PIB News Today for UPSC: 27 October 2026 (DAC, TRAI ALTD, Cyclone Arnab)

1. DAC Clears Defence Proposals Worth About ₹2.12 Lakh Crore; 82% From Indian Industry

About the decision

• Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) is only an in-principle administrative approval, so no contract is signed yet; each item must still pass trials, costing and the Cabinet Committee on Security where its value requires it.
• The Army gets High Mobility Vehicles, a Self-Propelled Tracked Gun System, Light Multi Role Helicopters, VSHORADS, a platform-based counter-drone system and a Long Range Kamikaze Drone System, among others.
• The Navy gets an Active Offboard Decoy System, meant to make anti-missile defence more credible against modern anti-ship missiles, plus other indigenously designed major platforms.
• The Air Force gets Special Utility Helicopters, air defence systems, weapons and a Mobile X-Band Doppler Weather Radar, which gives high-resolution weather surveillance in forward areas.
• The Light Multi Role Helicopter is meant for both the Army and the Air Force, covering reconnaissance, combat, search and rescue and disaster relief.

Why it matters

• About 82% of the AoNs are earmarked for Indian industry, which ties procurement to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat push and keeps more defence spending inside the domestic economy.
• The list leans towards drones, counter-drone systems and short-range air defence, showing that recent battlefield experience is shaping what the forces ask for.
• Common platforms such as the LMRH across two services can cut training and spares costs, though only if the services keep one configuration.

Concerns

• AoN to contract signing has historically taken years, so the headline figure says little about when capability reaches the forces.
• A high indigenous share only helps if domestic firms deliver on time and quality; delays would leave a gap in forward-area capability.

Source: PIB release 2328486

2. TRAI Recommends Licensing Framework for App-Based Linear TV (FAST) Services

Background

• The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting sent a reference under Section 11(1)(a) of the TRAI Act, 1997 on 15 December 2025, asking for a framework that ensures parity, content accountability and consumer protection.
• Many apps now aggregate scheduled TV channels on smart TVs, phones and browsers, yet no licence regime covers them the way cable and DTH are covered.
• TRAI issued a consultation paper on 6 April 2026, received 207 comments and 11 counter-comments, and held an open house on 10 June 2026.

Key recommendations

• ALTD should be a distinct sub-category of Television Channel Distribution Services under Section 3(1)(a) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, with terms notified as Rules under Section 56.
• The application provider is the entity that must hold authorisation and is also the point of contact for consumer grievances.
• The regime is light-touch: national service area, 20-year initial validity renewable in 10-year blocks, a ₹10,000 processing fee and a one-time ₹1 lakh entry fee, with no authorisation fee, bank guarantee or security deposit.
• Only channels with valid permission or registration from the Central Government may be carried, and a simple registration route is proposed for Internet-native linear channels.
• TV makers (OEMs) and operating-system providers must ensure only authorised ALTD apps appear on devices and app stores, backed by a Master ALTD app repository kept by the Ministry and an annual compliance report.
• ALTD viewership should enter the television audience measurement framework, and providers may publish anonymised viewership data under the TV Ratings Policy, 2026.

Significance and caveats

• Bringing app platforms under the same authorisation logic as cable and DTH aims to remove the regulatory gap that favours unlicensed distributors over licensed ones.
• These are recommendations; the Government decides whether to accept them, and the rules must still be notified before the regime applies.

Source: PIB release 2328480

3. Cyclonic Storm ‘Arnab’ in Bay of Bengal: NCMC Reviews Preparedness

The storm

• IMD said a deep depression had intensified into cyclonic storm ‘Arnab’ over the east-central Bay of Bengal, about 650 km east-southeast of Visakhapatnam at 0530 hrs IST on 26 October.
• It is forecast to move west-northwest till 27 October and then northwest, crossing the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam with sustained winds of 115-125 kmph, gusting to 140 kmph.
• After landfall, districts of Telangana, southern Odisha, south and central Chhattisgarh, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar may be affected by heavy rain.

Preparedness measures

• Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Puducherry reported shelters, evacuation plans, activated district control rooms and NDRF and SDRF teams on standby.
• Fishermen were advised not to venture into the southwest and central Bay of Bengal and off Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Yanam from 26 to 29 October, and boats at sea have returned.
• The Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard kept rescue ships and aircraft ready, and the Coast Guard has shepherded vessels back to shore.

Why it matters

• The Cabinet Secretary set the aim as zero loss of life and quick restoration of essential services, which is the standard measure of cyclone management in India.
• He asked MHA and IMD to alert eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as well, showing that a coastal cyclone’s rain can reach well inland after landfall.

Source: PIB release 2328434

4. MoRTH Amends Motor Vehicle Rules to Include E85 and E100 Flex-Fuel Vehicles

What has changed

• The amendments update emission certification so that vehicles built for E85 and E100 are covered, and certified vehicles must meet the emission and safety norms of their category.
• E85 is a petrol-ethanol blend with up to 85% ethanol by volume; the number in ‘E85’ shows the ethanol share.
• The notification also updates biodiesel-related provisions, makes technical corrections and takes effect from the date of publication in the Official Gazette.

Limits and significance

• The fuel is only for vehicles specifically designed and certified for it, and compatibility with E10 or E20 does not make a vehicle fit for E85.
• Existing owners are not required to switch fuels or modify vehicles, so the rule enables a new vehicle segment rather than forcing a transition.
• More use of domestic ethanol can cut crude imports and some exhaust pollutants, although the release says gains depend on feedstock and production process.

Source: PIB release 2328642

5. ASUSE 2027-28 to Follow the Financial Year, With New Questions on Women Entrepreneurs

What is changing

• The survey period moves from the calendar year to April-March, matching the Annual Survey of Industries and making ASUSE data easier to use in national accounts.
• To avoid a break in quarterly estimates, January-March 2027 will be surveyed using the existing ASUSE 2026 schedule before the new cycle starts in April 2027.
• For the first time, questions will capture gender-specific constraints faced by female entrepreneurs, giving evidence on the barriers women-led enterprises face.
• Added questions cover electricity sources used and fixed-asset investment over a longer reference period, which shows the investment trajectory of establishments.
• At the Textiles Ministry’s request, two questions will identify handloom, power-loom and handicraft establishments, and the sample design again allows district-level estimates by participating States.

Why it matters

• The unincorporated non-agricultural sector provides large-scale employment and value added, yet it is hard to measure, so better survey design directly improves policy targeting.

Source: PIB release 2328476

6. TDB Backs Manastu Space’s Green Propulsion With ₹116 Crore From RDI Fund

The project

• The project aims to take a scalable propulsion system for satellites and launch vehicles, across the 5 mN to 300 N thrust class, from Technology Readiness Level 6 to TRL-9.
• Support comes as Optionally Convertible Debt (OCD), a funding form that suits deep-tech firms needing patient capital.
• The propellant is hydrogen peroxide-based with additives, which the release says reduces the operational challenges of conventional propellants.
• The system has already been demonstrated in space, and the project funds further engineering, integration, testing and validation, including an ultra-high-temperature ceramic catalyst.

Significance

• Propulsion is a critical part of the space value chain, so domestic capability reduces reliance on externally sourced technologies.
• The project falls under Deep Technology, with Space Technology as the sub-sector.

Source: PIB release 2328399

7. 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum Inaugurated in New Delhi

Key points

• The two-day Forum is built around four pillars: resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.
• The Speaker said the real test is turning the unanimously adopted Joint Statement of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi into outcomes, using Parliaments’ legislation, budgets and oversight.
• He urged BRICS to give the Global South’s voice concrete expression in policy, and described parliamentary diplomacy as a way to ease tensions while respecting each country’s sovereignty.
• He linked development with environmental stewardship and asked Parliaments to channel youth talent into nation-building.
• Prime Minister Modi interacted with the parliamentary delegations, and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh addressed the gathering.

Why it matters

• Parliamentary diplomacy adds a legislative layer to a grouping that is otherwise driven by executives, helping commitments get budget and legal backing at home.

Source: PIB release 2328441