Current Affairs 8 November 2026: UNESCO Register, Poverty Fall

Current affairs 8 November 2026 is rich today, friends. You get heritage, economy, and a Bihar story all together — note these facts carefully, because such news is loved by paper-setters in BPSC, STET, SSC and Railways.

Top stories of 8 November 2026

Three Indian manuscripts enter UNESCO Memory of the World register

Manuscripts of the Mahabharata, Kautilya's Arthashastra and Kalhana's 12th-century Kashmiri chronicle Rajatarangini have been inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register. The birch-bark Mahabharata manuscript is kept at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune, and the palm-leaf Arthashastra at the Oriental Research Institute, Mysuru. This takes India's total in this regional register to six. Remember: the Union Ministry of Culture announced it, and questions can ask who wrote the Arthashastra (Kautilya/Chanakya) and the Rajatarangini (Kalhana).

World Bank: India lifted nearly 500 million out of poverty

A World Bank assessment says India saw one of the world's fastest falls in poverty over the past decade. The share below the lower-middle-income line of $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) fell from 57.7% in 2011 to 16.1% in 2023 — about 496 million people lifted out. Extreme poverty at the $3.00 line dropped from 27.1% to 2.6%. The report also flags rising inequality. For exams, keep the two figures (near 500 million, and the $4.20 line) and remember it is a World Bank report.

Bihar orders salaries cleared before Diwali and Chhath

Bihar Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit has directed all state government departments to clear pending salaries and dues of employees before Diwali and Chhath. He warned against delays so no employee suffers during the festive season. This matters for Bihar's large government workforce. Note the designation — Chief Secretary is the top civil servant of the state.

Supreme Court on OBC creamy-layer for Civil Services 2025

The Supreme Court clarified its 11 March 2026 judgment: an OBC candidate's creamy-layer status cannot be decided only on parents' salary income — the category of posts held must also be seen. Completed appointments and seniority will not be reopened. The court refused the Centre's plea to defer, and said the corrected principle will govern pending OBC allocations for the Civil Services Examination, 2025, extending the compliance deadline by two months from 6 November 2026. Reservation and creamy-layer are favourite polity topics.

GRAP Stage III invoked in Delhi-NCR

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) imposed Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan in Delhi-NCR as the 24-hour average AQI touched about 366, with 22 stations at 'severe' led by IIT Delhi at 442. Stage III restricts construction and certain vehicles. A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant called temporary bans 'old, tried and failed' measures. Remember GRAP has four stages, and CAQM is the body that enforces it.

India hosts maiden BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise

India hosted the first-ever joint maritime security exercise of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) at Sri Vijaya Puram in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. All seven member states took part. It covered humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, cross-border maritime crime and marine pollution response. Keep in mind the host site and that it was the first such exercise.

Electronics component scheme (ECMS) approvals cross ₹77,000 crore

The IT Ministry approved 12 more projects under the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS), taking total sanctioned projects to 118 across 16 states. Proposed investment reached about ₹77,000 crore, beating the ₹59,350 crore target, with expected production worth ₹5.73 lakh crore. New approvals include copper foil, cathode active material and specialty ceramics — pushing manufacturing upstream for India's semiconductor supply chain.

Centre makes weekly rice stock disclosure mandatory

By an order dated 6 November, the Union government directed all traders, retailers, wholesalers, processors and millers to declare rice and paddy stocks every Friday on the Food Stock Portal, across six categories. The Centre also doubled the rice sale target under the Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) for 2026-27 from 25 to 50 lakh tonnes. Five southern states — Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana — may impose stock limits to curb hoarding.

NITI Aayog launches 'India S&T Scoreboard'

NITI Aayog launched the interactive 'India S&T Scoreboard' giving an integrated view of science and technology across states and UTs — covering higher education, R&D labs, deep-tech startups, incubators, publications and patents. It is at sts.niti.gov.in and supports the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. Good for linking NITI Aayog with S&T policy questions.

RBI launches three surveys before December policy

The Reserve Bank of India announced three surveys on inflation expectations and consumer confidence ahead of its December monetary policy meeting, including the November 2026 Inflation Expectations Survey of Households. Retail inflation was about 5.54% in September 2026. In October, the Monetary Policy Committee raised the repo rate by 25 bps to 5.5% and shifted to calibrated tightening.

Today's task: revise the key facts below, then attempt today's quiz to lock them in your memory.

Key facts for exams

• Mahabharata, Arthashastra and Rajatarangini added to UNESCO Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register; India's total now six.
• Arthashastra written by Kautilya; Rajatarangini by Kalhana (12th-century Kashmir).
• World Bank: ~496 million lifted out of poverty; $4.20/day line share fell 57.7% (2011) to 16.1% (2023).
• Bihar Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit ordered salaries cleared before Diwali and Chhath.
• Supreme Court: corrected OBC creamy-layer principle to govern Civil Services Examination 2025 allocations.
• GRAP Stage III invoked in Delhi-NCR by CAQM; AQI about 366; bench led by CJI Surya Kant.
• First-ever BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise held at Sri Vijaya Puram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
• ECMS approvals: 118 projects, 16 states, ~₹77,000 crore investment.
• Rice stock disclosure every Friday; OMSS (Domestic) target doubled to 50 lakh tonnes for 2026-27.
• NITI Aayog launched India S&T Scoreboard (sts.niti.gov.in), backing Viksit Bharat 2047.
• RBI repo rate 5.5% (after 25 bps hike); retail inflation ~5.54% in September 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Which Indian manuscripts were added to UNESCO's Memory of the World register in November 2026?

The Mahabharata, Kautilya's Arthashastra and Kalhana's Rajatarangini were inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register, taking India's total to six.

How many people did the World Bank say India lifted out of poverty?

The World Bank said about 496 million people were lifted out of poverty, with the share below the $4.20/day line falling from 57.7% in 2011 to 16.1% in 2023.

What did the Bihar Chief Secretary direct before Diwali and Chhath 2026?

Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit directed all state departments to clear pending salaries and dues of employees before the Diwali and Chhath festivals.

Where was the first BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise held?

It was held at Sri Vijaya Puram in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India's first-ever joint maritime security exercise under BIMSTEC.

What is the current RBI repo rate ahead of the December 2026 policy?

The repo rate is 5.5%, after the Monetary Policy Committee raised it by 25 basis points in October 2026; retail inflation was about 5.54% in September 2026.

Practise for your exam

Current affairs questions come in every General Studies paper. Take a free mock test — timed, with your score and solutions.

Previous days' current affairs

• Current Affairs 7 November 2026: Bihar AI Policy, Anti-Cancer Drugs
• Current Affairs 6 November 2026: Bihar Silt Policy, Fast Track Courts
• Current Affairs 5 November 2026: Mineral Scheme, Bihar Languages