Current Affairs - National

Rourkela, Odisha, is the location of the Livelihood Business Incubation Centre established to promote skill development and entrepreneurship among Scheduled Tribe (ST) youth. A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC), the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), and SAIL-Rourkela Steel Plant to strengthen livelihood opportunities for ST youth. Established in 2018, the centre is recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. It provides training in areas such as mushroom farming, bakery manufacturing, welding technology, and furniture manufacturing. Over 600 students have benefited and established businesses in various trades.

Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, hosted the Fisheries Investors & Exporters Conclave 2026 on October 23, 2026. The event was organised by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying in collaboration with the Government of Madhya Pradesh to promote investment and export opportunities in the inland fisheries sector. During the conclave, the Madhya Pradesh Fisheries Investment and Export Guidelines, 2026, were launched, and standard operating procedures for inland-state exports were released. Madhya Pradesh was also designated a Reservoir Fisheries Cluster, utilising its 4.50 lakh hectares of water area to support fisheries development, infrastructure expansion, and export-oriented growth.

New Delhi was the location where Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal launched the National Strategic Trade Command Centre (NSTCC). The initiative aims to strengthen India’s international trade governance through integrated data analytics and evidence-based decision-making. The command centre will provide policymakers and government officials with a consolidated view of trade performance, export promotion schemes, regulatory approvals and application processing. It will include dashboards covering important functions of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), including the Importer Exporter Code (IEC), Advance Authorisation, Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG), Certificates of Origin and SCOMET-related processes. The initiative also seeks to improve administrative efficiency and facilitate smoother international trade operations.

Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, was included in National Geographic’s “Best of the World 2027” list, released on 20 October 2026. The city was recognised for its architectural heritage, cultural traditions, festivals and literary events as it approaches the 300th anniversary of its foundation in 2027. Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Sawai Jai Singh II and designed by architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya. Its historic walled city received UNESCO World Heritage status in 2019. Major attractions include the City Palace, Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar. The city is also famous for the Jaipur Literature Festival, traditional crafts and colourful cultural celebrations.

New Delhi is hosting the 7th Agrivoltaics World Conference 2026 from 21 to 23 October at Bharat Mandapam. This is the first time the global conference is being held in the Global South. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is hosting the event with support from Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, in partnership with Conexio-PSE. The conference theme is “Powering the Global South.” It focuses on agrivoltaics, also known as AgriPV, which combines agricultural production and solar power generation on the same land. The event also highlights farmer-centred business models, clean energy and sustainable agriculture.