Every Monday, we bring you UPSC Current Affairs Pointers—a concise, exam-focused guide to help you stay ahead in your Prelims and Mains preparation.If you missed the UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | October 19 to 25, 2026, read it here.(FYI: The data provided in these reports can be used to substantiate your Mains answer and create a broad understanding of the topic.)— Extreme poverty in India, measured by those who live on less than $3 per day in 2021 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) terms, fell to 2.6% in 2023, shows the World Bank’s latest ‘Poverty & Equity Brief’. However, wage disparity remains “pronounced”, it said, noting that median earnings for the top 10% of workers were about 13 times greater than for the bottom 10%.— It also cautioned that poverty is becoming “increasingly concentrated geographically” – about 57% of India’s poor live in a belt that stretches from Uttar Pradesh to West Bengal.— At 2.6%, the extreme poverty rate in India in 2023 is more than 10 times lower than the 27.1% in 2011. In 2022-23, the extreme poverty rate was 5.3%, indicating halving of extreme poverty.— Along with poverty, consumption inequality has also declined. The Gini index – it ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher number indicative of greater inequality – in 2023 was 23.0, down from 28.8 in 2011-12 and 25.5 in 2022-23. Story continues below this adArt & Culture• Nashik (Simhastha) Kumbh Mela— The President Droupadi Murmu graced the Dhawaja Pujan, Dhwaj Stambh Pujan and Dhwajarohan ceremony of Simhastha Maha Kumbh at Nashik (Maharashtra) on October 31.— The Kumbh Mela is a major Hindu religious congregation traditionally held at four locations: Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik-Trimbakeshwar. The timing of the gatherings is determined by specific astrological configurations involving Jupiter, the Sun and the zodiac signs.— The Nashik congregation is called Simhastha because it is associated with Jupiter’s entry into Leo, or Simha. According to Hindu astrological tradition, this planetary alignment determines the auspicious period for the gathering and ritual bathing. The Nashik Kumbh Mela in 2015. Photo: Wikimedia Commons— The Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh is held once every 12 years. The previous congregation took place in 2015-16.Story continues below this ad— The religious significance of the festival is also associated with the legend of Samudra Manthan, or the churning of the ocean. According to Hindu mythology, drops of amrit, or the nectar of immortality, fell at four locations during the struggle between gods and demons over the pot containing the nectar. These locations came to be associated with the four Kumbh centres. International Cooperation• India invites Pak to SCO meeting in Delhi— India has invited Pakistan’s National Heritage and Culture Minister Aurangzeb Khan Khichi for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)’s Civilisational Dialogue Forum in New Delhi on November 20-21, sources told The Indian Express.— The invitation to Pakistan’s minister is part of Delhi’s obligation to invite representatives from all SCO member countries since it had proposed to host the SCO civilisational dialogue forum. Pakistan is scheduled to host the summit of SCO leaders next year.— Defence Minister Rajnath Singh formally announced that India would host the event while addressing the 25th SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on October 20, 2026.Story continues below this ad— The key goals are to strengthen people-to-people ties and cultural engagement across Eurasian member states, and showcase the shared heritage, art, literature and traditions of ancient civilisations.• 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum— The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, concluded with the adoption of a Joint Declaration in New Delhi on October 27.Story continues below this ad Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla addressed the inaugural session of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum at Samvidhan Sadan, in New Delhi, on October 26. Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh and Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh are present. (ANI Photo)— The declaration formally reiterates member nations’ dedication to the principles of the United Nations Charter, sovereign equality, mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs, and the peaceful settlement of international disputes.— Reaffirming the consensus of the New Delhi Declaration (NDD) adopted in BRICS Summit 2026, member parliaments issued an explicit endorsement of UN Security Council reform – referencing NDD Paragraph 13 – to make global governance more representative of the Global South.— The two-day forum drew participation from BRICS member countries — Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Notably, China will assume the BRICS chair for the year 2027. Polity • Keralam House passes Bill to protect senior citizens’ rights— The Keralam Legislative assembly passed on October 26 the Senior Citizens (Care and Protection of rights) Bill, 2026, India’s first state level legal framework aimed at elder welfare.Story continues below this ad— For ageing Keralam, the law is a significant move — it envisages making elder care rights based, regulated and professional.— A major highlight of the Bill is that it recognises a senior citizen’s ability to live safely and independently in their home, with institutional care being the last resort. The Bill also recognises a living will—a declaration of a senior citizen’s choices and preferences regarding end-of-life situations.— Notably, Keralam was among the first states to introduce an elderly care policy in 2006. It updated the policy in 2013 and released a new draft State Policy for Elder Persons in August 2025, proposing a comprehensive response to the needs of its rapidly ageing population.— The state also enacted the Kerala State Senior Citizens Commission Act, 2025, and has a separate department dedicated to senior citizens’ welfare.Story continues below this ad• Operation Trident — Under “Operation Trident”, the Narcotics Control Bureau, with 38 teams, raided 38 locations simultaneously across the three states, Assam, Mizoram, and Manipur against transnational narco-financial syndicates, aiming to dismantle the operational and financial backbone of the cartel.— Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the network trafficked narcotics across the borders of India, Myanmar and Bangladesh through the “Death Triangle Corridor”. Shah said the operation reflected the government’s resolve to eradicate every drug network by December 31, 2029.• Amendment to the Census Rules, 1990— The Centre amended the Census Rules, 1990 to expressly provide that teachers of government, local authority, aided as well as unaided private educational institutions may be appointed as Census enumerators. It similarly included officials of establishments such as banks, companies, institutions, societies and trusts.Story continues below this ad— But the amendment also retains a much wider category: “any person” whom a state government or Union Territory administration considers suitable to perform the duties of an enumerator.— Notably, section 4(2) of the Census Act, 1948 gives the state government power to “appoint persons as census-officers” to take, aid in or supervise the Census within a specified area. Importantly, it adds that such persons, “when so appointed, shall be bound to serve accordingly”.— Section 4A requires a local authority, when directed by the Centre, to make available such staff as are necessary for Census work. Sections 6 and 7 also permit assistance to be sought from private establishments and their personnel — but in defined circumstances relating primarily to counting people under their charge or present in those establishments.• AICTE unveils four schemes — The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has launched four schemes for the academic year 2026-27, covering laboratory development, modernisation of institutional infrastructure, academic mentoring and financial assistance for organising conferences.— AICTE Chairman Prof Yogesh Singh launched the schemes under the Institutional Development Cell (IDC). The four initiatives are IDEA Lab, Modernisation and Restructuring for Outcome Based System (MODROBS), Margdarshan and Grant for Organising Conference (GOC).— The four schemes address different requirements of technical institutions, including access to practical learning facilities, laboratory infrastructure, academic guidance and research-related activities.• Darness allowance (DA) — The Union government on October 28 announced a three percentage point hike in dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) over the existing rate of 60% of the basic pay and pension.— This means the new rate will be 63%. DA and DR are provided to government employees and pensioners, respectively.— The hiked rates, which will come into retrospective effect from July 1, 2026, are meant to benefit employees and pensioners ahead of Diwali, an official statement said.— DA is provided by the government to its employees to cushion the impact of rising prices and the cost of living. Inflation erodes the buying power of money. This is the justification for DA. It is generally revised twice a year.— To calculate the DA and DR, the government uses the latest Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW), which is released by the Labour Bureau every month. Economy• Govt notifies E100 as auto fuel— The government on October 26 amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, to clear the way for flex-fuel vehicles that can run on up to E100, which is almost purely ethanol.— The rule change does not mean that every petrol car on Indian roads can now use E100. The government has basically expanded the range of fuels that specially designed vehicles can be certified to use. A conventional petrol car approved for E20 — petrol containing 20% ethanol — will not be filled with E85 or E100.• Container Manufacturing Promotion Scheme — Recently, the Union Cabinet approved the Container Manufacturing Promotion Scheme (CMPS) to establish a globally competitive container manufacturing ecosystem in India, reduce import dependence and strengthen supply-chain resilience.— The scheme was announced in the Union Budget 2026–27 and has a budgetary outlay of Rs 10,000 crore up to FY 2039-40. It is intended to support both the establishment of new manufacturing facilities and the expansion of existing container manufacturing units. Science and Technology• NVS-03— On October 30, ISRO’s GSLV-F18 rocket placed the NVS-03 satellite into orbit, restoring critical positioning and timing services for India’s NavIC network. — The launch is significant as it marks the space agency’s second GSLV mission within two months, representing one of its fastest turnaround times for the vehicle.— Against an intended orbit of 170.3 x 37,247 km, the satellite was precisely placed into a 170.3 x 38,080 km orbit. The satellite’s solar panels have deployed successfully and all systems are functioning normally. Over the next week, the spacecraft will execute a series of manoeuvres to transition from its current elliptical orbit to its targeted high, circular orbit.— The ISRO chairman said that the mission was significant considering that 80% of the contribution for the vehicle came from the Indian industry.• Non-food grade industrial dyes — Amid the festive season, with Diwali approaching, the state’s Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) has issued detailed guidelines about where and how food colours can be used, which ones cannot be used, and how vendors must measure and account for the colours they buy.— The guidelines list several non-permitted industrial dyes, including Rhodamine-B, Metanil Yellow, Butter Yellow, Malachite Green, Auramine, Orange II and Sudan dyes.— Their suspected illegal uses range from giving a bright pink or red appearance to cotton candy, chutney and sweets to making turmeric, pulses, chilli powder and other spices appear more vibrant. Sudan dyes have also been associated with adulteration of edible oils and packaged sauces.— The use of Rhodamine B in food for a long time, for instance, could lead to liver dysfunction or cancer. When exposed to large amounts over a short period, it results in acute poisoning.— Tartrazine is a synthetic yellow food dye and has been indirectly linked to hives, food allergies like swelling of the lips, tongue, throat, and neck.— Carmoisine, a red dye, can trigger hypersensitivity reactions, including skin swelling, breathing difficulties, particularly among asthmatics and hives. Defence• IN-RoKN Bilateral Exercise — IN-RoKN is a bilateral naval exercise between India and the Republic of Korea. Indian Naval Ship Sahyadri, an indigenously designed and built guided-missile stealth frigate of the Indian Navy, arrived at Busan Naval Harbour, Republic of Korea, on October 26 to participate in the bilateral exercise.— This exercise marks another step towards strengthening maritime cooperation and enhancing interoperability between the two navies in the Indo-Pacific. Health • Ebola — Deaths in Congo’s Ebola outbreak have topped 5,000 as the country grapples with the relentless spread of the disease and cases are recorded in other African countries, the latest government data on Saturday shows. The surge is sparking concerns among experts regarding the authorities’ ability to contain the deadly virus.— The latest outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, was declared in mid-May, catching authorities by surprise. They have since struggled to manage it. It is already the second deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, second only to a two-year-long West Africa outbreak between 2014 and 2016, which killed 11,000 people across multiple countries.— Notably, Ebola viruses belong to the family Filoviridae, which they share with another deadly pathogen, the Marburg virus. As its name suggests, filoviruses have a filamentous form, which can be twisted and shaped like an anguished worm. Ebola viruses contain a single-stranded RNA genome which encodes only 7 proteins.— Currently, six species/genera of Ebola virus are recognised: Zaire ebolavirus, Sudan ebolavirus, Tai Forest ebolavirus, Bundibugyo ebolavirus, Reston virus/ebolavirus and the Bombali virus/ebolavirus. Only the first four are known to infect humans and cause ebolavirus disease.— Zaire ebolavirus is known to be the most pathogenic and has caused the largest number of outbreaks and recorded deaths. Irrespective of the species involved, ebolavirus disease can cause a severe and potentially fatal illness. Environment• ‘Godzilla’ El Niño — The prevailing El Niño conditions are set to peak towards the end of the year, with forecasts suggesting off-the-charts warming. On October 21, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said that the effects of the phenomenon would be felt even in 2027.— The current El Niño, dubbed as “godzilla” or super El Nino is set to surpass all previous temperature records. The WMO has said that the event is expected to peak during October-December. It is expected to severely affect agricultural outputs, lead to water distress and slow economic growth.— El Niño is one of the three distinct phases of a large ocean-atmosphere interaction over the Pacific region that influences weather patterns worldwide.— This interaction is known as the El Niño Southern Oscillation, or ENSO. Its three phases are: warm (El Niño), neutral, and cool (La Niña). ENSO phases, explained.— El Niño refers to the abnormal warming of surface waters in the Pacific Ocean. It suppresses monsoon rainfall, spikes temperatures and causes heatwaves in many parts of the world, including the Indian subcontinent.• Loss & Damage Fund— A month after it raised a request, Nepal has been promised a sum of $20 million (around Rs 190 crore) to help it recover from the devastating flash floods in August this year.— Though the amount is extremely small compared to an estimated need of about $4.75 billion (around Rs 44,600 crore) in recovery and reconstruction costs, it marks the beginning of the implementation of a new international regime on loss and damage. This system seeks to provide financial assistance to developing countries affected by climate events.— The allocation is a first from the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), a new international financing instrument created in 2022 to address a long-pending demand from developing nations, particularly those small and vulnerable countries that face the maximum risk from climate events.— Operationalised in 2023 after receiving the first round of contributions from donor countries, the FRLD made its first call for applications during the annual climate conference in Brazil last year (COP30). By the time the window for applications closed on June 15 this year, 119 countries had submitted 176 funding requests.Click here to read more on Loss and Damage fund.• Cyclone Arnab— The Eastern coast of India, specifically parts of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, were on the receiving end of a “very severe cyclonic storm” on October 28.— The first named cyclone of the year, Arnab the cyclone made landfall along the coast of Andhra Pradesh bringing with it strong winds and heavy rainfall.— The storm was noticed to be brewing on October 25 by the Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) regional specialised meteorological centre. Cyclone Arnab’s peak sustained winds reached 125-1135 km/h and the strongest gusts of wind clocked 150 km/h.• Bhutan GLOF— A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) has been reported at Shintaphu Lake in Bhutan’s Gasa district, triggering flood alerts across several districts in Assam and West Bengal. The alerts were sounded for possible downstream effects along India’s Sankosh river.— A glacial lake is a large body of water that sits in front of, on top of, or beneath a melting glacier. A GLOF occurs when the water dammed by a glacier or a moraine (accumulation of debris) is released suddenly.— According to the NDMA, the retreat of glaciers as a result of climate change that is occurring in most parts of the Hindu Kush Himalayas has given rise to numerous new glacial lakes, breaches in which can cause GLOFs. Sports• First Indian woman to win a wrestling world title— The 29-year-old, Manisha Bhanwala won the 59kg title at the World Championships, making history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a wrestling world title. Her triumph also ended India’s 16-year wait for a world champion, since Sushil Kumar’s gold in 2010. The 29-year-old defeated Abigail Nette of the United States 8-6 in the 59 kg final to become only the second Indian wrestler after Sushil Kumar to become world champion. (UWW)— The Manisha defeated Abigail Nette of the United States 8-6 in the 59 kg final to become only the second Indian wrestler after Sushil Kumar to become world champion. Awards• Rohini Nayyar Prize— Prashant Chaudhary won the fifth Rohini Nayyar Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Rural Development by a person under 40.— The prize honours Dr Rohini Nayyar, one of India’s foremost economist-administrators responsible for designing MGNREGA. She passed away in 2021.— Chaudhary’s CodeYogi Foundation has taught technology and artificial intelligence (AI) skills to more than 3.5 lakh students across nine states and 120 districts. The award, carrying a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, was presented by Amitabh Kant, former CEO of NITI Aayog and India’s G20 Sherpa, in New Delhi.Test Your Knowledge(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)(1) La Nina is suspected to have caused recent floods in Australia. How is La Nina different from EI Nino? (UPSC CSE 2011)1. La Nina is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperature in equatorial Indian ocean whereas EI Nino is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperature in the equatorial pacific ocean.2. EI Nino has adverse effect on southwest monsoon of India, but La Nina has no effect on monsoon climate.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2(2) With reference to the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE 2018)1. IRNSS has three satellites in geostationary and four satellites in geosynchronous orbits.2. IRNSS covers entire India and about 5500 sq. km beyond its borders.3. India will have its own satellite navigation system with full global coverage by the middle of 2019.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 1 and 2 only(c) 2 and 3 only(d) NoneAnswer Key1. (d) 2. (a)For your suggestions and feedback, write to Roshni.Yadav@indianexpress.comClick here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for October 2026. Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.