UPSC Current Affairs 15 October 2026

• 78 Days of Wages: The bonus is calculated as equivalent to 78 days' worth of wages for eligible workers.
• Maximum Payout Cap: The maximum amount payable to an individual eligible employee is capped at ₹17,951. This calculation relies on a monthly statutory wage ceiling of ₹7,000.
• Total Beneficiaries: Approximately 11.4 lakh (1,140,770) employees will benefit from this decision.

• Non-Gazetted Employees: The scheme applies strictly to non-gazetted Railway employees (primarily Group C staff).
• Exclusions: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) personnel are excluded from this specific PLB allocation.
• Covered Categories: Payouts will reach frontline staff including track maintainers, loco pilots, train managers (guards), station masters, supervisors, technicians, pointsmen, and ministerial staff.

• Employee Motivation: Paid annually before major Autumn festivals, the PLB functions as an incentive to boost morale and motivate the workforce toward continuous operational efficiency.
• Historical Context: Indian Railways was the first government department to introduce the concept of a Productivity Linked Bonus, starting in the financial year 1979–80, recognizing the sector's vital infrastructural role in the national economy.
• Employee Demands: While the current announcement brings festive relief, employee associations like the Indian Railways Technical Supervisors' Association (IRTSA) have approached the 8th Pay Commission to demand a revision of the decades-old calculation metrics, noting that the ₹17,951 cap has remained unchanged for years despite inflation.

• Full form: Studentship Program for Ayurveda Research Ken (SPARK).
• Edition: Fifth edition, for the academic batch 2026–27.
• Implementing body: Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), under the Ministry of AYUSH ecosystem.
• Objective: Introduce BAMS undergraduates to research methodology through short-term independent projects and build research aptitude, analytical thinking, and interest in research careers.
• Studentships: 300 studentships are offered.
• Financial support: ₹50,000 per selected student; the portal describes it as ₹25,000 per month for two months, paid after completion and approval of the final report.pib.gov+1
• Eligible students: BAMS students in the third/fourth professional years at NCISM or Government of India-recognised Ayurveda colleges/universities.
• Guide requirement: Research must be done in the student’s own college under a regular full-time faculty guide; a guide may supervise a maximum of two students.
• College quota: A college can forward proposals up to 10% of its annual undergraduate intake capacity.
• Application mode: Fully online through the SPARK portal; physical or email submissions are not accepted.

Stage	Date
Notification	15 October 2026
Registration and proposal submission	15 October–16 November 2026
Proposal screening	18 November–15 December 2026
CCRAS review	16–31 December 2026
Final evaluation	1–7 January 2027
Selected-students announcement	15 January 2027
Project completion and final report	By 31 May 2027, 5:00 PM
Awardee announcement	30 July 2027

• Purpose: A national recognition platform for research contributions in Ayurveda, covering research communication, publications, and innovation.
• New update: The second circular has been issued, detailing awards and prize money.
• Sponsor: Prize money is sponsored by Shree Dhootapapeshwar Limited.
• Finals date: 11 December 2026.

1. CCRAS-Prabodh 3MT: Research communication through a three-minute thesis presentation.
2. CCRAS-Prakash: Scholarly achievements through publications based on original research.
3. CCRAS-Navonmesha: Innovative prototypes, novel solutions, process innovations, and transformative research methodologies.

• The Theme: The core guiding theme of the conference is "Classical Knowledge to Intelligent Healthcare", emphasizing the evolution of traditional Ayurvedic wisdom through smart, technology-driven healthcare solutions.
• Organizing Body: It is hosted by ITRA Jamnagar in active association with the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India.
• Primary Objective: To bridge the gap between ancient diagnostic/treatment methodologies and cutting-edge technologies like Machine Learning, Big Data analytics, and Artificial Intelligence.
• Major Discussion Areas:
  • Development of AI-based diagnostic tools for Prakriti (body constitution) analysis.
  • Automation and standardization of Ayurvedic drug manufacturing processes.
  • Implementation of smart systems for predicting patient treatment outcomes.
  • Digital database management for extensive, evidence-based classical Ayurvedic knowledge.
• Target Audience: The national platform brings together Ayurvedic practitioners, data scientists, healthcare tech startups, researchers, and academic scholars to build an collaborative ecosystem for future health tech.

• Purpose: It is a legally binding international treaty designed to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of fishery resources in the high seas of the Southern Indian Ocean.
• Timeline: The agreement was signed in Rome on 7 July 2006 and officially entered into force in June 2012.
• Scope of Species: SIOFA specifically manages non-migratory fish stocks, including squid, toothfish, alfonsino, molluscs, and crustaceans.
• Exclusions: It strictly excludes highly migratory species (like tuna) and sedentary species that already fall under the coastal jurisdiction of specific states.

• The Two RFMOs: The Indian Ocean is governed by two major Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs).
  • The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) manages highly migratory tuna (India has been a member since 1996).
  • SIOFA manages all other deep-sea and sedentary resources.

• New Economic Frontiers: Currently, Indian fishing vessels operate closely within 60 to 80 nautical miles of the coast. Accession allows commercial fleets to venture into international waters legally.
• Full Governance Say: India gains structural access to SIOFA’s Scientific Committee and Compliance Committee, unlocking vital marine research, data sharing, and stock assessment programs.
• Resource Rights: Indian-flagged vessels will receive legal authorization to harvest high-value deep-sea species safely.

• Anti-IUU Fishing: Membership binds India to global efforts in preventing Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
• High Seas Bordering Scheme: India will actively participate in the High Seas Boarding and Inspection (HSBI) Scheme, strengthening national coastal security and international maritime law enforcement.
• Regulated Access: The opening of these waters does not imply unrestricted fishing; all operations must comply with SIOFA's conservation quotas and protective closures for vulnerable marine ecosystems.

• Founded: It was established on November 28, 1996, via a Gazette Notification by the Government of India.
• Legal Status: It is constituted as a Trust under the Charitable Endowment Act, 1890.
• Funding Model: It operates primarily on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to mobilize resources outside traditional government budgetary allocations.
• Initial Corpus: The Government of India provided an initial primary corpus of ₹19.50 crore to kickstart the fund.

• Heritage Conservation: To preserve, maintain, protect, and upgrade both Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected monuments and non-protected historical sites.
• Promoting Arts: To support India's intangible heritage, including traditional arts, crafts, training programs for artisans, and cultural publications.
• Capacity Building: To train and develop a dedicated cadre of cultural administrators and heritage preservation specialists.
• Museum Infrastructure: To expand existing museum spaces, create specialized galleries, and construct new museums.
• Endangered Traditions: To systematically document fading cultural expressions and art forms that face the threat of extinction.

• The Governing Council: It is the apex body deciding policy matters, consisting of a maximum of 25 members. It is chaired by the Union Minister of Culture.
• The Executive Committee: Responsible for implementing the actual projects, this committee is chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Culture.
• Project Oversight: Every individual initiative is managed via a dedicated Project Implementation Committee (PIC) containing representatives from the NCF, the specific donor, and the execution agency.
• Financial Accountability: The annual accounts of the NCF are strictly audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.

• Donor Flexibility: Unlike strict government funds, a donor/sponsor has the freedom to choose a specific monument, location, or cultural project, as well as the specialized agency they want to execute the work.
• 100% Tax Exemption: All financial contributions made to the NCF qualify for a 100% tax deduction under Section 80G(ii) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
• CSR Compliance: Corporate donations directly satisfy Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mandates under Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013.
• Major Backers: NCF has successfully partnered with major Public Sector Undertakings (such as NTPC, ONGC, SAIL, and IOC) as well as prominent private sector entities like the Tata Group (Indian Hotels Company) and the HCL Group.

• What it is: It is India’s official, comprehensive 24/7 toll-free digital mental health helpline.
• Launch Date: It was launched on October 10, 2022 (World Mental Health Day) under the National Tele Mental Health Programme (NTMHP).
• Nodal Ministry: Run by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
• Helpline Numbers: Citizens can easily access support by dialling the shortcode 14416 or the toll-free number 1800-891-4416.

• Apex Coordination: The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru serves as the central nodal hub directing the operations nationwide.
• Widespread Reach: The system operates through 53 localized tele-cells distributed across all 36 States and Union Territories.
• Multilingual Support: Services are provided seamlessly in 20 different Indian languages to break down regional communication barriers.

• Tier 1 (Base Level): Staffed by trained counsellors and mental health workers. They provide immediate tele-counselling, first-level emotional support, and triage. Over 90% of calls are completely resolved at this tier.
• Tier 2 (Specialist Level): When specialized interventions are needed, 10% of cases are escalated. This tier links callers to physical consultations at District Mental Health Programmes (DMHP), medical colleges, or audio-visual consultations via the e-Sanjeevani platform.

• Privacy Assurance: Calls are kept entirely unrecorded.
• Anonymity: Inbound phone numbers are systematically masked and replaced with unique system generated IDs to protect caller identity.
• Emergency Crisis Handling: Special overrides are established to execute immediate, precise crisis relays to local teams in cases involving imminent suicide risks.

• Demographic Push: Usage reports indicate that rural callers outnumber urban callers, successfully bridging the traditional geographic gap in access to quality psychiatric care.
• Young India’s Distress: The highest volume of users consists of students and young working professionals dealing with exam anxiety, relationship conflicts, financial stress, and workplace pressure.
• App Ecosystem: To supplement the voice calling network, a dedicated Tele-MANAS mobile app provides a digital library of information on managing early signs of stress, anxiety, and mental health challenges.

• Nature-Based Systems (NBS): Utilizes systems like constructed wetlands, biofiltration, and phytoremediation to mimic nature's self-purification mechanisms under engineered conditions.
• Plant-Microbe-Media Interactions: Technologies like Jalopchar use specific hyper-accumulative wetland plants (e.g., Typha latifolia, Arundo donax) working in tandem with native microorganisms to form active biofilms that immobilize and degrade pollutants.
• Advanced Eco-Catalysts: Uses eco-friendly precursors and composites derived from agro-waste to mineralize complex organic dye molecules.
• Magnetic/Gravitational Recovery: The advanced catalysts can be magnetically or gravitationally extracted from the treated water, allowing them to be reused across multiple cycles, dramatically lowering operation costs.

• Elimination of Toxic Sludge: Traditional chlorination or coagulant treatments generate massive volumes of secondary toxic sludge. Eco-friendly alternatives drastically mitigate or altogether eliminate sludge production.
• Energy & Cost Efficiency: Systems operate largely via natural gravity flow and biological processes. This reduces aeration energy costs (which usually take up 30-50% of a plant's power) and cuts greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20 times compared to standard plants.
• Chemical-Free Purification: Eliminates the dependency on harsh external chemical treatments, preventing secondary environmental toxicity.
• High Tolerance: The new nano-catalysts demonstrate rapid decolorization and high Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) reduction even under extreme pH and salinity levels.

• Circular Economy Integration: Promotes resource recovery by transforming industrial wastewater from an environmental liability into a clean, reusable water asset.
• Safeguarding Aquatic Life & Health: Untreated dye effluents block sunlight penetration, halting aquatic photosynthesis, and leach carcinogenic aromatic amines into groundwater aquifers. Green remediation entirely halts this degradation cycle.
• Agricultural Safety: Research shows that using microbial-treated wastewater via micro-irrigation (drip systems) drastically minimizes heavy metal absorption (such as Chromium and Nickel) in crops compared to untreated flood irrigation, safeguarding food chains.
• Support for New-Age Industries: Clean, recycled water from these systems fulfills the critical cooling and operational needs of burgeoning sectors like AI data centers, solar PV manufacturing, and green hydrogen production.

• Two Different Launch Mechanisms: South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) assessed that one missile was fired via a vertical launch system (VLS), while the other was fired through a conventional torpedo tube.
• Tactical Significance of Angles: The dual launch system allows North Korea to employ two distinct methods:
  • Vertical launches allow missiles to climb steeply to potentially extend their range.
  • Angled/Torpedo launches allow the missiles to fly at very low altitudes from the outset, making them far harder for radar and missile defence systems to detect and intercept.
• Identified Weapon Type: One of the missiles has been identified by analysts as the Pulhwasal-3-31, a strategic cruise missile model previously tested by North Korea from a land-based platform.
• Extended Flight Capabilities: The state media reports indicated that the missiles flew for more than two hours over the sea before accurately striking an island target.

• Operational Deployment: Rather than framing it as a mere developmental test, North Korea described the event as a "routine mobilisation-readiness inspection," indicating the military is actively moving the submarine system toward full operational deployment.
• Surprise Attack Capability: Unlike ballistic missiles, jet-propelled cruise missiles fly horizontally at low altitudes. Launching them from underwater platforms makes pre-launch detection extremely difficult for the U.S. and South Korea, providing Pyongyang with enhanced stealth.
• Building a Second-Strike Capability: Leader Kim Jong Un has shifted significant defence focus toward building a nuclear-armed navy. Perfecting underwater launches provides North Korea with a viable "second-strike" capability—the capacity to retaliate even if their land-based launchers are destroyed.

• Limited Operational Capability: Security experts note that while this is a dangerous step forward, North Korea has yet to demonstrate long-range naval patrols, deep-submerged launches, or an operational submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) system from this vessel.
• Geopolitical Leverage: Analysts believe the sudden surge in high-profile missile tests (including hypersonic tests on 20 September and 3 October) is aimed at gaining leverage against South Korea and pushing the U.S. to drop its denuclearisation prerequisites for future diplomacy.

• Scientific Name: Cyrtodactylus jeyporensis.
• Common Names: Commonly referred to as the Jeypore ground gecko, Jeypore Indian gecko, Jeypore hill gecko, or the Patinghe Indian gecko.
• Classification: Belongs to the family Gekkonidae (Geckos) under the order Squamata (Reptiles).

• The 130-Year Disappearance: The species was first described by British military officer Richard Henry Beddome in 1877–1878 based on a single specimen collected from the Patinghe Hills.
• Presumed Extinct: Following the initial description, it went entirely unrecorded and was widely considered extinct or lost for well over a century.
• The 2010 Resurrection: It was miraculously rediscovered in 2010 by an Indian scientist in the Eastern Ghats of Odisha, bringing it back from the brink of absolute obscurity.

• Endemic Nature: It is strictly endemic to India, specifically limited to the northern Eastern Ghats ecosystem.
• Extremely Restricted Distribution: Found in isolated patches spanning a minute area of southern Odisha (e.g., Deomali and Balda hills) and northern Andhra Pradesh (e.g., Galikonda hills).
• Preferred Environment: Inhabits high-elevation semi-evergreen forests and coffee plantations located exclusively at altitudes above 1,000 to 1,500 meters.

• Appearance: Features an oviform head with large subequal flat granules, a depressed body, and cylindrical fingers that are distinctly compressed at the tips (bent-toed feature). The body is covered in regular, flat brick-like scales.
• Ground-Dwelling: Unlike many arboreal geckos that climb high into trees, it is a terrestrial/ground-dwelling lizard that navigates leaf litter and boulder crevices.
• Activity & Diet: It is a primarily nocturnal, docile insectivore that hunts bugs at night and hides under rocks or forest debris during the day.
• Reproduction: It is an oviparous species, meaning it lays eggs to reproduce.

• IUCN Red List: Officially classified as Endangered due to its declining population, highly fragmented habitat, and tiny geographic range.
• CITES Protection: Listed under Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) to heavily regulate and restrict international commercial trade.
• Domestic Indian Law: Included under Schedule I of India's Wildlife Protection Act (amended), granting it the highest level of legal protection inside the country, akin to tigers and elephants.

• Habitat Destruction: Suffering from severe habitat loss driven by deforestation, forest fires, and expansion of tourism activities.
• Industrial and Infrastructure Pressures: Industrial bauxite mining, regional hydropower initiatives, and development projects are splitting its ancestral climate refugia.
• Illegal Smuggling: Because of its beautiful, distinct body patterns and docile nature, it faces high demand from international reptile breeders and is actively targeted by the illegal pet trade.

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