Minds of Aspirantspowered by Cortex Desk
Minds of Aspirantspowered by Cortex Desk

2 to 8 November 2026

GS1 · History, geography and society

  1. Tuesday 3 November · Environment and Disaster Management

    Severe Cyclone Murasu begins landfall on Andhra Pradesh coast near Ongole

    Cyclone Murasu made landfall early on November 3, 2026, prompting heavy-rain, storm-surge and disaster-management alerts across coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjoining regions.

    • Murasu began landfall near Ongole early on November 3, 2026, according to the India Meteorological Department bulletin.
    • Murasu was classified as a severe cyclonic storm with sustained winds of 100–110 kmph and gusts up to 120 kmph.
    • A storm surge of 1–1.5 metres above astronomical tide was forecast for low-lying South Andhra Pradesh.

    GS-IGS-III

GS2 · Polity, governance and international relations

  1. Monday 2 November · International Relations, Economy and Science & Technology

    Quad foreign ministers pledge over $85 million for trusted AI and strengthen critical-mineral supply-chain cooperation

    India, the United States, Japan and Australia announced new cooperation on trusted AI, semiconductor resilience and recovery of critical minerals from electronic waste.

    • The Quad consists of India, the United States, Japan and Australia; it is an informal diplomatic grouping, not a treaty alliance.
    • The October 31, 2026 joint statement proposed more than $85 million in assistance for trusted artificial intelligence access.
    • The United States committed $10 million for facilities in India and Southeast Asian countries recovering minerals from waste.

    GS-IIGS-III

  2. Monday 2 November · Society, Public Health and Intellectual Property

    Indian Patent Office rejects patent application for BPaL drug combination used against drug-resistant tuberculosis

    The rejection may enable wider generic competition for the six-month, all-oral BPaL regimen, although lower prices and universal availability are not automatic.

    • BPaL contains bedaquiline, pretomanid and linezolid; BPaLM adds moxifloxacin to the same three-medicine combination.
    • The World Health Organization recommended six-month all-oral BPaLM treatment for eligible drug-resistant tuberculosis patients in 2022.
    • BPaL may be used when fluoroquinolone resistance is confirmed and moxifloxacin therefore cannot contribute effectively.

    GS-IIGS-III

  3. Tuesday 3 November · International Relations and Environment

    India proposes a $200-million Africa Solar Facility at Bharat Renewable Energy Summit

    At the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit in New Delhi, India proposed an Africa-focused solar financing facility to extend clean-energy finance, technology and expertise to the Global South.

    • The International Solar Alliance was launched by India and France at the 2015 Paris climate conference.
    • The ISA Framework Agreement entered into force after signature and ratification by countries in 2017.
    • The Global Solar Facility is a catalytic financing vehicle designed to attract private capital into underserved solar markets.

    GS-IIGS-III

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