DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 07th October 2026

Science & Technology

Why in News?

A suspected case of pneumonic plague in Irkutsk, Siberia (Russia) has brought attention to the disease. A laboratory worker died on October 2, 2026, and nearly 200 people were placed under medical observation. However, Russia has not confirmed plague as the cause, and testing reportedly found no pathogen linked to her laboratory work.

What is Plague?

• Caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis.
• A zoonotic disease, maintained naturally among small mammals and their flea vectors.
• Humans may contract it through:
  • Bite of infected fleas
  • Direct contact with infected tissues/materials
  • Respiratory particles from a person with pneumonic plague.
• Gram-negative bacillus belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae.

Three Major Forms

Pneumonic plague is the most virulent form and can become fatal very rapidly if untreated.

Plague & Black Death

• The Black Death was the devastating 14th-century plague pandemic caused by Y. pestis.
• WHO estimates that it caused more than 50 million deaths in Europe.
• Modern antibiotics have made plague treatable, provided treatment begins promptly.

Global Distribution

• Natural plague foci occur on all continents except Oceania.
• Since the 1990s, most reported human cases have occurred in Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar.
• WHO recorded 3,860 suspected cases, including 2,646 confirmed cases and 423 deaths, during 2019–2025 among reporting countries.

Sources:

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-health/plague-types-symptoms-spread-treatment-10907595/

Environment & Ecology

Why in News?

On 4 October 2026, two captive-bred male Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) were released into the wild at Desert National Park (DNP), Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, marking the beginning of the rewilding phase of India’s GIB conservation programme.

Great Indian Bustard

• Scientific name: Ardeotis nigriceps
• Also known as Godawan.
• A large, ground-dwelling bird inhabiting arid and semi-arid grasslands and deserts.
• IUCN: Critically Endangered.
• Rajasthan holds the largest remaining wild population.
• Current wild population is roughly 110–150 birds.
• Major threats:
  • Collision with overhead power lines
  • Habitat loss and fragmentation
  • Mining and infrastructure development
  • Poaching and predation of eggs/chicks

Project GIB & Rewilding

• Bustard Recovery Programme/Project GIB involves MoEFCC, Rajasthan Forest Department and Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
• Conservation-breeding centres operate at Sam and Ramdevra, Jaisalmer.
• Since 2019, wild-laid eggs have been artificially incubated and chicks raised in captivity.
• Facilities currently house 97 birds; 11 were earmarked for release, of which 2 have now been released.
• The programme has shifted from conservation breeding → rewilding/reintroduction.
• Around 200 sq km of fenced grassland enclosures have been created inside DNP.
• Released birds are monitored using telemetry/transmitters.

‘Jumpstart’ Approach

• Viable captive-bred eggs are placed in wild GIB nests.
• Wild females incubate the eggs and raise the chicks.
• The approach has produced six chicks in Rajasthan and two in Gujarat.

Sources: 

https://ddindia.co.in/2026/10/two-male-great-indian-bustards-released-into-wild-at-jaisalmers-desert-national-park/

Environment & Ecology

Why in News?

Dozens of Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) calves have been found dead along Argentina’s Patagonian coast, particularly around Península Valdés, an important breeding and calving ground. Scientists are investigating a possible bacterial infection, while changes in marine conditions may also be contributing.

About Southern Right Whale

• Scientific name: Eubalaena australis
• A baleen whale and one of the three recognised right-whale species.
• Found mainly across the Southern Hemisphere, generally between 20°S and 60°S.
• Migrates between warmer, low-latitude breeding grounds and colder, high-latitude feeding grounds.
• Feeds by skim-feeding: swimming with its mouth partly open and filtering copepods, krill and other plankton through baleen plates.

Distinctive Features

• Large, stocky body; usually black/dark grey.
• No dorsal fin.
• Large head with distinctive callosities—raised patches of skin that provide a unique identification pattern.
• Broad, paddle-shaped flippers and two blowholes.
• The name “right whale” originated from whalers who considered these slow-moving, buoyant whales easy to hunt.

Current Mortality Event

• Península Valdés is a major breeding and nursery area.
• Researchers suspect bacterial infections, potentially entering through wounds caused by kelp gull attacks.
• Environmental factors such as warmer waters and El Niño-related changes are also being examined.
• Other long-term threats include fishing-gear entanglement, vessel strikes, pollution, ocean noise and habitat degradation.

Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: Least Concern (global).
• However, some populations are much more threatened; the southeastern Pacific population is considered Critically Endangered.
• Listed in CITES Appendix I.

Sources:

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/scientists-puzzled-as-baby-whales-wash-up-dead-in-argentina/article71543684.ece#google_vignette

International Relations

Why in News?

The India–UAE Joint Military Exercise “Mountain Guardian 2026” commenced on 5 October 2026 at the Foreign Training Node, Chaubatia, Uttarakhand. It is being conducted from 5–18 October 2026, with a focus on mountain warfare.

Key Facts

• Participating countries: India and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• Participants: 92 personnel, equally divided between the two armies.
• Indian contingent: Troops from a Bhairav Battalion.
• UAE contingent: Troops from a Mountain Infantry Battalion.
• Venue: Foreign Training Node, Chaubatia, Uttarakhand.
• Focus: Mountain warfare, interoperability and exchange of operational best practices.

Major Training Activities

The exercise includes:

• Joint planning and tactical drills
• Firing practices
• Surveillance-grid establishment
• Drone operations
• Physical endurance training
• Rock climbing and obstacle training
• Integrated field exercises
• Technology-enabled operations and exchange of tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) for difficult mountainous terrain.

Significance

• Enhances interoperability between the Indian and UAE armies.
• Provides practical exposure to high-altitude and mountainous operational environments.
• Strengthens bilateral military-to-military cooperation.
• Notably, women officers and combatants from both armies are participating in specialist roles.

Sources:

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2319135&reg=48&lang=1

Science & Technology

Why in News?

On 6 October 2026, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched Fleet Support Ship-1 (FSS-1), named Surya, at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam. He also laid the keel of FSS-5 and inaugurated an upgraded Slipway-4 and a 300-tonne Goliath Crane.

About FSS-1

• FSS-1 Surya is the first of five Fleet Support Ships being built for the Indian Navy.
• Builder: Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam.
• Displacement: approximately 43,500 tonnes.
• The ships are designed for at-sea replenishment of naval vessels.
• They can provide fuel, water, ammunition, stores and other supplies, enabling warships to remain deployed for longer periods without returning to harbour.
• Features include enhanced cargo and fluid capacity, first-line maintenance workshops, a helicopter deck for Multi-Role Helicopters and self-defence systems.

Strategic Significance

• Enhances the Indian Navy’s operational reach, endurance and sustained deployment capability in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• Reduces dependence on returning to ports for replenishment.
• Represents an important step towards indigenous naval shipbuilding and maritime self-reliance.
• FSS-1 entered the water just 18 months after steel cutting, while the keel laying of FSS-5 marks progress towards series production.

HSL Infrastructure

• Upgraded Slipway-4 + 300-tonne Goliath Crane can support construction and launching of vessels up to 45,000 DWT.
• The crane supports handling of heavier ship blocks for modern block construction.

Sources:

https://ddnews.gov.in/en/rajnath-singh-to-launch-navys-first-fleet-support-ship-in-visakhapatnam-on-october-6/

Science & Technology

Why in News?

The Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) began its Diamond Jubilee Year celebrations on 4 October 2026, marking six decades since its incorporation in 1967. The PSU plans to expand existing mines and develop new uranium projects in Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh, as India targets 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047.

About UCIL

• Established: 4 October 1967.
• Headquarters: Jaduguda, Jharkhand.
• Administrative control: Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).
• Status: Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE).
• Core function: Mining and processing of uranium ore for India’s nuclear power programme.
• It has expertise in underground/open-cast mining, ore processing, radiation protection, occupational safety and environmental management.

Major Operations

• Jharkhand: Six underground mines — Bagjata, Jaduguda, Bhatin, Narwapahar, Turamdih and Mohuldih.
• Banduhurang: Open-pit uranium mine in Jharkhand.
• Ore is processed at Jaduguda and Turamdih.
• Tummalapalle, Andhra Pradesh: Underground uranium mine and processing plant.

Expansion Plans

• New uranium mining projects in Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh.
• Exploration/development is also being pursued in other potential uranium-bearing regions.
• UCIL is examining uranium recovery from copper tailings of Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL), linking uranium recovery with resource efficiency and the circular economy.

Sources:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/on-diamond-jubilee-year-ucil-plans-mining-projects-in-rajasthan-andhra-pradesh/articleshow/134711528.cms

GS II – Health / GS II – Social Justice
Public Health, Disease Elimination, and Social Stigma

Introduction

India reduced leprosy prevalence to below 1 case per 10,000 population by 2005, but continued transmission persists in several pockets. Reduced surveillance and shorter treatment regimens lowered prevalence without fully stopping transmission, while disability cases rose in the early 2010s. The National Strategic Plan (NSP) 2023–27 therefore rightly prioritises interruption of transmission, early detection and disability prevention, with greater focus on children, who accounted for around 46% of reported child cases globally in 2025.

The Current Burden

Uneven Disease Burden

• Disproportionate Shares: Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Maharashtra bear disproportionate shares of the national burden.
• Interruption of Transmission: Only 148 districts achieved ‘interruption of transmission’ (pending field verification) against the projected 300 (2025-26 National Leprosy Elimination Programme report).

Screening and Detection (2025-26)

• Screened: More than 70 crore people in highly endemic areas.
• Cases Detected: 24,367.
• ASHA Workers: Flagged nearly 40 lakh suspected cases; 48,027 confirmed.
• Post-Exposure Prophylaxis: Single-dose rifampicin administered to 91.1% of the 16.9 lakh likely contacts.

Digital Surveillance and Vaccine

• Digital Surveillance: Operationalised.
• MIP Vaccine: Under deliberation to accelerate pathogen clearance in highly infectious patients.

Persistent Lacunae in Care

Late Diagnosis and Stigma

• Nerve Damage: Research shows nerve damage in many patients by the time they sought care—largely due to stigma.
• Clinical Unfamiliarity: Many practitioners are unfamiliar with leprosy’s pathology or misdiagnose it as a skin condition.

Overshooting Projections (2025-26)

• Overall Incidence: Overshot projections by 41%.
• Incidence Among Children: Overshot by 91.6%.
• Grade-2 Disability Rate: Overshot by 34%.

Way Forward

Double Down on Interrupting Transmission

• Primary Goal: Interrupting transmission; make prevalence a secondary outcome.
• Resist Temptation: Do not ease detection or revise elimination targets.
• Redouble Investments: Meet extant 2026-27 projections.

Targeted Efforts

• Locations: Commit augmented efforts at locations where late diagnosis and transmission remain trenchant.
• Social Settings: Focus on social settings where stigma and late diagnosis persist.

Care and Awareness

• Reduce Stigma: Awareness campaigns to encourage early care-seeking.
• Train Practitioners: Improve clinical familiarity with leprosy pathology.
• Digital Surveillance: Strengthen for real-time monitoring.

Conclusion

India’s leprosy burden has declined, but transmission remains persistent. Only 148 of the targeted 300 districts achieved transmission interruption. Despite screening 70 crore people in 2025–26, incidence exceeded projections by 41%, child incidence by 91.6%, and Grade-2 disability by 34%. Late diagnosis, stigma and clinical gaps remain key challenges. The focus must therefore shift from prevalence reduction to breaking transmission through sustained detection, contact tracing and targeted interventions.

Practice Question

1. India’s leprosy prevalence has dropped, but continued transmission in many pockets constrains its ability to meet elimination targets. Critically examine the challenges of leprosy elimination in India and suggest measures for breaking the chain of transmission. (250 words, 15 marks)

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/break-the-chain-on-leprosy-in-india/article71552142.ece

GS II – Governance / GS I – Society
Sports Development, Youth Empowerment, and International Competitions

Introduction

The 20th Asian Games were held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, 2026, under the slogan “Imagine One Asia.” It was Japan’s third time hosting, after Tokyo (1958) and Hiroshima (1994). The Games featured 43 sports and 71 disciplines, with 1,407 medals awarded across 469 events. India fielded one of its largest-ever delegations—501 athletes across 36 disciplines, with more than 300 making their Asian Games debut—and won 85 medals, including 21 gold, marking another significant chapter in India’s sporting journey.

India’s Historic Connection with the Asian Games

Founding Role

• First Edition: New Delhi, 1951; inaugurated by President Rajendra Prasad.
• Conceived By: Prof. G.D. Sondhi, IOC member for India.
• Origin: Suggested at the 1947 Conference of Asian Countries in New Delhi.
• First Edition: 11 nations, 489 athletes, 6 sports; India finished second behind Japan.

Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Emblem and Mascot

• Emblem: Curves represent liveliness; purple, gold, and green centre lines evoke unity; colours reflect Aichi’s iris, Nagoya Castle’s Kinshachi, and environmental consciousness.
• Mascot: “HONOHON,” inspired by Shachihoko, representing fiery passion of athletes.

India’s Performance at Aichi-Nagoya 2026

Medal Tally: 85 Medals (21 Gold, 27 Silver, 37 Bronze)

Gold Medal Highlights:

• Archery: 5 gold (led the tally)
• Shooting: 3 gold
• Boxing: 3 gold
• Cricket, Hockey, Kabaddi: 2 gold each
• Wrestling: 2 gold
• Athletics: 1 gold
• Golf: 1 gold

Standout Performances:

• Men’s cricket team defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the final.
• Men’s hockey team retained continental title with 5-1 victory over Malaysia.
• Double gold in men’s and women’s kabaddi.

Sport-Wise Breakdown

Asian Para Games 2026

Aichi-Nagoya 2026

• Dates: October 18-24, 2026.
• Participants: ~3,000 athletes from 45 National Paralympic Committees.
• Sports: 18 Para sports.
• India: Fifth appearance; record 111 medals (29 gold) at Hangzhou 2022; female athletes contributed 40 medals (36%).

India’s Policy Push for Sports

Khelo Bharat Niti (July 2025)

• Objective: Strong, inclusive, performance-driven sports system.
• Focus: Bridging rural-urban gap; community participation; excellence at 2036 Olympics; linking sports with NEP 2020; supporting women, tribal communities, and persons with disabilities.

Record Financial Support

• Union Budget 2026-27: ₹4,479.88 crore (up from ₹1,219 crore in 2013-14).
• Khelo India (2026-27 to 2030-31): ₹36,441 crore combined outlay (with NSFs); ₹924.35 crore for 2026-27.
• Sports Goods Manufacturing: ₹500 crore.

Grassroots Talent Identification

• Khelo India Centres: 1,067 (July 2026).
• Infrastructure Projects: 349 approved (₹3,176 crore).
• Khelo India Athletes: 2,745 supported.
• Khelo India Games: 63,000+ athletes since 2018.
• KIRTI: 174 Talent Assessment Centres; children aged 9-18.

Backing Top Athletes

• TOPS: Monthly stipend ₹50,000 (Core); ₹25,000 (Development Group).
• Support: 55 Core Athletes, 62 Para Core, 140 Development (April 2026); 67 core hockey athletes.
• Impact: Played key role in Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 medals.

Education, Fitness, and Governance

• National Sports University, Imphal: Established 2018.
• Fit India Movement: Fitness in daily life.
• National Sports Governance Bill (August 2025): National Sports Board; National Sports Tribunal.

Beyond Aichi-Nagoya: India’s Long Olympic Road

Roadmap

• LA 2028: More than 300 of 500+ athletes made Asian Games debut—reflecting growing depth.
• Ten-Year Plan: ₹36,000 crore+ investment in sports infrastructure.
• 360-Degree Approach: Federations, states, stakeholders.

Significance

• 85-Medal Campaign: 21 gold; strong performances across traditional strengths and emerging disciplines.
• Momentum: Added momentum for LA 2028 and longer-term sporting ambitions.

Conclusion

India’s 85-medal campaign at Aichi-Nagoya 2026—including 21 gold—marks another significant chapter in the country’s sporting journey. From hosting the first Asian Games in New Delhi (1951) to fielding 501 athletes across 36 disciplines, India’s sporting ecosystem has grown substantially. Policy initiatives—Khelo Bharat Niti, record financial support (₹4,479.88 crore), Khelo India (₹36,441 crore), KIRTI, TOPS—are building a strong grassroots-to-podium pipeline. With more than 300 debutants at Aichi-Nagoya, India’s bench strength is expanding. As India prepares for LA 2028 and beyond, the Asian Games have added further momentum to its long-term sporting ambitions.

Practice Question

1. India’s 85-medal campaign at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, reflects the growing depth of Indian sport and the impact of policy initiatives like Khelo India and TOPS. Critically examine India’s performance at the Asian Games 2026 and the policy ecosystem supporting its future sporting ambitions. (250 words, 15 marks)

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2319703&reg=3&lang=1