Daily Current Affairs (DCA) 17 October, 2026

Context of the News

India now has 103 Ramsar sites. Two were added — Sukhna Wetland in Chandigarh and Sauj Jheel in Uttar Pradesh.

Sukhna Wetland, Chandigarh

What is it?

• A man-made reservoir and freshwater wetland on the edge of Chandigarh
• Ramsar Site number 2602
• Sits at the foot of the Shivalik range, the outer Himalayas
• It acts as both a water regulator and an urban wildlife refuge

Sauj Jheel, Uttar Pradesh

What is it?

• A perennial shallow floodplain lake
• Ramsar Site number 2603
• An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA)
• Located in Mainpuri district, near Kishni, in the Indo-Gangetic floodplain

Important Facts for Exams

• Mainpuri is the only district in India with two Ramsar sites — the other is Saman Bird Sanctuary (2019)
• Uttar Pradesh has 14 Ramsar sites, the highest for any state; Tamil Nadu is close behind
• India has the third-highest number of Ramsar sites in the world, after the UK and Mexico, and the most in Asia
• The Ramsar Convention was signed at Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, and came into force in 1975. It is the oldest of the modern global environmental treaties
• India joined in 1982; its first sites were Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan)
• World Wetlands Day: 2 February

• Cheruvayal Raman, known as “Nellachan” and the “Living Paddy Gene Bank,” passed away in Kerala at the age of 74.
• He preserved more than 45 traditional rice varieties through traditional farming in Wayanad and distributed indigenous seeds to farmers free of cost.
• He received the Padma Shri in 2023 and the National Plant Genome Saviour Award in 2016 for his contribution to agricultural biodiversity.

• The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) for five years, from FY 2026–27 to FY 2030–31, with a reported allocation of ₹53,428 crore.
• According to the supplied report, the programme will be renamed Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana (PMSSY), with changes to the names of its pension and family-benefit sub-schemes.
• The programme provides social assistance to eligible elderly people, widows, persons with disabilities and families facing the death of a primary breadwinner.

• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways launched two credit risk insurance products on 13 October 2026 under the Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS).
• The Shipbuilding Project Credit Risk Insurance Policy (SbPCP) covers specified credit and payment risks in export shipbuilding projects, while the Business Credit Shield Policy – Shipbuilders (BCSPS) covers domestic shipbuilding projects.
• The initiative aims to protect shipyards against payment delays, reduce financial risks and promote indigenous shipbuilding.

• India ranks third globally in cumulative contracted clean hydrogen volumes, according to Union Minister Prahlad Joshi.
• Clean hydrogen can reduce emissions in industries that are difficult to electrify and support India’s transition towards cleaner energy.
• The development is important for India’s energy security and clean energy goals.

• ReNew Energy Global secured a $100 million debt facility from the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank FMO to finance renewable energy projects under construction.
• The 10-year financing is intended to provide long-term capital for clean energy projects.
• The facility qualifies under the 2X Challenge, a global initiative that promotes women’s economic participation through investment.

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) notified a Common Advertisement Code (CAC) allowing regulated market intermediaries to use celebrities for brand-level promotion while restricting endorsements of specific financial products or services.
• Celebrity advertisements will require prior approval from the relevant supervisory body or SEBI, as applicable.
• The rules are scheduled to take effect on 8 April 2027, while the deadline for revising IPO issue sizes has been extended to 31 March 2027, according to the supplied report.

• NovaFusion Capital, the lending subsidiary of Astranova Mobility, received approval from the Reserve Bank of India to operate as a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC).
• The company aims to reach ₹5,000 crore in assets under management within five years, focusing mainly on commercial electric vehicles.
• NBFCs provide financial services such as loans and asset financing but are regulated differently from banks.

• ReNew Energy Global secured a $100 million debt facility from Dutch development bank FMO for renewable energy projects under construction.
• The financing has a reported tenure of 10 years and is intended to provide stable funding for clean energy infrastructure.
• The transaction supports renewable energy investment and India’s transition towards a lower-carbon economy.

Context of the News

Bengaluru-born astronomer Dr Ramya Anche has been selected as Principal Investigator of NASA’s $20-million PUFFINS space telescope mission.

What Is PUFFINS?

• Full form: Polarimetry in the Ultraviolet to Find Features in INterStellar dust
• A small satellite in low-Earth orbit
• It carries a 10-inch ultraviolet telescope
• It measures the polarisation of UV starlight as it passes through interstellar dust

Who Runs It?

• Funded by NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers programme
• Led by the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory
• With the McDonald Observatory, University of Texas

What Makes It Notable?

• It revives ultraviolet spectropolarimetry after nearly three decades
• It targets dust grains smaller than 50 nanometres, which are very hard to study with normal optical or infrared telescopes
• It will study how elongated dust grains line up with the Milky Way’s magnetic field — the change in starlight polarisation reveals the shape of galactic magnetic fields
• It will observe at least 70 distant stars, across stellar nurseries, reflection nebulae and the Magellanic Clouds
• Ground support comes from the 82-inch Otto Struve Telescope at McDonald Observatory

Context of the News

The National Steering Committee of PM-SETU approved five Strategic Investment Plans worth ₹1,194.92 crore to modernise ITI clusters in Maharashtra, Odisha and Jammu & Kashmir.

What Is PM-SETU?

• Full form: Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs
• It modernises government Industrial Training Institutes
• Through industry-aligned teaching, better infrastructure, advanced workshops and updated curriculum
• Run by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

When Was It Launched?

• Cabinet approval: 7 May 2025
• Launched: 4 October 2025
• Outlay: ₹60,000 crore over five years
• Target: upgrade 1,000 government ITIs

What Is the Hub-and-Spoke Model?

• Institutes are grouped into clusters
• One Hub ITI holds the advanced infrastructure and equipment
• It shares these with four Spoke ITIs
• This avoids duplicating costly equipment at every institute

How Is It Funded?

• Central Government
• State Governments
• Industry partners

With support from multilateral development banks.

Context of the News

The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol completed 10 years on 15 October 2026. It aims to cut hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and avoid up to 0.5°C of warming by 2100.

What Is It?

• A legally binding amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol
• It requires countries to gradually phase down the production and use of HFCs
• HFCs are powerful greenhouse gases, used mainly in air conditioners and refrigerators

Important Facts for Exams

• Kigali Amendment adopted 15 October 2016 at Kigali, Rwanda; in force 1 January 2019
• First proposed in 2009 by the Federated States of Micronesia and Mauritius
• It amends the Montreal Protocol, 1987, which itself sits under the Vienna Convention, 1985
• Target: cut HFCs by over 80-85 per cent in three decades; avoid 0.3-0.5°C of warming by 2100
• The Montreal Protocol phased out about 99 per cent of ozone-depleting substances
• It is the only UN treaty ratified by every country in the world — all 198 parties
• India ratified the Kigali Amendment in 2021
• India follows the India Cooling Action Plan (2019) — the first country to produce one
• World Ozone Day: 16 September, marking the signing of the Montreal Protocol

• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) launched a web-based Decision Support System (DSS) to improve cyclone warnings, marine weather services and disaster preparedness.
• The platform combines cyclone tracks, intensity forecasts, wind distribution, rainfall warnings and storm surge information through interactive maps.
• It aims to provide location-specific weather information to support timely decisions and improve public safety.

• Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda laid the foundation stone for the Indian Council of Medical Research’s first High Altitude Medicine and Public Health Research Centre at Keylong, Himachal Pradesh.
• Research will cover altitude-related health risks, acclimatisation, maternal and child health, nutrition, infections and non-communicable diseases.
• The centre will collaborate with the Armed Forces Medical Services and AIIMS Bilaspur and use telemedicine and drone-enabled healthcare logistics.

• IBM and the MeitY Startup Hub signed a memorandum of understanding to support India’s deep-tech startup ecosystem.
• The partnership focuses on enterprise artificial intelligence, hybrid cloud and quantum computing, helping startups develop and commercialise technology solutions.
• Selected startups will receive technical guidance, skilling opportunities and access to IBM’s global network.

• The Indian Navy commissioned INS Samarthak, the first of two indigenously built multi-purpose vessels constructed by Larsen & Toubro.
• The vessel was commissioned at Karwar, Karnataka, in the presence of Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan and senior naval officials.
• It will support the testing and evaluation of indigenous sensors and weapons, strengthening India’s naval research and maritime capabilities.

• The Indian Navy’s guided-missile stealth frigate INS Tarkash participated in the ninth edition of the India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime Exercise (IBSAMAR IX) in South Africa.
• The exercise was conducted from 12 to 22 October 2026 to improve interoperability and cooperation among the three navies.
• IBSAMAR is a biennial trilateral naval exercise conducted under the India-Brazil-South Africa framework since 2008.

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) tested its Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) platform on a live network at the Proof & Experimental Establishment in Chandipur, Odisha.
• QKD uses quantum properties to distribute secret cryptographic keys and can help detect attempts to intercept communications.
• The technology aims to strengthen secure military communications and protect sensitive information related to weapon trials.

• Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL) delivered 450 Nagastra-1R loitering munitions to the Indian Army.
• The indigenous system is designed for surveillance and precision strikes and reportedly contains more than 80% indigenous components.
• The delivery supports India’s defence indigenisation efforts and reduces reliance on imported military equipment.

• Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have been announced as permanent members of a new Standing Committee under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) framework.
• The proposed committee will comprise 12 states: five large, four medium and three small states, with seven positions rotating every two years.
• The initiative aims to improve GST compliance, expand the taxpayer base and use data analytics to reduce tax leakage.

• The government introduced specialised insurance products to protect shipyards against specified credit and payment risks in domestic and export shipbuilding projects.
• The products are designed to reduce financial pressure caused by delayed milestone payments and global market fluctuations.
• The initiative supports domestic manufacturing, maritime infrastructure and India’s shipbuilding capabilities.

• The International Day of Rural Women is observed every year on 15 October to recognise rural and indigenous women’s contributions to agriculture, food security and rural development.
• The supplied report gives the 2026 theme as “Rural Women Farmers Caring for Mother Nature.”
• In India, Mahila Kisan Diwas was observed on 15 October 2026 to recognise the role of women farmers.

• Global Handwashing Day is observed annually on 15 October to promote handwashing with soap and water as a simple way to prevent infections.
• The supplied report gives the 2026 theme as “Be a Handwashing Hero.”
• The observance promotes hygiene awareness and encourages handwashing practices in homes, schools and communities.

• INS Samarthak is an indigenously built multi-purpose vessel constructed by Larsen & Toubro.
• It was commissioned at Karwar, Karnataka, and is the first of two such vessels being built by the company.
• Its key role is to support testing and evaluation of indigenous naval sensors and weapons.

• Nagastra-1R is an indigenous, man-portable loitering munition designed for surveillance and precision strikes.
• The system reportedly has an operational endurance of up to 60 minutes and carries a high-explosive fragmentation warhead.
• It is manufactured by Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited, a subsidiary of Solar Industries India Limited.

• Cheruvayal Raman was a traditional farmer from Wayanad, Kerala, known for conserving indigenous rice varieties.
• He preserved more than 45 traditional varieties and promoted chemical-free farming and agricultural biodiversity.
• His work earned him the Padma Shri in 2023 and the National Plant Genome Saviour Award in 2016.