News In Short 07-10-2026

Silk Road

Syllabus: GS1/History

Context

• Contrary to the name, the Silk Road was a network of multiple land and maritime trade routes connecting parts of east, central, south, and west Asia. 

Ancient Silk Road

• The Silk Road became important from around the second century BC, when China’s Han dynasty expanded west and established contacts with Central Asian states.
  • Because Chinese silk was a prized commodity then, the network was called the Silk Road.
• It was a network of trade routes connecting China and the Far East with the Middle East and Europe. 
  • Silk was transported from east to west throughout the year except for harsh winters which brought back gold and silver coins and other precious goods in exchange.
• Since it offered well-traveled roads, the Silk Road also became the routes that technologies, religions, artistic styles, languages, and natural philosophy took to spread across Eurasia. 
• The Silk Road routes remained in use until A.D. 1453, until the Ottoman Empire boycotted trade with China and closed them. 

Source: TH

Retreating Monsoon

Syllabus: GS1/Geography 

In News 

• Monsoon retreat triggering thunderstorms and heavy rain across India.

Retreating Monsoon or Northeast monsoon 

• The Retreating Monsoon refers to the withdrawal of the Southwest Monsoon from India, generally during October–November.
• It marks the transition from the rainy season to the winter season.
• During this period, the Northeast Monsoon becomes important, particularly over southern and southeastern India.
• The northeast monsoon mainly affects five meteorological divisions—Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema and South Interior Karnataka—and contributes about 11% of India’s annual rainfall, compared with around 75% from the southwest monsoon.
  • Rainfall in northern and Gangetic regions during November–December is largely caused by Western Disturbances, not the northeast monsoon. 
• Kerala receives some secondary rainfall during October–November.

Source :DTE

Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA)

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• The Union Cabinet approved the setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), namely, Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA).

About Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority (ITLA)

• It is a national apex institution established as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to promote integrated and multimodal transport planning, big-data analytics, technical appraisal of projects, and policy support across freight and transit sectors.
• It is modelled on integrated transport planning institutions in countries such as Japan, the United States, South Korea, China and Australia.

Key Roles and Responsibilities of ITLA 

• Long-Term National Transport Master Plan: The authority will prepare a comprehensive National Transport Master Plan with a planning horizon of 10 years or more.
  • It will cover roads, railways, ports and shipping, civil aviation, inland waterways, coastal shipping, urban mobility and logistics.
• Integrated Planning Framework: It will evaluate short-term sectoral plans with a horizon of around five years and annual plans of transport Ministries. 
• Technical Appraisal of Major Projects:  ITLA will undertake technical appraisal of Government of India infrastructure projects costing ₹500 crore or more. 
• Monitoring and Impact Assessment: It will monitor transport and infrastructure projects costing above ₹500 crore and provide a coordinated mechanism for issue resolution.
• National Transport Data Repository (NTDR): The authority will develop a unified transport data repository by integrating relevant transport and logistics datasets from multiple sources. 
• Logistics Policy Support: It will advise and assist in the review and updating of the National Logistics Policy (2022).
• Research and Innovation: It will promote research & innovations in transport and logistics sectors.

Source: AIR

India and Japan Launch Operational Manual for the Joint Crediting Mechanism

Syllabus: GS2/ IR, GS3/ Environment

Context

• India and Japan launched the Operational Manual for the India-Japan Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) in New Delhi.

About

• The Joint Crediting Mechanism aims to promote the deployment of advanced low-carbon technologies, mobilise climate finance, facilitate technology cooperation and support high-integrity emission reductions and removals in India.
  • The JCM contributes to the achievement of both countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by evaluating Japan’s contributions in a quantitative manner and acquiring the part of credit.
• It marks a significant milestone in operationalising bilateral cooperation between India and Japan under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement.

Source: DD News

India’s First-Ever Household Travel Survey

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy

Context

• The National Statistics Office (NSO) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has conducted the first-ever all-India survey on household travel between July 2025 and June 2026.

About 

• The survey captures key aspects of domestic travel, including:
  • Purpose of travel: Employment, education, social engagements, cultural and leisure activities, tourism, domestic work, caregiving and other purposes.
  • Mode of transport: Modes of transportation used by different demographic groups for undertaking trips.
  • Travel duration and distance: Average time taken and distances travelled during trips.

Findings of the Survey

• Two-wheelers are the predominant mode of transport for commuting to fixed workplaces, accounting for 42.6 per cent of workers. 
• Buses and railways facilitate 73.5 percent of  overnight travel followed by cars at 15.1 percent and two wheelers at 8.8 percent. 
• Gender Gap in Workforce Travel:  61.9% of male workers undertake daily work trips (>1 km) compared to 41.9% of female workers nationwide.
• The average monthly expenditure on commuting to a fixed workplace is ₹785 per worker.
  • Urban workers spend substantially more, at ₹1,044 a month, compared with ₹612 for rural workers. 
  • Male workers spend an average of ₹835 on their commute each month, against ₹533 for female workers.

Source: AIR

Indian Navy’s first indigenous fleet support ship ‘Surya’

Syllabus: GS3/Defence

Context

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched ‘Surya’, the Indian Navy’s first indigenously built Fleet Support Ship (FSS-1), in Visakhapatnam. 

About

• Designed and built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Surya is the first of five Fleet Support Ships being built for the Indian Navy. 
• With a displacement of about 43,500 tonnes and a top speed of 20 knots, the vessel is designed to provide logistical support to warships during prolonged operations at sea. 
• It can carry large quantities of fuel and fresh water, along with ammunition, spare parts and provisions. 
• It also features a helicopter deck capable of supporting multi-role operations and self-defence systems. 
• Surya will help enhance the Navy’s operational endurance and reach, supporting India’s sustained maritime presence across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). 

Source: TH