Bihar Cabinet clears ₹11,096 cr power upgrade & Kosi-Gandak-Son flood zoning; SC asks banks to compensate digital-arrest victims; Centre hikes DA to 63%
Friday, 30 October 2026 · IST · Bihar + National · 11 items · 2 MCQs
Bihar's Cabinet (28 Oct) approved a ₹11,096.55 crore low-tension power network upgrade, a flood-plain zoning study of the Kosi, Gandak and Son, a Patna underground road study and a new sugar mill at Warisaliganj, while Patna hosts a seminar today on Bihar's stake in the expiring Ganga Water Treaty. Nationally, the Supreme Court pushed banks to compensate digital-arrest fraud victims, the Centre raised DA/DR to 63%, the 24th PM-KISAN instalment is released today and ISRO's NVS-03 is set to fly tonight.
Today at a glance — things to remember
Bihar Cabinet: ₹11,096.55 cr to upgrade LT power distribution network (43 agendas, 28 Oct).
NIH Roorkee to delineate flood-plain zones of Kosi, Gandak, Son (₹1.99 cr); 24 dams under safety review.
Ganga Water Treaty (1996) expires 11 Dec 2026; Bihar seeks 10,000 cusecs (Jan-May).
Cyclone Arnab remnant: red alert for Sitamarhi & Madhubani; name given by Bangladesh.
Bihar plans 28 new industrial areas on ~14,600 acres across 25 districts.
Bihar's month-long anti-drug campaign runs till 26 Nov; charas seizures up 282 to 400 kg.
SC (CJI Surya Kant): banks should compensate digital-arrest victims where due diligence failed.
DA/DR raised 60% to 63% w.e.f. 1 July 2026; cost ₹10,016.10 cr/yr.
NVS-03 on GSLV-F18 tonight (11:51 pm) to strengthen NavIC; 13th ADMM-Plus held in Cebu.
Detailed notes
1. Bihar Cabinet clears ₹11,096 cr power-grid upgrade, Patna underground road study & new sugar mill
BIHARBPSC: Prelims + Mains GS-II (Bihar Economy)
Syllabus linkage
GS-II: Bihar economy, energy & infrastructure; Prelims: state schemes, DISCOMs, UDAN.
Context
The Cabinet chaired by CM Samrat Choudhary on 28 Oct 2026 approved 43 agendas, led by a three-year plan to modernise low-tension (LT) distribution lines.
Key facts
₹11,096.55 cr: NBPDCL ₹6,066 cr + SBPDCL ₹5,030.55 cr, over up to 3 years.
₹18.21 cr feasibility study for Patna underground road (R Block-Kankarbagh; Dak Bungalow-Patna Women's College).
Closed Motipur sugar mill (Muzaffarpur, 266 acres) split; new sugar mill at Warisaliganj (Nawada).
₹43.50 cr VGF under UDAN (₹1.5 cr/month, May 2026-Sep 2028); ₹58.80 cr hostel aid for ~49,000 students.
Consultancy for Vishwamitra Path (Buxar-Ara-Maner, 90 km), Ganga Ambika Path (56 km), Narayani Path (73.51 km).
Way forward
Time-bound execution with AT&C loss targets; link the road PPPs to the state's logistics and tourism circuits.
Concept
VGF (Viability Gap Funding): capital/operating grant that makes a socially desirable but commercially unviable project bankable; under UDAN-RCS it keeps regional fares affordable.
Six coloured stat tiles summarising Bihar Cabinet decisions of 28 Oct 2026: ₹11,096.55 cr power upgrade, ₹18.21 cr Patna underground road study, ₹43.50 cr UDAN VGF, ₹58.80 cr hostels, ₹12 cr State Games and 43 agendas. — StudyForGS
2. Flood-plain zoning of Kosi, Gandak & Son; safety audit of 24 dams
The same Cabinet approved a Flood Plain Zone Delineation Study along three flood-prone rivers and a statutory safety review of state dams.
Key facts
₹1.99 cr study on Kosi, Gandak and Son with National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee.
₹8.39 cr to assess 24 dams under the Dam Safety Act, 2021 within 8 months.
Kosi is called the 'Sorrow of Bihar'; ~73% of Bihar's area is flood-prone (state data).
Zoning will mark areas for regulated construction, helping embankment and drainage planning.
Way forward
Notify flood-plain zones by law, curb encroachment and integrate with Nepal-side catchment data.
Concept
Flood-plain zoning: regulating land use by flood frequency (e.g., prohibited, restricted, caution zones); Dam Safety Act 2021 created the NDSA and State Dam Safety Organisations.
Map of Bihar with Kosi, Gandak and Son basin districts shaded, the Ganga, Gandak, Son and Kosi rivers in blue, barrages at Birpur, Valmikinagar and Indrapuri, Patna and Farakka marked, plus a side panel with study cost, 24 dams, Bihar's 10,000 cusecs demand and the 11 Dec 2026 treaty expiry. — StudyForGS
3. Ganga Water Treaty: Bihar seeks 10,000 cusecs, national silt policy
The Water Resources Department holds a seminar in Patna today (30 Oct) on Bihar's water security as the India-Bangladesh treaty nears expiry.
Key facts
Treaty signed 12 Dec 1996 for 30 years; expires 11 Dec 2026; shares lean-season flow at Farakka Barrage.
Bihar's assessment (projected to 2051): minimum ~10,000 cusecs in January-May.
Bihar framed a silt management policy (2026); seeks a national silt policy with dedicated fund.
CM was slated to raise Farakka-linked flooding at the 19th Ganga Flood Control Commission (GFCC) meeting (27 Oct).
Way forward
Renewed treaty must factor upper-riparian state needs, silt flushing and climate-variable flows.
Concept
Farakka Barrage (Murshidabad, W.B., commissioned 1975) diverts water to the Bhagirathi-Hooghly via a feeder canal to keep Kolkata Port navigable; GFCC is HQ'd in Patna.
4. Cyclone Arnab remnant: red alert in Sitamarhi, Madhubani
The remnant of Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Arnab, which crossed the Andhra Pradesh-Yanam coast on 28 Oct, is bringing heavy rain to north Bihar on 30-31 Oct.
Key facts
Red: Sitamarhi, Madhubani; Orange: Darbhanga, Sheohar, East & West Champaran (winds 40-50 kmph).
Yellow alert for Patna and other districts (rain, lightning).
Landfall near Kakinada; winds 125-135 km/h gusting 150 km/h.
Name 'Arnab' (ocean) proposed by Bangladesh; formed over the Bay of Bengal.
Way forward
Protect harvest-ready paddy and Chhath ghats; issue lightning advisories via the state's early-warning apps.
Concept
IMD colour codes: Green (no action), Yellow (be updated), Orange (be prepared), Red (take action). North Indian Ocean names come from a list of 13 WMO/ESCAP Panel countries.
Bihar district map showing IMD alerts for 30-31 October: Sitamarhi and Madhubani in red, Darbhanga, Sheohar, East and West Champaran in orange, and Patna in yellow. — StudyForGS
GS-II: industrialisation of Bihar, investment policy; Prelims: BIADA, state schemes.
Context
Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval to MSME Policy 2026 as the Industries Department expands land banks for investors.
Key facts
28 new industrial areas in 25 districts; land acquisition for ~14,600 acres; 94 existing areas.
1,091 proposals worth ₹1,21,863 cr since 2025 (potential 68,807 jobs).
Bihar Integrated Manufacturing City, Dobhi (Gaya), ~1,670 acres; Mega Food Park, Muzaffarpur (143 acres).
MSME Policy targets: an industrial cluster in every district, MSME centres in all 38 districts.
Way forward
Convert proposals into ground investment through plug-and-play sheds, reliable power and single-window (62 services).
Concept
BIADA (Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority) allots industrial land; the Dobhi city lies on the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC).
Horizontal bar chart of Bihar enterprise support in Rs crore: CM Udyami Yojana ₹3,414 cr for 47,075 beneficiaries, Bihar Laghu Udyami ₹581 cr for 71,740, Semiconductor tech centre Patna ₹171 cr, Startup Bihar ₹103 cr for 1,762 startups. — StudyForGS
6. Month-long anti-drug drive across Bihar till 26 November
A bench headed by CJI Surya Kant on 29 Oct said banks should bear losses arising from institutional due-diligence failures in digital-arrest frauds.
Key facts
21,928 digital-arrest complaints involving over ₹647 cr (Jan-Aug 2026).
Court to examine RBI's proposed KYC amendments, expected by 30 Nov.
Stressed prosecution of colluding bank staff and alerts on unusual withdrawals by senior citizens.
Observations at hearing stage; final compensation framework still awaited.
Way forward
Shift liability to the party best placed to prevent fraud; AI-based transaction monitoring and 1930 helpline awareness.
Concept
'Digital arrest' has no legal basis: fraudsters impersonate police/CBI on video calls. RBI's zero/limited liability rules (2017) protect customers who report within 3 days.
8. PM-KISAN 24th instalment released today from Banaskantha
GS-II: role of science & technology; Prelims: satellites, launch vehicles, NavIC.
Context
Mission GSLV-F18/NVS-03 is scheduled for 11:51 pm IST, 30 Oct from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
Key facts
Third of five second-gen satellites (NVS-01 to NVS-05); NVS-01 flew on 29 May 2023.
Carries an indigenous atomic clock; adds L1-band signals to existing L5 & S bands.
NavIC covers India + ~1,500 km beyond its boundary.
Aims to restore continuity of IRNSS services.
Way forward
L1 compatibility will help NavIC enter smartphones; reduces dependence on foreign GNSS in strategic use.
Concept
NavIC/IRNSS: India's regional navigation system (GSO + IGSO satellites); global systems are GPS (US), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (EU), BeiDou (China).
11. 13th ADMM-Plus in Cebu: India offers counter-terror expertise to ASEAN
IRBPSC: Prelims + Mains GS-II (International Relations)
Syllabus linkage
GS-II: India & its neighbourhood, Act East; Prelims: ASEAN, ADMM-Plus, summits & venues.
Context
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the 13th ADMM-Plus at Cebu, Philippines on 29 Oct, citing Operation Sindoor.
Key facts
Theme: 'Navigating Our Future, Together'; India backs ASEAN centrality and UNCLOS.
India & Malaysia co-chair the Experts' Working Group on Counter-Terrorism (2024-27).
2026 is the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation; proposed a defence 'Youth Bridge'.
Navy anti-piracy deployment in the Gulf of Aden since 2008.
Way forward
Deepen joint exercises and intelligence sharing; leverage Bihar's Buddhist links (Bodh Gaya, Nalanda) as soft power in Act East.
Concept
ADMM-Plus (since 2010, Hanoi) = ASEAN defence ministers + 8 partners: India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, USA.
Map of the Asia-Pacific with ASEAN members in blue, ADMM-Plus partner countries in light orange, India in saffron and a red star at Cebu, Philippines, venue of the 13th ADMM-Plus on 29 October 2026. — StudyForGS
Data point of the day
7.3%
India's FY27 real GDP growth forecast (Finance Ministry, October economic review) Above the RBI's 7.1% projection issued earlier in October; the ministry flagged crude oil and inflation as key risks.
Prelims rapid-fire
NBPDCL & SBPDCL: Bihar's two power DISCOMs (north & south), formed after the 2012 unbundling of BSEB.
Warisaliganj (Nawada) to get a new sugar mill; Motipur mill is in Muzaffarpur.
Bihar State Games 2026: ₹12 cr, ~5,500 players, 24 disciplines.
143 posts sanctioned for regional Economic Offences Unit; new City SP posts for Motihari, Purnia, Saran.
Green hydrogen offtake commitments in India exceed 5.5 lakh MTPA (Oct 2026).
14th International Tourism Mart opened in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh.
Practice MCQs — BPSC Prelims pattern
Q1. With reference to the Bihar Cabinet decisions of 28 October 2026, consider the following pairs:
1. Flood Plain Zone Delineation Study - Kosi, Gandak and Son rivers
2. New sugar mill - Warisaliganj (Nawada)
3. Flood-zoning partner - NIH, Roorkee
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: D All three are correct: the ₹1.99 cr study covers Kosi, Gandak, Son with NIH Roorkee, and a new sugar mill is planned at Warisaliganj in Nawada.
Q2. The India-Bangladesh Ganga Water Treaty, which expires in December 2026, was signed in which year and governs water sharing at which structure?
1977 - Kosi Barrage
1996 - Farakka Barrage
1996 - Valmikinagar Barrage
2006 - Farakka Barrage
Show answer
Answer: B Signed on 12 Dec 1996 for 30 years, the treaty shares lean-season (Jan-May) flows at Farakka Barrage (West Bengal); it expires on 11 Dec 2026.
Mains practice question
Q. "Floods in north Bihar are as much a problem of silt and land-use as of water." In the light of the recent flood-plain zoning study and the Ganga Water Treaty review, suggest a long-term flood-management strategy for Bihar. (BPSC Mains GS-II, 38 marks)
Hint / approach
Intro: ~73% area flood-prone; Kosi/Gandak from Nepal. Body: silt load & Farakka backwater, embankment limits, flood-plain zoning (NIH study), national silt policy, dam safety, Indo-Nepal cooperation, early warning. Conclude: shift from flood control to flood resilience.
📌 One-line revision: ₹11,096.55 cr power | Kosi-Gandak-Son zoning (NIH) | Treaty ends 11 Dec 2026 | Red alert: Sitamarhi, Madhubani | DA 63% | PM-KISAN 24th: 9.34 cr | NVS-03 on GSLV-F18 | ADMM-Plus: Cebu.
