Daily Current Affairs (DCA) 22 October, 2026

Context of the News

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the upgraded Agri Welfare Portal. It gives farmers single-window access to government schemes, financial help and farming information.

What Does Single-Window Access Mean Here?

The portal pulls together three major systems:

• PM-KISAN — the income support scheme
• PMFBY — crop insurance
• AgriStack — the farmer and land database

A farmer can check scheme details, eligibility and apply in one place, instead of visiting separate portals.

What Services Does It Provide?

• Weather conditions
• Scientific farming practices
• Seed and fertiliser availability
• Agricultural market prices
• Financial assistance paid through Direct Benefit Transfer

Important Facts for Exams

• Agri Welfare Portal upgraded and launched by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare
• Integrates PM-KISAN, PMFBY and AgriStack
• Built per DBIM 3.0 and GIGW 3.0, both from MeitY
• Connects FPOs, PACS, scientists, researchers and startups
• Training through Krishi Vigyan Kendras
• PM-KISAN pays ₹6,000 a year in three instalments of ₹2,000

• Launch date: The first vistadome coach in Keralam is scheduled to operate on the Kollam–Sengottai route from 22 October 2026.
• Key features: The executive air-conditioned coach has large glass windows and rotatable seats, offering panoramic views of the Western Ghats.
• Route significance: The coach will enhance the travel experience through the scenic Sengottai–Punalur ghat section and promote tourism in the region.

• Launch: WWF-India’s Environmental Information, Awareness, Capacity Building and Livelihood Programme (EIACP) Programme Centre launched the nationwide campaign with support from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• Objective: To encourage people to celebrate Diwali without firecrackers and adopt cleaner, more sustainable festive practices.
• Mission LiFE: The campaign supports Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) by promoting responsible lifestyles and reducing air and noise pollution.

• Repo rate: The October 2026 Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting minutes reported a unanimous decision to raise the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.5%.
• Inflation concerns: Members discussed broadening inflationary pressures and the risk of second-round price rises, in which an initial price increase leads to further increases in wages and other prices.
• Policy debate: The minutes highlighted differences among members over whether the Reserve Bank of India should signal further monetary tightening.

Context of the News

India’s Permanent Delegation to UNESCO announced that three sites have been added to the World Heritage Tentative List — the Karst-mud-volcano Complex of Baratang, the Andaman Subduction Volcanoes, and the Sirpur Cultural and Archaeological Landscape.

What Is a Tentative List?

• A list of sites a country intends to nominate for the World Heritage List in future years
• Being on the tentative list is compulsory before any site can be formally evaluated and nominated

Site 1: Karst-Mud-Volcano Complex of Baratang

• A natural site on Baratang Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• Combines limestone karst caves and active mud volcanoes

Site 2: Andaman Subduction Volcanoes

• A natural serial site made of Narcondam Island and Barren Island
• The only Quaternary-period subduction volcanoes in the inner volcanic arc of the 5,000 km Burma-Andaman-Java subduction complex

Site 3: Sirpur Cultural and Archaeological Landscape

• A cultural site on the eastern bank of the Mahanadi River
• In Mahasamund district, Chhattisgarh
• It was Shripur, the ancient capital of the Kosala Kingdom, under the Sharabhapuriya and Panduvamshi dynasties

Context of the News

UNEP’s annual Emissions Gap Report found that India’s greenhouse gas emissions fell in 2025 over the previous year. UNEP credits the country’s structural shift towards renewables, and in part weather effects.

Key Highlights

What Is Notable About India’s Numbers?

• India recorded a decrease in emissions in 2025
• This marks a break in the trend after a long period of rapid growth
• India is the third-largest emitter in total greenhouse gas emissions
• But its per capita emission is:
  • Less than half the global average
  • Substantially lower than China and the United States

Important Facts for Exams

• UNEP Emissions Gap Report, released October 2026
• India’s emissions fell in 2025 — a break after years of rapid growth
• India is the third-largest total emitter; per capita emissions are less than half the global average
• EU and Russia also saw declines; China and the US saw increases
• Global emissions in 2025 were similar to 2024
• 1.5°C without overshoot is no longer achievable; current policies point to about 2.8°C this century
• Baseline for warming: 1850-1900
• UNEP — United Nations Environment Programme, founded 1972 after the Stockholm Conference; headquartered at Nairobi, Kenya
• The Emissions Gap Report is published annually, ahead of the COP climate meeting
• Paris Agreement, 2015: hold warming well below 2°C, pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C
• The top emitters in order: China, United States, India, EU, Russia

Context of the News

The Ministry of Power and the Central Electricity Authority highlighted the growing role of Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs), as India crossed 300 GW of non-fossil capacity on the way to its 500 GW target by 2030.

What Is Pumped Storage?

Think of it as a large water battery.

• Two reservoirs are built at different heights
• When power is cheap or surplus — such as during peak solar hours at midday — water is pumped up to the higher reservoir
• When demand peaks in the evening, or renewables fall short, the water is released downhill through reversible pump-turbines to generate power
• The energy is stored as gravitational potential energy

What Are the Three Types?

Where Does India Stand Globally?

• Launch: The World Bank Group launched its first comprehensive digital strategy at the Global Artificial Intelligence and Digital Summit 2026 in Seoul, South Korea.
• Target: The strategy aims to benefit 1 billion people by 2030 through better internet connectivity, affordable digital access, digital services and skills, and improved artificial intelligence readiness.
• Digital divide: In 2025, more than 2 billion people worldwide remained offline. Internet usage was 23% in low-income countries, compared with 94% in high-income countries.
• New initiative: The AI Infrastructure and Readiness Initiative will initially focus on Africa and Latin America to improve access to affordable computing infrastructure.

• Date: Observed every year on 17 October by the United Nations (UN).
• 2026–2028 theme: “United for Peace and Human Rights.”
• Origin: On 17 October 1987, more than 100,000 people gathered at Trocadéro Plaza in Paris to honour victims of poverty, hunger and violence.
• UN recognition: The United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/47/196 on 22 December 1992. The first UN-recognised observance took place in 1993.

• India’s rank: India ranked 84th, improving from 85th in October 2025, with visa-free access to 55 destinations.
• Top-ranked passports: Singapore ranked first with access to 193 destinations. Japan, the United Arab Emirates and South Korea shared second place with access to 188 destinations.
• Lowest-ranked passports: Afghanistan ranked 106th with access to 22 destinations, while Pakistan ranked 103rd with access to 29 destinations.

• Date: Observed annually on 16 October to raise awareness about food security, nutrition and access to healthy food.
• 2026 theme: “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.”
• FAO establishment: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was established on 16 October 1945.
• Origin: World Food Day was instituted in 1979 at the 20th FAO Conference in Rome. The first observance took place in 1981 following United Nations recognition.

• Edition and dates: The fifth edition is scheduled from 18 to 24 October 2026 in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, Japan.
• Motto: “Imagine One Heart.”
• Participants: The event brings together Asian athletes with physical, visual and intellectual disabilities.
• Organising body: The Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) regulates the Games, which are recognised by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

• Date: Observed annually on 21 October to honour police personnel who died in the line of duty.
• Historical significance: The day commemorates 10 police personnel killed by Chinese troops at Hot Springs, Ladakh, on 21 October 1959.
• First observance: The day was first observed on 21 October 1960 following a resolution adopted by the annual conference of state and Union Territory police chiefs.
• 2026 event: Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid tribute at the National Police Memorial in New Delhi and flagged off a nationwide motorcycle rally themed “Fight Against Drugs.”

• Date: Observed annually on 20 October to honour Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the 1962 Sino-Indian War.
• Historical background: The war began on 20 October 1962 and continued until 21 November 1962.
• Establishment: The day was designated in 1966 by a committee constituted under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
• First observance: National Solidarity Day was first observed on 20 October 1966.

• Venue: The conference was held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in Cape Town, South Africa.
• Theme: “Strengthening International Law and Parliamentary Democracy in a Changing World Order: Commonwealth Leadership.”
• Indian delegation: Harivansh Narayan Singh, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, led the Indian parliamentary delegation.
• Next edition: The 70th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference is scheduled to be hosted by Canada in 2027.

• New additions: Karst-mud-volcano Complex of Baratang, Andaman Subduction Volcanoes and Sirpur Cultural and Archaeological Landscape.
• Locations: The first two sites are in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while Sirpur is in Chhattisgarh.
• Total tentative-list sites: The additions increased India’s total to 81 sites: 59 cultural, 19 natural and 3 mixed.
• Significance: The sites represent geological features, volcanic activity, biodiversity and India’s archaeological and cultural heritage.

• Agreement: The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in October 2026.
• Coverage: All 10 MoES research institutes were recognised as AcSIR Associated Research Institutes.
• Research areas: Doctoral research will cover atmospheric sciences, oceans, polar and cryosphere studies, deep-sea research, geosciences, coastal and water sciences, and emerging technologies.
• Academic framework: Students will conduct research at the recognised institutes, with AcSIR awarding PhD degrees that mention the host institute.

• Approval: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare approved the operationalisation of Ladakh’s first Government Medical College at Stipuk Pharka, Leh, from the 2027–28 academic year.
• Recruitment: Approval includes a phased recruitment process for 103 sanctioned regular posts.
• Training facilities: Two newly constructed buildings will serve as the academic block and students’ hostel, while the 200-bedded Sonam Norboo Memorial Hospital will support clinical training.
• Significance: The college is expected to expand medical education opportunities and strengthen healthcare services in Ladakh.

• Launch: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) introduced the Toll Plaza Feedback feature in October 2026.
• Objective: The feature enables highway users to report service issues, helping NHAI identify gaps and improve toll plaza facilities.
• FASTag: FASTag uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to deduct toll charges electronically under the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) framework.
• Annual Pass fee: The fee for eligible non-commercial private cars, jeeps and vans increased to ₹3,075 from 1 April 2026, with validity of one year or 200 toll crossings, whichever comes first.

• Launch: The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) launched NPS Central on 1 October 2026, observed as NPS Diwas.
• Purpose: The unified digital platform simplifies access to National Pension System (NPS) services, including registration, contributions, investment management and account updates.
• Login: Subscribers can log in using their registered mobile number and date of birth, verified through a One-Time Password (OTP), instead of their Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN).
• Development: The platform was jointly developed and managed by three Central Recordkeeping Agencies: Protean eGov Technologies, KFin Technologies and Computer Age Management Services (CAMS).

• Agreement: Indian aviation startup VORAN Private Limited signed an MoU with Poland-based W&S Innovation – Aviation Artur Trendak in October 2026.
• Focus: The collaboration will explore gyroplane technology, product development and potential light-aircraft manufacturing in India.
• Products: The partnership covers the X2 advanced gyroplane and AAT Taifun.
• Significance: The proposed collaboration could support technology transfer, pilot training, maintenance capabilities and the growth of India’s light-aviation industry.

• Agreement: Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer signed an agreement with Mahindra Defence Systems Limited to acquire a 51% controlling stake in Novavayu Aerospace Limited.
• Ownership: Following the proposed transaction, Embraer will hold 51% and Mahindra Defence Systems Limited will hold 49%.
• Purpose: The joint venture aims to promote Embraer’s C-390 Millennium aircraft for the Indian Air Force’s Medium Transport Aircraft programme.
• Significance: The partnership seeks to combine Embraer’s aerospace expertise with Mahindra’s industrial capabilities and support India’s military transport aviation requirements.

• Development: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), through its Defence Electronics Research Laboratory in Hyderabad, initiated the development of man-portable Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) modules.
• Purpose: The system is intended to detect, intercept and analyse signals emitted by enemy radars and other electronic systems.
• Technology: Antennas, receivers, digital signal processing and machine learning will help separate signals and identify radar signatures.
• Other development: DRDO also developed indigenous armour panels around 20% lighter than existing systems, designed to withstand 30 mm armour-piercing ammunition and meet the specified STANAG 4569 Level 6 protection standard.

• Discovery: Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) Western Ghats Regional Centre and Malabar Christian College discovered three new species in Kerala and Karnataka.
• Species names: Rhysida quadrispinosa, Rhysida coorgensis and Rhysida neyyarensis.
• Research significance: The findings increased the number of known Rhysida species in India to 23.
• Scientific publication: The findings were published in the International Journal of Tropical Insect Science. ZSI, established in 1916 and headquartered in Kolkata, studies and documents India’s animal diversity.

• Location: Sirpur is situated on the eastern bank of the Mahanadi River in Mahasamund district, Chhattisgarh.
• UNESCO status: The site has been added to UNESCO’s Tentative List, an important step towards possible World Heritage Site recognition.
• Historical importance: Its archaeological remains date from the 5th to the 12th century CE and represent Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions within a unified urban landscape.
• Next step: Authorities must prepare and submit a detailed nomination dossier to UNESCO for consideration.

• Space agency: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is leading the robotic sample-return mission, with participation from NASA, the European Space Agency, France’s CNES and Germany’s DLR.
• Mission targets: The spacecraft will study Phobos and conduct flybys of Deimos, the two moons of Mars.
• Sample return: It aims to collect at least 10 grams of surface material from Phobos and return it to Earth in 2031.
• Scientific objective: The mission seeks to understand how Mars’s moons formed and gain insights into the early evolution of the Solar System.

• Award ceremony: The Union Minister for Culture and Tourism conferred the awards for 2024 and 2025 on 106 young performing artists in New Delhi.
• Established: The award was instituted in 2006 in memory of Ustad Bismillah Khan, the renowned shehnai maestro and Bharat Ratna recipient.
• Administered by: The Sangeet Natak Akademi, an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Culture.
• Purpose: It recognises promising young performers and encourages the continuation of India’s music, dance, theatre and other performing arts traditions.

• New additions: Sukhna Wetland in Chandigarh and Sauj Jheel in Uttar Pradesh were reported as newly added Ramsar sites.
• Sukhna Wetland: It supports wetland habitats and resident and migratory birds along the Central Asian Flyway.
• Sauj Jheel: Located in the Ganga floodplain, it is an Important Bird Area that supports vulnerable bird species.
• State ranking: According to the supplied report, Uttar Pradesh has 14 Ramsar sites, the second-highest number among Indian States after Tamil Nadu.

• Ministry: The Ministry of Home Affairs notified amendments to the Census Rules, 1990.
• Key change: The amendments expand the categories of people eligible for appointment as Census enumerators, including private-sector employees and teachers, as stated in the supplied report.
• Legal framework: The rules operate under the Census Act, 1948.
• Objective: The changes aim to increase field staff availability, reduce the workload on government schoolteachers and support the upcoming digital Census.

• Vessel: INS Samarthak is the first indigenously designed Multi-Purpose Vessel of its class.
• Dimensions: The vessel is 107 metres long and is designed for auxiliary and support roles.
• Shipbuilder: It was built by Larsen & Toubro at its shipbuilding facility in Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu.
• Significance: The vessel supports India’s indigenous naval shipbuilding and defence manufacturing capabilities.

• Initiative: The BRIC-CDFD–Oxford Nanopore Technologies India Genomics Centre of Excellence was inaugurated during the 8th India–UK Science and Innovation Council Meeting.
• Focus: The centre aims to advance genomics research and biotechnology cooperation.
• Other initiatives: The UK–India Technology Translation Partnership and InnoXchange Programme support technology commercialisation and innovation.
• Significance: The partnership strengthens scientific research, technology development and collaboration between India and the United Kingdom.

• Appointment: Dr. T. M. Balakrishnan Nair, Director of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), was elected Chair of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Sub-Commission for the Indian Ocean (IOCINDIO).
• Election venue: Bali, Indonesia, during the body’s second Intergovernmental Session in October 2026.
• Expertise: He has over 30 years of experience in operational oceanography and marine science.
• Role of IOCINDIO: It promotes regional cooperation in ocean observations, marine research, capacity building and ocean information services.

• Appointment: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved Subhas Chandra Lal Das, a retired 1992-batch Indian Administrative Service officer, as part-time Chairperson of the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB).
• Tenure: Three years.
• Additional appointments: Six part-time members were appointed, covering banking and financial institutions as well as public-sector insurance.
• Role of FSIB: It recommends candidates for senior leadership positions in public-sector banks and financial institutions and public-sector insurance companies.

• Agreement: Indian space company Skyroot Aerospace signed a contract with United States-based Reflect Orbital for two dedicated satellite launches.
• Technology: Reflect Orbital plans to use satellites fitted with large mirrors to redirect sunlight towards selected locations after sunset.
• Potential applications: The system could support disaster response, remote industrial operations, solar farms and selected defence applications.
• Launch vehicles: The planned launches will use Skyroot’s Vikram rocket family, with Vikram-1 and the under-development Vikram-1U identified in the supplied report.

• Announcement: Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations reported a test of the extended-range variant of the Fatah-II surface-to-surface missile in October 2026.
• Reported range: Approximately 400 kilometres, according to the supplied report.
• Technology: The missile reportedly uses an Inertial Navigation System (INS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) for precision targeting.
• Background: The Fatah missile programme began with Fatah-I in August 2021, followed by Fatah-II in December 2023.

• Announcement: Indian women’s cricket batter Punam Raut announced her retirement from international cricket in October 2026.
• Career: Her international career spanned 2009–2021 and included four Test matches, 73 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 35 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is).
• ODI record: She scored 2,299 runs, including three centuries and 15 half-centuries.
• Notable performance: She scored 86 runs in the 2017 Women’s ODI World Cup final against England.

• Profile: Veteran Tamil film composer Devanesan Chokkalingam, popularly known as Deva or “Thenisai Thendral”, died at the age of 75 in Chennai in October 2026.
• Career: He worked across Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam cinema, composing songs and background scores for more than 400 films, according to the supplied report.
• Musical contribution: He helped popularise Gaana music through folk-inspired melodies and distinctive rhythms.
• Awards: His honours included the Kalaimamani Award and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Best Music Director.

• Profile: B. Madhusoodana Kurup, founding Vice-Chancellor of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), passed away at the age of 71 in Kochi in October 2026.
• Research: He contributed to fisheries science, aquatic biodiversity, aquaculture and fisheries education.
• Contributions: He discovered eight freshwater fish species in the Western Ghats, guided 22 doctoral scholars and published more than 250 research papers.
• Leadership: He also served at Cochin University of Science and Technology and Shri Venkateshwara University.

• Inauguration: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant inaugurated the Ladakh Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh at Melongthang, Leh, in October 2026.
• Judicial access: The facility aims to improve access to justice for people in Leh, Kargil and other remote areas.
• Digital services: The initiatives included an e-filing portal, a Document Management System and an online recruitment portal.
• Green Wall: A Green Wall initiative was also launched to highlight environmental conservation and ecological sustainability in Ladakh.

• Research: Scientists from Bengaluru and international collaborators studied coronal mass ejections (CMEs), large eruptions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun.
• Missions: The research combined observations from India’s Aditya-L1 mission and Europe’s Proba-3 mission.
• Instruments: The study used the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) aboard Aditya-L1 and the ASPIICS instrument aboard Proba-3.
• Significance: Combining observations from the two missions helps scientists study solar eruptions and understand their mass, density and energy.