🗞️ Why in News Beyond the deep dive on External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to Baku, the 24 October 2026 roundup covers India’s statement on UN Security Council reform in the General Assembly ahead of UN Day, a Bay of Bengal low-pressure system that is likely to become a cyclonic storm, the Oskar Klein Medal 2026 for physicist Ashoke Sen, India’s best-ever showing at the Asian Para Games, World Polio Day and the ITBP Raising Day. Also in the news: a parallel power distribution licence in Haryana, draft driving-licence rules, GST process reforms, the NVS-03 navigation satellite and a new Bhupen Hazarika National Award.
India-Azerbaijan: Jaishankar Meets President Aliyev in Baku
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Friday, 23 October 2026, The Hindu reported. The two sides agreed to deepen political consultations, economic activities and connectivity; no agreement was reported signed. For the full story, with the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), energy and the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process explained, read today’s deep dive: India-Azerbaijan Ties: Jaishankar in Baku, INSTC and Energy.
UNSC Reform: India in the UN General Assembly Ahead of UN Day
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, said on Thursday, 22 October 2026 that an organisation that cannot renew its principal organ will find it ever harder to command authority in a world that has moved far beyond 1945, The Hindu (PTI) reported. He was speaking in the UN General Assembly on the agenda item “Question of Equitable representation on and increase in the membership of Security Council”.
- The legitimacy argument: the “authority derived from a victory eight decades ago cannot compensate for the deficit in legitimacy of an unrepresentative Security Council today.”
- On history: “We cannot reasonably drive into the future by constantly looking at the rearview mirror”.
- India’s own bid: India is vying for a non-permanent UNSC seat for the 2028-29 term, the report notes.
This was a statement in a General Assembly debate. India did not move a resolution, and no vote or outcome text was reported.
The UN Day hook
In the UN’s words, “United Nations Day (24 October) marks the entry into force in 1945 of the United Nations Charter.” For the Council’s composition, the veto and the Charter’s amendment rule, read our analysis of Shashi Tharoor’s 22 October column in The Indian Express: UN Security Council Reform: Why We Need to Recreate the UN.
📌 Facts Corner
- 22 October 2026: Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, spoke on Security Council reform in the General Assembly.
- Agenda item: “Question of Equitable representation on and increase in the membership of Security Council”.
- India’s candidacy: a non-permanent UNSC seat for the 2028-29 term.
- UN Day, 24 October: marks the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945.
Bay of Bengal Low-Pressure System Likely to Become Cyclone Arnab
A low-pressure area formed over the east-central and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal at 5.30 a.m. on Friday, 23 October 2026. It is expected to become a depression on Saturday, a deep depression on Sunday and a cyclonic storm by Monday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, as The Hindu reported. The IMD statement carried by The Indian Express reads: “The low pressure will intensify into a depression on Saturday. Thereafter, it is very likely to move west-northwest and intensify further into a deep depression by October 25. This system will then develop into a cyclonic storm on October 26”.
- Likely track: the system is forecast to move towards the north Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south Odisha coast around the early morning hours of 28 October, the IMD’s Director General said, as The Indian Express reported.
- The name, if it forms: if the system becomes a cyclonic storm, it will be named Arnab, a name proposed by Bangladesh. Nothing has been named yet: the name applies only once a cyclonic storm forms.
- Preparedness in Odisha: a red alert for heavy rain has been issued for Puri, Ganjam and Gajapati districts on 27 October, Odisha’s Revenue and Disaster Management Minister said. Leave of officials has been cancelled, fishermen have been advised to return to the coast, and the National Disaster Response Force and the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force are on standby. He added that the IMD had yet to forecast the exact area of landfall.
How cyclones over the North Indian Ocean are named
- The panel: names come from a list of 169 names covering the 13 member countries of the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones, released by the World Meteorological Organization in 2020.
- The list: in the IMD’s published list, Arnab is in Bangladesh’s row, column 3. Naming of cyclones over the North Indian Ocean began in September 2004.
- How often: “On average, four cyclones form here in a year. Of them, three develop in the Bay of Bengal,” The Indian Express notes.
📌 Facts Corner
- IMD forecast, 23 October 2026: a depression on 24 October, a deep depression by 25 October and a cyclonic storm on 26 October.
- Likely landfall zone: north Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south Odisha coast, around early 28 October.
- Arnab: proposed by Bangladesh; used only if the system becomes a cyclonic storm.
- Naming body: WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones; 13 member countries; 169 names.
Oskar Klein Medal 2026 Awarded to Ashoke Sen
String theorist Ashoke Sen has been awarded the Oskar Klein Medal for 2026, ICTS announced on 22 October 2026. ICTS says he is “the first Indian physicist to receive the honour”. The medal, named after the Swedish theoretical physicist Oskar Klein, “is awarded annually by Stockholm University and the Nobel Committee for Physics of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences”. It was established in 1988, and its first three recipients were the Nobel laureates Chen-Ning Yang, Steven Weinberg and Hans Bethe. Sen delivered the 2026 Oskar Klein Memorial Lecture, “Gravity from Strings and Strings from Gravity”, at Stockholm University’s AlbaNova Centre on 22 October 2026.
Who is Ashoke Sen
- His work: ICTS cites his work on S-duality, the precision counting of black-hole entropy and string field theory, which helped shape modern string theory.
- His post: he is an ICTS-Infosys Madhava Chair Professor.
- Earlier honours: the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (2012), the Dirac Medal (2014), the Infosys Prize in Mathematical Sciences (2009), the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize (1994), the ICTP Prize (1989), the Padma Shri (2001) and the Padma Bhushan (2013); he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1998.
📌 Facts Corner
- Oskar Klein Medal: awarded by Stockholm University and the Nobel Committee for Physics; established in 1988.
- 2026 recipient: Ashoke Sen; ICTS calls him the first Indian physicist to receive it.
- Trap: the Nobel Committee for Physics co-awards the medal, but it is not a Nobel Prize.
- Sen’s honours: Breakthrough Prize 2012, Dirac Medal 2014, Bhatnagar Prize 1994, Padma Shri 2001, Padma Bhushan 2013.
Asian Para Games, Nagoya: India’s Best-Ever Medal Haul
India’s para-athletes had won 114 medals, made up of 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze, at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Japan, as of Friday 23 October, per The Hindu (PTI), which called it their “best ever show” at the Games. India won nine golds on Friday, its “highest single-day haul”, and had sent 168 athletes. A few finals remained for Saturday with no Indian entrant, so the medal table could still change.
- The previous best: at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou (held in October 2023), “India’s overall medal haul surged to an impressive 111 comprising 29 gold, 31 silver, and 51 bronze”, PIB recorded, up from 72 medals in 2018.
- Closing ceremony: scheduled for Saturday 24 October. Shooter Mona Agarwal and jumps specialist Nishad Kumar, who won two gold each, will be India’s flag-bearers.
📌 Facts Corner
- India’s count, as of 23 October 2026: 114 medals (30 gold, 35 silver, 49 bronze), per The Hindu.
- Previous best: 111 medals (29 gold, 31 silver, 51 bronze) at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games (held October 2023), per PIB; 72 in 2018.
- Contingent: 168 athletes; flag-bearers at the closing ceremony: Mona Agarwal and Nishad Kumar.
- Trap: the Asian Para Games are a separate event from the Asian Games held in Aichi-Nagoya earlier in 2026.
World Polio Day: How the South-East Asia Region Was Certified Polio-Free
World Polio Day falls on 24 October. The examinable point is how certification works. The WHO’s South-East Asia regional office puts it plainly: “No single country can be certified as polio-free. WHO regions as a whole are certified as polio-free.”
- The certification: the WHO South-East Asia Region was certified polio-free on 27 March 2014.
- India’s last case: “The last confirmed WPV case in India occurred in January 2011,” the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) records. WPV is the wild poliovirus.
📌 Facts Corner
- World Polio Day: 24 October.
- WHO South-East Asia Region: certified polio-free on 27 March 2014.
- India’s last confirmed wild poliovirus case: January 2011 (CDC).
- Trap: WHO certifies regions, not single countries; “India was certified polio-free on its own” is wrong.
ITBP Raising Day: Force Raised on 24 October 1962
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) marks its raising day on 24 October. According to the force’s own history page, it was raised on 24 October 1962 “for reorganizing the frontier intelligence and security set up along the Indo-Tibetan border. Only four Battalions were sanctioned to begin with.” It was first raised under the CRPF Act; in 1992 Parliament enacted the ITBPF Act, and the rules under it were framed in 1994. For the force’s border role and the ITBP chief’s remarks on Arunachal Pradesh, see our 23 October roundup.
📌 Facts Corner
- ITBP raised: 24 October 1962, with four battalions sanctioned to begin with.
- Legal basis: first raised under the CRPF Act; the ITBPF Act was enacted in 1992, its rules framed in 1994.
Also in the News
- Haryana: a parallel power distribution licence (order of 19 October). The Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) on Monday, 19 October 2026, granted a 25-year parallel electricity distribution licence to a private company, Eleven Power Private Limited, for Gurugram and Nuh districts, The Indian Express reported. The company’s business plan puts capital expenditure at Rs 4,717 crore over five years, and the State government will challenge the order before the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity, the paper said. On Friday, 23 October, The Hindu reported, electricity employees called off their strike after the State government decided to seek a review and cancellation of the order. The legal hinge is a proviso to Section 14 of the Electricity Act, 2003: “the Appropriate Commission may grant a licence to two or more persons for distribution of electricity through their own distribution system within the same area”.
- Driving licences: draft rules propose a tougher learner’s test. The Centre has put out draft amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, that would raise the pass mark for the preliminary learner’s test from 60% to 75%, The Hindu reported on 24 October. The Centre has invited feedback from the public and other stakeholders within 30 days. These are proposals, not rules in force.
- GST process reforms announced. The Ministry of Finance will share draft GST returns on the myGov.in portal on 1 November for public comments till 30 November, officials said on Thursday, 22 October, The Indian Express reported; one official said the notifications and circulars were likely to be issued on Friday 23 October. As context, the 57th GST Council meeting on 8 October approved draft forms GSTR-1, GSTR-1A and IFF, with revised forms to apply from 1 April 2027.
- NavIC: NVS-03 slated for 30 October. ISRO is slated to launch NVS-03, its third new-generation navigation satellite, on 30 October, The Indian Express reported on 24 October. NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) is the operational name of the IRNSS. By the paper’s count, ISRO has launched 11 navigation satellites since July 2013, and six have failed.
- A new Bhupen Hazarika National Award. The Assam Cabinet has approved a national-level award named after Bhupen Hazarika, the Assam Chief Minister announced on 23 October, The Indian Express reported. The inaugural Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika National Award will go to singer Usha Mangeshkar; it will be “conferred once every three years to an internationally or nationally recognised figure in music, arts or cinema”, with Rs 10 lakh and a citation. The Prime Minister will present it at the closing ceremony of Hazarika’s birth centenary celebrations, which will be held on 29 November at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi.
From earlier editions
- 17 October: the Supreme Court’s bail order holding that prolonged pre-trial detention must not become punishment without trial.
- 23 October: the Indian Navy’s Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD-2026), which will be held in New Delhi on 3 to 5 November.
- 22 October: Shashi Tharoor in The Indian Express on why the UN must be recreated, with the Charter’s rules on the Security Council.
UPSC Relevance
| Paper | Syllabus theme | Today’s hook |
|---|---|---|
| GS1 | Physical geography: cyclones | Bay of Bengal system; how cyclones are named |
| GS2 | Important international institutions, their structure and mandate | UNSC reform debate; UN Day |
| GS2 | India and its neighbourhood; bilateral relations | Jaishankar in Baku |
| GS2 | Issues relating to health | World Polio Day; regional polio-free certification |
| GS2 | Government policies and interventions | Draft driving-licence rules; GST process reforms |
| GS3 | Infrastructure: energy | Haryana’s parallel distribution licence; Electricity Act, 2003 |
| GS3 | Science and technology: achievements of Indians; space | Ashoke Sen’s Oskar Klein Medal; NVS-03 and NavIC |
| GS3 | Disaster management | Cyclone preparedness in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh |
| GS3 | Security forces and agencies and their mandate | ITBP Raising Day |
📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia
Prelims, statement-ready facts:
- UN Day, 24 October: marks the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945.
- India at the UNGA, 22 October 2026: spoke on Security Council reform; India seeks a non-permanent UNSC seat for 2028-29.
- Cyclone naming: WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones, 13 member countries, 169 names; North Indian Ocean naming began in September 2004.
- Arnab: a name proposed by Bangladesh, due if the Bay of Bengal system becomes a cyclonic storm.
- Oskar Klein Medal: Stockholm University and the Nobel Committee for Physics; established in 1988; 2026 medal to Ashoke Sen.
- Asian Para Games, Nagoya: India 114 medals (30 gold) as of 23 October 2026, per The Hindu; previous best 111 at Hangzhou, held October 2023 (PIB).
- Polio: WHO South-East Asia Region certified polio-free on 27 March 2014; India’s last wild poliovirus case, January 2011.
- ITBP: raised on 24 October 1962 with four battalions; the ITBPF Act was enacted in 1992.
- Electricity Act, 2003, Section 14: a proviso lets the Commission license two or more distributors in the same area.
- NavIC: operational name of the IRNSS; NVS-03 is slated for launch on 30 October 2026.
Prelims, the traps:
- Polio certification: WHO certifies regions, not single countries; India is covered by the Region’s 2014 certification.
- Arnab: a forecast; as of 24 October no cyclone had formed, so none has “made landfall”.
- Oskar Klein Medal: co-awarded by the Nobel Committee for Physics, but it is not a Nobel Prize.
- Drafts are not law: the 75% learner’s-test pass mark and the draft GST returns are proposals open for comment.
Mains, arguments and keywords:
- UNSC reform: legitimacy versus 1945 power; India argues authority from “a victory eight decades ago” cannot make up for an unrepresentative Council.
- Cyclone preparedness: early IMD forecasts, district red alerts, fishermen’s advisories and NDRF standby are the preparedness chain before landfall.
- Distribution competition: a parallel licence can give consumers a choice of supplier; Haryana’s planned appeal shows the State-regulator friction.
Interview, be ready for:
- “Why does India frame UNSC reform as legitimacy rather than power?” Use “a world that has moved far beyond 1945” and link it to the 2028-29 seat bid.
- “Is the Para Games haul a sign of policy success?” Cite the rise from 72 medals (2018) to 111 (2023) and 114 now, then discuss access and support.
Cite this page: Current Affairs Today 24 October 2026: UPSC News Roundup — Ujiyari.com | Free UPSC & State PCS Current Affairs
