Prelims General Studies Paper I

A consortium led by Arcop Associates has been selected as the top bidder for the architectural and exhibition design of the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum. Restoration work on the North Block has begun. The first gallery is expected to open by the end of 2026. This marks a key step in transforming the North and South Blocks into the world's largest museum as part of the Central Vista project.

The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) latest Fiscal Monitor report, released in October 2025, has flagged a sharp rise in global public debt, forecasting it to exceed 100% of GDP by 2029—the highest level since 1948. This comes amid growing pressures from higher interest rates and increased spending needs, raising alarms about fiscal stability worldwide. For India, with its public debt at around 81.4% of GDP, the report underscores relative resilience but warns of potential vulnerabilities if deficits persist, as echoed in analyses from The Economic Times and The Hindu.

On October 21, 2025, Sanae Takaichi was elected by Japan's Parliament as the nation's first female Prime Minister, securing a majority vote after forming a coalition between her ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Japan Innovation Party (JIP). This marks a significant shift in Japanese politics, ending a three-month vacuum following the LDP's election losses in July and the resignation of Shigeru Ishiba, while highlighting the rise of conservative leadership in response to party crises.

The Reserve Bank of India released its October 2025 bulletin on October 20, highlighting positive signs in domestic demand for September based on high-frequency data like vehicle sales and GST e-way bills. It also downplayed the impact of high US tariffs on India's growth, emphasizing the role of recent GST rate cuts in boosting consumption and offsetting external pressures, amid ongoing global trade tensions.

The Indian government is preparing a new initiative to attract established Indian-origin scientists and researchers from abroad, particularly from the US, to return and contribute to domestic institutions. This comes amid the Trump administration's stringent policies on higher education, including caps on international student intake and freezes on federal grants for universities, which have raised concerns about academic freedom and prompted global competition for talent.

Cape Verde, a small African island nation with a population of just 5.5 lakh, made history by qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the second-smallest country after Iceland to achieve this feat. In contrast, India, with its 1.4 billion people and greater resources, failed to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup after losing to lower-ranked Singapore. This stark difference has sparked discussions on effective talent nurturing in sports, especially as Cape Verde's success highlights smart strategies that India could learn from to address its ongoing struggles in football.

The Supreme Court relaxed the absolute ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR, allowing the use of green crackers on a test case basis during Diwali. This order, passed by a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, aims to find a middle ground between cultural practices and the growing public health crisis from air pollution, as complete bans have proven hard to enforce and led to smuggling of more harmful crackers.

RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra spoke at the annual meeting of the IMF and World Bank in Washington DC, where he called on other central banks to focus on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) instead of stablecoins for handling payments across borders. This comes as more countries are accepting stablecoins, and it shows India's push for safer digital money options that protect national control over currency, especially when private cryptos could affect economic policies.

The Supreme Court has relaxed the complete ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR for Diwali, permitting the sale and use of green crackers on a trial basis for two days from October 18 to 20, 2025, with specific timings, following requests from the Centre and considering enforcement challenges, to test if regulated use can balance cultural celebrations with air quality protection amid rising pollution concerns.

The Executive Board of Commonwealth Sport has recommended Ahmedabad in Gujarat as the host city for the 2030 Centenary Commonwealth Games, following a detailed evaluation process, with the final decision set for the General Assembly in Glasgow on November 26, 2025. This marks India's return to hosting the Games after the 2010 Delhi edition and aligns with its ambitions to build world-class infrastructure ahead of a potential 2036 Olympics bid, while Nigeria's proposal is being considered for future events like 2034.

The Reserve Bank of India released the minutes of its Monetary Policy Committee meeting held between September 19 and October 1, 2025, where the panel unanimously decided to keep the repo rate unchanged at 5.5% for the second straight time, emphasizing caution due to global trade uncertainties like US tariffs, while lowering inflation forecasts and raising GDP growth estimates to support India's economic stability.

Intense border clashes broke out between Pakistani security forces and Afghan Taliban along the Durand Line in October 2025, starting with Pakistani strikes inside Afghanistan on October 9 and leading to heavy fighting on October 11-12, with significant casualties on both sides, border closures, and a temporary 48-hour ceasefire mediated by Qatar and Saudi Arabia starting October 15, highlighting deep-rooted mutual suspicions and strategic divergences that threaten regional stability.