Daily Current Affairs (DCA) 07&08 November, 2026

• The Union Cabinet approved a ₹14,500 crore Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for developing 92 GWh of grid-scale energy storage capacity.
• The scheme will be implemented from FY 2026–27 to FY 2030–31.
• It provides financial support to make large-scale energy storage projects commercially viable by reducing their initial investment burden.
• Aim: To manage the intermittent supply of renewable energy, stabilise the electricity grid, promote round-the-clock green power and reduce import dependence.

• NITI Aayog launched the India Science and Technology Scoreboard to assess scientific research, innovation and technological development across States and Union Territories.
• It covers all 36 States and Union Territories and tracks research performance from FY 2021–22 to FY 2024–25.
• It assesses research publications, patents and innovation across three sectors: Academia, Government R&D Laboratories and Industry.
• It covers 11 priority research areas, including Artificial Intelligence, Semiconductors, Clean Energy, Critical Minerals, Biotechnology and Space Technologies.

• State Bank of India (SBI) opened a new branch in Texas, expanding its banking presence in the United States.
• It is the first physical expansion of SBI’s California-based subsidiary beyond California.
• The expansion aims to strengthen India’s international banking presence and improve financial services for customers in the United States.

Context of the News

The Ministry of Railways won the PM Surya Ghar Excellence Award 2026. It stood first among all Central ministries for putting solar panels on its buildings.

What Is the Award?

• Given under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana
• It honours Central ministries for rooftop solar on government buildings
• Railways won in the category of Maximum Buildings Solarised
• Given by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

Important Facts for Exams

• PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana was launched in February 2024, with an outlay of ₹75,021 crore
• It aims to cover 1 crore households and gives up to 300 units of free electricity a month
• Indian Railways aims to become a net zero carbon emitter by 2030
• It is the world’s fourth-largest railway network

Context of the News

NITI Aayog and Germany’s GIZ signed an agreement under Phase II of the Nationally Determined Contribution – Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC-TIA).

What Is NDC-TIA?

• A regional cooperation programme on transport
• It helps countries plan how to cut emissions from transport and move to electric vehicles
• Funded by the German Government’s International Climate Initiative (IKI)
• Run by a group of global think tanks, led by GIZ

When Did It Start?

Which Countries Are Involved?

• India
• China
• Vietnam

Funded by Germany.

What Is the Aim?

• Promote electric freight transport — meaning electric trucks and goods vehicles
• Through better policies, regulations and green financing
• So that partner countries can cut transport emissions
• And meet their Paris Agreement NDC targets

Context of the News

The Ministry of Home Affairs has notified the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026. It changes the 2025 order and sets new rules for travel between India, Nepal and Bhutan.

What Is the Order?

• A statutory executive order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs
• Under the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920
• It amends the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025

What does it cover?

• Legal rules for entering, passing through and leaving India
• Documents required
• Who is exempt from normal visa rules

What Is the Aim?

• Strengthen border security
• Prevent third-country infiltration
• Regulate immigration along the India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders
• While keeping visa-free movement for citizens who are eligible

What Is Third-Country Infiltration?

• India has open borders with Nepal and Bhutan. Citizens of those countries can enter without a visa.
• The risk is that someone from a third country enters Nepal or Bhutan first, and then crosses into India using that open border. Tightening document rules is meant to stop this.

Important Facts for Exams

• Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026, notified by the MHA
• It amends the 2025 order
• Issued under the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920
• It covers the India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders
• The India-Nepal border is about 1,751 km long and is an open border
• It is based on the India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship, 1950

Context of the News

Three major Indian texts have been added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Regional Register for Asia and the Pacific:

• Kalhana’s Rajatarangini
• The Mahabharata
• Kautilya’s Arthashastra

This happened at the 11th MOWCAP session in Jakarta, Indonesia.

What Is the Memory of the World Programme?

• Started by UNESCO in 1992
• It protects and preserves the world’s documentary heritage
• This includes manuscripts, archives, oral recordings and rare texts
• These face risk from neglect, decay, conflict and destruction

About Rajatarangini

• Written in Sanskrit by Kalhana, around 1148-1150 CE
• During the reign of King Jayasimha of Kashmir
• The name means “The River of Kings”
• A history of Kashmir’s rulers and dynasties
• Divided into eight books, called Tarangas

About the Mahabharata

• Traditionally attributed to Sage Vyasa
• The story of the Kurukshetra war between the Pandavas and Kauravas
• It explores Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha
• It includes the Bhagavad Gita, which has 700 verses and appears in the Bhishma Parva
• The Gita teaches selfless action (Nishkama Karma), knowledge (Jnana) and devotion (Bhakti)

About the Arthashastra

• Attributed to Kautilya, also called Chanakya or Vishnugupta
• Linked to Chandragupta Maurya
• It was lost for centuries
• R. Shamasastry rediscovered it in 1905 and published it in 1909
• 15 books
• Covering administration, taxation, economic rules, treasury, law and governance

Important Facts for Exams

• The Mahabharata is the longest epic poem in the world
• UNESCO was founded in 1945, headquartered at Paris

Context of the News

REACH, a non-profit organisation working on tuberculosis in India, has won the Kochon Prize 2026.It is the first civil society non-profit from India to receive this award.

What Is REACH?

• Full name: Resource group for Education and Advocacy for Community Health
• A not-for-profit organisation
• It works to strengthen India’s tuberculosis response
• It is a women-led organisation

What Is the Kochon Prize?

• Given by the Kochon Foundation, an independent Korean non-profit
• In partnership with the Stop TB Partnership
• It honours people and organisations that have made a major contribution to the fight against TB

Who Shares the 2026 Prize?

Important Facts for Exams

• India has the world’s highest TB burden, about 26 per cent of global cases
• India aims to end TB by 2025, five years ahead of the SDG 3.3 target of 2030
• The National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) was formerly the Revised National TB Control Programme

• Vacancies in High Court judges have declined to 26%, the lowest level in a decade.
• The sanctioned strength of High Court judges increased from 906 in 2014 to 1,122.
• Despite the improvement, approximately 64 lakh cases remain pending in High Courts.
• The Allahabad High Court, the country’s largest High Court, had 56 vacancies against its sanctioned strength of 160 judges as of 1 November 2026.

• The government approved 12 new applications under the ₹40,000 crore Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme.
• With these approvals, the total number of proposed electronics component manufacturing units has increased to 118.
• The approved projects are expected to generate production worth ₹39,045 crore and create 7,127 direct jobs.
• The units will manufacture components such as copper foil, cathode active materials, speciality ceramics, multilayer printed circuit boards, relays and heat sinks across seven states.

• The Central Government ordered traders, retailers, wholesalers, processors and millers to declare their rice and paddy stocks every week.
• The order was issued on 6 November 2026 amid rising rice prices due to weak and uneven monsoon rainfall.
• Stock declarations must be made under six categories: Basmati rice, non-Basmati premium rice, non-Basmati rice, parboiled rice, broken rice and paddy.
• Aim: To monitor stock levels, prevent hoarding and control unusual price increases in the domestic market.

• India’s indigenous Guided Missile Stealth Frigate INS Sahyadri reached Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan to participate in the multilateral naval exercise MALABAR 2026.
• The ship received a welcome from the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force.
• MALABAR is a major naval exercise involving India, the United States, Japan and Australia.
• The exercise aims to strengthen maritime cooperation, interoperability and coordination among participating navies.

• The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare is organising the 5th Nationwide Digital Life Certificate Campaign across India.
• Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh will launch the month-long campaign in New Delhi.
• The campaign will continue until 30 November 2026.
• It aims to make it easier for pensioners, particularly elderly and physically challenged beneficiaries, to submit their annual life certificates digitally through Jeevan Pramaan.

• The 2nd National SDRF CBRN Competition 2026 concluded at the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) ground in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
• The competition aims to improve the emergency response capabilities of State Disaster Response Forces (SDRFs).
• It focuses on handling Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) emergencies.
• The initiative was launched by NDRF to strengthen specialised disaster-response skills and coordination.

• The Bahamas joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as its 116th member.
• Its High Commissioner, Peter Nicholas Symonette Jr., handed over the Instrument of Accession to the ISA Framework Agreement.
• The ISA is an international initiative launched by India and France at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference.
• Aim: To promote solar energy, increase international cooperation and support affordable solar-energy deployment.

• Union Minister virtually inaugurated Base 1, a private space debris removal facility developed by Cosmoserve Space in Hyderabad.
• The facility focuses on Active Debris Removal (ADR) and In-Orbit Servicing (IOS).
• It aims to develop autonomous space robotics to capture, service and remove defunct satellites and other space debris.
• The initiative supports India’s vision of achieving Debris-Free Space by 2030 and reducing the risk of orbital congestion and Kessler Syndrome.

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Martyrs’ Memorial dedicated to the First War of Independence of 1857 in Ambala, Haryana.
• The memorial was constructed at a cost of ₹594 crore across 22 acres.
• It includes 22 interactive exhibition galleries, an open-air theatre with a capacity of 2,500 people and a light-and-sound show.
• It uses modern technologies such as virtual reality, holography and projection mapping to showcase the contribution of freedom fighters.

• The Indian Air Force’s IL-76MD heavy-lift transport aircraft successfully landed at Nyoma Airfield in Ladakh.
• The airfield is located at an altitude of 13,629 feet.
• This was reported as the highest-altitude landing ever achieved by an IL-76MD aircraft anywhere in the world.
• The achievement strengthens India’s airlift and logistical capabilities in high-altitude border areas.

• The Ministry of Culture signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Google Arts & Culture to promote India’s cultural heritage through digital technology.
• The partnership aims to make India’s art, history and cultural heritage more accessible to people.
• It will use digital tools to document, preserve and showcase India’s cultural resources.
• The initiative supports the digital preservation and wider global promotion of India’s heritage.

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted a flight test of the indigenously developed Pralay missile.
• The test was conducted from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
• Pralay is an indigenous quasi-ballistic missile developed by the Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad, along with other DRDO laboratories.
• The test strengthens India’s indigenous missile development and conventional precision-strike capabilities.

• Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami announced his retirement from Test cricket on 6 November 2026.
• He announced his decision through an emotional video message on Instagram.
• His retirement marks the end of his career in the longest format of international cricket.

• Lieutenant General Sushil Chander Mahant assumed charge as the Indian Army’s Director General of Integrated Training (DGIT) on 1 November 2026.
• He will oversee integrated training-related activities in the Indian Army.
• The appointment is aimed at strengthening military training and professional development.

• The Supreme Court appointed former Chief Justice of India Bhushan R. Gavai to head a committee examining forest-rights orders in Tamil Nadu.
• The committee will scrutinise decisions relating to forest-rights claims.
• The matter is connected with the implementation and examination of forest rights in the state.

• France conferred the Knight of the National Order of Merit on Dr Devi Prasad Shetty.
• He is the founder and chairman of Narayana Health.
• The honour recognises his contributions to healthcare and medical services.

• India and the European Union concluded negotiations on India’s association with Horizon Europe on 7 November 2026.
• Horizon Europe is the European Union’s flagship research and innovation programme.
• The programme has a total budget of €93.5 billion.
• The association is expected to strengthen India-EU cooperation in scientific research, innovation and technology.

• UNESCO included three Indian manuscripts in its Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register.
• The manuscripts are the Mahabharata, Rajatarangini and Arthashastra.
• The recognition highlights India’s contribution to historical, literary and intellectual heritage.
• The initiative promotes the preservation and international recognition of important documentary heritage.

• A study by the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) found an overall increase in mangrove cover across Kerala’s coastal districts over the past decade.
• The findings highlight the expansion of mangrove ecosystems along Kerala’s coastline.
• Mangroves help protect coastal areas from erosion, storm surges and flooding while supporting marine biodiversity.