Current Affairs — 1 October 2026

1. Southwest Monsoon 2026 Ends With a Rainfall Deficit

Basic Concept

The southwest (June–September) monsoon supplies about 70-75% of India's annual rainfall and is critical for kharif agriculture, reservoir levels, and groundwater recharge. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) classifies a season as 'deficient' when all-India rainfall is 90% or less of the Long Period Average (LPA, based on 1971-2020 data). The monsoon's onset (around 1 June over Kerala) and withdrawal (beginning from west Rajasthan, usually around 17 September) are tracked closely because both timing and spatial distribution matter as much as the overall quantity.

Core Context

The 2026 southwest monsoon season has concluded with an all-India rainfall deficit of around 12-13%, making it the driest season in about a decade (the worst shortfall since 2015, per IMD data). The withdrawal itself was delayed, and forecasts suggest October rainfall is also likely to stay below normal, raising concerns about moisture conditions for the upcoming rabi (winter-sown) season.

Latest Developments

• A deficient monsoon directly affects kharif crop output (rice, pulses, oilseeds, cotton), reservoir storage for irrigation and hydropower, and rural demand/consumption in the broader economy.

• Spatial and temporal distribution matters: even a season with an 'overall' deficit can have pockets of excess rainfall and flooding alongside drought-like conditions elsewhere.

• A weak monsoon season typically pushes the government to closely track rabi sowing conditions and reservoir levels before finalising support measures like MSP hikes and irrigation releases.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• IMD defines the LPA (Long Period Average) using a 50-year dataset, currently 1971-2020, as the benchmark 'normal' rainfall figure.

• A season is called 'deficient' if all-India rainfall is 90% or less of LPA; 'excess' if it is 110% or more.

• The southwest monsoon normally sets in over Kerala around 1 June and begins withdrawing from west Rajasthan around 17 September.

• 2015 is often cited as a recent benchmark year for a weak/drought-hit monsoon in India.

2. UPSC Completes 100 Years: Centenary Foundation Day

Basic Concept

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is a constitutional body established under Article 315 of the Constitution, which provides for a Public Service Commission for the Union and for each state. Articles 316 to 323 deal with its composition, appointment and removal of members, functions, and reporting obligations. UPSC's core mandate includes conducting examinations for appointments to All-India Services and Central Services (such as the Civil Services Examination), advising the government on service matters, and ensuring recruitment is based on merit, thereby safeguarding the neutrality and professionalism of India's civil services (often called the 'steel frame' of administration, a phrase associated with the colonial-era Indian Civil Service and later used for India's permanent executive).

Core Context

UPSC traces its origins to the Public Service Commission set up on 1 October 1926 under the Government of India Act, 1919, making 1 October 2026 its 100th Foundation Day. The centenary year of celebrations had been launched the previous year, and 1 October 2026 marked the culminating event, attended by the Prime Minister, who addressed the gathering and highlighted the Commission's century-long role in building India's administrative machinery.

Latest Developments

• UPSC was originally constituted as the 'Public Service Commission' in 1926; it was reconstituted as the Federal Public Service Commission under the Government of India Act, 1935, and became the Union Public Service Commission after independence under Article 315.

• UPSC members are appointed by the President and can be removed only through a process involving the Supreme Court (under Article 317), which insulates the body from arbitrary executive interference.

• Besides the Civil Services Examination, UPSC conducts exams for the Indian Forest Service, Engineering Services, Combined Defence Services, NDA/NA, and recommends appointments/promotions/transfers for members of All-India Services.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• UPSC was established on 1 October 1926, making 2026 its centenary year.

• The constitutional basis for UPSC lies in Article 315 (Part XIV of the Constitution).

• A UPSC member can be removed from office only on grounds of misbehaviour, and only after the Supreme Court, on reference by the President, finds this to be so (Article 317).

• UPSC submits an annual report on its work to the President, which is laid before each House of Parliament along with a memorandum explaining non-acceptance of any of its advice.

3. India–EFTA Trade Agreement (TEPA) Comes Into Force

Basic Concept

The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) comprises four countries that are not members of the European Union: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. India and EFTA signed the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) in March 2024, a landmark deal because, uniquely, EFTA committed to a binding investment target (USD 100 billion over 15 years) in exchange for tariff concessions from India, rather than India simply offering unconditional tariff cuts as in most goods-only FTAs.

Core Context

The India-EFTA TEPA formally came into effect from 1 October 2026, after both sides completed their ratification and implementation processes. With this, Indian exporters gain preferential access for items such as pharmaceuticals, textiles, and engineering goods into the EFTA bloc, while India phases down tariffs on products like Swiss watches, chocolates, and machinery, alongside investment and job-creation commitments from the EFTA states.

Latest Developments

• The agreement covers trade in goods, trade in services, investment promotion, intellectual property rights, and sustainable development, going beyond a conventional FTA by tying tariff concessions to investment inflows.

• EFTA's investment commitment is structured as USD 50 billion within the first 10 years and the remaining USD 50 billion over the following 5 years, totalling USD 100 billion over 15 years; compliance will be reviewed periodically.

• The deal supports India's manufacturing diversification and 'China Plus One' strategy, particularly in pharmaceuticals, precision engineering, and machinery.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• EFTA consists of four states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland — none of which are EU members.

• TEPA was signed in March 2024 and entered into force on 1 October 2026.

• TEPA is the first major Indian trade agreement to link tariff concessions to a binding investment commitment rather than reciprocal tariff cuts alone.

4. PM Modi–President Trump Phone Call: Trade, Defence and Critical Technology

Basic Concept

India-US relations operate under the framework of a 'Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership', with cooperation spanning trade, defence technology (including initiatives like INDUS-X for defence innovation), counter-terrorism, and critical and emerging technologies (semiconductors, AI, quantum computing) under frameworks such as the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET). Periodic high-level engagement, including phone calls and summits between the two leaders, is used to review progress and resolve frictions, particularly around tariffs and market access.

Core Context

Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump held a phone conversation in which they reviewed bilateral trade negotiations, defence cooperation, and collaboration on critical technologies, amid an ongoing effort to ease tariff-related trade tensions between the two countries.

Latest Developments

• The call comes against the backdrop of earlier tariff actions by the US on Indian goods, and both sides have been negotiating a bilateral trade agreement to resolve outstanding market-access issues.

• Defence cooperation between India and the US includes platforms like the Major Defence Partner status, joint exercises (e.g., Tiger Triumph, Yudh Abhyas), and technology-sharing initiatives.

• Critical technology cooperation spans semiconductors, artificial intelligence, space, and clean energy, seen as central to counterbalancing China's influence in the Indo-Pacific.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• India and the US describe their relationship as a 'Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership'.

• iCET (initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies) is a key India-US framework for technology cooperation.

• INDUS-X is a US-India defence innovation bridge aimed at co-production and co-development of defence technology.

5. Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 2026 Replaces the 1891 Law

Basic Concept

The Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 1891 laid down special rules under which certified copies of entries in a bank's books could be admitted as evidence in court without needing to produce the original ledgers or summon bank officials every time, easing litigation involving banks. 'Bankers' books' traditionally meant ledgers, day-books, cash-books, and account-books of a bank. However, the 1891 law was drafted for a paper-based banking era and did not adequately address core banking systems, digital/electronic records, and cloud-based storage used by modern banks and NBFCs.

Core Context

Parliament has passed the Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 2026, repealing and replacing the 1891 Act to recognise electronic and digital records of a bank's books as valid evidence, provided safeguards are met to confirm the records are accurate copies, free from tampering, and generated through a reliable computer system.

Latest Developments

• The new law retains the longstanding protection that bank officers cannot be compelled to appear as witnesses or produce original records unless a court, for 'special cause', specifically orders it (for example, where there are discrepancies in entries or evidence of non-compliance with inspection requirements).

• A significant new provision empowers the central government to extend the Act's applicability, by notification, to other entities in the financial sector beyond traditional banks, such as NBFCs, potentially with modified conditions.

• The reform is expected to speed up banking-related litigation (such as loan recovery and cheque bounce cases) by removing the friction of producing physical ledgers in an era of core banking and digital transactions.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 2026 repeals the Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 1891.

• The 1891 Act was enacted during the colonial period to ease the burden of producing original bank ledgers as court evidence.

• 'Special cause' is the legal threshold a court must find before it can order a bank officer to produce original books or give evidence beyond certified copies.

6. 'Public View' and the SC/ST Act: Courts Clarify Online Casteist Slurs

Basic Concept

The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 criminalises intentional insults or intimidation of SC/ST persons with intent to humiliate, but several of its offences (under Section 3(1)) apply specifically when the act is committed 'in any place within public view' or 'in public view'. This phrase has been central to litigation: courts have had to decide whether an insult made in a closed room, a private phone call, or on a social media platform satisfies this 'public view' requirement, since the Act does not automatically treat every act of caste-based insult as covered — the public (or quasi-public) nature of the act matters for certain offences.

Core Context

Multiple High Courts have in recent months addressed whether casteist slurs and remarks made on social media or other online platforms fall within 'public view' under the SC/ST Act. Courts have increasingly held that posting derogatory, caste-based content on social media — given its wide and uncontrolled reach to the general public — does meet the 'public view' threshold, even though remarks made strictly in a private setting (such as a closed-door conversation or a one-to-one phone call) may not.

Latest Developments

• This line of reasoning distinguishes 'place within public view' (a physical requirement) from situations where the medium itself (a public social media post, for instance) exposes the remark to an open-ended public audience.

• The rulings matter for digital-age enforcement of social justice legislation, as online caste-based hate speech has become increasingly common and was earlier seen as a grey area under the 1989 Act.

• Legal commentators note this is part of a broader trend of courts adapting physical-world legal tests (like 'public view' or 'public place') to online conduct.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was enacted in 1989 to prevent atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

• Section 3(1) of the Act lists offences that specifically require the act to be committed 'in public view' or 'within public view'.

• Courts have generally distinguished strictly private communications (e.g., a private phone call) from public social media posts when applying the 'public view' test.

7. Cabinet Hikes Rabi MSP for the 2027-28 Marketing Season

Basic Concept

Minimum Support Price (MSP) is the price at which the government commits to purchasing crops from farmers, acting as a floor price to protect them from distress sales during a glut. MSPs are announced twice a year — for kharif (monsoon-sown) and rabi (winter-sown) crops — based on recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), which considers cost of production (A2+FL and C2 formulas), demand-supply conditions, domestic and international prices, and the broader terms of trade for agriculture. Rabi crops include wheat, barley, gram (chana), lentil (masur), mustard, and safflower, and are harvested around March-April.

Core Context

The Union Cabinet approved MSPs for the six major rabi crops for the 2027-28 marketing season. The hike for the benchmark crop, wheat, was comparatively modest at around ₹25 per quintal (to roughly ₹2,610/quintal), a much smaller increase than previous years and described as one of the lowest wheat MSP hikes in about 17 years, while other crops like safflower received the sharpest percentage increase (around ₹675/quintal).

Latest Developments

• MSP decisions for rabi crops are typically announced around September-October, ahead of the winter sowing season, to give farmers a price signal before they decide what and how much to plant.

• A modest wheat MSP hike, especially after a weak monsoon season, can affect farmer income expectations and sowing decisions, and is often debated in terms of its adequacy relative to input cost inflation.

• The CACP's cost-based formulas (A2+FL: paid-out costs plus imputed value of family labour; C2: a comprehensive cost including rentals and interest on owned land/capital) are often cited in debates about whether MSP meets the legally-recommended 1.5 times cost of production benchmark.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• MSP is recommended by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).

• Rabi crops for which MSP is announced include wheat, barley, gram, lentil (masur), rapeseed-mustard, and safflower.

• A2+FL and C2 are the two key cost concepts used in MSP-setting debates, with C2 being the more comprehensive estimate.

8. Cabinet Approves ₹1.86 Lakh Crore Green Energy Corridor Phase-III

Basic Concept

The Green Energy Corridor (GEC) scheme funds dedicated transmission infrastructure to evacuate power generated from renewable energy (RE) sources (solar, wind) from resource-rich states/regions to the national grid and demand centres. Since renewable generation is often concentrated in specific geographies (e.g., Rajasthan and Gujarat for solar, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat for wind) and is intermittent in nature, dedicated and flexible transmission capacity is essential to avoid 'stranded' renewable capacity that cannot be evacuated due to grid bottlenecks. Phase-I and Phase-II of the GEC scheme had earlier built intra-state and inter-state transmission lines.

Core Context

The Union Cabinet approved Green Energy Corridor Phase-III, with an outlay of around ₹1.86 lakh crore, aimed at creating transmission infrastructure to evacuate about 135 GW of additional renewable energy capacity, addressing transmission bottlenecks that had been identified as a key constraint on India's renewable energy rollout.

Latest Developments

• The scheme directly supports India's target of reaching 500 GW of non-fossil-fuel-based installed electricity capacity by 2030, a commitment made as part of India's climate (NDC) goals.

• Transmission bottlenecks have been flagged repeatedly by the power sector as a reason for delays in renewable capacity addition, making Phase-III a demand-side-driven investment rather than a purely generation-focused one.

• The corridor is expected to integrate renewable-rich states more efficiently into the national grid, reducing curtailment (wastage) of generated renewable power.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The Green Energy Corridor scheme is implemented in phases (Phase-I, Phase-II, now Phase-III) to build transmission infrastructure for renewable energy evacuation.

• India's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement includes a target of 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.

• Phase-III has been approved with an outlay of approximately ₹1.86 lakh crore to evacuate about 135 GW of renewable capacity.

9. CAFE-III Norms Notified: Stricter Fuel-Efficiency Rules for Vehicles

Basic Concept

Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) norms regulate the average fuel consumption (and corresponding CO2 emissions) across a manufacturer's entire fleet of vehicles sold in a year, rather than mandating a flat standard for every individual model. This allows manufacturers flexibility — they can sell some less fuel-efficient vehicles as long as they are offset by more efficient ones, so the fleet-wide average meets the target. India's CAFE norms are administered by the Ministry of Heavy Industries (via the Bureau of Energy Efficiency) and primarily target passenger vehicle manufacturers to cut oil-import dependence and vehicular emissions.

Core Context

The Central Government has formally notified the CAFE-III norms, tightening fuel-efficiency (and hence emission) targets for passenger vehicle manufacturers for the coming cycle. The final notified norms give a higher multiplying credit (around 3x) to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) to help manufacturers meet fleet averages, while not extending a separate special weight/size-based exemption specifically for small cars, a point of debate during the draft stage.

Latest Developments

• CAFE norms push automakers towards electrification, hybridisation, and lightweighting of vehicles, as these measures help lower fleet-average fuel consumption and emissions.

• Industry had sought a weight-based exemption to protect small, more affordable cars from being disproportionately burdened by stricter norms, a provision not retained in the final notification.

• Stricter CAFE norms are a key non-tax lever (alongside PLI schemes for EVs/batteries) used by the government to accelerate the shift to cleaner mobility without mandating EVs outright.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• CAFE stands for Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency / Economy, and regulates fleet-wide average fuel consumption, not individual vehicle models.

• In India, CAFE norms are implemented under the Energy Conservation Act framework and apply to passenger vehicle manufacturers.

• The notified CAFE-III norms give extra ('multiplier') credit to battery electric vehicles to help manufacturers meet fleet-average targets.

10. AIME-2026: Second ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise Begins in the Philippines

Basic Concept

The ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME) is a multilateral naval exercise between India and the ten ASEAN member states, launched to operationalise the maritime dimension of India's Act East Policy and its Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. The first edition of AIME was held in 2023, co-hosted by Singapore, and focused on enhancing interoperability, maritime domain awareness, and confidence-building among regional navies, especially relevant given shared concerns over freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and wider Indo-Pacific.

Core Context

The second edition, AIME-2026, has commenced in Subic Bay, the Philippines, with participating navies from India and ASEAN member states carrying out joint manoeuvres, communication drills, and other interoperability exercises as part of deepening India-ASEAN maritime security cooperation.

Latest Developments

• AIME reflects India's 'Act East Policy' and its vision of being a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific, alongside its Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) doctrine.

• Hosting the exercise in the Philippines, a country with an active maritime dispute with China in the South China Sea, carries symbolic significance for regional maritime security cooperation.

• Such exercises enhance interoperability between the Indian Navy and ASEAN navies, which is valuable for coordinated responses to piracy, disaster relief (HADR), and search-and-rescue operations.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• AIME stands for ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise; its first edition was held in 2023, co-hosted by Singapore.

• AIME operationalises India's Act East Policy and the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine.

• AIME-2026, the second edition, is being held in Subic Bay, the Philippines.

11. Ayush Sector Emerges as One of India's Fastest-Growing Service Sectors

Basic Concept

'AYUSH' is the acronym for India's traditional and alternative systems of medicine — Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy — promoted and regulated through the Ministry of AYUSH (a separate ministry since 2014, carved out of the earlier Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy, ISM&H). The government has been pushing AYUSH both as a public-health/wellness resource and as an economic sector with export and global-market potential, including through initiatives like AYUSH Visa categories for wellness tourism and international standardisation of Ayurveda/Yoga practices.

Core Context

Government data and recent studies highlight that India's AYUSH services sector is among the fastest-growing segments of the services economy, with projections suggesting the sector's value could reach tens of billions of dollars over the coming decades as domestic demand, wellness tourism, and global interest in traditional medicine continue to rise.

Latest Developments

• The AYUSH sector spans services such as traditional medical treatment and wellness/spa tourism, as well as goods such as herbal and nutraceutical products, giving it both a healthcare and manufacturing/export dimension.

• Government support includes AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres under Ayushman Bharat, international promotion of International Yoga Day (21 June), and efforts at WHO-level collaboration, such as the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine set up in India (Jamnagar, Gujarat).

• Growth in this sector is cited as relevant to India's broader services-export story and its 'soft power' diplomacy around yoga and Ayurveda.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• AYUSH stands for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy.

• The Ministry of AYUSH was created as a separate Union Ministry in 2014.

• The WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine is headquartered in Jamnagar, Gujarat — the first and only such global centre for traditional medicine.

12. RoSCTL Scheme Extended for Textile and Apparel Exporters

Basic Concept

The Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) scheme reimburses embedded state and central taxes/levies (such as those on fuel, electricity duty, and mandi tax) that are not otherwise refunded under standard GST input tax credit or duty drawback mechanisms, specifically for exports of apparel/garments and made-ups (home textiles). The scheme was introduced to keep India's textile exports price-competitive internationally by ensuring that embedded, non-creditable taxes do not get 'exported' as a hidden cost within the final product price, in line with the broader principle that taxes should not be exported.

Core Context

The Ministry of Textiles has extended the RoSCTL scheme for apparel and made-up exporters for a further period, up to 31 December 2026, continuing the tax-rebate support for this export-oriented and labour-intensive sector amid global trade uncertainties.

Latest Developments

• Textiles and apparel are a labour-intensive, employment-heavy export sector for India, making policy continuity (rather than abrupt withdrawal of incentives) important for business planning and competitiveness, especially against rivals like Bangladesh and Vietnam.

• RoSCTL works alongside other export-support instruments such as the RoDTEP (Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products) scheme, which applies more broadly across sectors.

• Periodic extensions (rather than a long-term notification) reflect the scheme's dependence on evolving trade and fiscal considerations, and exporters have sought greater long-term predictability.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• RoSCTL stands for Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies, and applies specifically to apparel/garment and made-up exports.

• RoSCTL is administered by the Ministry of Textiles, distinguishing it from the more broadly applicable RoDTEP scheme covering other export sectors.

• The scheme compensates for embedded taxes not refunded under GST input tax credit or duty drawback.

13. Rising Sea Levels Threaten India's Eroding Coastline

Basic Concept

Global mean sea level is rising due to two main climate-change-linked processes: thermal expansion of ocean water as it warms, and the addition of meltwater from glaciers and ice sheets (such as in Greenland and Antarctica). India has a coastline of roughly 7,500 km spanning nine coastal states and four Union Territories, supporting dense populations, major ports, and ecologically sensitive zones like mangroves and deltas (e.g., the Sundarbans). Coastal erosion — the loss of land to the sea — is a related but distinct process, driven by a mix of rising sea levels, changed sediment flow (often due to dams and sand mining), and increasingly intense cyclones.

Core Context

Recent analyses highlight that India's coastline is increasingly vulnerable to erosion linked to rising sea levels, with stretches along both the eastern (Bay of Bengal) and western (Arabian Sea) coasts experiencing land loss, threatening coastal settlements, agriculture, and infrastructure.

Latest Developments

• Coastal states such as West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Gujarat have reported significant stretches of eroding coastline in various government and scientific assessments.

• Low-lying delta regions, such as the Sundarbans (West Bengal), are especially vulnerable, with implications for climate-induced displacement ('climate refugees') and biodiversity loss (including Royal Bengal Tiger habitat).

• India's response includes the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification framework, mangrove afforestation, and engineering measures like seawalls and geotextile tubes, though experts stress that 'soft' ecosystem-based solutions (mangroves, wetlands) are often more sustainable than concrete barriers alone.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• India's coastline is approximately 7,500 km long, spanning nine coastal states and four Union Territories.

• The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification is the key regulatory framework governing development activity along India's coast.

• The Sundarbans, spread across India and Bangladesh, is a major mangrove delta ecosystem highly vulnerable to sea-level rise.

14. The Sengol in NCERT Textbooks: A Historical Debate Revisited

Basic Concept

The 'Sengol' is a ceremonial sceptre associated with the Chola dynasty's tradition of royal authority, where it symbolised the transfer or legitimacy of power, often presented by a religious figure or priest to a new ruler. In 1947, as India approached independence, a Sengol was reportedly presented in a ceremony involving leaders of the time, though historians and political commentators have long debated the precise historical significance and documentary evidence behind describing this as a formal 'transfer of power' ceremony, as opposed to a culturally symbolic gift. The Sengol gained renewed public attention when it was installed near the Speaker's chair in India's new Parliament building, inaugurated in 2023.

Core Context

NCERT's updated textbooks have included a chapter or section describing the Sengol's presentation around the time of independence, which has revived long-standing debate among historians and political commentators over how definitively this episode should be characterised as a 'transfer of power' symbol in school curricula, given that independent historical verification of this specific framing remains contested.

Latest Developments

• The episode illustrates a recurring theme in India's education policy debates: how school textbooks — as a tool of mass historical memory — should treat contested or thinly-documented historical episodes.

• The Sengol itself, now displayed in the Lok Sabha, is independently significant as a symbol drawing on the Chola dynasty's administrative and cultural legacy in South India (c. 9th-13th century CE), a major UPSC-relevant period for medieval Indian history and polity.

• The debate sits within a broader, recurring pattern of disagreement over NCERT curriculum revisions on modern Indian history, which students should note as a live, evolving issue rather than a settled historical consensus.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The Sengol is a ceremonial sceptre historically associated with the Chola dynasty of South India.

• The Sengol was installed near the Speaker's chair in the new Parliament building, inaugurated in 2023.

• The Chola dynasty is notable in medieval Indian history for its administrative system, including local self-government records found in temple inscriptions (e.g., Uttaramerur inscriptions).

15. SpaceX Starship Setback Clouds NASA's Artemis Moon Mission Timeline

Basic Concept

NASA's Artemis programme aims to return humans to the Moon, with Artemis III envisaged as the mission that will land astronauts on the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo era. Under NASA's current plan, the SpaceX Starship vehicle (in its Human Landing System, or HLS, configuration) is contracted to ferry astronauts from lunar orbit to the Moon's surface and back, meaning Starship's development timeline is directly tied to how soon Artemis III can be flown. Starship is also central to SpaceX's own long-term ambitions for Mars exploration and heavy-lift reusable launch capability.

Core Context

A recent Starship engine failure has added to a string of technical setbacks for the vehicle's test programme, further clouding the already-tight timeline for NASA's crewed lunar landing mission, with NASA officials acknowledging the Artemis III landing is likely to be delayed.

Latest Developments

• Repeated test-flight anomalies (including aborted launches and in-flight break-ups) over the past year have raised questions about whether Starship's HLS variant can be certified safe and ready in time for NASA's originally planned Artemis III timeline.

• Delays in the US lunar programme are being watched closely in the context of a renewed global 'Moon race', with China's own crewed lunar landing ambitions (targeted around 2030) often cited as a competitive backdrop.

• For India, these developments are relevant background to its own lunar and human spaceflight ambitions — the Chandrayaan programme (ISRO) and the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission — which are frequently compared and contrasted with global efforts in current-affairs-based UPSC questions.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• NASA's Artemis programme aims to return astronauts to the Moon, with Artemis III planned as the first crewed lunar landing mission of the programme.

• SpaceX's Starship, in its Human Landing System (HLS) configuration, is contracted to land Artemis astronauts on the Moon's surface.

• ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully soft-landed near the Moon's south polar region in 2023, making India the fourth country to achieve a soft lunar landing.

16. Practice MCQs

Practice MCQs

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the India–EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA):
1. EFTA comprises Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
2. Under TEPA, India has committed to a binding investment target in EFTA in exchange for tariff concessions.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) 1 only

• (b) 2 only

• (c) Both 1 and 2

• (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (a) 1 only

Explanation: Statement 1 is correct — EFTA consists of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Statement 2 is incorrect/reversed — it is EFTA that has committed to a binding investment target (USD 100 billion over 15 years) in India, in exchange for tariff concessions from India, not the other way around.

Q2. With reference to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), consider the following statements:
1. UPSC is a constitutional body established under Article 315 of the Constitution of India.
2. A member of UPSC can be removed from office only after an inquiry by the Supreme Court finds them guilty of misbehaviour.
3. UPSC was originally constituted in 1926, prior to India's independence.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

• (a) 1 and 2 only

• (b) 2 and 3 only

• (c) 1 and 3 only

• (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

Explanation: All three statements are correct. UPSC derives its constitutional status from Article 315; its members enjoy security of tenure and can be removed only via the Supreme Court inquiry process under Article 317; and UPSC traces its origin to the Public Service Commission established on 1 October 1926, making 2026 its centenary year.

Q3. The Green Energy Corridor scheme, recently in the news with its Phase-III approval, is primarily intended to:

• (a) Provide subsidies for rooftop solar installation in residential households

• (b) Build dedicated transmission infrastructure to evacuate renewable energy to the national grid

• (c) Finance the manufacturing of solar photovoltaic cells within India

• (d) Create a carbon credit trading market for renewable energy producers

Answer: (b)

Explanation: The Green Energy Corridor scheme is focused on building transmission infrastructure (inter-state and intra-state transmission lines) needed to evacuate renewable energy from resource-rich regions to the national grid and demand centres, addressing evacuation bottlenecks rather than generation subsidies or manufacturing incentives.

Q4. Consider the following statements about the Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 2026:
1. It repeals and replaces the Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 1891.
2. It allows electronic/digital records of a bank's books to be admitted as evidence, subject to safeguards.
3. It removes the earlier legal protection that bank officers could not be compelled to produce original records without a court order.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) 1 and 2 only

• (b) 2 and 3 only

• (c) 1 only

• (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is incorrect — the 2026 Act retains the protection against compelling bank officers to produce original records or testify, except where a court finds 'special cause' to order otherwise.

Q5. 'AIME', recently in the news, is associated with which of the following?

• (a) A multilateral naval exercise between India and ASEAN member states

• (b) An India-US initiative on critical and emerging technologies

• (c) A WHO-led global initiative on traditional medicine

• (d) A scheme for rebate of taxes on textile exports

Answer: (a)

Explanation: AIME (ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise) is a multilateral naval exercise between India and ASEAN member states, operationalising India's Act East Policy and the SAGAR doctrine. Its second edition (AIME-2026) is being held in Subic Bay, the Philippines.

Q6. With reference to Minimum Support Price (MSP), consider the following statements:
1. MSP for rabi crops is recommended by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
2. Wheat, gram, mustard, and safflower are examples of rabi crops for which MSP is announced.
3. The 'C2' cost concept used in MSP-related debates is a narrower cost measure than 'A2+FL'.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) 1 and 2 only

• (b) 1 and 3 only

• (c) 2 and 3 only

• (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is incorrect — C2 is a more comprehensive cost concept than A2+FL, as it additionally includes imputed rent and interest on owned land and capital, making it broader, not narrower.

Q7. CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency) norms in India are best described as:

• (a) A mandatory fuel-efficiency standard applied uniformly to every individual vehicle model sold

• (b) A fleet-wide average fuel-consumption standard that a manufacturer's entire range of vehicles must meet

• (c) A subsidy scheme for the purchase of electric vehicles by consumers

• (d) A carbon tax levied on the sale of fossil-fuel-based vehicles

Answer: (b)

Explanation: CAFE norms regulate the average fuel consumption (and associated emissions) across a manufacturer's entire fleet of vehicles sold in a year, giving manufacturers flexibility to offset less efficient models with more efficient ones, rather than imposing a uniform per-model standard.