UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS — 28 OCTOBER 2026

1. AVYAY: A Framework for Dignified Ageing

(SOCIAL JUSTICE) (PIB) The Social Justice Ministry’s Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY), an umbrella scheme launched in 2021 that subsumed the National Action Plan for Senior Citizens, is in focus as India ages and family support weakens. In 2026–27, ₹77.98 crore in grants was released to 755 projects for the quarter ending September 2026.

Why Elder Care Matters

Census 2011 counted 10.38 crore people aged 60 and above (5.11 crore men and 5.27 crore women), a number projected to reach about 23 crore by 2036 (PIB). Urbanisation, migration and nuclear families are weakening traditional care, so demand for geriatric and community support is rising (Senior Citizens and Vulnerable Groups).

Article 41 of the Constitution already directs the State to provide public assistance in old age, within its economic capacity.

Components of AVYAY

Component	What it does
IPSrC	Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens: grants to NGOs, Panchayati Raj Institutions and local bodies for senior citizen homes, continuous care homes, mobile medicare units and physiotherapy clinics
SAPSrC	State Action Plan for Senior Citizens: aid to States and UTs for local plans; up to 20% of funds may go to approved State-specific initiatives
RVY	Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (2017): assistive devices for age-related disability, distributed through camps and ALIMCO-linked kendras
RRTCs	Regional Resource and Training Centres: training, research and monitoring; each receives about ₹19.58 lakh a year under IPSrC

Reported reach: 764 senior citizen homes, 13 continuous care homes, 17 mobile medicare units and 3 physiotherapy clinics; RVY has benefited over 10.45 lakh seniors with about 55.88 lakh devices.

Digital and Support Initiatives

Elderline 14567: national helpline since October 2021, with over 8.66 lakh actionable calls.
JEEVAN app and SHATAYU dashboard (both May 2026): scheme information, one-tap helplines, and a database of 30,151 trained caregivers (23,334 women, 6,817 men).
SAGE: equity support of up to ₹1 crore for elder-care start-ups, growing the Silver Economy.
SCOPE and PM-SPECIAL: productive engagement for seniors, and free caregiver training.
Intergenerational bonding: an MoU on 1 September 2026 with Ramakrishna Math and Mission for 200 pilot schools.

Guiding Principles and Monitoring

Ageing with dignity and ageing in place: care at home and in the community wherever possible.
District committees under the Collector select beneficiaries; a Project Monitoring Unit inspects projects.
The e-Anudaan portal, biometric attendance and live CCTV feeds improve accountability.

The next test is quality of care in small towns and rural areas, and fair access for poor elderly women (Vulnerable Sections).

2. Double Fortified Salt: A Ready Answer to Anaemia

(SOCIAL JUSTICE) (TH) An opinion piece by Marthi Venkatesh Mannar argues that the new 7X7X7 Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy should lean on Double Fortified Salt (DFS), ordinary salt enriched with both iodine and iron, as an affordable population-scale answer to iron-deficiency anaemia.

Scale of the Problem

In NFHS-5 (2019–21), 57% of women aged 15–49 were anaemic, and 67.1% of children aged 6–59 months were affected. Anaemia drives maternal risk, poor learning and a cycle of undernutrition (Health and Nutrition).

What Is DFS?

Feature	Detail
Iodine	Prevents goitre and intellectual disability (salt iodisation)
Iron	Combats microcytic iron-deficiency anaemia
Why salt	Eaten daily in predictable amounts across income groups, so compliance is easier than with iron-folic acid pills
Stability	Iron compounds such as encapsulated ferrous fumarate or ferric pyrophosphate limit discolouration and iodine loss
Platform	Universal Salt Iodisation: around 95% of households already use iodised salt
Reach so far	The author estimates DFS already reaches about 76 million people in four States through safety-net programmes
Cost	The author puts it at ₹14–₹20 per person a year, with a benefit-cost ratio of 4.2:1

Institutional Framework

FSSAI has notified standards for DFS, including the iron compound used.
The author states that the Government mandates DFS in PM POSHAN school meals and in ICDS.
AMB’s 7X7X7 design covers seven beneficiary groups, seven interventions and seven institutional mechanisms.

Challenges

Uneven PDS adoption: the Public Distribution System reaches roughly 80 crore people, but DFS supply depends on State funding.
Taste and colour: early, unencapsulated products darkened food and reduced acceptance.
Genetic blood disorders: unscreened iron can overload people with thalassaemia or sickle-cell disease.
Price and access: branded DFS costs more than iodised salt in open markets.
Sodium trade-off: campaigns must promote DFS yet urge lower total salt for hypertension.

Way Ahead

Fortify at source ➜ Distribute through PDS and meals ➜ Screen for blood disorders ➜ Communicate with households

Make DFS an eligible commodity under the National Food Security Act with central funding.
Concentrate production in coastal salt hubs for uniform quality control.
Mandate encapsulation and moisture-proof packs; link distribution to sickle-cell and thalassaemia screening.
Use ASHA and Anganwadi workers for cooking demonstrations that counter myths about colour and taste.

3. Janjatiya Gaurav Pakhwada 2026

(SOCIAL JUSTICE) (PIB) The Tribal Affairs Ministry will observe Janjatiya Gaurav Pakhwada from 1 to 15 November 2026, ending on Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas (15 November), the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda.

Background

Birsa Munda led the Munda rebellion (Ulgulan, 1899–1900) against land alienation and forced labour, and died in custody in 1900 (Tribal Uprisings).
The Government declared 15 November as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas in 2021; his 150th anniversary was marked as Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh (2024–25).

What Is Planned

Theme	Initiative
Projects	Over 300 projects: 228 inaugurations and 74 foundation stones, including a Tribal Research Institute in Itanagar and the Ropuiliani Tribal Freedom Fighter Museum in Mizoram
Health data	Jan-HIT portal, built with ICMR: proposed as India’s first tribe-disaggregated health data platform, covering 20 States
Forest rights	National FRA Digital Platform to digitise claims under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, from Gram Sabha application to digitally signed title
Language and culture	National Tribal Literary Festival; Adi Vaani workshop at IIT Delhi for a digital repository of tribal languages
Enterprise	Rani Durgavati Adivasi Mahila Sammelan for 500 tribal women entrepreneurs from 30 States/UTs
Outreach	Dharti Aaba Janbhagidari Abhiyan: about 1.54 lakh Adi Karmayogi volunteers across 76,963 villages
Health and livelihood	Camps for PVTGs, training for traditional healers, scholarships, conservation of 200–300 medicinal plant species

Over 160 activities are planned across 19 States and UTs, from cultural festivals to livelihood camps.

Constitutional Anchors

Articles 244 and 342, with the Fifth and Sixth Schedules, frame tribal administration and the notification of Scheduled Tribes (Tribal Area Development).
Article 46 directs the State to promote the educational and economic interests of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Digitised forest-rights titles and disaggregated health data would help to target schemes for PVTGs more precisely, linking recognition of heritage with rights (Forest Rights).

4. States Urged to Borrow Prudently

(ECONOMICS) (TH) Addressing the 36th Conference of State Finance Secretaries on 27 October 2026, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra urged States to adopt prudent borrowing and efficient cash management and to protect the quality of spending. The conference drew finance secretaries of 27 States and three Union Territories.

What Is Prudent Borrowing?

Debt is kept within the ability to repay, and spent mainly on capital expenditure that creates future income (Fiscal Policy).
This is the “golden rule” of public finance: do not borrow for routine revenue spending.
Cash management means timing borrowing to real cash gaps, avoiding idle balances that cost interest.

State Finances at a Glance (Background Figures)

Indicator	Reported position
Aggregate State debt	29.2% of GDP at end-March 2026, above the 20% limit advised by the FRBM Review Committee
Gross fiscal deficit	Budgeted at 3.3% of GDP for 2025–26; 16 States budgeted above 3%
Committed spending	Over 60% of revenue receipts go to interest, salaries, pensions and subsidies
Stressed States	Punjab and West Bengal near or above 40% of GSDP
Prudent States	Gujarat, Maharashtra and Odisha within the 20% limit

These figures come from background analysis, not from the linked report, which covers the Governor’s speech; check them against RBI’s annual study of State budgets before quoting. States account for about two-thirds of public spending, so their capital expenditure matters for growth.

Problem Areas

Off-budget borrowing through State enterprises and special-purpose vehicles, often with guarantees, escapes FRBM limits and legislative scrutiny.
Revenue over capital: capital spending carries a high multiplier (about 2.45, as reported), unlike subsidies and waivers.
DISCOM guarantees are contingent liabilities that can fall on State budgets.
Bond-yield spikes from uncoordinated borrowing calendars raise costs (crowding out).

Constitutional and Policy Frame

Article 293: a State may borrow within India on the security of its Consolidated Fund within legislative limits; under 293(3), a State indebted to the Union needs Union consent for fresh loans.
The Union now counts State off-budget borrowing against these limits.
SASCI offers 50-year interest-free loans for State capital investment, a major support for State capex (Government Debt).

Way Forward

The Governor asked States to onboard the Unified Lending Interface and use programmable CBDC for direct benefit transfers to stop leakage (TH).
Use State Level Bankers’ Committees to monitor credit and priority-sector bottlenecks.
Follow the FRBM glide path and use RBI’s new booklet, the Compendium on Cash and Debt Management for State Governments, released at the conference; States were also reviewed on the Benchmark Issuance Strategy.
Set up an independent fiscal council, as the Finance Commissions and the N. K. Singh-led FRBM Review Committee advised (Finance Commission).

5. Jio Platforms Lists After a Record IPO

(ECONOMICS) (FP) Jio Platforms made its stock-market debut on 28 October 2026 after a ₹30,188-crore (about $3.2 billion) initial public offering (IPO) that drew about $77 billion in bids and was subscribed 22.2 times. The issue price was ₹1,119 a share, the top of the ₹1,065–₹1,119 band, valuing the company near ₹10.3 lakh crore.

What Is an IPO?

The first sale of shares by an unlisted company to the public, through fresh shares, an Offer for Sale (OFS) by existing holders, or both. The company then trades on exchanges (Primary Market).

How an IPO Works

Merchant bankers appointed ➜ DRHP filed with SEBI ➜ SEBI clearance and RHP ➜ Anchor and public bidding ➜ Allotment ➜ Listing

The Draft Red Herring Prospectus discloses business, risks and use of funds; the final RHP adds dates and the price band.
Price is found through book building; funds stay blocked in investors’ accounts under ASBA until allotment.
Oversubscribed retail and non-institutional quotas are allotted by lottery.

Quota	Investors
QIB	Qualified Institutional Buyers such as mutual funds and insurers
NII	Non-Institutional Investors (high-net-worth)
RII	Retail Individual Investors

Eligibility Under SEBI’s ICDR Regulations, 2018

Route	Conditions
Profitability (Reg. 6(1))	Net tangible assets of at least ₹3 crore in each of the preceding three full years (not more than 50% in monetary assets); average operating profit of at least ₹15 crore over the three best of the preceding five years; net worth of at least ₹1 crore in each of three years
Alternative (Reg. 6(2))	Book-building issue with at least 75% of the net offer to QIBs, for firms not meeting profit tests

Significance

Channels household savings into productive companies and deepens the capital market.
Gives investors dividends and capital gains, and gives promoters and venture funds an exit.
Mandatory disclosure under SEBI improves governance and investor confidence.

📖 Read More: Capital Market • Primary Market Instruments • SEBI

6. IMEC: A Corridor Beyond Chokepoints

(INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS) (AIR) External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said at the Raisina Middle East event in Abu Dhabi that the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is already shaping how countries in the region think about connectivity, as competition rises and new chokepoints emerge

What Is IMEC?

A proposed multimodal corridor linking India, the Middle East and Europe through shipping, rail, energy pipelines and digital links. It was announced at the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi through a memorandum of understanding, and is not yet a binding treaty.

Feature	Detail
Signatories (8)	India, the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union
Link	Tied to the G7’s PGII (2022); seen as an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative
Route	India → UAE → Saudi Arabia → Jordan → Israel → Europe
Ports	Mundra (India), Jebel Ali (UAE), Haifa (Israel), Piraeus (Greece)

Two Corridors

Eastern Corridor: India to the Arabian Gulf by sea.
Northern Corridor: Gulf to Europe by rail and sea.

Other Connectivity Projects Involving India

Project	Link
INSTC	Ship, rail and road network between India, Iran, Russia, Central Asia and Europe
Kaladan Project	Kolkata Port to Sittwe Port (Myanmar) by sea, river and road, serving India’s Northeast
Trilateral Highway	Moreh (India) to Mae Sot (Thailand) through Myanmar

Why It Matters

Offers an alternative to trade lanes disrupted by West Asian instability (India and West Asia Policy).
Deepens ties with Gulf partners and Europe (India and Europe).
Success depends on regional stability, financing and agreement among many states.

7. Liechtenstein: India’s New Alpine Partner

(INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS) (PTI) The Prime Minister held talks on 27 October 2026 with Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein at Hyderabad House during his 25–28 October visit, which aims to deepen cooperation in trade and investment and in science, technology and innovation.

Quick Profile

Item	Detail
Capital	Vaduz
State	Constitutional monarchy; Hereditary Prince Alois performs head-of-state duties as regent
Parliament	Unicameral Landtag; Prime Minister Brigitte Haas heads the government
Location	Upper Rhine valley in the Alps, between Switzerland and Austria
Size	About 160 sq km; highest point Grauspitz (2,599 m)
Currency	Swiss franc

What Makes It Distinct

One of only two doubly landlocked countries: every neighbour is itself landlocked (the other is Uzbekistan).
Customs union with Switzerland since 1923 and an open border.
No army since 1868; neutral, with police for internal security.
A rich economy built on precision manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and finance.

Link to India

A member of EFTA and the European Economic Area.
The India–EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement, which includes Liechtenstein, entered into force on 1 October 2025 (EFTA communiqué).
Strengthens India’s engagement with Europe beyond the EU (India and Europe).

📖 Read More: India and Europe • India and West Asia Policy

8. Garuda Shakti: India–Indonesia Special Forces Drill

(INTERNAL SECURITY) (PIB) The 11th edition of the India–Indonesia joint special forces exercise GARUDA SHAKTI began at Banyuwangi, Indonesia.

Exercise at a Glance

Feature	Detail
Nature	Bilateral special forces exercise, hosted alternately by the two countries
Dates	27 October to 6 November 2026
Indian force	Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), Indian Army
Indonesian force	Indonesian Special Forces
Aim	Interoperability, mutual understanding and sharing of counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency experience

Training Content

Jungle warfare, obstacle crossing, combat marksmanship and mountaineering.
Air assault, close-quarter battle and exchange of expertise on weapons and equipment.
A final validation exercise to test endurance, coordination and readiness.

Strategic Meaning

Strengthens defence ties with a key Indo-Pacific partner (India and Indonesia Relations).
Indonesia sits beside the Malacca and Sunda Straits, vital maritime chokepoints.
Supports India’s engagement with ASEAN through defence cooperation.

Other India–Indonesia exercises include Samudra Shakti (naval) and IND-INDO CORPAT (coordinated naval patrol).

9. K9 Vajra-T: Over 300 More Howitzers

(INTERNAL SECURITY) (BS) On 26 October 2026 the Defence Ministry granted in-principle approval for over 300 more K9 Vajra-T self-propelled howitzers, at an estimated cost above ₹20,000 crore. The Army already operates 100 guns and has another 100 on order (December 2024); the new buy would build a fleet of 500, or 25 regiments of 20 guns.

About the Gun

Feature	Detail
Type	155 mm, 52-calibre tracked self-propelled howitzer
Maker	Larsen & Toubro (Hazira, Gujarat) with Hanwha Aerospace of South Korea, based on the K9 Thunder
Range	Up to 40 km with standard shells; up to 50 km with extended-range projectiles
Fire rate	Burst of 6–8 rounds a minute
Mobility	“Shoot-and-scoot”: fires, then moves within minutes to avoid counter-battery radar
Protection	All-welded steel hull against shell splinters, mines and small arms
Weight and speed	About 50 tonnes; road speed about 67 km/h; crew of five
Cold weather	Winterisation kits; a full regiment has operated in eastern Ladakh

Indigenisation

Reports put indigenisation by value above 50% at the programme level; L&T says over 80% of physical work packages and sub-assembly manufacturing are done in India.
The Defence Ministry has set a target of more than 70% indigenous content for the new batch (Make in India).

Where AoN Fits

AoN by the Defence Acquisition Council ➜ Request for Proposal ➜ Trials ➜ Cost negotiation ➜ Cabinet Committee on Security ➜ Contract

AoN is only the first approval; it states that a purchase is needed, not that a contract exists.

Significance

Adds mobile, tracked firepower along the LAC and LoC against armoured formations (Border Security).
Deepens public–private defence manufacturing and domestic armoured vehicle supply chains (Armed Forces and Internal Security).

10. Democratising AI for Inclusive Growth

(SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY) (IE) A column by Neelkanth Mishra and Somik Lall argues that India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) experience, such as UPI and India Stack, shows how technology, institutions and market incentives can cut costs and broaden access to AI.