Nobel Economics 2026 Why in News: The 2026 Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded to Robert E. Hall of Stanford and Michael Woodford of Columbia for 'microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation'. The prize money is SEK 12 million. Robert E. Hall: Households and Demand • Hall's 1978 idea: consumer spending depends on expected future income, so consumption changes mainly when new and unpredictable information arrives - described as a 'random walk' of consumption. •

Black Panther Why in News: A rare black panther was captured in Kerala, drawing attention to melanistic leopards in the Western Ghats. What is a Black Panther? • A black panther is not a separate species. It is a leopard (Panthera pardus) showing melanism, or excess production of the dark pigment melanin. • The leopard's rosette pattern remains present and can still be visible in bright light. • In leopards, melanism is caused by a recessive gene and is more common in dense,

2026 El Niño Peak and Drought in India Why in News: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says the 2026 El Niño could be among the strongest since at least 1950 and is expected to peak in December 2026. Maharashtra has declared drought in 265 talukas after a weak monsoon. What WMO Said • Near-100% likelihood that El Niño will persist through February 2027. • Central-eastern equatorial Pacific sea-surface temperature anomaly is forecast at about +3.7°C for October-Decemb

Green Keelback Why in News: A Green Keelback was recently spotted near Gangawadi village on the outskirts of Biligiri Rangana Betta (BR Hills), Yelandur taluk, Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka. What is it? • Scientific name: Macropisthodon plumbicolor. • It is a non-venomous, semi-aquatic snake native to South and Southeast Asia. • Its distribution includes India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and parts of Indonesia. Habitat • It prefers wetlands such a

India-EFTA Partnership Why in News: The 2nd India-EFTA Prosperity Summit is being held in New Delhi, one year after the India-EFTA TEPA came into force. The first summit in October 2025 marked its entry into force. What is EFTA? • EFTA stands for the European Free Trade Association, an intergovernmental trade bloc created by the Stockholm Convention, 1960. • Headquarters: Geneva. • Current members: Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. All four are outside the Europ

Great Nicobar Island Project Why in News: The Supreme Court recently refused to entertain the Union Government’s challenge to a PIL concerning the Great Nicobar Island Project. What is the Project? • Conceived by NITI Aayog and launched in 2021, it is a Rs 81,000-crore mega-infrastructure project on Great Nicobar, the southernmost island of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. • Its objective is to develop Great Nicobar as a strategic maritime and economic hub. • The project

Ramappa Temple Why in News: Heritage activists have sought withdrawal of a proposed opencast coal mine at Venkatapur in Telangana, citing possible threats to the Ramappa Temple. Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple • Located at Palampet village in Telangana. • Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021. • A major Shiva temple of the Kakatiya period (1123-1323 CE), associated in the source with Rudradeva and Recharla Rudra. • Built mainly of sandstone. • Its pyramidal

Buxa Tiger Reserve and the Royal Bengal Tiger Why in News: A three-year-old tigress, T138, was released into Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal, marking an effort towards a viable and self-sustaining tiger population in the reserve. Royal Bengal Tiger: Key Facts • Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. • It is found across India except in the high Himalayas, the Thar Desert and Gujarat. • Its habitats include tropical ever

EAM Jaishankar at the UN General Assembly Why in News: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar used his UNGA speech to rebut Pakistan on terrorism and warn that wider global instability is being driven by the weaponisation of economic and strategic interdependence. Pakistan and Terrorism • The source records Jaishankar describing Pakistan as a “serial practitioner of terrorism”. • He argued that friendship and goodwill cannot coexist with terrorism and stated that India would

Essential Medicines and Drug Price Regulation Why in News: The Supreme Court expressed concern over the sharp disparity between the prices charged to retailers and consumers for essential medicines, particularly cancer drugs. Drug Regulation in India • Drugs and medicines are primarily regulated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. • Medicine prices are regulated mainly through the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO). • The DPCO is

Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor Why in News: The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor has not progressed at the pace Japan had expected. What is MAHSR? • The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor is India's first bullet-train corridor. • It is being developed with Japanese technical and financial assistance using Shinkansen technology. • The corridor is about 508 km long and connects Mumbai and Ahmedabad through 12 stations. • The National High-Speed Rail C

Census 2027 Why in News: Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently described Census 2027 as a national responsibility requiring public participation. What Makes Census 2027 Different? • It will be India's first digital Census: enumerators will collect information through mobile apps. • Citizens will also have an online self-enumeration option. • The source states that caste-related information will be collected for all individuals during the population-enumeration phase, for the

Poland's Asylum Suspension Why in News: Poland stopped registering asylum applications from migrants entering from Belarus. Poland presented the step as a temporary emergency measure in response to what it described as a Russian-Belarusian effort to destabilise the country through migration pressure. What is 'Weaponised' or 'Instrumentalised' Migration? • It refers to a situation in which a State deliberately channels migrants towards another country's border to create politi

Kasturirangan Committee Report on the Western Ghats Why in News: Karnataka Chief Minister said that implementation of the Kasturirangan Committee recommendations could affect the livelihoods of people living in the Western Ghats region. Background: Gadgil to Kasturirangan • The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change constituted the Madhav Gadgil Commission, or Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, in 2010 to assess the ecological status of the Western Ghats. • The K

Tulu Language Why in News: The Karnataka Cabinet has proposed Tulu as an additional administrative language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. Basics of Tulu • Tulu belongs to the South Dravidian branch of the Dravidian language family. • The 2011 Census recorded about 1.85 million native speakers of Tulu. • UNESCO classifies Tulu as a Vulnerable language. • Historically, Tulu was written in the Tigalari script. • Today, it is mainly written in the Kannada script; Malayalam is al

India's Rice Production Why in News: India has received 15% below-normal rainfall due to the Super El Niño, which the source says may push rice production to a two-decade low. India's Position in Rice Production and Trade • India is the world's largest exporter of rice and accounts for roughly 30-40% of global rice trade. • The source lists India, China and Indonesia as the top three rice producers. • India exported 20.1 million metric tonnes of rice in 2024-25. • Major expor

Hindi Diwas and the Official Language Framework Why in News: Hindi Diwas is observed every year on September 14 to mark the Constituent Assembly's adoption of Hindi as an official language on September 14, 1949. Key Facts • On September 14, 1949, the Constituent Assembly adopted the language compromise commonly known as the Munshi-Ayyangar formula. • The Constitution declares Hindi as an official language, not a national language. • Hindi is not classified as a classical lang

Mocha, Mokha Port and Coffee in India Why in News: Mocha derives its name from Al-Mokha (Mocha/Mokha), a historic Red Sea port in Yemen that became a major centre of the medieval coffee trade. Where is Mokha? • Mokha is a port city in Yemen near the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb. • Bab-el-Mandeb is an important global trade chokepoint. • Mokha lies in southern Yemen near Perim Island. • The source notes that the port remains strategically important amid Yemen's conflict. Coffee Pro

India's Rice Production Why in News: India has received 15% below-normal rainfall due to the Super El Niño, which the source says may push rice production to a two-decade low. India's Position in Rice Production and Trade • India is the world's largest exporter of rice and accounts for roughly 30-40% of global rice trade. • The source lists India, China and Indonesia as the top three rice producers. • India exported 20.1 million metric tonnes of rice in 2024-25. • Major expor

Tulu Language Why in News: The Karnataka Cabinet has proposed Tulu as an additional administrative language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. Basics of Tulu • Tulu belongs to the South Dravidian branch of the Dravidian language family. • The 2011 Census recorded about 1.85 million native speakers of Tulu. • UNESCO classifies Tulu as a Vulnerable language. • Historically, Tulu was written in the Tigalari script. • Today, it is mainly written in the Kannada script; Malayalam is al