Weekly Current Affairs (October 2026 – Week 4) – Exam Revision Notes
1) International Current Affairs
Polish PM Donald Tusk Visits India
India and Poland announced measures to strengthen their Strategic Partnership during Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s visit to India from 21 to 23 October 2026. PM Narendra Modi and Tusk discussed trade, defence, disaster management and counter-terrorism. The two countries set a target to double bilateral trade by 2030 and agreed to cooperate in AI, semiconductors and quantum technologies.
2) National Current Affairs
Pattanam Archaeological Site – North Paravur, Ernakulam, Kerala; 300 BCE–300 CE; Ancient Port of Muziris
The Pattanam archaeological site near North Paravur, Ernakulam district, Kerala, is in the news after a proposal to revive excavations and develop it into an international research and learning centre. It provides important evidence of ancient maritime trade between India and the world.
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Period | Approximately 300 BCE to 300 CE |
| Finds | Pottery, beads, coins, metal objects, industrial remains, and an ancient harbour complex with a wooden canoe dated 100 BCE–100 CE |
| Trade links | West Asia, Africa, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean |
| Association | Ancient port of Muziris (Muciri Pattinam) |
Tamil Nadu Rainwater Harvesting Campaign
The Tamil Nadu Government launched a rainwater harvesting awareness campaign to conserve rainwater and improve groundwater ahead of the Northeast Monsoon. Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay unveiled the ‘Thuli’ mascot at an event organised by the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department in Chennai.
3) Andhra Pradesh Current Affairs
Andhra Pradesh Tourism
Four important tourist destinations in the Rayalaseema region — Horsley Hills, Adoni Fort, Orvakal Rock Garden and Ahobilam — highlight the region’s natural beauty, historical heritage, geology and religious significance, and are important for APPSC and AP Police exams.
| Destination | Key Facts |
|---|---|
| Horsley Hills | About 4,232 feet above sea level; Rayalaseema’s only hill station; named after British Collector W. D. Horsley; eucalyptus forests, tribal villages, botanical garden, Mallamma Temple |
| Adoni Fort | Kurnool district; spread across five rocky hills; 14 bastions, concealed water systems, granaries, secret tunnels; linked to the Bahmani Sultanate and Tipu Sultan |
| Orvakal Rock Garden | Near Kurnool; about 1,000 acres; igneous rock formations, natural arches, caves with faint paintings |
| Ahobilam | Nallamala Forest, Eastern Ghats; nine shrines of Lord Narasimha (Nava Narasimha); associated with the Chenchu tribal community |
UNESCO Global Geopark Proposal for Rayalaseema’s Ancient Rocks
Geologists have proposed UNESCO Global Geopark status for Rayalaseema’s ancient geological formations to protect them from mining, road construction and unregulated tourism. The region has rocks more than 2.5 billion years old, from the Precambrian era. Geologists from Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, say recognition could help conservation, scientific education and sustainable tourism.
| Feature | Fact |
|---|---|
| Geological setting | Part of the Cuddapah Basin and Dharwar Craton — among India’s oldest formations |
| Eparchaean Unconformity | Along the Tirumala Ghat Road; separates 2.5-billion-year-old Archaean granite from 1.5-billion-year-old Nagari quartzite |
| Nagari Hills | Chittoor–Tirupati region; flat-topped hills called mesas; Nagari Nose (~2,805 feet) was a British-era lookout |
| Other sites | Nemaligundulu, Moghili Ghat, Moodu Ralla Banda, Bheemuni Palada Rock — some damaged or threatened |
| Rare species | Red Sanders, Golden Gecko, critically endangered Jerdon’s Courser |
4) Polity & Governance
SC Recognises Children’s Fundamental Right to Access the Internet
The Supreme Court held that children, irrespective of age, have a fundamental right to access and use the Internet under Article 21 read with Article 19(1)(a). A Bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Vinod K. Chandran said children’s online safety and freedoms must be protected together.
The Court opposed blanket bans on children’s Internet access as disproportionate and unproven, recommending instead parental consent and supervision, age-appropriate safeguards and a dedicated ‘child mode’ for social media accounts.
Doctrine of Separation of Powers
CJI Surya Kant declined a request from Opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge to discuss allegations against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, citing separation of powers, judicial propriety and pending related matters before the Supreme Court.
Religious Conversion Does Not Automatically Give Reservation
On 15 October 2026, the Supreme Court upheld a Madras High Court judgment cancelling a Tamil Nadu Government Order of 9 March 2024, which let people converting from Hinduism to Islam obtain Backward Class (BC) Muslim certificates and claim reservation. Tamil Nadu provides 3.5% reservation for BC Muslims of certain recognised communities; the 2024 order covered BC, MBC, DNC and SC converts.
The Court ruled that conversion does not automatically make a person a member of a recognised BC Muslim community — they must meet legal requirements for membership. Religious conversion and reservation eligibility are separate matters; the government can still recognise a group as backward based on proper studies and evidence.
| Provision | What It Says |
|---|---|
| Article 341 | Identification of Scheduled Castes; under the Constitution (SC) Order, 1950, SC status is restricted to Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists |
| Article 15(4) | Special provisions for socially and educationally backward classes, SCs and STs |
| Article 16(4) | Reservation in public employment for inadequately represented backward classes |
| 105th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2021 | Recognises the power of States to prepare their own lists of socially and educationally backward classes |
5) Economy
Keynesian Economics
A recent analysis contrasted mainstream macroeconomics with Keynesian economics on savings, investment and interest rates. Economists Robert Hall and Michael Woodford modelled how individual consumption and saving decisions shape the economy — higher interest rates encourage saving and reduce current demand, guiding monetary policy.
| Thinker | Key Idea |
|---|---|
| John Maynard Keynes (British) | Savings do not automatically lead to investment; firms invest when they expect profits | Business investment drives growth, jobs and income; investment creates income, which creates savings | Uncertainty causes heavy investment in booms and cuts in recessions, increasing instability |
| Hyman Minsky and Jan Kregel | Extended Keynes to financial instability — excessive borrowing, speculative investment and shifting expectations can cause crises, including the 2008 Global Financial Crisis |
6) Science & Technology
ICAR Develops Kufri Jamunia – Biofortified Purple Potato
The ICAR–Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-CPRI) has developed nutrient-rich coloured potato varieties to improve nutritional security and tackle hidden hunger. Kufri Jamunia, released in 2024, stands out for high vitamin C, anthocyanins, carotenoids, iron and zinc.
| Variety | Year | Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Kufri Neelkanth | 2018 | First purple-skinned potato variety developed by the institute |
| Kufri Manik | 2021 | Red-skinned, yellow flesh |
| Kufri Jamunia | 2024 | Purple-skinned and purple-fleshed; improved nutrition |
Aditya-L1 Generates Doppler Velocity Images of Solar Corona
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, generated Doppler velocity images of the solar corona using data from the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) on ISRO’s Aditya-L1, improving understanding of the direction of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) — eruptions of hot, charged plasma that can affect satellites and communications. The Doppler effect is the change in observed frequency or wavelength due to relative motion, showing whether plasma moves towards or away from the observer.
| About Aditya-L1 | Fact |
|---|---|
| Objective | India’s first solar mission — Sun, solar wind and solar eruptions |
| Launch | 2 September 2023, PSLV-C57, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh |
| Orbit | Halo orbit around Sun–Earth L1 on 6 January 2024; about 1.5 million km from Earth |
Contagious Cancer in Catfish
Researchers from the University of Vermont, USA, identified a new instance of transmissible cancer in brown bullhead catfish (Ameiurus nebulosus) in Lake Memphremagog, on the border of Quebec, Canada and Vermont, USA. The findings were published in Nature.
Shamonda Virus
France reported the first-ever known human infection with the Shamonda virus, earlier identified in livestock. The patient died, but authorities have not established whether the virus caused or contributed to the death. It is mainly spread by biting midges and is most common in cattle, also found in horses, sheep and goats.
7) Defence
Exercise AUSTRAHIND 2026
The 5th edition of the India–Australia Joint Military Exercise AUSTRAHIND 2026 began on 19 October 2026 at the Foreign Training Node, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, and runs until 1 November 2026, with about 120 personnel each from the Indian and Australian Armies. It aims to strengthen defence cooperation and promote security in the Indo-Pacific.
Exercise SIMBEX 2026
The 33rd edition of the Singapore–India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX-2026) is being held from 21 to 26 October 2026 in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, between the Indian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN).
8) Awards & Honours
SUVIKALP Wins SKOCH Gold Award 2026
The Coal Controller Organisation (CCO), under the Ministry of Coal, received the SKOCH Gold Award 2026 for SUVIKALP, an in-house Mine Repurposing Tool supporting scientific mine closure and sustainable reuse of post-mining land. It ranks potential projects on technical, environmental, social and economic criteria. The award was received on 26 September 2026 in the category “Digital Operational Efficiency – Data Driven Decision Making”.
9) Ranks & Reports
PLFS 2025 – Female Labour Force Participation Rises
The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025 shows a significant rise in India’s Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) between 2019–20 and 2025, growing faster in rural areas than in urban areas.
| FLFPR | 2019–20 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Rural | 33% | 45.9% |
| Urban | 23.3% | 27.7% |
10) Committees & Conferences
61st International Committee of Legal Metrology (CIML) Meeting
India will host the 61st Meeting of the International Committee of Legal Metrology (CIML) for the first time, from 26 to 28 October 2026 in New Delhi, organised by the Department of Consumer Affairs with the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML).
Agrivoltaics World Conference 2026
India hosted the Agrivoltaics World Conference 2026 from 21 to 23 October 2026 — the first time in the Global South — inaugurated by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and New and Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi. Agrivoltaics (AgriPV) is simultaneous use of farmland for crops and solar power, following “One Land, Two Harvests” — making farmers Annadatas (food producers) and Urjadatas (energy producers).
11) Person in News
Vummidi Ethirajulu Passes Away
Vummidi Ethirajulu, who played an important role in designing and making the historic Sengol (golden sceptre) in 1947, has passed away. Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar paid tribute. The Sengol was installed in the new Parliament building, New Delhi, in May 2023.
12) Important Days
World Menopause Day – 18 October
World Menopause Day 2026 is observed on 18 October with the theme “Chronic Pain at Midlife”, focusing on recognition, research and treatment of chronic pain during and after the menopausal transition. It is organised by the International Menopause Society (IMS).
Quick Revision Table
| Topic | One-Line Summary |
|---|---|
| Pattanam Site | The Pattanam archaeological site near North Paravur, Ernakulam (Kerala), dated about 300 BCE–300 CE and linked to the ancient port of Muziris, shows trade with West Asia, Africa, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. |
| Polish PM Visit | Polish PM Donald Tusk visited India from 21 to 23 October 2026, when both sides set a target to double trade by 2030 and Poland decided to join the India-launched (2019) Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. |
| TN ‘Thuli’ Mascot | Tamil Nadu CM C. Joseph Vijay unveiled the ‘Thuli’ mascot for a rainwater harvesting campaign ahead of the Northeast Monsoon. |
| Rayalaseema Tourism | Rayalaseema’s key destinations are Horsley Hills (about 4,232 ft, its only hill station), Adoni Fort (Kurnool, 14 bastions on five hills), Orvakal Rock Garden (about 1,000 acres of igneous rock) and Ahobilam (nine Narasimha shrines in the Nallamala). |
| Rayalaseema Geopark Proposal | SV University geologists proposed UNESCO Global Geopark status for Rayalaseema’s 2.5-billion-year-old rocks, including the Eparchaean Unconformity on the Tirumala Ghat Road and the Nagari Nose (about 2,805 ft). |
| Children’s Internet Right | A Supreme Court Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Vinod K. Chandran held that children have a fundamental right to Internet access under Article 21 read with Article 19(1)(a), rejecting blanket bans in favour of parental supervision and a ‘child mode’. |
| Separation of Powers | CJI Surya Kant declined an Opposition request on allegations against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the SIR of electoral rolls, citing separation of powers (part of the basic structure) and the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct. |
| Conversion & Reservation | On 15 October 2026 the Supreme Court upheld the Madras High Court in cancelling Tamil Nadu’s 9 March 2024 order, ruling that conversion to Islam does not automatically entitle a person to the 3.5% BC Muslim quota. |
| Keynesian Economics | Keynes argued that savings do not automatically become investment and that profit-driven business investment drives growth, ideas extended by Minsky and Kregel to explain crises such as 2008. |
| Kufri Jamunia | ICAR-CPRI’s Kufri Jamunia (2024), a purple-skinned, purple-fleshed biofortified potato rich in vitamin C, anthocyanins, iron and zinc, follows Kufri Neelkanth (2018) and Kufri Manik (2021). |
| Aditya-L1 Doppler Images | IIA Bengaluru produced Doppler velocity images of the solar corona from Aditya-L1’s VELC to track CME direction, Aditya-L1 having launched on PSLV-C57 on 2 September 2023 and reached L1 halo orbit on 6 January 2024. |
| Contagious Catfish Cancer | University of Vermont researchers found a new transmissible cancer in brown bullhead catfish in Lake Memphremagog on the Quebec–Vermont border, published in Nature. |
| Shamonda Virus | France reported the first known human infection with the Shamonda virus, a midge-borne livestock virus mostly found in cattle. |
| AUSTRAHIND 2026 | The 5th India–Australia exercise AUSTRAHIND runs at Thiruvananthapuram from 19 October to 1 November 2026 with about 120 personnel from each army. |
| SIMBEX 2026 | The 33rd Singapore–India Maritime Bilateral Exercise is being held at Visakhapatnam from 21 to 26 October 2026. |
| SUVIKALP – SKOCH Gold | The Coal Controller Organisation’s SUVIKALP mine repurposing tool won the SKOCH Gold Award 2026 on 26 September 2026 for data-driven decision making. |
| PLFS 2025 – FLFPR | PLFS 2025 showed rural female labour force participation rising from 33% (2019–20) to 45.9% and urban from 23.3% to 27.7%. |
| CIML Meeting | India will host the 61st International Committee of Legal Metrology meeting for the first time in New Delhi from 26 to 28 October 2026 with OIML. |
| Agrivoltaics Conference | India hosted the Agrivoltaics World Conference 2026 (21–23 October), the first in the Global South, with TERI estimating 47.5 million hectares (30% of cropland) suitable for agrivoltaics. |
| Vummidi Ethirajulu | Vummidi Ethirajulu, craftsman of the 1947 Sengol later installed in the new Parliament in May 2023, has passed away. |
| World Menopause Day | World Menopause Day (18 October) 2026 had the theme “Chronic Pain at Midlife”, organised by the International Menopause Society. |
