Pragnya Daily · 6:00 am IST
Every morning our editors scan The Hindu, Indian Express, Times of India, PIB, Down To Earth, RBI, ministries, the World Bank, IMF and UN agencies, and turn the 10 most exam-relevant stories into syllabus-mapped analysis with infographics, Prelims MCQs and Mains model answers.
Today's edition
9 analysed stories
#1India’s retail inflation rose to 6.1% in October 2026, exceeding the RBI’s upper tolerance limit for the first time since October 2024. Food and fuel remained the principal drivers, but price pressures spread across consumption categories, complicating the balance between inflation control and economic growth.
#2Karnataka plans to request inclusion of its enhanced SC/ST reservation law in the Ninth Schedule after the High Court quashed the legislation; the State has also approached the Supreme Court. Inclusion requires a constitutional amendment by Parliament and cannot provide absolute immunity from basic-structure review.
#3Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend the India–ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit in Manila on November 17, 2026. The engagements will focus on maritime cooperation, trade and investment, reinforcing ASEAN’s central role in India’s Act East Policy. A possible Quad leaders’ meeting has been reported but has not been officially confirmed by India.
#4COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, has exposed divisions over delivering climate finance, moving away from fossil fuels and recognising mountain vulnerability. India’s insistence on predictable finance and nationally determined pathways, alongside Nepal’s demand for Himalayan recognition, highlights the need to connect climate ambition with equitable implementation and protection of vulnerable communities.
#5The Comptroller and Auditor General of India is undertaking a comprehensive power-sector audit, beginning with 39 DISCOMs and five departmental undertakings, with privately owned DISCOMs excluded from this exercise. Its focus on consumer experience, power procurement and financial sustainability can connect public expenditure scrutiny with service delivery and strengthen accountability for power-sector reforms.
#6The Hindu reports that the Cabinet Committee on Security has cleared 26 roads in Arunachal Pradesh under ICBR-III, while the ITBP has separately sanctioned pedestrian suspension bridges and log bridges in border areas. These investments could strengthen forward-area logistics and civilian access, but their effectiveness will depend on last-mile integration, ecological safeguards and maintenance. The Union Government has not officially announced ICBR-III or publicly disclosed its details.
#7India and Bangladesh have postponed their fifth consular dialogue amid tensions over Sheikh Hasina’s announced plan to return to Bangladesh in December 2026. The setback threatens cooperation on visas, detained citizens and border management, highlighting India’s need to separate the Hasina issue from essential bilateral engagement.
#8UN agencies launched the Disaster Risk Financing Platform at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, aiming to secure access to more than $3 billion in risk financing to protect 75 million people and their livelihoods by 2030. It seeks to connect predictive analysis with pre-arranged funds so that protective action can begin before disasters strike, rather than depend entirely on post-disaster appeals.
#9ISRO successfully ground-tested the modified PSLV third stage at Sriharikota on November 12, 2026, after third-stage anomalies in the PSLV-C61/EOS-09 and PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 missions. The changes address nozzle design, mechanical interfaces, sealing, material acceptance and quality checks, but further testing and data reviews remain necessary.
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