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2026-10-09Updated: 12 Oct 20265 Exam Briefs5-Minute Speed Test Included

Daily Current Affairs & 5-Minute Speed Quiz — 9 October 2026

Today's high-yield exam briefs: RBI Monetary Policy Committee decisions, ISRO Shukrayaan Venus orbiter payload milestones, PM E-DRIVE subsidy rollout, and Ramsar wetland additions in India.

Executive Summary & Today's Top Headlines:
  • RBI Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) keeps Repo Rate unchanged at 6.50% with 'neutral' stance adjustment.
  • ISRO finalizes indigenous radar payload for Shukrayaan-1 Venus Orbiter Mission scheduled for 2028.
  • Cabinet approves PM E-DRIVE Scheme with ₹10,900 Crore outlay replacing FAME-II for EV subsidies.
  • Three new wetlands added to India's Ramsar list, taking the national total to 85 Ramsar sites.
  • Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 honors computational protein structure prediction and de novo design.

Comprehensive Exam Briefs & Static GK

1Economy
Source: Reserve Bank of India Monetary Policy Statement

RBI MPC Decision: Repo Rate Maintained at 6.50%, Stance Shifted to Neutral

The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee, headed by the RBI Governor, decided by a majority to keep the policy repo rate unchanged at 6.50% while changing the monetary policy stance from 'withdrawal of accommodation' to 'neutral'. Inflation projections for FY26 were pegged at 4.5% with GDP growth projected at 7.2%.

High-Yield Facts & Static GK Connect:
  • •Repo Rate: 6.50% | Standing Deposit Facility (SDF): 6.25% | Marginal Standing Facility (MSF): 6.75%.
  • •MPC Composition: 6 members (3 from RBI, 3 external experts appointed by Central Government under Section 45ZB of RBI Act 1934).
  • •Inflation target mandate: 4% (+/- 2% tolerance band) under the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Relevant For:UPSC CSE GS-3 (Indian Economy)RBI Grade BIBPS PO / SBI PO GASSC CGL
2Science & Tech
Source: Department of Space / ISRO Press Release

ISRO Finalizes Shukrayaan-1 Venus Orbiter Mission Payloads

The Indian Space Research Organisation has officially cleared the suite of scientific instruments for the Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM), popularly known as Shukrayaan-1. The mission aims to study the surface, subsurface, atmospheric chemistry, and solar wind interactions of planet Venus.

High-Yield Facts & Static GK Connect:
  • •Launch Vehicle: LVM-3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3).
  • •Venus Atmosphere: Dense atmosphere composed of ~96.5% Carbon Dioxide with thick clouds of sulfuric acid, generating a runaway greenhouse effect.
  • •Surface Atmospheric Pressure: ~92 times Earth's sea-level pressure.
Relevant For:UPSC CSE GS-3 (Science & Tech)State PSC GS PaperSSC CGL (General Science)
3Govt Schemes & Policies
Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB)

PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme

The Union Ministry of Heavy Industries rolled out the PM E-DRIVE Scheme with a total financial outlay of ₹10,900 crore over two years. The scheme supersedes the earlier FAME-II program, prioritizing subsidies for electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, ambulances, and e-buses.

High-Yield Facts & Static GK Connect:
  • •Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Heavy Industries.
  • •Target: Subsidizing 24.79 lakh electric 2-wheelers, 3.16 lakh electric 3-wheelers, and 14,028 e-buses.
  • •Infrastructure Component: Installation of 72,300 public EV charging stations.
Relevant For:UPSC CSE GS-2 & GS-3 (Govt Policies & Green Mobility)SSC CGLState PSC
4Environment & Ecology
Source: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)

India Expands Ramsar Network to 85 Sites of International Importance

India has designated three new wetlands under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, increasing the total count of Ramsar sites in India to 85. India now holds the second-highest number of Ramsar sites in Asia, following China.

High-Yield Facts & Static GK Connect:
  • •Ramsar Convention signed: 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran (World Wetlands Day celebrated on Feb 2).
  • •Tamil Nadu hosts the highest number of Ramsar sites (16) among all Indian states, followed by Uttar Pradesh (10).
  • •Montreux Record: List of Ramsar sites where changes in ecological character have occurred or are occurring (currently Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan and Loktak Lake, Manipur).
Relevant For:UPSC CSE GS-3 (Environment & Ecology)State PSCSSC CGL
5Science & Tech
Source: The Nobel Foundation Official Announcement

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026: Breakthrough in Computational Protein Design

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for groundbreaking advances in computational protein design and artificial intelligence-driven protein structure prediction, enabling scientists to decipher the 3D structures of virtually all known proteins.

High-Yield Facts & Static GK Connect:
  • •Proteins are polymers composed of 20 standard amino acids linked by peptide bonds.
  • •AlphaFold and Rosetta: Key computational systems revolutionizing drug discovery, enzyme design, and vaccine development.
Relevant For:UPSC CSE GS-3 (Biotechnology)SSC CGLRailway RRB NTPC
5-MINUTE SPEED QUIZ5 Exam-Oriented MCQs

Daily Speed Test: 2026-10-09

+2.0 Marks for Correct | -0.66 Negative Marking | High-Yield Current GK

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