Daily Current Affairs 5 November 2026

The Union Cabinet has approved the ‘Capex Support Scheme to Promote Critical Mineral Processing’ with an outlay of ₹2,814 crore for a period of 5 years (from FY27 to FY31).

The scheme provides a capital subsidy of 30% of eligible investment to set up 4 critical mineral processing plants: 2 lithium processing plants (with a minimum capacity of 30 kt each) and 2 nickel processing plants (with a minimum capacity of 50 kt each).

The maximum capital support is capped at ₹500 crore per lithium beneficiary and ₹900 crore per nickel beneficiary. The incentives will be disbursed in 3 tranches linked to the achievement of specified milestones.

The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), including exclusive Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) courts, for 5 years from FY27 to FY31.

The scheme has a total financial outlay of ₹3,788.04 crore, which includes a Central Share of ₹2,353.15 crore (funded through the Nirbhaya Fund) and a State and Union Territory Share of ₹1,434.89 crore.

A total of 29 States and UTs are participating in the scheme. It provides for the expansion of FTSCs from 779 to 850 courts to extend coverage into additional districts, allocating 1 Judicial Officer and 6 support staff per FTSC.

The Union Cabinet has approved the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for the Development of Grid-Scale Energy Storage Systems (GSESS) with a financial support of ₹14,500 crore for the period from FY27 to FY31.

The scheme aims to support the development of 92 GWh of yet-to-be-commissioned energy storage capacity across the country, with a total estimated investment of ₹97,600 crore. It will support the creation of new capacities equivalent to 170% of the present-day GSESS capacity, helping meet the required GSESS capacity of 411 GWh by FY32.

The initiative envisages the development of 60 GWh of Hydro Pumped Storage Plant (PSP) capacity, 30 GWh of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) capacity, and 2 GWh of capacity through alternative energy storage technologies.

The Ministry of Labour & Employment has notified the creation of two National Social Security Boards (NSSB) for Unorganised Workers and Gig and Platform Workers under the Code on Social Security, 2020.

The boards aim to strengthen statutory social security planning and welfare monitoring. Having a tenure of 3 years, the boards are chaired by Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, with Dr Chandra Bhushan Kumar as the Vice-Chairperson. They are mandated to meet at least 3 times a year in accordance with Government of India (GoI) procedures.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the 1,500 km Northern Bullet Train Corridor connecting Delhi with Guwahati (Assam) via Siliguri (West Bengal).

It is to be noted that the first bullet train project of India is the 508 km Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor, which is currently under construction.

The Ministry of Textiles has modified the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Textiles, extending its tenure to the FY34 exclusively for applicants approved under Round 4.

To encourage participation from MSMEs and mid-sized manufacturing units, the ministry has reduced the minimum turnover requirement under Part 2 of the scheme from ₹200 crore to ₹100 crore, with a minimum investment threshold of ₹50 crore.

The Union Cabinet has approved the ‘Viksit Bharat Initiative for Statistical Transformation, Analytics & Research (VISTAR)’ Scheme for the period FY27 to FY31, with an outlay of ₹4,371.1 crore.

The VISTAR scheme comprises 3 components: Comprehensive Statistical Operations and Strengthening of Ecosystem, Support for Statistical Strengthening (SSS), and Economic Census (EC).

Under the Comprehensive Statistical Operations and Strengthening of Ecosystem component, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) proposes conducting 59 surveys during the 16th Finance Commission (FC) cycle. It is to be noted that under the Economic Census (EC) component, MoSPI will undertake the 8th Economic Census in collaboration with State and UT governments.

Japan-based Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank (SuMiTB) has acquired a minority stake in One Planet Partners (OPP), an Asset Management Company (AMC) in India, to expand its exposure to the Indian energy transition, mobility, and manufacturing sectors.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has signed an MoU with the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) to train traders and MSMEs across India in AI, cybersecurity, and digital marketing.

India Post under the Department of Posts has signed an MoU with UTI Mutual Fund, one of the oldest and largest Asset Management Companies (AMCs) in India, to strengthen their existing collaboration by expanding doorstep Know Your Customer (KYC) verification services across the country, including remote and underserved areas.

According to the 2026 UN Secretary-General’s Report on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) released by the United Nations, at least 25 women and girls were killed daily in armed conflicts worldwide in 2025. The report further states that over 37,000 civilians lost their lives in armed conflicts globally in 2025.

Iliana Iotova, the acting President of Bulgaria, has won the presidential runoff election, becoming the first democratically elected female President of the country.

Jatin Kumar Nayak has been appointed as the CMD of the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd (IREDA). He succeeds Dr. Bijay Kumar Mohanty.

India has won 4 medals (1 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze) at the Senior World Wrestling Championships 2026 held at Barys Arena in Kazakhstan, under the aegis of the United World Wrestling (UWW).

The medals were secured by the women’s freestyle squad, placing the country 7th in the global medal table and 5th in the Women’s Freestyle Team Rankings. Manisha Bhanwala became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Senior World Wrestling Championships. She is the second Indian wrestler overall, following Sushil Kumar to claim a world title.

The USA topped the medal tally with 15 medals (7 gold), followed by Iran and Russia. In the team rankings, USA topped the men’s freestyle and women’s freestyle categories, while Iran led the men’s Greco-Roman wrestling.