LEGAL NEWS

Supreme Court Directs RBI to Frame Measures Against Digital Arrest Fraud

• On 29 October 2026, the Supreme Court directed the RBI to frame regulatory measures to prevent digital arrest fraud.

• A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant said banks should fully compensate victims, at least up to the amount lost, where negligence in due diligence enabled fraud.

• The Court reviewed the proposed RBI (KYC) Amendment Directions, 2026, expected to be notified by 30 November and implemented by 31 December 2026.

• Suggested safeguards include temporary suspension of unusual transactions, automated police alerts and physical verification.

• The Court cited digital arrest fraud losses exceeding ₹800 crore in 2026 as of 29 October and questioned the RBI’s response to the growing problem.

• Attorney General R. Venkataramani stated that reported cases had declined by 50% compared with 2025 and money had been restored in over 11 lakh cases.

• The suo motu proceedings began after fraudsters impersonating officials cheated an elderly couple of ₹1.05 crore.

• Digital arrest scams involve fake officials, prolonged video calls, threats and coerced money transfers. Fraudsters often use mule accounts and layered transactions to conceal stolen funds.

NATIONAL NEWS

ECI Revises Special Intensive Revision (SIR) Schedule 2026

• On 29 October 2026, the Election Commission of India (ECI) revised the SIR schedule in Delhi, Haryana, Telangana, Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

• The decision followed requests from the respective Chief Electoral Officers and observations by the Supreme Court.

• In Delhi, the deadline for filing claims and objections was extended from 30 October to 25 November 2026.

• Disposal of claims and objections in Delhi will continue until 15 December 2026.

• Delhi’s final electoral roll is scheduled for publication on 22 December 2026.

• In Maharashtra, claims and objections can be filed until 13 November 2026, with disposal continuing until 25 November.

• Final electoral rolls for Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Nagaland are scheduled for publication on 30 November 2026.

• Article 324 empowers the ECI to supervise elections, while Article 326 provides for adult suffrage. The 61st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1988, reduced the voting age from 21 to 18 years.

Jantar Mantar Added as Venue for India Biennale 2026

• Jantar Mantar, Delhi, has been added as a venue for India Biennale 2026, organised by the Ministry of Culture.

• The 108-day festival will run from 4 December 2026 to 21 March 2027, with participation from over 20 countries.

• Purana Qila, a 16th-century fort, will serve as the central hub and host the Ministry of Culture’s exhibition.

• Other venues include the Red Fort, Qutub Minar complex, Lodhi Gardens, Agrasen ki Baoli and Safdarjung Tomb.

• Participants include the National Gallery of Modern Art, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, JSW Foundation and DAG.

• Jantar Mantar in Delhi was built in 1724 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II as an astronomical observatory.

• Its key instruments include Samrat Yantra (sundial), Ram Yantra (altitude and azimuth measurement) and Jai Prakash Yantra (celestial coordinates).

• Jai Singh II built five observatories at Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Varanasi and Mathura. Jaipur’s Jantar Mantar was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010.

India Highlights AI and Maritime Security for UNSC Candidature 2028–29

• On 29 October 2026, India’s UN Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni identified AI and maritime security as priorities for India’s candidature for a non-permanent UN Security Council seat in 2028–29.

• He said AI can analyse satellite images, radar and vessel-tracking data to detect suspicious activities, improve maritime awareness and support search-and-rescue operations.

• India called for wider access to technology, training and institutional capabilities for developing countries, along with safeguards, human oversight and accountability for autonomous systems.

• India highlighted cyber threats to ports, vessels, communication networks and undersea infrastructure.

• India condemned attacks on commercial vessels and stressed freedom of navigation, lawful maritime trade and seafarer safety under the UNCLOS framework and the work of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

• The Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), hosted by the Indian Navy in Gurugram, Haryana, was cited as an example of maritime information-sharing.

• Launched in December 2018, IFC-IOR fuses, analyses and shares White Shipping information to strengthen maritime domain awareness. India’s regional cooperation approach is guided by SAGAR – Security and Growth for All in the Region.

• The election for the Asia-Pacific Group’s single UNSC seat is scheduled for June 2027, with India competing against Tajikistan. In September 2026, S. Jaishankar and Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis co-chaired a UN event on AI and international peace and security.

STATE NEWS

Bihar Museum Ranks 9th Among World’s Top 100 Museums in 2026

• Bihar Museum, Patna, ranked ninth in the 2026 list of the world’s 100 best museums published by Worth a Journey.

• It was the highest-ranked Asian museum and the only Indian institution in the list.

• Mexico City’s Museo Nacional de Antropología secured the first position globally.

• New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art ranked tenth, one place below Bihar Museum.

• Bihar Museum opened in 2015 and was dedicated to the public in 2017, during Nitish Kumar’s tenure as Bihar Chief Minister.

• Located in Patna, the museum showcases Bihar’s history from the Stone Age to recent times.

• Its collections include archaeological artefacts, sculptures, coins, manuscripts and regional folk art.

• Patna is associated with ancient Pataliputra, which served as the capital of the Magadha kingdom and the Mauryan Empire.

SPORTS

Rahul Dravid and Saina Nehwal Nominated to 2030 Commonwealth Games Board

• On 30 October 2026, Rahul Dravid and Saina Nehwal were nominated to the Organising Company Board for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

• The Games will be held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, featuring 17 sporting disciplines.

• Private-sector nominees include Jinal Mehta (Gujarat Titans owner) and entrepreneur Ananya Birla.

• Gujarat Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi is expected to chair the organising company.

• Hari Ranjan Rao and IOA President PT Usha are likely to be vice-chairpersons.

• Gujarat Principal Secretary M. Thennarasan has been appointed CEO.

• Dravid and Nehwal had not confirmed acceptance of their nominations as of 30 October 2026.

• Athletics and swimming, including their para-sport counterparts, are compulsory events. The first eight announced sports include bowls, weightlifting, gymnastics, netball, boxing and table tennis.

Manisha Bhanwala Wins Gold at Senior World Wrestling Championships 2026

• On 30 October 2026, Manisha Bhanwala won gold in the women’s 59kg category at the Senior World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan.

• She defeated USA’s Abigail Elizabeth Nette 8–6 in the final after recovering from a 0–6 deficit.

• She became the first Indian woman to win gold at the Senior World Wrestling Championships.

• The 29-year-old wrestler belongs to Rohtak, Haryana.

• She became only the second Indian wrestler to win a senior world title after Sushil Kumar (2010).

• Her victory ended India’s 39-year wait for a women’s gold at the championships.

• The 59kg category is not an Olympic weight category. India won four women’s freestyle medals: one gold, two silver and one bronze.

• The championships are organised by United World Wrestling (UWW). Freestyle permits the use of legs in attacks and defence, unlike Greco-Roman wrestling.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Anil Menon Completes Fourth Spacewalk at the ISS

• NASA astronaut Anil Menon completed his fourth spacewalk on 29 October 2026, alongside Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk.

• The spacewalk lasted 7 hours and 11 minutes and took place at the International Space Station (ISS).

• The astronauts installed the seventh of eight Roll-Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs) to upgrade the ISS power system.

• It was the 100th U.S. spacewalk from the ISS Quest airlock without a Space Shuttle docked.

• Menon’s cumulative spacewalking time reached 26 hours and 31 minutes.

• Kutryk completed his first spacewalk, becoming the fifth Canadian astronaut to perform an extravehicular activity (EVA).

• Menon was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Ukrainian and Indian immigrant parents. He reached the ISS in July 2026 for an eight-month mission.

• The next spacewalk was scheduled for 5 November 2026 to install the eighth and final iROSA. The ISS has had a continuous human presence since November 2000.

ECONOMY NEWS

World Bank Report: Poverty in India Declines to 2.6% in 2023

• The World Bank’s October 2026 Poverty and Equity Brief states that India’s extreme poverty rate declined from 27.1% in 2011 to 2.6% in 2023, lifting an estimated 496 million people out of poverty.

• At the lower-middle-income poverty line of USD 4.20 per day (2021 PPP), poverty fell from 57.7% to 16.1%.

• The World Bank attributed the decline to consumption growth, increased employment—particularly among women—and social transfers such as food subsidies.

• Indicative projections estimate poverty at the USD 4.20 threshold at 14.2% in 2026 and 12.1% by 2028.

• The Oxford Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) recorded a decline from 53.8% in 2005–06 to 16.4% in 2019–21. The World Bank’s multidimensional measure stood at 15.5% in 2022–23.

• Around 57% of India’s poor are concentrated in a contiguous belt extending from Uttar Pradesh to West Bengal.

• Employment increased by about 134 million between 2017 and 2023, largely due to rural women entering paid work. However, youth unemployment rose from 14.6% to 15.9% between Q1 FY26 and Q1 FY27, while real earnings remained broadly unchanged.

• The Alkire-Foster method measures multidimensional poverty by counting simultaneous deprivations. The Global MPI covers three dimensions: health, education and standard of living.

GST Reduced to 5% on E-Commerce Delivery Services

• At its 57th meeting on 8 October 2026, the GST Council recommended a 5% GST rate without Input Tax Credit (ITC) on delivery services for goods supplied through e-commerce platforms.

• The Central Government issued Notification No. 09/2026-Central Tax (Rate) on 27 October 2026, effective from 1 November 2026.

• The revised rate reduces GST from 18% to 5%. Postal and courier services are excluded.

• Under Sections 9(5) and 22(1) of the CGST Act, 2017, the e-commerce operator must pay GST when the delivery service provider is not liable to register.

• On 28 October, Nasscom requested the Finance Ministry to defer implementation until 1 January 2027.

• Nasscom cited the need to update and test technology, billing, accounting, ERP configurations, invoicing and GST compliance systems.

• It also sought consultation with e-commerce operators and logistics providers to clarify requirements and resolve implementation challenges.

• India follows a dual, destination-based GST system: intra-state supplies attract CGST and SGST, while inter-state supplies and imports attract IGST. The GST Council recommends tax rates and related rules.