🗞️ Why in News Alongside today’s deep dives on GSLV-F18 placing NVS-03, the third second-generation NavIC satellite, in a geosynchronous transfer orbit, CAQM’s PAVAN-I3C command centre and the announced halt on construction across the NCR and the new High Level Committee on Banking for Viksit Bharat, the 31 October 2026 roundup covers the helicopter crash near Joshimath, the Supreme Court sending the KG basin gas dispute to mediation and asking MeitY to act on misuse of live-streamed hearings, the Gujarat High Court’s stay in the Somnath case, the Centre’s accounts to September, TRAI’s draft AI guidelines for telecom, India’s crude imports in September, arrests over a Kuno cheetah cub’s killing, Chola bronzes from Nagapattinam and Manisha Bhanwala’s world title. Also in the news: GST on e-commerce delivery services, the Piprahwa relics in Arunachal Pradesh, the Varanasi-New Delhi Vande Bharat Sleeper and Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.

Joshimath Helicopter Crash: Transbharat Aviation Fleet Grounded

A helicopter flying from Badrinath crashed in a forest area near Chai village (Joshimath) in Uttarakhand on Friday, 30 October 2026, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said. The aircraft, VT-HCX, an AS350B3 of M/S Transbharat Aviation Pvt Ltd, was airborne from the Badrinath helipad at 1314 hrs with one pilot and five passengers on board, PIB said. All six were killed, The Hindu reported.

  • The flight: it was going from Badrinath to the Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun and crashed around 1.45 p.m., Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar said, as The Hindu reported. Five of those killed were pilgrims from Karnataka.
  • The probe: a DGCA team was dispatched to Dehradun for the preliminary and regulatory assessment, PIB said. The Hindu reported that officials of the DGCA and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) were likely to reach Dehradun.
  • The cause is under investigation. Preliminary reports suggest bad weather may have caused the accident, The Hindu reported. An activist said an orange alert had been issued for five districts including Chamoli; the CEO of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) said the weather was clear when the helicopter crashed.
  • Grounded: UCADA grounded the entire Transbharat Aviation fleet as a precautionary measure, its CEO said.
  • The record: in July 2025, The Hindu reported, the Civil Aviation Ministry told Parliament that Uttarakhand accounted for more than half of the 12 helicopter accidents reported nationwide since 2020.

📌 Facts Corner

  • Joshimath crash: 30 October 2026; AS350B3 (VT-HCX) of Transbharat Aviation; one pilot and five passengers; near Chai village, Chamoli.
  • After the crash: UCADA grounded the Transbharat Aviation fleet; DGCA and AAIB officials to assess the incident (The Hindu).

Supreme Court Sends the KG Basin Gas Dispute to Mediation

The Supreme Court on 30 October 2026 appointed former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai as the sole mediator in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin gas migration dispute between Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) with its consortium partners and the Union government. A Special Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi passed the order after the Centre said the parties had not been able to find a viable solution, The Hindu and Bar & Bench reported.

  • The order: “Let Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai be the mediator. She handles complex commercial disputes well. Let an expert from each side also assist her,” the Court said. It fixed no timeline for the mediation and listed the matter after four weeks, when the parties are to report progress, Bar & Bench reported.
  • The appeals: Reliance and its partners, BP Exploration (Alpha) Limited and Niko (NECO) Limited, are challenging a Delhi High Court ruling that set aside a ₹12,800 crore arbitral award passed in their favour. The High Court held that the award suffered from “patent illegality” and that the arbitration was domestic, not an international commercial arbitration.
  • The dispute: it arises from a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) of April 2000 for the KG-DWN-98/3 block. In 2013 ONGC alleged that gas from its adjacent block had migrated into the RIL-led block; the Centre then demanded nearly $1.55 billion (about ₹12,800 crore) from RIL, Bar & Bench reported.

A referral to mediation decides nothing on the merits: the appeals remain pending before the Court.

📌 Facts Corner

  • KG basin mediation: Justice (retd) Ranjana Prakash Desai, sole mediator, appointed 30 October 2026; an expert from each side to assist.
  • Block: KG-DWN-98/3; PSC of April 2000; disputed sum about ₹12,800 crore ($1.55 billion).

Supreme Court Asks MeitY to Act Against Misuse of Live-Streamed Hearings

The Supreme Court on 30 October 2026 asked the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) “to formulate measures against the commercial exploitation of live-streamed judicial proceedings in violation of earlier court orders”, The Hindu reported.

  • The Bench: headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, it recorded the Solicitor General’s submission that suggestions from High Courts and other stakeholders had been received and forwarded to the Ministry, which would respond in a few days.
  • Enforcement: “Necessary measures for taking action against those who fail to comply with the directions will also be incorporated in the policy regime,” the court observed. A counsel suggested that every clip released by the court carry a verifiable digital signature or watermark.
  • Earlier orders: earlier orders of the court had banned the unauthorised use and circulation of live-streamed proceedings on digital platforms, The Hindu said.
  • Next: the Solicitor General sought listing of the plea after the Deepavali vacation.

This was a hearing: the court asked the Ministry to frame measures; it has issued no policy itself.

📌 Facts Corner

  • Live-stream misuse: SC asked MeitY on 30 October 2026 to frame measures against commercial exploitation of live-streamed court proceedings.

Gujarat High Court Bench Stays Ruling on the Somnath Non-Veg Ban

A Division Bench of the Gujarat High Court, of Chief Justice Manash Ranjan Pathak and Justice Nirzar Desai, on 30 October 2026 stayed a single judge’s ruling, given earlier that day, that had set aside a ban on non-vegetarian food near the Somnath temple, PTI reported in The Hindu.

  • The two rulings: Justice Nisha Thakore allowed petitions by hotel and restaurant owners near the temple in Gir Somnath district and set aside the Collector’s notification. The State government appealed at once, and the Bench stayed her order late in the evening, directing that the notification continue for now.
  • The notification: dated 10 August 2026, it restricts the “preparation, storage and sale” of non-vegetarian food within a 500-metre radius of the temple and along six identified roads that form part of the Somnath pilgrimage circuit.
  • The challenge: the owners argued that the restrictions infringed their fundamental right to carry on lawful business; The Pioneer reported the plea under Article 19(1)(g) at the single-judge hearing of 21 October.
  • Next: the Division Bench will hear the matter on 26 December.

A stay is interim: the ban stands until the appeal is decided.

📌 Facts Corner

  • Somnath case: Gujarat HC Division Bench (CJ Manash Ranjan Pathak, Justice Nirzar Desai) stayed the single judge’s ruling on 30 October 2026; next hearing 26 December.

Union Government Accounts to September 2026: 50.3% of Receipts In

The Government of India received ₹18,35,422 crore up to September 2026, 50.3% of the Budget Estimates (BE) 2026-27 for total receipts, and spent ₹25,49,835 crore, 47.7% of the BE, the Ministry of Finance said on 30 October 2026 in its monthly review of accounts.

  • Receipts: ₹12,76,088 crore of tax revenue (net to Centre), ₹4,80,732 crore of non-tax revenue and ₹78,602 crore of non-debt capital receipts.
  • To the States: ₹6,99,409 crore was transferred as devolution of the States’ share of taxes, ₹67,658 crore more than in the previous year.
  • Spending: ₹18,95,288 crore on revenue account and ₹6,54,547 crore on capital account. Within revenue spending, interest payments took ₹6,46,010 crore and major subsidies ₹2,22,905 crore.

📌 Facts Corner

  • Accounts to September 2026: receipts ₹18,35,422 crore (50.3% of BE 2026-27); expenditure ₹25,49,835 crore (47.7% of BE).
  • Capital account spending: ₹6,54,547 crore; interest payments ₹6,46,010 crore (April to September 2026).

TRAI Releases Draft Guidelines on Responsible AI in Telecom

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 30 October 2026 released draft Guidelines on Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Telecommunication Networks and Provision of Telecommunication Services for stakeholders’ comments (Press Release No. 145 of 2026).

  • The base: the India AI Governance Guidelines of February 2026 are anchored in seven guiding sutras: Trust is the Foundation; People First; Innovation over Restraint; Fairness & Equity; Accountability; Understandable by Design; and Safety, Resilience & Sustainability, TRAI said.
  • Why telecom: AI is increasingly being integrated into telecom networks and services, and TRAI said it decided to frame guidelines for consistent and responsible implementation of the national guidelines in the sector.
  • Comments: written comments are invited from stakeholders by 27 November 2026.

These are draft guidelines open for comment, not binding rules.

📌 Facts Corner

  • TRAI draft AI guidelines: released 30 October 2026; comments by 27 November 2026; built on the seven sutras of the India AI Governance Guidelines (February 2026).

India’s Crude Imports in September: Russian Share Falls to 33%

India imported 209.4 lakh tonnes of crude oil in September 2026, 9.5% more than in August and 4.1% more than a year earlier, The Hindu reported on 31 October, citing official data.

  • Sources: Russia’s share of India’s oil imports, around 51% in July 2026, fell to 44% in August and 33% in September, by the paper’s figures. Russia and the UAE together accounted for 60% of imports, and imports from the U.S. fell to zero.
  • The bill: about $14.3 billion in September, 16.4% above August, as elevated crude prices pushed the bill up faster than volumes.
  • The trigger, as the paper reads it: the U.S. law empowering tariffs of up to 100% on large buyers of Russian oil, signed on 18 September; the tariffs are in abeyance after an executive order of 16 October. Our 18 October deep dive covered the waiver.

The October import data will be released next month, The Hindu said.

📌 Facts Corner

  • Crude imports, September 2026: 209.4 lakh tonnes; Russia’s share 33% (51% in July); Russia and UAE 60% together (The Hindu, citing official data).

Kuno National Park: Two Arrested Over a Cheetah Cub’s Killing

Two people have been arrested in connection with the killing of a male cheetah cub at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, officials said on 30 October 2026, The Hindu reported.

  • The case: the local police made the arrests under the Arms Act, and the accused are in police remand, a senior wildlife official said on condition of anonymity.
  • Action on staff: six forest personnel have been suspended in the case, the official said.

Our earlier deep dive covered Project Cheetah at Kuno and the KJP21 cubs.

📌 Facts Corner

  • Kuno cheetah cub killing: two arrested under the Arms Act; six forest personnel suspended (reported 30 October 2026).

Chola-Era Nataraja and Sivagami Bronzes Unearthed at Nagapattinam

The Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) has unearthed bronze alloy idols of Lord Nataraja and Goddess Sivagami, with their pedestals, during ongoing excavations in Nagapattinam, The Hindu reported on 31 October.

  • The finds: the idols belong to the Chola period and were found at a depth of one metre. Based on their physical structure, iconography, ornaments and pedestals, they are estimated to date to the 12th century AD.
  • Nataraja: in the ‘Ananda Tandava’ posture with four arms; 110 cm high and 100 cm wide.
  • Sivagami: in the ‘Tribhanga’ posture with two arms; 82 cm high and 23 cm wide.

📌 Facts Corner

  • Nagapattinam bronzes: Chola-period Nataraja (Ananda Tandava, four arms) and Sivagami (Tribhanga, two arms), about 12th century AD (TNSDA).

Manisha Bhanwala Wins 59 kg Gold at the World Wrestling Championships

Manisha Bhanwala won the 59 kg gold at the World Wrestling Championships in Astana on 30 October 2026, coming back from 0-6 down to beat Abigail Elizabeth Nette of the USA 8-6 in the final, The Hindu reported.

  • The category: 59 kg is a non-Olympic weight class, the paper noted.
  • The team: with silver medals for Neelam Sirohi (50 kg) and Kajal Dhochak (76 kg) and a bronze for Tanu Sharma (72 kg), Indian women recorded their best showing at the Worlds, and India finished fourth in the women’s section, The Hindu said.

📌 Facts Corner

  • Manisha Bhanwala: 59 kg gold, World Wrestling Championships, Astana, 30 October 2026; beat Abigail Elizabeth Nette (USA) 8-6.

Also in the News

  • GST on e-commerce delivery services from 1 November (notified 27 October). Notification No. 09/2026-Central Tax (Rate) of 27 October 2026, issued under Section 9(5) of the CGST Act, 2017 on the GST Council’s recommendations, substitutes clause (v) of Notification No. 17/2017-Central Tax (Rate): the e-commerce operator pays the tax on delivery services, other than postal and courier services, supplied through it, except where the supplier is itself liable to register under Section 22(1). It comes into force on 1 November 2026.
  • Piprahwa relics in Arunachal Pradesh (scheduled from 31 October). The Ministry of Culture, with the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, the International Buddhist Confederation and the National Museum, is organising an exposition of the Holy Relics of Shakyamuni Buddha from 31 October to 21 November 2026 at Tawang (1 to 7 November), Bomdila (8 to 13 November) and Namsai (14 to 20 November), PIB said. Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is scheduled to attend the inaugural ceremony at Tawang Monastery on 31 October, and the relics are to return to the National Museum on 21 November.
  • Vande Bharat Sleeper, Varanasi to New Delhi (scheduled 31 October). Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw are to flag off the new Vande Bharat Sleeper service from Varanasi on 31 October, PIB said. The train is to run six days a week, leaving Varanasi at 20:50 to reach New Delhi at 06:10, with stops at Prayagraj, Kanpur Central, Aligarh and Ghaziabad.
  • Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (31 October). Today is the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. “Rashtriya Ekta Diwas is observed every year on 31 October to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the ‘Iron Man of India’, who played a central role in the integration of the princely states into the Union of India,” PIB said in a release of the Legislative Department.

From earlier editions

UPSC Relevance

Paper Syllabus theme Today’s hook
GS1 Indian art forms and culture from ancient to modern times Chola bronzes of Nagapattinam; Piprahwa relics exposition
GS1 Modern Indian history; post-independence consolidation Sardar Patel and the integration of the princely states
GS2 Structure and functioning of the judiciary KG basin mediation; live-stream misuse; Somnath stay
GS2 Fundamental rights Article 19(1)(g) challenge to the Somnath notification
GS2 Statutory and regulatory bodies TRAI’s draft AI guidelines
GS3 Government budgeting; fiscal federalism Accounts to September 2026; tax devolution
GS3 Energy security Crude import mix in September 2026
GS3 Indirect taxes GST liability of e-commerce operators
GS3 Conservation Kuno cheetah cub killing
GS3 Disaster management Joshimath helicopter crash and aviation safety

📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia

Prelims, statement-ready facts:

  • Joshimath crash: AS350B3 (VT-HCX) of Transbharat Aviation, 30 October 2026, near Chai village; DGCA team sent to Dehradun.
  • KG basin dispute: Justice (retd) Ranjana Prakash Desai is sole mediator; block KG-DWN-98/3; PSC of April 2000.
  • Live-streamed hearings: the Supreme Court asked MeitY to frame measures against their commercial exploitation.
  • Somnath notification: 10 August 2026; 500-metre radius and six roads; stayed ruling, next hearing 26 December.
  • Accounts to September 2026: receipts 50.3% and expenditure 47.7% of BE 2026-27; devolution ₹6,99,409 crore.
  • TRAI draft AI guidelines: Press Release No. 145 of 2026; comments by 27 November 2026.
  • India AI Governance Guidelines: February 2026; seven guiding sutras, the first “Trust is the Foundation”.
  • Nagapattinam bronzes: Nataraja in Ananda Tandava, Sivagami in Tribhanga; about 12th century AD; TNSDA excavation.
  • GST, e-commerce delivery: Notification 09/2026-Central Tax (Rate), under Section 9(5) CGST Act; in force 1 November 2026.
  • Rashtriya Ekta Diwas: 31 October, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary; 2026 is the 151st.

Prelims, the traps:

  • Mediation is not a verdict: the KG basin appeals against the Delhi HC ruling are still pending in the Supreme Court.
  • A stay is interim: the Somnath notification continues only until the Division Bench decides the appeal.
  • Draft is not law: TRAI’s AI guidelines are open for comment until 27 November 2026.
  • Share is not volume: Russia’s 33% is its share of September imports; total crude imports rose 9.5% over August.
  • Cause not established: bad weather is what preliminary reports suggest; the Joshimath crash is under investigation.

Mains, arguments and keywords:

  • Hill aviation safety: weather alerts, operator oversight and a single probe that decides whether sorties resume.
  • Open courts in the digital age: live-streaming for transparency against misuse; watermarks and takedown duties.
  • Fiscal federalism: tax devolution and interest payments as the two big claims on the Centre’s receipts.
  • Energy security: two suppliers at 60% of imports leave India exposed to sanctions and route shocks.

Interview, be ready for:

  • “Should the Supreme Court refer big commercial disputes with the state to mediation?” Weigh speed and expertise against the public interest in a reasoned ruling.
  • “Can a district notification restrict food sales near a shrine?” Balance Article 19(1)(g) against the reasonable restrictions the State can impose.

Sources: PIB, 30 October 2026 and The Hindu, Delhi edition, 31 October 2026 (Joshimath); Bar & Bench, 30 October 2026 and The Hindu (KG basin); The Hindu (live-streaming); The Hindu (PTI), Delhi edition, 31 October 2026, and The Pioneer, 22 October 2026 (Somnath); PIB, 30 October 2026 (accounts); TRAI Press Release No. 145 of 2026 (AI guidelines); The Hindu (crude); The Hindu (Kuno); The Hindu (Chola bronzes); The Hindu, Delhi edition, 31 October 2026 (wrestling); Notification No. 09/2026-Central Tax (Rate), G.S.R. 945(E), 27 October 2026 (GST); PIB, 30 October 2026 (Piprahwa); PIB, 30 October 2026 (Vande Bharat Sleeper); PIB, 30 October 2026 (Ekta Diwas).

Cite this page: Current Affairs Today 31 October 2026: UPSC News Roundup — Ujiyari.com | Free UPSC & State PCS Current Affairs