CLAT 2027 Daily Current Affairs - October 16, 2026 | TB-Free India, BHAVYA Scheme, Starlink in India, Death Pe

1. Towards a TB-Free India

In the News: The WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2025 reported that India's TB incidence fell by 21% between 2015 and 2024, compared with a 12% global decline. India has expanded TB screening, preventive treatment and community participation through initiatives such as the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan and JOSH teams.

What CLAT 2027 Aspirants Should Know

• Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. India's TB treatment coverage reached 92% in 2024.

• The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) was renamed the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) in 2020. India had set 2025 as its target for ending TB, five years ahead of the global SDG 3 target of 2030.

• The NTEP follows four strategic pillars: Detect, Treat, Prevent and Build.

• The Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan was launched on 9 September 2022 to encourage community participation and support for TB patients.

• Under the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana, eligible notified TB patients receive nutritional assistance through Direct Benefit Transfer. The monthly assistance was increased to ₹1,000 from November 2024. Ni-kshay Mitras are volunteers who support patients during treatment.

• The 100-Day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan began on 7 December 2024 in 347 high-priority districts.

• The BPaLM regimen (Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid and Moxifloxacin) is a six-month treatment option for eligible patients with drug-resistant TB.

• Technology-based TB detection initiatives include AI-assisted cough analysis and chest X-ray screening. Verify the official names and current deployment of tools such as Cough Against TB, DeepCXR and Khushi before publication.

• JOSH stands for Joint Squad for Health. Its first phase covers 55 districts across 11 States and Union Territories, with participation from MY Bharat volunteers, NCC cadets and Class-I officers.

MCQs

Q1. According to the WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2025, India’s TB incidence declined between 2015 and 2024 by:

(a) 12%
(b) 21%
(c) 25%
(d) 92%

Answer: (b)

2. Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana (BHAVYA)

In the News: The Union Government approved BHAVYA, a ₹33,660 crore scheme to develop 100 plug-and-play industrial parks across India. The initiative aims to strengthen manufacturing infrastructure, attract investment, support enterprises and generate employment.

What CLAT 2027 Aspirants Should Know

• BHAVYA was approved in March 2026. Its operational guidelines were released in May 2026. The scheme will run from FY 2026–27 to FY 2031–32.

• The scheme has a total outlay of ₹33,660 crore for developing 100 plug-and-play industrial parks.

• Financial assistance is provided according to the scheme's eligibility criteria and operational guidelines. Verify the precise per-acre ceiling and external-connectivity allocation against the guidelines before publication.

• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) implements the scheme, with the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) serving as the project management agency.

• A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) may be used for developing and managing an industrial park under the scheme.

• Plug-and-play industrial parks provide ready-to-use industrial infrastructure, helping businesses reduce setup time and investment barriers.

• The National Manufacturing Mission is a separate government initiative aimed at strengthening India's manufacturing ecosystem. Include a specific GDP target and deadline only when supported by the relevant official policy document.

• BHAVYA is distinct from the BHAVYA Rasayan Scheme, a separate ₹3,030 crore initiative for developing three dedicated chemical parks.

MCQs

Q1. The outlay of the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana (BHAVYA) is:

(a) ₹2,500 crore
(b) ₹3,030 crore
(c) ₹33,660 crore
(d) ₹52,878 crore

Answer: (c)

3. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

In the News: The Ministry of MSME highlighted how Khadi and Village Industries are turning traditional skills into modern rural businesses. The annual Khadi Mahotsav is being held from 2 to 31 October.

What CLAT 2027 Aspirants Should Know

• KVIC is a statutory body under the Ministry of MSME, set up by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act, 1956.

• In 2025–26, sales of Khadi and Village Industries products reached a record ₹1.87 lakh crore, and employment in the sector rose to 2.04 crore.

• Women make up more than 80% of the roughly five lakh Khadi artisans.

• Key schemes include the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP, since 2008), Gramodyog Vikas Yojana and Khadi Vikas Yojana.

• Eligible Khadi institutions can get credit at 4% interest under the Interest Subsidy Eligibility Certificate Scheme.

• The Khadi Mahotsav, held every year from 2 to 31 October, promotes Vocal for Local and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

MCQs

Q1. The Khadi and Village Industries Commission was established under an Act passed in:

(a) 1948
(b) 1956
(c) 1991
(d) 2006

Answer: (b)

4. Starlink and Satellite Internet

In the News: A public dispute between Elon Musk and Mukesh Ambani over Starlink’s entry into India has raised concerns about competition, regulatory approvals, national security and affordability in the satellite internet market.

What CLAT 2027 Aspirants Should Know

• Starlink is a satellite broadband service run by SpaceX. It has about 11,000 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites as of October 2026, at roughly 550 km, while geostationary satellites are at 35,786 km.

• In June 2025, Starlink received a Unified Licence with GMPCS (Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite) authorisation from the Department of Telecommunications. In July 2025, it got authorisation from IN-SPACe.

• Commercial services have not started because final security clearances and spectrum assignment are still pending.

• In March 2025, SpaceX signed separate agreements with Jio Platforms and Bharti Airtel to explore distributing Starlink in India.

• LEO is below 2,000 km, MEO is roughly between 2,000 km and 35,786 km, and GEO is about 35,786 km above the equator.

• Starshield is SpaceX’s separate military-focused satellite programme.

• The main challenges are high costs, crowded orbits, space debris, cybersecurity risks and the dual civilian-military use of the technology.

MCQs

Q1. Which body authorised Starlink’s satellite constellation for India in July 2025?

(a) ISRO
(b) IN-SPACe
(c) TRAI
(d) NSIL

Answer: (b)

5. Death Penalty in the Blue Drum Case

In the News: On 14 October 2026, a Meerut court sentenced Muskan Rastogi and her partner Sahil Shukla to death for the murder of her husband, merchant navy officer Saurabh Rajput. The prosecution says Rajput was killed on March 3, 2025, and his body was cut up, put in a drum and sealed with cement to hide the crime. District Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra gave the verdict after a 13-month trial with 126 hearings.

What CLAT 2027 Aspirants Should Know

• The court had already convicted the two on 30 September for the murder and for trying to hide the body. The punishment was decided about two weeks later.

• The case was moved to the Meerut District Judge’s court in July 2025.

• The prosecution asked for the maximum punishment, and the court referred to a Supreme Court decision on punishment in serious crimes.

• Section 103 BNS: Murder is punishable with death or imprisonment for life, plus a fine.

• Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab (1980) upheld the death penalty but limited it to the “rarest of rare” cases. Machhi Singh v. State of Punjab (1983) later set out guidelines for applying that test.

• Before choosing death over life imprisonment, a court must weigh aggravating and mitigating circumstances. This is why the Supreme Court has pushed for reports on the convict’s background.

• Section 407 BNSS: A Sessions Court death sentence cannot be executed unless the High Court confirms it, and this corresponds to Section 366 CrPC.

• Article 72 of the Constitution provides the President's clemency powers, while Article 161 provides the Governor's clemency powers, subject to their respective constitutional limits.

MCQs

Q1. Which Supreme Court judgment upheld the death penalty but restricted it to the “rarest of rare” cases?

(a) Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab
(b) Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India
(c) K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India
(d) Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala

Answer: (a)

Q2. A death sentence passed by a Sessions Court must be confirmed by:

(a) The District Magistrate
(b) The High Court
(c) The Governor
(d) The Law Commission

Answer: (b)

6. India–Czech Republic Defence-Industrial Cooperation

In the News: India and the Czech Republic agreed to expand defence-industrial cooperation during a meeting in New Delhi between the Indian Defence Minister and the Czech First Deputy Prime Minister.

What CLAT 2027 Aspirants Should Know

• The two countries signed an MoU on Defence Cooperation in October 2003, which led to the India–Czech Joint Defence Committee (JDC).

• The 7th JDC meeting was held in Prague in October 2025, after a gap of five years.

• The partnership covers joint ventures, co-production and technology collaboration, in line with Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

• The Czech Republic is a Central European country with Prague as its capital. It is a member of both the EU and NATO.

• India established diplomatic relations with Czechoslovakia in 1947 and recognised the Czech Republic in 1993.

• Bilateral trade reached US$ 4.034 billion in 2025.

• The Czech Republic supports India’s bid for a permanent seat in a reformed UN Security Council and India’s full membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

MCQs

Q1. The India–Czech Joint Defence Committee was set up after a bilateral Defence Cooperation MoU signed in:

(a) 1993
(b) 2003
(c) 2013
(d) 2025

Answer: (b)

October 16: Current Affairs Quick Revision

• TB-Free India: India’s TB incidence fell 21% (2015–2024) against 12% globally (WHO Global TB Report 2025). Treatment coverage is 92%. India had set 2025 as its target for ending TB, five years ahead of the global SDG 3 target of 2030. The four pillars are Detect, Treat, Prevent and Build. Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana gives ₹1,000 per month. The 100-Day Abhiyaan began on 7 December 2024.

• BHAVYA: ₹33,660 crore for 100 plug-and-play industrial parks. Notified on 10 April 2026. Runs from FY 2026–27 to FY 2031–32. Assistance is up to ₹1 crore per acre. Run by DPIIT, with NICDC as the project management agency.

• KVIC: A statutory body under the KVIC Act, 1956, under the Ministry of MSME. Sales hit a record ₹1.87 lakh crore in 2025–26. Women are over 80% of Khadi artisans. Khadi Mahotsav runs from 2–31 October.

• Starlink in India: GMPCS authorisation from the DoT in June 2025 and IN-SPACe authorisation in July 2025. Commercial launch is pending security clearances and spectrum assignment. About 11,000 LEO satellites orbit at roughly 550 km.

• Blue Drum Case: Meerut court sentenced Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla to death on 14 October 2026 for the murder of Saurabh Rajput. Convicted on 30 September after 126 hearings in a 13-month trial. A death sentence needs High Court confirmation (Section 407 BNSS). Key case: Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab (1980), “rarest of rare”.