public disclosure of bureaucrats' immovable assets began in 2011, while movable assets are reported to the government but not made public.
Meitei and Naga groups rally in Manipur to demand an end to the SoO pact
- The SoO is a tripartite ceasefire between the Centre, the Manipur government and Kuki-Zo groups, mainly the KNO and the UPF, signed in 2008.
- Manipur's ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities began on 3 May 2023, after a High Court order on ST status for Meiteis.
PM speaks at Rashtriya Ekta Diwas in Kevadia on Sardar Patel's 151st birth anniversary
- Rashtriya Ekta Diwas marks the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel; 2026 was his 151st.
- The Statue of Unity is at Kevadia in Gujarat.
Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh urges self-reliant panchayats at People's Plan Campaign workshop
- The People's Plan Campaign has run since 2018 under the theme "Sabki Yojana, Sabka Vikas".
- The Sixteenth Finance Commission recommended grants of Rs 4,35,236 crore for Panchayati Raj Institutions for 2026-31.

International relations

Quad foreign ministers meet in Atlanta, pledge over $85 million for trusted AI access

The Quad foreign ministers met in Atlanta on 31 October 2026, on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting; it was their third meeting of 2026, after New Delhi (May) and Manila (July).
The Quad intends to provide over USD 85 million of technical and financial assistance to widen access to trusted AI in the Indo-Pacific.
The US committed USD 10 million for facilities in India and ASEAN countries to recover critical minerals from e-waste and scrap.
The ministers voiced grave concern over economic coercion, including arbitrary export restrictions, without naming any country.
They reaffirmed navigational rights in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and announced the first Quad Business Leaders' Forum.

NSA Ajit Doval holds security and defence talks in Vietnam
- India and Vietnam elevated ties to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during President To Lam's visit to India in May 2026.
- The Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030 guides defence cooperation.
- 2027 marks the 55th anniversary of India-Vietnam diplomatic relations.
UN General Assembly vote against the US embargo on Cuba draws its weakest backing in two decades
- The UNGA has passed the resolution on ending the US embargo on Cuba almost every year since 1992.
- UNGA resolutions are non-binding; only the US Congress can lift the embargo.
- Costa Rica, Ecuador, Argentina and Colombia switched their votes, and Germany and Italy abstained.
Bhutan builds 108 stupas in nine hours and dedicates one to Prime Minister Modi
- Gelephu Mindfulness City is in southern Bhutan, bordering Assam, and is planned as a Special Administrative Region of over 2,000 sq km with its own legal and regulatory framework.
- India is Bhutan's largest trading partner and main development aid provider, and ties are reinforced by the Treaty of Friendship.
Lula wins Brazil's presidential runoff; article weighs the result for BRICS and multilateralism
- The New Development Bank, set up by the BRICS states, is headed by former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.
- Bolsa Familia is Brazil's welfare programme of financial aid to poor families.
Op-ed says India should watch growing Maldives and Pakistan defence ties
- The Maldives has joined the Saudi Arabia-led Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC).
- India has supported the Maldives through extensions for T-bills, debt restructuring, credit lines and currency swaps.
Bhutan to build 108 stupas in Gelephu, many with relics from India
- The 108 stupas are being built along the Mau Chhu river in Gelephu, Bhutan.
- The Central Monastic Body of Bhutan represents the Drukpa Kagyu lineage.
UK Prime Minister says Britain is open to apologising for slavery
- The British Empire abolished the slave trade in 1807 and slavery in 1833.
- The 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is in Antigua and Barbuda.
Iran holds talks with Qatari mediators amid threat of US strikes
- The Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
- Qatar proposed a seven-day trust-building plan, with daily confidence-building steps, before wider peace talks.
Nepal increased power exports to India despite August floods
- Nepal exported about 1,262 million units of electricity to India between 27 August and 27 October.
- Flash floods on 26 August disrupted about 430 MW of Nepal's generation capacity and damaged the 14 MW Devighat hydropower plant.

Indian economy

GST collections rise 22.9% to ₹2.31 lakh crore in October, second-highest ever

Gross GST in October 2026 was about ₹2.31 lakh crore, up 22.9%, the second-highest month after April 2026 (about ₹2.43 lakh crore).
Domestic GST rose 15.8% to ₹1.59 lakh crore, while GST on imports rose 42.2% to ₹72,246 crore.
Refunds were ₹27,934 crore, leaving net GST of ₹2,03,356 crore.
April to October 2026 gross collections rose 13.2% to ₹14.77 lakh crore.
GST moved to two main slabs (5% and 18%) with a 40% rate for a few goods from 22 September 2025.

IBBI lets creditors keep completed housing projects out of a builder's insolvency process

IBBI notified the CIRP (Fifth Amendment) Regulations, 2026 on 30 October 2026 for real estate insolvency.
The committee of creditors can recommend excluding an individual real estate project from CIRP with at least 66% of the voting share; the NCLT decides.
The resolution professional must keep a separate bank account for each project and follow RERA fund-use rules.
A project-wise technical and cost-to-complete assessment must be done before resolution applicants are invited and included in the information memorandum.
Monitoring committees for real estate debtors must include an allottee representative and, with consent, a RERA representative.

PM says India will add another 500 GW of non-fossil capacity in 10 to 11 years
- India met its Paris pledge of half its installed power capacity from non-fossil sources in 2025, five years early.
- Over 65 lakh households have joined PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, launched in February 2024 with a target of one crore rooftop homes.
- Solar module manufacturing capacity has grown from about 2 GW a decade ago to over 200 GW.
Finance Minister says capex push will continue until private investment picks up
- The Finance Minister said the capex strategy has worked well over the past four to five years through its growth multipliers.
Centre assures industry it will protect bulk Scotch duty benefits under the India-UK trade pact
- Classifying bulk Scotch under heading 2106 instead of heading 2208 could subject it to the full 150% customs duty.
- Industry bodies at the meeting included CIABC and ISWAI.
Soreng in Sikkim is India's first notified Organic Fisheries Cluster under PMMSY
- 34 fisheries production and processing clusters have been notified under PMMSY, including organic clusters in Sikkim and Meghalaya.
- The Soreng cluster emphasises Amur carp, Indian Major Carps and trout.
- Sikkim signed an MoU with the ITBP for institutional procurement of locally produced rainbow trout.
PIB backgrounder on pumped storage hydropower and India's storage needs
- India had 308.027 GW of non-fossil capacity as of September 2026, against a target of 500 GW by 2030.
- The Ministry of Power notified Guidelines to Promote Development of Pumped Storage Projects in April 2023.
- Pumped storage projects awarded for construction by 30 June 2028 get a 100% ISTS charge waiver for 25 years.
Fall in fertiliser sales points to weak farm demand after a dry monsoon
- The June to September 2026 southwest monsoon had a 12.6% rainfall deficit, and Karnataka had its worst monsoon in 55 years.
- October 2026 had a rainfall deficit of 31.4%, and El Niño is projected to persist through January to March 2027.
Op-ed argues India's challenge is low wages, and proposes extending Jan Vishwas reforms
- The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 decriminalised 183 provisions across 42 central laws.
Op-ed says the draft National Steel Policy 2047 should shift from protection to competition
- India is the world's second-largest steel producer, with output of 170 million tonnes.
- Quality Control Orders cover 228 steel products; the Gauba Committee recommended removing 122, but only 59 have been suspended.
Indians remit $20 billion abroad under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme in eight months of 2026
- Under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, a resident individual can remit up to $250,000 a financial year for permitted current and capital account transactions.
- The scheme began in 2004 with a limit of $25,000.
What the new E100 vehicle rules mean
- Rule 115 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 now covers E100 alongside E85.
- India reached 20% ethanol blending in 2025, ahead of the 2030 target set in the National Policy on Biofuels, 2018.
Rupee slide: piece argues proposed remittance curbs are a panic response
- The RBI proposed cutting the annual current account transaction limit under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme from $250,000 to $50,000.
- India's forex reserves stand at $720 billion despite the RBI's dollar sales, according to the piece.
India's poverty challenge enters a new phase, World Bank figures show
- The Rangarajan committee's 2014 poverty line was Rs 1,407 a month per capita in urban areas and Rs 972 in rural areas.
- The World Bank's $4.2 a day line is the lower-middle-income poverty benchmark.

Environment and geography

Arunachal CM tells Siang dam protesters no decision without consultation and consent

The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project is a proposed 11,200 MW project on the Siang in Arunachal Pradesh, declared a National Project on 7 February 2008.
On 2 November 2026 CM Pema Khandu said no construction decision has been taken and none will be without public consultation and consent of affected people.
The project is at the pre-feasibility stage; a Social Impact Assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment and Detailed Project Report would follow if it is viable.
China began building the roughly 60 GW Medog project on the Yarlung Tsangpo on 19 July 2025, about 40 km from the Indian border.
Opponents from the Adi community cite submergence, displacement, loss of land and forests, and seismic risk.

Andhra Pradesh braces for Cyclone Murasu, its second cyclone in a week

Cyclonic Storm Murasu formed over the Bay of Bengal on 1 November 2026, days after Cyclone Arnab hit Andhra Pradesh.
Murasu, a Tamil word for a traditional drum, was contributed by India; Arnab was Bangladesh's name.
The North Indian Ocean list has 169 names from 13 countries, adopted in 2020; names are at most eight letters and never reused.
On the IMD scale, a cyclonic storm has sustained winds of 62 to 88 km/h; only then is a name given.
Andhra Pradesh deployed 1,688 medical teams and 116 relief camps before landfall.

Explained: Why even a strong El Niño does not guarantee a poor Indian monsoon

The 2026 monsoon ended 12.6% below normal (759.4 mm against 868.6 mm), the weakest since 2015.
Of seven moderate or strong El Niño monsoons since 1950, five were deficient; 2023 was below normal and 1997 normal.
A positive Indian Ocean Dipole (warmer western Indian Ocean) can offset El Niño, as in 1997.
The Madden-Julian Oscillation circles the tropics every 30 to 60 days; August 2023 was India's driest August since 1901.
IMD has used a multi-model ensemble for monsoon forecasts since 2021.

Delhi's winter curbs kick in as CAQM orders pre-emptive NCR curbs for 5 to 20 November

Delhi's Winter Action Plan 2026-27 began on 1 November 2026, barring non-BS-VI vehicles registered outside Delhi until 31 January 2027.
CAQM issued directions on 30 October 2026 under Section 12 of the CAQM Act, 2021 for 5 to 20 November 2026.
The CAQM order mandates up to 50% physical attendance in state government and private offices in Delhi and five NCR districts, and restricts dust-generating construction across the NCR.
CAQM based the pre-emptive order on November AQI data from 2018 to 2025, which showed recurring 'Severe' and 'Severe+' days in early to mid-November.
GRAP is a four-stage plan whose curbs tighten as AQI moves from 'Poor' to 'Very Poor', 'Severe' and 'Severe+'.

Supreme Court permits green crackers in Delhi-NCR for two days around Diwali
- Only green crackers certified by CSIR-NEERI and PESO and uploaded on the CSIR-NEERI website may be manufactured.
- Crackers containing barium, and series crackers ('ladis') and garlands, remain banned.
- No bursting is allowed within 300 metres of hospitals, nursing homes, health centres, old-age homes and notified silence zones.
Stage II of GRAP invoked across NCR as Delhi's air turns very poor
- Delhi's AQI rose from 60 on 30 October to 324 on 2 November 2026; 36 of 58 reporting stations recorded very poor air.
- The Graded Response Action Plan is operated in the NCR by a sub-committee of the Commission for Air Quality Management.
- Measures reported with the Stage II order include regulated diesel generator use and asking hotels and restaurants to avoid coal and firewood in tandoors.
India has 18 biosphere reserves, 13 of them in UNESCO's world network
- The largest biosphere reserve is the Great Rann of Kutch (12,454 sq km) and the smallest is Dibru-Saikhowa (765 sq km); Nilgiri, designated in 1986, is the oldest.
- Cold Desert in Himachal Pradesh was the latest Indian reserve added to UNESCO's World Network, in 2025.
- UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme was launched in 1971.
Article reviews India's solar expansion, from rooftop solar homes to the 500 GW target
- PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, launched in February 2024, aims to give up to 300 units of free electricity a month to one crore households through rooftop solar.
- The National Green Hydrogen Mission targets 5 million tonnes a year of green hydrogen by 2030.
- The International Solar Alliance, co-founded by India and France in 2015, has 130 signatory and member countries.
Op-ed links India's energy security to electrifying industrial heat and kitchens
- Only 4% of Indian households own an induction cooktop, and mandatory star labelling for induction cooktops has been deferred to January 2027.
- Bureau of Energy Efficiency programmes saved 53.6 million tonnes of oil equivalent in 2023-24.
Loss of urban green and blue spaces linked to child health risks
- A PNAS study of 4.2 million children in 57 low and middle income countries linked fragmented urban tree canopy to higher child mortality.
- AMRUT includes green infrastructure and urban sustainability as a component.
Relocated tigress strays into Assam as states seek NTCA nod to capture her
- Raimona National Park in Assam, declared in 2021, forms a transboundary corridor with Bhutan's Royal Manas National Park.
- Valmiki Tiger Reserve's tiger population rose from 31 in 2018 to 54 in 2022.
Rhine's revival after the 1986 Sandoz fire and lessons for the Ganga and Yamuna
- The International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine was set up in 1950.
- India's polluted river stretches rose to 296 on 271 rivers by 2025.

Science and technology

Defence Ministry signs ₹53,866 crore contracts for eight Navy-designed corvettes

On 2 November 2026 the Defence Ministry signed ₹53,866.50 crore contracts for eight Next Generation Corvettes.
GRSE (Kolkata) will build five and Goa Shipyard Limited three; both are defence public sector undertakings chosen through competition.
The corvettes are designed in-house by the Indian Navy for anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, coastal defence and surveillance.
The Ministry estimates 72 lakh person-days of work in shipyards and 460 lakh person-days in ancillary industries and MSMEs over ten years.
The NGCs are to succeed the Khukri-class and Kora-class corvettes.

NIPGR scientists find a calcium channel that spreads a plant's alarm against insect attack

NIPGR, New Delhi, identified CNGC13, a calcium channel that relays the alarm from an insect-damaged leaf to undamaged leaves; the work appeared in PNAS in 2026.
CNGC13 is induced by wounding and insect feeding and is located in the plant's vascular tissue.
Without CNGC13, Arabidopsis plants showed weaker systemic calcium and jasmonic acid signals, and Spodoptera litura larvae feeding on them gained more weight.
The finding adds a second route alongside glutamate receptor-like channels (GLRs) for long-distance defence signalling in plants.
Such signalling proteins are potential targets for breeding or engineering crops with stronger natural pest resistance.

PIB backgrounder on geothermal energy: policy, potential and Puga Valley wells
- The Geological Survey of India has mapped 381 hot springs and identified 10 geothermal provinces, with 42 promising sites.
- The Puga Valley wells in Ladakh, each 1,000 metres deep, are at over 14,000 feet above sea level.
- The National Policy on Geothermal Energy was notified in September 2025.
What the Binance hack means for crypto investors
- The attack was attributed to TraderTraitor, a North Korean cybercrime group linked to the Lazarus Group.
- The stolen funds were drawn from Binance's hot wallets across ten blockchains.
Defence Acquisition Council clears Navy's Project 18A next-generation destroyers
- Project 18A destroyers will be designed by the Navy's Warship Design Bureau.
- The Navy currently has 12 to 13 guided missile destroyers across the Visakhapatnam, Kolkata and Delhi classes.
New IAF chief outlines VAYU vision to restore combat strength and push self-reliance
- LCA Tejas is developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
- The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is India's fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter programme.
ISRO's GSLV-F18 launches NVS-03, the third next-generation NavIC satellite
- NavIC, formerly IRNSS, provides positioning, navigation and timing services over India and a region extending 1,500 km beyond its borders.
- GSLV is a three-stage vehicle whose indigenous cryogenic upper stage uses liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
- GSLV-F18 was the 20th flight of the GSLV.
Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit takes charge as 29th Chief of the Air Staff
- VAYU's Unity of Effort pillar is aligned with the national JAI vision of Jointness, Aatmanirbharta and Innovation.
- Dixit is an experimental test pilot and qualified flying instructor with over 3,500 flying hours.
India's first private fusion company plans reactor blueprint by 2027
- A tokamak is a doughnut-shaped device that uses strong magnetic fields to confine plasma at extremely high temperatures for fusion.
- Fusion typically combines deuterium and tritium; compact designs with high-temperature superconducting magnets are expected to cut reactor costs.
Gene therapy aims to cure hepatitis B by silencing viral DNA
- CRMA-1001 uses a CRISPR-Cas9 based locator and an effector that adds methyl groups to hepatitis B viral DNA.
- Current hepatitis B treatments often leave viral DNA intact, allowing the virus to rebound.
ISRO launches NVS-03 to restore NavIC navigation services
- NavIC, earlier called IRNSS, covers India and about 1,500 km beyond its borders.
- NVS-02, launched in January 2025, failed to reach its intended orbit because its thrusters failed.

Society, social justice and ethics

Centre notifies VB-G RAM G grievance rules with 15-day deadline, drops draft safeguards

The VB-G RAM G Grievance Redressal Rules, 2026 were notified by the Ministry of Rural Development on 2 November 2026.
Grievances go through a three-tier mechanism (gram panchayat, block, district); enquiry within seven working days and resolution within 15 days, then automatic escalation.
No complaint can be refused registration over format, language, mode of submission or procedural defect.
The May 2026 draft's FIR clause for financial irregularities, panchayat review of action taken and a weekly fixed grievance day were dropped.
The VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 guarantees 125 days of work a year, up from 100 under MGNREGA, with 60:40 Centre-State cost sharing for most States.

Op-ed: Unemployment has fallen, but India's jobs remain far from 'decent work'

PLFS unemployment (usual status, 15+) fell from 6.0% in 2017-18 to 3.2% in 2023-24; female LFPR rose from 23.3% to 41.7%.
A Decent Work Index built from PLFS data rose only from 0.247 to 0.302 across five industries.
Agriculture, the largest employer, had the lowest index (0.211 to 0.267); manufacturing improved most (0.324 to 0.411).
The India Employment Report 2024 (ILO and IHD) found nearly 90% of workers informally employed.
The four Labour Codes took effect on 21 November 2025, replacing 29 central labour laws.

Cap on trade margins for 137 anti-cancer drugs to take effect; op-ed says patient bills are the test
- Only scheduled drugs under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order have price ceilings.
- India's out-of-pocket expenditure is 43.4% of total health expenditure, and medicines make up about 70% of it.
- A 2019 NPPA pilot on 42 drugs cut MRPs by up to 90% for 526 brands.
Labour Ministry notifies National Social Security Boards for unorganised and gig workers
- The Code on Social Security merged nine social security laws and was the first to legally define gig and platform workers.
- Aggregators must contribute 1% to 2% of annual turnover to the Social Security Fund, capped at 5% of the amount payable to workers.
Uttarakhand helicopter crash: why air accidents keep recurring in the hills
- Aviation is a Union List subject in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.
- The DGCA is the statutory civil aviation safety regulator.
Ebola deaths in Congo cross 5,000 in second deadliest outbreak
- Bundibugyo virus was first identified in Uganda in 2007.
- Ebola spreads through direct contact with blood, bodily fluids or contaminated objects of an infected person or animal.
Government says social security coverage rose to 68.4% in 2026
- The Code on Social Security, 2020 consolidates nine central labour laws.
- PM-SYM is a voluntary, contributory pension scheme paying Rs 3,000 a month to unorganised workers after age 60.