Current Affairs — 22 October 2026

1. Three New Centipede Species Discovered in the Western Ghats

Basic Concept

The Western Ghats is a UNESCO World Heritage biodiversity hotspot running along India's western coast; the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI, headquartered in Kolkata, under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) is the apex body responsible for describing and cataloguing India's faunal diversity, including lesser-studied invertebrate groups.

Core Context

ZSI researchers described three new centipede species — Rhysida quadrispinosa, Rhysida coorgensis, and Rhysida neyyarensis — found in Kerala and Karnataka within the Western Ghats, raising India's known Rhysida genus count to 23 species. Two of the species are named after their discovery locations: Coorg (Karnataka) and the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala).

Latest Developments

• The discoveries highlight continued under-documentation of invertebrate diversity even within a well-studied biodiversity hotspot like the Western Ghats.

• Centipedes (Class Chilopoda) are venomous predatory arthropods, distinct from the plant-matter-eating millipedes (Class Diplopoda) — a classic Prelims distinction.

• Such taxonomic work often takes years of fieldwork and genetic analysis before formal species description and naming.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The three new centipede species belong to the genus Rhysida, taking India's known count in this genus to 23.

• Centipedes (Chilopoda) are venomous and predatory; millipedes (Diplopoda) are not venomous and mostly feed on decaying plant matter.

• ZSI (Zoological Survey of India), headquartered in Kolkata, is India's apex body for faunal taxonomy.

2. Gujarat's Recurring Whale Strandings Expose Marine-Monitoring Gaps

Basic Concept

Whales and dolphins are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 — the highest protection category, on par with the tiger. India currently lacks a dedicated, systematic national marine-mammal stranding-response network comparable to those in the US or Australia, relying instead on ad hoc efforts by local authorities and NGOs.

Core Context

An analysis piece examined the frequency of whale strandings along Gujarat's coastline — India's longest state coastline, at roughly 1,600 km — arguing that institutional monitoring and rapid-response capacity have not kept pace with how often strandings occur.

Latest Developments

• The piece frames this as a conservation-versus-capacity gap: strandings are a recurring, documented phenomenon, but a coordinated, funded response protocol is largely absent.

• The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and various informal marine-mammal stranding networks are the bodies usually involved in such response efforts.

• Gaps in stranding response can mean lost opportunities to understand causes of death (disease, ship strikes, pollution, navigation errors) that could inform future conservation policy.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• Whales and dolphins are Schedule I species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the same protection tier as the tiger.

• Gujarat has India's longest coastline among all states, at roughly 1,600 km.

• The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is a key body associated with marine-mammal research and conservation in India.

3. UDAN Scheme Completes 10 Years; Phase-2 Outlay of ₹28,840 Crore

Basic Concept

UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik), launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on 21 October 2016, aims to make air travel affordable and connect underserved or unserved airports. It is implemented via the Airports Authority of India (AAI), using viability-gap funding and subsidised fares financed partly through a Regional Connectivity Fund levy on other flights plus Centre-State contributions.

Core Context

UDAN marked its 10th anniversary around 21-22 October 2026. The government highlighted the scheme's decade of operation and its next phase, running through 2036, with a cabinet-approved outlay of ₹28,840 crore aimed at adding roughly 100 more airports and routes.

Latest Developments

• The scheme has operationalised several hundred routes and dozens of aerodromes since 2016, though a meaningful share of originally awarded routes have seen closures over the years — a known sustainability criticism worth noting for a Mains answer.

• The Regional Connectivity Fund is typically financed through an 80:20 (or 90:10 for North-East, hill, and island states) Centre-State contribution ratio, plus a levy on other flights.

• Later UDAN phases have expanded to cover seaplane and helicopter routes in addition to fixed-wing aircraft.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• UDAN was launched on 21 October 2016 by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

• The scheme's next phase (through 2036) has a cabinet-approved outlay of ₹28,840 crore.

• UDAN is implemented via the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

4. India-Poland Strategic Partnership: PM Donald Tusk's India Visit

Basic Concept

India-Poland ties date to 1954 and carry historical goodwill — during World War II, the rulers of the princely states of Nawanagar (Jamnagar) and Kolhapur sheltered thousands of Polish refugees, an episode commemorated through the Jam Saheb Memorial Youth Exchange Programme. Relations were elevated to a "Strategic Partnership" during PM Modi's 2024 Warsaw visit, guided by an India-Poland Action Plan for 2024-2028.

Core Context

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited India with a roughly 100-member business delegation for talks with Prime Minister Modi covering trade, defence cooperation, and the Russia-Ukraine war (on which Poland, a frontline NATO state, and India have differing emphases). On the sidelines, Indian deep-tech startup VORAN signed an MoU with Poland's W&S Innovation on gyroplane technology.

Latest Developments

• Discussions included a proposed Defence Industry Dialogue for joint ventures and technology transfer, and advanced talks on a classified-information exchange agreement, often a precondition for major defence hardware deals.

• Poland backed India's bids for permanent UNSC membership and a non-permanent Security Council term.

• Both sides discussed critical minerals cooperation, direct air routes, and India-EU Strategic Agenda linkages, with Poland positioned as a gateway to Central and Eastern Europe via the Visegrad Group.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• India-Poland diplomatic relations were established in 1954.

• During World War II, the rulers of Jamnagar and Kolhapur sheltered thousands of Polish refugees.

• India-Poland ties were elevated to a "Strategic Partnership" during PM Modi's 2024 Warsaw visit.

5. Supreme Court Questions Centre Over Unpaid Pharmaceutical Overcharging Dues

Basic Concept

Under the Drugs (Price Control) Order (DPCO), 2013 — issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 — the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), an attached office of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, caps the prices of essential medicines. Companies that charge beyond this ceiling price must refund the excess with interest, but recovery of such dues has historically lagged for years.

Core Context

The Supreme Court queried the central government over long-pending, unpaid pharmaceutical overcharging dues, with media reports citing figures in the range of roughly ₹8,500 crore (exact figures vary slightly across reports and should be treated as approximate pending official clarification). This builds on an earlier Parliamentary Standing Committee report that had also flagged NPPA's weak legal capacity to pursue recovery.

Latest Developments

• NPPA has reportedly sought to strengthen its legal cell to pursue recovery more effectively.

• The issue has been escalated across multiple fora — a Parliamentary panel report earlier, and now Supreme Court scrutiny — reflecting the same underlying recovery backlog.

• A common Prelims trap is confusing a medicine's "ceiling price" (the NPPA-capped price) with its "MRP" (Maximum Retail Price), which can differ.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• DPCO, 2013 is issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

• NPPA (National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority) functions under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

• Companies overcharging beyond the NPPA ceiling price must refund the excess with interest.

6. World Bank Launches Its First-Ever Digital Strategy

Basic Concept

The World Bank Group — comprising the IBRD, IDA, IFC, MIGA, and ICSID — periodically issues strategic frameworks guiding its lending priorities. "Digital Public Infrastructure" (DPI), covering digital identity, payments, and data-sharing systems, is a global policy framework India has championed internationally through its own "India Stack" (Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker).

Core Context

The World Bank launched its first-ever Digital Strategy at the inaugural Global AI and Digital Summit in Seoul, South Korea, targeting digital inclusion for 1 billion additional people by 2030 and including a dedicated "AI Infrastructure and Readiness Initiative" focused initially on Africa and Latin America, offering pay-as-you-go GPU computing access.

Latest Developments

• The strategy rests on five pillars: affordable connectivity, Digital Public Infrastructure, digital skills and jobs, "small AI" for local development needs (such as crop-disease detection), and the AI Infrastructure and Readiness Initiative.

• It positions the World Bank alongside the IMF and UN in setting global norms for digital-divide reduction and AI governance.

• India's own DPI stack is frequently cited internationally as a model for digital-inclusion initiatives of this kind.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The World Bank Group comprises IBRD, IDA, IFC, MIGA, and ICSID.

• The Digital Strategy was launched at the Global AI and Digital Summit in Seoul, South Korea.

• The strategy's AI Infrastructure and Readiness Initiative initially focuses on Africa and Latin America.

7. AUSTRAHIND 2026: India-Australia Joint Military Exercise Begins in Kerala

Basic Concept

AUSTRAHIND is an annual India-Australia bilateral Army exercise focused on counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations in semi-urban and jungle terrain under UN-mandate scenarios, part of India's expanding defence engagement with Quad partners under the broader India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2020).

Core Context

The 5th edition of Exercise AUSTRAHIND commenced in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, with roughly 240 personnel (120 from each side), running for about two weeks.

Latest Developments

• This marks the first time this edition of the exercise has been hosted in Kerala, with earlier editions held at other locations.

• The exercise emphasises coordinated operations between the two armies, building interoperability for joint UN-mandated missions.

• AUSTRAHIND (Army-to-Army) is distinct from AUSINDEX, the separate India-Australia Navy exercise.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• AUSTRAHIND 2026 is the 5th edition of this India-Australia Army exercise, hosted in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

• It involves roughly 240 personnel, with equal (120 each) participation from both armies.

• India-Australia defence ties are anchored in the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2020) and the Quad framework.

8. SIMBEX-26: The 33rd India-Singapore Naval Exercise Begins at Visakhapatnam

Basic Concept

SIMBEX (Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise), first held in 1994, is India's longest continuously-running bilateral naval exercise with any single country, reflecting India's "Act East" policy and maritime-security partnership across the Indo-Pacific.

Core Context

The 33rd edition, SIMBEX-26, began at Visakhapatnam, hosted by the Eastern Naval Command, with Singapore's frigate RSS Supreme participating alongside Indian Navy assets, running for about a week.

Latest Developments

• The exercise focuses on improving operational coordination and maritime-security cooperation, including anti-submarine warfare and surface-warfare drills.

• Its continuous run since 1994 makes it one of the oldest and most institutionalised bilateral naval engagements India maintains.

• Hosting it at Visakhapatnam underscores the Eastern Naval Command's role in India's eastern maritime security architecture.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• SIMBEX was first held in 1994, making it India's longest continuously-running bilateral naval exercise.

• SIMBEX-26 is the 33rd edition, hosted by the Eastern Naval Command at Visakhapatnam.

• Singapore's frigate RSS Supreme participated in this edition.

9. MoD Signs ₹770 Crore Contract with BEL for Improved Low-Level Lightweight Radars

Basic Concept

Low-Level Lightweight Radars (LLLR) are man-portable or mobile radars used by the Army to detect low-flying threats — drones, cruise missiles, and low-altitude aircraft — that conventional radars may miss due to ground clutter, forming part of India's broader counter-drone and air-defence modernisation push.

Core Context

The Ministry of Defence signed a ₹770 crore contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the improved variant (LLLR-I) of this radar for the Indian Army, aimed at strengthening detection of drone and cruise-missile threats.

Latest Developments

• The radar is designed specifically to counter drone and low-altitude cruise-missile threats, relevant given rising global drone-warfare trends seen in conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war and in West Asia.

• The contract falls under India's "Make in India" defence-indigenisation push, with BEL — a Navratna defence public-sector enterprise — as the production agency.

• "LLLR-I" denotes the "Improved" variant of the original Low-Level Lightweight Radar system.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• BEL (Bharat Electronics Limited) is a Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Defence, headquartered in Bengaluru.

• The contract value for the improved LLLR-I radar is ₹770 crore.

• LLLR stands for Low-Level Lightweight Radar, used to detect low-flying threats like drones and cruise missiles.

10. India Hosts the Agrivoltaics World Conference 2026

Basic Concept

Agrivoltaics (also called solar sharing) involves co-locating solar photovoltaic installations with active farmland or livestock use, allowing dual land use for both food production and clean-energy generation. It connects naturally with India's PM-KUSUM scheme, which promotes solar pumps and solarisation of agricultural feeders.

Core Context

India hosted the Agrivoltaics World Conference 2026 in Delhi — the first time this international conference has been held in the Global South — positioning India as an emerging hub for agrivoltaics research and policy given its large agrarian base and renewable-energy push.

Latest Developments

• The conference connects to India's broader 500 GW non-fossil-capacity target by 2030 and its PM-KUSUM solar scheme.

• Hosting a Global South edition signals growing international interest in agricultural-energy dual-use models suited to developing-country farming patterns.

• Agrivoltaics is seen as a way to boost farmer income (via land lease or power sale) while expanding clean-energy generation without large-scale land diversion.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• Agrivoltaics (solar sharing) co-locates solar PV installations with active agricultural land use.

• PM-KUSUM promotes solar pumps and solarisation of agricultural feeders in India.

• The Agrivoltaics World Conference 2026 in Delhi was the first edition of this conference held in the Global South.

11. NHPC Seeks Forest Clearance to Fell 23 Lakh Trees for the Kamla Hydel Project, Arunachal Pradesh

Basic Concept

Large Himalayan hydropower projects in ecologically fragile, seismically active Arunachal Pradesh routinely face tension between development and energy-security goals on one hand and forest and biodiversity loss on the other. Such projects require clearances under the Forest (Conservation) Act and the Environment Impact Assessment process, with an Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) recommendation typically preceding final Ministry clearance.

Core Context

NHPC sought the Environment Ministry's approval to fell over 23 lakh trees for its 1,720 MW Kamla hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh — a distinct, later-stage forest-clearance request following the project's EAC-level environmental clearance recommendation earlier in 2026.

Latest Developments

• The project is estimated to cost around ₹16,000 crore.

• A similarly controversial project, the Subansiri Upper hydel project (also in Arunachal Pradesh, involving about 1.35 lakh trees), received a panel nod around September 2026 — useful to distinguish the two projects by name.

• Large hydropower projects on Himalayan rivers also carry downstream India-China dynamics given shared river basins such as the Brahmaputra.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The Kamla hydel project has a capacity of 1,720 MW and involves felling roughly 23 lakh trees.

• The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) recommendation typically precedes final Ministry of Environment clearance under the EIA process.

• The Subansiri Upper project is a separate, similarly large hydel project in Arunachal Pradesh.

12. DRDO Shortlists SSS Defence and Kalyani Group for India's First Indigenous 20mm Aviation Gun

Basic Concept

DRDO's Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), based in Pune, develops guns and ammunition systems for the armed forces. India currently imports helicopter-mounted turret guns, making an indigenous alternative a significant import-substitution step for India's rotary-wing platforms.

Core Context

ARDE shortlisted SSS Defence and Kalyani Group as Development-cum-Production Partners (DcPP) for India's first indigenous 20mm aviation gun and turret, intended for HAL's Advanced Light Helicopter Mk-IV "Rudra" and Light Combat Helicopter "Prachand."

Latest Developments

• The development timeline is expected to be around two years.

• Production is planned to be split roughly 60:40 between the two shortlisted private firms, based on cost competitiveness.

• The project reduces dependence on imported helicopter-gun systems for the Rudra and Prachand helicopter fleets.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• ARDE (Armament Research & Development Establishment) is a DRDO laboratory based in Pune.

• The gun is intended for HAL's ALH Mk-IV "Rudra" and LCH "Prachand" helicopters.

• DcPP stands for Development-cum-Production Partner, a DRDO private-sector collaboration model.

13. NASA's Perseverance Rover Sets an Off-World Driving Record; Indian-Origin Scientist to Lead PUFFINS Mission

Basic Concept

NASA's Perseverance rover, which landed in Jezero Crater, Mars, in February 2021, uses autonomous navigation to drive without constant ground commands. The previous off-world driving-distance record was held by NASA's Opportunity rover, which operated from 2004 to 2018.

Core Context

Perseverance's odometer reached 45.22 km, surpassing Opportunity's previous record of 45.16 km — the farthest total distance driven by any vehicle on another world. Separately, NASA selected Indian-origin astronomer Dr. Ramya Manjunath Anche as principal investigator of the upcoming PUFFINS mission (targeted launch 2030), which will study interstellar dust and its role in the search for the chemical building blocks of life.

Latest Developments

• The driving-record milestone highlights the reliability of autonomous "AutoNav" navigation technology on long-duration planetary missions.

• Dr. Anche's appointment as PUFFINS principal investigator continues a pattern of Indian-origin scientists leading major NASA astrophysics missions.

• PUFFINS will study interstellar dust, relevant to understanding the raw material from which planets and potentially life's building blocks form.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• Perseverance landed in Jezero Crater, Mars, in February 2021.

• NASA's Opportunity rover (2004-2018) previously held the off-world driving-distance record.

• PUFFINS, led by Indian-origin scientist Dr. Ramya Manjunath Anche, targets a 2030 launch to study interstellar dust.

14. Practice MCQs

Practice MCQs

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding centipedes and millipedes:
1. Centipedes belong to Class Chilopoda and millipedes to Class Diplopoda.
2. Centipedes are venomous predators, while millipedes mostly feed on decaying plant matter.
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: (c) Both 1 and 2

Explanation: Centipedes (Chilopoda) are venomous predators, while millipedes (Diplopoda) are non-venomous and mostly detritivorous, feeding on decaying plant matter — a classic UPSC Prelims distractor pair.

Q2. The UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme, which recently completed 10 years, is implemented through which agency?

• (a) Directorate General of Civil Aviation

• (b) Airports Authority of India

• (c) National Highways Authority of India

• (d) Bureau of Civil Aviation Security

Answer: (b) Airports Authority of India

Explanation: UDAN is implemented via the Airports Authority of India (AAI), using viability-gap funding and a Regional Connectivity Fund.

Q3. With reference to the Drugs (Price Control) Order (DPCO), 2013, consider the following statements:
1. It is issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
2. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is responsible for enforcing price ceilings under it.
3. A medicine's "ceiling price" and its "MRP" always refer to the same value.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) 1 and 2 only

• (b) 2 and 3 only

• (c) 1, 2 and 3

• (d) 1 only

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

Explanation: DPCO 2013 is issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and NPPA enforces its price ceilings. However, "ceiling price" and "MRP" are distinct and can differ — Statement 3 is a common Prelims trap and is incorrect.

Q4. The World Bank's first-ever Digital Strategy, launched at the Global AI and Digital Summit, was unveiled in which city?

• (a) Washington D.C.

• (b) Geneva

• (c) Seoul

• (d) Singapore

Answer: (c) Seoul

Explanation: The World Bank launched its first Digital Strategy at the inaugural Global AI and Digital Summit held in Seoul, South Korea.

Q5. SIMBEX, India's longest continuously-running bilateral naval exercise with a single country, is conducted with which nation?

• (a) Australia

• (b) Singapore

• (c) Japan

• (d) Vietnam

Answer: (b) Singapore

Explanation: SIMBEX (Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise), first held in 1994, is India's longest continuously-running bilateral naval exercise with any single country.

Q6. The Kamla hydroelectric project, for which NHPC recently sought forest clearance involving the felling of about 23 lakh trees, is located in which state/UT?

• (a) Himachal Pradesh

• (b) Sikkim

• (c) Arunachal Pradesh

• (d) Uttarakhand

Answer: (c) Arunachal Pradesh

Explanation: The 1,720 MW Kamla hydel project is located in Arunachal Pradesh, an ecologically fragile and seismically active Himalayan state.