In short: Today’s Prelims current affairs cover the DRDO AIP system for submarines, the AATAL air pollution laboratory for Delhi-NCR, 11 crore Farmer IDs, ABS benefit sharing from crop resources and IMC Gaya, with static links, a quick revision table and practice MCQs.
Indigenous AIP System for Navy Submarines Reaches Setting to Work Phase-2
Why in news: The Setting to Work Phase-2 (STW-2) activity of the DRDO-developed Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) Energy Module was inaugurated at L&T’s Hazira complex in Gujarat on 24 October 2026.
- About AIP: It increases the underwater endurance of diesel-electric submarines by reducing their dependence on atmospheric oxygen.
- Developer: Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL), DRDO; the system is hydrogen and fuel-cell based.
- Next step: After power-production trials, the module goes to Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited for integration on a Kalvari-class submarine in early 2027.
Source: PIB (Ministry of Defence) · GS Paper 3 / Defence technology
Prelims angle: Conventional submarines must surface or snorkel to run diesel engines and charge batteries; AIP lets them stay submerged longer. Nuclear submarines such as the Arihant class do not need AIP.
AATAL: Air Pollution Analysis Laboratory for Delhi-NCR
Why in news: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated the Integrated Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosol Toxicity Analysis Laboratory (AATAL) at IITM’s Delhi branch on 24 October 2026.
- Purpose: Goes beyond AQI numbers to identify the composition of pollutants, their sources, relative contributions and health implications, in real time.
- Scheme: Set up under Mission Mausam of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- Integration: Linked to IITM’s AIRWISE decision-support system, which gives forecasts at 400-metre resolution for the next 72 hours.
- Users: CAQM and pollution-control agencies, for targeting and assessing interventions.
Source: PIB (Ministry of Earth Sciences) · GS Paper 3 / Environment
Prelims angle: IITM (Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology) is in Pune and works under the Ministry of Earth Sciences; CAQM is a statutory body for air quality in NCR and adjoining areas.
11 Crore Farmer IDs Created Five Months Ahead of Schedule
Why in news: The Government achieved its target of 11 crore Farmer IDs by 23 October 2026, five months before the 31 March 2027 deadline, under the Digital Agriculture Mission.
- Farmer ID: A unique digital identity for farmers, linked to a verified farmer registry, for access to schemes, credit, crop insurance and disaster relief.
- Mission: The Digital Agriculture Mission was approved by the Union Cabinet on 2 September 2024.
- Reach: More than 6 crore farmers have already received benefits through Farmer ID-based delivery.
- Inclusion: States are taking steps to bring tenant farmers and actual cultivators onto the platform.
Source: PIB (Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare) · GS Paper 3 / Agriculture
Prelims angle: The farmer registry is one of the digital public infrastructure layers of the Digital Agriculture Mission (AgriStack), along with crop sown and geo-referenced village map registries.
NBA Distributes Rs 1.04 Crore of ABS Benefits from Agricultural Biological Resources
Why in news: The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) disbursed about Rs 1.04 crore of Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) money to 27 State Biodiversity Boards and two UT Biodiversity Councils.
- Source: Contributions from seed and crop companies for using pearl millet, jowar, maize, rice and bottle gourd for research and commercial purposes.
- Method: An area-based approach based on crop cultivation area, because individual benefit claimers could not be identified; Uttar Pradesh received the largest share.
- Totals: The NBA has released over Rs 204 crore in ABS benefits so far; agriculture has generated about Rs 87 crore.
- Law: Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (amended 2023), Biological Diversity Rules, 2024 and ABS Regulations, 2025; Section 21 covers benefit sharing.
Source: PIB (MoEFCC) · GS Paper 3 / Environment and Biodiversity
Prelims angle: ABS comes from the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Nagoya Protocol; Target 13 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework covers benefit sharing. CBD COP 17 is in Yerevan, Armenia.
Bihar Integrated Manufacturing City Gaya Launched under AKIC
Why in news: Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary launched Bihar Integrated Manufacturing City Gaya Limited (BIMCGL) at Bodh Gaya on 24 October 2026, with 12 MoUs worth about Rs 4,200 crore signed.
- About: The Integrated Manufacturing Cluster at Gaya is being developed under the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC) of the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme.
- Size: 1,670 acres in Dobhi block, Gaya district; approved on 28 August 2024 at Rs 1,339 crore.
- Expected impact: About Rs 16,500 crore of investment and around 1.10 lakh jobs.
- SPV: A 50:50 joint venture of BIADA and NICDIT.
Source: PIB (Ministry of Commerce and Industry) · GS Paper 3 / Infrastructure and Industry
Prelims angle: NICDC implements industrial corridors such as the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and AKIC; AKIC runs along the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor.
Quick Revision Table
| Item | Key fact to remember | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| DRDO AIP, STW-2 | NMRL; fuel cell; Kalvari-class integration early 2027 | Defence |
| AATAL | IITM Delhi; Mission Mausam; real-time source apportionment | Environment |
| Farmer IDs | 11 crore by 23 Oct 2026; Digital Agriculture Mission (2024) | Agriculture |
| ABS disbursal | Rs 1.04 crore; NBA; 27 SBBs + 2 UTBCs; UP top | Environment |
| IMC Gaya | AKIC; 1,670 acres; BIADA-NICDIT SPV | Economy |
Practice MCQs
Q1. Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology, recently in the news, is mainly used to:
- Increase the range of fighter aircraft
- Increase the underwater endurance of conventional submarines
- Power nuclear submarines
- Launch satellites without liquid oxygen
Show answer
Answer: (b) AIP lets diesel-electric submarines stay submerged longer by reducing dependence on atmospheric oxygen. Nuclear submarines do not need it.
Q2. With reference to AATAL, inaugurated in October 2026, consider the following statements:
1. It has been set up under Mission Mausam.
2. It can identify sources of air pollution in real time.
3. It has been set up by the Central Pollution Control Board.
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
Answer: (a) Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong: AATAL is at the Delhi branch of IITM, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, not the CPCB.
Q3. The Digital Agriculture Mission, under which 11 crore Farmer IDs have been created, was approved by the Union Cabinet in:
- 2020
- 2022
- 2024
- 2026
Show answer
Answer: (c) The Union Cabinet approved the Digital Agriculture Mission on 2 September 2024. The 11 crore Farmer ID target was reached in October 2026.
Q4. Consider the following statements about Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) in India:
1. It is governed by the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
2. Benefit-sharing money is distributed through State Biodiversity Boards.
3. It is linked to the Nagoya Protocol under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
How many of the above statements are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Show answer
Answer: (c) All three are correct. The NBA administers ABS under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, routes money through SBBs and UTBCs, and the framework supports the Nagoya Protocol.
Q5. The Integrated Manufacturing Cluster at Gaya is being developed under which industrial corridor?
- Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor
- Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor
- Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor
- East Coast Economic Corridor
Show answer
Answer: (c) IMC Gaya is part of the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC) under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme.
FAQs
What are the important Prelims current affairs of 24 October 2026?
The key Prelims topics of 24 October 2026 are the DRDO AIP system’s STW-2 milestone, the AATAL air pollution laboratory, 11 crore Farmer IDs, ABS benefit sharing from crop resources and IMC Gaya under AKIC.
What is the AIP system developed by DRDO?
It is an Air Independent Propulsion Energy Module developed by DRDO’s Naval Materials Research Laboratory that extends the underwater endurance of diesel-electric submarines; it is to be fitted on a Kalvari-class submarine from early 2027.
What is AATAL?
AATAL is the Integrated Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosol Toxicity Analysis Laboratory at IITM Delhi, set up under Mission Mausam to identify the composition and real-time sources of Delhi-NCR’s air pollution.
Which State received the largest ABS share in October 2026?
Uttar Pradesh received the largest share, about Rs 10.36 lakh, of the Rs 1.04 crore ABS amount, followed by Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, based on crop cultivation area.
हिंदी सारांश
24 अक्टूबर 2026 के प्रारंभिक परीक्षा करंट अफेयर्स में DRDO की वायु-स्वतंत्र प्रणोदन (AIP) प्रणाली का दूसरा चरण, दिल्ली-NCR के लिए वायु प्रदूषण विश्लेषण प्रयोगशाला AATAL, और समय से पाँच महीने पहले 11 करोड़ किसान ID बनना शामिल है। राष्ट्रीय जैव विविधता प्राधिकरण ने फसल संसाधनों से मिले 1.04 करोड़ रुपये राज्य जैव विविधता बोर्डों में बाँटे, जिसमें उत्तर प्रदेश का हिस्सा सबसे बड़ा है। अमृतसर-कोलकाता औद्योगिक गलियारे के तहत गया में एकीकृत विनिर्माण शहर की शुरुआत हुई।
Sources: PIB release 2328040; PIB release 2327957; PIB release 2327905; PIB release 2328118; PIB release 2328067.
Related reading on GSMitra: Prelims Current Affairs 23 October 2026, VB-G RAM G Act Explained, Biosphere Reserves in India.
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