UPSC current affairs, 19–25 October 2026

The Supreme Court (Justices Datta and Nagu, judgment reported 19 October) held that any private individual, not only a public servant, can file a criminal complaint under Section 125A of the RP Act, 1951 against a candidate who gives false information or conceals facts in nomination papers.

For Prelims (RP Act S.125A):

Section 33A of the RP Act, 1951 requires candidates to disclose pending cases and convictions. Section 125A makes false information or concealment in the nomination affidavit punishable with up to six months' imprisonment, a fine, or both.

For Mains:

Use in GS2 answers on electoral reforms and criminalisation of politics: disclosure works only when it is enforced, and the ruling lets any citizen enforce it. Mention the risk of vexatious complaints for balance.

Full story: Daily Brief, 24 Oct →

Congress announced, on behalf of the INDIA bloc, a 'public impeachment proceeding' against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on 30 October over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, reopening the question of how a CEC can be removed.

For Prelims (Art 324(5) · Art 124(4)):

Under Article 324(5), the CEC can be removed only in the manner and on the grounds of a Supreme Court judge (Article 124(4)). Other Election Commissioners can be removed only on the CEC's recommendation.

For Mains:

Use in GS2 answers on the independence of constitutional bodies: security of tenure shields the CEC, while the appointment process under the CEC Act, 2023 remains debated.

Full story: Daily Brief, 25 Oct →

UNEP's 17th Emissions Gap Report, 'The Point of Return' (21 October), says limiting warming to 1.5°C without significant overshoot is no longer possible. Full implementation of current pledges points to about 2.6°C.

For Prelims (Emissions Gap Report):

The Paris Agreement (2015) aims to hold warming well below 2°C and to pursue 1.5°C; countries pledge cuts through NDCs. UNEP's annual Emissions Gap Report measures the gap between pledges and those goals.

For Mains:

Use in GS3 answers on climate negotiations and India's commitments: India's low per-capita emissions support its equity and CBDR-RC arguments.

Full story: Daily Brief, 23 Oct →

COP17 to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Yerevan, Armenia (19–30 October) is holding the first global review of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Parties themselves rate fewer than half of their national targets as on track.

For Prelims (KMGBF · 23 targets):

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was adopted at CBD COP15 in Montreal in December 2022. It has 23 targets for 2030, including '30x30': conserving 30% of land and 30% of sea.

For Mains:

Use in GS3 answers on biodiversity governance, conservation finance and benefit-sharing; India's updated NBSAP and the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023 show domestic alignment.

Full story: Daily Brief, 23 Oct →

In mid-October the Supreme Court (Justices Datta and Nagu) granted bail to former Rajasthan minister Mahesh Joshi in the ACB's Jal Jeevan Mission tender case, holding that prolonged pre-trial detention cannot become punishment without trial.

For Prelims (Art 21 · BNSS S.479):

Section 479 of the BNSS: an undertrial who has served half the maximum sentence for the offence must be released on bail, and a first-time offender after one-third. It does not apply to offences punishable with death or life imprisonment.

For Mains:

Use in GS2 answers on criminal-justice reform and judicial delays: with nearly three in four prisoners undertrials, bail delay is a structural injustice under Article 21, not an individual one.

Full story: Daily Brief, 23 Oct →

The India–New Zealand FTA, signed on 27 April, took effect on 20 October, giving all Indian exports duty-free access to New Zealand.

For Prelims (FTAs after RCEP):

India left the RCEP talks in 2019 and has since signed deals with developed economies: the ECTA with Australia (2022), the TEPA with EFTA (2024) and the CETA with the UK (2025).

For Mains:

Use in GS2 and GS3 answers on India's trade strategy after RCEP and on export-led manufacturing.

Full story: Daily Brief, 21 Oct →

A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal is forecast to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam around the forenoon of 28 October as a very severe cyclonic storm. Odisha cancelled officials' leave and deployed NDRF and ODRAF teams.

For Prelims (Post-monsoon cyclones):

The north Indian Ocean has two cyclone seasons: April–June and October–December. The Bay of Bengal sees far more cyclones than the Arabian Sea, and IMD New Delhi is the regional centre that names them.

For Mains:

Use in GS1 answers on tropical cyclones and in GS3 disaster-management answers on early warning and evacuation.

Full story: Daily Brief, 24 Oct →

The President promulgated the LAHDC (Amendment) Regulation, 2026, paving the way for hill councils in all eight of Ladakh's districts, as an MHA draft proposes a UT-wide elected body. Ladakh's groups still seek Statehood or Sixth Schedule protection.

For Prelims (Art 240 · LAHDC):

Ladakh is a Union Territory without a legislature, so the President can make regulations for it under Article 240. The Sixth Schedule, by contrast, sets up autonomous district councils in tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

For Mains:

Use in GS2 answers on UT governance, decentralisation and tribal autonomy: statutory hill councils versus constitutional Sixth Schedule protection.

Full story: Daily Brief, 21 Oct →

Oil marketing companies' ethanol tender for 2026-27 excludes ethanol from sugarcane juice, sugar, sugar syrup and B-heavy molasses after the Centre set sugar diversion for ethanol to zero, leaving C-heavy molasses and grains (maize, FCI rice, damaged grains) to supply it.

For Prelims (EBP · E20):

The National Policy on Biofuels, 2018 (amended 2022) allows ethanol from sugarcane juice, molasses, damaged food grains and surplus grains, and brought the 20% blending (E20) target forward to 2025-26.

For Mains:

Use in GS3 answers on energy security and the food–fuel trade-off: feedstock choices tie fuel policy to maize and sugar markets.

Full story: Daily Brief, 19 Oct →

A CBFC film-certification portal leak and an SBI disclosure of 3,897 customer records on the dark web came to light within days, while the DPDP Act's breach-notification duty takes legal effect only on 13 May 2027.

For Prelims (DPDP Act S.8(6)):

Section 8(6) of the DPDP Act, 2023 requires a data fiduciary to report a personal-data breach to the Data Protection Board and to each affected person. Separately, CERT-In's 2022 directions require cyber incidents to be reported within 6 hours.

For Mains:

Use in GS3 answers on cyber security and GS2 answers on privacy (Puttaswamy, 2017): a right needs an enforceable breach duty, not just a law on paper.

Full story: Daily Brief, 25 Oct →