In short: Today’s Prelims current affairs cover the PIB backgrounder on mushroom cultivation, National Entrepreneurship Day and India’s startup numbers, the Yamuna cruise on National Waterway-110, Exercise Naseem Al Bahr with Oman, the largest Agniveer batch at INS Chilka and the NFSC fellowship. As 10 November was a festival day with few releases, items from 9 November not yet covered here are included, each dated in its source line.
PIB Backgrounder: Mushroom Cultivation as a Rural Livelihood
Why in news: A PIB backgrounder of 10 November 2026 described how mushroom cultivation, supported by Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and ICAR institutes, is giving farmers, women and rural youth a land-efficient source of income.
- Why it suits small farmers: Mushrooms grow on agricultural waste such as paddy straw and need less land, water and capital than many crops.
- Stages: Composting, spawning (mixing spawn with compost), casing (a soil layer over the compost), pinning (appearance of pinheads), cropping and harvesting.
- Examples: Anantpur village in Nalanda, Bihar, was declared a “Mushroom Village” in 2012; ICAR-Directorate of Mushroom Research, Solan, trains growers.
Source: PIB Backgrounder, 10 Nov 2026 · GS Paper 3 / Agriculture
Prelims angle: Mushrooms are fungi and lack chlorophyll; common Indian varieties are button (Agaricus), oyster (Pleurotus) and milky (Calocybe indica) mushrooms.
National Entrepreneurship Day: India’s Startup Ecosystem
Why in news: National Entrepreneurship Day was observed on 9 November, the day the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship was set up in 2014.
- Scale: Over 2.62 lakh DPIIT-recognised startups as of November 2026, making India the third-largest startup ecosystem; over 55,200 were recognised in FY 2025-26 alone.
- Jobs and women: Startups have created more than 25 lakh jobs, and about 48% have at least one woman director or partner.
- Finance: The Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups now covers up to ₹20 crore per borrower; the Fund of Funds for Startups, managed by SIDBI, invests through SEBI-registered AIFs.
Source: PIB Backgrounder, 9 Nov 2026 · GS Paper 3 / Economy
Prelims angle: Startup India was launched in 2016; under PM Mudra Yojana, the Tarun Plus category covers loans above ₹10 lakh and up to ₹20 lakh.
Delhi’s First Recreational Yamuna Cruise on National Waterway-110
Why in news: A recreational cruise service on the Sonia Vihar-Jagatpur stretch of the Yamuna in Delhi was to be inaugurated on 10 November 2026.
- Waterway: The Yamuna is National Waterway-110 under the National Waterways Act, 2016.
- Agency: The project is led by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) with Delhi agencies such as the DDA and the Delhi Jal Board.
- Clean mobility: The service uses electric-powered vessels.
Source: PIB (Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways), 9 Nov 2026 · GS Paper 3 / Infrastructure
Prelims angle: The National Waterways Act, 2016 declared 111 National Waterways; NW-1 is the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly system from Prayagraj to Haldia.
INS Surat at Muscat for Exercise Naseem Al Bahr
Why in news: INS Surat reached Muscat, Oman, on 8 November 2026 for the 15th edition of the India-Oman naval exercise Naseem Al Bahr (‘Sea Breeze’).
- Format: Harbour and sea phases, followed by a Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) with the Royal Navy of Oman.
- Policy link: The visit is in line with the MAHASAGAR vision (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions).
- Background: It builds on the 13th Joint Military Cooperation Committee meeting held on 24 November 2025.
Source: PIB (Ministry of Defence), 9 Nov 2026 · GS Paper 2 / India and West Asia
Prelims angle: India-Oman exercises: Naseem Al Bahr (navies), Eastern Bridge (air forces) and Al Najah (armies).
Largest Batch of Agniveers to Pass Out at INS Chilka
Why in news: INS Chilka, the Indian Navy’s ab-initio training establishment, will hold the passing out parade of over 3,300 trainees on 13 November 2026, its largest batch so far.
- Who: The ninth batch of Navy Agniveers along with Naviks of the Indian Coast Guard.
- Training: 16 weeks of ab-initio training covering academics, physical conditioning, swimming and parade drill.
- Values: The core naval values are Duty, Honour and Courage.
Source: PIB (Ministry of Defence), 9 Nov 2026 · GS Paper 3 / Security
Prelims angle: INS Chilka is on Chilika Lake in Odisha, India’s largest brackish water lagoon and one of its first Ramsar sites (1981).
National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Students (NFSC)
Why in news: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment highlighted beneficiaries of the National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Students, which supports SC students in higher studies and research.
- Support: The fellowship helps meet research expenses, study materials and other educational needs.
- Stages: Fellows move from Junior Research Fellow (JRF) to Senior Research Fellow (SRF), with higher assistance after the upgrade.
- Aim: To reduce financial barriers for SC students from economically weaker backgrounds.
Source: PIB (Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment), 9 Nov 2026 · GS Paper 2 / Welfare of vulnerable sections
Prelims angle: NFSC is a scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment; Article 46 directs the State to promote the educational and economic interests of SCs and STs.
Quick Revision Table
| Item | Key fact to remember | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| Mushroom cultivation | Grown on farm waste; ICAR-DMR at Solan | Agriculture |
| Startup ecosystem | 2.62 lakh DPIIT startups; 3rd largest | Economy |
| NW-110 | Yamuna; recreational e-cruise in Delhi; IWAI | Geography / Infra |
| Naseem Al Bahr | India-Oman naval exercise; 15th edition | IR / Defence |
| INS Chilka | Largest Agniveer batch (3,300+); Odisha | Defence / Geography |
| NFSC | Research fellowship for SC students; MoSJE | Polity / Social justice |
Practice MCQs
Q1. With reference to mushrooms, consider the following statements:
1. Mushrooms are fungi and do not carry out photosynthesis.
2. Casing is the stage in which tiny pinheads first appear.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: (a) Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: casing is the application of a soil layer over the compost; the appearance of pinheads is called pinning.
Q2. National Entrepreneurship Day is observed on 9 November because on that day in 2014:
- Startup India was launched
- The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship was established
- The MUDRA scheme was launched
- The Atal Innovation Mission was set up
Show answer
Answer: (b) The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship was set up on 9 November 2014; Startup India and the Atal Innovation Mission came in 2016, and MUDRA in 2015.
Q3. National Waterway-110, recently in the news for a recreational cruise service, is on the river:
- Ganga
- Gomti
- Chambal
- Yamuna
Show answer
Answer: (d) The Yamuna is National Waterway-110 under the National Waterways Act, 2016.
Q4. Naseem Al Bahr is a bilateral naval exercise between India and:
- Oman
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates
- Qatar
Show answer
Answer: (a) Naseem Al Bahr (‘Sea Breeze’) is the India-Oman naval exercise; its 15th edition began in November 2026.
Q5. INS Chilka, the Indian Navy’s ab-initio training establishment, is located in which State?
- Andhra Pradesh
- West Bengal
- Odisha
- Kerala
Show answer
Answer: (c) INS Chilka is on Chilika Lake in Odisha.
FAQs
What are the important Prelims current affairs of 10 November 2026?
The key Prelims topics of 10 November 2026 are the PIB backgrounder on mushroom cultivation, National Entrepreneurship Day and the startup ecosystem, the Yamuna cruise on NW-110, Exercise Naseem Al Bahr with Oman, the largest Agniveer batch at INS Chilka and the NFSC fellowship.
How many DPIIT-recognised startups does India have?
India has over 2.62 lakh DPIIT-recognised startups as of November 2026, which makes it the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world.
Which body develops National Waterways in India?
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, develops and regulates National Waterways.
Where is the ICAR-Directorate of Mushroom Research located?
The ICAR-Directorate of Mushroom Research is located at Solan in Himachal Pradesh.
हिंदी सारांश
10 नवंबर 2026 के प्रारंभिक परीक्षा करंट अफ़ेयर्स में मशरूम खेती पर PIB पृष्ठभूमि लेख प्रमुख है, जो कृषि अपशिष्ट पर कम भूमि में आय का साधन है। 9 नवंबर को राष्ट्रीय उद्यमिता दिवस मनाया गया; भारत में 2.62 लाख से अधिक DPIIT-मान्यता प्राप्त स्टार्टअप हैं। दिल्ली में राष्ट्रीय जलमार्ग-110 (यमुना) पर पहली मनोरंजक क्रूज़ सेवा, ओमान के साथ नौसेना अभ्यास नसीम अल बहर, INS चिल्का में अग्निवीरों का सबसे बड़ा बैच और अनुसूचित जाति के छात्रों के लिए राष्ट्रीय फ़ेलोशिप भी शामिल हैं।
Sources: PIB release 2334518; PIB release 2334411; PIB release 2334385; PIB release 2334344; PIB release 2334375; PIB release 2334438.
Related reading on GSMitra: UPSC Prelims Current Affairs 9 November 2026, Island Fisheries and the Blue Economy Explained for UPSC, Daily Editorial Analysis 10 November 2026.
Revise this topic with a custom test in the GSMitra MCQ Test Builder, or get your Mains answers on it evaluated 1:1 through GSMitra mentorship. Prefer to talk first? Book a free consultation on WhatsApp.