Wednesday, 14 October 2026 · IST · Uttarakhand + National · 11 items · 2 MCQs
Uttarakhand gets a new Governor in Dhal Singh Bisen, while the Haridwar Cabinet approved the Floodplain Zoning Rules, 2026 and the Assembly will meet at Bhararisain (Gairsain) from 27 October with a ~₹5,000 crore supplementary budget. Nationally, WPI inflation rose to 11.39% and CPI to 5.54% in September, even as the IMF raised India's FY27 growth to 7%.
Today at a glance — things to remember
Dhal Singh Bisen appointed Governor of Uttarakhand; succeeds Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd).
Cabinet (Haridwar) approves Uttarakhand Floodplain Zoning Rules, 2026 under the 2012 Act.
697.60 km of river stretches already carry final floodplain notifications.
Assembly's 3rd session of 2026 at Bhararisain, Gairsain from 27 October.
Supplementary budget of about ₹5,000 crore for 2026-27 expected.
Rain & hail hit 8,372.3 ha of kharif crops; U.S. Nagar ~7,730 ha.
Haridwar Kumbh 2027 logo, website and anthem unveiled by CM Dhami.
WPI inflation 11.39% (Sep) - fuel & power at 25.85%; CPI 5.54%.
IMF WEO: India's FY27 growth raised to 7% (+60 bps); world 3.1%.
INS Mangrol - 3rd Mahe-class ASW-SWC - commissioned at Mumbai.
Detailed notes
1. Dhal Singh Bisen appointed new Governor of Uttarakhand
Indian Polity - State Executive (Arts 153-162); Uttarakhand polity & administration; Prelims: list of Governors of Uttarakhand.
Context
On 12 October 2026, President Droupadi Murmu appointed Dhal Singh Bisen, a former Madhya Pradesh Cabinet Minister and ex-BJP MP, as Governor of Uttarakhand in a reshuffle covering six States.
Key facts
Succeeds Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd), who took oath on 15 September 2021 and served over five years.
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami welcomed him, citing his long political experience.
New Governor will summon/prorogue sessions and assent to Bills - first test: the 27 Oct Gairsain session.
Way forward
Smooth Raj Bhavan-Government coordination on pending Bills (Fire Services, Jan Vishwas II) and the 2027 election cycle.
Concept
Art 155: Governor appointed by President by warrant; Art 156: holds office during President's pleasure, normally 5 years; Art 159: oath by Chief Justice of the High Court (Nainital). First Governor of Uttarakhand: Surjit Singh Barnala (2000). Raj Bhavans at Dehradun and Nainital.
Disaster management in Uttarakhand (floods, flash floods); river systems of Uttarakhand; State Acts & Bills; Prelims: rivers & basins.
Context
The Cabinet chaired by CM Dhami at Haridwar on 12 October 2026 approved the Floodplain Zoning Rules, 2026, operationalising the Uttarakhand Flood Plain Zoning Act, 2012 with procedures and standards for land use in flood-prone areas.
Key facts
697.60 km of river stretches notified finally; longest: Alaknanda (197.35 km), Ganga (142 km), Bhagirathi (133.35 km).
Studies done for 1,175.54 km across 18 river basins; Sharda/Kali (244 km) and Nayar (180 km) under study.
Same Cabinet: Uttarakhand Fire & Emergency Services Bill, 2026 (on Centre's Model Fire Service Bill, 2019) and Second Jan Vishwas (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
Agniveer recruitment rules for Group 'C' uniformed posts; 92% of asset-monetisation proceeds to the respective agencies.
Way forward
Enforce zoning in the 108 urban local bodies (over 30% are riverside); align building bye-laws and NGT orders (e.g., Rispana, Dehradun).
Concept
Floodplain zoning = regulating land use by flood frequency (zones based on 25-100 year floods). CWC circulated a Model Bill (1975); NDMA flood guidelines (2008). Recent reminders: Kedarnath 2013, Dharali (Uttarkashi) flash flood 2025.
Flowchart of Uttarakhand floodplain zoning in six steps: Flood Plain Zoning Act 2012, survey and hydrology study of 25-100 year floods, zone maps and preliminary notification, final notification of 697.60 km, Rules 2026 land-use standards, and enforcement by urban local bodies and districts. — StudyForGS
3. ECI reviews preparedness for 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly elections
Election Commission of India (Art 324); electoral reforms; EVMs/VVPAT; Uttarakhand electoral politics.
Context
A two-day ECI review in Dehradun concluded on 13 October 2026, led by Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Manish Garg, ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls.
Key facts
Day 1: workshop on First Level Checking (FLC) of EVMs for DEOs and EVM nodal officers.
Day 2: DMs/District Election Officers and police presented plans on force deployment and law & order.
ECI expressed satisfaction; officials told to follow the prescribed election plan.
Way forward
Focus on remote polling stations, migrant (palayan) voters, snow-bound areas and expenditure monitoring.
Concept
Art 324: superintendence of elections; ECI = CEC + 2 ECs, appointed under the CEC & Other ECs Act, 2023. State CEO acts under ECI. Fifth Assembly elected in 2022.
Schematic district map of Uttarakhand showing Garhwal and Kumaon divisions with today's news locations: Dehradun (ECI poll review), Haridwar (Cabinet floodplain rules and Kumbh 2027 logo), Bhararisain-Gairsain (Assembly session from 27 October), Bajpur-Gadarpur (7,730 ha crop damage), Almora (fruit loss up to 70%) and Champawat (over 33% horticulture loss); neighbours Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, China (Tibet) and Nepal labelled. — StudyForGS
4. Assembly to meet at Bhararisain (Gairsain) from 27 October; ~₹5,000 crore supplementary budget likely
State Legislature (Arts 168-212); budgetary process (Art 205 supplementary grants); Gairsain - summer capital; Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha.
Context
The Governor summoned the third session of 2026 of the Fifth Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly (notification 13 October) at the Vidhan Sabha Bhavan, Bhararisain, Gairsain (Chamoli) from 27 October, 11 am.
Key facts
Supplementary budget of about ₹5,000 crore for 2026-27 (last year: ₹5,315 crore).
Speaker Ritu Khanduri Bhushan: Secretariat ready for the Gairsain sitting.
Likely Bills: Fire & Emergency Services Bill, Jan Vishwas II, Uttarakhand Irrigation & Drainage Bill, 2026 (to replace the Northern India Canal and Drainage Act, 1873).
Unspent departmental funds may be redirected to other development schemes.
Way forward
Regular sittings at Gairsain can make the summer capital meaningful for hill-area governance and checking palayan.
Concept
Gairsain declared summer capital in 2020 (notified 8 June 2020). Art 174: gap between two sessions < 6 months. Art 205: supplementary, additional or excess grants. Assembly strength: 70 seats.
5. Unseasonal rain & hail damage 8,372 ha of kharif crops; hill orchards hit
Agriculture & horticulture of Uttarakhand; Tarai-Bhabar plains; disaster relief (SDRF norms); crop insurance; climate change and Western Disturbances.
Context
Per the Agriculture Directorate (data up to 9 October), unseasonal rain and hailstorms affected 8,372.3 ha of kharif crops, while preliminary estimates show heavy losses in hill horticulture; IMD warns of more rain/snow in 9 districts.
Key facts
Udham Singh Nagar ~7,730 ha (paddy, sugarcane - Bajpur, Gadarpur); Haridwar ~600.1 ha (paddy - Bahadrabad).
Two plains districts = ~99.5% of affected area; other districts 42.2 ha.
Agri Minister Ganesh Joshi: aid as per central norms (cited ₹17,000/ha) plus State top-up; joint survey with Revenue dept.
Way forward
Fast-track PMFBY claims, expand anti-hail nets and weather-based insurance for apple/stone fruits; use crop-loss mapping via remote sensing.
Concept
SDRF/NDRF input subsidy is admissible when crop loss is ≥ 33%. PMFBY (2016) farmer premium: 2% kharif, 1.5% rabi, 5% commercial/horticulture. Udham Singh Nagar is the State's 'food bowl' (Tarai).
Donut chart of 8,372.3 hectares of kharif crop area affected by rain and hail in Uttarakhand: Udham Singh Nagar 7,730 ha, Haridwar 600.1 ha, other districts 42.2 ha. — StudyForGS
6. Haridwar Kumbh Mela 2027: official logo, website and anthem unveiled
Fairs & festivals of Uttarakhand; religious tourism; crowd & pilgrimage management; Prelims: Kumbh sites and rivers.
Context
On 12 October 2026, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the logo, website and theme song of Haridwar Kumbh Mela 2027 at the Mela Control Building (CCR), Haridwar; the Cabinet held the same day in Haridwar also focused on Kumbh preparations.
Key facts
Logo designed by Madhu Sharma of Jagjeetpur, Haridwar - picked from entries by youth and students of the State.
Theme song written, sung and composed by Haridwar singer Raghav Raja.
Logo motifs: Maa Ganga, Har Ki Pauri, Dhanush Bridge, Shiva statue, trishul & damru, Mansa Devi & Chandi Devi hills.
Aim: global branding, digital information for pilgrims and safe, well-managed arrangements.
Way forward
Apply crowd-safety SOPs, AI-based crowd monitoring and carrying-capacity planning to prevent stampedes on bathing days.
Concept
Kumbh is held at Haridwar (Ganga), Prayagraj (Sangam), Ujjain (Shipra) and Nashik (Godavari). Inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list (2017). Haridwar's last Kumbh: 2021.
7. Inflation spikes: WPI 11.39% and CPI 5.54% in September 2026
Official data released on 14 October showed WPI inflation at 11.39% (Aug: 9.92%), after CPI (base 2024) rose to a 23-month high of 5.54% (Aug: 4.83%) on 12 October.
Key facts
WPI: fuel & power 25.85%, manufactured products 9.76%, primary articles 8.67%, food index 8.66%.
Crude petroleum & natural gas WPI at 57.32%; basic metals 16.96%.
Highest CPI States: Tamil Nadu 6.81%, Odisha 6.70%, MP 6.68%.
Way forward
Supply-side steps (buffer stocks, onion releases, fuel taxes) plus a cautious MPC stance to anchor expectations.
Concept
WPI - compiled by Office of Economic Adviser, DPIIT (base 2022-23). CPI - by NSO, MoSPI (base 2024). RBI's target: 4% ± 2% under Sec 45ZA, RBI Act (flexible inflation targeting since 2016).
Grouped bar chart comparing August and September 2026 inflation: CPI headline 4.83 to 5.54, CPI food 5.97 to 7.74, CPI rural 5.24 to 6.08, WPI headline 9.92 to 11.39, WPI fuel and power 22.93 to 25.85, WPI food index 7.05 to 8.66 percent, with RBI's 6 percent upper tolerance line. — StudyForGS
8. IMF WEO (Oct 2026) raises India's FY27 growth forecast to 7%
Growth & development; international economic institutions; Prelims: reports & their publishers.
Context
The IMF's World Economic Outlook (13 October 2026), titled 'Resilience Under Strain, Urgent Choices', upgraded India's FY27 growth to 7%, citing strong domestic demand and services.
Key facts
India FY27: 7% (+60 bps from 6.4% in July); FY28: 7%; FY26 estimate 7.8%.
World growth: 3.1% (2026), 3.4% (2027); China 4.5% (2026).
India retail inflation projected at 5% (FY27), easing to 4.4% (FY28).
UNCTAD Trade & Development Report 2026: India 7.3% in 2026 - fastest-growing large economy; world 2.6%.
Way forward
Sustain momentum via capex, manufacturing (PLI) and export diversification amid global trade frictions.
Concept
IMF - created at Bretton Woods (1944), HQ Washington DC; WEO published April & October (updates Jan & July). Other IMF reports: GFSR, Fiscal Monitor. UNCTAD (1964, Geneva) publishes TDR & World Investment Report.
Stat tiles: India FY27 growth 7.0 percent, India FY26 estimate 7.8 percent, world growth 3.1 percent in 2026 and 3.4 percent in 2027, China 4.5 percent in 2026, and UNCTAD's 7.3 percent projection for India in 2026. — StudyForGS
9. INS Mangrol, third Mahe-class anti-submarine shallow water craft, commissioned
Three diesel engines + waterjet propulsion for shallow-water manoeuvrability; also mine-laying.
Named after Mangrol (Junagadh, Gujarat); earlier INS Mangrol (M85) minesweeper retired in 2004.
Way forward
Complete the 16-craft ASW-SWC programme on time to secure India's coastal waters against submarine threats.
Concept
16 ASW-SWCs: 8 Mahe-class (CSL, Kochi) + 8 Arnala-class (GRSE, Kolkata). Navy-Royal Navy exercise KONKAN-26 (8-15 Oct, off Plymouth) also under way with INS Trishul.
10. India hosts first BIMSTEC Home Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi
On 13 October 2026, Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the 1st BIMSTEC Home Ministers' Meeting, reaffirming India's commitment to the BIMSTEC Convention on combating terrorism, organised crime and drug trafficking.
Key facts
Members (7): Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka (South Asia) + Myanmar, Thailand (South-East Asia).
Grouping: ~1.7 billion people (22% of world) and GDP of ~USD 5 trillion.
Way forward
Operationalise the Convention via intelligence sharing, joint training and extradition/MLAT arrangements.
Concept
BIMSTEC - set up by Bangkok Declaration, 6 June 1997; Secretariat Dhaka. 6th Summit: Bangkok (4 April 2025). UK-Nepal border districts: Pithoragarh, Champawat, U.S. Nagar.
Mind-map with BIMSTEC at the centre linked to its seven members India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand, with focus areas terrorism, organised crime, narcotics, trafficking, illicit finance and cyber threats. — StudyForGS
11. Nobel Economics 2026 to Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford
REPORTUKPSC: Prelims (Awards & Economy)
Syllabus linkage
Awards & honours; macroeconomic stabilisation and monetary policy basics.
Context
On 12 October 2026, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences to US economists Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford for work on the microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation.
Key facts
Prize money SEK 12 million, shared equally.
Hall (b. 1943): Stanford / Hoover Institution; Woodford (b. 1955): Columbia University.
Woodford's 'Interest and Prices' (2003) shaped New Keynesian models and inflation targeting / forward guidance.
Way forward
Their ideas underpin how central banks like the RBI use expectations and policy rates to stabilise output and prices.
Concept
Economics prize instituted by Sveriges Riksbank (1968); first awarded 1969 (Frisch & Tinbergen). Indian-origin laureates: Amartya Sen (1998), Abhijit Banerjee (2019).
Data point of the day
11.39%
WPI Inflation, September 2026 Up from 9.92% in August; fuel & power at 25.85% drove the jump. April-September cumulative WPI inflation: 9.85%.
Prelims rapid-fire
Brihattar Bharat: IGNCA's international conference (14-16 Oct, New Delhi) on India's global cultural links; marks centenary of Greater India Society (1926).
Skill Scheme (UK): CM Higher Education Skill Enhancement Scheme-2026 - ~1.19 lakh students, ~₹200 crore over 5 years (Banbasa Cabinet, 4 Oct).
Irrigation Bill (UK): Uttarakhand Irrigation & Drainage Bill, 2026 to replace the 1873 Northern India Canal and Drainage Act.
PMDDKY: PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana completes 1 year (launched 11 Oct 2025); 100 districts, ₹24,000 crore/yr.
KONKAN-26: India-UK naval exercise off Plymouth (UK), 8-15 Oct 2026, with INS Trishul.
Legion of Honour: Sunil Bharti Mittal named Knight of France's Legion of Honour (announced 12 Oct).
Practice MCQs — UKPSC Prelims pattern
Q1. Consider the following statements regarding floodplain zoning in Uttarakhand:
1. The State enacted a Flood Plain Zoning Act in 2012.
2. The Floodplain Zoning Rules, 2026 were approved by the State Cabinet at Haridwar.
3. Among notified stretches, the Alaknanda has the longest demarcated length.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: D All correct: Act of 2012; Rules approved on 12 Oct 2026 at Haridwar; Alaknanda 197.35 km is the longest of the 697.60 km notified.
Q2. With reference to the Governor of a State in India, consider the following statements:
1. The oath of office is administered by the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court.
2. The Governor holds office during the pleasure of the President.
3. A person must be a resident of the State to be appointed its Governor.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1 only
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: B Art 159 (oath by CJ of HC) and Art 156 (pleasure of President) are correct; residency is not required - by convention, an outsider is usually appointed.
Mains practice question
Q. Unseasonal rain and hailstorms in October 2026 damaged over 8,000 hectares of kharif crops and hill orchards in Uttarakhand. Examine the vulnerability of the State's agriculture and horticulture to climate extremes and suggest a resilience strategy. (200 words)
Hint / approach
Intro with 8,372.3 ha data + plains vs hills contrast -> causes (Western Disturbances, erratic rain, small holdings, rain-fed hills) -> gaps (insurance reach, SDRF ≥33% norm, cold-chain) -> strategy (anti-hail nets, PMFBY/WBCIS, crop diversification, FPOs, millets, IMD agro-advisories) -> link to palayan and conclusion.
📌 One-line revision: Bisen = new Governor | Floodplain Rules 2026 (Act 2012, 697.60 km) | Gairsain session 27 Oct, ~₹5,000 cr supplementary | 8,372 ha crop loss | WPI 11.39%, CPI 5.54% | IMF: India 7%.
