News In Brief 10-11-2026

Siddi Community

Syllabus: GS1/ Indian Society

Context

• Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada won silver in the girls’ 63 kg judo at the Youth Olympics in Dakar, becoming the first Siddi medallist and the second Indian ever.

Who are the Siddis?

• The Siddis are an ethnic community of African origin whose ancestors migrated to India from East Africa over several centuries.
  • They are also popularly known as Siddi Badshah.
• Migration to India: There is no definitive historical record establishing when the first Siddis arrived in India.
  • Historically, Siddis trace their African ancestry to Portuguese‑brought slaves in the 17th century.
  • According to community traditions, the Nawabs of Junagadh brought African families to Gujarat to serve as bodyguards, strongmen and caretakers of captive lions.
  • It is also believed that they were brought to India through overland routes by rulers and invaders from Central and West Asia during the medieval period.
• Distribution: They are predominantly found in Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa and parts of the Union Territories of Daman and Diu.
  • Jambur village, located near Gir National Park, is popularly known as Mini Africa because of its significant Siddi population.

Culture and Religion

• Religion: Siddis have largely adopted the language and cultural practices of their respective regions.
  • Gujarat’s Siddis predominantly follow Islam, with strong influences of Sufi traditions.
• The Siddi community deeply reveres Baba Gor, a 15th–16th-century African Muslim saint.
• Dhamal is the traditional folk dance of the Siddi community and is believed to have African origins.
  • It is performed in groups of around 8–10 dancers and is dedicated to Baba Gor.

Constitutional and Legal Status

• In 1956, the Central Government recognised Siddis as a Scheduled Tribe in specified regions of Gujarat, with those residing in Saurashtra retaining ST status and those outside are listed as Socially and Economically Backward Communities (SEBC).
• In 1982, the Government of India included Siddis among the Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs), a category that was subsequently renamed Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).

Source: IE

Raniwas Mound

Syllabus: GS1/ Culture

Context

• The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has initiated the process of declaring Raniwas Mound in Bihar, a monument of national importance.

About Raniwas Mound

• Location: East Champaran district, Bihar, northeast of Kesariya Buddha Stupa.
• Historical association: An ancient Buddhist establishment, believed to have been a Vihara (Buddhist monastery) or temple monastery. The site is spread across 1.63 acres.
• Archaeological Significance: Alexander Cunningham, the first Director General of ASI, visited and excavated the mound.
  • He reported the remains of an old Buddhist establishment, including a small temple and a colossal Buddha image.

Source: THE PRINT

India and Saudi Arabia Signed the Bilateral Haj Agreement for 2027

Syllabus: GS2/IR

Context

• India and Saudi Arabia have signed the bilateral Haj agreement for 2027.

About

• The Ministers reviewed the ongoing preparations for Haj-2027, discussed measures to strengthen bilateral coordination and logistical support. 
• Under the agreement 1 lakh 75 thousand 25 Indians will be allowed to undertake the annual pilgrimage. 
• Saudi Arabia sets annual Haj quotas for countries to regulate the number of pilgrims visiting Mecca, as space and facilities at the holy sites are limited.

Hajj

• Hajj, in Islam is the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which every adult Muslim must make at least once in his or her lifetime. 
• The hajj is the fifth of the fundamental Muslim practices and institutions known as the Five Pillars of Islam. 
• Kaaba, a shrine located near the center of the Great Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and considered by Muslims everywhere to be the most sacred spot on Earth.
• The pilgrimage rite begins on the 7th day of Dhū al-Ḥijjah (the last month of the Islamic year) and ends on the 12th day.
• Each year, millions of Muslims from across the world travel to Mecca to perform hajj.

Source: AIR

Muhurat Trading

Syllabus: GS3/Economy

Context

• Indian stock markets ended the 2026 Muhurat Trading session in the red, with the Sensex and Nifty recording their first negative close on Diwali since 2017, marking the beginning of Samvat 2083.

What is Muhurat trading?

• It is a special truncated trading session conducted by the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Diwali, coinciding with Lakshmi Puja.
• Investors often make symbolic investments as the session is considered auspicious and marks the beginning of Vikram Samvat, or the Hindu financial year.
• Unlike regular trading sessions, when equity markets operate from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm, Muhurat Trading is conducted for a shorter duration. In 2026, the normal trading window for the special session on the NSE and BSE was from 2:20 pm to 3:30 pm.

Source: IE

‘Physical AI’ 

Syllabus: GS3/Science and Technology 

In News 

• Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil company has partnered with G42 and OpenAI to use AI in oil operations to improve efficiency and solve engineering challenges.
  • The deal reflects the emerging trend of Physical AI, where AI interacts with and operates in the real world rather than remaining limited to digital platforms.

What is Physical AI?

• Physical AI refers to the use of AI to enable autonomous systems such as robots, camera-bots, and self-driving cars to discern, comprehend, and perform complex actions in the physical world — effectively, AI systems that operate in the physical world.
  • This involves the combination of AI models with sensors, actuators, and other control systems that allow models to act upon real-world environments. 
• Unlike digital AI (chatbots or image generators), it interacts with the physical environment and performs tasks autonomously rather than following only pre-programmed instructions.

• Physical AI combines generative AI with sensors and control systems to help machines understand spatial relationships, perceive real-world environments and perform autonomous actions. 
• Its deployment requires real-world data and continuous training to improve performance.

Importance

• According to McKinsey, robotics and physical AI could generate at least $1 trillion in economic value by 2040, particularly in manufacturing and logistics
• It can transform human roles towards problem-solving and supervision rather than routine physical tasks.

Source: IE

Nyoma Airbase

Syllabus: GS1/Places 

In News 

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) achieved a historic milestone by landing a Russian-origin heavy-lift aircraft at Nyoma Airbase in eastern Ladakh , marking the aircraft’s highest-ever landing worldwide.

Nyoma Airbase

• It is located at a distance of around 25 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
• It is located at a height of 13,629 feet and operationalised in November 2025.
• It is capable of handling fighter jets, helicopters and transport planes.
• It was the fourth such air force base in Ladakh.
  • The three others are located in Leh, Kargil and Thoise.
  •  The Kargil airstrip is located at an altitude of around 10,500 feet.

Importance 

• Nyoma holds the distinction of being the world’s highest airfield.
  • This unique feature mandates adaptations to fighter engines, enabling them to perform optimally at such elevations. 
• The Nyoma played a pivotal role in the face-off with China, as the deployment of C130Js facilitated swift mobilization of personnel, heavy armaments, and equipment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) during the heightened tensions in 2020.

Other related developments 

• The Defence Ministry has been focusing on enhancing infrastructure at almost all airfields along the LAC including the Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) as per operational requirements.
• It is also boosting infrastructure at Daulat Beg Oldi Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) in the Ladakh region.
  • The Daulat Beg Oldi ALG is located close to the LAC at an altitude of 16,700 feet and is known as the highest airfield in the world.

Source: TH

2026 to be One of Four Warmest Years on Record: WMO

Syllabus: GS3/Environment

Context

• According to the State of the Climate Update 2026 by the World Meteorological Organization, 2026 will be one of the four warmest years on record.

Major Highlights

• The global average temperature for January-September 2026 touched 1.47 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial times.
• The figure is likely to rise through the end of 2026 because of the warming effect of the prevailing El Nino.
  • El Nino is a natural climate phenomenon that occurs when parts of the Pacific Ocean become unusually warm, releasing additional heat into the atmosphere and influencing weather patterns worldwide.
• Green House Gases: It revealed that the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased by 53% from around 278 parts per million (ppm) in 1750 to about 426.8 ppm in 2025.
  • Global averaged methane concentrations increased from 729 parts per billion (ppb) in 1750 by 167% to 1,948 ppb in 2025.
• Sea ice: In 2026, Antarctic sea ice reached its third-lowest annual maximum on record, while the Arctic maximum was the lowest or second lowest. 
• Glaciers lost more than 400 gigatons of ice in 2025 – equivalent to approximately 1 mm of sea-level rise.
  • The melting of glaciers has implications for local and downstream geohazards, ecology, regional water resources and water quality, as well as global energy and sea-level budgets.
• Extreme events impacted lives and livelihoods, undermined food security, deepened poverty, and contributed to displacement across multiple regions.

Source: TH

Booker Prize 2026

Syllabus: Miscellaneous

Context

• U.K. author M. John Harrison won the 2026 Booker Prize for his novel “The End of Everything”.
  • The book echoes concerns about artificial intelligence in a darkly satirical depiction of post-apocalyptic Britain.

Booker Prize

• It is a literary award conferred annually for the best novel written in the English language and published in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland.
• The prize was founded in 1969 in the UK and initially awarded to Commonwealth writers. However, now it spans the globe and is open to anyone regardless of origin.
• The award carries a cash prize of £50,000 ($67,000).
• Past Indian Booker Prize winners: Arundhati Roy (God of Small Things), Kiran Desai (Inheritance of Loss), and Aravind Adiga (White Tiger).

Source: TH