Current Affairs - 01 November 2026

NATIONAL NEWS

1. Digi Yatra Initiates International Passenger Trials Across 7 Indian Airports

Digi Yatra has expanded its biometric boarding platform by launching international passenger trial runs across 7 major Indian airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Chennai, and Amritsar.

🎯 Exam-Oriented Points:

Nodal Body: Managed by the Digi Yatra Foundation (a joint venture formed under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013).
Core Technology: Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) for paperless airport processing.
Data Privacy Feature: Decentralized architecture (passenger credentials are stored locally on the user's smartphone, not on a central server).

2. Bihar Museum Ranks 9th in "World’s 100 Best Museums 2026" List

The Bihar Museum located in Patna has secured the 9th rank globally and 1st rank in Asia in the "World’s 100 Best Museums 2026" list.
Key Details: The rankings were published by the Germany-based travel guide Worth a Journey, highlighting the rich historical heritage and architectural prominence of Bihar.

🎯 Exam-Oriented Points:

Location: Patna, Bihar.
Architectural Designer: Maki & Associates (Japan) in collaboration with Opolis Architects (Mumbai).
Static GK Link: Established in 2015 to house artifacts originally belonging to the historic Patna Museum.

3. Sikkim Organizes the First-Ever Himalayan Yak Festival

Sikkim hosted the inaugural edition of the Himalayan Yak Festival aimed at promoting conservation of the indigenous yak population and supporting transhumance herding communities.
Key Details: Around 400–500 yaks participated in the event along with local pastoralists and cultural groups. The festival celebrated the official registration of the Sikkimese Yak as a distinct indigenous breed.

🎯 Exam-Oriented Points:

Registration Body: ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), Karnal.
National Research Centre on Yak (NRCY): Located at Dirang, West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh.
IUCN Status of Wild Yak: Vulnerable.

4. Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit Unveils 'VAYU' Vision Document for IAF

Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit unveiled the new strategic operational blueprint named VAYU for the Indian Air Force.
The VAYU roadmap outlines the modernization strategy, operational readiness, and joint-service capability development for the air force.

🎯 Exam-Oriented Points:

Acronym Breakdown: VAYU stands for Vigilance, Aatmanirbharta, Yukti (Tactics), and Unity.
Current Chief of the Air Staff (CAS): Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit (29th CAS).
Headquarters of IAF Commands: Eastern Air Command is headquartered at Shillong, Meghalaya.

5. Vice-President Inaugurates National Organ Transplant Games 2026

The Vice-President of India inaugurated the National Organ Transplant Games 2026 at the Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi.
The event brought together organ donors and transplant recipients to raise awareness regarding organ donation. A record attempt saw 570 participants performing Tadasana (Palm Tree Pose). The official calendar titled 'Zindagi Dobara' was also released.

🎯 Exam-Oriented Points:

Nodal Agency for Organ Donation: NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation).
Parent Ministry: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Indian Organ Donation Day: Observed annually on August 3.

🌍 INTERNATIONAL NEWS

2. India and Mexico Sign Terms of Reference for Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA)

India and Mexico officially signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) to initiate bilateral negotiations for a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).
The agreement seeks to reduce tariffs on selected goods, enhance market access, and boost bilateral commerce in key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, automotive parts, and technology.

🎯 Exam-Oriented Points:

Capital of Mexico: Mexico City.
Currency of Mexico: Mexican Peso.
Trade Terms Distinction: A PTA lowers tariffs on specific items, whereas a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) or FTA covers broader trade in goods, services, and investments.

3. Milton Dick Elected as 32nd President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

Australia's Milton Dick was elected as the 32nd President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) during its 153rd Assembly held in Arusha, Tanzania.
Milton Dick secured 56% of the vote (182 votes) in a single round of secret-ballot voting to assume the 3-year mandate (2026–2029).

🎯 Exam-Oriented Points:

Host City for 153rd IPU Assembly: Arusha, Tanzania.
Headquarters of IPU: Geneva, Switzerland.
Establishment Year: 1889 (One of the world's oldest multilateral political organizations).

4. 11th India-Indonesia Joint Exercise 'Garuda Shakti 2026' Commences

The 11th edition of the bilateral joint special forces exercise 'Garuda Shakti 2026' between India and Indonesia began in Indonesia.
The exercise focuses on enhancing interoperability, tactical skills, sub-conventional operations, and counter-terrorism techniques in jungle and semi-urban terrain.

🎯 Exam-Oriented Points:

Participating Forces: Special Forces of Indian Army and Indonesian Army.
Other India-Indonesia Exercises: Samudra Shakti (Naval Exercise), CORPAT (Coordinated Patrol).

5. INS Sahyadri Participates in Bilateral Maritime Exercise with South Korea

Indian Navy's stealth frigate INS Sahyadri conducted a bilateral maritime partnership exercise with the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) destroyer ROKS Munmu the Great.
The exercises featured tactical maneuvers, cross-deck helicopter operations, and seamanship drills to boost maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific region.

🎯 Exam-Oriented Points:

Ship Deployed: INS Sahyadri (Indigenously built Shivalik-class stealth multi-role frigate).
South Korean Ship: ROKS Munmu the Great (DDH-976).
Capital of South Korea: Seoul | Currency: South Korean Won.

🏆 SPORTS NEWS

1. PV Sindhu & Lakshya Sen Sweep Singles Titles at Hylo Open 2026

News Summary: Star Indian shuttlers PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen won the Women's Singles and Men's Singles titles respectively at the Hylo Open Super 500 Badminton Tournament in Saarbrücken, Germany.
Women's Singles: PV Sindhu defeated Denmark's Line Kjaersfeldt (21-12, 21-14) to claim her 2nd title of the season.
Men's Singles: Lakshya Sen defeated Indonesia's Jonatan Christie (21-17, 21-10).

🎯 Exam-Oriented Points:

Tournament: Hylo Open 2026 (BWF World Tour Super 500).
Venue: Saarbrücken, Germany.
Governing Body: Badminton World Federation (BWF) headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

2. India Beats Malaysia 4-2 in Men’s Asian Champions Trophy Hockey

The Indian Men's Hockey Team maintained its unbeaten run by defeating Malaysia 4-2 in their league match of the Asian Champions Trophy.
Indian skipper Harmanpreet Singh scored a hat-trick (2 penalty corners, 1 penalty stroke), with Sukhjeet Singh adding a field goal.

🎯 Exam-Oriented Points:

Venue: Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium, Jalandhar, Punjab.
Top Scorer: Harmanpreet Singh (Hat-trick).
Governing Body: International Hockey Federation (FIH) headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland.

3. Indian Army’s Biten Singh Wins Ironman 70.3 Goa 2026 with Course Record

Havildar Biten Singh of the Indian Army won the Ironman 70.3 Goa 2026 title, setting a new course record.
The endurance race involved a 1.9 km swim, 90 km cycling, and a 21.1 km run. In the women's event, Marina Shliakhtina clinched the title. Over 2,000 athletes from 30+ countries participated.

🎯 Exam-Oriented Points: