KAS Current Affairs: Current Affairs is the living pulse of the KPSC syllabus. It is not a standalone subject to be memorized in isolation; rather, it is a dynamic thread that weaves together History, Economy, Polity, and Ethics across both the Preliminary and Main stages. In the context of the upcoming examinations, transitioning from simply “reading the news” to “studying the syllabus through the news” is the critical shift that separates a serious aspirant from a casual reader.
The “Syllabus-First” Philosophy
By following a current affairs pattern strictly mapped to the KPSC syllabus, you ensure that every hour spent reading the newspaper is an hour spent building your exam rank.
Preliminary Examination
Paper-I: Current Events of National and International Importance
Gyan Bharatam Survey & App
- This is a massive national undertaking to digitize and catalog India’s vast, often undocumented, wealth of ancient knowledge.
- Objective: To create a comprehensive national database of manuscripts (handwritten documents on palm leaves, paper, bark, or cloth) scattered across private collections, temples, and local libraries.
- The App: The Gyan Bharatam App serves as a crowdsourcing platform where citizens can upload images and metadata of manuscripts in their possession.
- Verification Process: To ensure academic and historical integrity, every entry submitted by the public undergoes a multi-tier verification by experts before being officially recorded in the national register.
- Significance: It prevents the physical loss of ancient texts and makes India’s intellectual heritage accessible for global research in fields like Ayurveda, Astronomy, Mathematics, and Literature.
MY Bharat Budget Quest
- Operating under the MY Bharat (Madhyamik Yuva Bharat) platform, this initiative focuses on “Jan Bhagidari” (People’s Participation) in economic policy.
- Objective: To demystify the Union Budget and policymaking process for the youth, fostering a generation that understands fiscal responsibility and national priorities.
- Format: A nationwide digital quiz and quest that challenged participants on various aspects of the 2026-27 Budget, including key schemes, allocations, and economic concepts like the 11G Model Economy.
- Scale of Participation: Approximately 12 lakh (1.2 million) youth participated, signaling a high level of interest in how the country’s finances are managed.
- Strategic Goal: By connecting youth with the budget, the government aims to increase transparency and ensure that the “Amrit Kaal” goals are understood by the primary stakeholders—the young population.
Paper-II: Current Events of State Importance and Important Government Schemes and Programs
How delayed polls choked city’s air quality
Context: The delay in holding civic body polls has not only affected local administration in Bengaluru but has also led to the stalling of a whopping ₹1,475.90 crore under the 15th Finance Commission’s million-plus cities challenge, aimed at improving air quality.
- While the stalled funds themselves appear mammoth, the impact of losing them has also affected air quality and particulate matter levels in Bengaluru, which have seen a steady rise over the last five years. For example, the Air Quality Index (AQI), which earlier averaged between the 60s and 90s in the city, has now crossed the 120 mark. In March 2026, the highest recorded AQI stood at 141, according to the city AQI dashboard.
What is the programme?
- The Union government launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019 to improve air quality across the country. Cities receive funds to improve air quality either under NCAP or under the 15th Finance Commission’s scheme called the million-plus cities challenge, a performance-based incentive for air quality improvement and solid waste management. Bengaluru was deemed eligible to receive grants from the 15th Finance Commission.
- Accordingly, documents accessed by The Hindu show that Bengaluru received funds for two consecutive financial years, FY 2021–22 and FY 2022–23. However, after that, the city received no funding.
- According to Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) sources, the criteria to receive grants were amended in 2023, making it mandatory to have an elected urban local body. For the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) area, civic polls were last held in 2015, and councillors’ terms ended in 2020, after which elections have not been conducted.
- As a result, BBMP has missed out on securing ₹1,475.90 crore, which could have been used to address the rising levels of Particulate Matter 10 (PM10) in the city.
- Compounding the problem, BBMP also failed to utilise the funds it had earlier received. Between 2021 and 2023, the 15th Finance Commission released ₹572 crore under the Solid Waste Management (SWM) component and ₹256 crore under the air quality component.
- Although the local body had ₹828 crore at its disposal, its utilisation began only in 2023, according to the PRAANA portal set up to monitor the release and usage of funds.
Where were the funds used?
- Recently, Bangalore Central MP P.C. Mohan raised a question in the Lok Sabha regarding NCAP/15th Finance Commission funds allocated to Bengaluru and their utilisation.
- The response showed that Bengaluru has used the funds to plant green cover over 1,25,290 square metres, collect 2,72,000 tonnes of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, procure and deploy 127 new electric buses, and intervene at 20 traffic congestion points, among several other measures.
- In what comes as a welcome move, the civic authority has finally started discussions on improving air quality and greening urban spaces. According to GBA sources, Chief Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao has been emphasising the need to green urban spaces and median lines during meetings.
- “Once GBA elections are conducted and a local governance body is elected, we will be eligible for funds and start receiving them. The action plan for intervention is ready, and we have obtained government approval,” a GBA source told The Hindu.
- Further, a city-level monitoring and implementation committee has been formed to oversee the approved city action plan. An emergency response plan has also been prepared to tackle air pollution during critical situations. The committee has identified nine hotspots (high-emission zones), and action plans have been formulated to address them.
Main Examination
Paper-I: Essays
Essay – 1: Topic of International/National Importance
Essay-2: Topic of State importance/Local Importance
Paper-II: General Studies 1
Russia’s Baltic port of Ust-Luga
In the current geopolitical landscape of March 2026, Russia’s Ust-Luga port has emerged as a high-stakes flashpoint. As one of Russia’s most critical energy export hubs on the Baltic Sea, it has become a primary target in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Strategic Importance of Ust-Luga
Located approximately 110 km west of St. Petersburg, Ust-Luga is a multi-purpose port that serves as Russia’s “Western Gateway.”
- Energy Hub: It is a vital artery for the export of crude oil, gas condensate, and refined petroleum products. It handles approximately 700,000 to 1.15 million barrels of oil per day.
- Revenue Source: The port is essential for generating the foreign currency that sustains Russia’s economy. Together with the nearby port of Primorsk, it handles nearly 45% of Russia’s seaborne crude exports.
- Global Reach: Much of the oil from Ust-Luga is destined for markets in Asia, specifically India and China, especially as European markets remain largely closed due to sanctions.
Impact on Global Markets
The disruption at Ust-Luga is happening simultaneously with the U.S.-Israel-Iran war in West Asia, creating a “perfect storm” for global energy:
- Price Surge: With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed or restricted and Ust-Luga offline, global oil prices have soared past $100 per barrel.
- Supply Shock: The combined disruption across these major nodes has removed millions of barrels from the daily global supply, causing acute stress in aviation, shipping, and fertilizer production.
- Sanction Easing: Due to these extreme price pressures, the U.S. Treasury recently issued temporary licenses (March 12, 2026) to allow some Russian oil already at sea to reach markets, despite ongoing sanctions.
Paper-III: General Studies 2
Paper-IV: General Studies 3
Despite assurance from Centre, MGNREGS workers denied work
Context: From Bihar to Rajasthan, thousands of rural workers say work has been halted; as the Centre continues talks with the States on the VB-G RAM G Act, some district officials say they have been directed not to start new work under the old scheme.
- For the past 87 days, MGNREGS workers have been protesting at the Muzaffarpur district headquarters in Bihar. The Union government had assured them that until the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, 2025, passed by Parliament in December, is rolled out, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) will continue unchanged. But on the ground, workers say the story is very different.
- The protest in Muzaffarpur began on January 2. Nearly 12,000 workers in the district have not received work for the past three or four months — even before the new rural employment law was introduced.
Uncertainty continues
- There is no clarity on when the new scheme under the VB-G RAM G Act will be implemented on the ground, as the Centre is still holding talks with the States to establish the necessary framework.
- “Usually, no work is given during the rain. We waited for the monsoon to end, then for the waterlogged areas to drain. By December, the MGNREGA season normally begins. But despite repeated demand, no work has been provided.
- This is a blatant violation of the law,” said Sanjay Sahni of MGNREGA Watch-Bihar, an organisation working with rural workers. Facing repeated rejections, around 16,000 workers — most of them women — gathered at the district headquarters to demand work. A delegation also travelled to Delhi on March 25 to meet senior officials in the Rural Development Ministry.
- “The district officials claim they have instructions not to start any new work. But the Ministry officials insist that no such order exists,” Mr. Sahni said. He wonders whether it is lack of information or whether there is an informal signal from the Centre to stop all work under the MGNREGS.
Ground reality
- In Dungarpur district of Rajasthan, similar complaints have emerged. At Balwarha panchayat, around 40 women workers arrived on March 23 to complete paperwork for April’s work cycle. Panchayat officials asked them to return later, citing a lack of clarity. On Saturday, they were told that the MGNREGS had been discontinued and no further work would be available under the scheme.
- At Padarmarhi Mewarha panchayat, nearly 30 women workers sat for four hours last Friday, demanding work for the first week of April. Local officials initially claimed that directions had been issued not to start new MGNREGS works. After the women refused to leave, their applications were eventually accepted, but uncertainty continues whether any work will actually be assigned.
- “For each household, MGNREGA work brings in about ₹25,000 to ₹28,000 annually. In some women-led households, MGNREGA and government pensions are the only sources of income,” said Madhulika of the Rajasthan Asangathit Mazdoor Union.
- “There are no formal orders. The VB-G RAM G Act clearly states that until it is implemented, MGNREGA will continue. But on the ground, we are being told otherwise,” she said.
Paper-V: General Studies 4
Source: The Hindu