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Current Affairs — Friday, 2 October 2026
37 items
Tamil Nadu
- CM Vijay expands Free Breakfast Scheme to Middle School students
— The TVK government announced extension of the flagship free breakfast programme (originally launched under the previous AIADMK/DMK administrations) to middle school students across Tamil Nadu. (Welfare/Education scheme — key for TNPSC GS) - CM Vijay extends maternity leave to 365 days for third child
— The Tamil Nadu government announced a significant expansion of maternity benefits, increasing leave entitlement to a full year for the third child, signalling pro-natalist welfare policy. (Labour law/Women welfare — TNPSC Paper II) - Tamil Nadu government to strengthen 10 hospital mortuaries at ₹8 crore
— The state government allocated ₹8 crore to upgrade mortuary infrastructure across 10 government hospitals in Tamil Nadu. (Public health infrastructure — TNPSC) - By-elections cleared for Perundurai; four other constituencies on hold
— Election Commission told Madras High Court there is no bar on conducting the Perundurai bypoll, while Tiruchi East, Ambasamudram, Viralimalai, and Karur elections await disposal of election petitions. (Constitutional/Electoral process — Art. 151, Representation of People Act) - Madras High Court clears bypoll in Ambasamudram
— Justice P.B. Balaji refused to reject the election petition against the sitting MLA but struck off the plea to declare the Congress runner-up as the returned candidate. (Judiciary/Elections) - MDMK's Vaiko urges CM Vijay to reject PM SHRI three-language scheme
— MDMK chief Vaiko wrote to CM C. Joseph Vijay asking him to refuse participation in the PM SHRI scheme, calling it "Hindi imposition." (Language policy/Centre-State relations — TNPSC)
India — National
- PNG Drive 3.0 targets 50 lakh new Piped Natural Gas connections
— The third phase of the National PNG Drive will run until the end of FY2027, shifting emphasis from new connections to optimal utilisation of existing gas networks. (Energy policy — Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas) - Election Commission orders special voter registration drive in 20 states
— EC directed a special drive in 20 states where the Summary Instruction Revision (SIR) process is over, to enrol left-out voters. (Electoral law — Representation of the People Act, 1950) - Government revises FASTag guidelines for Divyangjan category
— Revised rules remove the earlier mandatory annual renewal requirement for FASTags issued to persons with disabilities. (Divyangjan welfare — Ministry of Road Transport) - Centre caps sugar stock limit for dealers at 1,000 quintals ahead of festive season
— The Food Ministry amended stock-holding rules to prevent hoarding in the distribution chain and ensure stable supply during the festive period. (Food security/Essential Commodities Act — Ministry of Food) - 527-day hunt for Hashim Moosa, last Lashkar militant linked to Pahalgam attack, concludes
— Security forces tracked and neutralised the last Lashkar-e-Taiba operative connected to the Pahalgam terror attack after a nearly one-and-a-half-year operation. (Internal security/Counter-terrorism) - Cabinet approves eight railway multitracking projects
— The Union Cabinet cleared eight projects to add rail tracks on congested routes to increase freight and passenger capacity. (Infrastructure — Ministry of Railways) - Tawang chosen as venue for international tourism meet; China among invited countries
— India selected the strategically sensitive Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh to host an international tourism conference, with China among the invited nations. (Diplomacy/Tourism — significant given Tawang's strategic importance)
Economy & Finance
- GST revenue rises 14.7% to ₹2.03 lakh crore in September 2026
— September GST mop-up hit a record ₹2.03 lakh crore, growing 14.7% year-on-year, though the share of domestic sources fell to an all-time low as import-side taxes drove the surge. (Taxation/Fiscal policy — key statistic for all exams) - August IIP rises 8% driven by manufacturing sector
— Industrial production grew 8% in August 2026 with the manufacturing sector as the primary driver, ahead of the festive season. (Economic indicators — Ministry of Statistics) - Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal meets US Trade Representative Greer on bilateral trade deal
— Discussions covered ongoing trade negotiations and "all trade issues," including the proposed 100% US tariffs on Indian goods. (Trade policy/India-US relations) - Inflation rises in August; RBI's October meeting under scrutiny
— Rising retail inflation in August has intensified market expectations around the Reserve Bank of India's upcoming Monetary Policy Committee meeting in October. (Monetary policy — RBI) - Coal India coal production up 9.2% in September 2026
— Coal India Ltd reported a 9.2% year-on-year increase in coal production in September, with further ramp-up expected post-monsoon. (PSU performance — Ministry of Coal)
Science & Technology
- ISRO to establish satellite and space asset tracking facility in Guwahati
— The new facility will significantly enhance ISRO's capability to monitor and track its satellites and space assets, strengthening India's space situational awareness. (ISRO/Space policy — key for all exams) - Five Indian school students selected to visit CERN
— Five Indian students won the opportunity to visit the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva following an intense competition and preparation process. (Science education/Achievement) - Stanford's 'xenocortication' experiment transplants human brain tissue into mice
— Researchers grew human brain tissue inside living mice to study brain development and neurological disease in a novel way. (Neuroscience/Bioethics) - African elephants found to self-medicate using plants
— Scientists observed African elephants consuming specific plants for medicinal purposes, some of which overlap with human traditional medicine — a behaviour previously documented only in great apes. (Animal behaviour/Biodiversity)
Environment
- State of India's Environment 2026 Report highlights rising climate risks and wildlife conflicts
— The CSE-DTE report flagged increasing climate vulnerabilities, human-wildlife conflict, and gaps in pollution monitoring as critical environmental challenges for India. (Environment policy — relevant for UPSC/TNPSC GS) - Ancient grasslands can take 100 years to recover once destroyed
— New research warns that grasslands lost to development cannot be quickly restored, underscoring the need for stronger grassland protection policies in India. (Biodiversity/Conservation) - Madhya Pradesh pauses community forest rights directive after Union Minister's intervention
— The MP government temporarily suspended its order on community forest rights following a letter from the Union Minister, highlighting Centre-State tensions on forest governance. (Forest Rights Act, 2006 — Environment/Polity)
Sports
- Asian Games 2026: Indian women's recurve archery team enters gold-medal match
— India's women's recurve archery team qualified for the final at the Asian Games 2026, with Lovlina Borgohain, Parveen, and Ankush also in medal contention. (Asian Games 2026 — key for sports GK) - India vs China in women's hockey final at Asian Games 2026
— India's women's hockey team reached the gold-medal match on Day 13 of the Asian Games 2026, facing China. (Asian Games 2026) - Pranavi Urs in twin medal hunt at international golf tournament
— Golfer Pranavi Urs carded a 63 for a two-round total of 11-under-par 129, placing her two shots behind the leader Tan at the ongoing international event. (Indian golf achievement) - Irani Cup 2026 held at Srinagar cricket ground
— The historic Irani Cup match was staged at Srinagar's cricket ground, with the JKCA capping crowd at 5,000 — marking a significant moment for cricket in Jammu & Kashmir. (Cricket/J&K milestone)
Appointments & Awards
- Justice M. Fathima Beevi, first woman judge of the Supreme Court of India, passes away
— Justice Fathima Beevi, who made history as the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of India in 1989, passed away — a landmark figure in Indian judicial history. (Constitutional history — must-know fact) - Justice K.T. Thomas awarded Padma Vibhushan
— Retired Supreme Court Justice K.T. Thomas, known for his landmark judgments including the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, was conferred the Padma Vibhushan. (National Awards) - Justice J.S. Khehar awarded Padma honour
— Former Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar, whose rulings frequently went against the government's position, received a Padma award. (National Awards/Judiciary) - Justice Manikumar appointed Chairman of State Human Rights Commission (SHRC)
— Justice Manikumar was sworn in as the new Chairman of the State Human Rights Commission. (Appointments — Human Rights institutions) - Vinai Kumar Saxena takes oath as Lieutenant Governor of Delhi
— Vinai Kumar Saxena was sworn in as Delhi's Lieutenant Governor, stating he would act as a "local guardian" for citizens. (Constitutional appointment — Art. 239, NCT of Delhi)
International
- Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal holds talks with US Trade Representative on India-US trade deal
— The bilateral meeting addressed pending trade negotiations, tariff disputes (including potential 100% US tariffs on Indian goods), and broader trade issues. (India-US relations/Trade) - Putin warns Russia will use "all weapons" if its territory is attacked
— Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a stern warning that any attack on Russian territory would be met with all means at Moscow's disposal, escalating tensions with European nations. (Geopolitics — Russia-Ukraine conflict) - Iraqi PM sets June 30, 2027 deadline for pro-Iran factions to disarm
— Iraq's Prime Minister issued a deadline for Iran-backed armed groups operating in the country to surrender their weapons, signalling a shift in Baghdad's security policy. (West Asia geopolitics)
- Quick Revision:
- 📌 GST revenue in September 2026 = ₹2.03 lakh crore (14.7% growth YoY) — highest-ever collection; share of domestic GST sources fell to all-time low
- 📌 Justice M. Fathima Beevi — First woman judge of the Supreme Court of India (appointed 1989), passed away in 2026; a constitutionally significant first
- 📌 ISRO's new satellite tracking facility to come up in Guwahati (Assam) — boosts India's Space Situational Awareness capability