Monthly at a glance
- Thu 1 Oct — 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%
- Fri 2 Oct — MP Cabinet clears ₹24,500 cr & 20% Agniveer quota; Ladli Behna crosses ₹65,000 cr; nation marks Gandhi Jayanti & 12 years of Swachh Bharat
- Mon 5 Oct — Ladli Behna aid rises to ₹1,500/month; Kuno cheetahs head to the open wild in phases; RBI MPC & Nobel-2026 week begin
- Tue 6 Oct — Cheetahs move to Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve on 7 Oct; Ladli Behna aid to rise to Rs 1,500; Nobel Medicine 2026 for optogenetics
- Wed 7 Oct — MP opens its 3rd cheetah home at Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve; RBI hikes repo to 5.50%; MPPSC to go twice-yearly from 2027.
- Thu 8 Oct — RBI hikes repo rate to 5.50%; CM Yadav courts investors in Mumbai for GIS 2027; 5 cheetah cubs born at Kuno take India's count to 60
- Fri 9 Oct — MPPSC goes twice-a-year as MP declares 'Youth Year 2027'; India's cheetahs reach 57 with Gandhi Sagar as 2nd home; 57th GST Council clears business reforms.
- Mon 12 Oct — MP opens its third cheetah home at Veerangana Durgavati; RBI raises the repo rate to 5.5% in a surprise hike; Nobel Prizes 2026 announced
- Tue 13 Oct — MP gets its third cheetah home at Veerangana Durgavati; RBI hikes repo to 5.50%; Navi Pillay wins the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize
- Wed 14 Oct — Ladli Behna's 41st instalment reaches ~1.25 crore women; MP opens a third cheetah home as India's count touches 60; retail inflation jumps to 5.54%.
- Fri 16 Oct — MP Cabinet clears ~₹27,050 crore & a new Jabalpur-Bhopal-Indore Industrial Corridor company; Bhavantar returns for soybean; RBI hikes repo to 5.50%
- Mon 19 Oct — MP Cabinet clears Rs 27,050 cr package & Soybean Bhavantar scheme; India's 3rd cheetah home opens; RBI hikes repo to 5.50%
- Tue 20 Oct — MP Cabinet clears a Rs 27,050-crore package and a Soybean Bhavantar scheme; cheetahs reach a third MP home; Supreme Court calls internet access a fundamental right
- Wed 21 Oct — Soybean Bhavantar window opens in MP, Indore hosts the Semiconductor Summit, and India's cheetah count reaches 60
- Thu 22 Oct — Soybean Bhavantar sale window opens in Madhya Pradesh today; Jabalpur–Indore Economic Corridor SPV cleared and Indore to host MP Semiconductor Summit; nationally, core-sector growth hits a record 7.9%.
- Fri 23 Oct — MP clears Soybean Bhavantar Scheme & Jabalpur–Indore corridor; Army unveils new Land Warfare Doctrine; RBI minutes confirm repo at 5.50%.
- Mon 26 Oct — MP launches women-led 'Bagh Didis' tiger network & clears a ₹27,050 cr Cabinet package; India's cheetahs reach 60 as Durgavati becomes the 3rd home.
- Tue 27 Oct — MP Urban Conclave in Indore and a ₹5,800-crore Semiconductor Summit push Madhya Pradesh's investment drive, as the RBI raises the repo rate to 5.50%.
- Wed 28 Oct — MP Cabinet clears ₹8,225 crore; Kuno cheetah KNG22 dies of pellet injuries as India's cheetah count falls to 58
- Thu 29 Oct — Kuno cheetah-death probe and MP Cabinet's ₹8,225 crore package lead the day; nationally, Cabinet clears ₹7,396 cr PM Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana and NPPA slashes cancer-drug prices.
- Fri 30 Oct — MP Cabinet clears ₹8,225 crore; RBI hikes repo to 5.50%; India's cheetah count touches 60 at Kuno
All topics — key facts for revision
1 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH Ladli Behna Yojana releases 40th instalment to 1.25 crore women
- 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
MADHYA PRADESH Four Madhya Pradesh sites enter UNESCO's tentative list
- 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
ENVIRONMENT India's cheetah population reaches 52, anchored at MP's Kuno
- 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
MADHYA PRADESH MP Cabinet clears Rs 42,490-crore infrastructure & welfare package
- 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
MADHYA PRADESH MP, the 'Soybean State', backs oilseed farmers on price support
- 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
ECONOMY MP sharpens investment pitch for 'Viksit' state economy
- 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
POLITY Digital fraud surges; cyber-justice gaps come under scrutiny
- 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
- Key bodies: I4C (Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre), CERT-In, NCIIPC
- Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) and the 1930 helpline aid rapid response
ENVIRONMENT FAO COFO-28 spotlights forests; India's cover at 25.17%
- 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
SOCIETY World Tourism Day 2026 puts AI on the travel agenda
- 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
DEFENCE 2nd ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME-2026) concludes
- 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
2 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH MP Cabinet approves ₹24,500 crore; Sugam Transport Scheme & 20% Agniveer quota cleared
- New Sugam Transport Scheme approved to build an organised state public-transport system (a 21-year-old demand).
- 20% reservation for Agniveers in Forest, Home, Jail and other services.
- ₹3,313 cr for Health Dept projects; ₹372 cr medical college in Singrauli; 105-km Damoh–Katni road.
- Students of Classes 1–8 to get ₹600 via DBT in place of uniforms; grain at ₹1/kg for nomadic hostel students.
- Kshipra river cleanup cleared ahead of Simhastha-2028.
MADHYA PRADESH Ladli Behna Yojana: 40th instalment lifts total transfers past ₹65,000 crore
- ₹1,835 crore transferred to over 1.25 crore women in a single instalment (13 Sep 2026).
- Monthly benefit now ₹1,500 (raised from ₹1,000 → ₹1,250 → ₹1,500 since June 2023).
- Scheme targets women aged 21–60; aims at financial self-reliance.
- Cumulative outlay has crossed ₹65,000 crore since launch.
MADHYA PRADESH Bhavantar revived for soybean: price-gap support for the 'Soybean State'
- MSP ₹5,328/quintal; modal market rate at Neemuch about ₹3,698/quintal.
- Price gap (~₹1,630/quintal) paid directly to farmers' accounts.
- MP is India's largest soybean producer — the 'Soybean State'.
- Registration and procurement routed through mandis with weighing & payment facilities.
ENVIRONMENT Project Cheetah completes four years: 52 cheetahs, 32 India-born cubs at Kuno
- Total 52 cheetahs: 49 at Kuno National Park (MP), 3 at Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.
- 32 cubs born in India since the project began.
- 9 cheetahs brought from Botswana on 28 Feb 2026 (after Namibia 2022 & South Africa 2023).
- Cheetahs were declared extinct in India in 1952; this is the world's first intercontinental large-carnivore translocation.
SOCIETY Simhastha Kumbh 2028: Ujjain gears up with ₹25,000 cr infrastructure push
- About ₹25,000 crore infrastructure outlay planned for the mega-event.
- An estimated 40 crore devotees expected over the fair.
- Works include 22 bridges, new ghats, Kshipra cleanup and road–rail–air connectivity.
- Ujjain is home to Mahakaleshwar (one of 12 Jyotirlingas); Simhastha is held roughly every 12 years.
POLITY Gandhi Jayanti & Shastri Jayanti observed; Swachh Bharat Mission turns 12
- 2 October 1869 — birth of M.K. Gandhi; also observed globally as the International Day of Non-Violence.
- 2 October 1904 — birth of Lal Bahadur Shastri, coiner of 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan'.
- Swachh Bharat Mission was launched on 2 October 2014 — now 12 years.
- Gandhi's principles of Satyagraha and Ahimsa anchor the day's commemorations.
ECONOMY RBI holds repo rate at 5.25% ahead of 5–7 October policy review
- Repo rate 5.25% (cut by 25 bps in December 2025, held since).
- SDF 5.00%, MSF & Bank Rate 5.50%; stance remains neutral.
- CPI inflation about 4.82% (Aug 2026); FY27 projections near 5.0%.
- Governor Sanjay Malhotra heads the six-member MPC.
IR India–Japan summit launches first joint defence co-development & AI partnership
- Leaders launched the first India–Japan defence co-development initiative.
- A dedicated AI partnership and expanded economic security cooperation announced.
- Builds on the Special Strategic and Global Partnership (since 2014).
- Both are members of the Quad (with the US and Australia).
POLITY Supreme Court issues notice on PIL against MDR on large UPI payments
- Notice issued to Centre, RBI and payment bodies on the MDR-on-UPI PIL.
- MDR is the fee a merchant pays on digital transactions; UPI is currently zero-MDR.
- At issue: cost to small merchants vs. sustainability of the payments ecosystem.
- UPI is run by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
IR BRICS Summit 2026 to be hosted by India; leaders' bilaterals in focus
- India hosts the BRICS Summit 2026; key bilateral meetings lined up.
- BRICS has expanded beyond Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa to new members.
- Agenda spans trade, payments, de-dollarisation debates and reform of global institutions.
- India emphasises reformed multilateralism and Global South priorities.
5 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH Ladli Behna aid raised to ₹1,500 a month
- Monthly aid now ₹1,500, up from ₹1,250 (began at ₹1,000).
- Around 1.27 crore women beneficiaries across the state.
- Each instalment costs the exchequer about ₹2,148 crore.
- Paid by Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to bank accounts.
- More than 39 instalments disbursed since launch in 2023.
ENVIRONMENT Kuno cheetahs set for phased release into open wild
- Phased release into unfenced wild begins from late October.
- Kuno National Park (Sheopur) is India's first intercontinental cheetah site under Project Cheetah (since 2022).
- India-born cubs have boosted the population; fresh international translocations are being negotiated.
- Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary is being readied as a second home.
- MP is India's Tiger State and Leopard State, with the largest forest cover.
ECONOMY MP deepens investment push; intent tops ₹26.6 lakh crore
- Cumulative investment proposals of about ₹26.6 lakh crore under the GIS pipeline.
- Thrust sectors: renewable energy, mining & cement, manufacturing, urban/infra, IT & services.
- Regional Industry Conclaves held across divisions to spread industry beyond big cities.
- State offers capital subsidy, land and power incentives to anchor investors.
- Aim: convert intent into on-ground projects and jobs.
MADHYA PRADESH Soybean State backs farmers: MSP, bonus and Bhavantar
- Rabi wheat procurement price set at ₹2,625/quintal (MSP plus state bonus).
- MP is India's leading soybean producer — the 'Soybean State'.
- Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana extended to paddy growers to cover price gaps.
- Sharbati wheat of the Narmada belt is a prized GI-linked variety.
- Record registrations under MSP procurement portals.
SOCIETY Ujjain gears up for Simhastha Kumbh 2028
- Infrastructure build-out planned at around ₹25,000 crore.
- Authorities anticipate an enormous footfall of devotees over the mela period.
- Held on the banks of the Kshipra river at Ujjain, once every 12 years.
- Anchored by the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, a major Shaiva pilgrimage site.
- Focus on sanitation, river rejuvenation, transport and crowd safety.
ECONOMY RBI Monetary Policy review underway (5–7 October)
- Repo rate stands at 5.25%; decision due 7 October.
- RBI's FY27 real GDP growth projection around 6.7%.
- MPC has six members; inflation target 4% (±2%).
- Composite PMI near 56.5, signalling continued expansion.
- Forex reserves in the $747 billion range.
SCI-TECH 2026 Nobel Prize week opens with Medicine
- Medicine announced 5 Oct (3:00 pm IST); Physics 6 Oct; Chemistry 7 Oct.
- Literature 8 Oct; Peace 9 Oct; Economic Sciences 12 Oct.
- Instituted under the will of Alfred Nobel; first awarded 1901.
- Medicine, Physics, Chemistry & Literature chosen by Swedish institutions.
- The Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway.
ECONOMY Export schemes RoDTEP & RoSCTL extended to 31 Dec 2026
- RoDTEP and RoSCTL extended up to 31 December 2026.
- RoDTEP refunds embedded duties and taxes not otherwise rebated.
- RoSCTL supports the apparel and made-ups (textile) sector.
- Aim: keep exports WTO-compliant and price-competitive.
- FY27 goods-plus-services exports targeted near $1 trillion.
SOCIETY India finish Asian Games 2026 fourth with 85 medals
- Total 85 medals — 21 gold, 27 silver, 37 bronze; 4th overall.
- Second-best Asian Games haul ever (after 106 in 2023).
- Men's & women's hockey both struck gold (historic double).
- Cricket (men & women) and kabaddi (men & women) won gold.
- China topped the table with 169 golds.
POLITY GST Council to weigh 'GST 2.0' compliance reforms
- Agenda: simpler registration, easier e-commerce cross-state operations.
- GST Council is a constitutional body under Article 279A.
- Chaired by the Union Finance Minister with state FMs.
- Decisions by a three-fourths weighted majority.
- Goal: cut low-value tax disputes and compliance burden.
SCI-TECH PRIP 'New Discovery Track' boosts pharma research
- Funding up to ₹50 crore per project.
- Applicants provide 25% co-funding.
- First call approved 41 projects worth about ₹1,600 crore.
- PRIP = Promotion of Research & Innovation in Pharma MedTech.
- Aims to cut import dependence and build an R&D ecosystem.
6 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH Cheetahs to roar at Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve
- The reserve spans about 2,340 sq km - MP's largest tiger reserve, with grasslands suited to cheetahs.
- A 439-hectare soft-release enclosure with five compartments and power fencing will house them first.
- The Cheetah Steering Committee cleared shifting four cheetahs to Nauradehi.
- Project Cheetah began at Kuno in September 2022; MP is India's only cheetah-bearing state (~57 cheetahs).
MADHYA PRADESH Ladli Behna aid set to rise to Rs 1,500 after Diwali
- Reaches about 1.27 crore women through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
- Launched in 2023; eligible women aged 21-60.
- The stated long-term target is Rs 3,000 per month.
- It is MP's largest women's cash-transfer scheme.
ENVIRONMENT MP deepens its big-cat network - now 9 tiger reserves
- MP has 9 tiger reserves and is both the Tiger State and the Leopard State.
- Corridor work spans the Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Panna and Pench landscapes.
- Four cheetah cubs were born at Kuno in April 2026 - the first wild litter to an Indian-born female.
- A new Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Sanctuary (258.64 sq km) and a Tapti conservation reserve are planned.
POLITY MP Cabinet clears Rs 10,630 crore development package
- 12 major roads: a Rs 4,600 crore loan guarantee; the Seoni-Balaghat 4-lane (91.64 km) at Rs 3,960 crore.
- 19 welfare schemes for weaker sections: Rs 1,740 crore (2026-31).
- Dhanvantari Health University, Ujjain - 244 new posts.
- A state cyber-security operations centre: Rs 80 crore.
ECONOMY MP sharpens its investment push ahead of GIS-2027
- The Ujjain regional conclave drew proposals worth about Rs 30,402 crore.
- An 8-region conclave model spreads industry beyond the big cities.
- Vision: a Rs 2,486 lakh crore GSDP by 2047-48.
- Thrust areas: Rewa solar, pumped hydro, startups and logistics.
ECONOMY MP farm economy: wheat procured near Rs 2,625 a quintal
- MP is the Soybean State - India's leading soybean producer.
- It is a top producer of wheat (including the Sharbati GI), gram and pulses.
- The Narmada valley anchors much of the state's irrigated farming.
- Record wheat procurement underscores MP's grain-bowl role.
POLITY SC seeks the EC's reply on Form 6 voter-roll changes
- Form 6 is the voter-registration form under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
- The changes were made without adequate parliamentary consultation.
- They are linked to concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of rolls.
- The case highlights the judiciary-executive boundary on electoral administration.
SCI-TECH Nobel Prize in Medicine 2026 goes to optogenetics
- It uses light-sensitive proteins (opsins) sourced from algae and bacteria.
- It enables causal study of brain circuits, not just correlation.
- Applications: Parkinson's, memory and fear circuits, and vision restoration.
- It is a model of cross-disciplinary basic research.
IR India and Switzerland deepen defence and nuclear ties
- EFTA comprises Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
- The TEPA targets $100 billion of investment over 15 years (around 1 million jobs).
- Focus areas: precision engineering, dual-use technology and nuclear power.
- It diversifies India's civil-nuclear and defence partners.
ENVIRONMENT SC declines to stay the Great Nicobar mega project
- Concerns include coral reefs, leatherback turtle nesting and a fragile island ecology.
- The rights of the Shompen and Nicobarese tribes are at stake.
- Questions remain on Forest Rights Act compliance.
- Strategic value does not bypass environmental due process.
ECONOMY SEBI eases its new derivative settlement rules
- The original tightening aimed to curb retail speculation in index options.
- The settlement changes created operational mismatches.
- Industry consultation revealed unintended effects.
- It reflects a regulatory agility-versus-stability trade-off.
7 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH MP Opens Third Cheetah Home: Tholo & CCB-3 Released at Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve
- Veerangana Durgavati (Nauradehi) is MP's largest tiger reserve at 2,339 sq km across Sagar, Damoh & Narsinghpur; notified a tiger reserve in September 2023.
- Cheetahs were settled in ~439-hectare soft-release bomas (enclosures) before wild release.
- India's cheetah population reached 60 by 5 October 2026, of which 41 were born on Indian soil; 54 remain at Kuno and 4 at Gandhi Sagar.
- MP now hosts 3 cheetah sites, Kuno, Gandhi Sagar WLS and Veerangana Durgavati, cementing its tags 'Tiger State' and 'Cheetah State'.
- The release is aimed at boosting Bundelkhand wildlife tourism and local livelihoods.
MADHYA PRADESH CM Youth Conclave 2026: MPPSC to Be Held Twice a Year from 2027, Big Youth-Jobs Push
- MPPSC exam to be conducted twice a year from 2027 to widen aspirant opportunities.
- Free competitive-exam coaching through government colleges statewide.
- Research stipend raised Rs 16,000 to Rs 25,000/month; a Rs 5 crore innovation fund announced.
- 12 new medical colleges and 12 skill-focused universities; Rs 5 lakh subsidy for young entrepreneurs; an 'AI City' planned in Bhopal.
- A stadium in every assembly constituency; sports made a 2027 priority after recent Asian Games medals.
MADHYA PRADESH Ladli Behna Payout Continues at Rs 1,500/Month via Direct Benefit Transfer
- Monthly cash support stepped up from Rs 1,250 to Rs 1,500 per beneficiary.
- Paid through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) straight into women's bank accounts, cutting leakage.
- Targets roughly 1.2 crore+ women, among India's largest state cash-transfer programmes.
- Sits in a cluster with Ladli Laxmi Yojana and subsidised cooking-gas cylinders for women.
MADHYA PRADESH Madhya Pradesh Travel Mart 2026 Opens in Bhopal (7-10 Oct), Showcasing Tiger & Heritage Tourism
- Pitches MP's 'Tiger State' wildlife, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Panna & Satpura, plus new cheetah tourism.
- Showcases UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Khajuraho, Sanchi Stupa and Bhimbetka rock shelters.
- Promotes spiritual tourism, especially Ujjain's Mahakal Lok, ahead of Simhastha 2028.
- FAM (familiarisation) tours route buyers via Bhopal-Pachmarhi-Bhimbetka-Sanchi and Gwalior.
MADHYA PRADESH Kharif Procurement: Soybean MSP at Rs 5,708/Quintal; MP the 'Soybean State' Gears Up
- Soybean (yellow) MSP 2026-27 = Rs 5,708/quintal, up Rs 380 (+7.1%) from Rs 5,328.
- MP leads India in soybean output, which is why it is called the 'Soybean State'.
- MSP procurement in MP is scheduled to begin around 25 October 2026 at designated centres.
- MP is also a top producer of wheat (incl. Sharbati) and gram/pulses; the Narmada valley is its agri heartland.
MADHYA PRADESH Simhastha 2028: MP Fast-Tracks Ujjain Kumbh Infrastructure with AI-Led Crowd Management
- Simhastha (Ujjain Kumbh) is held every 12 years on the banks of the Shipra (Kshipra) river.
- Ujjain is one of the four Kumbh cities (with Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik) and home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga / Mahakal Lok.
- State is clearing road, ghat, sanitation and crowd-tech projects; AI tools planned for safety and flow.
- Positioned as a global spiritual-tourism showcase for MP.
ECONOMY RBI Hikes Repo Rate to 5.50%, Shifts to 'Calibrated Tightening'
- Repo rate raised 5.25% to 5.50% (+25 bps), by a unanimous vote.
- SDF at 5.25%, MSF and Bank Rate at 5.75%; stance now 'calibrated tightening'.
- Governor Sanjay Malhotra: near-term rate cuts are 'off the table'.
- FY27 real GDP growth projected at 7.1%; CPI inflation at 5.2%.
- RBI to set up a technical consultative committee for financial markets.
IR India-EFTA TEPA Turns One; India-Switzerland Deepen Trade and Mobility Ties
- EFTA = Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland (non-EU bloc).
- TEPA targets USD 100 billion investment over 15 years and about 1 million direct jobs in India.
- India-EFTA trade was about USD 24.4 billion in 2024-25, of which Switzerland was ~USD 23.3 billion.
- A Young Professionals pact allows about 300 a year, expandable to 500.
DEFENCE India Launches First Indigenous Fleet Support Ship 'INS Surya' at Visakhapatnam
- First of 5 Fleet Support Ships under a Rs 19,000-crore contract; 82% indigenous content.
- Carries about 20,000 tonnes of diesel and 2,500 tonnes of aviation fuel for at-sea replenishment.
- Replaces the ageing INS Deepak and INS Shakti, extending fleet endurance.
- Advances the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' push in warship-building.
SCI-TECH National Supercomputing Mission Crosses 40 Systems, 68 Petaflops with Indigenous PARAM Rudra
- NSM target is 50 systems / 123+ petaflops; 40 deployed so far at 68 PF.
- Indigenous 'Rudra' servers, interconnect, cooling and software stack.
- PARAM Rudra systems installed in Pune, Delhi and Kolkata.
- Supports 16,000+ researchers across 400+ institutions; over 1.5 crore compute jobs run.
SCI-TECH India's First 3D-Printed Rural Homes Pilot Launched Under PMAY-G
- 177 houses to be 3D-printed (100 at Burripalem, 77 at Pothuru) in about 6 months.
- Project outlay Rs 13.93 crore, with faster builds than conventional masonry.
- PMAY-G standard assistance is about Rs 1.2-1.3 lakh per house.
- Showcases construction-tech for mass affordable housing.
8 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH CM Yadav's Mumbai roadshow builds momentum for Global Investors Summit 2027
- Focus sectors: pharma, medical devices, auto components, electronics, textiles, chemicals, energy tech; a pharma round-table was held.
- Flagship offers showcased: Asia's first telecom manufacturing zone (Gwalior), a renewable-energy equipment zone at Babai-Mohsa (Narmadapuram), PM MITRA textile park, Dhar and a medical devices park, Ujjain.
- Investment proposals of over ₹5,500 crore already received for the Gwalior telecom zone; bhoomi pujan on 12 October 2026.
- Incentive pitched: land at ₹1 per sq ft in notified manufacturing zones and parks, plus subsidies.
MADHYA PRADESH Project Cheetah milestone: five cubs at Kuno lift India's count to 60
- Of the 60 cheetahs, 41 are India-born; the rest were translocated.
- The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952; Project Cheetah began in September 2022 with translocation from Namibia (later South Africa).
- Kuno National Park lies in the Chambal region; Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary is the planned second cheetah home.
- MP is already India's 'Tiger State' with the highest tiger numbers and the largest forest cover by area.
MADHYA PRADESH Ladli Behna Yojana: 40th monthly instalment transfers ₹1,835 crore
- ₹1,835 crore transferred to 1.25 crore (1,25,10,150) eligible women.
- Each eligible woman receives ₹1,500 per month; the amount rose from ₹1,000 (2023) to ₹1,250 and then ₹1,500.
- Cumulative transfers have crossed ₹65,000 crore since June 2023.
- FY 2026-27 budget provision for the scheme is about ₹23,882 crore.
MADHYA PRADESH Mandla: ₹36 crore tendu patta bonus for 9 lakh forest-produce collectors
- ₹36.17 crore bonus distributed to 9,04,126 tendu leaf collectors.
- An additional ₹26.57 crore in timber dividend paid to members of 84 forest committees.
- Covered divisions include Mandla, Dindori, Jabalpur, Seoni and Balaghat.
- MP has India's largest tribal population; tendu leaf (bidi leaf) is a key minor forest produce.
MADHYA PRADESH MP targets 100+ lakh hectares of irrigation in five years
- Target: raise irrigated area to over 100 lakh hectares in five years.
- Push for the Karwani Lift Irrigation Project and 10 hours of daytime power for farmers.
- State to undertake welfare and development works worth about ₹1 lakh crore this year.
- MP is the 'Soybean State' and a leading wheat (incl. Sharbati), gram and pulses producer; rivers: Narmada, Chambal, Betwa, Tapti, Son.
MADHYA PRADESH Simhastha 2028: ₹491 crore of fresh projects cleared for Ujjain region
- 17 new projects worth ₹491.66 crore approved; about 148 ongoing projects worth ₹16,910 crore under way.
- Includes ₹160 crore redevelopment of the Omkareshwar temple complex and phased Shipra ghat works.
- Simhastha (Ujjain Kumbh) is held roughly every 12 years; Ujjain hosts the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga.
- Other MP heritage: Khajuraho, Sanchi, Bhimbetka (all UNESCO sites).
POLITY Supreme Court sets aside 50 Punjab municipal wards; orders fresh polls
- Wards affected: 28 in Patiala and 22 in Moga; the original polls were held in December 2024.
- Commission found damaged nomination papers and threats to candidates.
- Bench led by CJI Surya Kant; a monitoring committee under a retired High Court judge to be set up.
- Upholds the sanctity of free and fair local-body elections.
ECONOMY Union Cabinet approves ₹10,000 crore SME Growth Fund
- Aims to give growth equity, not just debt, to promising SMEs.
- Small enterprise: investment up to ₹25 cr, turnover up to ₹100 cr.
- Medium enterprise: investment up to ₹125 cr, turnover up to ₹500 cr.
- Addresses the 'missing middle' financing gap in Indian manufacturing.
ECONOMY Cabinet clears Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA)
- ITLA to handle integrated planning, project appraisal, monitoring and impact assessment.
- Complements PM GatiShakti and the National Logistics Policy (2022).
- To support a National Transport Master Plan.
- Targets India's high logistics cost (aiming to cut it towards global levels).
SCI-TECH Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 awarded for asymmetric synthesis
- Recognises advances in making single-'handed' (chiral) molecules.
- Crucial for pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, where one mirror-image form may be active.
- Awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
- Soai reaction is famed for asymmetric autocatalysis.
ENVIRONMENT WWF Living Planet Report 2026: 73% average decline in wildlife
- Based on 35,803 population trends across 5,790 species.
- Freshwater populations fell about 85% on average.
- Latin America saw the steepest regional decline.
- The 73% figure is an index-based average, not a count of animals lost.
9 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH MP to hold MPPSC exam TWICE a year; 2027 declared 'Youth Year'
- MPPSC to hold a special exam + the annual exam = 2 exams/year from 2027 (MP claims a national first)
- 12 new general universities, 12 medical colleges & 12 skill universities announced
- Research fellowship raised ₹16,000 → ₹25,000/month + ₹1 crore research fund
- ₹5 crore startup idea fund; AI & advanced-computing labs in all govt colleges
- 1 lakh+ youth under Kaushal Unnayan; Gaon ki Beti & Pratibha Kiran extended to PG
MADHYA PRADESH Ladli Behna Yojana extended to 2030 with ₹1.14 lakh crore outlay
- ₹1.14 lakh crore outlay approved (continued to 2030)
- ~1.27 crore women beneficiaries; ₹1,500/month via DBT
- Eligible age band 23–60 years
- Complements Ladli Laxmi, Gaon ki Beti & Pratibha Kiran
ENVIRONMENT India's cheetahs reach 57; Gandhi Sagar emerges as 2nd home
- 57 cheetahs in India; Kuno NP ~54 (17 free-ranging + 37 in soft bomas)
- Gandhi Sagar WS (Mandsaur) now holds 3 cheetahs
- 9 cheetahs (6F/3M) arrived from Botswana in Feb 2026
- World's first intercontinental big-cat translocation (since Sept 2022)
MADHYA PRADESH MP, the 'Soybean State', backs farmers with MSP + Bhavantar
- MP produces ~45% of India's soybean (largest producer)
- Record wheat procurement at MSP (₹2,625/quintal incl. bonus)
- Sharbati wheat & Chinnor rice carry GI tags
- Bhavantar pays the gap between MSP & market price
SOCIETY Bonus for 21 lakh tendu-patta collectors; tribal welfare push
- Bonus for ~21 lakh tendu-patta collectors
- ₹460 crore+ development works for Mandla district
- MP has India's largest tribal (ST) population
- PESA implemented via MP PESA Rules 2022; tendu = key MFP
ENVIRONMENT MP stays India's 'Tiger State' with the largest forest cover
- 785 tigers (2022) – highest of any state; also No.1 in leopards
- ~77,700 sq km forest cover – largest in India
- 9 tiger reserves incl. Veerangana Durgavati (2023)
- Reserves: Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Panna, Satpura, Sanjay-Dubri
ECONOMY 57th GST Council clears business process reforms
- Faster ITC refunds for the inverted duty structure
- GST Council = Art. 279A (101st Amendment, 2016), chaired by Union FM
- Decisions need 3/4 weighted votes (Centre 1/3, States 2/3)
- Recommendations are persuasive, not binding (Mohit Minerals, 2022)
ECONOMY RBI holds repo rate at 5.5%; inflation view eased
- Repo rate held at 5.5%
- Flexible inflation target 4% ±2% (CPI), under Sec 45ZA, RBI Act
- MPC = 6 members (3 RBI + 3 government-nominated)
- 'Failure' = CPI outside 2–6% for 3 straight quarters (Sec 45ZN)
REPORT FAO Food Price Index climbs to 136 – a near-4-year high
- Index 136 (2014–16 = 100)
- Vegetable-oil sub-index at 198.6
- Five sub-indices: cereals, veg oils, dairy, meat, sugar
- FAO headquartered in Rome; signals imported food-inflation pressure
ENVIRONMENT Living Planet Report 2026: 73% wildlife decline since 1970
- Living Planet Index: 73% average decline in monitored vertebrate populations (1970–2022)
- Based on 35,803 populations of 5,790 species
- Freshwater populations fell 85%
- Published biennially by WWF with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL)
DEFENCE Indian Coast Guard conducts SAREX-2026 off Paradip
- SAREX-2026 = 12th National Maritime SAR Exercise
- ICG constituted under the Coast Guard Act, 1978 (Ministry of Defence)
- Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres: Mumbai, Chennai, Port Blair
- Tests multi-agency search-and-rescue readiness
12 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH MP opens its third cheetah home at Veerangana Durgavati
- Durgavati/Nauradehi (~2,339 sq km across Sagar, Damoh, Narsinghpur) is MP's largest tiger reserve (status 2023).
- India's cheetah count is 60 (41 born in India); Kuno retains 54, Gandhi Sagar has 4.
- MP is the only state with cheetahs and holds the 'Tiger State' tag too.
- Reintroduction began 17 Sept 2022 with Namibian cheetahs at Kuno; later South African and Botswana animals added.
MADHYA PRADESH Youth Conclave 2026: MPPSC exam to be held twice a year
- Monthly research scholarship raised from Rs 16,000 to Rs 25,000; Rs 1 crore university research fund.
- 12 new medical colleges and 12 skill universities planned; free competitive-exam coaching in govt colleges.
- Rs 5 crore 'Idea Fund' for startups; grants up to about Rs 5 lakh per youth.
- IT parks in Indore and Rewa, a telecom hub in Gwalior, and AI/computing labs in colleges.
SOCIETY CM flags Ladli Behna's cost as a 'heavy burden'
- Scheme costs roughly Rs 22,680 crore a year and covers about 1.27 crore women.
- Transfers around Rs 1,250–Rs 1,500 per month to eligible women; launched in 2023.
- A Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme aimed at women's economic self-reliance.
- The remark revives debate on fiscal sustainability vs. welfare in state budgets.
ECONOMY MP pulls Rs 90,000 crore in fresh investment; Summit in Jan 2027
- Proposals span renewable energy, manufacturing and textiles; expected to create about 15,000 jobs.
- MP's Global Investors Summit is scheduled for January 2027.
- State offers a 1.25 lakh-acre industrial land bank and economic/logistics corridors.
- Branding pitched under 'Make in MP' and 'Faith in MP'.
MADHYA PRADESH Simhastha 2028: Ujjain preparations gather pace
- Around Rs 2,000–Rs 2,005 crore earmarked and further project packages cleared for the Ujjain region.
- MP has partnered a major tech firm for AI-led Simhastha management (crowd, traffic, safety).
- Simhastha is held on the banks of the Shipra (Kshipra) river at Ujjain, one of four Kumbh sites.
- Ujjain also hosts the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga and the Mahakal Lok corridor.
ENVIRONMENT MP's clean-energy pipeline deepens at Rewa and beyond
- Rewa Ultra Mega Solar park has a capacity of about 750 MW.
- The state approved around 800 MW of solar-plus-storage projects in the Rewa belt.
- MP floated a large pumped-storage (pumped hydro) tender of about 13.8 GW.
- Supports India's target of 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030.
ECONOMY RBI hikes repo rate to 5.5% — first hike in nearly four years
- Stance changed from neutral to 'calibrated tightening' (rate hike unanimous; stance 4–2).
- CPI inflation forecast raised to 5.2% (FY27); core inflation to 4.4%.
- Real GDP growth projected at 7.1% for the year.
- Triggers: inflation above the 4% target for three months and a crude-oil spike to about $114–116/barrel.
REPORT Nobel Prizes 2026 announced across sciences, literature and peace
- Physics: Francis Halzen — IceCube observatory and high-energy cosmic neutrinos.
- Medicine: Deisseroth, Hegemann & Nagel — optogenetics / light-gated ion channels.
- Chemistry: Kagan & Soai — asymmetric (chiral) synthesis & autocatalysis.
- Peace: Navi Pillay; Literature: Anne Carson.
DEFENCE Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026: multinational air drill at Jodhpur
- Tarang Shakti is India's largest multinational air exercise.
- Aims to boost interoperability and joint air-combat training with friendly nations.
- Showcases indigenous platforms such as the Tejas (LCA).
- Reflects India's growing role as a security provider in the region.
SCI-TECH TRISHNA: Indo-French thermal-imaging satellite in advanced stage
- TRISHNA = Thermal infraRed Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural resource Assessment.
- A joint ISRO–CNES (India–France) earth-observation mission.
- Will track land-surface temperature, water stress, crop health and evapotranspiration.
- Supports climate-change study, agriculture and water-resource management.
13 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH Veerangana Durgavati becomes MP's third cheetah habitat
- This is MP's third cheetah habitat after Kuno and Gandhi Sagar.
- India's cheetah population reached 60 after 5 cubs were born at Kuno.
- 2 more cheetahs are to be shifted to the new habitat next month.
- Wildlife tourism earned about ₹80 crore this year; around ₹20 crore reached nearby villagers.
- Project Cheetah began in 2022 at Kuno – the world's first inter-continental carnivore translocation.
ECONOMY MP Travel Mart 2026 draws ₹3,729 crore tourism investment
- A record 10,263 B2B meetings were held – up 14% over 2025.
- 100+ international tour operators from 34 countries participated.
- Largest proposal: ARM Foods – ₹848.40 crore (Sehore), ~920 direct jobs.
- Rajsan Hotels signed a ₹520 crore deal for resorts near Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Satpura.
- Over 10 years MP drew ₹3,963 crore tourism investment & 38,432 jobs.
SOCIETY Ladli Behna Yojana: 40th instalment transferred to 1.25 crore women
- ₹1,500 per month to each eligible woman (up from ₹1,000 at 2023 launch).
- Over 1.25 crore women are beneficiaries across the state.
- More than ₹1,835 crore disbursed in a single instalment.
- Total of over ₹65,000 crore paid since launch in June 2023.
- Delivered through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), cutting leakages.
MADHYA PRADESH MP clears ₹491 crore projects to fast-track Simhastha 2028
- Simhastha is held at Ujjain on the banks of the Shipra (Kshipra) river.
- It is one of four Kumbh Melas, occurring roughly every 12 years.
- Projects cover roads, sanitation, ghats and civic amenities for crores of pilgrims.
- Ujjain is home to Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga and the Mahakal Lok corridor.
ECONOMY RBI's 63rd MPC raises repo rate by 25 bps to 5.50%
- Repo 5.50%, SDF 5.25%, MSF & Bank Rate 5.75%.
- FY2026-27 GDP growth projected at 7.1%.
- Rate hike aimed at anchoring rising inflation and food-price pressures.
- The MPC is a 6-member body under the RBI Act, 1934; CPI target 4% ± 2%.
- Next MPC meeting scheduled for 2–4 December 2026.
ECONOMY Retail inflation jumps to 5.54% in September 2026
- Food inflation (CFPI) rose to 7.74% from 5.97%.
- Onion inflation spiked to about 108% year-on-year.
- Rural inflation 6.08%, urban 4.88%.
- Data released under the revised base year 2024=100.
- WPI data due 14 October; next CPI print on 12 November.
IR Navi Pillay awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize
- She was the first woman of colour on South Africa's High Court (1995).
- Served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (2008–2014).
- Has been an ad hoc ICJ judge since 2019 (Gambia v. Myanmar).
- The Peace Prize is awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo.
- Strong India connection adds diaspora significance.
ECONOMY 57th GST Council clears major compliance reforms
- Arrest powers of GST officers to be removed.
- Prosecution threshold raised from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore.
- General penalty cut from ₹25,000 to ₹10,000.
- Process reforms on refunds, registration and ITC, effective 1 April 2027.
- The Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister (Article 279A).
REPORT WWF Living Planet Index 2026: wildlife populations down 73%
- Based on 35,803 populations of vertebrate species.
- Steepest decline: Latin America & Caribbean (-95%); Africa -80%.
- Asia-Pacific -49%, Europe -23%.
- The index is compiled by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
- Signals accelerating biodiversity and ecosystem-service loss.
SCI-TECH DRDO test-flies HAPS pseudo-satellite to ~21 km altitude
- Reached about 21 km and held 20 km for over 30 minutes.
- HAPS offers satellite-like surveillance & communication at lower cost.
- Operates in the stratosphere, above commercial air traffic & weather.
- Boosts Aatmanirbhar Bharat in strategic aerial platforms.
14 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH Ladli Behna's 41st instalment: ₹1,500 reaches ~1.25 crore women
- ₹1,500 per month to about 1.25 crore eligible women (₹900 for those drawing a social-security pension).
- Scheme launched June 2023; 40 instalments already paid by September 2026.
- 2026-27 budget allocation: ₹23,882.81 crore for the scheme.
- Funds routed through Aadhaar-linked, DBT-enabled bank accounts.
- 136 projects (₹144.15 crore) inaugurated / foundation-laid the same day.
MADHYA PRADESH MP opens a third cheetah home; India's count touches 60
- India's cheetah population now 60 (including 41 born in India).
- Three MP homes: Kuno (~54), Gandhi Sagar WLS (4), Veerangana Durgavati TR (2).
- Veerangana Durgavati ≈ 2,339 sq km across Sagar, Damoh, Narsinghpur — MP's largest reserve.
- Project Cheetah began 17 September 2022 with Namibian cheetahs at Kuno.
- Female KJP21 gave birth to 5 cubs at Kuno on 5 October 2026.
MADHYA PRADESH MP Travel Mart draws ₹3,729 crore in tourism pledges
- Proposals span luxury hotels, wellness resorts, golf courses and wildlife lodges.
- Top deals: ARM Foods ₹848.4 cr (Sehore), Rajsan–MP Tourism Board ₹520 cr, MRVH Resorts ₹350 cr (Omkareshwar).
- 100+ international tour operators from 34 countries, 180 domestic operators, 600+ stakeholders, 177 stalls.
- B2B meetings up 14% over the previous edition.
- State has 18 five-star hotels, with 15 more planned by 2027.
MADHYA PRADESH Indore to host Urban Conclave-2026 ahead of Simhastha 2028
- Venue: Indore, repeatedly India's cleanest city (Swachh Survekshan).
- Focus: Tier-2 city development, urban infrastructure, Smart Cities.
- Aligned to Simhastha Kumbh 2028 (Ujjain) preparedness.
- Indore being positioned for both business and pilgrim tourism (new hotels).
MADHYA PRADESH 'Soybean State' opens MSP procurement for kharif 2026
- MP grows about 45% of India's soybean — the 'Soybean State'.
- Registration opened in early October 2026 on the e-Uparjan portal.
- Procurement by the MP State Cooperative Marketing Federation across ~1,400 centres.
- MSP-backed buying shields farmers from a market price crash.
- The Malwa plateau with black (regur) soil is the state's soybean belt.
ECONOMY Retail inflation climbs to 5.54% as food prices surge
- CPI 5.54% (Aug 4.83%); food inflation 7.74% (Aug 5.97%).
- Rural food 8.06%, urban food 7.18%.
- Year-on-year: onion +108%, ginger +62.85%, garlic +54.62%, sugar +29.8%.
- RBI targets 4% CPI within a 2–6% tolerance band.
- Measures: foodgrain releases, PDS strengthening, calibrated trade policy.
REPORT Hall and Woodford win the 2026 Nobel in Economics
- Honoured for the microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation.
- Their work explains macroeconomic fluctuations and how monetary and fiscal policy respond to shocks.
- The economics prize is not an original Nobel; it was instituted by Sweden's central bank in 1968.
- Both laureates are American economists.
IR India hosts first BIMSTEC Home Ministers' Meeting
- Focus: counter-terrorism, drug and human trafficking, money laundering, cyber threats, disaster preparedness.
- BIMSTEC established 6 June 1997 (Bangkok Declaration); HQ at Dhaka.
- Seven members: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand.
- India leads the security pillar; 6th Summit (Bangkok, 2025) adopted Bangkok Vision 2030.
DEFENCE INS Samarthak to be commissioned at Karwar on 16 October
- Built by Larsen & Toubro under Make in India; first of four planned.
- Roles: maritime surveillance & patrol, HADR, mothership for unmanned systems, salvage support.
- Can be converted into a limited-capacity hospital ship.
- Motto: 'Vijayartham Ekanishtha' (Victory is Our Sole Aim).
POLITY Free legal aid for undertrials back in focus
- Article 39A (added by the 42nd Amendment, 1976) mandates free legal aid.
- Related rights: Articles 14, 21 and 22(1).
- Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 (in force 9 Nov 1995) set up NALSA, SLSAs, DLSAs.
- Section 12 lists categories eligible for free legal services.
16 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH MP Cabinet clears ~₹27,050 crore; sets up Jabalpur-Bhopal-Indore Industrial Corridor company
- Corridor company formed via Industries Dept with ₹100 crore initial share capital.
- Phase one covers about 10,000 acres; land-management & zoning powers with the firm.
- Expected to draw over ₹3 lakh crore investment and create over 6 lakh jobs in 3 years.
- Big heads: Law/Legislative continuation ₹15,557 cr, AYUSH colleges ₹3,535 cr, irrigation ₹3,076 cr, school infra ₹2,875 cr.
MADHYA PRADESH Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana returns for soybean growers under PM-AASHA
- Farmers must register on the e-Uparjan portal by 17 October 2026.
- Sales window at notified mandis: 22 October 2026 to 15 January 2027.
- MP is India's largest soybean producer — the 'Soybean State'.
- Bhavantar pays the gap between MSP and the average modal mandi price.
ENVIRONMENT Project Cheetah: Kuno population rises to 60; Botswana lineage enters India
- Of 60 cheetahs, 41 are India-born; 29 were flown in from Africa.
- Imports: 8 from Namibia (Sep 2022), 12 from South Africa (Feb 2023), 9 from Botswana (Feb 2026).
- Kuno holds the bulk; Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (MP) is the second home.
- MP is the 'Tiger State' and has India's largest forest cover.
POLITY MP creates 4 fast-track courts for exam paper-leak and cheating cases
- Dedicated courts aim to cut pendency and ensure time-bound trials.
- Targets organised cheating gangs behind recruitment-exam leaks.
- Complements the state's public-examination anti-malpractice framework.
- Protects the credibility of exams like those of MPPSC / MP ESB.
SCI-TECH MP pitches an investor-friendly Semiconductor Policy
- Policy offers incentives for fabs, ATMP/OSAT units and design firms.
- Builds on MP's push via Global Investors Summit momentum.
- Targets high-value jobs and electronics supply-chain anchoring.
- Complements the Centre's Semicon India programme.
ECONOMY RBI hikes repo rate to 5.50%, shifts stance to 'calibrated tightening'
- Repo rate up from 5.25% to 5.50% (+25 bps).
- Stance moved to 'calibrated tightening' from neutral/accommodative.
- MPC has 6 members and meets bi-monthly; targets 4% (+/-2%) CPI inflation.
- Higher repo tends to raise EMIs and lending rates.
POLITY Supreme Court notices Centre on lifelong immunity for Election Commissioners
- Challenge is to Section 16 of the 2023 Act.
- Immunity covers acts done in discharge of official duties.
- The ECI is a constitutional body under Article 324.
- Petition filed by an electoral-reform body; Centre to reply.
IR India launches bid for UN Security Council non-permanent seat for 2028-29
- The UNGA vote is expected in June 2027.
- A candidate needs a two-thirds majority (at least 129 votes).
- UNSC has 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members.
- India has served as a non-permanent member 8 times.
ECONOMY India's merchandise exports jump 23% in September 2026
- Exports $44.4 bn vs $36.08 bn a year earlier.
- Sector growth: petroleum +31.9%, electronics +70.4%, chemicals +24.2%.
- Imports $74.61 bn; the trade deficit widened.
- Reflects resilient external demand amid global uncertainty.
REPORT Lancet Commission flags 17 threats to humanity by 2100
- A threat is 'catastrophic' if it could cause 1 billion+ DALYs.
- Obesity is flagged as the single largest health loss.
- Aid cuts could cause up to 1.5 billion DALYs, with Sub-Saharan Africa worst-hit.
- DALY = years of healthy life lost to illness, disability or early death.
ENVIRONMENT WINDS weather-sensor network to back crop insurance (PMFBY)
- Plan: about 50,500 sensors — 1,197 automatic weather stations + 49,313 rain gauges.
- Rollout is slow: only 9.4% of AWSs and 4% of rain gauges installed so far.
- Land shortage is the main bottleneck to installation.
- Hyperlocal weather data cuts disputes in weather-indexed insurance.
19 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH MP Cabinet approves Rs 27,050 crore development package
- Law & judicial schemes: Rs 15,557 crore (2026-31), incl. Rs 12,252 cr for judicial salaries
- AYUSH colleges/hospitals umbrella: Rs 3,535 cr; National AYUSH Mission Rs 1,697 cr
- Four irrigation projects: Rs 3,076 cr (Jhirmiti, Barna, Kayampur-Sitamau, Chitrangi)
- Govt school infrastructure: Rs 2,875 cr; Sandipani school transport Rs 242 cr
MADHYA PRADESH Soybean Bhavantar (Price Deficiency) Scheme notified for Kharif 2026
- Follows Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) under PM-AASHA
- Registration via e-Uparjan portal; eligible sale window 22 Oct 2026 - 15 Jan 2027
- Model rate = weighted 14-day average of mandi prices; recalculated daily
- Gap paid by DBT through the Mandi Board from the Price Stabilisation Fund
MADHYA PRADESH Ladli Behna: 41st instalment of Rs 1,834 crore transferred
- Rs 1,834 crore transferred to about 1.25 crore women via DBT
- Each eligible woman receives Rs 1,500 per month
- Scheme launched in 2023 to boost women's economic self-reliance
- Payment routed through Direct Benefit Transfer to curb leakages
ENVIRONMENT India's cheetah count reaches 60; third home opens at V. Durgavati
- India's cheetah population now 60, of which 41 were born in India
- Distribution: Kuno 54, Gandhi Sagar 4, V. Durgavati 2
- V. Durgavati spans Sagar, Damoh & Narsinghpur; MP's largest tiger reserve (~2,339 sq km)
- Project Cheetah began 17 Sept 2022 with Namibian cheetahs at Kuno
MADHYA PRADESH Ujjain gears up for Simhastha Kumbh 2028 with Rs 25,000 cr plan
- Estimated outlay about Rs 25,000 crore on roads, ghats and civic works
- Authorities anticipate up to 40 crore devotees over the mela
- Builds on the Mahakal Lok corridor around the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga
- Simhastha is held every 12 years; Ujjain is one of four Kumbh sites
ECONOMY International Soya Conclave held in Indore to back the soybean economy
- Covered procurement, processing, oil extraction and trade
- Indore is the hub of the Malwa soybean belt
- MP is a leading soybean producer, central to India's edible-oil self-reliance
- Supports the national push to cut edible-oil imports
ECONOMY RBI hikes repo rate to 5.50% as September CPI inflation hits 5.54%
- Repo rate up 25 basis points to 5.50% (first rise since Feb 2023)
- Policy stance shifted to 'calibrated tightening'
- CPI at 5.54% stays within the 2-6% tolerance but above the 4% target
- MPC is the six-member rate-setting body chaired by the RBI Governor
HEALTH Centre caps trade margin on 137 anti-cancer drugs at 30%
- Trade margin capped at 30% over the price to the first point of sale
- Covers 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer formulations
- Revised lower prices expected to take effect around 9 Nov 2026
- Implemented through the drug price regulator's directive
SCI-TECH India's space economy projected to reach USD 40-45 billion
- Target of about 5x growth in the space economy
- Driven by private launches, satellites and GCCs
- Enabled by reforms via IN-SPACe and NewSpace India Ltd
- Positions India to raise its share of the global space market
DEFENCE Indo-UK naval Exercise Konkan-26 concludes off Plymouth
- Konkan is the annual India-UK bilateral naval exercise
- Held off Plymouth, United Kingdom
- Focus on anti-submarine, air-defence and gunnery drills
- Boosts interoperability and maritime domain cooperation
SOCIETY Asian Para Games 2026 underway in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan
- 168 Indian para-athletes are competing across disciplines
- Hosted in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, 18-24 October 2026
- India targets medals in athletics, badminton and swimming
- Reflects growing investment in para-sports in India
SCI-TECH CERT-In flags rogue AI agents targeting Indian firms
- Autonomous AI agents used to breach and exfiltrate sensitive data
- CERT-In is India's nodal cyber-incident response agency
- Signals a shift to AI-automated cyberattacks
- Reinforces need for stronger cyber hygiene and audits
20 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH MP Cabinet clears a Rs 27,050-crore development package
- Rs 15,557.35 cr for law & judicial schemes (2026-31), incl. Rs 12,252.66 cr for judicial staff salaries.
- Rs 3,535 cr for AYUSH colleges & hospitals; Rs 1,697.62 cr for the National AYUSH Mission.
- Rs 3,076.37 cr for four irrigation projects (Jhirmiti, Barna, Kayampur-Sitamau, Chitrangi).
- Rs 2,875.20 cr for government school infrastructure; Rs 241.88 cr for Sandipani school transport (tribal).
MADHYA PRADESH Jabalpur-Indore Economic Corridor company approved
- Initial paid-up capital of Rs 100 crore; powers over land acquisition, zoning, leasing and master planning.
- To host industrial, agro-processing, logistics, IT parks and Global Capability Centres (GCCs).
- Designated an Investment Region Agency and nodal agency under the state's Ease of Doing Business law.
- Forest land usable only after compensatory afforestation and NPV payment; building the road itself is excluded.
MADHYA PRADESH Soybean Bhavantar scheme notified for 2026 kharif
- Registration on the e-Uparjan portal by 17 Oct 2026; eligible sale window 22 Oct 2026 - 15 Jan 2027.
- Payment = gap between MSP and the higher of sale price or model rate, only when that is below MSP.
- Model rate set from a 14-day weighted mandi average, then recalculated daily.
- Paid by DBT, reimbursed from the Price Stabilisation Fund; monitored by the Chief Secretary and collectors.
ECONOMY Rs 6,000 crore released under CM Kisan Kalyan Yojana
- Benefit transferred by DBT directly into farmers' bank accounts.
- The scheme supplements the central PM-KISAN income-support instalments.
- Supports farm liquidity ahead of the rabi sowing season.
- Part of a welfare push alongside the Soybean Bhavantar scheme for MP cultivators.
ENVIRONMENT Cheetahs reach Madhya Pradesh's third habitat
- Reserve spans Sagar-Damoh-Narsinghpur in Bundelkhand; area about 2,339 sq km (MP's largest tiger habitat).
- Project Cheetah was launched in 2022; MP's cheetah count has grown from 8 to 60.
- About 439 hectares set aside with enclosures (bomas); two more cheetahs expected next month.
- MP is the Tiger State and now a leading cheetah state; the reserve is also called Nauradehi.
SOCIETY Ladli Behna: tribal-inclusion plea before the High Court
- Women already drawing Rs 1,000+/month from a government scheme are ineligible for Ladli Behna.
- A separate Rs 1,500 nutrition grant to the family's woman head triggers this exclusion.
- Petitioner estimates about five lakh tribal women are affected.
- Plea argues the two schemes have different objectives - child nutrition vs women's economic independence.
POLITY Supreme Court: internet access is a fundamental right
- Rejected blanket bans on children's access and rigid age-verification that risks mass surveillance.
- Any curb must pass a three-part proportionality test - legal basis, legitimate aim, proportionality.
- Centre to frame a default child mode and a verified National Hash & URL List Database.
- Platforms must remove CSAM within 2 hours and acknowledge complaints within 24 hours.
IR US midterm elections due on 3 November 2026
- Senate currently 53-47 Republican; Democrats need a net +4 to flip it.
- A working House majority needs 218 seats.
- Reported backdrop: inflation 3.7%, petrol up 9.1%, presidential approval around 32%.
- AI data-centre expansion has become a local electoral issue.
ENVIRONMENT India's reservoirs at 68.58% of usable capacity
- Storage down 24.53% year-on-year and 16.44% below normal.
- Worst basin deficits: Pennar 72.32%, Cauvery 60.50%, Sabarmati 38.03%, Krishna 32.59%.
- Above normal: Narmada, Mahanadi and Swarnarekha basins.
- Low individual reservoirs include Idukki (10.62%) and Mettur (32.49%).
SCI-TECH India's space economy targets USD 40-45 billion
- ISRO completed Crew Module-Service Module separation tests at VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram.
- The first uncrewed Gaganyaan (G1) mission is targeted within 2026.
- Growth is to be driven by private players and space start-ups.
- India opened the sector via IN-SPACe and the Indian Space Policy 2023.
SOCIETY Mughal cheetah painting fetches a record at auction
- Basawan was a leading master in Akbar's imperial atelier in the 16th century.
- It came from the collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan.
- Mughal miniatures fused Persian, Indian and European techniques.
- The cheetah theme echoes its historic use in royal hunts.
SOCIETY Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for 106 young artists
- Instituted in 2006 and given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
- Each award carries Rs 25,000, a Tamrapatra and an Angavastram.
- Eligibility is up to 40 years of age as of 1 April of the nomination year.
- Honours young talent in music, dance, theatre and allied arts.
21 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH Soybean Bhavantar: MP's mandi sale window opens 22 October
- Operates under the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) of the central umbrella scheme PM-AASHA.
- Soybean MSP is ₹5,328 per quintal; farmers registered on the e-Uparjan portal by 17 October are eligible.
- Payout = gap between MSP and the sale/model rate, paid by DBT via the Mandi Board from the Price Stabilisation Fund.
- The model rate is the 14-day weighted average of mandi prices, published daily on the e-Mandi portal.
MADHYA PRADESH MP Semiconductor Summit 2026 in Indore on 23–24 October
- 50+ companies to exhibit; the event has 8 panel discussions, 5 roundtables and 2 keynote addresses.
- Themes: chip design, semiconductor manufacturing, advanced packaging & testing, electronics manufacturing, R&D and skilling.
- The MP Semiconductor Policy 2025 offers a reported 25% subsidy and power at ₹2 per unit for 10 years.
- Winners of the MP Semicon Startup Competition final will be felicitated at the closing session.
MADHYA PRADESH MP Cabinet clears ₹27,050 crore package, Jabalpur–Indore corridor
- The corridor SPV is fully government-owned with ₹100 crore initial paid-up capital for land pooling, parks, GCCs and logistics hubs.
- ₹15,557 cr for law & judicial schemes; ₹3,076 cr for four irrigation projects; ₹2,875 cr for school infrastructure.
- ₹241.88 cr for Sandipani school transport (Tribal Affairs Dept): per-student aid up from ₹10,000 to ₹21,000.
- AYUSH gets ₹3,535 cr (colleges & hospitals) plus ₹1,697 cr (National AYUSH Mission).
MADHYA PRADESH Ladli Behna: 41st instalment of ₹1,500 to 1.25 crore women
- ₹1,500 per month transferred to about 1.25 crore women, totalling over ₹1,834 crore.
- The monthly aid has risen from ₹1,000 → ₹1,250 → ₹1,500 (since November 2025).
- Pension-receiving beneficiaries get a ₹900 top-up under the scheme's rules.
- Payments go directly via DBT, cutting leakages and middlemen.
MADHYA PRADESH Peacock conservation project and food park announced in Ujjain
- New potato processing units in Ujjain and Agar will buy from farmers across 35 districts.
- A project will conserve and rehabilitate the peacock, India's national bird.
- About ₹25,000 crore of works are underway for Simhastha 2028 in Ujjain.
- Mukhyamantri Sugam Bus Seva was relaunched; a ₹25,000 incentive is offered for taking road-accident victims to hospital.
ENVIRONMENT Project Cheetah: India's cheetah count reaches 60
- Kuno (MP) holds about 53 cheetahs; Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary is being developed as the second home.
- The project began on 17 September 2022 with 8 from Namibia; 12 from South Africa (2023) and 9 from Botswana (2026) followed.
- The latest birth introduced the Botswanan genetic lineage, widening the founder gene pool.
- India is the only country attempting inter-continental cheetah reintroduction.
MADHYA PRADESH State Spotlight: Madhya Pradesh — India's Tiger & Wildlife State
- MP is the 'Tiger State' with the most tigers in India (785, 2022 estimate) and the largest forest cover by area.
- Six tiger reserves: Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Panna, Satpura, Sanjay-Dubri.
- It is also tagged the 'Leopard State' and now a 'Cheetah State' via Kuno & Gandhi Sagar.
- Key national parks: Kanha, Kuno, Madhav, Van Vihar, Satpura.
REPORT PLFS 2025: Female labour force participation jumps
- Rural FLFPR rose from 33% to 45.9%; urban from 23.3% to 27.7%.
- Arunachal Pradesh recorded the highest annual rise among the NE states/UTs studied.
- Lakshadweep recorded the largest rural decline.
- PLFS is released by the NSO under the MoSPI.
POLITY CJI cites separation of powers on CEC complaint
- Separation of powers divides functions among the legislature, executive and judiciary and is part of the Constitution's basic structure.
- Judicial conduct norms draw on the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct.
- The Election Commission conducts the SIR to clean up and update electoral rolls.
- Matters that are sub judice are generally not taken up administratively.
DEFENCE Exercise AUSTRAHIND 2026 begins in Thiruvananthapuram
- Held at the Foreign Training Node, Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala).
- About 120 personnel from each army are taking part.
- Focus on sub-conventional operations in semi-urban and jungle terrain under a UN mandate.
- Part of India's deepening defence ties with Australia in the Indo-Pacific.
SCI-TECH ICAR highlights biofortified purple potato 'Kufri Jamunia'
- Released in 2024; rich in vitamin C, anthocyanins, carotenoids, iron and zinc.
- Earlier coloured varieties: Kufri Neelkanth (2018) and Kufri Manik (2021).
- Developed by the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Shimla.
- Biofortification breeds higher nutrient content into staple crops.
22 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH Soybean Bhavantar sale window opens today across MP mandis
- Operates under PDPS guidelines of the central PM-AASHA umbrella; payout via DBT by the Mandi Board.
- Registration on the Food Department e-Uparjan portal closed 17 Oct 2026; sales from 1–21 Oct are deducted from eligible quantity.
- Compensation = MSP minus the higher of sale price or the model rate (14-day weighted mandi average, updated daily on e-Mandi).
- Payment basis = registered area × previous-year state average productivity; seed funding from the Price Stabilisation Fund.
- Oversight by a state committee under the Chief Secretary and district committees under Collectors.
MADHYA PRADESH Cabinet clears ₹27,050 cr package; govt SPV for Jabalpur–Indore corridor
- SPV: Jabalpur-Indore Economic Corridor Development Company Ltd — land pooling, zoning, leasing, monetisation and infra within hubs.
- Designated an Investment Region Agency under the MP Investment Region Development & Management Act, 2013.
- Package also funds ₹3,076 cr for four irrigation projects and ₹15,557 cr for law & legislative affairs (2026–31).
- Hubs to host industrial, agro-processing, logistics, IT parks and Global Capability Centres (GCCs).
- Forest land use needs compensatory afforestation and Net Present Value (NPV) payment.
MADHYA PRADESH Indore to host MP Semiconductor Summit 2026 on 23–24 October
- More than 50 companies to exhibit; format spans 8 panels, 5 roundtables, 2 keynotes, an exhibition and a startup contest.
- Paras Semiconductors signed an MoU for a proposed ₹6,200 crore OSAT (assembly & testing) facility.
- Backed by the MP Semiconductor Policy 2025: a 25% subsidy and power at ₹2/unit for 10 years.
- Themes: chip design, advanced packaging & testing, photonics, quantum tech, AI infrastructure and MSMEs.
- CM to deliver the inaugural address on 'MP's Vision as a Semiconductor Hub'.
ENVIRONMENT Cheetahs Vyom & Neera settle MP's third cheetah home; India tally hits 60
- Both animals were translocated from Kuno National Park; India's cheetah population has reached 60 after five cubs were born at Kuno.
- MP's other cheetah sites: Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Project Cheetah began in 2022 as the world's first intercontinental large-carnivore translocation.
- The reserve extends cheetahs into the Bundelkhand region; it already hosts tigers.
- Also released: the Vulture Population Estimation Report 2026; wildlife tourism earned about ₹80 crore this year.
MADHYA PRADESH MP Urban Conclave (28 Oct) to drive Simhastha 2028 and city investment
- Financing tools on show: PPPs, Urban Challenge Fund, green & municipal bonds, temple bonds and viability gap funding.
- Simhastha prep: digital-twin modelling, technology-based crowd and traffic management for Ujjain.
- Themes include AMRUT 2.0, Namo Green City, EVs, waste-to-energy and compressed biogas (CBG).
- Urban planning focus: Transit-Oriented Development, TDR, FAR reform and ABPAS building-permit automation.
- CM Mohan Yadav to hold investor meetings and inaugurate urban projects.
SOCIETY Cabinet boosts tribal school transport to ₹241.88 cr under Sandipani push
- Per-student annual transport allocation rises from ₹10,000 to ₹21,000, with a 5% yearly increase.
- Transport to be outsourced and IT-monitored for accountability.
- MP has the country's largest Scheduled Tribe population; PESA, 1996 governs Fifth Schedule areas.
- Also cleared: 24 new posts for Women & Child Development in new districts (Niwari, Mauganj, Pandhurna, Maihar).
- Linked schemes: Saksham Anganwadi, POSHAN 2.0 and Integrated Child Protection.
ECONOMY Core industries grow a record 7.9% in September 2026
- Growth led by iron ore (18.4%), electricity (11.4%), coal (10.7%) and refinery products (10.3%).
- Cement rose 9.8% and steel 4.9%; crude oil (-1.4%), natural gas (-4.6%) and fertilisers (-11.7%) contracted.
- Fertiliser output has now fallen for seven straight months.
- Compiled by the Office of the Economic Adviser, DPIIT; new series base year is 2022-23.
- Wholesale (WPI) inflation stood at 11.4% in September 2026.
ECONOMY RBI raises repo rate to 5.5% as inflation pressures widen
- The hike was unanimous; two external members dissented only on shifting the stance to 'calibrated tightening'.
- Governor Sanjay Malhotra projected headline CPI near 6% in Q3, staying above 5% for two quarters.
- Share of CPI items with inflation above 4% rose to 37% in August (from 20% in March).
- Core inflation was 4.2% in August; risks include West Asia conflict and high oil prices.
- India's flexible inflation-targeting band is 4% (+/- 2%).
SCI-TECH Data of ~3,900 SBI customers surfaces on the dark web
- SBI learned of the leak from its threat-intelligence provider, the Defence Cyber Agency and CERT-In — not its own systems.
- Disclosure to stock exchanges came five days after alerts, under SEBI listing norms; bank cites no material impact.
- The DPDP Act, 2023 duty to notify affected individuals takes effect only in 2027.
- Separately, eight web-security keys of a firm used by government/PSUs were reported leaked.
- CERT-In is India's national nodal cyber-incident response agency.
ENVIRONMENT India to mandate 1% SAF blending on international flights from January
- SAF is made from feedstocks like used cooking oil, agri-residue and municipal waste; it cuts lifecycle CO2.
- Aviation is a hard-to-abate sector; SAF blending supports India's net-zero-by-2070 goal.
- Separately, NHPC sought approval to fell over 23 lakh trees for the Kamala hydel project in Arunachal Pradesh.
- Links to the national biofuel/ethanol push and circular-economy feedstocks.
- India targeted 20% ethanol blending in petrol under its biofuel roadmap.
IR Rajnath Singh flags cross-border terror at SCO meet in Tajikistan
- India stressed that connectivity and trade depend on a stable security environment.
- Pakistan's Deputy PM Ishaq Dar was present at the meet.
- Follows India's 2025 refusal to endorse the SCO statement at Qingdao that omitted the Pahalgam attack.
- The SCO is a Eurasian security-economic bloc; India became a full member in 2017.
- SCO's counter-terror arm is RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure), based in Tashkent.
23 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH MP Cabinet clears Soybean Bhavantar Scheme & Jabalpur–Indore Economic Corridor
- Bhavantar pays the gap between MSP and the higher of sale/model rate via DBT, under PDPS of PM-AASHA.
- Farmers must register on the e-Uparjan portal by 17 Oct 2026.
- Jabalpur–Indore Economic Corridor Development Co. Ltd — a 100% state SPV with ₹100 crore paid-up capital.
- SPV to develop industrial, agro-processing, logistics, IT parks & GCCs along the corridor.
- MP is India's largest soybean producer — the 'Soybean State' (Malwa belt).
MADHYA PRADESH 'Bagh Didis' — women-led tiger watch launched near Kanha
- ~20 women appointed in the first phase in villages near Kanha.
- Trained to read pugmarks, report sightings and issue safety advisories.
- Priority to tribal women and high-conflict villages.
- Kanha: among the first 9 Project Tiger reserves (1973); national park since 1955.
- Famous for the hard-ground Barasingha — MP's state animal.
MADHYA PRADESH Ladli Behna 41st instalment — ₹1,834 crore to 1.25 crore+ women
- Each woman gets ₹1,500/month via Aadhaar-linked DBT.
- ₹115.10 crore two-month LPG (₹450 cylinder) subsidy to 23 lakh+ women.
- Scheme allocation ₹23,882.81 crore for 2026-27; first instalment paid June 2023.
- Also inaugurated/foundation-laid 136 works worth about ₹144.16 crore.
MADHYA PRADESH Project Cheetah: Veerangana Durgavati becomes MP's 3rd cheetah home; India count hits 60
- India's cheetahs now 60 (41 India-born) — all in Madhya Pradesh.
- Habitats: Kuno NP, Gandhi Sagar WLS, Veerangana Durgavati TR.
- Durgavati TR ~2,339 sq km (Sagar–Damoh–Narsinghpur); largest TR in MP; 439-ha release area.
- Project Cheetah (2022): NTCA + MP Forest Dept + WII.
MADHYA PRADESH 'Viksit MP 2047' resolution adopted; Assembly passes UCC Bill, 2026
- Pillars: Ken-Betwa/PKC/Tapi irrigation, Bhopal–Indore Metro (~₹23,000 cr), PM MITRA park (Dhar).
- GIS 2025 drew ₹30.77 lakh crore proposals; ~₹10 lakh crore under implementation.
- Targets: 2 lakh+ govt jobs, 12 new medical colleges, 12 skill universities.
- Simhastha 2028 (Ujjain) prep; linked works to finish by Diwali 2027.
DEFENCE Army unveils new Land Warfare Doctrine at Commanders' Conference
- Doctrine reorients land warfare for drones, cyber & multi-domain operations.
- The biannual apex conference reviews operational preparedness.
- Reflects lessons from recent operations and evolving threats.
ECONOMY RBI MPC minutes: repo hiked 25 bps to 5.50%, stance 'calibrated tightening'
- Decision 6-0; SDF 5.25%, MSF & Bank Rate 5.75%.
- FY27 real GDP 7.1%; CPI 5.2%, peaking at 6.0% in Q3.
- CPI rose to 4.8% in Aug 2026 on food & fuel.
- Next MPC meeting: 2–4 Dec 2026.
POLITY Supreme Court recognises internet access as a fundamental right
- Arose from a plea concerning child sexual exploitation material (CSEAM).
- Children must not be cut off; action should target the sources of harm.
- Builds on Anuradha Bhasin (2020) digital-rights jurisprudence.
ENVIRONMENT UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2026 warns of ~2.8°C warming
- Needed cuts for the 1.5°C path: 18% by 2030, 45% by 2035, 69% by 2040.
- Released ahead of the COP climate talks.
- Stresses the fast-closing window to limit overshoot.
IR India–New Zealand FTA enters into force
- Boosts goods trade, services access and dairy-sensitive negotiations.
- Customs pact speeds up rules-of-origin verification.
- Part of India's widening FTA network (UAE, Australia, EFTA, UK).
26 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH 'Bagh Didis' (Tiger Sisters): MP's women-led tiger-alert network
- First phase trains about 20 women, prioritising tribal women and high-conflict villages.
- Roles: report pugmarks and sightings, relay safety advisories, discourage entry into tiger zones.
- Kanha lies in the Maikal range of the Satpuras (Mandla & Balaghat); national park since 1955, among the first 9 Project Tiger reserves (1973).
- Famous for reviving the hard-ground Barasingha — MP's state animal; mascot 'Bhoorsingh the Barasingha'.
MADHYA PRADESH MP Cabinet clears ₹27,050 cr: soybean Bhavantar & Jabalpur–Indore corridor
- Bhavantar Yojana 2026: pays the gap between MSP and sale price via DBT; soybean mandi sales 22 Oct 2026 – 15 Jan 2027; registration on e-Uparjan; Mandi Board credit limit up to ₹1,500 crore.
- Jabalpur–Indore Economic Corridor Development Co. Ltd — a state SPV with ₹100 crore seed capital for industrial, agri-processing, logistics & IT parks.
- Other heads: irrigation ₹3,076 cr, Ayush colleges ₹3,535 cr, school infra ₹2,875 cr, Sandipani student transport ₹241.88 cr.
- MP is India's largest soybean producer — the 'Soybean State'.
MADHYA PRADESH Veerangana Durgavati is MP's 3rd cheetah home; India's cheetahs reach 60
- India's cheetah population reached 60 after 5 cubs were born at Kuno this week.
- Project Cheetah began in 2022 with the world's first inter-continental reintroduction at Kuno National Park.
- The two cheetahs were translocated from Kuno; two more are planned next month.
- MP is both the 'Cheetah State' and the 'Tiger State', with India's largest forest cover.
MADHYA PRADESH Ladli Behna: 41st instalment of ₹1,834 cr sent to 1.25 crore women
- Regular beneficiaries get ₹1,500/month; pensioners get ₹900/month.
- Launched 10 June 2023 at ₹1,000, raised to ₹1,250, then ₹1,500 (Nov 2025).
- Total paid since launch has crossed ₹65,000 crore; 2026-27 outlay is ₹23,882.81 crore.
- Payments flow through DBT; status at cmladlibahna.mp.gov.in.
MADHYA PRADESH GI tag for Jabalpuri Matar (peas) & Jabalpur Singhada (water chestnut)
- A GI tag marks goods from a specific origin whose qualities are tied to that place.
- Administered under the GI of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999.
- Adds to MP's GI basket — e.g., Chanderi & Maheshwari sarees, Ratlami Sev, Morena Gajak.
POLITY Operation Trident: NCB-led crackdown on Northeast drug networks
- 18 arrests; a ₹100 crore hawala trail traced; 1,424 bank accounts frozen.
- Assets of about ₹17.82 crore attached; 500 detonators and ₹12 lakh cash seized.
- One ED-tracked counter made 2,947 transfers worth ₹175.03 crore (2024 – Jun 2026).
- Stated target: dismantle drug networks by 31 December 2029.
SCI-TECH PM opens RBI data centre & Cybersecurity Training Institute, Bhubaneswar
- The institute will build skilled manpower and resilient financial digital infrastructure.
- Comes amid rising cyber-fraud in banking and UPI-era digital payments.
- RBI is India's central bank and banking regulator, established in 1935.
REPORT Free bus schemes lift women's mobility — NSO Time Use data
- In free-bus states, women's trip share rose 38.7%→45.3% (+6.6 pts) vs +3.7 pts for men.
- Telangana: women's share 43.7%→54.6%; Andhra Pradesh (no scheme) barely moved 40.8%→41.6%.
- Schemes run in Punjab, Tamil Nadu (2021), Karnataka (2023), Telangana (2023).
- Care-related trips nearly tripled in free-bus states.
IR India at UN: pushes SAARC revival, calls out Pakistan's 'real rulers'
- SAARC has 8 members, HQ Kathmandu, founded 1985.
- India withdrew from the 2016 SAARC summit after the Uri attack.
- India increasingly backs BIMSTEC-led sub-regional connectivity as an alternative.
IR US tightens H-1B: $100,000 fee to hit Indian tech talent
- Indian nationals receive ~70% of all H-1B approvals.
- Measures also suspend some PERM labour-certification processing.
- Raises costs for India's IT services exporters and skilled migrants.
- India is the world's largest recipient of remittances (~$129 billion, 2024).
ENVIRONMENT Siang Upper project: CRPF deployed as protests rock Arunachal
- Locals cite displacement and ecological risks in the eco-sensitive Eastern Himalaya.
- The dam is a strategic counter to China's dam-building on the Yarlung Tsangpo.
- The Siang is called Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet and Brahmaputra downstream.
27 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH MP Urban Conclave 2026 in Indore to court urban-infrastructure investment
- Led by CM Dr Mohan Yadav, with one-to-one investor meetings and project ground-breakings.
- Themes: Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), Transferable Development Rights (TDR), FAR/density, RERA and ease of doing business.
- Digital governance via ABPAS, online NOCs, GIS-based planning and PMIS.
- Green push: AMRUT 2.0, Namo Green City, EVs, waste-to-energy and CBG ecosystem.
- A dedicated Simhastha 2028 session to develop Ujjain as a world-class pilgrimage city (digital-twin, crowd management).
MADHYA PRADESH MP Semiconductor Summit draws ₹5,800 crore in proposals at Indore
- About ₹5,800 crore in investment proposals with 10,000+ expected jobs.
- Five firms received land letters of intent worth ₹9,625 crore (4,450+ direct jobs).
- MP Semiconductor Policy 2025 released in Japanese, Taiwanese and Korean editions.
- New Centres of Excellence: VLSI/chip design, Photonics & Quantum, and AVGC-XR.
- High-tech priority for the Indore–Ujjain Economic Corridor; MoUs with SEMI India and SCL Mohali.
MADHYA PRADESH Soybean Bhavantar scheme notified to shield MP's kharif farmers
- Farmers must register on the e-Uparjan portal by 17 October 2026.
- Eligible sale window: 22 October 2026 to 15 January 2027 in notified mandis.
- Payout uses a 'model rate' (14-day weighted average of mandi prices) against MSP.
- Payment = registered area × previous year's average productivity; paid via DBT by the Mandi Board.
- Oversight: a state committee under the Chief Secretary and district committees under collectors.
MADHYA PRADESH Ladli Behna 41st instalment: ₹1,834 crore to 1.25 crore women
- Monthly assistance of ₹1,500; over ₹62,000 crore disbursed since June 2023.
- FY 2026-27 budget allocation: ₹23,882.81 crore.
- Gas Cylinder Refill: ₹115.10 crore to 23 lakh+ beneficiaries at ₹450 per refill.
- About 65 lakh women are in self-help groups; roughly 25% are 'Lakhpati Didis'.
ENVIRONMENT Project Cheetah: five cubs at Kuno lift India's count to 60
- The cubs' father is a Botswanan male, starting a new lineage in India.
- KJP21 is the third India-born female to give birth, after Mukhi and KGP12.
- Cheetahs were reintroduced under Project Cheetah from Namibia (2022) and South Africa (2023).
- MP holds India's largest forest cover and is the 'Tiger State'; Gandhi Sagar is a second cheetah home.
MADHYA PRADESH State SPV set up for the Jabalpur–Indore Economic Corridor
- Initial paid-up capital of ₹100 crore from the state government.
- Powers: land acquisition, zoning, master planning, allotment, leasing and monetisation.
- Planned: industrial, food & agro-processing, logistics, IT parks, Global Capability Centres.
- Notified as an Investment Region Agency under the MP Investment Region Act, 2013.
ECONOMY RBI raises repo rate to 5.50%, shifts to 'calibrated tightening'
- Repo rate is the rate at which the RBI lends to banks against government securities.
- A higher repo rate makes borrowing costlier, cooling demand and inflation.
- The MPC has six members and targets CPI inflation of 4% (±2%).
- 'Calibrated tightening' means rates can rise or hold, but cuts are off the table.
DEFENCE Defence Council clears ₹2.12 lakh crore AoNs; new war doctrine out
- About 82% of the value is to be sourced domestically under 'Buy (Indian)' categories (DAP 2020).
- AoN is the first step of procurement and does not itself award a contract.
- Land Warfare Doctrine 2026 replaces the 2018 doctrine, covering drones, AI and multi-domain ops.
- It was released at the Army Commanders' Conference.
POLITY Karnataka releases final rolls after SIR; ECI defends CEC's tenure in SC
- The SIR deleted about 1.07 crore names; voters fell from 5.54 crore to roughly 4.54 crore.
- Deletions included dead, duplicate and shifted/not-found voters.
- The ECI says the CEC can be removed only like a Supreme Court judge under Article 324(5).
- Restoration of a deleted name requires Form 6 under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
IR Lula wins a fourth term as Brazil's President
- He is scheduled to be sworn in on 5 January 2027.
- Brazil is a key BRICS partner and a fellow major agricultural and soybean producer.
- India–Brazil cooperate in BRICS, G20, IBSA and biofuels.
SCI-TECH AATAL air-quality lab launched under Mission Mausam
- Works with the AIRWISE system giving 72-hour air-quality forecasts at 400-metre resolution.
- Helps identify pollution sources in the Delhi-NCR region.
- Developed by IITM Pune under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
28 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH MP Cabinet clears ₹8,225 crore for irrigation, forests & welfare
- Total outlay over ₹8,225 crore cleared on 27 October 2026.
- Irrigation ₹3,378.69 cr — Chhindwara Complex (₹2,611 cr, 1,90,500 ha), Pench Diversion, Chentikheda, Panchamnagar.
- Health administration ₹1,743.58 cr; Economic Offences Wing ₹345.52 cr.
- Post-facto nod to sale of 7 lakh MT lustre-lost wheat by the State Civil Supplies Corporation.
ENVIRONMENT CAMPA 2026-27: Madhya Pradesh earmarks ₹2,050 crore for forests
- CAMPA outlay ₹2,050.03 crore for FY 2026-27.
- Funds compensatory & catchment plantation and degraded-forest restoration.
- Supports voluntary village relocation from protected areas, habitat work and urban forests.
- MP has India's largest forest cover and is the 'Tiger State'.
ENVIRONMENT Kuno cheetah KNG22 dies of pellet injuries; Centre orders probe
- KNG22 died 27 Oct 2026; five firearm pellets were removed in surgery at Jabalpur.
- Found in the Sheopur/Morena territorial forest, outside Kuno National Park.
- India now has 58 cheetahs: Kuno 52, Gandhi Sagar 4, Veerangana Durgavati 2.
- Probe team: NTCA IG and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau officers; MP set up a Special Task Force.
MADHYA PRADESH Ladli Behna: 41st instalment of ₹1,834 crore to 1.25 crore women
- ₹1,834 crore transferred to about 1.25 crore women (41st instalment).
- Regular beneficiaries receive ₹1,500 a month via DBT.
- Scheme launched in 2023 to boost women's financial autonomy and nutrition.
- The CM has flagged the scheme's growing fiscal burden.
SOCIETY Ujjain gears up for Simhastha 2028 with a ₹539 crore push
- ₹539 crore of projects launched; total prep reported near ₹13,851 crore.
- Simhastha 2028 is the Ujjain Kumbh on the Kshipra (Shipra) river.
- Held every 12 years; one of four Kumbh sites with Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik.
- Ujjain hosts the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga and the Mahakal Lok corridor.
IR SCO Civilisational Dialogue: India invites a Pakistan minister
- First Indian invite to a Pakistan minister since 2023 for an SCO event.
- SCO = Shanghai Cooperation Organisation; India has been a full member since 2017.
- The event is the SCO Civilisational Dialogue, New Delhi, November 2026.
- A joint BRICS declaration separately condemned the Pahalgam attack and sought UNSC reform.
ECONOMY RBI holds the line: repo rate 5.50%, 'calibrated tightening'
- Repo rate 5.50% (+25 bps); stance now calibrated tightening.
- FY27 GDP growth projected at 7.1%; CPI inflation at 5.2%.
- Decision was unanimous; MPC chaired by Governor Sanjay Malhotra.
- August 2026 retail inflation stood at 4.82%.
IR Japan pitches ₹8-10 lakh crore of investment into India
- Proposed Japanese investment of ₹8-10 lakh crore in India.
- Focus areas: manufacturing, infrastructure, clean energy and semiconductors.
- Builds on the India-Japan Special Strategic & Global Partnership.
- Japan is a key Quad partner with India, the US and Australia.
POLITY Supreme Court: economic policy cannot outweigh citizens' lives
- SC: economic policy cannot outweigh citizens' lives.
- The matter concerns the Centre's calibrated drug price control.
- It engages Article 21 (Right to Life) and access to affordable medicine.
- Essential-drug prices are capped through the NPPA and the DPCO.
DEFENCE SIMBEX-2026: 33rd India-Singapore maritime exercise concludes
- SIMBEX-2026 was the 33rd edition of the India-Singapore naval exercise.
- It enhances maritime interoperability across the Indo-Pacific.
- SIMBEX began in 1994, one of India's longest continuous naval exercises.
- It complements India's SAGAR maritime vision.
ENVIRONMENT Project GIB: one Great Indian Bustard lost, next batch due
- The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) is Critically Endangered (IUCN).
- It is the state bird of Rajasthan, found in Thar and Kutch grasslands.
- It is threatened by power lines and habitat loss; conservation-breeding is ongoing.
- A separate note covered CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage).
29 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH High-Level Panel to Probe Cheetah Death at Kuno National Park
- Kuno National Park lies in Sheopur district of MP's Chambal region, on the Kuno river.
- Project Cheetah began in September 2022 with cheetahs from Namibia and later South Africa.
- MP has a third cheetah habitat at Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, after Kuno and Gandhi Sagar (Mandsaur).
- The cheetah is the only large carnivore to have gone extinct in India (1952) and been reintroduced.
MADHYA PRADESH MP Cabinet Clears ₹8,225 Crore for Irrigation, Forests & Welfare
- ₹3,378.69 cr for four irrigation projects incl. the Chhindwara Irrigation Complex (₹2,611 cr) and Pench Diversion.
- ₹2,050.03 cr under CAMPA for afforestation, catchment restoration and village relocation from protected areas.
- ₹1,743.58 cr for Public Health & Medical Education (2026–31).
- ₹651.25 cr for welfare of Persons with Disabilities; new DEO offices for 4 new districts (Niwari, Mauganj, Pandhurna, Maihar).
ECONOMY Soybean Bhavantar Scheme & Jabalpur–Indore Economic Corridor
- Bhavantar pays the gap between MSP and sale/model price via DBT when market rates fall below MSP — under the central PM-AASHA umbrella.
- Farmers register on the e-Uparjan portal; MP is India's largest soybean producer (the 'Soybean State', Malwa black soils).
- The Jabalpur–Indore Economic Corridor SPV has ₹100 cr initial paid-up capital for industrial, logistics, food-processing and IT parks and GCCs.
- Centre sanctioned 26.49 lakh MT of soybean MSP procurement for MP (9.36 lakh farmers, 22.64 lakh ha).
ENVIRONMENT MP Consolidates 'Tiger State' Status & Project Cheetah Leadership
- MP holds the highest tiger population among states and the largest forest cover by area in India.
- Cheetah habitats: Kuno NP (Sheopur), Gandhi Sagar WLS (Mandsaur) and Veerangana Durgavati TR.
- Major tiger reserves: Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Panna, Satpura, Sanjay-Dubri.
- Panna is a UNESCO-listed Biosphere Reserve; MP's forests anchor the Narmada, Chambal, Betwa, Tapti, Son basins.
POLITY Cabinet Approves ₹7,396 cr PM Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana
- Outlay of about ₹7,396 crore for panchayat capacity-building, e-governance and rural planning.
- Builds on the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) to deepen grassroots democracy.
- Aligns panchayats with Viksit Bharat @2047 and localisation of the SDGs.
- Flows alongside 16th Finance Commission devolution to local bodies.
HEALTH NPPA Caps Trade Margins on 137 Anti-Cancer Drugs
- Applies to immunotherapy and targeted-therapy (non-scheduled) cancer medicines.
- Trade Margin Rationalisation (TMR) invoked under Para 19 of the DPCO, 2013 in public interest.
- NPPA functions under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers.
- Complements Jan Aushadhi and price caps on scheduled drugs under the NLEM.
IR India & Mexico to Begin Preferential Trade Agreement Talks
- Mexico is among India's largest trade partners in Latin America.
- A PTA offers tariff concessions on a limited set of goods (narrower than an FTA/CEPA).
- Supports India's push to diversify export markets amid global trade realignment.
- Parallels India's momentum on trade talks with New Zealand and others.
SCI-TECH ISRO to Launch NVS-03 Navigation Satellite for NavIC
- NVS (Navigation Satellite) series are second-generation NavIC satellites.
- NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) covers India and ~1,500 km around it.
- NVS satellites add an indigenous atomic clock and the civilian L1 signal.
- NavIC supports transport, disaster alerts, defence and precision timing.
POLITY Supreme Court: 'Digital Arrest is Digital Dacoity'
- In a digital arrest scam, fraudsters impersonate officials and coerce victims via video call to transfer money.
- The Court flagged the need for stronger enforcement and victim protection.
- Links to safeguards under the BNS/BNSS and the IT Act, 2000.
- Cyber-fraud can be reported on the 1930 helpline / national cybercrime portal.
ECONOMY Cabinet Clears Khelo India Sports-Goods & Container Manufacturing Schemes
- Aims to make India a global hub for sports-goods manufacturing and cut imports.
- The container scheme promotes domestic shipping-container production to aid logistics and EXIM trade.
- Supports Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat and PLI-style self-reliance.
- Expected to boost MSMEs, exports and employment.
30 October 2026
Full notes with diagrams →MADHYA PRADESH MP Cabinet clears ₹8,225 crore for irrigation, forests, health & welfare
- ₹3,378.69 crore for four irrigation projects — led by the Chhindwara Complex (₹2,611 cr; 1.90 lakh ha micro-irrigation), plus Pench Diversion, Chentikheda (Morena) and Panchamnagar (Sagar-Damoh)
- ₹2,050.03 crore under CAMPA for 2026-27 — afforestation, village relocation from protected areas, urban forests
- ₹1,743.58 crore for Public Health & Medical Education (2026-31)
- ₹651.25 crore for Social Justice & Disability Welfare; ₹345.52 crore for the Economic Offences Wing
MADHYA PRADESH Ladli Behna: 41st instalment of ₹1,834 crore reaches 1.25 crore women
- ₹1,834 crore transferred via DBT to about 1.25 crore women
- Each regular beneficiary gets ₹1,500 a month (raised to ₹1,500 from Nov 2025)
- Women drawing a social-security pension receive ₹900 under scheme rules
- Scheme launched 2023; eligibility tied to age, income and residency criteria
ENVIRONMENT Project Cheetah: India's cheetah count touches 60 at Kuno, 41 India-born
- 60 cheetahs in India; 41 India-born; about 53 at Kuno, 3 at Gandhi Sagar WLS (Mandsaur-Neemuch)
- Founders: 8 from Namibia (Sep 2022), 12 from South Africa (Feb 2023), 9 from Botswana (Feb 2026)
- The latest litter introduced the Botswanan genetic lineage
- MP is the 'Tiger State' and now India's cheetah stronghold
MADHYA PRADESH 'Soybean State' MP leans on Bhavantar + MSP to shield oilseed farmers
- MP is India's leading soybean producer — the 'Soybean State'
- Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana pays farmers the gap between MSP and market price
- The Centre approved MSP procurement of soybean for MP farmers this Kharif
- Other MP strengths: Sharbati wheat, gram/pulses, Narmada-valley farming
ECONOMY MP pitches as investment hub: ₹12 lakh crore 'implemented', chip & petrochem bets
- About ₹12 lakh crore of proposals 'implemented' in 2.5 years (state claim)
- Bina petrochemical project: ₹50,000 crore, 22+ lakh tonnes/year output
- About ₹5,800 crore semiconductor/chip & Gwalior telecom-manufacturing interest
- Regional Industry Conclaves and the Global Investors Summit drive the pipeline
ECONOMY RBI hikes repo rate 25 bps to 5.50%; 'rate cuts off the table'
- Repo rate: 5.50% (up from 5.25%); stance moved to calibrated tightening
- Governor Sanjay Malhotra: near-term rate cuts are 'off the table'
- FY27 GDP growth projected 7.1%; CPI inflation 5.2%
- The MPC is a 6-member body; inflation target 4% (±2%)
POLITY Cabinet approves PM-VGSY: ₹7,395 crore to strengthen 2.55 lakh panchayats
- Outlay ₹7,395.55 crore (Centre ₹4,869 cr + State ₹2,526 cr), 2026-27 to 2030-31
- Covers about 2.55 lakh panchayats and 32 lakh representatives/functionaries
- Uses eGramSwaraj, AuditOnline and Pancham, a 17-language AI comms platform
- Linked to 16th Finance Commission rural local-body grants
ECONOMY ₹10,000-crore scheme to make India a global shipping-container hub
- Outlay ₹10,000 crore; announced in Budget 2026-27
- Supports both greenfield and brownfield container units
- ₹859 crore interest-subvention component (3% interest subsidy on term loans)
- Aims to reduce import reliance, where China dominates global supply
DEFENCE Defence Ministry clears 300+ more K9 Vajra-T howitzers (~₹20,000 crore)
- 300+ units, estimated at over ₹20,000 crore
- A 155 mm / 52-calibre tracked self-propelled howitzer
- Built by L&T (Hazira, Gujarat) with Hanwha Aerospace (South Korea)
- Range about 40 km (up to ~50 km); fires 3 rounds in under 15 seconds
ENVIRONMENT India adds two wetlands; Ramsar tally rises to 103 sites
- India now has 103 Ramsar sites — among the highest in Asia
- New additions: Sukhna Wetland (Chandigarh) and Sauj Jheel (UP)
- Ramsar Convention adopted 2 Feb 1971 (Ramsar, Iran); in force 1975
- MP's Ramsar sites include Bhoj Wetland (Bhopal), Sakhya Sagar, Sirpur and Yashwant Sagar (Indore)
Prelims rapid-fire — 130 facts
| 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 UNESCO World 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. |
| Kuno National Park — the cheetah reintroduction site — is in MP's Sheopur district. |
| MP is India's largest soybean producer; Sharbati wheat is its famed GI variety. |
| Narmada is the longest river flowing through MP; it rises at Amarkantak. |
| Repo rate currently 5.25%; CPI target band is 4% ± 2%. |
| Swachh Bharat Mission launched 2 Oct 2014; 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' — Lal Bahadur Shastri. |
| Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar is one of 12 Jyotirlingas; Simhastha recurs about every 12 years. |
| World Teachers' Day is observed on 5 October. |
| National Wildlife Week runs 2–8 October (70th edition). |
| RBI repo rate currently stands at 5.25%. |
| MP's Rabi wheat procurement price: ₹2,625/quintal. |
| Kuno National Park lies in Sheopur district, MP. |
| India won 21 gold among 85 medals at Asian Games 2026. |
| MP's third cheetah home is the Veerangana Durgavati (Nauradehi) Tiger Reserve (~2,340 sq km). |
| Project Cheetah began at Kuno National Park (Sheopur) in September 2022. |
| Ladli Behna aid is set to rise Rs 1,250 to Rs 1,500 after Diwali 2026 (target Rs 3,000). |
| Nobel Medicine 2026: optogenetics - controlling neurons with light. |
| India-EFTA TEPA: $100 bn over 15 years; EFTA = Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein. |
| Form 6 (voter registration) is prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. |
| India's cheetah count: 60 (41 India-born) as of 5 October 2026. |
| Veerangana Durgavati (Nauradehi) is MP's largest tiger reserve, 2,339 sq km. |
| Policy rates: Repo 5.50%, SDF 5.25%, MSF & Bank Rate 5.75%. |
| EFTA members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland. |
| INS Surya built at Hindustan Shipyard, Visakhapatnam; 82% indigenous. |
| MP research stipend raised from Rs 16,000 to Rs 25,000 per month. |
| Project Cheetah began Sept 2022; cheetah declared extinct in India in 1952; count now 60. |
| RBI corridor: Repo 5.50%, SDF 5.25%, MSF/Bank rate 5.75%, CRR 3%. |
| Kuno National Park is in MP's Chambal region; Gandhi Sagar is the second cheetah site. |
| Ladli Behna: ₹1,500/month to 1.25 crore women; 40 instalments since June 2023. |
| MP superlatives: Tiger State, Soybean State, largest forest cover by area. |
| Nobel Chemistry 2026: Kagan & Soai — asymmetric synthesis / chirality. |
| Gandhi Sagar WS is in which MP district? → Mandsaur |
| FAO Food Price Index base period? → 2014–16 = 100 |
| GST Council is under which Article? → Art. 279A |
| MP's research fellowship raised to? → ₹25,000/month |
| Botswana cheetahs reached Kuno in? → February 2026 |
| RBI's flexible inflation target band? → 4% ± 2% (CPI) |
| Veerangana Durgavati (Nauradehi) is MP's largest tiger reserve and its 3rd cheetah site. |
| India's cheetah reintroduction began at Kuno on 17 Sept 2022. |
| RBI repo rate now 5.5%; policy stance 'calibrated tightening'. |
| MPPSC State Service Exam to be held twice a year from 2027. |
| MP's Global Investors Summit is slated for January 2027. |
| Francis Halzen won the 2026 Physics Nobel for the IceCube neutrino observatory. |
| Tiger State of India (most tigers): Madhya Pradesh. |
| Project Cheetah base: Kuno National Park, Sheopur (MP). |
| MP's new (3rd) cheetah habitat: Veerangana Durgavati, Sagar. |
| RBI repo rate (Oct 2026): 5.50%; MPC chair: Sanjay Malhotra. |
| CPI base year (new series): 2024 = 100. |
| 2026 Nobel Peace Prize: Navi Pillay (Indian-origin). |
| GST Council constitutional provision: Article 279A. |
| Simhastha Kumbh is held at Ujjain on the Shipra river. |
| Ladli Behna monthly support: ₹1,500 per woman. |
| WWF Living Planet Index 2026 global decline: 73%. |
| World Standards Day is observed on 14 October. |
| 14 Oct 1956: Dr B.R. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism at Deekshabhoomi, Nagpur (Dhammachakra Pravartan Din). |
| Indian Army received 450 Nagastra-1R loitering munitions via emergency procurement. |
| Four MP tribal crops (Dindori Kutki, Baigani Arhar, Jabalpur-Katni rice) hold GI tags. |
| India and the Czech Republic agreed to deepen defence industrial cooperation. |
| India's forex reserves touched a fresh all-time high (RBI weekly data). |
| MP is India's largest soybean producer — the 'Soybean State'. |
| MP is the 'Tiger State' with the country's highest tiger population. |
| Kuno National Park lies on the Kuno river, a tributary of the Chambal. |
| RBI repo rate is now 5.50%; MPC stance is 'calibrated tightening'. |
| PM-AASHA is the Centre's umbrella scheme for farmers' price support (MSP). |
| India's Sept 2026 merchandise exports touched $44.4 billion. |
| Soybean State of India: Madhya Pradesh (Malwa plateau belt). |
| MP's third cheetah home: Veerangana Durgavati (Nauradehi) Tiger Reserve. |
| RBI inflation target: 4% (+/- 2%) under flexible inflation targeting. |
| PM-AASHA umbrella includes PSS, PDPS and private procurement. |
| Mahakaleshwar at Ujjain is one of India's 12 Jyotirlingas. |
| CERT-In is India's nodal cyber-incident response agency (MeitY). |
| MP's 3rd cheetah habitat: Veerangana Durgavati (Nauradehi) Tiger Reserve, ~2,339 sq km, in Bundelkhand. |
| Soybean Bhavantar eligible sale window: 22 Oct 2026 - 15 Jan 2027; follows PDPS under PM-AASHA. |
| Jabalpur-Indore Economic Corridor Development Co. Ltd - initial paid-up capital Rs 100 crore. |
| Supreme Court: internet access a fundamental right under Articles 19(1)(a) and 21. |
| India's space economy ~USD 9 bn now; target USD 40-45 bn in 7-8 years; Gaganyaan G1 due in 2026. |
| US midterms on 3 Nov 2026; Senate stands 53-47, House has 435 seats. |
| MP is India's 'Tiger State' with 785 tigers (2022) — the most of any state. |
| Soybean MSP is ₹5,328 per quintal; MP grows ~50% of India's soybean. |
| Kuno National Park & Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary host Project Cheetah in MP. |
| PM-AASHA's PDPS pays the gap between MSP and market price. |
| PLFS is released by the NSO under MoSPI. |
| AUSTRAHIND is the India–Australia joint army exercise. |
| India–New Zealand signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on Electronic Origin Data Exchange to ease FTA trade. |
| The Supreme Court is examining the religion-neutrality of OBC classification. |
| India's cheetah population has reached 60 after five cub births at Kuno. |
| The new core-sector index series uses base year 2022-23 and is compiled by DPIIT. |
| Madhya Pradesh is India's largest soybean producer (~45% of output), centred on the Malwa plateau. |
| All cetaceans (whales, dolphins) are listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. |
| Barasingha (hard-ground swamp deer) is the state animal of MP; Kanha's mascot is 'Bhoorsingh'. |
| India's cheetah population reached 60 (41 India-born), all housed in Madhya Pradesh. |
| India's eight core industries grew 7.9% YoY in Sept 2026 (base year 2022-23). |
| Global Hunger Index 2026: India ranked 100 of 122, score 24.1 ('serious' category). |
| PLFS (Sept 2026): unemployment 5.0%, LFPR 55.5%, female LFPR 34.6%. |
| Jio Platforms IPO (₹30,213 crore, all fresh equity) closes 23 Oct 2026. |
| State animal of MP: the hard-ground Barasingha; Kanha's mascot is 'Bhoorsingh'. |
| Project Cheetah began in 2022 at Kuno National Park, Sheopur. |
| Bhavantar Yojana pays the gap between MSP and mandi price via DBT. |
| The NCB works under the Ministry of Home Affairs; the NDPS Act dates to 1985. |
| SAARC was founded in 1985, HQ Kathmandu; it has been dormant since 2016. |
| India's share of global H-1B visa approvals is about 70%. |
| Kuno National Park (cheetahs) is in Sheopur district, Madhya Pradesh. |
| MP is called the 'Tiger State' and the 'Soybean State' of India. |
| The repo rate after October 2026 stands at 5.50%. |
| PM-AASHA houses the PDPS, PSS and PDPS-type market intervention for farmers. |
| Infantry Day is observed on 27 October, marking the 1947 landing at Srinagar. |
| India finished 4th at the Asian Para Games 2026 with 114 medals (30 gold). |
| MP's largest irrigation project cleared on 27 Oct: Chhindwara Complex (₹2,611 cr, 1,90,500 ha). |
| India's wild cheetah count after KNG22's death: 58 (Kuno 52, Gandhi Sagar 4, Veerangana Durgavati 2). |
| RBI repo rate (Oct 2026): 5.50%; stance calibrated tightening; FY27 growth 7.1%. |
| Simhastha 2028 will be held at Ujjain on the Kshipra river, held every 12 years. |
| SIMBEX-2026 was the 33rd India-Singapore naval exercise (since 1994). |
| Ladli Behna 41st instalment: ₹1,834 crore to about 1.25 crore women at ₹1,500/month. |
| Kuno National Park, home of Project Cheetah, lies in Sheopur district of MP on the Kuno river (a Chambal tributary). |
| Madhya Pradesh is India's 'Tiger State' and has the largest forest cover by area in the country. |
| Soybean Bhavantar (price-deficiency) payments are made under the central PM-AASHA umbrella scheme. |
| NPPA functions under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers. |
| NavIC, served by ISRO's NVS series, is India's regional navigation system (~1,500 km beyond borders). |
| CAMPA = Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (Act of 2016). |
| MP is India's 'Tiger State' and has the largest forest cover by area; Kuno NP lies in Sheopur district. |
| CAMPA operates under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016. |
| RBI's inflation target is 4% (±2%) under flexible inflation targeting. |
| K9 Vajra-T: a 155 mm/52-cal howitzer, made by L&T with Hanwha (South Korea). |
| Ramsar Convention was signed on 2 Feb 1971 at Ramsar, Iran; World Wetlands Day = 2 Feb. |
| The Narmada is MP's longest river; Bhoj Wetland (Bhopal) is a Ramsar site. |
Data points of the period
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.
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.
₹26.6 lakh crore
MADHYA PRADESH — INVESTMENT INTENT (GIS 2025)
Investment intentions mobilised around the Global Investors Summit, as MP targets a GSDP of about ₹248.6 lakh crore by 2047–48 and positions itself as a rising industrial destination.
Investment intentions mobilised around the Global Investors Summit, as MP targets a GSDP of about ₹248.6 lakh crore by 2047–48 and positions itself as a rising industrial destination.
₹2,625 / quintal
MP Rabi wheat procurement price
MSP plus state bonus for Rabi 2026-27 — part of why MP posts record MSP procurement as a top wheat state.
MSP plus state bonus for Rabi 2026-27 — part of why MP posts record MSP procurement as a top wheat state.
Rs 1,835 crore
Ladli Behna - 40th instalment outlay
Transferred to about 1.27 crore women across MP in a single monthly instalment (Sep 2026) - a measure of the scheme's fiscal weight.
Transferred to about 1.27 crore women across MP in a single monthly instalment (Sep 2026) - a measure of the scheme's fiscal weight.
5.50%
RBI Repo Rate
Hiked +25 bps on 7 Oct 2026; stance now 'calibrated tightening'. FY27 projections: real GDP 7.1%, CPI 5.2%.
Hiked +25 bps on 7 Oct 2026; stance now 'calibrated tightening'. FY27 projections: real GDP 7.1%, CPI 5.2%.
5.50%
RBI Repo Rate (after +25 bps hike, 7 Oct 2026)
First rate hike of the cycle; stance shifted to calibrated tightening. FY27 projections: GDP 7.1%, CPI 5.2% (core 4.4%). SDF 5.25%, MSF/Bank rate 5.75%, CRR 3%. Trigger: CPI rose to 4.8% (Aug) and crude averaged $116/bbl (Sept).
First rate hike of the cycle; stance shifted to calibrated tightening. FY27 projections: GDP 7.1%, CPI 5.2% (core 4.4%). SDF 5.25%, MSF/Bank rate 5.75%, CRR 3%. Trigger: CPI rose to 4.8% (Aug) and crude averaged $116/bbl (Sept).
~45%
MP's share of India's soybean output
Madhya Pradesh is India's largest soybean producer – the 'Soybean State' – aided by its black-cotton soil and the Narmada valley.
Madhya Pradesh is India's largest soybean producer – the 'Soybean State' – aided by its black-cotton soil and the Narmada valley.
Rs 22,680 crore
Ladli Behna Yojana — annual cost
The approximate yearly outgo of Madhya Pradesh's flagship women's cash-transfer scheme, reaching about 1.27 crore women at Rs 1,250+ a month.
The approximate yearly outgo of Madhya Pradesh's flagship women's cash-transfer scheme, reaching about 1.27 crore women at Rs 1,250+ a month.
5.54%
Retail inflation (CPI), September 2026
Highest in the new 2024=100 series. Food inflation (CFPI) at 7.74%, with onion up about 108% – a reminder that food prices drive India's headline CPI.
Highest in the new 2024=100 series. Food inflation (CFPI) at 7.74%, with onion up about 108% – a reminder that food prices drive India's headline CPI.
5.54% (food 7.74%)
India retail inflation — September 2026
Up from 4.83% in August; still within the RBI's 2–6% band but above the 4% target. Onion prices up ~108% year-on-year.
Up from 4.83% in August; still within the RBI's 2–6% band but above the 4% target. Onion prices up ~108% year-on-year.
₹3 lakh crore+
MP Industrial Corridor (Jabalpur-Bhopal-Indore)
Expected investment over 3 years; Phase one ~10,000 acres, targeting over 6 lakh jobs. The new state company starts with ₹100 crore share capital.
Expected investment over 3 years; Phase one ~10,000 acres, targeting over 6 lakh jobs. The new state company starts with ₹100 crore share capital.
size of the MP Cabinet's single-day development package (15 Oct 2026)
Rs 27,050 crore
Largest allocations: Law & Judicial schemes Rs 15,557 cr; AYUSH colleges Rs 3,535 cr; four irrigation projects Rs 3,076 cr.
Largest allocations: Law & Judicial schemes Rs 15,557 cr; AYUSH colleges Rs 3,535 cr; four irrigation projects Rs 3,076 cr.
68.58%
India's 178 major reservoirs - live storage
Of usable capacity (126.717 BCM) on the latest bulletin - down 24.53% year-on-year; the Narmada basin, MP's lifeline, stays above normal.
Of usable capacity (126.717 BCM) on the latest bulletin - down 24.53% year-on-year; the Narmada basin, MP's lifeline, stays above normal.
₹5,328 / quintal
Soybean MSP & MP's share
Minimum Support Price for soybean this season. Madhya Pradesh grows nearly 50% of India's soybean, and its Bhavantar sale window opens 22 October 2026.
Minimum Support Price for soybean this season. Madhya Pradesh grows nearly 50% of India's soybean, and its Bhavantar sale window opens 22 October 2026.
₹4.38 lakh crore
MP Budget FY2026-27
Madhya Pradesh's FY2026-27 Budget was presented at about ₹4.38 lakh crore with no new taxes; ₹23,800 crore was earmarked for the flagship Ladli Behna Yojana (₹1,500/month per beneficiary).
Madhya Pradesh's FY2026-27 Budget was presented at about ₹4.38 lakh crore with no new taxes; ₹23,800 crore was earmarked for the flagship Ladli Behna Yojana (₹1,500/month per beneficiary).
₹30.77 lakh crore
Global Investors Summit 2025 — Investment intent for Madhya Pradesh
Investment proposals received at GIS 2025 (Bhopal); about ₹10 lakh crore already under implementation. MP has rolled out 25 industrial policies to court investors.
Investment proposals received at GIS 2025 (Bhopal); about ₹10 lakh crore already under implementation. MP has rolled out 25 industrial policies to court investors.
7.0%
IMF — India real GDP growth, 2026-27
The IMF raised India's FY2026-27 growth forecast to 7.0%, citing strong domestic demand and keeping India the fastest-growing major economy.
The IMF raised India's FY2026-27 growth forecast to 7.0%, citing strong domestic demand and keeping India the fastest-growing major economy.
~45%
Soybean State — MP's share of India's soybean
Madhya Pradesh is India's largest soybean producer, accounting for roughly 45% of national output — the context for the new Soybean Bhavantar scheme for kharif 2026.
Madhya Pradesh is India's largest soybean producer, accounting for roughly 45% of national output — the context for the new Soybean Bhavantar scheme for kharif 2026.
1,90,500 hectares
New irrigation command area cleared by the MP Cabinet
Chhindwara Complex alone (₹2,611 crore); part of ₹3,378.69 crore and about 3.57 lakh hectares of irrigation cleared on 27 Oct 2026.
Chhindwara Complex alone (₹2,611 crore); part of ₹3,378.69 crore and about 3.57 lakh hectares of irrigation cleared on 27 Oct 2026.
$220 billion
Green-Power Finance Need (India, by FY2030)
Investment India requires by FY30 to fund its green-power (renewable) transition — underscoring the capital scale behind the 500 GW non-fossil capacity goal.
Investment India requires by FY30 to fund its green-power (renewable) transition — underscoring the capital scale behind the 500 GW non-fossil capacity goal.
₹12 lakh crore
MP investment 'implemented' in 2.5 years
Anchored by the ₹50,000-crore Bina petrochemical project (22+ lakh tonnes/year). A state claim — turning MoUs into grounded projects and jobs is the real test.
Anchored by the ₹50,000-crore Bina petrochemical project (22+ lakh tonnes/year). A state claim — turning MoUs into grounded projects and jobs is the real test.
42 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).
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.
Ladli Behna Yojana provides a monthly cash transfer (currently Rs 1,500) to eligible women in Madhya Pradesh through Direct Benefit Transfer.
Q3. With reference to the Ladli Behna Yojana of Madhya Pradesh, consider the following: 1. It provides a monthly cash benefit through Direct Benefit Transfer. 2. The monthly amount has been raised to ₹1,500. 3. It is aimed primarily at women in the age group 21–60 years. Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: D
The scheme is a DBT-based monthly cash transfer (now ₹1,500) targeting women aged 21–60; all three statements are correct.
The scheme is a DBT-based monthly cash transfer (now ₹1,500) targeting women aged 21–60; all three statements are correct.
Q4. Project Cheetah, often in the news, is primarily associated with which of the following protected areas in Madhya Pradesh?
- Kanha National Park
- Kuno National Park
- Bandhavgarh National Park
- Panna National Park
Show answer
Answer: B
Cheetahs translocated from Africa were released at Kuno National Park in Sheopur district; Gandhi Sagar is being developed as a second home.
Cheetahs translocated from Africa were released at Kuno National Park in Sheopur district; Gandhi Sagar is being developed as a second home.
Q5. With reference to the Ladli Behna Yojana of Madhya Pradesh, consider the following: 1. The monthly benefit has been raised to ₹1,500. 2. Payments are made through Direct Benefit Transfer. 3. It is a scheme for senior citizens only. Which of the statements is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: A
The monthly aid steps up to ₹1,500 and is paid by DBT to women beneficiaries, not senior citizens; hence 1 and 2 only.
The monthly aid steps up to ₹1,500 and is paid by DBT to women beneficiaries, not senior citizens; hence 1 and 2 only.
Q6. Project Cheetah, often in the news, is primarily associated with which national park?
- Kanha National Park
- Kuno National Park
- Bandhavgarh National Park
- Panna National Park
Show answer
Answer: B
Project Cheetah reintroduced cheetahs at Kuno National Park in Sheopur district, Madhya Pradesh, from 2022; Gandhi Sagar is being readied as a second site.
Project Cheetah reintroduced cheetahs at Kuno National Park in Sheopur district, Madhya Pradesh, from 2022; Gandhi Sagar is being readied as a second site.
Q7. With reference to Project Cheetah, consider these statements: (1) Cheetahs were reintroduced in India at Kuno National Park in 2022. (2) Madhya Pradesh is currently the only Indian state with a cheetah population. (3) Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve is MP's third cheetah habitat. Which of the statements 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: Kuno hosted the 2022 reintroduction, MP is the only cheetah-bearing state, and Veerangana Durgavati is the third home after Kuno and Gandhi Sagar.
All three are correct: Kuno hosted the 2022 reintroduction, MP is the only cheetah-bearing state, and Veerangana Durgavati is the third home after Kuno and Gandhi Sagar.
Q8. The India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) targets an investment of ____ in India over 15 years.
- $50 billion
- $100 billion
- $150 billion
- $200 billion
Show answer
Answer: B
TEPA commits EFTA to about $100 billion of investment over 15 years, with a target of around 1 million jobs. EFTA members are Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
TEPA commits EFTA to about $100 billion of investment over 15 years, with a target of around 1 million jobs. EFTA members are Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Q9. With reference to Project Cheetah, consider the following statements: (1) Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve is the third cheetah habitat in Madhya Pradesh. (2) The reserve was earlier known as Nauradehi. (3) The two cheetahs released on 7 October 2026 were translocated from Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. Which of the statements are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: A
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong, the cheetahs (Tholo and CCB-3) were translocated from Kuno National Park, not Gandhi Sagar.
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong, the cheetahs (Tholo and CCB-3) were translocated from Kuno National Park, not Gandhi Sagar.
Q10. Which of the following about the RBI Monetary Policy decision of October 2026 is/are correct? (1) The repo rate was raised to 5.50%. (2) The policy stance was changed to 'calibrated tightening'. (3) The Monetary Policy Committee has six members.
- 1 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: D
All three are correct. The repo rate was raised 25 bps to 5.50%, the stance moved to 'calibrated tightening', and the MPC has six members (three from the RBI and three appointed by the Government).
All three are correct. The repo rate was raised 25 bps to 5.50%, the stance moved to 'calibrated tightening', and the MPC has six members (three from the RBI and three appointed by the Government).
Q11. With reference to Project Cheetah, consider the following statements: 1. Cheetahs were reintroduced at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. 2. The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952. 3. The first translocated cheetahs were brought from Australia. Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: A
Cheetahs were brought from Namibia (and later South Africa), not Australia, so statement 3 is wrong. Statements 1 and 2 are correct.
Cheetahs were brought from Namibia (and later South Africa), not Australia, so statement 3 is wrong. Statements 1 and 2 are correct.
Q12. Consider the following about the RBI's monetary policy: 1. A 'calibrated tightening' stance generally rules out rate cuts in the near term. 2. The repo rate is the rate at which the RBI lends to commercial banks against government securities. Which of the statements is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: C
Both are correct. Under calibrated tightening the RBI moves rates up or holds, not cuts; the repo rate is the overnight lending rate against G-secs.
Both are correct. Under calibrated tightening the RBI moves rates up or holds, not cuts; the repo rate is the overnight lending rate against G-secs.
Q13. With reference to Project Cheetah, consider the following: 1. Gandhi Sagar WS, the second cheetah site, is in Rajasthan. 2. Cheetahs were brought from Botswana in 2026. 3. Kuno National Park is in Madhya Pradesh. Which of the above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: B
Gandhi Sagar WS is in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh (not Rajasthan). Botswana cheetahs arrived Feb 2026; Kuno NP is in MP (Sheopur). Hence 2 and 3 only.
Gandhi Sagar WS is in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh (not Rajasthan). Botswana cheetahs arrived Feb 2026; Kuno NP is in MP (Sheopur). Hence 2 and 3 only.
Q14. With reference to the GST Council, consider the following: 1. It is established under Article 279A. 2. It is chaired by the RBI Governor. 3. Its recommendations are binding on states. Which is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
Show answer
Answer: A
It is a constitutional body under Art. 279A (correct). It is chaired by the Union Finance Minister, not the RBI Governor, and its recommendations are persuasive, not binding (Mohit Minerals, 2022).
It is a constitutional body under Art. 279A (correct). It is chaired by the Union Finance Minister, not the RBI Governor, and its recommendations are persuasive, not binding (Mohit Minerals, 2022).
Q15. Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, recently in news as a cheetah habitat, is located in which state?
- Rajasthan
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Chhattisgarh
Show answer
Answer: B
Veerangana Durgavati (Nauradehi) Tiger Reserve lies in Madhya Pradesh across Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur; it is the state's largest tiger reserve and third cheetah habitat.
Veerangana Durgavati (Nauradehi) Tiger Reserve lies in Madhya Pradesh across Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur; it is the state's largest tiger reserve and third cheetah habitat.
Q16. With reference to the RBI's October 2026 monetary policy, consider the following: 1. The repo rate was raised to 5.5%. 2. The policy stance was changed to 'calibrated tightening'. Which of the above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: C
The RBI raised the repo rate by 25 bps to 5.5% (first hike since Feb 2023) and shifted its stance from neutral to 'calibrated tightening'. Both statements are correct.
The RBI raised the repo rate by 25 bps to 5.5% (first hike since Feb 2023) and shifted its stance from neutral to 'calibrated tightening'. Both statements are correct.
Q17. With reference to Project Cheetah in Madhya Pradesh, consider the following: 1. Kuno National Park was the first site of cheetah reintroduction in India. 2. Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve is the state's third cheetah habitat. 3. Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary is located in the Chambal region of MP. Which of the statements given above 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. Kuno (Sheopur) hosted the 2022 reintroduction; Veerangana Durgavati (Sagar) is the 3rd habitat after Kuno and Gandhi Sagar; Gandhi Sagar lies in the Chambal belt (Mandsaur-Neemuch).
All three are correct. Kuno (Sheopur) hosted the 2022 reintroduction; Veerangana Durgavati (Sagar) is the 3rd habitat after Kuno and Gandhi Sagar; Gandhi Sagar lies in the Chambal belt (Mandsaur-Neemuch).
Q18. Consider the following about India's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC): 1. It is a statutory body under the RBI Act, 1934. 2. It has six members, with the RBI Governor having a casting vote. 3. Its flexible inflation target is 4% within a band of +/- 2%. Which of the statements are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: D
All correct. The MPC is statutory (RBI Act, 1934), has six members (3 RBI + 3 government-nominated), the Governor has a second/casting vote on a tie, and the CPI target is 4% +/- 2%.
All correct. The MPC is statutory (RBI Act, 1934), has six members (3 RBI + 3 government-nominated), the Governor has a second/casting vote on a tie, and the CPI target is 4% +/- 2%.
Q19. With reference to the Veerangana Durgavati (Nauradehi) Tiger Reserve, consider the following: 1. It lies in the Bundelkhand region, spread across Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur districts. 2. It is Madhya Pradesh's third cheetah habitat after Kuno and Gandhi Sagar. Which of the statements is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: C
Veerangana Durgavati (Nauradehi), ~2,339 sq km across Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur, is MP's largest reserve and now its third cheetah home. Both statements are correct.
Veerangana Durgavati (Nauradehi), ~2,339 sq km across Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur, is MP's largest reserve and now its third cheetah home. Both statements are correct.
Q20. Consider the following about India's retail inflation framework: 1. Headline retail inflation is measured using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) compiled by MoSPI. 2. Under flexible inflation targeting, the RBI aims for 4% CPI within a 2–6% tolerance band. Which of the statements is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: C
MoSPI compiles the CPI; the RBI's flexible inflation targeting (since 2016) sets a 4% target within a 2–6% band. September 2026 CPI of 5.54% is within the band but above target. Both correct.
MoSPI compiles the CPI; the RBI's flexible inflation targeting (since 2016) sets a 4% target within a 2–6% band. September 2026 CPI of 5.54% is within the band but above target. Both correct.
Q21. With reference to the Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana revived in Madhya Pradesh, consider the following: 1. It operates under the Centre's PM-AASHA umbrella. 2. It is aimed at soybean growers for the 2026 kharif season. 3. It pays farmers the difference between MSP and the market (mandi) price. Which of the above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: D
Bhavantar is a price-deficiency model under PM-AASHA, revived for 2026 kharif soybean, paying the gap between MSP and the modal mandi price. All three statements are correct.
Bhavantar is a price-deficiency model under PM-AASHA, revived for 2026 kharif soybean, paying the gap between MSP and the modal mandi price. All three statements are correct.
Q22. With reference to Project Cheetah in India, which statement is correct?
- Kuno National Park is located in Rajasthan.
- Cheetahs were first brought from Namibia and South Africa, and later from Botswana.
- India's cheetahs are all wild-caught from Africa with no India-born individuals.
- Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary is in Gujarat.
Show answer
Answer: B
Cheetahs came from Namibia (2022), South Africa (2023) and Botswana (2026). Kuno and Gandhi Sagar are in Madhya Pradesh, and India now has 41 India-born cheetahs.
Cheetahs came from Namibia (2022), South Africa (2023) and Botswana (2026). Kuno and Gandhi Sagar are in Madhya Pradesh, and India now has 41 India-born cheetahs.
Q23. With reference to the Soybean Bhavantar Yojana recently approved in Madhya Pradesh, consider the following: 1. It is modelled on the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) under PM-AASHA. 2. It involves physical procurement of soybean at MSP by the state. 3. Payments are made through Direct Benefit Transfer. Which of the statements is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: B
The scheme follows PDPS under PM-AASHA (1 correct) and pays the price gap via DBT (3 correct). PDPS compensates the price difference rather than physically procuring the crop, so statement 2 is wrong.
The scheme follows PDPS under PM-AASHA (1 correct) and pays the price gap via DBT (3 correct). PDPS compensates the price difference rather than physically procuring the crop, so statement 2 is wrong.
Q24. Consider the following about Project Cheetah in Madhya Pradesh: 1. Veerangana Durgavati (Nauradehi) is MP's third cheetah habitat. 2. India's cheetah reintroduction began at Kuno in 2022. Which of the statements is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: C
Veerangana Durgavati became the third cheetah home (after Kuno and Gandhi Sagar) in October 2026, and reintroduction began at Kuno in September 2022. Both statements are correct.
Veerangana Durgavati became the third cheetah home (after Kuno and Gandhi Sagar) in October 2026, and reintroduction began at Kuno in September 2022. Both statements are correct.
Q25. The Veerangana Durgavati (Nauradehi) Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh's third cheetah habitat, lies across which districts?
- Sheopur, Morena and Bhind
- Mandsaur, Neemuch and Ratlam
- Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur
- Panna, Chhatarpur and Tikamgarh
Show answer
Answer: C
The reserve spans Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur in Bundelkhand and is MP's largest tiger habitat (about 2,339 sq km).
The reserve spans Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur in Bundelkhand and is MP's largest tiger habitat (about 2,339 sq km).
Q26. The Soybean Bhavantar scheme follows the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) under which umbrella scheme?
- PM-KISAN
- PM-AASHA
- PM-FME
- PM-KUSUM
Show answer
Answer: B
PDPS is a component of PM-AASHA (Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan), which pays farmers the gap when prices fall below MSP.
PDPS is a component of PM-AASHA (Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan), which pays farmers the gap when prices fall below MSP.
Q27. With reference to the Soybean Bhavantar scheme, which one of the following is NOT correct?
- It operates under PM-AASHA's Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS).
- The price gap is paid to registered farmers through DBT.
- The government procures and stores the farmer's entire soybean crop.
- The reference soybean MSP is ₹5,328 per quintal.
Show answer
Answer: C
Bhavantar (PDPS) pays farmers the difference between the MSP and the sale/model rate via DBT; it does NOT physically procure or store the crop. The other three are correct.
Bhavantar (PDPS) pays farmers the difference between the MSP and the sale/model rate via DBT; it does NOT physically procure or store the crop. The other three are correct.
Q28. Consider the following about Project Cheetah: 1. Kuno National Park is in Madhya Pradesh. 2. The first cheetahs were brought from Namibia in 2022. 3. Gandhi Sagar is being developed as a second cheetah habitat. Which of the above 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 — Kuno is in MP, the first 8 cheetahs arrived from Namibia in September 2022, and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary is the planned second home.
All three are correct — Kuno is in MP, the first 8 cheetahs arrived from Namibia in September 2022, and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary is the planned second home.
Q29. With reference to the Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana, consider the following statements: 1. It compensates farmers for the difference between the MSP and the market/model rate. 2. Under it, the government agency physically procures the crop at MSP. 3. It is implemented under the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme of PM-AASHA. 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
Bhavantar pays the price difference and the farmer keeps selling in the mandi, so statement 2 (physical procurement) is wrong — that describes the Price Support Scheme (PSS). It runs under PDPS of PM-AASHA, so 1 and 3 are correct.
Bhavantar pays the price difference and the farmer keeps selling in the mandi, so statement 2 (physical procurement) is wrong — that describes the Price Support Scheme (PSS). It runs under PDPS of PM-AASHA, so 1 and 3 are correct.
Q30. Consider the following national parks/reserves currently associated with Project Cheetah in Madhya Pradesh: 1. Kuno National Park 2. Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary 3. Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve How many of the above host cheetahs?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Show answer
Answer: C
As of the latest release, all three — Kuno, Gandhi Sagar and Veerangana Durgavati — host cheetahs, making MP's third cheetah habitat. India's cheetah tally has reached 60.
As of the latest release, all three — Kuno, Gandhi Sagar and Veerangana Durgavati — host cheetahs, making MP's third cheetah habitat. India's cheetah tally has reached 60.
Q31. With reference to the Soybean Bhavantar Scheme, consider the following statements: (1) It is implemented under the Price Deficiency Payment (PDPS) component of PM-AASHA. (2) It pays farmers the difference between MSP and the market/model price through DBT. (3) Under this scheme the government physically procures soybean at MSP. Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: A
PDPS compensates the price deficiency via DBT without physical procurement; physical procurement at MSP is the Price Support Scheme (PSS), not PDPS. Hence (1) and (2) are correct, (3) is wrong.
PDPS compensates the price deficiency via DBT without physical procurement; physical procurement at MSP is the Price Support Scheme (PSS), not PDPS. Hence (1) and (2) are correct, (3) is wrong.
Q32. Which of the following are currently cheetah habitats in Madhya Pradesh? (1) Kuno National Park (2) Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (3) Veerangana Durgavati (Nauradehi) Tiger Reserve (4) Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. Select the correct answer:
- 1 and 2 only
- 1, 2 and 3 only
- 1, 3 and 4 only
- 1, 2, 3 and 4
Show answer
Answer: B
Kuno NP, Gandhi Sagar WLS and the newly added Veerangana Durgavati (Nauradehi) TR host cheetahs. Bandhavgarh is a tiger reserve, not a cheetah habitat.
Kuno NP, Gandhi Sagar WLS and the newly added Veerangana Durgavati (Nauradehi) TR host cheetahs. Bandhavgarh is a tiger reserve, not a cheetah habitat.
Q33. Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, recently in news as a cheetah habitat, is located in which district of Madhya Pradesh?
- Sheopur
- Mandsaur
- Sagar
- Panna
Show answer
Answer: C
Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve is in Sagar district (Bundelkhand) and is MP's third cheetah habitat after Kuno (Sheopur) and Gandhi Sagar (Mandsaur-Neemuch).
Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve is in Sagar district (Bundelkhand) and is MP's third cheetah habitat after Kuno (Sheopur) and Gandhi Sagar (Mandsaur-Neemuch).
Q34. With reference to Madhya Pradesh's Bhavantar Yojana 2026, consider: 1) It pays the difference between MSP and sale price. 2) Payment is made through DBT. 3) It is being implemented for soybean in the Kharif 2026 season. Which 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 — the price-deficit amount (MSP minus sale price) is paid via DBT for soybean, Kharif 2026.
All three are correct — the price-deficit amount (MSP minus sale price) is paid via DBT for soybean, Kharif 2026.
Q35. With reference to the Soybean Bhavantar scheme recently approved in Madhya Pradesh, consider the following: 1. It operates under the PDPS window of PM-AASHA. 2. It compensates farmers through government physical procurement at MSP. 3. Registration is done on the e-Uparjan portal. Which of the statements is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: B
The scheme runs under the Price Deficiency Payment System (PDPS) of PM-AASHA and uses the e-Uparjan portal. PDPS pays the price gap via DBT without physical procurement, so statement 2 is wrong.
The scheme runs under the Price Deficiency Payment System (PDPS) of PM-AASHA and uses the e-Uparjan portal. PDPS pays the price gap via DBT without physical procurement, so statement 2 is wrong.
Q36. Consider the following about Project Cheetah: 1. Cheetahs were first reintroduced at Kuno National Park from Namibia. 2. Kuno National Park is located in Madhya Pradesh. 3. The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952. Which of the statements 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. Cheetahs arrived at Kuno (MP) from Namibia in 2022 (and South Africa in 2023); the species was declared extinct in India in 1952.
All three are correct. Cheetahs arrived at Kuno (MP) from Namibia in 2022 (and South Africa in 2023); the species was declared extinct in India in 1952.
Q37. With reference to Project Cheetah, consider the following statements: (1) All of India's wild cheetahs are currently in Madhya Pradesh. (2) Cheetahs have been settled at both Kuno and Gandhi Sagar. (3) The cheetah is listed as 'Endangered' on the IUCN Red List. Which of the statements are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: A
The African cheetah is IUCN Vulnerable, not Endangered, so (3) is wrong. All reintroduced cheetahs are in MP — Kuno, Gandhi Sagar and Veerangana Durgavati — so (1) and (2) are correct.
The African cheetah is IUCN Vulnerable, not Endangered, so (3) is wrong. All reintroduced cheetahs are in MP — Kuno, Gandhi Sagar and Veerangana Durgavati — so (1) and (2) are correct.
Q38. Regarding the RBI's October 2026 monetary policy, consider: (1) The repo rate was raised to 5.50%. (2) The policy stance was changed to 'calibrated tightening'. (3) The Monetary Policy Committee is a four-member body. Which are correct?
- 1 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: B
The repo rate of 5.50% and the shift to calibrated tightening are correct. The MPC has six members, so (3) is wrong.
The repo rate of 5.50% and the shift to calibrated tightening are correct. The MPC has six members, so (3) is wrong.
Q39. With reference to Project Cheetah, consider the following statements: 1. Kuno National Park is situated in the Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh. 2. The cheetahs translocated to India were sourced from Namibia and South Africa. 3. Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve has been developed as a cheetah habitat in MP. Which of the statements given above 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. Kuno NP is in the Chambal region (Sheopur); cheetahs came from Namibia (2022) and South Africa (2023); Veerangana Durgavati is MP's third cheetah habitat.
All three are correct. Kuno NP is in the Chambal region (Sheopur); cheetahs came from Namibia (2022) and South Africa (2023); Veerangana Durgavati is MP's third cheetah habitat.
Q40. The 'Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana', seen recently in the news in Madhya Pradesh, is best described as:
- A crop-insurance scheme
- A price-deficiency payment scheme compensating farmers when market prices fall below MSP
- An interest-subvention scheme for farm loans
- A minimum-income guarantee for landless labourers
Show answer
Answer: B
Bhavantar is a Price Deficiency Payment (PDPS) scheme under the PM-AASHA umbrella; it pays the gap between MSP and the sale/model price via DBT when market rates fall below MSP.
Bhavantar is a Price Deficiency Payment (PDPS) scheme under the PM-AASHA umbrella; it pays the gap between MSP and the sale/model price via DBT when market rates fall below MSP.
Q41. With reference to Project Cheetah, consider the following statements: (1) Kuno National Park is located in Madhya Pradesh. (2) The cheetahs brought to India in 2026 came only from Namibia and South Africa. (3) Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary is being developed as a second cheetah home. Which of the statements 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 MP (Sheopur). In February 2026, 9 cheetahs also arrived from Botswana, so statement 2 is wrong. Gandhi Sagar WLS (Mandsaur-Neemuch) is the planned second home, so 1 and 3 are correct.
Kuno NP is in MP (Sheopur). In February 2026, 9 cheetahs also arrived from Botswana, so statement 2 is wrong. Gandhi Sagar WLS (Mandsaur-Neemuch) is the planned second home, so 1 and 3 are correct.
Q42. With reference to the repo rate, consider the following statements: (1) It is the rate at which the RBI borrows from commercial banks. (2) It is decided by the Monetary Policy Committee. (3) In its October 2026 review the RBI raised it to 5.50%. Which of the statements are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: B
The repo rate is the rate at which the RBI LENDS to banks (not borrows), so statement 1 is wrong. The MPC sets it and raised it to 5.50% in October 2026, so 2 and 3 are correct.
The repo rate is the rate at which the RBI LENDS to banks (not borrows), so statement 1 is wrong. The MPC sets it and raised it to 5.50% in October 2026, so 2 and 3 are correct.
Mains practice questions
- "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)
- "Price-deficiency payment schemes such as Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana can protect farmers without the fiscal burden of physical procurement." Critically examine in the context of Madhya Pradesh's oilseed economy. (GS-III)
- Madhya Pradesh has positioned itself as India's 'Tiger State' and the home of Project Cheetah. Examine the ecological and economic significance of such wildlife reintroduction and conservation programmes for the state. (250 words)
- Madhya Pradesh is emerging as the hub of India's big-cat conservation. Discuss the state's tiger and cheetah initiatives and the challenges of building a viable cheetah metapopulation. (GS-III, ~250 words)
- Madhya Pradesh is emerging as India's wildlife-tourism capital. Examine how initiatives such as Project Cheetah and the state's tiger reserves can be leveraged for inclusive local development while ensuring ecological balance. (250 words, 15 marks)
- Madhya Pradesh's bid to become a leading investment destination rests on dedicated industrial zones and parks. Discuss the opportunities and challenges, with reference to the Global Investors Summit 2027.
- Madhya Pradesh has leveraged its natural endowments to become India's 'Tiger State' and 'Soybean State'. Discuss how conservation and agriculture together shape the state's development model.
- Madhya Pradesh has emerged as the hub of India's cheetah reintroduction. Discuss the ecological and administrative significance of expanding cheetah habitats across the state, and the challenges involved. (GS-III, ~250 words)
- "Madhya Pradesh's conservation leadership – as the Tiger State and now a multi-site cheetah habitat – can be leveraged into inclusive eco-tourism." Examine, with reference to Project Cheetah and the state's protected-area network. (GS-III, 250 words)
- Cash-transfer schemes such as the Ladli Behna Yojana have reshaped welfare delivery in Madhya Pradesh. Examine their impact on women's empowerment and discuss the challenge of fiscal sustainability. (250 words)
- "Industrial corridors can transform a landlocked state's economy only if land, logistics and skilling move in step." Examine in the context of Madhya Pradesh's new Jabalpur-Bhopal-Indore Industrial Corridor.
- "Price-deficiency payment schemes can protect farmers without the costs of physical procurement." In the light of Madhya Pradesh's Soybean Bhavantar Yojana, examine the merits and limitations of this approach. (15 marks, 250 words)
- Price-deficiency payment schemes such as Madhya Pradesh's Soybean Bhavantar Yojana are increasingly used to protect farm incomes. Examine their rationale and the practical challenges in implementation. (GS-III)
- Madhya Pradesh is branding itself at once as an agrarian powerhouse and an emerging industrial and conservation hub. Examine this with reference to the Soybean Bhavantar scheme, the Semiconductor Summit and Project Cheetah. (250 words)
- “Price-deficiency payment schemes such as Bhavantar can protect farmers without the fiscal and storage burden of physical procurement.” In light of Madhya Pradesh's Soybean Bhavantar scheme, critically examine the strengths and limitations of this approach. (250 words)
- Community participation — especially of tribal women — is emerging as a cornerstone of wildlife conservation in Madhya Pradesh. Discuss with reference to recent initiatives. (GS-III, 250 words)
- Community-based, women-led conservation models such as Madhya Pradesh's 'Bagh Didis' can reconcile wildlife protection with tribal livelihoods. Discuss. (250 words)
- Madhya Pradesh is positioning itself as an investment destination through sectoral summits and economic corridors. Examine the opportunities and challenges in making the state a hub for electronics/semiconductors and urban infrastructure. (250 words)
- 'Welfare direct-benefit transfers and capital investment compete for the same fiscal space.' In the light of Madhya Pradesh's recent Cabinet decisions, examine how the state can balance social-sector transfers with infrastructure creation. (GS-III, 250 words)
- Madhya Pradesh has emerged as a national leader in wildlife conservation while remaining India's largest soybean producer. Examine the challenge of balancing biodiversity conservation (Project Cheetah, Tiger State) with agrarian and irrigation expansion in the state. (250 words)
- Madhya Pradesh is positioning itself at once as India's agricultural powerhouse and as an emerging industrial-investment destination. Examine the opportunities and challenges in balancing agrarian welfare with industrial growth in the state. (250 words)
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