Daily Current Affairs for Madhya Pradesh PSC (MPPSC)
MPPSC Current Affairs — 1 October 2026
Ladli Behna's 40th instalment lifts MP welfare spend, four Madhya Pradesh monuments enter UNESCO's tentative list, and India's Q1 FY27 GDP races to 7.8%
Thursday, 1 October 2026 · IST · Madhya Pradesh + National · 10 items · 2 MCQs
Madhya Pradesh dominates today's board: the Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana released its 40th monthly instalment of Rs 1,835 crore to about 1.25 crore women, and four MP heritage sites — the Bagh caves, Udaigiri caves, Chambal valley temples and Ginnorgarh fort — were added to UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List. Project Cheetah at Kuno now anchors a national cheetah population of 52. Nationally, India's economy expanded a stronger-than-expected 7.8% in Q1 FY27, while rising digital fraud and the FAO forestry agenda stayed in focus.
Today at a glance — things to remember
Ladli Behna Yojana 40th instalment: Rs 1,835 cr to ~1.25 crore MP women
Rs 1,500/month per woman; total transfers cross Rs 65,396 crore
Four MP sites added to UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List
India's cheetah population reaches 52; Kuno holds 49, Gandhi Sagar3
India Q1 FY27 GDP growth at 7.8%, beating estimates
MP Cabinet cleared a Rs 42,490-crore infrastructure and welfare package
MP, the 'Soybean State', backs oilseed farmers via MSP/Bhavantar support
Cybercrime cases up 17.9%; I4C, FRI and 1930 helpline in focus
FAOCOFO-28: India's forest & tree cover at 25.17% of land area
2nd ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME-2026) held off the Philippines
Detailed notes
1. Ladli Behna Yojana releases 40th instalment to 1.25 crore women
MADHYA PRADESHMPPSC: Prelims + Mains GS-II (Governance & Social Justice)
Syllabus linkage
MPPSC Prelims (MP schemes) + Mains GS-II: welfare schemes for vulnerable sections; women empowerment & DBT in MP.
Context
The Madhya Pradesh government released the 40th monthly instalment of the Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana, directly crediting the accounts of eligible women across the state through Direct Benefit Transfer.
Key facts
40th instalment of about Rs 1,835 crore transferred to roughly 1.25 crore women
Each beneficiary receives Rs 1,500 per month (raised from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,250 to Rs 1,500)
Total transfers under the scheme have crossed Rs 65,396 crore since its June 2023 launch
FY 2026-27 budget outlay for the scheme is about Rs 23,883 crore
Delivered through DBT to curb leakages; a flagship women-centric welfare programme of MP
Way forward
Link cash support with skilling, self-help-group credit and health access so transfers translate into durable economic empowerment.
Concept
DBT routes subsidies straight to Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts, reducing leakage. Ladli Behna is an unconditional cash-transfer scheme targeting women aged 21-60.
MPPSC Prelims (MP heritage) + Mains GS-I: Indian art, architecture and heritage; conservation of monuments.
Context
Five new Indian entries were added to UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List, and four of them are located in Madhya Pradesh, strengthening the state's standing as a heritage hub.
Key facts
MP entries: Bagh Cave Paintings (4th-6th c., Gupta-era Buddhist murals)
Udaigiri Caves (4th-5th c., early Vaishnava rock-cut iconography)
Chambal Valley Temples (8th-11th c., Nagara architecture, Gurjara-Pratihara era)
Ginnorgarh Fort (15th-18th c., a Gond tribal capital with hybrid architecture)
India now has 78 sites on the Tentative List and 43 inscribed World Heritage Sites
Way forward
A spot on the Tentative List is only the first step; MP must prepare robust dossiers and conservation-management plans to win final inscription.
Concept
The Tentative List is an inventory of properties a State Party intends to nominate; inscription on the World Heritage List follows under the 1972UNESCO Convention.
Four MP sites on the UNESCO tentative list: Bagh caves, Udaigiri caves, Chambal valley temples and Ginnorgarh fort, with periods and styles. — StudyForGS
3. India's cheetah population reaches 52, anchored at MP's Kuno
MPPSC Prelims (MP wildlife) + Mains GS-III: biodiversity, species reintroduction, protected areas of MP.
Context
Four years after Project Cheetah began in September 2022, India's cheetah population now stands at 52, with Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park at the centre of the world's first intercontinental large-carnivore translocation.
Key facts
Total population 52: Kuno National Park (Sheopur) 49 and Gandhi Sagar WLS 3
32 of these are cubs or juveniles born in India
9 cheetahs were brought from Botswana in February 2026 for genetic diversity
Earlier batches came from Namibia (Sep 2022) and South Africa (Feb 2023)
Nauradehi WLS (MP) and Banni grasslands (Gujarat) are planned future sites
Way forward
Sustain prey-base build-up, veterinary surveillance and community support, and accelerate a second viable population to spread ecological risk.
Concept
The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is the only large carnivore hunted to extinction in India (1952). 'Project Cheetah' aims to restore open-forest and grassland ecosystems.
Donut and stat tiles showing 52 cheetahs: 49 at Kuno, 3 at Gandhi Sagar, 32 India-born, 9 from Botswana, 17 free-ranging. — StudyForGS
MPPSC Prelims (MP governance) + Mains GS-II/III: state finances, infrastructure and welfare administration in MP.
Context
The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet approved proposals worth over Rs 42,490 crore aimed at strengthening infrastructure and expanding welfare measures across the state.
Key facts
Combined proposals cross Rs 42,490 crore for infrastructure plus welfare
Focus on roads, health, irrigation and public-service delivery
Part of MP's push toward a larger, Viksit (developed) state economy
Capital spending intended to crowd-in private investment and jobs
Complements flagship welfare transfers such as Ladli Behna
Way forward
Timely execution, outcome budgeting and asset monetisation will decide whether the outlay converts into measurable development gains.
Concept
Capital expenditure builds durable assets with a high fiscal multiplier; the Cabinet is the collective decision-making body of the Council of Ministers.
5. MP, the 'Soybean State', backs oilseed farmers on price support
MPPSC Prelims (MP agriculture) + Mains GS-III: MSP, oilseeds, agricultural marketing and farmer welfare in MP.
Context
As the country's largest soybean producer, Madhya Pradesh remains central to Kharif oilseed procurement, with price-support and deficit-payment mechanisms cushioning farmers against a soft market.
Key facts
MP is India's leading soybean producer — the 'Soybean State'
Soybean procured at Minimum Support Price (MSP) under central oilseed procurement
Price-deficit (Bhavantar-type) payments bridge the gap when mandi prices fall below MSP
MP is also a top producer of wheat (incl. Sharbati), gram/pulses in the Narmada belt
Oilseed procurement supports lakhs of registered farmers across central India
Way forward
Diversify oilseed basket, raise crushing capacity and strengthen e-NAM linkages to make MSP support fiscally sustainable.
Concept
MSP is the assured floor price announced on CACP advice; Price Deficiency Payment compensates the gap between MSP and market price without physical procurement.
6. MP sharpens investment pitch for 'Viksit' state economy
MPPSC Prelims (MP economy) + Mains GS-III: industrial policy, investment promotion and employment generation in MP.
Context
Madhya Pradesh is building on its Global Investors Summit momentum, courting investors through Regional Industry Conclaves and roadshows as it targets a far larger state economy.
Key facts
MP drew record investment interest after its Global Investors Summit (Bhopal, Feb 2025)
Lakhs of crores in investment intentions span industry, energy and services
Industrial corridors, data centres and renewable energy are priority sectors
Rewa ultra-mega solar park anchors MP's clean-energy and pumped-hydro push
State aims to scale toward a trillion-dollar-plus 'Viksit MP' economy
Way forward
Convert MoUs into ground-level projects with single-window clearances, skilled-labour supply and reliable power to retain investor confidence.
Concept
Investment 'intentions' (MoUs) are non-binding; realisation ratio measures how much actually converts into operational capacity and jobs.
7. Digital fraud surges; cyber-justice gaps come under scrutiny
MPPSC Prelims (polity/security) + Mains GS-III: cyber security, internal security challenges and technology in governance.
Context
Rising cybercrime and online financial fraud have exposed gaps in India's cyber-justice system, prompting a fresh look at enforcement, forensics and digital literacy.
Key facts
Cybercrime cases rose 17.9% (2023 to 2024); over 1.01 lakh cases recorded
Conviction rate remains below 18% despite rising case numbers
Over 80% of victims suffered financial loss; threats include deepfakes and 'digital arrest' scams
MPPSC Prelims (environment) + Mains GS-III: forest conservation, carbon sinks and India's climate commitments (MP has the largest forest cover).
Context
The 28th session of the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO-28) in Rome, themed 'Forests for food, resilience and prosperity', put India's forestry record in focus — a theme close to Madhya Pradesh, the state with India's largest forest cover.
Key facts
India's forest & tree cover is 82.74 million hectares — 25.17% of its land area
India ranks 9th in total forest area and 3rd in net annual forest gain
Forests remove about 150 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year (2021-25)
Bonn Challenge: 21.76 of 26 million-hectare restoration target met
Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover among Indian states
Way forward
Shift from plantation-count metrics to canopy-density and biodiversity outcomes, and strengthen community forest rights.
Concept
A carbon sink absorbs more carbon than it releases. The Bonn Challenge is a global goal to restore degraded and deforested land.
Madhya Pradesh green and wildlife schematic: largest forest cover, Tiger State, 25.17% national cover, six tiger reserves, Kuno cheetah home. — StudyForGS
9. World Tourism Day 2026 puts AI on the travel agenda
SOCIETYMPPSC: Prelims + Mains GS-I/III (Economy, Society & Tourism)
Syllabus linkage
MPPSC Prelims (schemes) + Mains GS-III: tourism as an economic driver; GS-I: cultural tourism (relevant to MP's Ujjain, Khajuraho, Sanchi).
Context
World Tourism Day 2026 (27 September) carried the theme 'Digital Agenda and AI to Redesign Tourism', underlining tourism's growing economic and employment role in India.
Key facts
Tourism contributes about 5.22% to India's GDP
Tourism employment rose from 6.94 crore (2019-20) to 8.46 crore (2023-24)
Swadesh Darshan 2.0, PRASHAD and SASCI drive destination development
e-Visa now extended to 172 countries; cruise passenger traffic up 328% in a decade
MP's Mahakal (Ujjain), Khajuraho and Sanchi are marquee heritage-tourism draws
Way forward
Use AI-driven itineraries and digital stacks to spread footfall to lesser-known circuits while protecting fragile heritage sites.
India and ASEAN navies held the second ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME-2026), co-hosted with the Philippine Navy, reinforcing India's Act East and Indo-Pacific engagement.
Key facts
Indian Navy fielded INS Sahyadri and INS Kulish
Partner ships included BRP Jose Rizal, BRP Tarlac and RSS Justice
Drills covered HADR, maritime domain awareness and logistics cooperation
Included boarding operations, helicopter cross-deck landings and medical evacuation
Advances the 'Women, Peace & Security' agenda at sea
Way forward
Institutionalise joint patrols and information-sharing to keep Indo-Pacific sea lanes free, open and rules-based.
Concept
Act East Policy deepens India's strategic and economic ties with ASEAN and the wider Indo-Pacific; HADR = Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief.
Data point of the day
7.8%
India's Q1 FY27 GDP growth India's real GDP expanded 7.8% year-on-year in Q1 (Apr-Jun) of FY27, beating estimates on the back of services and fixed investment — the headline macro number MPPSC aspirants should track alongside MP's state-economy push.
Prelims rapid-fire
Kuno National Park, home of Project Cheetah, lies in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh.
Ladli Behna beneficiaries currently receive Rs 1,500 per month via DBT.
Madhya Pradesh is India's largest soybean producer — the 'Soybean State'.
India has 43 inscribed UNESCOWorld Heritage Sites and 78 on the Tentative List.
I4C (Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre) works under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
India's forest & tree cover stands at 25.17% of its geographical area.
Practice MCQs — MPPSC Prelims pattern
Q1. With reference to Project Cheetah, consider the following statements:
1. Kuno National Park is located in Madhya Pradesh.
2. The cheetahs introduced in India have been brought only from Namibia.
3. Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the sites holding cheetahs.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1 and 2 only
1 and 3 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: B Kuno NP is in Madhya Pradesh (1 correct) and Gandhi Sagar WLS also holds cheetahs (3 correct). Cheetahs have come from Namibia, South Africa and Botswana, not only Namibia (2 incorrect).
Q2. The Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana is associated with which of the following?
Free electricity to all farmers in Madhya Pradesh
Monthly cash transfer to eligible women in Madhya Pradesh
Crop insurance for soybean growers
Interest-free education loans for tribal students
Show answer
Answer: B Ladli Behna Yojana provides a monthly cash transfer (currently Rs 1,500) to eligible women in Madhya Pradesh through Direct Benefit Transfer.
Mains practice question
Q. "Direct cash transfers to women have become the centrepiece of welfare politics in Madhya Pradesh." Examine the economic rationale and the fiscal sustainability concerns of such schemes with reference to the Ladli Behna Yojana. (15 marks, 250 words)
