Prelims Current Affairs includes World Polio Day 2026, Carbon Offsetting And Reduction Scheme For International Aviation (Corsia), The Badr Memorandum Of Understanding (Mou) , The Emissions Gap Report 2026, France Confirms First Human Case Of Shamonda Virus, Agrivoltaics World Conference 2026, Simbex-2026 & Suvikalp Tool

IMPORTANT DAYS

1. WORLD POLIO DAY 2026

Current Context: World Polio Day 2026 is observed on 24 October.

ABOUT WORLD POLIO DAY

• 2026 Theme: “Together, We End Polio.”
• Main Objective: To eliminate polio through vaccination, public awareness and international cooperation.
• Major Organisations: World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, UNICEF and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
• First Observed: 24 October 2012 as a dedicated global observance, following years of Rotary-led advocacy.

ABOUT POLIO

• Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly infectious disease caused by the poliovirus.
• It mainly affects children under five years of age.
• The virus usually spreads through the faecal-oral route.

INDIA’S POLIO-FREE STATUS

• India was certified polio-free on 27 March 2014 by the WHO’s South-East Asia Regional Certification Commission.

ENVIRONMENT

2. CARBON OFFSETTING AND REDUCTION SCHEME FOR INTERNATIONAL AVIATION (CORSIA)

Current Context: With just over two months remaining before CORSIA’s mandatory phase kicks in, India is yet to finalise a comprehensive national Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) policy.

ABOUT CORSIA

• Adopted & Implemented: 2016 by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
• Main Objective: To address the growth in net CO₂ emissions from international flights through emissions monitoring, carbon offsetting and the use of eligible sustainable aviation fuels.
• Coverage: CORSIA only applies to international flights. Domestic emissions fall under the scope of the UNFCCC and are covered by the Paris Agreement.
• It is the first global market-based measure for any industry sector.
• Under CORSIA, airlines compensate for their international flight’s CO₂ emissions by purchasing carbon offsets.
• Airlines must monitor, report and verify (MRV) their CO₂ emissions and purchase eligible emissions units to compensate for growth in emissions above an established baseline.

PHASES OF THE SCHEME

• Pilot phase (2021-2023) and first phase (2024-2026): Both voluntary, with roughly 120+ states having volunteered.
• Mandatory phase (2027-2035): Covers all ICAO member states except those exempted (least developed countries, small island developing states, landlocked developing countries, and states with very small shares of international aviation activity).

ABOUT ICAO

• ICAO is a United Nations specialized agency, established in 1944 by the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention).
• Member countries: 193 Member States.
• Headquarters: Montreal, Canada.

INTERNATIONAL

3. THE BADR MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU)

Current Context: Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar and Indonesia signed the Badr Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Doha, establishing a quadrilateral defence-industrial partnership.

Main Objective: To combine the defence manufacturing capabilities of the four countries, strengthen their domestic defence industries and develop modern military technology.

KEY FEATURES

• Two-Tier Governance Structure: An Executive Board for procurement and manufacturing plans, alongside a Strategic Board overseeing budgets and production-site approvals.
• Turkey-Centred Industrial Network: Positions Turkey’s aerospace and defence infrastructure as the manufacturing hub.
• Defence Industrial Cooperation: Focuses on joint manufacturing, technology transfer, research and technical training.
• Historical and Symbolic Significance: Named after the Battle of Badr (624 CE).
• Reducing Geopolitical Vulnerabilities: Seeks to strengthen defence supply-chain resilience amid West Asian instability.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

4. THE EMISSIONS GAP REPORT 2026

Current Context: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released the Emissions Gap Report 2026: The Point of Return, warning that the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C guardrail without overshoot is no longer possible.

ABOUT THE REPORT

• It is the 17th edition of the annual scientific assessment that tracks the discrepancy between countries’ projected greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under their climate pledges and the global emission trajectories required to meet Paris Agreement temperature goals.

KEY FINDINGS

• Loss of 1.5°C Climate Window: Inadequate global emission reductions have made overshooting the 1.5°C warming threshold virtually unavoidable.

Stagnating Global Emissions: Global GHG emissions remained around 58.4 GtCO₂e in 2025.

• Urgent Emission Reduction Targets: Limiting warming requires global emissions to decline by 18% by 2030, 45% by 2035 and 69% by 2040, relative to 2025.
• Widening Emissions Gap: Current 2035 NDCs leave a 16 GtCO₂e emissions gap.
• Rising Global Temperature Projections: Existing policies could cause 2.8°C warming by 2100, while full implementation of climate pledges may limit warming to approximately 2.1°C.
• Carbon Removal Uncertainties: Limiting temperature overshoot requires removing approximately 320 GtCO₂ this century.
• Renewable Growth, Fossil Dependence: Solar deployment expanded sevenfold faster than 2015 projections, yet rising coal, oil and gas consumption continues undermining decarbonisation efforts.

INDIA AND THE REPORT

• India is projected to achieve its 2030 and 2035 NDC targets under existing policies..
• India’s projected 2035 per capita emissions (3.6 tCO₂e) remain substantially below China (9.3), Russia (11.5) and Saudi Arabia (15.2).
• Despite expanding non-fossil electricity capacity toward 500 GW by 2030, India continues relying on coal-based generation.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / HEALTH

5. FRANCE CONFIRMS FIRST HUMAN CASE OF SHAMONDA VIRUS

Current Context: French health authorities confirmed the country’s first reported human case of Shamonda virus on 22 October 2026. The patient died after contracting the virus.

The suspected exposure was linked to eastern France, where animal infections had been reported earlier in 2026.

French authorities assessed the risk to the general population as absent at that stage.

ABOUT SHAMONDA VIRUS

• Shamonda virus (SHAV) is an insect-borne virus mainly associated with infections in livestock.
• It belongs to the genus Orthobunyavirus and the family Peribunyaviridae. It is part of the Simbu serogroup, which also includes Schmallenberg virus.
• The virus was first isolated from cattle in Nigeria in 1965. It had previously been detected in parts of Africa and Asia, including
• Until the French case, no human infection with Shamonda virus had been documented.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS / ENVIRONMENT

6. AGRIVOLTAICS WORLD CONFERENCE 2026

Current Context: The 7th edition of the AgriVoltaics World Conference (AWC) 2026 commenced at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, marking the first time the global summit has been hosted in India and the Global South.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

• It is the premier international scientific and industrial conference dedicated to agrivoltaics-the co-location and simultaneous utilization of land for agricultural crop production and solar photovoltaic energy generation.
• Host: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India.
• Theme: “Powering the Global South.”
• Aim: To strengthen South-South cooperation, climate-resilient agriculture and energy security through innovative agrivoltaic technologies.

KEY FEATURES

• Global Participation: Over 1,200 delegates and 150 international experts.
• Three Thematic Tracks: An India Focus Track and two international scientific tracks.
• Agrivoltaics Innovation Hub: Connected agritech startups, clean-energy innovators and venture capital investors.
• Precision Agricultural Technologies: Showcased smart irrigation, AI-based soil monitoring, solar tracking systems and shade-tolerant crops.

DEFENCE

7. SIMBEX-2026

Current Context: The 33rd edition of the bilateral maritime exercise between Singapore and India (SIMBEX-2026) commenced in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

ABOUT SIMBEX-2026

• It is being held between the Indian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN).
• Original name: Exercise Lion King.
• Established:

STAGES OF THE EXERCISE

• Harbour Stage: Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEEs), cross-deck visits, professional interaction and planning, and sporting interactions.
• Sea Phase: ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare), Anti-Surface Warfare, Anti-Air Warfare and seamanship evolutions.

AWARDS

8. SUVIKALP TOOL

Current Context: SUVIKALP received national recognition through the SKOCH Gold Award 2026 under the category “Digital Operational Efficiency – Data Driven Decision Making.”

ABOUT SUVIKALP TOOL

• It is an in-house Mine Repurposing Tool.
• Developed by: Coal Controller Organisation (CCO), under the Ministry of Coal.
• It assists stakeholders in selecting suitable mine repurposing projects through a structured and data-driven decision-making process.
• It evaluates and ranks repurposing projects based on multiple technical, environmental, social and economic criteria.

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