Daily Current Affairs: 1st October, 2026
Q1. The Green Energy Corridor Phase-III (GEC-III) scheme has been approved with a total project outlay of ________, which includes a Central Financial Support of ________ aimed at keeping power costs down for end users.
(a) ₹1,36,378 crore; ₹50,000 crore
(b) ₹1,86,405 crore; ₹54,082 crore
(c) ₹2,00,000 crore; ₹60,000 crore
(d) ₹1,50,000 crore; ₹45,000 crore
(e) ₹1,86,405 crore; ₹36,378 crore
Answer: b
Solution:
- The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the Green Energy Corridor Phase-III (GEC-III) scheme.
- The scheme aims to strengthen India’s Intra-State Transmission System (InSTS) to facilitate the evacuation of up to 135 GW of renewable energy across States and Union Territories.
- It also provides for deployment of 50 GWh of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) at renewable energy developer/generator sites or other strategically important locations.
- The BESS component will help address renewable energy intermittency, grid congestion, peak-hour curtailment and demand during non-solar hours.
- The scheme is targeted for completion by FY 2032–33, with a total project outlay of ₹1,86,405 crore.
- Of the total outlay, ₹1,36,378 crore is allocated for Intra-State Transmission Systems, while ₹50,000 crore is allocated for 50 GWh BESS.
- The scheme involves Central Financial Support (CFS) of ₹54,082 crore, which will help offset intra-state transmission charges and keep power costs lower for consumers.
- Greenfield InSTS projects will be implemented through Tariff Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB), while brownfield upgradation and network-strengthening works will follow the Cost Plus Basis (CPB).
- State Transmission Utilities (STUs) will serve as the overall implementing agencies, while Transmission Service Providers (TSPs) will participate under TBCB through the Build-Own-Operate-Maintain (BOOM) model.
- GEC-III will support India’s target of 900 GW installed non-fossil capacity by 2035, strengthen long-term energy security and promote sustainable growth by reducing the carbon footprint.
- The scheme is also expected to generate direct and indirect employment in the power, manufacturing and construction sectors, along with skilled employment in BESS manufacturing, operation, maintenance and grid management.
Q2. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the ITMS project for Delhi Police at an estimated cost of ________ to cover ________ identified traffic corridors in the National Capital.
(a) ₹1,500.00 crore; 30 corridors
(b) ₹1,789.52 crore; 42 corridors
(c) ₹2,100.25 crore; 50 corridors
(d) ₹1,250.75 crore; 25 corridors
(e) ₹1,789.52 crore; 60 corridors
Answer: b
Solution:
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the implementation of the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) by the Delhi Police.
- The project has an estimated cost of ₹1,789.52 crore, inclusive of taxes.
- The ITMS will cover 42 identified traffic corridors across Delhi.
- The project will be implemented in three phases over 24 months, followed by five years of operation and maintenance.
- The system will use real-time traffic data, adaptive traffic signals, automated enforcement and integrated command-and-control systems to improve traffic management.
- The initiative aims to make better use of Delhi’s existing road capacity by enabling traffic management to respond dynamically to actual road conditions.
- Delhi has around 71 lakh active registered vehicles, while vehicular growth has significantly outpaced the expansion of road infrastructure.
- The ITMS seeks to reduce dependence on fixed signal timings and manual intervention and promote technology-driven traffic regulation.
- The project is part of broader efforts by the Central Government and Government of NCT of Delhi to improve traffic management, transport infrastructure and urban mobility in the National Capital.
Q3. Among the oilseeds and pulses revised under the Rabi Marketing Season 2027-28, Rapeseed & Mustard received an absolute MSP hike of ________, while Lentil (Masur) received an absolute hike of ________ per quintal.
(a) ₹675; ₹413
(b) ₹390; ₹136
(c) ₹413; ₹83
(d) ₹675; ₹390
(e) ₹413; ₹390
Answer: e
Solution:
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved an increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all mandated Rabi crops for the Marketing Season 2027–28.
- The increase aims to ensure remunerative prices for farmers for their produce.
- The highest absolute increase in MSP has been announced for Safflower, at ₹675 per quintal.
- Rapeseed & Mustard received the second-highest increase of ₹413 per quintal.
- MSP for Lentil (Masur) has been increased by ₹390 per quintal.
- MSP for Barley has been increased by ₹136 per quintal.
- MSP for Gram has been increased by ₹83 per quintal.
- MSP for Wheat has been increased by ₹25 per quintal.
Q4. The Ministry of Power notified the new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE-III) norms for passenger vehicles, coming into force from April 1, 2027. What is the target percentage improvement in overall fleet fuel efficiency mandated across its five-year implementation block (2027–28 to 2031–32)?
(a) ~12.5%
(b) ~14.2%
(c) ~16.7%
(d) ~18.9%
(e) ~21.3%
Answer: c
Solution:
- The Ministry of Power, Government of India has notified new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Norms for passenger vehicles.
- The new norms will come into effect from 1 April 2027 and remain applicable until 31 March 2032.
- They will apply to new passenger vehicles manufactured or imported for sale in India.
- The CAFE framework will progressively tighten fuel-efficiency targets year-on-year over the five-year period.
- The fuel-consumption benchmark will improve from 3.996 litres/100 km in 2027–28 to 3.3273 litres/100 km in 2031–32, representing an improvement of around 16.7%.
- The revised target line adopts a more balanced and weight-sensitive approach, with relatively softer targets for lighter vehicles and stricter fuel-efficiency requirements for heavier vehicles.
- The reference weight has increased from 1,082 kg to 1,229 kg, an increase of around 13.6%.
- The norms provide manufacturers flexibility to adopt cleaner technologies, alternative fuels and innovative solutions to improve fuel efficiency.
- The framework promotes technological innovations such as solar-reflective paints, advanced glazing and high-efficiency air-conditioning systems.
- The revised CAFE framework supports India’s objectives of energy security, sustainability, electrification and reduced fossil-fuel consumption.
- The norms are aligned with the increasing availability of alternative and renewable fuels and rapid advancements in global automotive technologies.
Q5. The Indian Women’s Compound Archery team secured the Gold Medal at the Asian Games 2026 by defeating which country in the final match at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park?
(a) South Korea
(b) Chinese Taipei
(c) China
(d) Japan
(e) Indonesia
Answer: c
Solution:
- The Indian Women’s Compound Archery team won the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026.
- India defeated China 238–234 in the final at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park, Japan.
- The Indian team comprised Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Chikitha Taniparthi and Prithika Pradeep.
- India reached the final after defeating South Korea 234–233 in the semifinal.
- India had also won gold in the women’s compound team event at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Q6. The Indian women’s 4×400 metre relay team clinched the Gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya, Japan. What was the winning timing clocked by the Indian team?
(a) 3 minutes 24.12 seconds
(b) 3 minutes 27.45 seconds
(c) 3 minutes 29.69 seconds
(d) 3 minutes 31.05 seconds
(e) 3 minutes 33.80 seconds
Answer: c
Solution:
- India won the gold medal in the women’s 4×400m relay at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
- The Indian team comprised Kiran Pahal, Poovamma Machettira, Prachi Choudhary and Vithya Ramraj.
- India clocked 3:29.69 at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.
- Bahrain won silver with 3:30.21, while the People’s Republic of China secured bronze with 3:31.02.
- The victory marked India’s sixth Asian Games women’s 4×400m relay title.
- It was India’s first gold in this event since Jakarta 2018.
- India had previously won the women’s 4×400m relay at five consecutive Asian Games editions from Busan 2002 to Jakarta 2018.
- The Indian women finished runners-up at the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games.
- Poovamma Machettira was also part of India’s gold medal-winning relay teams at Incheon 2014 and Jakarta 2018.
Q7. Which country hosted the 11th meeting of the BIMSTEC Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (JWG-CTTC) on September 28–29, 2026?
(a) Bangladesh
(b) Thailand
(c) Sri Lanka
(d) India
(e) Myanmar
Answer: d
Solution:
- The 11th Meeting of the BIMSTEC Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (JWG-CTTC) was hosted by the Government of India.
- The meeting was held on 28–29 September 2026 in New Delhi.
- Delegations from all seven BIMSTEC Member States participated: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
BIMSTEC – Key Facts
- BIMSTEC stands for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.
- It was established on 6 June 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration.
- BIMSTEC connects South Asia and Southeast Asia, comprising five South Asian countries—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka—and two Southeast Asian countries—Myanmar and Thailand.
- It was initially formed as BIST-EC in 1997, comprising Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
- With the inclusion of Myanmar in 1998, it was renamed BIMST-EC.
- In 2004, the grouping was renamed BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).
- BIMSTEC aims to strengthen technical and economic cooperation among its member countries.
- Its major institutional meetings include Summits every two years, Ministerial Meetings annually and Senior Officials’ Meetings twice a year.
- BIMSTEC has identified 14 priority areas of cooperation, with member countries taking the lead in specific areas.
- India leads four priority areas: Transport & Communication, Tourism, Environment & Disaster Management, and Counter Terrorism & Transnational Crime.
- The BIMSTEC Secretariat is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Q8. The Ministry of Tourism launched the National Digital Tourism Stack (NDTS) as an Open Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) on World Tourism Day 2026. Which entity is collaborating with the Ministry as a primary technical developer for this stack?
(a) National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
(b) Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)
(c) Digital India Corporation (DIC)
(d) Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
(e) National Informatics Centre (NIC)
Answer: b
Solution:
Recently, the Ministry of Tourism on World Tourism Day 2026 launched the National Digital Tourism Stack and the National Mission for Alternative Destinations -Dekho Apna Desh Campaign 2.0.
About National Digital Tourism Stack:
- It is an open digital public infrastructure initiative aimed at making tourism offerings more discoverable, accessible and trustworthy.
- Developed by: It is being developed in collaboration with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and the support of International Centre for DPI Innovation and Advancement (ICDIA).
- Features:
- It will enable tourism providers to make their offerings available across participating platforms, supported by capabilities such as verified identities and supplier credentials, search and discovery, payments, ratings and grievance redressal.
- It is envisaged as a collaborative effort involving the Ministry, States, Union Territories and industry, the programme will be implemented in phases with a pilot planned for January 2027.
Key Facts about National Mission for Alternative Destinations:
- It is a mission for distribution of tourism demand and promotion of lesser-known destinations under Dekho Apna Desh Campaign 2.0.
- It seeks to promote tourism-ready, lesser-known destinations across India to diversify domestic tourist flows, improve visitor experience and create opportunities for local communities and tourism enterprises.
- Four pillars of the Mission:
- Selection of destinations: States and Union Territories will nominate tourism-ready destinations with a distinct appeal, adequate infrastructure and accommodation capacity to receive additional visitors, and willingness to share tourism data.
- The pilot themes: Mountain alternatives, coastal and waterfront alternatives, heritage and cultural destinations, and regional pilgrimage alternatives.
- Packaging of tourism products: Selected destinations will be developed into bookable tourism products and themed itineraries integrating accommodation, transport, food, experiences and local activities.
- Joint promotion: Destinations will be promoted through coordinated campaigns with States, Union Territories and industry partners.
- Data-driven management: A national tourism monitoring dashboard or framework will support destination management by tracking tourist footfall, carrying capacity and visitor feedback.
Q9. Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri was appointed Prime Minister of Morocco by King Mohammed VI in September 2026. She is the second woman Prime Minister in the Arab world, following which leader who was appointed as the first woman Prime Minister in the Arab world in 2021?
(a) Sameera Ibrahim Islam
(b) Najla Bouden
(c) Loubna Olayan
(d) Reema bint Bandar Al Saud
(e) Sahar Nasr
Answer: b
Solution:
- Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri was appointed Prime Minister/Head of Government of Morocco by King Mohammed VI on 29 September 2026.
- She became the first woman to head the Moroccan government and the second woman Prime Minister in the Arab world, after Najla Bouden of Tunisia.
- Her appointment followed Morocco’s parliamentary elections held on 23 September 2026.
- Her Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) emerged as the largest party, winning 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives.
- Under Article 47 of Morocco’s Constitution, the King appoints the Head of Government from the political party that wins the largest number of seats in the House of Representatives.
- El Mansouri was tasked with forming Morocco’s new government.
- Before her appointment, she served as Minister of National Territory Planning, Housing and City Policy and as Mayor of Marrakech.
Q10. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted its first-ever declaration on sea level rise in September 2026. What legal protection does the declaration explicitly accord to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) whose territories face complete physical submergence?
(a) Automatic transfer of sovereignty to neighboring continental nations
(b) Preservation of statehood, sovereignty, rights, and UN membership
(c) Immediate nullification of maritime boundaries and baseline claims
(d) Reclassification of submerged territory as international waters (High Seas)
(e) Mandated annexation into UN Trusteeship Council administration
Answer: b
Solution:
- The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted its first declaration on sea-level rise during a high-level plenary meeting on 24 September 2026.
- The declaration establishes a common international position on the legal and practical challenges arising from rising sea levels.
- Global mean sea level reached a record high in 2024, while the rate of rise increased from 1 mm per year during 1993–2002 to 4.7 mm per year during 2015–2024.
- The declaration affirms that countries threatened by rising seas do not automatically lose their statehood even if parts or all of their territory become submerged.
- It supports the continued existence of such states, including their sovereignty, rights, responsibilities and UN membership.
- The issue is particularly important for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which face risks from loss of habitable land and possible submergence.
