Global Cities Index 2026 | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) | PB-SHABD | Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya | Hurricane Polo (DDN) | DURGA Scheme

Global Cities Index 2026

International

News – 

• Oxford Economics released its 2026 Global Cities Index, 

Global Cities Index 2026 

• Released by: Oxford Economics.

• Coverage: 1,000 largest cities across 163 countries.

• Significance: These cities represent 60% of global GDP and 30% of global population.

• Assessment: 27 indicators under 5 categories:

  • Economics – 30%

  • Human Capital – 25%

  • Quality of Life – 25%

  • Environment – 10%

  • Governance – 10%

• Purpose: Measures cities’ economic performance, human capital, living conditions, environmental sustainability and governance.

Key Findings

• Top 3: New York, London and Paris retained the top three positions.

• Western dominance: 78 of the top 100 cities are in Europe and North America.

• Asia rising: Asian cities are driving global urban growth, particularly Chinese and Indian cities, supported by population scale, productivity and income gains.

• India: Delhi is currently outside the top 100 but is projected to record one of the largest GDP increases by 2050.

• Bengaluru: Identified as a “City to Watch”, with rapid growth linked to its IT sector and emerging opportunities in AI.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

International

News –  

• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released its Interim Economic Outlook, upgrading its growth projection for India.

OECD 

• Established: 1961; headquarters Paris, France.
• Nature: Intergovernmental organisation promoting economic growth, trade and international standards.
• Members: 38 countries, largely high-income market democracies.
• India: Not a member; one of 5 Key Partners — Brazil, China, Indonesia, South Africa.
• India–OECD: Participates in committees, policy surveys and global tax initiatives.

PB-SHABD

Polity

Context (PIB): 

• The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) highlighted PB-SHABD’s adoption by over 3,600 media organisations and extended free access until March 2027.

PB-SHABD 

• Launched: 2024 by Prasar Bharati as a centralised news-feed service, evolving from PBNS.
• Full form: Prasar Bharati Shared Audio-Visuals for Broadcast and Dissemination.
• Content: Ready-to-use text, video, audio, photographs and infographics.
• Reach: Content in 15 Indian languages across nearly 50 news categories.
• Adoption: Used by 3,600+ media organisations; free access extended till March 2027.

Prasar Bharati

• Established: Under Prasar Bharati Act, 1990; came into existence in 1997.
• Nature: Statutory autonomous public service broadcaster under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
• Wings: Akashvani (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD).
• HQ: New Delhi.

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya

History & culture

Context (AIR): 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has paid tribute to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya (1916–1968) on his birth anniversary.

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya (1916–1968)

• He was  a political thinker, economist, and leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
• He  was an exceptional scholar and dedicated nationalist. 
• Ideology – He was a visionary thinker, known for his doctrine of Integral Humanism (Ekatma Manav Darshan) which emphasized a balance between spiritual and material development and promoted decentralization and self-reliant village-based economy. 
• Contributions- He contributed to ideological journalism by starting ‘Rashtra Dharma’ (monthly), ‘Panchajanya’ (weekly), and ‘Swadesh’ (daily).

Hurricane Polo (DDN)

Geography & Environment

News – 

• Hurricane Polo, a powerful Category 4 storm, rapidly intensified over the eastern Pacific Ocean off the southwestern coast of Mexico. 

About

• Hurricane Polo: A Category 4 tropical cyclone that rapidly intensified over the eastern Pacific Ocean off the southwestern coast of Mexico.
• Hurricane: Tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds ≥119 km/h (74 mph).
• Associated weather: Heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and strong winds.
• Category 4: Indicates extremely powerful winds and potentially severe damage.

DURGA Scheme

Government Schemes

News

• Delhi Cabinet approved the Driving Upliftment and Rozgar for Women/Transgender Green E-Auto (DURGA) scheme

DURGA Scheme

• Full form: Driving Upliftment and Rozgar for Women/Transgender Green E-Auto (DURGA).
• Launched by: Delhi Government.
• Key provision: Distribution of 1,300 “Pink” electric auto-rickshaws across Delhi’s revenue districts.
• Beneficiaries: Women and transgender individuals.
• Objectives:
  • Promote dignified self-employment and income generation.
  • Encourage asset ownership among marginalised genders.
  • Promote clean and sustainable urban transport through e-autos.
• Significance: Combines gender empowerment + livelihood generation + green mobility.