UPSC Current Affairs
Nobel Peace Prize 2026, Greenfield FDI Trends, and Key Economic Reforms
11 stories · about 5 min read · quiz and Mains question at the end
South African jurist Navi Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize
South African jurist Navi Pillay, an international pioneer of human rights and justice, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. Over her illustrious career, Ms. Pillay has served as a judge on the High Court of South Africa, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and the International Criminal Court. She has also headed the United Nations Independent Inquiry Commission on Palestine, consistently championing humanitarian law and human rights worldwide.
India's greenfield investment share outpaces China's: UNCTAD
A report released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) reveals that India's share of global greenfield investments more than doubled that of China's between 2020 and 2025. The report indicates that these investments are increasingly targeted at strategic sectors. While domestic consumption in India shows some signs of strain due to high prices, the country continues to hold its position as the fastest-growing major economy.
GST Council rolls out major procedural reforms
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has unveiled a series of comprehensive process reforms aimed at streamlining tax administration, reducing litigation, and easing refund and registration procedures. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman indicated that 99 percent of rate and procedural issues have now been addressed, although the doors remain open for future adjustments. These process updates are slated to take full effect starting April 1, 2027.
Periyar Tiger Reserve transitions to CNG transit fleet
In an effort to curb environmental pollution, the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Kerala has initiated a transition of its public transit fleet from diesel to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). The reserve currently operates eight diesel buses and has introduced three new CNG buses, with plans to systematically replace the entire transit fleet. This green initiative aims to protect the sensitive forest ecosystem and minimize carbon emissions in core wildlife zones.
India imposes 3% IGST on gold and silver imports via banks
The Union government has announced that gold and silver imports by banks and other nominated agencies will now attract a 3 percent Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST). This structural decision aims to establish tax parity between bank-channeled imports and imports occurring through other legal routes, including the India International Bullion Exchange. The change eliminates tax discrepancies that previously existed across differing import channels.
Strait of Hormuz transits fall to two-month low
Shipping data shows that commodity vessel transits through the critical Strait of Hormuz dropped to their lowest levels in over two months following regional security threats and attacks. Only seven major commodity vessels passed through the strait on a single day, marking the lowest figure registered since July. This decline highlights the immediate vulnerability of global energy supply lines to localized geopolitical escalations.
IIIT-Hyderabad study warns against complete reliance on AI diagnosis
A study conducted by researchers at the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H) has advised medical professionals not to rely blindly on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for medical diagnoses. The researchers observed significant discrepancies between the chest X-ray regions highlighted by vision-language AI models and the actual visual regions analyzed by expert human radiologists. This finding highlights the need for a collaborative human-in-the-loop framework in clinical settings.
Call to expand India's stem-cell donor registries
Medical experts are emphasizing the critical need for a larger and more immunologically diverse stem-cell donor registry in India. For patients suffering from blood disorders and cancers who lack compatible family donors, unrelated registries remain the only life-saving option. Because human leukocyte antigen (HLA) markers are highly ethnic-specific, a diverse local donor database is essential to increase the matching probability for Indian patients.
AP & TS State News
Andhra Pradesh & Telangana
State news for APPSC and TGPSC. Also see the weekly roundup and the APPSC Group-I 2026 guide.
Andhra Pradesh forms Cabinet sub-committee on housing sites
The Andhra Pradesh government has constituted a Cabinet sub-committee to address issues surrounding approximately 11 lakh vacant house sites in PMAY-NTR Nagars. The committee will look into merging smaller plots, evaluating the feedback of beneficiaries, cancelling registrations for unutilized land, and allocating alternative spaces to over two lakh pending applicants who are waiting for housing sites.
Chief Minister Naidu urges prioritisation of Godavari-Cauvery river link
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prioritize the implementation of the Godavari-Cauvery river linking project. The project is designed to divert surplus water from the Godavari basin to water-stressed regions in the southern states through the Krishna and Pennar basins. Speeding up this project is considered vital for regional water security and agricultural stability across the Deccan peninsula.
Telangana eases fire safety rules for mid-rise residential buildings
The Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services department has revised fire safety guidelines, exempting residential buildings under 24 metres in height from obtaining a Fire No Objection Certificate (NOC). However, the department has made the installation of fire towers and dedicated Fire Command Centre (FCC) rooms mandatory for all high-rise structures measuring 24 metres or more to maintain stringent safety compliance in dense urban zones.
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