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Current Affairs — Tuesday, 3 November 2026
35 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 continuation and expansion of the flagship transport welfare programme under the new government. (Welfare scheme; state government policy) - TN Assembly: State government to launch health insurance for the elderly
— The Vijay government announced a new health insurance scheme targeting senior citizens, marking a key social security initiative in the 2026 legislative session. (Social security; GS Paper II — government schemes) - TN government to extend Free Breakfast Scheme to middle school students
— The scheme, originally launched for primary school students under the previous DMK government, will now cover middle school students — a significant expansion of the nutrition programme. (Education & welfare; state scheme expansion) - KMUT beneficiaries above 60 to be moved to pension scheme; aid hiked to ₹1,500
— The Vijay government announced that Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (KMUT) beneficiaries aged above 60 will be shifted to a pension scheme, with monthly assistance raised to ₹1,500. (Women's welfare; state scheme) - Madras HC: Police must serve the State, not the party in power
— The Madras High Court, while granting anticipatory bail to a DMK councillor accused of abusing CM Vijay, observed that police must serve the enduring State and not the ruling party. (Judiciary; Rule of Law; GS Paper II) - Anbumani opposes proposed ₹5 hike in Aavin milk prices
— PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss opposed the proposed price increase, noting it would amount to up to 12.5% hike and burden lower-income consumers. (State policy; cooperative dairy sector)
India — National
- Severe Cyclone Murasu makes landfall near Ongole, Andhra Pradesh
— The cyclone, with gale-force winds of 100–110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph, made landfall near Ongole; 19 domestic flights were cancelled at Vijayawada, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam airports; NDRF and SDRF teams deployed. (Disaster management; NDRF; GS Paper I — Geography) - MHA to set up Foreigners' Registration Offices in all state capitals by 2027
— The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the expansion to improve immigration access, strengthen regulatory compliance, and support India's tourism goals. (MHA; internal security; GS Paper II) - PM Modi inaugurates Bharat Renewable Energy Summit & Expo; warns against fossil fuel dependence
— PM Modi stated that India's clean energy investments helped cushion the economy from the West Asia crisis impact, and cautioned that excess fossil fuel dependence increases economic vulnerability. (Energy policy; renewable energy; GS Paper III) - Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to visit Nepal on November 4–5
— In the first high-level visit after Nepal's new government under PM Balendra Shah, Misri's visit will cover Shah's planned India trip, new ambassador appointment, and post-flood disaster assistance. (India-Nepal bilateral; foreign policy; GS Paper II) - Amit Shah backs Special Intensive Revision (SIR), alleges 3 crore illegal infiltrators identified
— Home Minister Amit Shah defended the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, claiming the process identified around 3 crore illegal infiltrators among 13 crore deleted voters. (Electoral rolls; MHA; internal security) - No Mayday call from helicopter that crashed in Uttarakhand
— Investigators probing the crash noted the absence of any distress signal, raising questions about aircraft safety protocols and emergency communication systems. (Aviation safety; disaster management) - Maharashtra sets up drought mitigation panel; approves ₹291.91 crore relief for flood-hit farmers
— The measures follow deficient Kharif 2026 rainfall; drought declared in affected talukas under Trigger-1 assessment criteria. (Disaster relief; agriculture; GS Paper III)
Economy & Finance
- GST collections surge 23% to ₹2.31 lakh crore in October — second-highest ever
— Domestic GST revenues rose 16% to ₹1.59 lakh crore while import revenues jumped 42% to ₹72,246 crore, driven by festive season demand. (GST; fiscal data; GS Paper III) - Extreme poverty in India halved to 2.6% in 2023: World Bank
— World Bank data shows India's extreme poverty rate fell sharply from approximately 5.2% the previous year to 2.6% in 2023, reflecting significant progress in poverty alleviation. (Poverty; World Bank; GS Paper II/III) - Coal India's production rises 19% post-monsoon recovery
— The increase is aimed at augmenting coal stocks at thermal power plants amid rising power demand across the country. (Energy; PSU; GS Paper III) - Petrol export duty cut to nil; diesel export levy raised to ₹11.5/litre
— The government's fortnightly review also raised the Aviation Turbine Fuel export levy to ₹11/litre; India's diesel exports touched 700 kilolitres. (Petroleum taxation; export duty; GS Paper III) - Congress demands JPC probe into IDBI Bank sale, alleges valuation irregularities
— The party questioned Fairfax's use of the bank's own funds for acquisition financing and demanded disclosure of valuation reports. (Banking privatisation; GS Paper III)
Science & Technology
- ISRO's GSLV-F18 mission faces slow recovery — editorial calls for more resources
— The Hindu editorial highlighted that ISRO requires additional human and material resources to fulfil its mandate following setbacks with the GSLV-F18 mission. (ISRO; space policy; GS Paper III) - Study in Kerala links gut bacteria differences to Parkinson's disease
— Researchers from CUSAT and SCTIMST, Thiruvananthapuram found significant differences in gut microbiome composition between Parkinson's patients and healthy individuals, opening new diagnostic avenues. (Health research; biotechnology; GS Paper III) - ESA's Gaia mission reveals 'starquakes' — massive tsunami-like stellar surface movements
— New data from the European Space Agency's Gaia space observatory revealed the phenomenon of starquakes and provided fresh insights into the structure of the Milky Way. (Space science; international) - AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic disprove exponential time hypothesis
— Both companies announced their AI models had independently disproved a long-standing computational complexity conjecture, marking a significant milestone in theoretical computer science. (Artificial intelligence; technology)
Environment
- Haryana bans firecrackers in NCR districts; restricts use to green crackers elsewhere
— The ban targets air pollution control in the National Capital Region ahead of the winter season, with green cracker exemptions applicable outside NCR areas. (Air pollution; NCR; environment policy) - Union Environment Minister inaugurates 18 Namo Oxygen Parks in Delhi
— The Union and Delhi governments jointly launched the parks and other green initiatives, originally flagged on World Environment Day 2026. (Green initiatives; urban environment; GS Paper III)
Sports
- Glenn Maxwell retires from international cricket
— The Australian all-rounder announced his retirement from all international cricket; he had last played a Test in 2017 and retired from ODIs last year but had kept T20 options open. (Cricket; international sports) - IPL 2027 retention deadline extended to November 17
— The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) extended the retention deadline from the original date, prompted by scheduling of the India–New Zealand ODI series fifth match on November 15. (IPL; BCCI; cricket administration) - IND-A vs NZ-A Test: New Zealand-A lead by 78 runs after lower-order fightback
— NZ-A's last two wickets added 86 runs to take the total from 338/8 to 424, giving them a 78-run lead over India-A's first innings score of 346. (Cricket; domestic/A-team cricket) - Ranji Trophy: Pradosh's unbeaten century powers Tamil Nadu
— Tamil Nadu benefited from a strong individual century by Pradosh in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2026–27 season. (Ranji Trophy; Tamil Nadu cricket)
Appointments & Awards
- Justice Fathima Beevi — India's first woman Supreme Court judge — passes away
— Justice Fathima Beevi, who became the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of India in 1989, has passed away; she later served as Governor of Tamil Nadu (1997–2001). (Judiciary; historic first; GS Paper II) - Padma Vibhushan awarded to Justice K.T. Thomas
— Retired Supreme Court judge K.T. Thomas, known for landmark judgments, has been conferred the Padma Vibhushan; he had urged Sonia Gandhi to show magnanimity towards convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. (Padma Awards; judiciary) - Padma Shri awarded to Prashanth Prakash for contributions to India's startup ecosystem
— The venture capitalist and startup mentor was recognised for his transformative role in building India's entrepreneurial and startup landscape. (Padma Awards; startup India) - Vinai Kumar Saxena takes oath as Delhi's Lieutenant Governor
— Saxena was sworn in as Delhi LG and pledged to act as a "local guardian" for the people of Delhi. (Constitutional appointment; Article 239AA; Delhi governance)
International
- Foreign Secretary Misri's Nepal visit to set stage for PM Balendra Shah's India trip
— The visit (November 4–5) is the first high-level diplomatic engagement after Nepal's new government; agenda includes ambassador appointment and disaster relief following recent flash floods. (India-Nepal; bilateral diplomacy; GS Paper II) - Iran offers to reopen Strait of Hormuz in 48 hours if U.S. meets demands
— A senior Iranian official stated the offer, following mediation efforts to prevent renewed conflict, underscoring the strategic importance of Hormuz for global energy trade. (West Asia; energy security; GS Paper II) - Netanyahu pressing Trump to strike Iran post-midterms; lost Knesset majority
— Reports indicate Israeli PM Netanyahu, after losing his parliamentary majority in recent Knesset elections, is pressing the Trump administration for military action against Iran. (Israel-Iran; geopolitics; GS Paper II)
- Quick Revision:
- 🔹 GST collections in October 2026 reached ₹2.31 lakh crore — the second-highest ever, a 23% year-on-year surge driven by festive demand.
- 🔹 Justice Fathima Beevi, India's first woman Supreme Court judge (appointed 1989) and former Governor of Tamil Nadu, has passed away — a landmark figure in Indian judicial history.
- 🔹 Cyclone Murasu made landfall near Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, with winds of 100–110 kmph (gusting to 120 kmph); NDRF and SDRF teams were deployed across affected districts.