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Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for October 26, 2025. If you missed the October 25, 2025, UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here.
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government policies and interventions, Security challenges and their management in border areas – linkages of organized crime with terrorism.
What’s the ongoing story: With the final exit of the MiG-21s last month bringing down the IAF fighter squadron strength to 29 as against the sanctioned 42, there’s a push within the government to go ahead with the programme to upgrade the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fleet, the backbone of the IAF, officials aware of the latest discussions have told The Sunday Express.
Key Points to Ponder:
— Read about the Su-30MKI.
— What is the Super Sukhoi programme?
— What is the Cabinet Committee of Security (CCS)?
— Know about the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas.
— What is the significance of the Super Sukhoi upgrade programme?
— What steps should India take to maintain credible air power?
Key Takeaways:
— The Su-30MKI upgrade programme, also referred to as the Super Sukhoi programme, is a major midlife upgrade programme which can increase the service life of the multirole fighter by another 20 years.
— According to officials, the upgradation proposal is currently being examined by the Ministry of Defence and efforts are underway to fast-track its movement to the Cabinet Committee of Security (CCS) for its approval.
— The upgrade, the official said, will include a new cockpit, avionics, radars and IR sensors, a new electronic warfare suite including jammer pods.
– Officials said the upgrade programme is nearly finalised and once it gets the CCS sanction, state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has set a timeline to deliver the aircraft’s initial operational clearance (IOC) version in five years and the final operational clearance (FOC) version in seven years of the CCS nod.
— The development also assumes significance in the context of the IAF’s dwindling fighter squadron strength, which went down to 29 after the last of the MiG-21s retired in September. The IAF currently has a sanctioned fighter squadron strength of 42.
— The IAF is yet to receive delivery of any of the 83 Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Mk1A from the HAL. In November 2023, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, had accorded an Acceptance of Necessity for upgradation of Su-30MKI aircraft indigenously from HAL.
Do You Know:
— With the Prime Minister helming it, the Cabinet Committee on Security has the ministers for Finance, Defence, Home Affairs and External Affairs as its members. It is responsible for debates, discussions and appointments of/ in the national security bodies.
— Major decisions with respect to the significant appointments, issues of national security, defence expenditure of India are taken by CCS.
— Besides dealing with defence related issues, the CCS also brainstorms on issues relating to law and order and internal security, and policy matters concerning foreign affairs on security-related issues. It also considers matters relating to atomic energy.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍Knowledge nugget of the day: Cabinet Committee on Security
UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
(1) The Prime Minister is not part of which among the following cabinet committees?
1. Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs
2. Cabinet Committee on Accommodation
3. Appointments Committee of the Cabinet
4. Cabinet Committee on Security
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 2 and 4 only
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance, Geography.
Mains Examination: General Studies-I, III: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclones etc., disaster management.
What’s the ongoing story: Andhra Pradesh is bracing for the severe Cyclone Montha, which is heading towards the state and will start affecting normal life from October 26, with heavy rains predicted in many parts, officials said. The IMD has warned the Rayalaseema region will receive extreme heavy rainfall (over 210mm in 24 hours) on October 27 and 28. Cyclone Montha was named by Thailand.
Key Points to Ponder:
— What is a cyclone and what are its types?
— What are the favourable conditions for the formation of tropical cyclones?
— What are tropical depressions?
— What is the difference between cyclones and anticyclones?
— What are the challenges in cyclone disaster management in India?
— How is climate change impacting tropical cyclones?
— What are the cyclone disaster management, mitigation and preparedness measures in India?
Key Takeaways:
— State CM N Chandrababu Naidu Saturday told officials to remain alert, directing them to ensure no hurdles in essential services, especially when the cyclone makes landfall. The district collectors of Guntur, Nellore, Chittor, Kakinada, Bapatla, and YSR Kadapa have set up special control rooms to assist people, if necessary, after the cyclone makes landfall. The Rayalaseema region has also been put on alert.
— As per the IMD, the “severe” cyclone is expected to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast on the evening or night of October 28, with wind speeds expected to reach 90-100 km/hr, gusting to 110 km/hr. As per the IMD trajectory forecast, the cyclone will cross Andhra Pradesh, between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam near Kakinada.
— Light to moderate intensity rainfall has already commenced over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam and is likely to continue through the next five-six days, the IMD has warned.
Do You Know:
— Tropical cyclones form over warm ocean waters near the equator. When the warm, moist air from the ocean surface rises upward, a lower air pressure area is formed below. Air from surrounding areas with higher air pressure rushes into this low-pressure area, eventually rising, and it becomes warm and moist.
— As warm, moist air rises, it cools down, and the water in the air forms clouds and thunderstorms. This whole system of clouds and winds gains strength and momentum using the ocean’s heat, and the water that evaporates from its surface.
— “The weakest tropical cyclones are called tropical depressions. If a depression intensifies such that its maximum sustained winds reach 39 miles per hour [63 kmph], the tropical cyclone becomes a tropical storm,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Storm systems with wind speeds of 119 kmph and above are classified as hurricanes, typhoons, or tropical cyclones.
— The category of a tropical cyclone is determined by its sustained wind speed, as measured by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. It is classified into five categories — Category 1 to Category 5. While Category 1 tropical cyclones bring winds of 119 to 153 kmph, Category 5 tropical cyclones, which are the strongest, have winds of 252 kmph or higher. Storms that reach Category 3 and higher are considered major tropical cyclones due to their potential to inflict significant damage.
— A tropical cyclone has a ‘clean’ side and a ‘dirty’ side. In the northern hemisphere, the right-hand side of the storm (relative to its motion) is called the ‘dirty’ side, and the left-hand side is known as the ‘clean’ side.
— The ‘dirty’ side can bring more devastation as the forward motion of the storm is added to the background rotating circulation of the system, which is always in an anti-clockwise direction. The location at which the two movements — rotation around the eye and forward motion — combine is where the most powerful winds are found.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍What is a cyclone and what are its types
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
(2) In the South Atlantic and South-Eastern Pacific regions in tropical latitudes, cyclone does not originate. What is the reason? (UPSC CSE 2015)
(a) Sea surface temperatures are low
(b) Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone seldom occurs
(c) Coriolis force is too weak
(d) Absence of land in those regions
Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
Tropical cyclones are largely confined to the South China Sea, Bay of Bengal and Gulf of Mexico. Why? (UPSC CSE 2014)
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies-II: India and its neighbourhood- relations.
What’s the ongoing story: Ajay Darshan Behera writes- “India’s connection with Afghanistan is one of the oldest in South Asia. It began long before modern borders were invented. Yet, this civilisational bond has been tested again and again – by empire, partition, the Cold War, and today’s shifting geopolitics. The recent visit of Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to New Delhi in the second week of October was not just another diplomatic engagement. It reflected how old ties are being reworked in a new regional setting marked by uncertainty and change.”
Key Points to Ponder:
— What is the history of India-Afghanistan relations?
— Read about the Durand Line.
— What are the areas of cooperation between India and Afghanistan?
— What are the main products imported from and exported to Afghanistan?
— What is the Taliban and its history?
— How has India navigated its relationship with the Taliban since they took power?
— What key factors have prompted India to engage with the Taliban at a higher level?
— Map work: Location of Afghanistan. (Refer Atlas)
Key Takeaways:
— “Trade and culture linked the Indian subcontinent and Afghanistan as far back as the Indus Valley Civilisation. Under Emperor Ashoka, the Mauryan Empire extended to Kandahar. His edicts, inscribed in Greek on Afghan rocks, show how these regions once formed part of a shared cultural world. The ancient land of Gandhara, covering parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan, was once a great centre of Buddhist art and learning. The Bamiyan Buddhas, destroyed by the Taliban in 2001, stood for over 1,500 years as witnesses to that shared past.”
— “Islam arrived in the seventh century but did not break these ties. Afghan rulers continued to shape Indian history. The Ghaznavids, Ghurids, Lodis, and Mughals all crossed the passes to establish dynasties in Delhi. Babur ruled Kabul before founding the Mughal Empire in 1526.”
— “Afghanistan shared deep sympathy with India’s freedom movement. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, the ‘Frontier Gandhi’, led the Khudai Khidmatgar movement, mobilised Pashtuns for non-violent resistance and worked closely with the Indian National Congress.”
— “After Partition, Afghanistan was the only country to vote against Pakistan’s entry into the United Nations. Kabul’s refusal to recognise the Durand Line reflected its sympathy for Pashtun autonomy and its disappointment that the North-West Frontier Province did not join Afghanistan.”
— “Independent India and Afghanistan signed a Treaty of Friendship in 1949, uniting them in suspicion of Pakistan’s Western alliances. During the Cold War, both leaned toward Moscow. India saw the Soviet presence as a barrier against Pakistan-sponsored militancy and an assurance that Afghan soil would not be used for anti-India activities. Pakistan, meanwhile, became the “frontline state” for the US-Saudi-backed jihad.”
— “When Soviet troops withdrew in 1989, Afghanistan slipped into chaos. India, which had invested in the old regime, found itself without influence. But with the Taliban capturing power in Kabul in 1996, New Delhi returned to the game. Alongside Iran and Russia, it supported the Northern Alliance led by Ahmad Shah Massoud.”
— This support reflected India’s strategic calculation that a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan would essentially extend Pakistani influence to India’s northwestern approaches. India feared that a Taliban Afghanistan would provide sanctuary and support for anti-India militant groups. Those fears were realised in 1999 when an Indian Airlines flight was hijacked to Kandahar.”
— “Once the Taliban was removed from power in 2001, India emerged as one of Afghanistan’s biggest regional contributors. The $275-million Afghan-India Friendship Dam, formerly known as the Salma Dam, and the Zaranj-Delaram highway connecting Afghanistan to Iran’s Chabahar Port were symbols of this partnership.”
– “The US departure in August 2021 restored the Taliban to power. India closed its embassy and flew out its diplomats. Two decades of investment appeared to be lost overnight. Pakistan leaders rejoiced, confident their influence was intact. But the Taliban quickly let them down. For India, this provided a small but significant diplomatic window.”
— “By 2025, both sides were experimenting with a new relationship. Afghanistan required partners to ease its economic difficulties. India wanted to regain its foothold through development, trade, and humanitarian activity.”
— “Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to New Delhi marked the highest-level contact since 2021. India’s outreach to the Taliban is not a seal of approval but a pragmatic necessity. It is a response to unfolding realities. Afghanistan and India have been bound together for centuries by geography, commerce, religion, and culture. These ties have endured empire, ideology and invasion. But they have also been influenced – sometimes distorted – by the politics of the time.”
— “The road ahead remains uncertain. The track record of the Taliban when it comes to women’s rights and minorities is grim. Security risks persist. What, however, is certain is that the India-Afghanistan narrative is not yet finished. It has merely moved to a new chapter – one in which old bonds and new realities have to coexist.”
Do You Know:
— Afghanistan’s geopolitical significance goes beyond India and Pakistan. It is a multi-ethnic, landlocked country positioned at the crossroads of Central Asia, the Middle East, and South Asia. This strategic location has historically drawn the interest of major global and regional powers, making Afghanistan a focal point in global politics. Acknowledging Afghanistan’s significance, India has carefully crafted its policy towards the country.
— India’s investments in Afghanistan: India has constructed essential infrastructure, including roads, dams, electricity transmission lines, substations, schools, and hospitals in Afghanistan. The value of India’s development assistance is now estimated to exceed $3 billion. Unlike in some other countries where India’s infrastructure projects have struggled to gain traction or have been hindered by local politics, these initiatives have successfully been implemented in Afghanistan.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
📍UPSC Issue at a Glance | India-Taliban Talks: Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains
Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
(3) Consider the following countries: (UPSC CSE 2022)
1. Azerbaijan
2. Kyrgyzstan
3. Tajikistan
4. Turkmenistan
5. Uzbekistan
Which of the above have borders with Afghanistan?
(a) 1, 2 and 5 only
(b) 1, 2, 3 and 4 only
(c) 3, 4 and 5 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
The proposed withdrawal of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) from Afghanistan in 2014 is fraught with major security implications for the countries of the region. Examine in light of the fact that India is faced with a plethora of challenges and needs to safeguard its own strategic interests. (UPSC CSE 2013)
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance, environment.
Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Environment conservation.
What’s the ongoing story: With their distinctive shaggy orange manes, pale blue faces and dense fur covering their hands and feet, it’s hard to mistake China’s endangered golden snub-nosed monkeys for any other animal.
Key Points to Ponder:
— What is panda diplomacy?
— How has China extended the concept of panda diplomacy through the golden snub-nosed monkeys?
— How has wildlife diplomacy emerged as a tool of soft power in international relations?
— Read about the golden snub-nosed monkeys.
— What is the conservation status of golden snub-nosed monkeys?
— What are the ethical and conservation concerns associated with the practice of sending endangered animals abroad as part of diplomatic exchanges?
Key Takeaways:
— These rare and charismatic monkeys, unique to the frigid mountains of central China, have recently joined the country’s famous pandas as furry envoys to zoos in Europe for the first time — on loan for 10 years from the same government-overseen group that coordinates official panda exchanges.
— As with “ panda diplomacy,” some observers cheer new opportunities for scientific and conservation collaboration, while others raise concerns about the welfare of individual animal ambassadors transported around the world.
— Three golden monkeys arrived at France’s Beauval Zoo in the city of Saint-Aignan this April, following an agreement to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and France.
— The hope is to build longstanding scientific exchanges between the zoos and Chinese authorities, said Anaïs Maury, the communications director for the Beauval Zoo.
— Both giant pandas and golden snub-nosed monkeys are endangered animals that are unique to China and they can only be moved outside the country with approval from the central government, said Elena Songster, an environmental historian at St. Mary’s College of California.
— While both species are considered national treasures, only monkeys have deep roots in Chinese art and culture, appearing in countless paintings and as characters in classic literature, including the wily Monkey King in the 16th century novel “Journey to the West.”
— The original soft power couple from post-war China was a pair of giant pandas, Ping Ping and Qi Qi, sent to the Soviet Union in 1957 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution, which led to the establishment of the world’s first Communist state.
— In 1972, a pair of pandas was sent to the U.S. for the first time, following President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to Beijing. In 1984, China switched from gifting pandas to loaning them.
— Following outcry from animal-rights activists, China ended the practice of short-term loans and began longer leases, usually around a decade. In this arrangement through the China Wildlife Conservation Association, part of the money that an overseas zoo pays annually to China must be earmarked for habitat conservation or scientific research to benefit the species.
Do You Know:
— China’s “panda diplomacy” is the practice of transporting pandas from China to other countries as a means of diplomacy and animal protection.
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.
Main Examination: General Studies-II, III: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian economy.
What’s the ongoing story: The United States abruptly terminated trade talks with Canada citing an anti-tariff advertisement campaign being run by the province of Ontario in the US. The advert featured a 1987 speech by former US President Ronald Reagan in which he can be seen warning people about the perils of tariffs and protectionist policies on economic growth.
Key Points to Ponder:
— What are tariffs? Why are tariffs imposed?
— What are Section 232 tariffs?
— What are India’s import and export trends with regard to the US?
— What strategies is India using to navigate potential trade negotiations with the U.S.?
— How have U.S. tariffs impacted India’s economy?
Key Takeaways:
— Reagan’s words, however, were seemingly taken out of context. The original speech was delivered against the backdrop of his decision to impose tariffs on Japanese semiconductors for unfair trade practices — similar to the argument that the US appears to be using against China today.
— The Trump administration’s erratic moves on trade have begun to hurt Indian exports. While India’s overall exports did not decline in September, shipments to the US dipped 12% due to the 50% duty on Indian items. Continued tariffs could impact India’s labour-intensive sectors such as leather, textiles, and marine products. Moreover, American sanctions on Russian oil could also put pressure on India’s oil import bills.
— Washington’s outsized reaction to the Canadian ad campaign also signals growing unease in the Trump administration over the Supreme Court hearing next month, which could strip Trump of his powers to impose reciprocal tariffs and perhaps go as far as to compel the administration to repay the tariffs to US importers.
— An adverse court order could also dramatically alter the dynamics of the US-India trade negotiations, as India is largely engaging in reciprocal tariffs rather than Section 232 tariffs. Moreover, experts have raised doubts about the longevity of trade deals that do not comply with WTO norms.
— Put simply, Section 232 tariffs aim to protect US national security. Unlike reciprocal tariffs which vary from country to country, Section 232 tariffs, in theory, apply to all countries equally but vary sectorally. The Trump administration has used this tool to raise levies on aluminum, cars and car parts, copper, furniture, lumber, steel, and timber.
— The increased use of Section 232 by the US could mean that any concessions offered by India to the US under the trade deal may apply only to the current 50% reciprocal tariffs on India, leaving sectoral tariffs that the US is imposing — and planning to impose — unaffected.
— A concession on Section 232 may be unlikely, as the US has only offered concessions to the UK by levying 25% tariffs on the UK’s steel and aluminium — compared with 50% on other countries — under the US–UK Economic Prosperity Deal. Under the deal, the UK agreed to import American agricultural products, a priority for the Trump administration. London has also secured lower tariffs on limited quantities of car exports to the US.
Do You Know:
— Tariffs are taxes or duties imposed by a government on imported goods and services. Their objective is to make foreign products more expensive compared to domestically produced goods, thereby encouraging consumers to prefer local products.
— Tariffs also act as a protective measure for domestic industries against foreign competition. Additionally, they serve as a source of revenue for the government.
Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:
UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:
(4) Consider the following statements:
1. Tariffs are taxes or duties imposed by a government on imported goods and services.
2. Objective of tariffs is to make foreign products more expensive compared to domestically produced goods
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Previous year UPSC Mains Questions Covering similar theme:
‘What introduces friction into the ties between India and the United States is that Washington is still unable to find for India a position in its global strategy, which would satisfy India’s National self-esteem and ambitions’. Explain with suitable examples. (UPSC CSE 2019)
| ALSO IN NEWS | |
| RBI, SBI economists clash publicly over allegations of ‘plagiarism’ | In an unprecedented public exchange between India’s monetary authority and the country’s biggest bank, economists from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and State Bank of India (SBI) have locked horns over allegations of ‘plagiarism’ in economic research. The clash, playing out on professional networking site LinkedIn, has sparked unease within policy circles given the stature of the two institutions involved. The controversy began when Sarthak Gulati, Assistant General Manager in the RBI’s Monetary Policy Department, accused SBI’s research team of “verbatim replication” of sections from the central bank’s Monetary Policy Reports (MPRs) in recent editions of SBI’s widely-circulated Ecowrap publication without proper attribution. The MPR is a six-monthly report published in accordance with the RBI Act. As per the law, the report must explain the sources of inflation and detail inflation forecasts for the next 6-18 months. |
| PRELIMS ANSWER KEY |
| 1. (a) 2. (b) 3. (c) 4. (c) |
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