Friday, 2 October 2026 · IST · Bihar + National · 9 items · 2 MCQs
Bihar dominates the day: a 30-proposal Cabinet cleared the Green Hydrogen Policy 2026 and ₹2,761.55 crore for solarising farm feeders, while the Gandak crossed its highest-ever flood level and breached embankments in Saran and Muzaffarpur. Purnea makhana reached Greece and 44 prisoners were freed on Gandhi Jayanti. Nationally, GST hit ₹2.04 lakh crore, the RBI MPC meets from 5–7 October, and BCAS digitised airport security permits.
Today at a glance — things to remember
Bihar Cabinet clears Green Hydrogen Policy 2026 — 1 lakh t/yr by 2031, ₹16,000 cr investment.
₹2,761.55 cr to solarise 2,554 farm feeders (2,585 MW).
ATF VAT cut from 1% to zero at UDAN airports in Bihar.
Gandak hits 91.25 m at Bagaha — beats 2024 record of 90.90 m.
Purnea makhana (1 MT) shipped to Greece via Mundra–Piraeus.
44 prisoners freed on Gandhi Jayanti; ₹3.86 cr to 1,820 victim families.
GS-II: Bihar economy — industrial & energy policy; role of science & technology in development. Prelims: state policies, renewable energy, National Green Hydrogen Mission.
Context
The Bihar Cabinet, chaired by CM Samrat Choudhary on 30 September 2026, approved the draft Bihar Green Hydrogen Policy 2026 among 30 proposals, aiming to turn the state's clean-energy push into an industrial base.
Key facts
Target: 1 lakh tonnes (0.1 MMT) of green hydrogen / green ammonia per year by 2031.
Expected investment of about ₹16,000 crore; around 12,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Plans 1 GW electrolyser manufacturing and about 2.5 GW of linked renewable capacity.
Nodal agency: BREDA (Bihar Renewable Energy Development Agency); aligned with the National Green Hydrogen Mission (2023).
Way forward
Secure cheap round-the-clock renewable power and water for electrolysis; build demand anchors such as fertiliser units and the Barauni refinery, plus a skilled workforce.
Concept
Green hydrogen = H2 made by electrolysis of water using renewable power (near-zero emissions). Grey = from natural gas without carbon capture; Blue = grey + carbon capture. National Mission target: 5 MMT a year by 2030.
Stat tiles for Bihar Green Hydrogen Policy 2026: 1 lakh tonnes per year by 2031, ₹16,000 crore investment, about 12,000 jobs, 1 GW electrolyser manufacturing, 2.5 GW renewable capacity. — StudyForGS
2. Cabinet: ₹2,761.55 crore to solarise 2,554 farm feeders; ATF VAT cut to zero
GS-II: Bihar economy — agriculture, energy, infrastructure and state finances. Prelims: state schemes, regional air connectivity (UDAN), welfare schemes.
Context
The same 30 September Cabinet cleared big-ticket spending on farm power, rural electrification, police modernisation and nutrition, and made jet fuel cheaper at small regional airports.
Key facts
₹2,761.55 crore for 2,585 MW of solar capacity across 2,554 agricultural feeders — daytime, cheaper power for irrigation.
VAT on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) cut from 1% to zero at Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN) airports.
Grid electrification of 21,644 households in Kaimur & Rohtas: cost revised to ₹351.85 crore (from ₹117.80 crore).
₹62.52 crore for 30 water cannons and 86 Vajra vehicles; ₹477 crore advance for Anganwadi honoraria.
New Mukhya Mantri Hemophilia Yojana for 255 identified patients; 35 posts for the Buddha Samyak Darshan Museum, Vaishali.
Way forward
Time-bound commissioning of feeder solar plants, linked with micro-irrigation, will cut diesel use and the state's power-subsidy bill.
Concept
Feeder-level solarisation is the PM-KUSUM Component C model — an entire agricultural feeder is powered by a solar plant. UDAN (2016) = Regional Connectivity Scheme; Darbhanga airport is Bihar's best-known UDAN success.
Horizontal bar chart of major Bihar Cabinet allocations on 30 September 2026 in ₹ crore: farm-feeder solarisation 2,761.55; Anganwadi honoraria advance 477; Kaimur-Rohtas electrification 351.85; water cannons and Vajra vehicles 62.52; Panchayati Raj Day reimbursement 17.28. — StudyForGS
3. Gandak breaks its record flood level; embankments breached in Saran & Muzaffarpur
GS-II: geography of Bihar — rivers, floods and disaster management. Prelims: rivers and barrages of Bihar, NDRF/SDRF.
Context
Heavy rain in the Nepal catchment pushed the Gandak to 91.25 m at the Bagaha gauge on 1 October 2026, above its 2024 record of 90.90 m. The Water Resources Department warned that the next 48 hours would stay sensitive.
Key facts
Peak discharge at Valmikinagar barrage: 5.435 lakh cusecs (28 Sep); Kosi at Birpur peaked at 3.14 lakh cusecs (26 Sep).
Breaches: right embankment at Panapur (Saran); ring embankment at Sahebganj and old Gandak embankment in Paru (Muzaffarpur).
About 2.03 lakh people affected; worst-hit: West Champaran, Saran, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur.
Relief: helicopter airdrops of dry rations in Panapur; NDRF deployed for rescue.
Way forward
Move from embankment-only defence to integrated flood management: real-time India–Nepal data sharing, floodplain zoning, restored drainage and pre-monsoon anti-erosion work.
Concept
Gandak (Narayani in Nepal; ancient Sadanira) rises in the Nepal Himalaya and joins the Ganga near Hajipur–Sonepur. Valmikinagar barrage was built under the Indo-Nepal Gandak Agreement (1959). HFL = highest flood level ever recorded at a gauge.
Flood schematic of the Gandak 2026 event: Nepal catchment rain feeds Valmikinagar barrage (peak 5.435 lakh cusecs on 28 Sep), Bagaha gauge at 91.25 m above the 2024 record of 90.90 m, embankment breaches at Panapur (Saran), Sahebganj and Paru (Muzaffarpur), and relief through NDRF and helicopter airdrops; with a bar chart comparing peak and 1 October discharge of Gandak and Kosi. — StudyForGS
4. Purnea makhana sails to Greece: 1 MT export consignment flagged off
GS-II: Bihar economy — agriculture, agri-exports and food processing. Prelims: GI tags of Bihar, APEDA, makhana belt.
Context
On 2 October 2026, APEDA facilitated a 1 metric tonne shipment of popped (phool) makhana from Purnea to Greece, widening Bihar's superfood export map in Europe.
Key facts
Route: Mundra Port (Gujarat) to Piraeus Port (Greece); sourced through a Purnea-based exporter.
Bihar grows 80–85% of India's makhana on 35,000+ hectares across 10 districts.
FY 2025-26: India exported 7,000+ MT of makhana and products worth USD 22 million to 20+ countries.
Tech support: Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour and ICAR–National Research Centre for Makhana, Darbhanga.
Way forward
Scale up grading, packaging and cold-chain in the Mithilanchal–Seemanchal belt; use the Makhana Board and GI branding to capture higher export value.
Concept
Mithila Makhana received the GI tag in 2022. Makhana (Euryale ferox, fox nut) is an aquatic crop of ponds and wetlands. APEDA (1985) works under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
Donut chart showing Bihar's share of about 85% of India's makhana production against about 15% from the rest of India, with a note on 35,000+ hectares in 10 districts. — StudyForGS
5. Gandhi Jayanti: Bihar frees 44 elderly and ailing prisoners; ₹3.86 crore to victims' families
POLITYBPSC: Prelims + Mains GS-II (Polity – State Executive)
Syllabus linkage
GS-II: Indian polity — pardoning powers, state executive, criminal-justice reforms. GS-I: Gandhi and Bihar (Champaran Satyagraha). Prelims: Art. 72 vs Art. 161.
Context
On Gandhi's 157th birth anniversary (2 October 2026), the state government approved the release of 44 prisoners on humanitarian grounds, on the recommendation of the State Prisoners' Remission Committee.
Key facts
Age profile: 2 above 90, 8 above 80, 20 aged 70–80; serious illness and length of custody also weighed.
Oldest: Rambriksh Koeri (93), to be released from Rohtas jail.
₹3.86 crore distributed among 1,820 families of crime victims under victim compensation.
2 October is also the UN International Day of Non-Violence (declared in 2007).
Way forward
Make remission criteria transparent and periodic, strengthen probation and rehabilitation, and widen victim-compensation outreach.
Concept
Art. 161: Governor may pardon, reprieve, respite, remit or commute sentences for offences under state laws. Art. 72: President (also death sentences and court-martial). Statutory remission: Sec. 473 BNSS (old Sec. 432 CrPC). Gandhi's first Indian satyagraha: Champaran, 1917.
6. Rate-hike watch: RBI MPC meets 5–7 October as CPI stays above 4%
GS-II: Indian economy — inflation, monetary policy, growth indicators. Prelims: repo rate, MPC, CPI, Index of Core Industries.
Context
The RBI Monetary Policy Committee meets on 5–7 October 2026, with the decision due on 7 October. Most economists expect a 25 bps hike from 5.25% to 5.50% as inflation and global tightening build up.
Key facts
CPI inflation at 4.82% in August 2026 — above the 4% target for the 3rd month running.
Repo rate held at 5.25% for four consecutive reviews.
Pressures: rupee down about 6% vs the US dollar in 2026; hikes by the US Fed and Bank of Japan (1.25%); costlier crude.
Core sector grew 4.8% in August 2026 (four-month low): cement +12.5%, electricity +11.6%, fertilisers −12.4%.
Way forward
Balance inflation control with growth; supply-side steps such as food stocks and fuel-tax tweaks can ease the burden on monetary policy.
Concept
MPC under Sec. 45ZB, RBI Act 1934 (amended 2016) has 6 members; flexible inflation targeting at CPI 4% ± 2%. In the Index of Core Industries, electricity carries the highest weight (about 31%).
Diverging bar chart of India's core-sector growth in August 2026: cement +12.5%, electricity +11.6%, iron ore +5.5%, steel +3.4%, crude oil −3.6%, coal −3.8%, natural gas −4.9%, fertilisers −12.4%; overall 4.8%. — StudyForGS
7. Aviation security goes digital: BCAS rolls out entry-permit and clearance reforms
SCI-TECHBPSC: Prelims + Mains GS-II (Role of S&T; Governance)
Syllabus linkage
GS-II: role and impact of science & technology, e-governance and infrastructure. Prelims: BCAS, civil aviation, UDAN, DigiYatra.
Context
On 2 October 2026 the Civil Aviation Ministry announced reforms by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to make security processes simpler, faster and more accountable.
Key facts
Security clearance made category- and contract-agnostic across 9 entity categories, valid for 5 years.
Aerodrome Entry Permit fully digital — online registration, digital scrutiny and facial biometric checks on one platform for 169 airports.
Time-bound, single-stage security vetting of airport infrastructure projects.
India is the 3rd-largest domestic aviation market; operational airports rose from 74 (2014) to 165 (July 2026).
Way forward
Pair digital permits with strong data protection; faster clearances can speed up airport works in Bihar such as Purnea, Darbhanga and Bihta.
Concept
BCAS is the regulator for civil aviation security under the Ministry of Civil Aviation; it became an independent department in 1987 after the Kanishka bombing (1985). Facial biometrics also power DigiYatra paperless boarding.
Flowchart of the digital Aerodrome Entry Permit process: online registration, document upload, digital scrutiny, defined approval workflow, facial biometric verification, permit issued on a common platform for 169 airports; clearance valid 5 years across 9 entity categories. — StudyForGS
8. CJI Surya Kant: technology must widen access to justice, but AI cannot replace judges
GS-II: Indian polity — judiciary, access to justice, fundamental rights; role of S&T. Prelims: e-Courts, Art. 39A.
Context
Addressing the 7th Congress of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts at Samarkand (Uzbekistan) on 1 October 2026, CJI Surya Kant set out India's tech-led judicial reforms.
GS-I: current events of national and international importance. Prelims: India–Russia ties, groupings such as BRICS and SCO.
Context
Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club forum (reported 2 October 2026), Russian President Vladimir Putin praised PM Narendra Modi's ideas for a mutually acceptable settlement of the Ukraine conflict.
Key facts
Putin described India as neutral yet deeply committed to peace; Modi regularly raises ending the war.
India's stated line: it stands firmly on the side of peace — dialogue and diplomacy.
India–Russia: Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership (since 2010).
Both are members of BRICS and SCO; India holds the BRICS chair in 2026.
Way forward
Use strategic autonomy to keep channels open with all sides while safeguarding energy and defence supplies.
Concept
Strategic autonomy = pursuing national interest without joining military blocs (roots in NAM, 1961). Valdai Club = Moscow-based international discussion forum, founded in 2004.
Data point of the day
₹2.04 lakh crore
Gross GST collection — September 2026 Gross ₹2,04,050 crore, up 14.7% from ₹1,77,279 crore (Sept 2025); net after refunds ₹1,77,049 crore (+18.1%). Import GST ₹65,525 crore (+25.9%); domestic ₹1.38 lakh crore (+10.1%). April–September gross: ₹12.46 lakh crore (+11.6%). GST came via the 101st Amendment (2016); GST Council under Art. 279A.
Prelims rapid-fire
Gandhi Jayanti (2 Oct 2026): 157th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and 120th of Lal Bahadur Shastri (born 1904, Mughalsarai).
International Day of Older Persons (1 Oct) 2026 theme: 'The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives'.
Shaheed Jubba Sahani University of Architecture & Civil Engineering (Bihar) gets 34 new posts; named after a Quit India martyr from Muzaffarpur.
Bihar Cabinet approved 871 operators under the Digital Mitra / Kushal Yuva Programme.
National Green Hydrogen Mission (2023): outlay ₹19,744 crore; target 5 MMT/year by 2030.
Asian Games 2026: Aichi–Nagoya, Japan, 19 Sept – 4 Oct; India's flag-bearers Manu Bhaker & Pawan Sehrawat.
Practice MCQs — BPSC Prelims pattern
Q1. Consider the following statements about the Gandak river: 1. It is known as the Narayani in Nepal. 2. The Valmikinagar barrage on it was built under an Indo-Nepal agreement of 1959. 3. It joins the Ganga near Hajipur. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: d All three are correct: Narayani is its Nepali name, Valmikinagar barrage came under the Gandak Agreement (1959), and it meets the Ganga at Hajipur–Sonepur.
Q2. Under which Article of the Constitution can the Governor of a state remit the sentence of a person convicted of an offence against a state law?
Article 72
Article 161
Article 163
Article 213
Show answer
Answer: b Art. 161 gives the Governor pardoning powers for state-law offences; Art. 72 is the President's power, Art. 163 concerns the Council of Ministers and Art. 213 ordinances.
Mains practice question
Q. Embankments remain the mainstay of flood control in north Bihar, yet breaches recur almost every monsoon. In the light of the record Gandak flood of 2026, critically examine this approach and suggest an integrated flood-management strategy for the Gandak–Kosi basins.
Hint / approach
Intro with 91.25 m HFL and 5.435 lakh cusecs peak → limits of embankments (silt, waterlogging, breaches) → India–Nepal cooperation, early warning, floodplain zoning, reservoirs, drainage, community preparedness → conclusion on living with floods.
📌 One-line revision: Bihar: Green H2 Policy (1 lakh t by 2031) + ₹2,761.55 cr feeder solar | Gandak 91.25 m record | Makhana → Greece | Art. 161 remission | GST ₹2.04 lakh cr | MPC 5–7 Oct.
