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Daily DigestArchive
Current Affairs — Saturday, 31 October 2026
32 items
Tamil Nadu
- CM Vijay reviews expanded free bus scheme for women
— Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay reviewed the expanded free bus travel scheme for women, signalling continuity and extension of the flagship welfare transport initiative. (Scheme governance; TVK government welfare policy) - TN government mulls new Secretariat and Assembly Complex
— CM Vijay is expected to announce plans for a new Secretariat and Legislative Assembly complex soon, reflecting the new government's infrastructure priorities. (State legislature; GS Paper II — State governance) - CM Vijay's 'Thai Maaman' Gold Ring scheme: Joyalukkas emerges L1 bidder
— Joyalukkas India Limited quoted ₹0.01 and secured the L1 (lowest bidder) position among 11 participating jewellers for supplying gold rings under the scheme; DMK raised objections to the tender process. (Government procurement; welfare scheme) - Tasmac revises liquor prices from November 1, links refund to bottle returns
— An environment cess will be added to the MRP of IMFL, beer, wine and imported liquor; customers returning empty bottles will receive a refund, promoting recycling. (Environment policy; state revenue; Tamil Nadu) - TNUHDB identifies 20 sites for reconstruction across state
— Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board has earmarked 20 sites for reconstructing dilapidated tenements and has appealed to residents to vacate them. (Urban housing; state scheme) - Japan's Omron Healthcare opens first India manufacturing facility near Chennai
— Omron Healthcare's inaugural Indian manufacturing plant, located near Chennai, marks a significant foreign direct investment in Tamil Nadu's healthcare manufacturing sector. (FDI; Make in India; health sector)
India — National
- GSLV-F18 successfully places NVS-03 navigation satellite into intended orbit
— ISRO's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle lifted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on October 30, 2026 at 11:51 PM; NVS-03 carries an indigenous atomic clock alongside procured clocks and has a mission life of 12 years, expected to restore the NavIC constellation. (ISRO; Science & Technology; NavIC system) - Supreme Court: Failed relationships cannot convert consensual sex into rape
— The Supreme Court distinguished between consent obtained through alleged deception and post-relationship regret over consensual intimacy, setting an important precedent. (SC judgement; IPC; GS Paper II — Judiciary) - Population Census scheduled from January 25 to February 28; revisional round from March 1
— The long-delayed Census will commence in late January 2027 with the revisional round beginning March 1, a major administrative exercise. (Census; GS Paper II — governance; demographic data) - Supreme Court asks Centre to act against online misuse of court live-feeds
— Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that suggestions from High Courts and stakeholders have been forwarded to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. (Judiciary; MeitY; digital governance) - Jaishankar at G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting: Terror must not be overlooked for tactical gains
— EAM S. Jaishankar met Canadian FM Anita Anand on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta and warned against letting tactical calculations overshadow the dangers of terrorism. (Foreign policy; G20; India-Canada relations) - India slams energy market distortions caused by sanctions and chokepoints
— India's minister highlighted the increasing frequency and complexity of disruptions to global energy markets through sanctions and chokepoints at an international forum. (Energy security; India's foreign policy) - Helicopter crash near Badrinath kills pilot and five pilgrims
— A helicopter returning from Badrinath crashed, killing the pilot and five pilgrims, raising concerns about air safety in the hill-tourism sector. (Disaster; Uttarakhand; aviation safety)
Economy & Finance
- U.S. Fed holds interest rates steady at 3.75–4.00%; pressure on emerging markets
— The 12-member FOMC voted 10-2 to keep rates unchanged, citing the need for more data on inflation; a stronger dollar outlook is expected to put pressure on emerging market economies including India. (Monetary policy; RBI implications; capital flows) - Coal India profit jumps 57% on higher offtake and prices
— Coal India reported a 57% surge in quarterly profit despite input material costs rising 20%, driven by higher coal offtake and prices. (PSU performance; energy sector; disinvestment) - Extreme poverty in India halved to 2.6% in 2023 from the previous year: World Bank
— World Bank data shows India's extreme poverty rate fell sharply to 2.6% in 2023, reflecting significant gains from welfare and income-support schemes. (Poverty alleviation; World Bank; India's development data — high exam probability) - CBIC mandates immediate scrapping of GST arrests ahead of legal amendments
— The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs issued directives for GST reforms across eight circulars, including curbing arrests, as part of ongoing rationalisation. (GST; taxation reform; CBIC) - Government extends RELIEF scheme as low-margin exports struggle
— The government extended the RELIEF (export incentive) scheme amid the ongoing West Asia crisis that has hurt low-margin export sectors. (Export promotion; trade policy)
Science & Technology
- NVS-03 launched successfully: NavIC constellation to be restored
— ISRO's GSLV-F18 placed the NVS-03 navigation satellite — carrying India's first indigenous atomic clock — into its intended orbit; NavIC development began after the U.S. reportedly restricted GPS access during the 1999 Kargil War; mission life is 12 years. (ISRO; NavIC; indigenous technology — top exam item) - Gene therapy CRMA-1001 targets Hepatitis B by silencing viral DNA
— An experimental therapy silences the hepatitis B virus's DNA rather than attacking it directly, offering hope for a functional cure as current treatments rarely eliminate the virus. (Biotechnology; public health; gene therapy) - Indian scientists identify new pathway in plants' alarm system against insect pests
— Researchers found a new gateway in how plants sense insect attacks; insect pests cause roughly 20% of global annual crop losses, a figure set to rise with climate change. (Agricultural science; crop protection; climate)
Environment
- Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in Bhutan damages roads, washes away bridge; Assam districts on alert
— A GLOF event damaged infrastructure in Bhutan and put vulnerable revenue circles in Dhubri and Kokrajhar districts of Assam on high alert. (GLOF; climate risk; Assam — Northeast India) - Villagers protest unregulated silt extraction from 25-acre Pavoor irrigation tank
— Residents protested against unregulated silt extraction from Pavoor tank, one of the oldest irrigation tanks in the region, highlighting threats to traditional water bodies. (Water conservation; Tamil Nadu; environment governance)
Sports
- Indian women's cricket marks 50 years: First women's Test played on October 31, 1976
— India played their first women's Test against West Indies at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on October 31, 1976 — exactly 50 years ago today. (Cricket history; women's sport — high exam probability) - Delhi HC directs WFI to decide in two weeks on show-cause notices to Vinesh Phogat
— Justice Amit Mahajan directed the Wrestling Federation of India to act on notices issued on May 9 and June 17; decision kept in abeyance till the next hearing. (Sports governance; WFI; judiciary) - ISL: Vinith's stoppage-time goal earns Bengaluru FC a point
— Bengaluru FC rescued a draw in the Indian Super League through a last-minute goal by Vinith. (ISL; domestic football)
Appointments & Awards
- Justice Fathima M. Beevi — India's first woman Supreme Court judge — passes away; honoured with Padma Bhushan
— Justice Fathima Beevi, who became the first female judge of the Supreme Court of India, has passed away and has been posthumously honoured with the Padma Bhushan. (Judiciary; first women; national award — very high exam probability) - K. Parasaran receives Padma Vibhushan
— Senior advocate and former Attorney General of India K. Parasaran has been conferred the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honour. (National awards; legal fraternity) - Former CJI J.S. Khehar receives Padma award
— Padma awardee Justice J.S. Khehar, whose decisions as Chief Justice of India often contradicted the government's stance, has been recognised for his contribution to the judiciary. (CJI; Padma awards; judiciary)
International
- Jaishankar meets Canadian FM Anita Anand at G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta
— The bilateral meeting signals a cautious reset in India-Canada diplomatic relations, which had been strained. (India-Canada; G20; bilateral diplomacy) - U.S. imprisons two Chinese nationals for clandestine intelligence activities including "dead drop" cash payments
— The U.S. Department of Justice announced convictions of two Chinese spies who facilitated covert cash payments in exchange for classified information. (Geopolitics; US-China; espionage) - Germany set for mass youth protests on October 31 with ~1.5 lakh registered participants across 30 cities
— Around 1,50,000 Germans registered to protest in about 30 cities including Berlin, Frankfurt and Cologne, led by youth group "GenZ regelt!" as part of Europe's broader youth unrest wave. (Global youth movements; geopolitics)
- Quick Revision:
- 🛰️ NVS-03 launched by GSLV-F18 on October 30, 2026 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre; carries India's first indigenous atomic clock; mission life 12 years; will restore NavIC constellation
- ⚖️ Justice Fathima M. Beevi — India's first woman Supreme Court judge — passed away; posthumously awarded Padma Bhushan
- 📉 World Bank data: India's extreme poverty rate fell to 2.6% in 2023; U.S. Fed holds rates at 3.75–4.00% (voted 10-2 by FOMC)