In short: The most exam-relevant PIB news of 12 November 2026: retail inflation at 6.09% on the new CPI series, the WHO Global TB Report 2026 on India’s falling TB deaths, and NITI Aayog’s review of the PLI schemes.
Today’s PIB at a Glance
| # | News | Syllabus | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail Inflation Rises to 6.09% in October 2026, Led by Food Prices | GS Paper 3, Economy | Core topic ★★★ |
| 2 | WHO Global TB Report 2026 | GS Paper 2, Health | Core topic ★★★ |
| 3 | NITI Aayog Report Finds Nearly 70% of PLI Segments on Track | GS Paper 3, Industry | Core topic ★★★ |
| 4 | PLI ACC Scheme | GS Paper 3, Energy | Important ★★☆ |
| 5 | Tribal Affairs Ministry and CSIR-NBRI Launch Medicinal Plant Project in 16 Tribal Hotspots | GS Paper 1, GS Paper 3 | Important ★★☆ |
| 6 | MoRTH Proposes Rent a Cab Reforms to Ease Licensing and Improve Passenger Safety | GS Paper 2, GS Paper 3 | Important ★★☆ |
| 7 | TDB Backs Astrome’s Indigenous AI-ELINT Satellite Constellation | GS Paper 3, Space | Important ★★☆ |
1. Retail Inflation Rises to 6.09% in October 2026, Led by Food Prices
The numbers
- Rural inflation was 6.63% and urban inflation 5.41%, so price pressure is sharper in villages than in towns.
- Food inflation measured by the Consumer Food Price Index rose from 7.74% in September to 8.94% in October.
- Onion prices were up 116.22% year on year and garlic 60.74%, while potato (-14.24%) and cauliflower (-10.57%) fell.
- Restaurants and accommodation services (10.06%) and personal care and miscellaneous goods (10.14%) also recorded high inflation.
- Among the larger States, Tamil Nadu (7.29%), Telangana (7.26%) and Andhra Pradesh (7.25%) were at the top, while Uttar Pradesh stood at 6.47%.
The trend
- Headline inflation has climbed every month in 2026, from 2.74% in January to 6.09% in October.
- The October figure is just above the upper tolerance limit of 6% under the flexible inflation targeting framework.
- Housing (2.90%) and health (2.05%) stayed low, which shows that the rise is concentrated in food and a few other groups.
Why it matters
- A food-led rise hurts poorer households most, since food takes a larger share of their spending.
- Inflation above the band for a sustained period limits the room for the RBI to cut interest rates and can prompt supply-side steps such as stock limits and open market sales.
Exam Connect
Syllabus: GS Paper 3: Inflation; monetary policy; issues relating to mobilisation of resources and growth.
Key facts
| CPI (Oct 2026) | 6.09% |
|---|---|
| Food (CFPI) | 8.94% |
| Next release | 14 December 2026 |
Static Connect
- The CPI is compiled by the NSO under MoSPI; price data for the new series come from 1,407 urban markets and 1,465 villages.
- Under Section 45ZA of the RBI Act, 1934, the Centre sets the inflation target, currently 4% with a band of 2% to 6%.
- The Monetary Policy Committee has six members, three from the RBI and three appointed by the Centre.
Prelims pointers
- Base year of the new CPI series: 2024.
- Rural inflation (6.63%) was higher than urban (5.41%).
Mains takeaway: A food-driven rise in inflation calls for supply-side management of vegetables and pulses alongside monetary policy.
Read more on GSMitra: UPSC Prelims Current Affairs 12 November 2026
Source: PIB release 2335416
2. WHO Global TB Report 2026: India’s TB Mortality Down 38% Since 2015
Key findings
- India’s TB mortality rate fell from 28 per lakh population in 2015 to 18 per lakh in 2025, according to the report.
- The estimate uses data from the Sample Registration System of the Registrar General of India, verbal autopsies and the Ni-kshay portal.
- About 96% of the TB programme’s funding needs are met from domestic resources.
- An ICMR-NIRT national TB prevalence survey conducted in 2025 is under technical discussion with WHO, after which WHO will update India’s country profile.
TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan
- The first intensive 100-day campaign began on 7 December 2024 in 347 high-priority districts and was later expanded nationwide.
- A second 100-day campaign launched on 24 March 2026 focuses on 1.58 lakh high-risk villages and wards, congregate settings and vulnerable groups.
- Up to 8 November 2026, over 25 crore people were screened, with more than 11 crore chest X-rays and over 3 crore NAAT tests.
- Of the 48.64 lakh new cases found, 14.97 lakh had no symptoms, which shows the value of active case finding.
- In 2025, 67,933 Panchayats were declared TB-free.
Points to note
- Nutrition support through the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana and community donors under Ni-kshay Mitra addresses undernutrition, a major risk factor for TB.
- Mortality is falling, but the End TB goals also require a steep cut in new infections, which depends on the pending prevalence data.
Exam Connect
Syllabus: GS Paper 2: Issues relating to health; government policies and interventions; important international institutions.
Key facts
| TB mortality | 28 → 18 per lakh |
|---|---|
| Treatment success | 94% |
| Domestic funding | 96% |
Static Connect
- The WHO End TB Strategy aims to cut TB deaths by 90% and incidence by 80% by 2030, compared with 2015.
- SDG target 3.3 calls for ending the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases by 2030.
- The National TB Elimination Programme was earlier called the Revised National TB Control Programme.
Prelims pointers
- India’s decline (38%) is higher than the global decline (35%).
- NAAT is a rapid molecular test for TB.
Mains takeaway: Active case finding and nutrition support are lowering TB deaths; the next test is cutting transmission and incidence.
Source: PIB release 2335615
3. NITI Aayog Report Finds Nearly 70% of PLI Segments on Track
What the report found
- Overall, nearly 70% of the targeted segments are on track, and the scheme has pushed investment and production beyond targets.
- Sector outcomes are grouped into four classes: On-Track, Partial Impact, Insignificant Evidence of Impact, and Data Unavailable.
- Pharmaceuticals, mobile manufacturing, food processing, telecom, white goods, automobiles and drones show notable progress, with drones an early success.
- Manufacturing capacity for high-efficiency solar PV modules has expanded significantly.
- ACC batteries, specialty steel and technical textiles are still at the stage of gradual capacity creation.
Concerns flagged
- Long-term success depends on deeper domestic value addition and stronger supply chains, not only higher output.
- The report calls for greater MSME participation, harmonised data systems across ministries and continued ecosystem support.
- The assessment uses firm-level data shared by the implementing ministries, supplemented by industry inputs.
Why it matters
- PLI pays incentives on incremental sales, so it rewards firms that actually produce rather than those that only invest.
- An independent review helps decide which sectors deserve extension and which need redesign before fresh funds are committed.
- Sectors marked as having insignificant evidence or no data show that outcomes depend on industry participation and ministry follow-up, not on the incentive alone.
Exam Connect
Syllabus: GS Paper 3: Industrial policy; changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth; Make in India.
Key facts
| Sectors covered | 14 |
|---|---|
| On track | Nearly 70% of segments |
| Knowledge partner | IIM Ahmedabad |
Static Connect
- The PLI scheme for 14 sectors was announced in 2020-21 with an outlay of about ₹1.97 lakh crore.
- PLI incentives are linked to incremental sales over a base year, paid for a fixed period of about five years.
- NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission on 1 January 2015.
Prelims pointers
- Drones are described as an early implementation success.
- The report covers all 14 notified PLI sectors.
Mains takeaway: PLI has raised output in several sectors; deeper value addition and MSME linkages will decide whether it builds lasting competitiveness.
Source: PIB release 2335594
4. PLI ACC Scheme: 22 Bids for 10 GWh of Grid-Scale Battery Cell Capacity
Key points
- The 10 GWh is part of the 50 GWh total ACC capacity targeted under the National Programme on ACC Battery Storage.
- The Cabinet approved the scheme in May 2021 with a budgetary outlay of ₹18,100 crore.
- The tender was floated on the Central Public Procurement Portal on 15 July 2026, and technical bids were opened on 11 November 2026.
- Bidders are being selected through a two-stage Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) process.
- Bidders include Reliance Industries, JSW Neo Energy, Amara Raja, Exide Energy, Waaree, Vikram Solar and ACME Solar.
Why it matters
- Grid batteries store surplus solar and wind power and release it at peak hours, which is needed as renewable capacity grows.
- Domestic cell manufacturing reduces dependence on imported cells, most of which come from China.
Exam Connect
Syllabus: GS Paper 3: Infrastructure (energy); industrial policy.
Static Connect
- An Advanced Chemistry Cell is a new-generation battery cell technology that stores electricity as electrochemical energy.
- QCBS scores bidders on both technical quality and cost, unlike selection on price alone.
Prelims pointers
- ACC target: 50 GWh; outlay ₹18,100 crore.
- This tranche is for grid-scale stationary storage, not vehicles.
Mains takeaway: Battery storage at grid scale is the missing link between renewable capacity and round-the-clock clean power.
Read more on GSMitra: Battery Recycling and the Black Mass Export Ban Explained
Source: PIB release 2335459
5. Tribal Affairs Ministry and CSIR-NBRI Launch Medicinal Plant Project in 16 Tribal Hotspots
Key points
- The project will document 200-300 medicinal plant species and scientifically propagate 30-40 rare, endangered and threatened species.
- It will set up 16 community nurseries and 16 seed banks and distribute 40,000-50,000 quality planting materials.
- Hotspots include Sonbhadra (Uttar Pradesh), Dharchula (Uttarakhand), Wayanad (Kerala), Kargil (Ladakh) and Koraput, Kandhamal and Balangir (Odisha).
- In Sonbhadra, CSIR-NBRI met 146 tribal knowledge holders in 12 villages in October 2026 and collected about 200 plant samples and 25 live orchids.
- The project links scientific institutions with Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Van Dhan Vikas Kendras, forest departments and local communities.
Why it matters
- It treats tribal communities as custodians of biological and traditional knowledge and aims to turn that knowledge into income.
Exam Connect
Syllabus: GS Paper 1: Tribal communities; GS Paper 3: Conservation of biodiversity.
Static Connect
- Van Dhan Vikas Kendras were started under the Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana, implemented through TRIFED.
- Benefit sharing for the use of biological resources and traditional knowledge is governed by the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
Prelims pointers
- Implementing partner: CSIR-NBRI, Lucknow.
- UP district covered: Sonbhadra.
Mains takeaway: Linking conservation with enterprise can protect medicinal plants while giving tribal communities a fair economic return.
Source: PIB release 2335554
6. MoRTH Proposes Rent a Cab Reforms to Ease Licensing and Improve Passenger Safety
Key proposals
- Operators may rent cabs with or without drivers, and the minimum fleet size falls from 50 to 5 cabs, with at least 2 per place of operation.
- The requirement to keep branches in five tourist cities is removed.
- A single electronic licence valid across the State or UT replaces separate main and branch licences.
- Licence grants and renewals get a 60-day timeline, and changes to cabs or places of operation get 30-day deemed approval.
- Cabs must carry location tracking and first-aid kits, and operators must run a website and 24-hour grievance support.
- Operator-provided drivers need police verification and are covered by welfare provisions under the Code on Social Security, 2020.
Why it matters
- Lower entry thresholds open the business to small operators while the safety rules protect renters.
Exam Connect
Syllabus: GS Paper 2: Government policies and interventions; GS Paper 3: Infrastructure (transport).
Static Connect
- Rent a cab operations are regulated under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, with State transport authorities granting licences.
- VAHAN is the national vehicle registration database maintained for MoRTH.
Prelims pointers
- Minimum fleet proposed: 5 cabs (from 50).
- Deemed approval within 30 days for changes.
Mains takeaway: Simpler licensing with built-in safety and grievance rules is a model for balancing ease of doing business and ease of living.
Source: PIB release 2335619
7. TDB Backs Astrome’s Indigenous AI-ELINT Satellite Constellation
Key points
- The total project cost is ₹128.11 crore, and TDB’s support is given as optionally convertible debt.
- The project will take the technologies from Technology Readiness Level 4 to TRL-9, which means flight-proven systems.
- It combines an ELINT payload, AI-based ground processing software and inter-satellite communication links.
- The constellation will use microsatellites of the 50 kg class in low Earth orbit, adding satellites over time to improve revisit.
Why it matters
- ELINT satellites detect and analyse radar and other electronic signals, which supports surveillance for national security.
- Funding private firms for strategic space systems builds domestic capacity beyond ISRO and reduces reliance on foreign data.
- The project falls in the deep technology sector, with space technology as its sub-sector.
Exam Connect
Syllabus: GS Paper 3: Space technology; indigenisation of technology; security.
Static Connect
- The Technology Development Board was set up in 1996 under the Technology Development Board Act, 1995.
- Technology Readiness Levels run from TRL-1 (basic principles) to TRL-9 (proven in actual operation).
Prelims pointers
- Support instrument: optionally convertible debt.
- Satellite class: 50 kg, low Earth orbit.
Mains takeaway: Indigenous intelligence satellites built by private firms add to strategic autonomy in space.
Source: PIB release 2335322
Quick Bites for Prelims
- One Nation, One Ration Card: A PIB backgrounder said ONORC, launched in 2019, now covers all 36 States/UTs, records about 3.27 crore portability transactions a month and has moved over 614 LMT of foodgrains since inception. (PIB)
- Gallantry Awards portal: Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth launched the revamped gallantryawards.gov.in portal; it hosts Veer Gatha, which grew to over 1.92 crore students and 1.9 lakh schools in its fifth edition. (PIB)
- KVS digital initiatives: The Education Minister launched the AI-integrated Vidya Samiksha Kendra with the ‘Samiksha’ AI Bot, the KVS-Samvaad Parent Connect app and the KVS Alumni portal of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan. (PIB)
- PPVFRA Foundation Day: The 22nd Foundation Day of the PPVFRA marked 25 years of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001; nearly half of the registered varieties are farmers’ varieties. (PIB)
- Red sanders seizure: DRI seized 12.87 tonnes of red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) at Chennai Port; the species is in CITES Appendix II and Schedule IV of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. (PIB)
- 57th IFFI: The 57th International Film Festival of India will be held in Goa from 20 to 28 November 2026 under the theme ‘Stories Without Borders’. (PIB)
- National Naturopathy Day: The 9th National Naturopathy Day will be observed on 18 November 2026 at CRIYN, Nagamangala (Karnataka), with the theme ‘Prakrutik Chikitsa, Swasth Bharat’. (PIB)
- Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan: The campaign, launched on 15 August 2020, has reached 35.88 crore people; persons seeking treatment rose from 2.08 lakh in 2020-21 to over 9.11 lakh in 2025-26, and there are 198 District De-Addiction Centres. (PIB)
Practice Questions
Prelims MCQs
Q1. With reference to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for October 2026, consider the following statements:
1. Headline CPI inflation was above the upper tolerance limit of the inflation target band.
2. The CPI is compiled and released by the Labour Bureau.
3. Rural inflation was higher than urban inflation.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer and explanation
Answer: (c)
- Statement 1 is correct. Headline inflation was 6.09%, just above the upper limit of 6%.
- Statement 2 is incorrect. The CPI is compiled by the National Statistics Office under MoSPI.
- Statement 3 is correct. Rural inflation was 6.63% against 5.41% in urban areas.
Q2. With reference to the WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2026, consider the following statements:
1. It records a fall in India’s TB mortality rate from 28 to 18 per lakh population between 2015 and 2025.
2. India’s decline in TB mortality since 2015 is lower than the global decline.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer and explanation
Answer: (a)
- Statement 1 is correct. The report shows the rate falling from 28 to 18 per lakh, a 38% decline.
- Statement 2 is incorrect. India’s 38% decline is higher than the global decline of 35%.
Q3. With reference to the PLI scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) battery storage, consider the following statements:
1. It has a budgetary outlay of ₹18,100 crore for 50 GWh of capacity.
2. The 10 GWh tranche tendered in 2026 is reserved for electric vehicle batteries.
3. Bidders are selected through Quality and Cost Based Selection.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer and explanation
Answer: (b)
- Statement 1 is correct. The Cabinet approved ₹18,100 crore for 50 GWh in May 2021.
- Statement 2 is incorrect. The 10 GWh tranche is for grid-scale stationary storage.
- Statement 3 is correct. Selection uses a two-stage QCBS process.
Q4. Red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus), seized recently at Chennai Port, is naturally found mainly in which of the following?
- Western Ghats of Kerala
- Southern Eastern Ghats, mainly in Andhra Pradesh
- Aravalli hills of Rajasthan
- Shiwalik foothills of Uttarakhand
Show answer and explanation
Answer: (b)
- Option (a) is incorrect. Red sanders is not native to the Kerala Western Ghats.
- Option (b) is correct. The species is endemic to the southern Eastern Ghats, especially the Seshachalam hills of Andhra Pradesh.
- Option (c) is incorrect. The Aravallis are not its natural range.
- Option (d) is incorrect. It does not grow naturally in the Himalayan foothills.
Q5. The Technology Development Board, which recently funded an AI-ELINT satellite project, functions under which of the following?
- Department of Biotechnology
- Indian Space Research Organisation
- NITI Aayog
- Department of Science and Technology
Show answer and explanation
Answer: (d)
- Option (a) is incorrect. TDB is not under the Department of Biotechnology.
- Option (b) is incorrect. ISRO is under the Department of Space, not the parent of TDB.
- Option (c) is incorrect. NITI Aayog is a policy think tank and does not run TDB.
- Option (d) is correct. TDB is a statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology.
Mains Practice Questions
Q. Retail inflation in India has risen steadily through 2026, driven mainly by food prices. Discuss the limits of monetary policy in controlling food inflation and suggest supply-side measures. (GS Paper 3, 250 words)
Approach: Give the October 2026 CPI and CFPI figures and the trend; explain why food price shocks are supply-driven; discuss the role and limits of the MPC under flexible inflation targeting; suggest storage, buffer stocks, trade and market reforms; conclude on coordination.
Q. India’s TB mortality has fallen faster than the global average, but elimination remains distant. Examine the role of active case finding and nutrition support in India’s TB response. (GS Paper 2, 250 words)
Approach: Cite the WHO Global TB Report 2026 figures; explain TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan and asymptomatic case detection; discuss Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana and Ni-kshay Mitra; note challenges such as drug resistance, incidence and private sector reporting; conclude on End TB targets.
FAQs
What was India’s retail inflation in October 2026?
Retail inflation on the new CPI series (base 2024=100) was 6.09% in October 2026, with food inflation at 8.94%, according to the NSO.
What does the WHO Global TB Report 2026 say about India?
The report records a 38% fall in India’s TB mortality since 2015, from 28 to 18 per lakh population, and a 94% treatment success rate for drug-susceptible TB.
What did NITI Aayog’s PLI impact assessment find?
The report, prepared with IIM Ahmedabad, found nearly 70% of targeted PLI segments on track across the 14 sectors, while calling for deeper value addition and MSME participation.
What is the PLI ACC scheme?
It is a ₹18,100 crore production linked incentive scheme approved in May 2021 to build 50 GWh of Advanced Chemistry Cell battery manufacturing capacity in India.
हिंदी सारांश
12 नवंबर 2026 की प्रमुख PIB खबरें: नए आधार वर्ष 2024 पर आधारित उपभोक्ता मूल्य सूचकांक के अनुसार अक्टूबर में खुदरा महंगाई 6.09% और खाद्य महंगाई 8.94% रही। WHO वैश्विक टीबी रिपोर्ट 2026 के अनुसार 2015 से भारत में टीबी मृत्यु दर 38% घटी है और उपचार सफलता दर 94% है। नीति आयोग की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार PLI योजना के लगभग 70% खंड लक्ष्य के अनुरूप हैं। ग्रिड स्तर के बैटरी भंडारण के लिए PLI ACC में 22 बोलियां मिलीं, जनजातीय क्षेत्रों में औषधीय पौधों के संरक्षण की परियोजना (सोनभद्र सहित) शुरू हुई, रेंट-अ-कैब सुधार प्रस्तावित हुए और Astrome के AI-ELINT उपग्रह समूह को TDB से सहायता मिली।
Sources: PIB release 2335416; PIB release 2335615; PIB release 2335594; PIB release 2335459; PIB release 2335554; PIB release 2335619; PIB release 2335322; PIB release 2335306; PIB release 2335471; PIB release 2335366; PIB release 2335454; PIB release 2335529; PIB release 2335622; PIB release 2335313; PIB release 2335430.
Related reading on GSMitra: PIB News Today: 12 November 2026, UPSC Prelims Current Affairs 12 November 2026, Daily Editorial Analysis 12 November 2026, Battery Recycling and the Black Mass Export Ban Explained.
Turn today’s facts into a custom test in the GSMitra MCQ Test Builder, or get your Mains answers evaluated 1:1 through GSMitra mentorship.