UPSC current affairs · Thursday

Current Affairs, 29 October 2026

6 issues picked from 51 PIB releases · about 2 minutes each · written by UPSC Grade, each fact checked against its PIB release or by a second model

How to readRead “Why in news” and “What it is” for every issue. Open For Prelims or For Mains for the exam you’re preparing for, then Test yourself at the foot of each card. Half the news questions in Prelims are answered from background, not the news itself.

In 60 seconds

Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY. Ayushman Vay Vandana covers all aged 70+ under PM-JAY; two-year usage data released.
PM-KISAN. 24th PM-KISAN instalment of over ₹18,690 crore goes to 9.34 crore farmers on 30 October 2026.
Ganga Flood Control Board. Ganga Flood Control Board reviews flood management and plans restructuring of its Commission.
Cloud Computing and MeghRaj. PIB backgrounder maps India's cloud push: MeghRaj, empanelled providers, data centres, data sovereignty.
National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). NCDC's General Council reviewed record disbursements and was told to plan a 25-year roadmap.
Narmada Control Authority and Review Committee. Narmada Review Committee adopts one-time settlement of Sardar Sarovar cost-sharing dues among four States.

Scheme

Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY

GS2 Health · Welfare schemesGS3 EconomyPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 29 October 2026, Ayushman Vay Vandana completed two years. The Health Ministry released usage data: 23.46 lakh admissions worth ₹5,668.80 crore as on 20 October 2026.
What it is: Ayushman Vay Vandana is an extension of Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY to every citizen aged 70 years and above, whatever their income. It was launched by the Prime Minister on 29 October 2024. It is run by the National Health Authority and gives cashless hospital cover for secondary and tertiary care.

Eligibility: All citizens aged 70 and above are eligible, irrespective of socio-economic status.
Cover: Up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.
Top-up for covered families: Seniors in families already under PM-JAY get an extra top-up of up to ₹5 lakh a year, only for themselves.
Implementing agency: The National Health Authority implements it under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Most common procedure: Cataract surgery is the most availed procedure, about 20.1% of authorised treatments.
Highest value procedure: PTCA (coronary angioplasty) has the largest share of authorised value, about ₹649 crore.
Expansion to senior citizens: The scheme now covers all citizens aged 70 and above, irrespective of socio-economic status.
Secure Data Environment: Developed by NHA with IISc Bengaluru, it gives governed access to de-identified PM-JAY and ABDM data for research, with outputs reviewed before release.
National Health Claims Exchange: NHCX seeks to put hospitals and insurers on one common digital platform for claims.
Scale of ABDM: More than 97.8 crore ABHAs have been created and over 121 crore health records linked.
Portability recognition: Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Gujarat were recognised as top performers in claim settlement for inter-State portability.
Beneficiary identification: Families are identified from SECC 2011 deprivation and occupational criteria. Families earlier covered under RSBY are also included.
Expansion to elderly: On 11 September 2024 the scheme was extended to all citizens aged 70 and above, about 6 crore people.
Coverage: The scheme now operates in all 36 States/UTs.
Senior citizens: Citizens aged 70 and above are covered irrespective of socio-economic status: 6 crore people in 4.5 crore families.
ASHA and Anganwadi inclusion: About 37 lakh additional families of ASHAs, Anganwadi Workers and Helpers were added in March 2024.
Portability: Beneficiaries can get cashless treatment at any empanelled hospital in the country. By 30 June 2026, 29.05 lakh inter-state admissions worth over Rs 8,383.97 crore were authorised.
Base families: The original PM-JAY targets 12 crore families, the bottom 40% of the population.
Expansion: In October 2024 the scheme was extended to 6 crore senior citizens aged 70+ from 4.5 crore families, regardless of socio-economic status.
Cards issued: More than 96.73 lakh Vay Vandana cards had been created across all States and UTs by 31.12.2025.
Launch: PM-JAY was launched in 2018 and is implemented by the National Health Authority.

Don’t confuse with Vay Vandana vs PM-JAY: PM-JAY covers eligible poor and vulnerable families; Vay Vandana covers all aged 70+ regardless of income.

Don’t confuse with Vay Vandana vs Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission: Vay Vandana gives hospital cover; the Digital Mission builds a digital health ID and records system.

Don’t confuse with PM-JAY vs ABDM: PM-JAY is the health assurance (insurance) scheme for hospital care. ABDM is the digital health ecosystem built on ABHA IDs and health records.

Don’t confuse with Ayushman Card vs ABHA ID: The Ayushman Card shows PM-JAY eligibility. The ABHA is a health ID that links a person's health records.

Don’t confuse with PM-JAY vs PM-ABHIM: PM-JAY pays for hospital treatment of eligible families. PM-ABHIM builds health infrastructure such as health centres, labs and critical care blocks.

Don’t confuse with ABHA vs Ayushman card: ABHA is a digital health ID for anyone under ABDM. The Ayushman card shows eligibility for PM-JAY cover.

Don’t confuse with PM-JAY vs Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission: PM-JAY gives cashless hospital cover. ABDM builds digital health records and infrastructure.

Don’t confuse with PM-JAY vs Health and Wellness Centres: Health and Wellness Centres (Ayushman Arogya Mandir) give primary care. PM-JAY covers secondary and tertiary hospitalisation.

Don’t confuse with PM-JAY vs Vay Vandana: PM-JAY targets poor families by socio-economic criteria; Vay Vandana covers all citizens aged 70+ regardless of income.

Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.

Why it matters

Gives financial protection to about 6 crore elderly, reducing out-of-pocket hospital spending.
Cashless cover reduces out-of-pocket spending for poor and elderly families.
Portability helps migrant workers use the scheme across States.
Gives cashless hospital care and cuts catastrophic out-of-pocket spending for poor families.
Moves India towards universal health coverage, with the elderly, ASHAs and gig-type urban workers brought in.
Links insurance with primary care, digital records and infrastructure under one Ayushman Bharat framework.
Portability protects migrant workers who fall ill away from home.
Cashless cover reduces out-of-pocket spending and moves India towards Universal Health Coverage.
Gives older people, who face high health costs, financial protection irrespective of income.

Problems

Cover is only for hospitalisation, so outpatient and medicine costs remain with families.
Claim processing and programme integrity need stronger checks, which is why auto-adjudication is being introduced.
Health data sharing needs consent and privacy safeguards, and ABHA adoption is yet to reach saturation.
Eligibility rests on SECC 2011 data, which may exclude newly poor families.
Uneven uptake and hospital empanelment across States, with risks of claim delays and fraud.
Cover is for inpatient care, while much household spending is on outpatient care and medicines.
States differ in how well they run the scheme, and some run their own schemes alongside it.
Empanelled hospitals may refuse patients or delay claims, so access on the ground can be uneven.
Hospital empanelment gaps and claim delays can limit access to cashless care.

Way forward

Widen coverage to outpatient care and strengthen monitoring of private hospital claims.
Strengthen NHCX, standard treatment protocols and common billing formats to improve quality and claims.
Improve continuity of care and referral systems while protecting personal data.
Update beneficiary databases and widen coverage to outpatient care.
Strengthen claim audit, grievance redress and timely payment to hospitals.
Expand public hospitals and primary care so the scheme does not rely only on private providers.
Improve awareness of portability and speed up claim settlement.
Further integrate state schemes with PM-JAY and monitor hospital conduct.
Widen empanelment and speed up claim settlement using digital systems.

Put in your answer

Beneficiary base: Around 6 crore seniors in about 4.5 crore families are targeted.

PM-JAY scale: More than 60 crore beneficiaries covered, over 13 crore hospital admissions, and treatment worth over Rs 2 lakh crore.

Standard treatment workflows: ICMR has developed more than 150 standard treatment workflows, and HTAIn under DHR assesses cost-effectiveness of health technologies.

Scale of PM-JAY: 13.25 crore admissions worth Rs 2.03 lakh crore funded, with 38,000+ empanelled hospitals.

Digital health spine: Over 97.61 crore ABHA IDs operational, linking health records across providers.

Portability data: 29.05 lakh inter-state admissions worth over Rs 8,383.97 crore were authorised by 30 June 2026.

Senior citizen expansion: The scheme covers 6 crore senior citizens aged 70 and above in 4.5 crore families, irrespective of income.

Test yourself

True or false?

1 of 19

Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.

1.Ayushman Vay Vandana is open to citizens aged 70 years and above irrespective of their socio-economic status.
2.It is implemented by the National Health Authority under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
3.It covers outpatient consultations and medicines as its main benefit.
4.Senior citizens from families already covered under PM-JAY receive an additional top-up of up to ₹5 lakh per year meant only for themselves.
5.The top-up cover for seniors in covered families is shared with all family members.
6.Chronic haemodialysis is the most frequently availed procedure under the initiative.
7.Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, of which this is an extension, was launched in 2018.
8.AB PM-JAY is a centrally sponsored scheme.
9.Under AB PM-JAY, the Centre and States share funds in the ratio 60:40 for Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
10.Rural beneficiaries under AB PM-JAY are identified using deprivation criteria from the Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011.
11.AB PM-JAY covers primary healthcare only, which is delivered at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
12.The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission was launched in September 2021 and is built on ABHA digital health IDs.
13.Transgender persons covered under the SMILE initiative and workers covered under NAMASTE are among the additional categories eligible under AB PM-JAY.
14.Ayushman Vay Vandana card covers senior citizens aged 70 years and above irrespective of their socio-economic status.
15.AB-PMJAY provides health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.
16.The Ayushman Vay Vandana card was introduced in October 2024 as an expansion of PM-JAY.
17.Female beneficiaries account for more hospital admissions than male beneficiaries under Ayushman Vay Vandana.
18.PM-JAY is implemented at the national level by the National Health Authority.
19.PM-JAY was launched in 2014 as a centrally sponsored scheme.

Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 29 Oct, 15:33 IST · Release 2330009

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Scheme

PM-KISAN

GS3 Agriculture - Farmer supportGS2 Welfare schemesPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 29 October 2026, PIB announced that the PM will release the 24th PM-KISAN instalment on 30 October 2026 at Banaskantha, Gujarat, sending over ₹18,690 crore to over 9.34 crore farmers.
What it is: PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) is an income support scheme for landholding farmer families, launched on 24 February 2019. It gives ₹6,000 a year in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 through Direct Benefit Transfer to Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts. It is a Central Sector scheme fully funded by the Centre, with States identifying beneficiaries.

Who identifies beneficiaries: State Governments identify eligible farmer households and build the beneficiary database.
Exclusions and recovery: Income tax payers, government employees, PSU personnel and holders of constitutional posts are ineligible; recovery is done from them.
Monitoring: The national-level review mechanism is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, with State and District Monitoring Committees below it.
Cumulative disbursal: More than ₹4.47 lakh crore was disbursed through the first 23 instalments.
Mode of payment: Support reaches eligible farmer families through Direct Benefit Transfer.
Agriculture Infrastructure Fund: Under the AIF, about ₹1.75 lakh crore has been invested across more than 2.28 lakh projects.
Scheme type and funding: PM-KISAN is a Central Sector scheme, fully funded by the Centre. It pays ₹6,000 a year in three instalments.
Benefit: Eligible landholding farmer families get Rs.6,000 a year in three equal instalments, paid into bank accounts.
Launch: The scheme was launched in February 2019.
Disbursal so far: Over Rs.4.47 lakh crore has been transferred through 23 instalments.
Women beneficiaries: Women farmers received over Rs.1.06 lakh crore, nearly one in four beneficiaries.
Funding: PM-KISAN is a Central Sector scheme, funded 100% by the Centre.
Cumulative payout: Total disbursement since the 24 February 2019 launch will exceed Rs 4.46 lakh crore.
Funding and type: PM-KISAN is a Central Sector scheme, fully funded by the Centre. It pays Rs 6,000 a year in three instalments by DBT.
Payment: Each eligible family gets ₹6,000 a year in three equal instalments of ₹2,000, paid into Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts.
Role of States: States identify eligible households and build the beneficiary database. They must also start recovery where ineligible people were paid.
Budget 2026-27: The Union Budget 2026-27 allocated ₹60,000 crore to the scheme.
Voluntary Surrender: A facility lets affluent farmers give up the benefit; accounts surrendered by mistake can be reactivated.

Don’t confuse with Central Sector vs Centrally Sponsored: Central Sector schemes are 100% Centre-funded; Centrally Sponsored schemes share costs with States. The release calls PM-KISAN centrally sponsored, but it is a Central Sector scheme.

Don’t confuse with PM-KISAN vs PM Fasal Bima Yojana: PM-KISAN gives income support. PMFBY is crop insurance for risk protection.

Don’t confuse with PM-KISAN vs PMFBY: PM-KISAN is cash income support; PMFBY is crop insurance against losses.

Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.

Why it matters

Gives small and marginal farmers assured cash for inputs, reducing reliance on informal credit.
DBT with Aadhaar and e-KYC cuts leakages and intermediaries.
Gives small farmers a predictable cash income through DBT, without middlemen.
Gives assured, direct income support to small and marginal farmers and reduces dependence on informal credit.
Shows DBT with Aadhaar-based verification can cut leakages.
Assured, direct income support reduces reliance on informal credit and helps buy inputs.
DBT removes intermediaries and cuts leakage.
Regular DBT gives small farmers assured cash for inputs and cuts leakages.
Launching insurance, AgriStack and natural farming alongside builds a wider support system for farmers.
Direct cash transfer eases farmers' liquidity constraints and cuts reliance on informal credit.
Aadhaar-linked DBT lowers leakage and removes intermediaries.
Gives assured income support to small and marginal farmers and boosts rural demand.
DBT through digital infrastructure cuts leakages and middlemen.

Problems

Exclusion of tenant farmers and sharecroppers, since it is tied to land records.
Ineligible payments needed recovery (₹416.75 crore as of December 2025); land record and Aadhaar-seeding gaps persist.
Keeping the beneficiary list accurate and excluding ineligible people, and leaving out tenant farmers who hold no land records.
Tenant farmers and sharecroppers without land records are left out.
Fixed Rs.6,000 has not kept pace with input costs and inflation.
Exclusion of tenant farmers and landless labourers, since the scheme depends on land records.
Ineligible payments to tax payers and others need recovery.
Tenant and landless farmers are left out because eligibility depends on land records.
Outdated land records and eKYC or Aadhaar mismatches cause exclusions.
Tenant farmers and landless labourers are excluded because eligibility rests on land records.
Outdated land records, Aadhaar-bank mismatches and ineligible payments, with ₹416.75 crore recovered so far, hurt targeting.
Exclusion of eligible farmers, such as tenant farmers, and errors in land records and e-KYC.
Ineligible or deceased beneficiaries need continuous weeding out.

Way forward

Digitise and update land records and include tenant cultivators.
Strengthen State verification and grievance redressal.
Digitise and update land records and link them to the beneficiary database to improve targeting and include tenant farmers.
Clean and digitise land records to include tenant farmers.
Review the amount periodically and target it better.
Complete land-record and Aadhaar seeding, and integrate with AgriStack.
Strengthen verification and grievance redressal to reduce errors.
Digitise land records and link them with AgriStack to improve targeting.
Pair income support with insurance, credit and input reforms.
Update and digitise land records and extend coverage to tenant farmers.
Strengthen e-KYC and database checks to prevent duplicate and ineligible payments.
Complete land-record digitisation and e-KYC to reach 100% saturation.
Use periodic verification to remove ineligible entries.

Put in your answer

Cumulative disbursement: Over ₹4.64 lakh crore has gone to farmers through 24 instalments.

Recoveries from ineligible: ₹416.75 crore recovered from ineligible beneficiaries as of December 2025.

Cumulative PM-KISAN disbursal: More than ₹4.47 lakh crore was disbursed through 23 instalments.

AIF investments: About ₹1.75 lakh crore invested across over 2.28 lakh projects to cut post-harvest losses.

Cumulative transfers: Over Rs.4.47 lakh crore sent to farmers through 23 instalments.

Use of funds: DMEO found over 92% of beneficiaries used the money for agriculture.

Recovery from ineligible: ₹416.75 crore recovered from ineligible beneficiaries as of December 2025.

PM-KISAN scale: Cumulative payouts will exceed Rs 4.46 lakh crore since 2019. Use this to show the scheme's reach.

AgriStack: AgriStack is a unified digital platform for fertiliser distribution, Kisan Credit Cards, DBT and MSP procurement. It is part of the Digital Agriculture Mission.

Cumulative disbursal: More than ₹4.27 lakh crore has been disbursed since launch, making it one of the world's largest DBT initiatives.

NITI Aayog evaluation: Nearly 85 percent of beneficiaries reported better farm income and less reliance on informal credit.

Women beneficiaries: Over 2.15 crore women farmers receive the 22nd instalment.

Test yourself

True or false?

1 of 32

Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.

1.Under PM-KISAN, State Governments are responsible for identifying eligible farmer households and preparing the beneficiary database.
2.The national-level review of PM-KISAN is chaired by the Union Agriculture Minister.
3.Income tax payers and holders of constitutional posts are among those ineligible for PM-KISAN benefits.
4.Kisan-eMitra, the PM-KISAN chatbot, was developed with technical support from the EkStep Foundation and BHASHINI.
5.PM-KISAN is a Central Sector scheme funded fully by the Union Government.
6.Under PM-KISAN, eligible farmer families get ₹6,000 a year in three equal instalments.
7.PM-KISAN money is paid through Direct Benefit Transfer to bank accounts.
8.PM-KISAN was launched in 2019.
9.PM-KISAN cost-shares its funding between the Centre and States in a 60:40 ratio.
10.PM-KISAN pays ₹6,000 a year in four quarterly instalments.
11.Through the first 23 instalments, PM-KISAN had disbursed more than ₹4.47 lakh crore.
12.The scheme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, implemented by State governments with the Centre's share.
13.PM-KISAN provides Rs.6,000 per year to eligible landholding farmer families in three equal instalments.
14.PM-KISAN was launched in February 2019.
15.PM-KISAN is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme in which States share the cost with the Centre.
16.The money under the scheme is transferred through the Direct Benefit Transfer system.
17.Roughly half of the beneficiaries of PM-KISAN are women farmers.
18.The evaluation of the scheme's impact cited in the release was conducted by the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office of NITI Aayog.
19.The scheme was launched in February 2019.
20.State Governments are responsible for identifying eligible farmer households under PM-KISAN.
21.Income tax payers and government employees are among those ineligible, and amounts paid to them are subject to recovery.
22.Kisan-eMitra, the AI chatbot linked to PM-KISAN, was developed with technical support from the EkStep Foundation and BHASHINI.
23.Funds under PM-KISAN are transferred to farmers through the state cooperative banks only, without use of PFMS or NPCI.
24.Under PM-KISAN, each eligible farmer family receives ₹6,000 a year in three equal instalments of ₹2,000.
25.Beneficiary identification under PM-KISAN is done by the Central Government through the PM-KISAN portal, without any role for States.
26.The national-level review of PM-KISAN is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary.
27.Under PM-KISAN, States and Union Territories must initiate recovery of benefits paid to ineligible persons such as income tax payers and government employees.
28.PM-KISAN provides Rs 6,000 a year to each eligible farmer family in three equal instalments.
29.Benefits under PM-KISAN are transferred through Direct Benefit Transfer to beneficiaries' bank accounts.
30.The PM-KISAN portal's Know Your Status module lets beneficiaries check payment status, Aadhaar linking and e-KYC status.
31.The face-authentication e-KYC app under PM-KISAN requires an OTP or a biometric device.
32.The Voluntary Surrender facility under PM-KISAN is meant for affluent farmers.

Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, 29 Oct, 18:46 IST · Release 2330171

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Law and statutory body

Ganga Flood Control Board

GS3 Disaster managementGS2 Centre-State relationsPrelims and Mains

Why in news: The 19th meeting of the Ganga Flood Control Board was held in New Delhi on 27 October 2026 under Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil. It discussed a revised mandate for the Ganga Flood Control Commission and launched the Punah Bharan app.
What it is: The Ganga Flood Control Board is a Centre–State platform set up in 1972 to coordinate flood, erosion and drainage measures in the Ganga Basin. Its technical arm is the Ganga Flood Control Commission, whose chairman is the Board's Member Secretary. Flood control is largely a State subject, so the Board helps align State plans with central support.

Constituted: The Board was constituted by the Government of India on 18 April 1972 for the Ganga Basin.
Chair and members: The Union Jal Shakti Minister chairs it. Members are representatives of Central Ministries and Chief Ministers of Ganga Basin States or their representatives.
Member Secretary: The Chairman of the Ganga Flood Control Commission serves as the Board's Member Secretary.
Revised GFCC mandate: The Board discussed restructuring of the GFCC: basin-level planning, appraisal of flood schemes, river morphology and sedimentation studies, and a Flood Management Information System.
Punah Bharan app: The app was built by BISAG-N with the National Water Mission to identify sites for artificial groundwater recharge.

Don’t confuse with Ganga Flood Control Board vs Commission: The Board is the high-level political forum chaired by the Minister. The Commission is the technical body whose chairman is the Board's Member Secretary.

Don’t confuse with GFCB vs National Ganga Council: GFCB deals with flood, erosion and drainage in the Ganga Basin. The National Ganga Council deals with Ganga rejuvenation and pollution under the Namami Gange programme.

Laws, judgments and statutory bodies: 30 Prelims questions since 2013 (what the law says, who chairs, legal basis). In Mains, 44 news-triggered questions, most in GS2, asking for provisions and challenges.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Statutory-type body with standing facts (set up 1972, chaired by Jal Shakti Minister), but only 7 of 327 Prelims news questions were on statutory bodies; low odds.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Jal Shakti, 29 Oct, 12:53 IST · Release 2329935

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Science and technology

Cloud Computing and MeghRaj

GS3 Science and technologyPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 29 October 2026, PIB released a backgrounder on India's cloud ecosystem. It covers MeghRaj, empanelled cloud providers, data centre growth and the policy push for domestic cloud.
What it is: MeghRaj is the Government of India's cloud initiative, launched by MeitY in 2014 to speed up e-governance and optimise public ICT spending. Its second generation, MeghRaj 2.0, offers IaaS, PaaS and SaaS to government departments through a distributed cloud architecture. It hosts platforms such as DigiLocker, MyGov and the National Scholarship Portal.

MeghRaj launch: MeghRaj was launched in 2014 by MeitY as the government's national cloud initiative.
Deployment models: A public cloud is shared among many customers. A private cloud is dedicated to one organisation. A hybrid cloud combines the two.
Empanelled providers: As of September 2026, India has 30 empanelled cloud service providers, both Indian and international.
Cloud Selection Framework: MeitY's March 2026 framework guides departments to pick cloud by data sensitivity. It prefers government-backed cloud such as NIC and State Data Centres, and allows hybrid use.
NIC data centres: NIC operates 4 National Data Centres and 24 Mini Data Centres for government hosting and cloud services.

Don’t confuse with Serverless computing vs no servers: Serverless computing still uses servers. The provider manages them and allocates resources when needed.

Don’t confuse with IaaS vs PaaS vs SaaS: IaaS rents raw infrastructure, PaaS gives a development platform, and SaaS gives finished software such as Zoom or Dropbox.

Science and technology: 57 Prelims questions since 2013; most test the concept behind the news, not the news itself. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting topic on cloud and data sovereignty; the backgrounder offers few testable facts, and cloud is mostly a concept question.

Source: PIB Backgrounder, 29 Oct, 14:04 IST · Release 2329978

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Law and statutory body

National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)

GS3 Economy · CooperativesGS2 Statutory bodiesPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 29 October 2026, the 93rd General Council meeting of NCDC in New Delhi, chaired by Amit Shah, reviewed its finances, asked for a 25-year roadmap and discussed the NCDC (Amendment) Act, 2026.
What it is: The National Cooperative Development Corporation is a statutory body set up by an Act of Parliament in 1962. It finances cooperatives in production, processing, marketing, storage and services. It now works under the Ministry of Cooperation, created in 2021.

Disbursement growth: Annual disbursements rose from ₹24,733 crore in FY 2020-21 to ₹1,27,596 crore in FY 2025-26, about fivefold.
Market borrowing support: A grant of ₹2,000 crore lets NCDC raise ₹20,000 crore from the market over four years.
Legal basis: NCDC was established under the National Cooperative Development Corporation Act, 1962.
Disbursement targets: Targets are ₹1.70 lakh crore for FY 2026-27, ₹2.10 lakh crore for FY 2027-28 and ₹2.50 lakh crore for FY 2028-29.

Don’t confuse with NCDC vs NABARD: NCDC is a statutory corporation financing cooperatives across sectors. NABARD is the apex development bank for agriculture and rural credit, set up in 1982.

Don’t confuse with NCDC vs NUCFDC: NUCFDC is the umbrella organisation for Urban Cooperative Banks. NCDC helped develop it and is a financier of cooperatives.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Standing body on cooperative finance, but this release is a review meeting; limited fresh facts and only 7 Prelims news questions concern statutory bodies.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Cooperation, 29 Oct, 17:45 IST · Release 2330122

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Law and statutory body

Narmada Control Authority and Review Committee

GS2 Inter-State water disputesGS3 Water resourcesPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 27 October 2026 the 15th meeting of the Review Committee for Narmada Control Authority (RCNCA) adopted a Memorandum of Agreement among four States as a one-time settlement of pending dues, and approved payment modalities within FY 2026-27.
What it is: The Narmada Control Authority (NCA) was set up to implement the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal (NWDT) Award for Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The Review Committee for NCA (RCNCA) is the higher body above it, chaired by the Union Jal Shakti Minister, and reviews NCA decisions and disputes among the party States.

Meeting: The 15th RCNCA meeting was held on 27 October 2026 by video conferencing under the Union Jal Shakti Minister, who is RCNCA Chairman.
Settlement: The Memorandum of Agreement of 7 July 2026 among the four States was adopted as a one-time settlement of all pending inter-State dues, claims and liabilities.
Dispute: The dues relate to cost sharing of building the Sardar Sarovar Project by Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
Party States: The four party States to the NWDT Award are Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
Tribunal: The NWDT was constituted in 1969 under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 and gave its Award in 1979.

Don’t confuse with NCA vs RCNCA: NCA implements the NWDT Award; the RCNCA is the higher body that reviews NCA decisions and is chaired by the Union Jal Shakti Minister.

Don’t confuse with NWDT vs NCA: NWDT is the tribunal that adjudicated and gave the Award; NCA is the executive body that implements it.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Inter-State cost-sharing settlement for Sardar Sarovar and NWDT award dues has lasting value; Prelims facts are thin and few Mains questions come from news on bodies (9 of 161).

Source: PIB, Ministry of Jal Shakti, 29 Oct, 17:52 IST · Release 2330127

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Quick facts

ESIC extended its New Amnesty Scheme 2025, a one-time out-of-court dispute settlement for employers, to 31 December 2026; cases filed up to 31 March 2025 are eligible.

Source: PIB, 29 Oct

What we left out: 44 of 51 releases

Speeches without a decision (5)
Same issue as another release (10)
Awareness events and webinars (4)
Ceremonies and campaigns (9)
Conclave sessions and speeches (1)
Visit schedules (2)
Routine local settlements (1)
Courtesy meetings (1)
Routine drive tests (1)
Routine port calls (1)
Visits without a decision (1)
Exhibitions and melas (2)
Beneficiary stories (2)
Ceremonies and inaugurations (2)
Routine MoUs (1)
Ceremonies and routine data (1)

Practise the day’s news

In UPSC’s formats, inside each issue. The answer and why come after you choose.

1Ayushman Bharat PM-JAYMCQ · 19 true or false · Mains
2PM-KISANMCQ · 32 true or false

Keep reading

The day before

Wednesday, 28 October 2026India-Mexico Preferential Trade Agreement · Container Manufacturing Promotion Scheme (CMPS) · Pradhan Mantri Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana (PM VGSY) and 9 more

The day after

Friday, 30 October 2026National Social Security Board · PM-KISAN · Fisheries Value Addition and Blue Economy and 3 more

All days

Practice · 2