Monthly at a glance
- Mon 2 Nov — Joshimath heli crash puts Char Dham air safety under scanner; Kedartal trekkers missing; GST hits ₹2.31 lakh crore; Ashutosh Dixit is new IAF chief
- Tue 3 Nov — Uttarakhand launches Devbhoomi Parivar Portal & Vision-2047; Kedartal avalanche search halted; SC allows green crackers for 7–8 Nov; ₹53,866 crore deal for 8 Navy corvettes
All topics — key facts for revision
2 November 2026
Full notes with diagrams →UTTARAKHAND Joshimath heli crash: Char Dham air-safety under the scanner
- Operator Trans Bharat Aviation; UCADA grounded its entire fleet as a precaution.
- IMD had an orange alert (thunderstorm, hail) for Chamoli that day; cause not yet confirmed.
- AAIB has counted 9 occurrences (5 fatal) in the Char Dham heli-sector during 2015-25.
- Earlier fatal crashes: Gangnani, 8 May 2025 (6 dead) and Gaurikund, 15 Jun 2025 (7 dead).
UTTARAKHAND Kedartal: 7 trekkers, 1 guide missing in heavy snowfall
- SDRF flew two aerial reconnaissance sorties using Harsil as base; no tents sighted.
- A specialised mountaineering team from SDRF battalion HQ has been deployed.
- Kedartal (~4,750 m) lies below Thalay Sagar peak, inside Gangotri NP.
UTTARAKHAND ₹805 crore cleared for dam safety, urban bodies & heritage works
- ₹398.30 cr to strengthen 6 UJVNL dams/barrages under a World Bank project.
- ₹328.28 cr to all urban local bodies (Q3 FY27) per the 5th State Finance Commission.
- Haridwar sewer lines ₹13.89 cr (Bhupatwala, Kankhal); Harsil facade facelift of 23 buildings ₹4.92 cr.
- Temple works: Ghatika Temple, Chalanichhina (Almora); Bhagwati Mela site, Dudhauri (Champawat).
ENVIRONMENT Kwanu villagers protest Kishau Dam on the Tons
- 232.6 m concrete gravity dam on the Tons, on the Uttarakhand–Himachal border.
- Storage about 1,562 MCM; about 1,476 MU of power a year.
- Partners: UK, HP, UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi; Centre bears about 90% of cost.
UTTARAKHAND Apple push: 5,000 ha of new orchards to rival Himachal & Kashmir
- Baseline: about 12,000 ha under apple, output about 44,000 MT a year.
- 80% subsidy for high-density orchards; ₹34 crore approved under the mission.
- Varieties: King Roat, Mema Master, Hypek — commercial yield in 3-4 years.
UTTARAKHAND CM Sports Club in every gram panchayat; trophy expands to 50 sports
- CM Sports Club in every gram panchayat.
- CM Championship Trophy: sports 32 → 50 (traditional games added); CM Cup prize ₹5 lakh → ₹10 lakh.
- Amwala (Dehradun): mini stadium + Agniveer training centre; PRD honorarium to be raised.
DEFENCE Ashutosh Dixit takes over as 29th IAF chief; unveils "VAYU"
- VAYU: Vigilance, Atmanirbharta, Yukti (ingenuity), Unity of effort.
- Commissioned 6 Dec 1986 (fighter stream); 3,500+ flying hours; experimental test pilot.
- Sanctioned strength 42 fighter squadrons; IAF operates well below it.
SCI-TECH GSLV-F18 launches NVS-03 to revive NavIC
- Mass 2,232 kg; mission life 12 years.
- Carries an indigenous atomic clock built by SAC, Ahmedabad.
- New L1 signal compatible with ordinary smartphones; NVS-04 and NVS-05 to follow.
POLITY SC: no oral mentioning by senior advocates from 2 November
- Live-streaming of mentions before the CJI's court has been stopped (28 Oct).
- The CJI also asked High Courts why litigants rush to the SC for early hearings.
- Aim: equal access to the court and opportunities for young lawyers.
SCI-TECH Digi Yatra goes international: trials at 7 airports
- Credential built by scanning the passport chip via NFC + selfie; stored in the phone wallet.
- 26.5 million+ users and 110 million+ journeys so far.
- Goal: interoperability with IATA One ID and ICAO PKD; wider rollout in 2027.
IR US clears $2.1 bn Patriot interceptor sale to Ukraine
- Approval only; delivery not yet confirmed.
- PAC-3 MSE uses hit-to-kill technology against missiles and aircraft.
- Shows growing European burden-sharing in the war.
3 November 2026
Full notes with diagrams →UTTARAKHAND Devbhoomi Parivar Portal launched; Viksit Uttarakhand Vision-2047 released
- Every registered family gets a unique Devbhoomi Parivar ID — "one family, one identity, one platform".
- Implements the Devbhoomi Parivar Bill, 2026 (tabled on 10 March 2026); data exchange to follow the DPDP Act, 2023.
- Head of family = senior-most woman member aged above 18.
- Proposed Devbhoomi Parivar Authority (state) + a District Devbhoomi Parivar Officer in each district.
- Vision-2047 sets targets on about 440 indicators, aligned with Viksit Bharat @2047.
UTTARAKHAND Honorarium hike for kshetra panchayats; ₹25 lakh development fund revived
- Current honorarium: pramukh ₹6,000/month; senior & junior vice-pramukh ₹1,500; member ₹500.
- Discontinued ₹25 lakh development fund for kshetra panchayats to be revived.
- Pramukhs to join the block-level NRLM committee.
- Gram panchayats to be consulted before a village is merged into an urban area.
- State has 13 zila, 95 kshetra and 7,813 gram panchayats.
UTTARAKHAND Kedartal avalanche: 8 missing, search halted as snow hits the high Himalaya
- 13-member group set out on 27 October; was due back on 29 October.
- 4 support staff (3 porters, 1 cook) found safe near Kachhi Dhang on 31 October.
- Agencies: NDRF, SDRF, Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), a 10-member Mountain Rescue Team and a UCADA helicopter (3 sorties).
- Missing trekkers: 5 from West Bengal, 2 from Uttar Pradesh.
UTTARAKHAND Chamoli helicopter crash: probe finds no Mayday call; spotlight on Char Dham air safety
- Operator: Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt Ltd; pilot + 5 passengers, all from Bengaluru.
- Probe by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
- AAIB study: 8 helicopter accidents + 1 serious incident in the Char Dham sector in 2015–2025; 5 fatal.
- Most were attributed to crew not following SOPs.
UTTARAKHAND Char Dham portals to close for winter: Kedarnath on 11 Nov, Badrinath on 16 Nov
- Gangotri: 10 Nov (Annakut, 12:05 pm) → winter seat Mukhba.
- Kedarnath (8:30 am) & Yamunotri (10:28 am): 11 Nov (Bhai Dooj) → Ukhimath & Kharsali.
- Badrinath: 16 Nov, 9:37 pm → Pandukeshwar / Joshimath.
- Tungnath: 6 Nov (→ Makkumath); Madmaheshwar: 16 Nov (→ Ukhimath).
POLITY Uttarakhand HC orders State to list and protect parks, playgrounds and open spaces
- Secretary, Urban Development to identify spaces under Sec. 3(1) of the 1975 Act within 6 months.
- Publish the list under Sec. 3(4) within 3 months thereafter.
- M.P. Inter College ground, Ramnagar: only sports use without the DM's written permission.
- Petitioner showed the statutory list had never been published.
ENVIRONMENT SC allows green crackers in Delhi-NCR on 7–8 November in fixed time slots
- Slots: 6–7 AM and 8–10 PM only; full ban returns from 9 November.
- Only CSIR-NEERI / PESO-certified crackers with QR codes; barium and series crackers (ladis) banned; no online sales.
- 300 m "No-Cracker Zones" around hospitals, schools, old-age homes and silence zones.
- Court: Art. 25 (religion) is subject to public health and the Art. 21 right to a clean environment.
ECONOMY PM: India will add another 500 GW of non-fossil capacity in 10–11 years
- Nearly 300 GW achieved towards the 500 GW by 2030 goal (COP-26, 2021).
- 50% non-fossil installed capacity reached in 2025 — 5 years ahead of the Paris NDC.
- Solar module capacity: ~2 GW a decade ago → 200 GW+; cells ~40 GW.
- PM Surya Ghar: 65 lakh+ homes; PM-KUSUM: 30 lakh+ farmers.
- Investment opportunity ₹20 lakh crore+ this decade; green hydrogen target 5 MMT.
DEFENCE MoD signs ₹53,866 crore contracts for 8 Next-Generation Corvettes
- GRSE, Kolkata: 5 ships; Goa Shipyard Ltd: 3 ships.
- ~2,000 tonnes, ~30 knots; in-house Navy stealth design.
- Roles: anti-surface & anti-submarine warfare, coastal defence, maritime surveillance.
- First ship targeted by 2030; ~72 lakh shipyard + 460 lakh MSME person-days.
IR NSA Doval in Hanoi: India, Vietnam agree to deepen defence and security ties
- Framework: Joint Vision Statement on India–Vietnam Defence Partnership Towards 2030.
- Ties upgraded to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during President To Lam's India visit (May 2026).
- Focus: military exchanges, training, defence industry, maritime security.
- Links Viksit Bharat 2047 with Vietnam's Vision 2045.
SOCIETY Manisha Bhanwala becomes India's first woman senior world wrestling champion
- Only the 2nd Indian senior world champion, after Sushil Kumar (2010).
- India: 4 medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze), all in women's freestyle.
- Silver: Neelam Sirohi (50 kg), Kajal Dhochak (76 kg); bronze: Tanu (72 kg).
- USA topped the table with 15 medals (7 gold).
HEALTH Assam to build India's first public-sector Proton Beam Therapy Centre
- Funding: ₹315 crore World Bank loan + ₹285 crore from the state.
- Under the ASSIST project; implementing agency AHIDMS.
- Technology: IBA's ProteusONE system; operational in about 3 years.
Prelims rapid-fire — 12 facts
| 104 health helpline of Uttarakhand is shut 1-9 Nov; relaunch 10 Nov with new software (NHM). |
| Gorkha Dashain-Deepawali Mahotsav (Dehradun): CM recalls the India-Nepal border via Pithoragarh, Champawat, Udham Singh Nagar. |
| Char Dham Yatra 2026 crossed 56.89 lakh pilgrims (to 7 Oct), beating the 2023 record of 56.13 lakh. |
| Diwali falls on 8 Nov 2026; Kedarnath & Yamunotri customarily close on Bhai Dooj. |
| Uttarakhand Foundation Day: 9 Nov (formed 2000 as the 27th state). |
| Assam posted the fastest GST growth among major states in October (+47%). |
| BIMSTEC: First BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise (30 Oct–3 Nov) concludes at Sri Vijaya Puram; all 7 members took part. |
| Uttarakhand Day: 9 November — state formed in 2000 as India's 27th state; HC at Nainital. |
| Bullet train: Delhi–Guwahati corridor (via Siliguri) of 1,500 km approved. |
| GSI: Dinesh Vitthalrao Ganvir becomes the 55th Director General of the Geological Survey of India. |
| Bulgaria: Iliana Iotova — Bulgaria's first elected woman President (57.58% votes). |
| Tungnath: World's highest Shiva temple (Panch Kedar) closes 6 Nov; winter seat Makkumath. |
Data points of the period
₹2,31,290 crore (+22.9% YoY)
Gross GST collections, October 2026
Highest growth in four years on festive demand; imports +42.2%, net GST ₹2.03 lakh crore (+25.6%). Uttarakhand: ₹1,776 cr (+11%); Maharashtra tops with ₹35,150 cr.
Highest growth in four years on festive demand; imports +42.2%, net GST ₹2.03 lakh crore (+25.6%). Uttarakhand: ₹1,776 cr (+11%); Maharashtra tops with ₹35,150 cr.
₹2.74 lakh
Uttarakhand per capita income (Economic Survey 2025-26)
Up from about ₹1.94 lakh (2022) to nearly ₹2.74 lakh (2025); nominal GSDP rose from ₹2.54 lakh crore to ₹3.81 lakh crore; growth estimated at 7.23% for 2025-26; poverty index fell from 9.70 to 6.92.
Up from about ₹1.94 lakh (2022) to nearly ₹2.74 lakh (2025); nominal GSDP rose from ₹2.54 lakh crore to ₹3.81 lakh crore; growth estimated at 7.23% for 2025-26; poverty index fell from 9.70 to 6.92.
4 practice MCQs — UKPSC Prelims pattern
Q1. With reference to the Kishau Multipurpose Project, consider: 1. It is on the Tons river along the Uttarakhand–Himachal Pradesh border. 2. Six states are partners in it. 3. The Tons is a tributary of the Ganga joining at Devprayag. Which are correct?
- 1 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: B
The Tons is the largest tributary of the Yamuna (joins near Kalsi), not the Ganga; at Devprayag the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda meet.
The Tons is the largest tributary of the Yamuna (joins near Kalsi), not the Ganga; at Devprayag the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda meet.
Q2. Consider the following about NavIC: 1. It is a global navigation system like GPS. 2. NVS-03 carries an indigenous atomic clock. 3. It was launched on GSLV-F18. Which are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: B
NavIC is a regional system (India + ~1,500 km); NVS-03 (2,232 kg) carries a SAC-built atomic clock and flew on GSLV-F18.
NavIC is a regional system (India + ~1,500 km); NVS-03 (2,232 kg) carries a SAC-built atomic clock and flew on GSLV-F18.
Q3. Consider the following pairs (shrine — winter seat): 1. Gangotri — Mukhba 2. Yamunotri — Kharsali 3. Kedarnath — Pandukeshwar Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
- 1 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: b
Kedarnath's winter seat is the Omkareshwar temple, Ukhimath; Pandukeshwar/Joshimath is the winter seat of Badrinath.
Kedarnath's winter seat is the Omkareshwar temple, Ukhimath; Pandukeshwar/Joshimath is the winter seat of Badrinath.
Q4. With reference to Uttarakhand's Devbhoomi Parivar Portal, consider the following statements: 1. Each registered family gets a unique Devbhoomi Parivar ID. 2. The senior-most male member above 18 years is the head of the family. 3. Data exchange is to follow the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. 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
The head of family is the senior-most woman member aged above 18, so statement 2 is wrong.
The head of family is the senior-most woman member aged above 18, so statement 2 is wrong.
Mains practice questions
- Recurring helicopter accidents and trekking tragedies expose gaps in Uttarakhand's mountain-safety governance. Examine the causes and suggest an integrated framework. (250 words)
- Recent trekking and helicopter accidents in the Uttarakhand Himalaya expose gaps in high-altitude safety governance. Discuss with examples and suggest a framework. (250 words, 15 marks)
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