In short: Today’s Prelims current affairs cover the DRI’s drug laboratory bust in Jalaun, the Piprahwa relics of the Buddha in Arunachal Pradesh, CAQM’s PAVAN-I3C command centre and more, with static links, a quick revision table and practice MCQs.
DRI Busts Clandestine Drug Laboratory in Jalaun, Uttar Pradesh
Why in news: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), with the UP Anti-Terrorism Squad, raided a synthetic drug laboratory in a remote village of Jalaun district on 29 October 2026, seizing about 1,100 kg of drugs and precursor chemicals.
- Seizure: About 184 kg of semi-prepared drugs, around 15.4 kg of finished methaqualone, over 900 kg of precursor chemicals and manufacturing machinery; two people were arrested under the NDPS Act, 1985.
- Methaqualone: A sedative-hypnotic sold illegally as “Mandrax”; it is a psychotropic substance controlled under the NDPS Act.
- About DRI: The apex anti-smuggling intelligence agency, set up in 1957, under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Ministry of Finance.
- Why it matters: Domestic synthetic drug production is growing alongside trafficking through the Golden Triangle and Golden Crescent.
Source: PIB (Ministry of Finance) · GS Paper 3 / Internal security
Prelims angle: DRI is under the Finance Ministry (CBIC); the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Piprahwa Relics of the Buddha Exposed for Veneration in Arunachal Pradesh
Why in news: The Ministry of Culture announced that the Holy Relics of the Buddha from the National Museum, New Delhi, will be exposed for public veneration at Tawang, Bomdila and Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh from 31 October to 21 November 2026.
- The relics: The Piprahwa relics, from a stupa at Piprahwa in Siddharthnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, a site linked with ancient Kapilavastu.
- Discovery: First excavated by William Claxton Peppé in 1898; further relics were found by the Archaeological Survey of India in the 1970s.
- Tawang Monastery: Also called Gaden Namgyal Lhatse; founded in the 17th century, it is the largest Buddhist monastery in India and belongs to the Gelug school.
- Timing: The opening coincides with Lhabab Düchen, a Tibetan Buddhist festival marking the Buddha’s descent from the heavenly realm; organised with the International Buddhist Confederation.
Source: PIB (Ministry of Culture) · GS Paper 1 / Art and culture
Prelims angle: Piprahwa is in Uttar Pradesh (near the Nepal border), not in Bihar; the exposition also carries an exhibition on the repatriation of Piprahwa heritage.
PAVAN-I3C: CAQM’s Integrated Command and Control Centre for Delhi-NCR
Why in news: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav reviewed PAVAN (Platform for Air quality Vigilance and Analytics for NCR), the new Integrated Command and Control Centre of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), on 30 October 2026.
- Data: Integrates more than 30 data streams, including 111 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations, over 2,300 industries and more than 3,200 construction sites.
- Sources tracked: Industrial emissions through Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS), satellite crop-fire data from IARI, ISRO and FIRMS, landfill feeds, VAHAN vehicle data, and complaints from the SAMEER and Green Delhi apps.
- Principle: “Detect, Analyse, Act”: deviations from norms trigger automatic alerts to the agency concerned.
- CAQM: A statutory body under the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021; it enforces the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
Source: PIB (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) · GS Paper 3 / Environment
Prelims angle: Expand the acronym correctly: PAVAN = Platform for Air quality Vigilance and Analytics for NCR; I3C = Integrated Command and Control Centre.
Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia Appointed Vice Chief of the Air Staff
Why in news: Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia, currently Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Air Command, will take over as Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) from 1 November 2026.
- Career: An NDA alumnus commissioned in the fighter stream on 11 June 1988; flown MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27, Jaguar and Su-30 MKI variants.
- Earlier roles: Commanded TACDE (Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment) and served as Defence Attaché in Japan and South Korea.
- Succession: He succeeds Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, who became the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on 31 October 2026.
Source: PIB (Ministry of Defence) · GS Paper 3 / Defence
Prelims angle: The IAF Eastern Air Command is headquartered at Shillong (Meghalaya).
24th Instalment of PM-KISAN Released
Why in news: The 24th instalment of PM-KISAN, over ₹18,690 crore to 9.34 crore farmers, was released at Banaskantha, Gujarat, on 30 October 2026.
- About: A Central Sector scheme launched on 24 February 2019; ₹6,000 a year to landholding farmer families in three instalments of ₹2,000 through DBT.
- Total so far: More than ₹4.64 lakh crore disbursed across 24 instalments.
- Continuation: In July 2026 the Cabinet approved the scheme for 2026-27 to 2030-31 with an outlay of ₹3.15 lakh crore.
- Technology: Aadhaar-seeded accounts, e-KYC through OTP, biometrics or face authentication, and the Kisan-eMitra AI chatbot in 11 languages.
Source: PIB Backgrounder (Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare) · GS Paper 3 / Agriculture
Prelims angle: PM-KISAN is fully funded by the Centre; States identify beneficiaries. Kisan-eMitra was built with support from BHASHINI and the EkStep Foundation.
Quick Revision Table
| Item | Key fact to remember | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| DRI drug lab bust | Jalaun, UP; ~1,100 kg; methaqualone; NDPS Act 1985 | Internal security / UP |
| Piprahwa relics in Arunachal | Tawang, Bomdila, Namsai; 31 Oct-21 Nov; Lhabab Düchen | Culture / UP |
| PAVAN-I3C | CAQM; 30+ data streams; 111 CAAQMS; Detect-Analyse-Act | Environment |
| New VCAS | Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia, from 1 Nov 2026 | Defence |
| PM-KISAN 24th instalment | ₹18,690 cr to 9.34 cr farmers; ₹6,000/yr; launched 2019 | Agriculture |
Practice MCQs
Q1. With reference to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), consider the following statements:
1. It functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
2. It is the apex anti-smuggling intelligence agency of India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: (b) Statement 2 is correct. Statement 1 is wrong: the DRI works under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Ministry of Finance.
Q2. The Piprahwa relics of the Buddha were originally excavated in which present-day State?
- Bihar
- Uttar Pradesh
- Madhya Pradesh
- Odisha
Show answer
Answer: (b) Piprahwa is in Siddharthnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, close to the Nepal border; the relics were first excavated by W.C. Peppé in 1898.
Q3. PAVAN-I3C, recently in the news, is associated with:
- Monitoring air pollution in Delhi-NCR
- A satellite navigation system
- A naval surveillance network
- A crop insurance portal
Show answer
Answer: (a) PAVAN-I3C is the Commission for Air Quality Management’s Integrated Command and Control Centre, which brings together over 30 air quality and compliance data streams for Delhi-NCR.
Q4. Consider the following statements about PM-KISAN:
1. It provides ₹6,000 a year to eligible farmer families in three instalments.
2. The cost is shared between the Centre and the States in a 60:40 ratio.
3. It was launched in 2019.
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: (c) Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Statement 2 is wrong: PM-KISAN is a Central Sector scheme fully funded by the Union Government.
Q5. Methaqualone, seized in a recent DRI operation, is best described as:
- A precursor used to make heroin
- A sedative-hypnotic psychotropic substance
- A synthetic opioid painkiller
- An industrial fertiliser
Show answer
Answer: (b) Methaqualone is a sedative-hypnotic, sold illegally as Mandrax, and is controlled as a psychotropic substance under the NDPS Act, 1985.
FAQs
What are the important Prelims current affairs of 30 October 2026?
The key Prelims topics of 30 October 2026 are the DRI drug laboratory bust in Jalaun, the Piprahwa relics exposition in Arunachal Pradesh, CAQM’s PAVAN-I3C, the new Vice Chief of the Air Staff and the 24th PM-KISAN instalment.
What is PAVAN-I3C?
PAVAN-I3C is the Commission for Air Quality Management’s Integrated Command and Control Centre, which combines over 30 data streams to monitor air pollution and compliance in Delhi-NCR.
Where are the Buddha relics being exposed in Arunachal Pradesh?
The Piprahwa relics of the Buddha are being exposed for veneration at Tawang, Bomdila and Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh from 31 October to 21 November 2026.
Who is the new Vice Chief of the Air Staff?
Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Air Command, takes over as Vice Chief of the Air Staff from 1 November 2026.
हिंदी सारांश
30 अक्टूबर 2026 के प्रारंभिक परीक्षा करंट अफ़ेयर्स में राजस्व आसूचना निदेशालय द्वारा उत्तर प्रदेश के जालौन ज़िले में अवैध सिंथेटिक ड्रग प्रयोगशाला का भंडाफोड़ शामिल है, जिसमें लगभग 1,100 किलो ड्रग और रसायन ज़ब्त हुए। भगवान बुद्ध के पिपरहवा अवशेष 31 अक्टूबर से 21 नवंबर तक अरुणाचल प्रदेश के तवांग, बोमडिला और नामसाई में दर्शन के लिए रखे जाएँगे। वायु गुणवत्ता प्रबंधन आयोग का पवन-आई3सी केंद्र दिल्ली-एनसीआर में प्रदूषण की निगरानी करता है। एयर मार्शल इंदरपाल सिंह वालिया नए उप वायुसेना प्रमुख बने और पीएम-किसान की 24वीं किस्त जारी हुई।
Sources: PIB release 2330310; PIB release 2330300; PIB release 2330449; PIB release 2330557; PIB release 2330414.
Related reading on GSMitra: UPSC Prelims Current Affairs 29 October 2026, GRAP Stage-I in Delhi-NCR: CAQM’s Air Pollution Response, Operation Trident: NCB’s Crackdown on the Narco-Terror Corridor.
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