Current Affair of October 2026
National
1. The National Highways Authority of India introduced Tamil Nadu's first Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling system on 1st October 2026 at the Paranur Toll Plaza on the Tambaram-Tindivanam section of NH-179B. The barrier-less system allows vehicles to pass through toll points without stopping and uses Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and FASTag-based Electronic Toll Collection.
2. The Centre approved Rs. 1,175.59 crore for a 6.91-km-long six-lane major bridge across the Teesta River at Sevoke on NH-10 in Darjeeling district, West Bengal, on 30th September 2026. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the approval on 1st October 2026.
3. Indian Railways has used AI-based systems, speed restrictions, and wildlife deterrence measures to reduce elephant-train collisions on vulnerable railway stretches. The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) saved 255 elephants between January and September 2026 across its Alipurduar, Lumding, Tinsukia, and Rangiya divisions.
4. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has cleared the conversion of Lahori Gate Haveli into the Shahjahanabad Museum and Interpretation Centre in Old Delhi. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts has granted in-principle approval for the museum project, and the restored haveli is planned as a public heritage space in Khari Baoli at Vasudev Captain Chowk.
5. India formally identified 28 places and geographical features on the official Survey of India maps of Ladakh on 2nd October 2026. The updated map was prepared in consultation with the Union Territory administration and was made available on the official Survey of India website.
6. A three-year-old Royal Bengal tigress weighing 150 kg was released into the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal on 2nd October 2026. The release marked the launch of the state's first tiger reintroduction project and involved translocation from the Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar.
7. Saffron cultivation began in Ladakh on 2nd October 2026 as a pilot project in Leh district. Around 90,000 premium Iranian saffron corms, weighing about 800 kg, were planted over 4,000 square metres at Command Area Gate No. 27 in Spituk Pharka. The project uses restored barren land and forms part of agricultural diversification in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
8. Gujarat's Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026, received Presidential assent on 2nd October 2026 and was notified as Gujarat Act No. 15 of 2026 in the Gujarat Government Gazette Extraordinary on 1st October 2026. The Bill was passed by the Gujarat Legislative Assembly in March 2026 after a debate lasting seven to eight hours.
9. Jawahar Dweep Marine Oil Terminal in Mumbai was declared plastic-free on 2nd October 2026 by the Mumbai Port Authority. The terminal became India's first oil terminal to eliminate single-use plastics completely. Jawahar Dweep is also known as Butcher Island and is an offshore facility located about four kilometres off Mumbai's coast.
10. Andhra Pradesh laid the foundation stone for the Rs.1 lakh-crore Global Horticulture Hub at Madanapalle in Annamayya district on 2nd October 2026. The project is linked with the Rayalaseema region and covers horticulture development across 10 districts in Andhra Pradesh.
11. Kutch Copper Ltd, a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Ltd, plans to integrate 115 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy into its copper refinery operations at Mundra in Gujarat. The plan features in the company's maiden sustainability report for the financial year 2025-26. Kutch Copper says the renewable-energy integration is intended to reduce operational carbon emissions, conserve water and improve resource efficiency.
12. Vice-President Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan delivered the inaugural address at the 5th Kautilya Economic Conclave in New Delhi on 3rd October 2026. The three-day conclave was scheduled from 3rd to 5th October 2026 and carried the theme "Resilience in an Age of Flux".
13. Ten captive-bred Great Indian Bustards (Ardeotis nigriceps) are scheduled for release in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan on 3rd and 4th October 2026. The release is planned at Ramdevra and Sudasari in the Desert National Park, and the birds will be monitored after release for movement, behaviour, habitat use, adaptation, and survival.
14. Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, a veteran Indian filmmaker, died on 3rd October 2026 in Chennai at the age of 94. He was undergoing treatment at Kauvery Hospital for age-related ailments and health complications. His family confirmed the death, and the cremation was scheduled for 4th October 2026 at AVM Crematorium in Chennai.
15. India generated 101 billion units (BU) of renewable electricity, excluding large hydropower, in the second quarter of financial year 2026-27 (Q2 FY27), the first time quarterly generation crossed 100 BU. Total electricity generation reached 536 BU during July-September 2026, while combined non-fossil fuel generation from renewables, hydropower and nuclear energy reached 177 BU.
16. Uttar Pradesh renamed Bhadohi district as Sant Ravidas Nagar Bhadohi on 4th October 2026. The district was carved out of Varanasi district and became the 65th district of Uttar Pradesh on 30th June 1994. Bhadohi is known for its carpet industry and is associated with Sant Ravidas, a medieval saint linked with the Bhakti tradition.
17. The Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) began its Diamond Jubilee Year celebrations at Jaduguda on 4th October 2026. UCIL was incorporated in 1967 and operates as a Public Sector Enterprise under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). The Jaduguda mine started operations in 1967 and was the first uranium mine in India.
18. A Red-Headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus), classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), was sighted on 5th October 2026 in the Munsiyari area of Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand. The observation was made at about 2,650 metres above sea level in the forests of Patalthod, between Balati Bend and Munsiyari town.
19. Five cheetah cubs were born at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on 5th October 2026 to KJP21, an India-born female cheetah. The birth raised India's cheetah population to 60, including 41 cheetahs born on Indian soil. Project Cheetah began on 17th September 2022 with the arrival of eight cheetahs from Namibia.
20. On 5th October 2026, West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya announced that the state government intended to introduce a Bill in the upcoming Assembly session to rename West Bengal as Paschim Banga. Bhattacharya said on 7th October that the proposed name connects with the state's formation after Independence. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has supported the proposal, subject to the prescribed legal process.
21. Barda Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat's Saurashtra region is home to 17 Asiatic lions as of October 2026, after the species returned following an absence of approximately 144 years. The sanctuary covers 192.31 sq km across Porbandar and Devbhumi Dwarka districts.
22. A rare two-headed wolf snake was rescued from a farm in Agaswani village, Dhanpur taluka, Dahod district, Gujarat, on 6th October 2026. The non-venomous snake is about 6 inches long and has two heads, four eyes and a single body. It is the first recorded case of a two-headed snake in Gujarat and the fifth reported case in India.
23. A proposed opencast bauxite mine by Kalinga Alumina Ltd, an Adani-linked group, is planned across 147 hectares of forest in the Nageswari reserve forest, Koraput district, Odisha. The Balda hills site is habitat of the endangered Jeypore ground gecko, of which only four individuals were documented there in the past year, as of October 2026.
24. Ladakh launched India's first high-altitude snow leopard wildlife safari on 7th October 2026, during Wildlife Week celebrations in Leh. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena flagged off six specially designed open-back vehicles. The initiative is a collaboration between the Snow Leopard and High-Altitude Nature Conservation (SHAN) Society and the Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment, UT Ladakh.
25. Veteran actor Nana Patekar died at the age of 75 on 8th October 2026 after suffering a severe cardiac arrest. He was found unconscious at his residence in Dona Paula, Goa, and was taken to Manipal Hospital, where doctors attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for 45 minutes. The hospital declared him dead at 5:20 am.
26. The Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Act, 2026, came into force on 8th October 2026 after a notification by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The Act establishes a common framework for recruitment and service conditions of Group A general duty officers and other officers in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). Serving CAPF officers have challenged its constitutional validity in the Supreme Court.
27. On 8th October 2026, the NFDC-National Film Archive of India (NFDC-NFAI), based in Pune, added three 35 mm Tamil films starring Sivaji Ganesan to its national collection. Aparna Subramanian, a Film Research Officer at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), acquired and donated the prints. All three films were directed by A. P. Nagarajan.
28. On 8th October 2026, the Supreme Court of India directed states to upload road-accident data promptly on the Electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR) portal. It ordered the integration of eDAR with VAHAN, SARATHI and the Insurance Information Bureau (IIB) databases to create a digital record for each road crash and enable cross-verification of accident and insurance details.
29. P. Vasu, popularly known as 'Socio' Vasu, died at his residence in Cheruvannur, Kozhikode, on 8th October 2026, aged 103. Born in January 1923, he became involved in the national movement during his school years and later joined the socialist movement after India's independence.
30. Ambaji Mohanthal Prasad, the traditional sweet offering at Ambaji Temple in Gujarat, received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag on 8th October 2026. The application was submitted on 1st October 2026 by the Shree Arasuri Ambaji Mata Devsthan Trust. The certificate was handed over on 11th October 2026, the first day of the Sharadiya Navratri festival.
31. The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved a proposal on 9th October 2026 to rename Noida International Airport at Jewar as "Narendra Modi International Airport, Noida-Jewar". Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the decision in Lucknow after a Cabinet meeting. The airport is located at Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh.
32. A rare olive-green snake was reported from Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Hills (B.R. Hills), Karnataka, on 9th October 2026. The available details do not establish the snake's species, the precise sighting location or the circumstances of the encounter. Several snake species in India have olive-green or olive-brown colouring, so colour alone cannot confirm identification.
33. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on 9th October 2026 that CyberTech Asia will be held in Mumbai for the first time in India. The two-day event is scheduled for 17th - 18th March 2027 at the Jio World Convention Centre in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai.
34. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) convened the Second Regional Review Conference on implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, in Kolkata, West Bengal, on 9th and 10th October 2026. Officials from eight states attended to review claims, pending cases and implementation measures.
35. The reintroduced population of hard-ground Barasingha in Satpura Tiger Reserve reached approximately 303 individuals by 10th October 2026. The animals were brought from Kanha National Park under a reintroduction programme initiated by the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department in 2015.
36. Guruvayur Dorai, a leading mridangam artiste and exponent of the Pudukottai style, died in Chennai on 10th October 2026. Born in Guruvayur on 2nd July 1935, he began performing at eight and was active in Carnatic music for more than eight decades. Accounts gave his age as either 91 or 92.
37. The Assam Forest Department launched the Nameri Wild Classroom initiative on 10th - 12th October 2026 at Nameri Tiger Reserve. The residential programme is open to students from Class 8 onwards, including college students, and offers two- and three-day learning sessions.
38. Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) is blooming on the slopes of Meeshapulimala in Kerala's Munnar region. The plants are flowering near Rhodo Mansion, a Kerala Forest Development Corporation (KFDC) property at an elevation of about 2,470 metres. The bloom is unusual because Neelakurinji generally does not flower above 2,500 metres. The flowering season is expected to continue from October to December 2026.
39. On 11th October 2026, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav released eight wild water buffaloes into a 17-hectare enclosure in the Supkhar range of Kanha Tiger Reserve. The animals came from Assam's Kaziranga National Park as part of a phased programme to restore the species in Madhya Pradesh, where it had disappeared from forests about a century ago.
40. The fifth edition of Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS 5.0) is scheduled from 28th November to 12th December 2026. Its theme, "Thirukkural Payilvom - Thirukkural Abhyas Karen", means "Let's Learn Thirukkural" and focuses on the ethical and moral values of the classical Tamil text.
41. On 11th October 2026, Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang released Chocolate Mahseer fish into the Rangeet River near Jorethang during the Chirbirey River Fest. The fish ranching initiative was organised with the Sikkim Anglers Association and focused on indigenous fish conservation, aquatic biodiversity and freshwater resource protection.
42. Construction for the rehabilitation component of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) began at the 22-acre Matunga railway site in Mumbai, Maharashtra, after a bhoomi poojan on 12th October 2026. Adani Navbharat Developers Private Limited (ANDPL), the project's special purpose vehicle (SPV), is implementing the work.
43. On 12th October 2026, the Supreme Court of India questioned why trade margin caps on anti-cancer medicines could not be extended to other drugs. The Centre informed the Court that it had decided to cap trade margins on anti-cancer medicines at 30% of the Maximum Retail Price (MRP), with estimated annual savings of about Rs. 2,500 crore for patients.
44. Himachal Pradesh recorded a survival rate of 100% among reintroduced Cheer Pheasants in 2024-25, compared with 11.11% in 2019-20. During Wildlife Week in October 2026, 12 captive-bred birds-two males, two females and eight chicks-were soft-released near Koti in Shimla district.
45. L. Murugan resigned as Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs and relinquished his Rajya Sabha membership on 13th October 2026. He represented Madhya Pradesh in the Upper House, and his term was scheduled to end in April 2030.
46. India is hosting the first BIMSTEC Home Ministers Meeting in New Delhi on 13th October 2026. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is chairing the meeting, attended by delegations from all seven BIMSTEC member states. Its agenda covers regional cooperation against terrorism, transnational organized crime, narcotics radicalization, trafficking, illicit financial flows and cyber threats.
47. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the National Culture Fund (NCF) and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) signed a Memorandum of Agreement on 13th October 2026. The agreement covers conservation and development works at Hampi in Karnataka, the Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, and Bekal Fort in Kerala. HAL has granted in-principle approval for financial support of Rs. 23.60 crore, to be provided over the financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29.
48. On 14th October 2026, the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) launched India's first Red List Assessment of Ecosystems (RLE) project in Kollam. The one-year assessment will examine ecosystem collapse risks across Kerala's 14 districts, from high-altitude mountain summits to coastal areas.
49. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on 14th October 2026 that the state had expanded its drought declaration to 305 talukas, from 265 talukas declared drought-affected on 26th September. The government cited weak monsoon rainfall and an 18.8% rainfall deficit recorded between June and 18th September 2026.
50. Cheruvayal Raman, a tribal farmer from Kammana in Wayanad district, Kerala, died on 14th October 2026 at the age of 74. He belonged to the Kurichiya community and conserved more than 45 traditional rice varieties on his three-acre farm. He was also known as 'Nellachan', meaning 'father of paddy', and as a 'living paddy gene bank'.
51. Kapra Lake is located in north-east Hyderabad, Telangana, and has a Full Tank Level (FTL) area of 112.80 acres. On 14th October 2026, local farmers voluntarily handed over 70 acres within the FTL area for the lake's restoration. The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) is spending approximately Rs. 35 crore on the project, of which about 60% of the development work was complete by that date.
52. On 15th October 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated or dedicated five development projects in Ladakh, valued at approximately Rs. 3,350 crore. The package covers transport connectivity, power infrastructure, cultural heritage conservation and water security. The initiatives include an airport terminal, a road through the Zanskar Valley, energy projects, a petroglyph park and water bodies developed under Project Him Sarovar.
53. On 16th October 2026, India's Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) prohibited the reuse of single-use medical devices and disposable surgical items in public and private healthcare facilities. The directive requires healthcare providers to use these products strictly according to the instructions and recommendations of the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).
54. Maharashtra ordered a minimum 10% water cut across all urban local bodies from 16th October 2026. The measure applies to municipal corporations, municipalities and gram panchayats in the state. The Water Resources Department has planned water use up to 31st August 2027. Drinking water has been placed at the highest priority in the allocation plan. A 10% additional emergency buffer stock will be maintained in every reservoir.
55. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay inaugurated Periyar Arivulagam, a library and science centre, in Gandhipuram, Coimbatore, on 16th October 2026. The eight-storey complex is also known as the Periyar Arivulagam and Research Centre and was built at an estimated cost of about Rs. 300 crore.
56. Sankoo officially became Ladakh's eighth district on 16th October 2026. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena announced the district's creation. Sankoo is located in the Suru Valley region of Kargil district. The new district is intended to decentralise administration and improve public-service delivery, particularly in remote areas.
57. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) published the draft Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Amendment Regulations, 2026, in the Gazette of India on 16th October 2026. The draft proposes changes to the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations, 2020, including a restriction on adding sucrose and fructose to products intended for infants up to six months of age.
58. A Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl ("Bubo nipalensis" or "Ketupa nipalensis") was photographed in Janakikkad forest, Kozhikode district, on 16th October 2026. The observation is the first photographic record of the species in the district. The owl is also known locally as "Kolliyan" and "Kattumoonga".
59. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), based in Dehradun, is preparing India's first national-level study to estimate the populations of all four bear species found in the country. The study will assess their numbers, distribution and geographical range, using field evidence to identify critical habitats and changes in species presence.
60. The Bihar Museum in Patna ranked ninth in the 2026 list of the world's 100 best museums. It was the highest-ranked Asian institution and the only Indian museum included in the list. The travel guide Worth a Journey published the rankings around October 2026.
61. Tamil music composer Deva, whose full name was Devanesan Chokkalingam, died in Chennai on 17th October 2026, aged 75. He was admitted to a private hospital that morning after experiencing chest pain. A heart attack has been cited in reports, but the exact cause of death was not formally disclosed.
62. On 17th October 2026, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) announced Trade Margin Rationalisation (TMR) for 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs. The NPPA operates under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. The revised prices are scheduled to take effect on 9th November 2026, with maximum retail price (MRP) reductions of up to 70%, depending on existing prices.
63. On 18th October 2026, the Delhi Cabinet approved the establishment of the Go-Delhi Foundation with an initial budget of Rs. 50 crore. The Cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The foundation is intended to support startups, innovation and entrepreneurship in Delhi by providing assistance to young people, researchers and entrepreneurs.
64. Telangana's nine-day Bathukamma festival concluded with Saddula Bathukamma on 18th October 2026. Thousands of women gathered at Tank Bund in Hyderabad for the final procession and immersion of floral arrangements. The procession began at 4 p.m. from the Martyrs Memorial and moved towards Tank Bund.
65. Fisheries scientist B. Madhusoodana Kurup died in Kochi, Kerala, on 18th October 2026, aged 71, following a cardiac arrest. He was the founding Vice-Chancellor of the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), India's first university dedicated to fisheries and ocean studies.
66. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inaugurated a biogas plant with a capacity of 200 tonnes per day (TPD) at Goyla Dairy on 19th October 2026 under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan. The plant was approved in 2018. Delhi's Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is establishing biogas facilities to process cattle dung and biodegradable waste generated in dairy colonies.
67. India repatriated a rescued Sumatran baby orangutan to Indonesia on 19th October 2026. Rescued in India in November 2024, the animal received veterinary care and appropriate habitat facilities from Indian wildlife authorities before its return from Gujarat. The operation involved wildlife protection agencies and the CITES Management Authorities of both countries.
68. India has begun a national Red List Assessment of 1,211 regularly occurring bird species, including resident and migratory birds. The assessment follows the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) framework. As of 19th October 2026, preliminary assessments had been completed for 107 species; preliminary work on all 1,211 is expected by the end of 2026, with final assessments anticipated by the end of 2027.
69. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) introduced the 'Toll Plaza Feedback' feature on the Rajmargyatra mobile app on 19th - 20th October 2026. The feature enables National Highway users to submit feedback about toll plazas through the app.
70. On 19th October 2026, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) initiated regulatory action against seven online platforms over unauthorised listings and sales of hazardous explosive substances. The substances included ammonium nitrate, gunpowder, picric acid and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). By that date, 3,940 sellers and listing entries had been delisted across the platforms.
71. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare approved the operationalisation of Ladakh's first Government Medical College in Leh on 19th October 2026. The college is scheduled to begin operations in the 2027-28 academic year.
72. As of 19th October 2026, 96 of India's 191 coal-fired power plants had critically low coal stocks, defined as less than three days of fuel supply. The number of plants in this category rose from 60 in mid-September 2026. Coal stocks at power stations declined by approximately 5% from the beginning of October 2026.
73. The WWF-India EIACP Programme Centre - Resource Partner, supported by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), launched its nationwide Green Diwali Campaign on 20th October 2026. The campaign runs until 8th November 2026, the date of Diwali in 2026, and encourages citizens to avoid firecrackers and celebrate with less pollution and waste.
74. A four-year-old male tiger weighing more than 200 kg was captured by a camera trap on 20th August 2026 in the Brahmgaon forest range of Ashti tehsil, Beed district, Maharashtra. It is the first confirmed presence of a tiger in the Ashti and Patoda forest areas since the 1910s and 1920s.
75. On 20th October 2026, Rajya Sabha MP Naveen K. Jain delivered India's national statement at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), reaffirming support for inclusive, development-oriented and internationally compatible legal frameworks for global trade. He addressed the UNGA's Sixth Committee, which deals with legal matters.
76. The eight-day Shilp Samagam Mela 2026 begins on 21st October at Farm Gate, Khanapara, Guwahati, Assam, and concludes on 28th October. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, is organising the event, which is open to the public daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
77. On 21st October 2026, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved Zytorvi (toripalimab) with cisplatin and paclitaxel as first-line treatment for adults with unresectable advanced, recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The approval is Zytorvi's second indication in India, after its approval for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
78. Vummidi Ethiraj, a jeweller who played a key role in crafting the Sengol, died in Chennai on 21st October 2026 at the age of 99. Born on 25th November 1926, he was the patriarch of the Vummidi family, which owns Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers, a 125-year-old jewellery business.
79. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to launch and lay foundation stones for 43 Delhi Jal Board (DJB) projects worth Rs. 8,941.22 crore on 22nd October 2026. The projects cover water supply and sewage infrastructure and include measures to reduce pollution in the Yamuna River.
80. The Central Government notified the Telecommunications (Regulatory Sandbox) Rules, 2026, on 22nd October 2026. The rules came into force on 21st October 2026, the date of their publication in the Official Gazette. They provide a framework for eligible startups, companies, researchers and individuals to test telecom technologies, services and business models in a controlled regulatory environment.
81. On 23rd October 2026, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. The amendments were published in the Official Gazette on 26th October 2026 and came into immediate effect. They permit specially designed and certified flex-fuel vehicles to use E85 and E100 fuels.
82. On 25th October 2026, 18 greater flamingos were sighted at Veeranam Lake in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu. The sighting was recorded by Professor J. Pandiyan, an associate professor and bird researcher at A.V.C. College, Mayiladuthurai, with research scholars Saravanakumar and Veerasamy. The freshwater lake lies about 50 kilometres inland, while greater flamingos are more commonly associated with coastal wetlands.
83. K. Damodharan, popularly known as Chef Damu, died in Chennai on 25th October 2026 at the age of 72. He received the Padma Shri in 2025 for his contribution to culinary arts and was a judge on the Tamil television programme Cooku with Comali.
84. The National Urban Conclave 2026 concluded in Bhubaneswar on 25th October after a two-day programme organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs with the Government of Odisha. The conclave's theme was "Urban Rising - Rethinking Urban Systems, Solutions and Delivery", and more than 1,200 participants from governments, urban local bodies, industry and academia attended.
85. Indian painter and former Rajya Sabha member Jogen Chowdhury died in a private hospital in Kolkata on 25th October 2026, aged 87. He was born on 15th February 1939 in Faridpur, then part of British India and now in Bangladesh.
86. On 25th October 2026, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena declared Ladakh India's first 100% organic Union Territory. The declaration followed a phased initiative across Leh and Kargil districts to end the use of synthetic fertilisers, chemical pesticides and toxic soil additives in agriculture.
87. On 26th October 2026, the Supreme Court of India said that 14 states had agreed to raise the retirement age of District Judicial Officers from 60 to 62 years. The bench comprised Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana. On 4th September 2026, the Court had directed states to increase judicial officer's retirement age.
88. Telangana is preparing a Rs. 4.26-crore master plan to develop the protected Buddhist site at Nelakondapalli in Khammam district as an international heritage and tourism destination. On 26th October 2026, Revenue, Housing and Information and Public Relations Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy laid the foundation stone for tourism facilities and conservation works. The project is expected to be completed over 18 months.
89. Vigilance Awareness Week 2026 is being observed across India from 26th October to 1st November. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has announced the theme "Probity for Prosperity" (सत्यनिष्ठा से समृद्धि). The observance began at 11:00 am on 26th October, when public servants took the Integrity Pledge in government departments, public sector enterprises and banks.
90. Researchers Barnali Das and Namita Nath described a new pink-flowering plant species, Osbeckia assamensis, from Manas National Park in Assam. Their study was published in the botanical journal Phytotaxa on 22nd October 2026. The species was scientifically identified on 26th October 2026 after field surveys in the park between 2021 and 2025.
91. On 26th October 2026, the Maharashtra State Board for Wildlife approved proposals to declare two forest areas as wildlife sanctuaries and to establish 14 conservation reserves across seven districts. The decisions were taken at the Board's 26th meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
92. On 27th October 2026, the Indian Patent Office rejected a patent application by the U.S.-based Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance) for BPaL, a drug combination used to treat drug-resistant tuberculosis. BPaL combines bedaquiline, pretomanid and linezolid in a six-month, all-oral treatment regimen.
93. On 27th October 2026, the Supreme Court of India reserved its order on petitions challenging medicine prices and trade margins. The Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta questioned the Centre's regulation of medicine prices and the disparity between the price to retailer (PTR) and maximum retail price (MRP).
94. The Karnataka Forest Department and Bird Count India launched the first Karnataka Rajyotsava Bird Count (KRBC) on 27th October 2026. The four-day count will run from 30th October to 2nd November and aims to document around 550 bird species recorded across Karnataka's habitats.
95. The 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP-17) is being held in Yerevan, Armenia, from 19th to 30th October 2026. On 27th October, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav delivered India's National Statement at the conference's High-Level Segment. India reaffirmed its commitment to biodiversity conservation and implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
96. Odisha is preparing for Cyclone Arnab, which is forecast to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast around 28th October 2026 and intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm. The state plans to deploy 60 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams in three phases, with about 20 teams already deployed by 26th October.
97. Cyclone Arnab made landfall between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, near Yanam, on 28th October 2026. The very severe cyclonic storm brought winds of 125-135 kmph, with gusts up to 150 kmph, and heavy rainfall across parts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
98. Sikkim hosted its first Himalayan Yak Festival in Gnathang Valley from 28th October 2026. The valley lies near the India-China border. The state's Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Department organised the festival to promote yak conservation, support herders livelihoods and encourage tourism in high-altitude areas.
99. A scientific study conducted in Guwahati, Assam, recorded eight owl species during surveys carried out from November 2023 to July 2025. Published in the journal Urban Ecosystems, the study documented owls in 24 of 33 surveyed grid cells, each covering one square kilometre. Assam Forest and Climate Change Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah announced the findings on 28th October 2026.
100. The 14th International Tourism Mart will be held in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, from 29th to 31st October 2026. The event is co-organised by the Union Tourism Ministry and the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, and it will bring together domestic stakeholders, tour operators, and influencers from 27 countries.
101. On 29th October 2026, the Election Commission of India (ECI) revised the schedule for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Delhi, Haryana, Telangana, Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. The decision followed requests from the respective Chief Electoral Officers and observations by the Supreme Court on the same date.
102. On 30th October 2026, the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs told the Calcutta High Court that four Nicobarese applicants were not "necessary or proper parties" in a forest-rights case concerning Great Nicobar Island. It said they bypassed remedies under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) and applied after an unexplained delay.
103. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs will observe Janjatiya Gaurav Pakhwada nationwide from 1st to 5th November 2026. The fortnight will culminate in Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas on 15th November, the birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Dharti Aaba Bhagwan Birsa Munda. The Government of India designated 15th November as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas in 2021 to honour tribal heroes and their contributions.
104. Jantar Mantar in Central Delhi has been added as a venue for the India Biennale 2026, a 108-day festival of art, architecture and design organised by the Ministry of Culture. The festival is scheduled to run from 4th December 2026 to 21st March 2027, with participants from more than 20 countries.
International
1. India and Japan launched the Operational Manual for the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) in New Delhi on 30th September 2026. The mechanism operates under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement and is designed for cooperative approaches on greenhouse gas emission reduction activities.
2. Bimal N. Patel, an Indian jurist and academician, was sworn in as a Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on 1st October 2026 at Hamburg, Germany. He will serve a nine-year term from 2026 to 2035 in the tribunal that adjudicates disputes under the law of the sea.
3. International Coffee Day is observed on 1st October every year, and the 12th edition falls on 1st October 2026. The United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/80/248 on 10th March 2026 and formally designated 1st October as International Coffee Day.
4. The H-1B Visa Fraud Crackdown Act (H.R. 10643) was introduced in the US House of Representatives on 1st October 2026. The proposal would raise fines and lengthen exclusion periods for employers found responsible for specified H-1B visa violations. It has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee and has not become law.
5. The Group of Seven (G7) agreed on 2nd October 2026 to release 100 million barrels of oil and fuel products from emergency reserves. The coordinated release involves Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union, and it is managed through the International Energy Agency (IEA).
6. Taiwan received the first two Lockheed Martin F-16V fighter jets at Taitung Air Base on 2nd October 2026. The aircraft are part of a 66-jet order under the United States-approved "Peace Phoenix Soaring" programme, which covers F-16V Block 70 aircraft for the Republic of China Air Force.
7. India secured the deportation of Navpreet Singh from Türkiye to India on 3rd October 2026. He was accused in cases linked to drug trafficking and other crimes, and Indian agencies identified him as a narco-trafficking accused who had used a false identity.
8. India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated on 4th October 2026 that the United States has become a "lonelier power" in the current international system. He made the remarks at the 62nd Munich Security Conference in New Delhi and at the Munich Leaders Meeting, where he referred to a "radical repositioning" of the United States and the rise of China as two central features of global geopolitics.
9. The United States announced a new "Super Intelligence Force" task force on 4th October 2026 to coordinate the federal government's response to artificial intelligence. The task force is led by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, who serves as the "AI Czar" or "SI Czar".
10. Adani Power and Bhutan's state-owned Druk Green Power Corporation Ltd (DGPC) signed a Shareholders Agreement on 5th October 2026 to develop the 770 MW Chamkharchhu-I Hydroelectric Project in Bhutan. The project is a peaking run-of-river hydropower facility on the Chamkharchhu River in Zhemgang district of central Bhutan.
11. India and Switzerland announced five bilateral cooperation instruments on 5th October 2026 during Swiss President Guy Parmelin's state visit to India. The instruments cover migration and mobility, exchange of young professionals, transport technologies and infrastructure, scientific research, and innovation, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship.
12. Bharat Forge Ltd. (BFL) signed a long-term contract with Pratt & Whitney Canada on 5th October 2026 for the supply of mission-critical aerospace engine components. The components will be manufactured at Bharat Forge's aerospace facility in India, which is designed for high-performance aero-engine products and follows global aerospace standards for quality, precision, reliability, and traceability.
13. Jeffrey Archer, the British novelist and former politician, died at the age of 86 on 5th October 2026. He died at his home, and his final novel, Adam and Eve, was scheduled for global release on 6th October 2026. Jeffrey Archer was known for commercial fiction, thrillers, and multi-volume sagas.
14. United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order in Nebraska on 5th October 2026 to broaden access to tax-exempt red-dyed diesel. The order temporarily allows dyed diesel, which is normally reserved for off-road use, to be used in on-road vehicles under specified federal tax arrangements.
15. Dibrugarh in Assam sent its first international cargo shipment from the Bogibeel Terminal to Bangladesh on 5th October 2026. The cargo vessel DLB Patkai carried 540 metric tonnes of methanol produced by Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited at Namrup and was bound for Pangaon Port in Dhaka.
16. September 2026 was the second-warmest September in the global ERA5 record, with an average surface air temperature of 16.27°C. This was 0.82°C above the 1991-2020 average and 1.63°C above the estimated 1850-1900 pre-industrial average. The data are compiled by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.
17. Oman, Egypt, Lebanon, Greece and Cyprus have formally expressed interest in joining the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), as confirmed by French President's Special Envoy for IMEC Gerard Mestrallet on 6th October 2026. A ministerial-level meeting is anticipated later in 2026 to consider the corridor's geographical expansion.
18. The University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) has received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from the University Grants Commission (UGC) to establish a degree-granting campus in Hyderabad. The announcement was made on 6th - 7th October 2026. The proposed campus would be the first campus of a foreign university in Telangana and the first in India established by a public American university.
19. Switzerland's glaciers lost more than 5% of their total ice volume in 2026 after a winter with very little snow and a summer with record-breaking heatwaves. The Aletsch Glacier, which is Switzerland's largest glacier, recorded its biggest melt on record in 2026, while the Rhône Glacier and Clariden Glacier also recorded their greatest melt ever in the same year.
20. Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue is scheduled to hold its third edition in New Delhi, India, from 7th October to 9th October 2026. The event is expected to bring together more than 1,200 speakers, delegates, and participants from nearly 75 countries for discussions on the global maritime sector.
21. The Rogun Hydropower Project in Tajikistan is a large hydroelectric scheme on the Vakhsh River. The dam is designed to reach 335 metres, which would make it the world's tallest dam after completion. The Rogun Dam is a rockfill dam with a clay core.
22. China rejected the European Commission's request for voluntary limits on hybrid-car exports to the European Union during trade discussions that began in Beijing on 8th October 2026. EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao were scheduled to hold two days of negotiations on 8th and 9th October, including talks on the EU's trade deficit with China.
23. The US government suspended eight technology and outsourcing companies from the Permanent Labour Certification Programme (PERM) on 8th October 2026. The companies named were Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, HCL, Capgemini, Microsoft and Adobe. US Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling announced the measure with Vice President J. D. Vance, who heads the US Anti-Fraud Task Force.
24. U.S. prosecutors filed a superseding indictment against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Manhattan federal court on 8th October 2026. It adds charges of conspiring to torture political opponents and American citizens to existing drug-trafficking charges. Their trial is scheduled to begin on 1st June 2027.
25. The Living Planet Report 2026 was released on 8th October 2026 by WWF in partnership with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). It records a 73% decline in the average size of monitored wildlife populations worldwide between 1970 and 2022, based on nearly 35,803 population trends across 5,790 vertebrate species.
26. On 9th October 2026, the Indian Institute of Technology Ropar awarded its first MTech (Defence Technology) degrees to 59 officers of the Armoured Corps Centre and School (ACC&S). IIT Ropar Director Professor Rajeev Ahuja presented the degrees at ACC&S in Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra. IIT Ropar and ACC&S jointly developed the postgraduate programme, which is the first IIT programme designed specifically for military applications.
27. On 10th October 2026, Bangladesh signed a concessional loan agreement worth $335.78 million with China's Export-Import Bank to expand and modernise Mongla Port. The loan is equivalent to RMB 2.404 billion or Tk 3,592.8975 crore. The project, titled "Expansion and Modernisation of Mongla Port Facilities", will be implemented by the Mongla Port Authority under the Ministry of Shipping.
28. India operationalised its resident diplomatic mission in San Jose, Costa Rica, with effect from 10th October 2026. The Ministry of External Affairs announced the mission's operationalisation on 13th October 2026. Before its opening, India managed diplomatic engagement with Costa Rica through its mission in Panama and an honorary consular presence in San Jose.
29. A 28-year-old laboratory technician, Darya Shipilova, died in early October 2026 after developing severe pneumonia at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East in Shelekhov, Russia. Her death led to medical observation or isolation for nearly 200 people in Shelekhov, while regional authorities introduced anti-epidemic measures and placed the district hospital under quarantine.
30. Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari declared an emergency and imposed governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 11th October 2026. The provincial government led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was suspended after a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The federal government cited worsening law and order, terrorist attacks and a breakdown of constitutional machinery as grounds for the action.
31. Israel's "Sufa 53" project, also called "Great Storm" or the "Sufa Line," is an Israeli engineering and military undertaking in the southern Quneitra countryside of Syria. The project involves a fortified military route, observation posts, trenches, and earthen berms along the separation line near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
32. The Indian Navy is scheduled to commission INS Mangrol on 12th October 2026 at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, will preside over the ceremony. The vessel is an Indigenous Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), with more than 80% indigenous content.
33. Australia's Liberal-National Coalition has proposed a migration policy that seeks to reduce net overseas migration to 1,00,000 a year for the first two years and to about 1,60,000 in year four. The plan, announced by Opposition Leader Angus Taylor, includes cuts to temporary visas, humanitarian visas, and international student numbers.
34. American artist and gallerist Peter Nagy died on 13th October 2026, aged 67, after a prolonged illness. He co-founded Nature Morte in New York City in 1982 with Alan Belcher and later established the gallery in India. Nagy was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1959 and graduated in communication design from Parsons School of Design in 1981.
35. Archaeologists announced the discovery of an ancient shipwreck off Kekova Island in Antalya, Turkey, on 14th October 2026. The wreck is estimated to be 4,400-4,700 years old and is considered the oldest known shipwreck, older than a 4,200-year-old wreck near Dokos Island in Greece.
36. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group (WBG), in coordination with the Bank of Thailand, launched the Bangkok Blueprint on 14th October 2026 during their Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand. The framework provides countries with a reference model to prevent, detect and address cyber-enabled fraud in digital financial services.
37. Scientists from China, Thailand and Mexico announced the discovery of Dianjunus rex, known as "D-rex", in Yunnan Province, southwestern China, on 14th October 2026. The fungus produces upright fruiting structures that can reach 50 centimetres in height and weigh up to 2.2 kilograms. Its description was published in Frontiers in Fungal Biology on the same date.
38. On 14th October 2026, the Central Government of India approved the country's accession to the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA). The agreement provides a regional framework for managing fisheries resources in the Southern Indian Ocean.
39. A 15-year conservation breeding programme has led to the release of approximately 11,000 wetapunga (Deinacrida heteracantha) into the wild in New Zealand. The wetapunga is New Zealand's heaviest insect and is among the heaviest insect species in the world.
40. The Brahmaputra River, known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet, flows east across the Tibetan Plateau before turning south towards India and Bangladesh. Chinese researchers have warned that the river could experience increased runoff and higher flood risks during this century. The proposed hydropower project in Medog, Tibet, is estimated to cost $168 billion and is expected to have a capacity exceeding 60,000 megawatts.
41. Pakistan was designated incoming Chair of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for 2027 on 16th October 2026. The announcement was made during the plenary session of the 2026 WBG-IMF Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand.
42. American lantana, scientifically known as Lantana camara, is an invasive shrub that has spread through forest ecosystems in India. As of October 2026, one estimate places its spread at more than 13 million hectares. The plant was introduced to India as a garden shrub in the 19th century.
43. Iran's Islamic Consultative Assembly approved Mehrdad Akhlaghi as Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics on 18th October 2026. He succeeds Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was killed on 28th February 2026 during the initial US-Israeli strikes that began the conflict.
44. Beijing is projected to become a super-aged society by 2035, when approximately one-third of its residents are expected to be aged 60 or older. At the end of 2025, the city had 5.29 million permanent residents in this age group, equal to 24.3% of its total population.
45. Migratory birds, including the Pallid Harrier and European Roller, began arriving at Kolhapur's Masai Plateau with the onset of winter in late October 2026. Montagu's Harrier and Lesser Kestrel were also sighted in the area. The birds travel thousands of kilometres from regions including Central Asia, Russia, Kazakhstan and Africa.
46. On 19th October 2026, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) made public an order directing federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products and third-party services developed using its AI model from their information systems. The order was signed by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on 24th July 2026, and its restrictions took effect when it was published in the Federal Register on 20th October 2026.
47. China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and General Administration of Customs announced new export controls on Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) and related equipment on 19th October 2026. The controls take effect on 18th November 2026 and cover specified machinery, parts and remanufacturing technologies.
48. On 19th October 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted final approval to Zydus Lifesciences for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Estradiol and Levonorgestrel Transdermal System, delivering 0.045 mg/0.015 mg per day. The FDA publicly announced the approval on 20th October 2026. The once-weekly patch is therapeutically equivalent to Bayer's Climara Pro Transdermal System, the reference listed drug.
49. The Bangka slow loris (Nycticebus bancanus) is a nocturnal primate found on Bangka Island, Indonesia. It was last scientifically documented between 1930 and 1932. A study published in the journal Spixiana in 2026 confirmed that the species survives on the island.
50. A. P. Moller - Maersk plans to drydock its Singapore-flagged container vessel Maersk Chattogram at Larsen & Toubro's Kattupalli Shipyard near Chennai in October 2026. The vessel is expected to arrive on 20th October, subject to operational and weather conditions. This will be Maersk's first planned drydocking in India.
51. India will host the first Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue Forum by the end of 2026. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the plan on 20th October 2026 at the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, and invited all member countries to participate.
52. On 20th October 2026, AstraZeneca and Oracle announced a global collaboration using artificial intelligence (AI) and real-world data to support clinical research. Its first programme will focus on hypertension care and research in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in partnership with UAE-based healthcare firm M42. The collaboration is non-binding, and individual projects will require separate legal, privacy, regulatory, ethical and institutional reviews.
53. On 20th - 21st October 2026, NATO announced additional maritime patrol aircraft, surveillance drones and radar tracking systems for the Black Sea region. The deployments followed drone strikes targeting commercial cargo vessels near the territorial waters of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria. The North Atlantic Council discussed the response at NATO headquarters in Brussels on 20th October, with ambassadors representing all 32 member countries.
54. National Geographic released its annual "Best of the World 2027" list on 20th October 2026. The list features 25 destinations across six continents, including Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Jaipur will mark 300 years since its foundation in 2027. Sawai Jai Singh II founded Jaipur in 1727, and Vidyadhar Bhattacharya designed the city.
55. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) signed certification documents for the Boeing 737-10 on 20th October 2026. The aircraft is the largest model in the 737 MAX family. The certification followed nearly 1,000 test flights, safety assessments and design reviews.
56. US President Donald Trump and Vice President J. D. Vance announced the 25 million Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP) on 20th October 2026. Administered by the Justice Department, the programme is intended to encourage people to report suspected fraud involving federal government programmes and taxpayer funds. It offers rewards of up to 30,000 for information leading to a fraud conviction or significant federal enforcement action.
57. Libya's eastern-based House of Representatives unanimously approved a maritime agreement with Turkey on 20th October 2026, reversing its previous opposition to the deal. Turkey and Libya's then internationally recognised Government of National Accord in Tripoli signed the maritime boundary agreement in November 2019.
58. On 21st October 2026, a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay the state $25 billion after a jury found the company liable for more than 43 million violations of New Mexico consumer protection laws. The case concerned Facebook users privacy and the harvesting of personal data by Cambridge Analytica for targeted political advertising linked to the 2016 United States election.
59. Pakistan, Turkiye, Qatar and Indonesia signed the Badr Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Doha, Qatar, on 21st October 2026. The agreement provides a framework for cooperation on military capabilities, defence industrial capacity and collaboration across defence sectors.
60. On 21st - 22nd October 2026, the US State Department ordered non-emergency US government employees and their family members to leave the US Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The order followed intensified Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on civilian airports and critical infrastructure.
61. The 7th Agrivoltaics World Conference began on 21st October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi and is scheduled to conclude on 23rd October. India is hosting the global conference for the first time in the Global South. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is hosting the event, with support from Germany's Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and in partnership with Conexio-PSE.
62. Yasuo Fukuda, Japan's prime minister from September 2007 to September 2008, died at the age of 90 on 22nd October 2026. His cause of death was heart failure. Born on 16th July 1936, in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, he graduated from Waseda University. He was the eldest son of former Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda and the first son of a former Japanese prime minister to serve as Japan's prime minister.
63. On 22nd October 2026, cloud infrastructure company Vultr announced a 20-megawatt (MW) AI supercluster in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, powered by AMD Instinct MI355X graphics processing units (GPUs). Vultr described the deployment as India's largest AMD Instinct installation. The Chennai facility adds to the company's flagship AI supercluster in Springfield, Ohio.
64. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won Brazil's presidential runoff on 25th October 2026, securing about 51.8% of the vote against Senator Flavio Bolsonaro's roughly 48.2%. Lula, aged 80, is set to begin his fourth presidential term on 5th January 2027.
65. The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) released a higher-resolution orbital image of a Chinese reusable spaceplane in its Challenges to Security in Space 2026 report on 26th October 2026. Maxar Technologies, now known as Vantor, captured the image on 28th May 2024. The DIA has not identified which Chinese spaceplane model appears in it.
66. India will host the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi on 26th and 27th October 2026. The Central Hall and Library Hall in the Parliament complex are the principal venues. The forum's theme is "Fostering Parliaments for People-Centric Development".
67. India will host the 61st Meeting of the International Committee of Legal Metrology (CIML) in New Delhi from 26th to 28th October 2026. The Department of Consumer Affairs is organising the meeting with the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML). More than 100 delegates and legal metrology experts from OIML Member States, Corresponding Member States and international organisations are expected to attend.
68. On 27th October 2026, JERA Co., Inc. and AM Green Ammonia (India) Private Limited announced a Binding Heads of Agreement for green ammonia supplies from India to Japan. AM Green plans to deliver about 70,000 tonnes annually for five years, with an option to extend the term and supply additional volumes.
69. Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers (UFW) and a labour and civil-rights activist, died on 28th October 2026 at the age of 96. She died of cancer at her home in Bakersfield, California. Born on 10th April 1930 in Dawson, New Mexico, Huerta later moved to Stockton, California. Her family announced her death through the Dolores Huerta Foundation, which is based in California.
70. The United States and Japan finalised an agreement on 28th - 29th October 2026 to establish a joint facility in Japan for producing AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM). Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced the agreement after meeting US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in Cebu, the Philippines, during an annual meeting of Southeast Asian defence chiefs.
71. On 28th October 2026, Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced that the United States and Japan had agreed to establish a facility in Japan for the final assembly and inspection of AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs). The announcement followed talks with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Minister's Meeting-Plus in Cebu, the Philippines.
72. On 28th October 2026, South Korea's Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) fined Google and Apple a combined 63.7 billion won, equivalent to approximately US$47.6 million. The commission found that the companies violated the Telecommunications Business Act through their app-store payment practices.
73. A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) was reported on the evening of 29th October 2026 in Bhutan's Gasa district, in the Mochu sub-basin. Accounts identify the lake as either Shintaphu or Sintaphu. The outburst reportedly released about 7.4 million cubic metres of water.
74. India voted in favour of a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for an end to the United States trade embargo on Cuba on 29th October 2026. The resolution received 130 votes in favour, 17 against and 25 abstentions. India was one of 130 countries supporting the resolution; the tally was the lowest for such a resolution since 1995.
75. On 29th October 2026, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, named Artificial Intelligence (AI) and maritime security as priorities for India's candidature for a non-permanent UN Security Council seat in 2028-29. He spoke during a Council debate on emerging technologies and maritime security.
76. COP31, the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), will take place in Antalya, Turkiye, from 9th to 20th November 2026. Its agenda includes climate finance, which refers to funding for climate mitigation and adaptation activities.
Defence
1. The Indian Air Force's No. 17 Squadron, known as the Golden Arrows, completed 75 years on 1st October 2026. The squadron was raised on 1st October 1951 at Air Force Station Ambala, and Flight Lieutenant D. L. Springett served as its first commanding officer.
2. India exported the Akash air defence system to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan as of 1st October 2026. Akash is an indigenous short to medium-range surface-to-air missile system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation and produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited.
3. Lieutenant General Akhilesh Kumar assumed charge as the General Officer Commanding of the Indian Army's 1st Corps on 1st October 2026. The corps is also known as Strike One Corps and is headquartered at Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. He succeeded Lieutenant General V. Hariharan in this appointment.
4. The United States Navy awarded a multi-year production contract to RTX subsidiary Raytheon for the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) interceptor missile on 1st October 2026. The contract is valued at up to $24.4 billion and covers five years with an additional two-year extension option.
5. Mahindra Group and Brazilian aerospace company Embraer have identified Nagpur in Maharashtra as the proposed location for a Final Assembly Line for the C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft. The plan is linked to the Indian Air Force Medium Transport Aircraft programme, under which India may procure 60 to 80 aircraft.
6. The Pentagon's FORTRESS America initiative was formally launched by US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on 30th September 2026. FORTRESS stands for Federal Operations for Resilience, Troop Resources, Energy, Supply, and Survivability. The initiative sets a requirement for major US military installations in the continental United States to sustain essential operations independently for at least 90 days.
7. The third edition of the India-UAE joint military exercise, Mountain Guardian 2026, began on 5th October 2026 at the Foreign Training Node in Chaubatia, Uttarakhand. The two-week exercise will continue until 18th October 2026 and involves 92 personnel, with 46 troops from the Indian Army and 46 from the United Arab Emirates Land Forces.
8. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to launch Fleet Support Ship-1, lay the keel of Fleet Support Ship-5, and inaugurate upgraded shipyard infrastructure at Hindustan Shipyard Limited in Visakhapatnam on 6th October 2026. He is also scheduled to lay the foundation stone for new facilities at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Koraput district for the Shakti helicopter engine programme.
9. The Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth Rs. 661.50 crore with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited in New Delhi on 6th October 2026. The contract covers the procurement of BrahMos Fire Control System and launchers for Indian Navy ships under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category.
10. Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit was appointed as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on 6th October 2026. He will assume charge in the rank of Air Chief Marshal from the afternoon of 31st October 2026, after the superannuation of Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh.
11. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a flight trial of an indigenously developed High-Altitude Platform System (HAPS) on 6th October 2026. The experimental platform reached 21 km above mean sea level and remained at 20 km for more than 30 minutes.
12. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the maiden live jump of its Advanced High-Altitude Parachute (AHAP) on 6th October 2026. The trial took place at the Mudh Drop Zone near Nyoma in Ladakh, with the jump executed from 16,000 feet above mean sea level (AMSL).
13. Pakistan test-fired an extended-range version of its indigenously developed Fatah-4 ground-launched cruise missile on 6th October 2026. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that the system can engage targets at extended ranges with high precision and lethality. The new range was not officially disclosed.
14. France test-fired an upgraded M51.3 strategic ballistic missile from the nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine (SSBN) Le Vigilant on 6th October 2026. The unarmed missile was launched off Finistère in western France and splashed down in the North Atlantic, several hundred kilometres from any coastline.
15. The Indian Coast Guard will conduct the 12th National Maritime Search & Rescue Exercise, or SAREX-2026, off the Paradip coast on 7th and 8th October 2026. The exercise will include a Mass Rescue Operation scenario involving a passenger aircraft ditching at sea with 228 persons on board and a collision impact with the container vessel MV Zumba.
16. GE Aerospace announced on 7th October 2026 that it had shipped four F404-IN20 engines to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-1A programme. The engines were shipped in September 2026, taking the total supplied to HAL to 14, including 10 supplied earlier.
17. On 7th October 2026, Kochi-based company EyeROV delivered two TROUT underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) systems to the Indian Navy. The delivery is the first of five systems ordered by the Navy and marks the delivery of India's first indigenously built military-grade ROV. The vehicle is rated to operate at depths of up to 300 metres.
18. A 17-member Indian Coast Guard (ICG) mountaineering team summited Mount Mukut, at an elevation of 7,045 metres, on 7th October 2026. The expedition was named "Tat Se Parwat", meaning "From Sea to Summit", and formed part of the ICG's preparation for a proposed Mount Everest expedition in 2027.
19. The Indian Navy's guided-missile stealth frigate INS Trishul arrived in Plymouth, United Kingdom, on 8th October 2026 for Exercise KONKAN-26. The annual bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy is scheduled to run from 8th to 15th October off Plymouth.
20. The Indian Coast Guard commissioned the indigenous Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) ICGS Ajit at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) on 9th October 2026. Dr Sirish Choudhary, Principal Integrated Financial Advisor (Coast Guard), presided over the ceremony. GSL handed over the vessel to the Coast Guard on 25th August 2026.
21. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh presented the SIDM Champion Awards 2026 on 9th October 2026 at the 8th Annual Session of the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) in New Delhi. The ceremony recognised 15 organisations for achievements in indigenous technology development, product innovation, design, import substitution, manufacturing excellence and exports.
22. Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri arrived in Vladivostok, Russia, on 10th October 2026, for the bilateral naval exercise INDRA-2026. The exercise is scheduled from 13th to 18th October and will involve the Indian Navy and the Russian Federation Navy (RuFN), including Russia's Pacific Fleet.
23. India's BrahMos supersonic cruise missile exports are projected to exceed 600 million, with contracts and agreements linked to the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia. The Philippines has already received BrahMos systems worth about 330 million, while initial exports to Vietnam and Indonesia are estimated at about 100 million and 200 million respectively.
24. ideaForge Technology Limited secured a Rs. 151-crore long-term debt facility from the Government of India's Technology Development Board (TDB) for engineering and developing its YETI autonomous aerial logistics vehicle. The loan agreement was signed on 9th October 2026 and formally executed on 11th October 2026. The funding is provided under the Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) Scheme.
25. The ninth edition of the India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime (IBSAMAR IX) Exercise began in Simon's Town, Western Cape, South Africa, in October 2026. INS Tarkash, an Indian Navy guided-missile stealth frigate, arrived there on 11th October to take part. The exercise is hosted by South Africa, with India as the lead nation.
26. The Indian Army launched Bharat Rice for defence forces in New Delhi on 12th October 2026. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh and Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi attended the launch. An agreement between the Indian Army and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) covers the use of FCI infrastructure for military supply needs during operational contingencies.
27. Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 is the second edition of the Indian Air Force's multinational air exercise. It is being held from 26th September to 12th October 2026 at Air Force Station Jodhpur and adjoining airbases in Rajasthan. Germany has deployed an Airbus A400M military transport aircraft for the exercise.
28. Pakistan test-launched an extended-range version of its Fatah-II missile on 13th October 2026. The missile has a stated range of up to 400 kilometres. The launch was attended by Lieutenant General Nauman Zakaria, Commander of the Army Rocket Force Command, as well as senior military officers, scientists and engineers.
29. Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL), a subsidiary of Solar Industries India, delivered 450 Nagastra-1R loitering munitions to the Indian Army on 13th and 14th October 2026. The supply is the largest single-batch delivery of loitering munitions to the Army by a manufacturer.
30. India and the Czech Republic agreed to expand defence industrial cooperation on 13th October 2026 to promote India's Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. The agreement followed a meeting in New Delhi between India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Czech First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlicek.
31. Bengaluru-based Flying Wedge Defence & Aerospace (FWDA) unveiled a full-scale static prototype of the FWD Supreme in New Delhi on 13th October 2026. The company describes it as an indigenous AI-piloted autonomous combat aircraft programme for surveillance, strike and collaborative missions.
32. On 14th October 2026, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) configured and tested its Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) platform on the live network of the dynamic test ranges at Proof & Experimental Establishment (PXE), Chandipur, Odisha. The system is intended to secure real-time observations and telemetry from artillery and armoured weapon tests.
33. On 14th October 2026, IIT Kanpur announced plans to establish a defence drone hub with the Ministry of Defence to develop critical components currently imported from abroad. The institute also launched the 'Greater Than Us' campaign, which targets USD 1 billion in fundraising by March 2029 for research and innovation. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said indigenous capability includes designing and creating technologies, in addition to domestic production.
34. Sigma Advanced Systems Limited (SASL) and state-owned Munitions India Limited (MIL) signed an exclusive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 14th October 2026. The collaboration covers integration, indigenous manufacturing and supply of 155 mm artillery Course Correction Fuzes (CCF), along with associated components, subsystems and technologies.
35. The Indian Navy completed its maiden command of Combined Task Force 154 (CTF 154) on 14th October 2026. It assumed command on 11th February 2026, at the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) headquarters in Manama, Bahrain. Commodore Milind M. Mokashi formally relinquished command at a ceremony in Manama.
36. INS Sudarshini, a three-masted sail training ship of the Indian Navy, completed a port call at Salalah, Oman, during its ten-month Lokayan-2026 transoceanic deployment. The ship departed Salalah on 18th October 2026, following a visit from 14th to 17th October.
37. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Koraput Division in Odisha, has delivered its 2,000th aero-engine. The milestone is linked to nearly six decades of engine manufacturing and overhaul work at the Koraput facility, which was established in 1964.
38. The Indian Navy is scheduled to commission INS Samarthak at the Naval Base in Karwar, Karnataka, on 16th October 2026. It is the first of four indigenously built Multi-Purpose Vessels (MPVs) planned for induction into the Navy. Larsen & Toubro built the vessel under the Make in India initiative, with more than 75% indigenous content.
39. The Indian Army conducted Akhand Prahar-II in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, on or around 18th October 2026. The exercise involved the Army's Black Mace Brigade and Battle Axe Division and focused on combat readiness, technology-enabled operations and coordination among military resources.
40. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed indigenous armour panels that are 20% lighter than existing systems. The Research and Development Establishment (Engineers) (R&DE(E)), based in Pune, developed the panels for future Indian Army combat vehicles. As of October 2026, the panels had completed in-house testing and met the organisation's internal operational requirements.
41. The fifth edition of the India-Australia joint military exercise AUSTRAHIND 2026 began on 19th October 2026 at the Foreign Training Node in Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam. It is scheduled to continue until 1st November 2026, with around 240 personnel from the two armies participating.
42. India's Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, will represent the country at the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The meeting is scheduled for 19th - 20th October 2026 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
43. On 19th - 20th October 2026, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) shortlisted SSS Defence and Kalyani Group as Development-cum-Production Partners (DcPP) for India's first indigenous 20mm aviation gun and turret system. The system is intended for Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) helicopters: the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk-IV Rudra and the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand.
44. Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh, Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF), completed his final trainer sortie in an HJT-16 Kiran Mk-1 aircraft on 20th October 2026. The 55-minute flight took place at the Air Force Academy (AFA) in Dundigal, near Hyderabad.
45. The 33rd Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise, SIMBEX-2026, commenced on 21st October 2026 in Visakhapatnam. Hosted by the Indian Navy, the six-day exercise is scheduled to conclude on 26th October. The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) ship RSS Supreme arrived to participate.
46. On 21st October 2026, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract worth approximately Rs. 770 crore with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to procure Improved Low Level Light Weight Radars (LLLR-I). The contract was signed in New Delhi in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and officials from the MoD and BEL. The Indian Army will use the system for air-defence surveillance against aircraft and unmanned aerial threats.
47. The Indian Army's new Land Warfare Doctrine is scheduled for release by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 22nd October 2026. It is the Army's first land warfare doctrine since 2018 and is intended to provide a strategic and operational framework for preparing the force for future conflicts.
48. On 22nd October 2026, the Pentagon authorised the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to test an Active Denial System (ADS) for possible use along the US-Mexico border. A memo signed by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in September 2026 permits DHS to borrow one unit for seven months, starting in September.
49. The Indian Navy's indigenous Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system reached a development milestone on 24th October 2026 with the inauguration of the Setting to Work Phase-2 (STW-2) activity for its Energy Module. The ceremony took place at Larsen and Toubro's AM Naik Heavy Engineering Complex in Hazira, Gujarat.
50. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved capital acquisition proposals worth approximately Rs. 2.12 lakh crore on 26th October 2026. The proposals cover equipment for the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. About 82% of the procurement value, or approximately Rs. 1.74 lakh crore, is to be sourced from domestic industry.
51. The Indian Navy will host the fifth edition of its Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Seminar, Swavlamban 2026, on 26th and 27th October at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi. The seminar brings together defence innovators, industry, academia, start-ups, MSMEs, investors and the armed services to develop indigenous naval capabilities.
52. The Indian Navy's First Training Squadron arrived in Sri Lanka on 26th October 2026 for a three-day goodwill visit scheduled to conclude on 28th October. The squadron comprises Indian Naval Ships Tir and Sujata, and Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi. The visit forms part of a long-range training deployment across the Indian Ocean region.
53. On 26th October 2026, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisition proposals worth approximately Rs. 2.12 lakh crore for the Indian Armed Forces. About 82 per cent of the proposed procurement value is earmarked for sourcing from Indian industry. AoN is an in-principle clearance; it is not a final contract or confirmation that equipment has been delivered.
54. Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri arrived at Busan Naval Harbour in the Republic of Korea on 26th October 2026 for the India-Republic of Korea Navy (IN-RoKN) Bilateral Exercise. The exercise involves the Indian Navy and the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN), and includes activities in harbour and at sea.
55. On 27th October 2026, Sarvam signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) under the Ministry of Defence. The agreement sets an umbrella framework for artificial intelligence (AI) projects across the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, and joint, tri-service and integrated organisations under HQ IDS.
56. The Indian Naval Academy unveiled an indigenously built twin-drone system for maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) operations on 27th October 2026. The system combines a quadcopter that searches for people in the water with a hexacopter that carries and releases a lifebuoy.
57. Poland and the United Kingdom signed a three-year defence cooperation plan in Warsaw on 27th October 2026. Named the Warsaw Defence Plan, it was signed by Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting. The plan implements the UK-Poland Security and Defence Partnership Treaty, also known as the Northolt Treaty, signed by Prime Ministers Donald Tusk and Keir Starmer on 27th May 2026.
58. Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) launched INS Srishti, Yard 1283, at its Vaddem facility in Goa on 27th October 2026. It is the fourth Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) for the Indian Navy. Smt. Sandeepa Sahay performed the ceremonial launch, while Shri Vishvajit Sahay, Secretary (Defence Finance), attended as the Chief Guest. The keel of Yard 1283 was laid on 9th June 2025.
59. India's Raksha Mantri, Rajnath Singh, will lead the Indian delegation to the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), scheduled for 28th - 29th October 2026 in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, Philippines. The Philippines holds the ADMM-Plus chairmanship for 2026, and the meetings have the theme "Navigating Our Future, Together".
60. On 28th October 2026, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh raised India's objections to a US sustainment and modernisation package for Pakistan's F-16 fleet during talks with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Cebu, Philippines. The bilateral meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus).
61. India offered to share its counter-terrorism expertise with ASEAN member states and their dialogue partners at the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, the Philippines. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made the offer on 29th October 2026, during the meeting held on 28th and 29th October.
62. VISV-2026, short for Vision, Innovation, Synergy, Values, is being organised by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) with the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS). Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth is scheduled to inaugurate the event on 30th October 2026 at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi. Its theme is "Showcasing Defence Capabilities, Strengthening Global Partnerships".
63. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will introduce an organisational restructuring on 1st November 2026. Approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the change replaces territorial supervision with a domain-based, sector-specific command structure for security oversight of critical infrastructure and strategic establishments.
Business, Economy & Banking
1. On 28th September 2026, India's Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, initiated an anti-dumping investigation into imports of Penicillin G (Pen-G) and its salts from China. The probe followed an application by domestic manufacturer Lyfius Pharma Private Limited, which alleged that the imports were causing material retardation to the establishment of India's domestic industry.
2. The Government of India revised sugar stockholding norms for dealers on 1st October 2026 to regulate sugar distribution during the festive season. The new order applies from 15th October 2026 to 30th November 2026 and limits dealer stock to 15 days from the date of receipt.
3. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) set a target to add 2-3 crore new subscribers to the National Pension System (NPS) over the next two years. The announcement was made on 1st October 2026 by PFRDA Chairperson S. Ramann. The expansion plan is linked to the NPS Tatkal facility, which allows direct enrolment and contribution through Unified Payments Interface (UPI) applications.
4. The Reserve Bank of India approved Anup Bagchi as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HDFC Bank on 1st October 2026. His three-year term will begin on 27th October 2026, after the completion of Sashidhar Jagdishan's current term on 26th October 2026.
5. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) facilitated the flag-off of a consignment of frozen food products from Sonipat in Haryana to Canada on 1st October 2026. The export was led by Aterna Foods Producer Company Limited, a Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO), and the shipment weighed 24 metric tonnes with 2,295 boxes of frozen food products.
6. The National Stock Exchange of India received a No Objection Certificate from the Securities and Exchange Board of India on 1st October 2026 to launch futures contracts linked to a corporate bond index. The proposed product remains subject to approval from the Reserve Bank of India and will enter India's exchange-traded fixed-income derivatives segment after the required clearances.
7. NABKISAN Finance Ltd, a subsidiary of NABARD, listed India's first social bond dedicated exclusively to the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene sector on the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai on 2nd October 2026. The issue raised Rs. 180 crore and was structured as a five-year bond with a coupon rate of 8.10% and maturity in September 2031.
8. The Adani Group announced plans for investments exceeding Rs. 6 lakh crore in Maharashtra on 2nd October 2026. The announcement was made at the launch of Invest Maharashtra, the state's investment promotion agency, by Pranav Adani, Managing Director (Agro, Oil & Gas) and Director of Adani Enterprises.
9. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority facilitated the export of a 1 metric tonne consignment of popped makhana from Purnea in Bihar to Greece on 2nd October 2026. The shipment moved from Mundra Port in India to Piraeus Port in Greece through Indo Global Export, Belouri, Purnea, and S. S. Foods Exports Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.
10. Odisha launched India's first dedicated digital portal for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) incentives on 4th October 2026. The portal was inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister and Tourism Minister Pravati Parida at the Odisha Travel Bazaar 2026.
11. AdaniConneX, a joint venture between Adani Enterprises and EdgeConneX, and Google are developing data-centre campuses with an approximate combined capacity of 1 gigawatt (GW) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The campuses at Mudasarlova and Tarluvada are designed to use air-cooling technology rather than conventional water-based evaporative cooling. The project is Google's largest investment in India, valued at US$15 billion.
12. The Securities and Exchange Board of India launched the "Samajh Se Investing Simple" investor awareness and education campaign under Project Jagrook on 5th October 2026 at Panjab University, Chandigarh. The launch coincided with World Investor Week 2026, which was observed from 5th October to 11th October.
13. The Union Cabinet approved a Rs. 10,000 crore commitment for the SME Growth Fund on 6th October 2026. The fund is meant to provide patient, growth-oriented equity capital to viable and scalable small and medium enterprises in India.
14. The Union Cabinet approved the establishment of the Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority (ITLA) on 6th October 2026. The authority will function as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for research, planning, appraisal, monitoring, and impact assessment in India's transport and logistics sectors.
15. The World Bank ranked India among the top 10 emerging-market performers in artificial intelligence readiness on 6th October 2026. The assessment appeared in the report titled India and Artificial Intelligence: Seizing the Development Opportunity. The report linked India's position to its technical workforce, globally integrated information technology sector, and digital public infrastructure.
16. The Finance Ministry plans to introduce a faceless Goods and Services Tax (GST) assessment system for taxpayers under central formations. The pilot is expected to begin within three to four months for Central GST (CGST) registered assessees, and the model may later be offered to States as an optional system.Several Indian states have sought additional electricity allocations from the Union government in October 2026 to prevent night-time power outages. Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Delhi are among the states that have sought extra supply amid a tighter power balance.
17. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) mandated a colour-coded Credit Risk-o-Meter for specified debt securities through a circular dated 7th October 2026. The meter presents credit ratings from AAA to D across six risk levels, ranging from "Lowest credit risk" to "High to Very high risk of Default".
18. The Reserve Bank of India raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50% on 7th October 2026. The Monetary Policy Committee, chaired by Governor Sanjay Malhotra, voted unanimously to increase the policy rate from 5.25% and changed the stance from neutral to calibrated tightening.
19. On 8th October 2026, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) approved in principle a 30% trade-margin cap, based on the Maximum Retail Price (MRP), for identified non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines. The proposed measure is projected to reduce prices by 20% to 70% and save patients an estimated Rs. 2,500 crore annually.
20. The Ministry of Steel has released a draft National Steel Policy Vision 2047, which proposes raising India's crude steel capacity to 604 million tonnes per year by 2047. India's installed steel capacity was approximately 220-222 million tonnes per year in October 2026.
21. The Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) screening committee approved a proposal for Rs. 5,000 crore in external assistance from Germany's development bank KfW for the Telangana Climate Resilient Urban Transformation Initiative (Telangana-CRUTI) on 9th October 2026. The programme is estimated to cost Rs. 7,143 crore, with the Telangana government contributing Rs. 2,143 crore.
22. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised the minimum daily Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) maintenance requirement for scheduled banks from 90% to 99% of the prescribed CRR. The change takes effect from the reporting fortnight beginning 16th October 2026, while the overall CRR remains unchanged at 3%. The RBI announced the measure on 9th October 2026 amid banking-system surplus liquidity of about Rs. 3.88 lakh crore as of 8th October.
23. Oman became India's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplier in September 2026, replacing the United States. Oman shipped 585,000 tonnes of LNG to India in September 2026, an 11.6% increase from August. Its shipments made up 27% of India's total LNG imports for the month.
24. The Mechanised Coal Handling Plant (MCHP) of the Paradip Port Authority (PPA) loaded 1,40,022 metric tonnes of coal on 10th October 2026. The coal was loaded onto two vessels, M.V. APJ Indrani and M.V. Ripley Pinnacle. This was the plant's highest-ever single-day loading total.
25. On 11th October 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated projects and laid foundation stones for development works worth over Rs. 13,000 crore across Tamil Nadu at an event at IIT-Madras in Chennai. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay attended the event. The projects cover metro rail, highways, railways, ports, petroleum and scientific research.
26. On 11th October 2026, World Bank President Ajay Banga said the institution was discussing potential emergency financial assistance with 30 to 40 countries. The World Bank could mobilise up to 100 billion in crisis financing if global economic conditions worsen. This would exceed the 70 billion disbursed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
27. The October 2026 Henley Passport Index places India 84th among 199 passports, with Indian passport holders able to access 55 destinations without obtaining a prior visa. India shares the position with Algeria and Mauritania. India rose one place from 85th in October 2025 to 84th in October 2026, while its number of destinations accessible without a prior visa fell from 57 to 55.
28. The National Land Monetization Corporation (NLMC) raised Rs. 366.33 crore on 12th October 2026 by auctioning land parcels owned by Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL). The first phase sold 150 plots, against an aggregate reserve price of Rs. 312.48 crore, at an average premium of 17.23% over the baseline valuation.
29. GE Aerospace announced on 12th October 2026 that it plans to raise its annual sourcing spend from India to about 400 million by 2030, from roughly 200 million in 2025. The announcement was made at the "India Taking Flight: Aviation, Innovation, and the Road to Viksit Bharat 2047" event in New Delhi.
30. The 16th meeting of the India-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) was held in New Delhi on 12th October 2026. Union Minister Piyush Goyal and UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Jonathan Reynolds co-chaired the meeting, where British firms announced more than £1 billion in new commercial deals.
31. On 12th October 2026, IIT Kharagpur launched the NDLI-FERMI AI Tutor and a free online preparation platform for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) and the Joint Admission Test for Masters (JAM). Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar inaugurated both initiatives at IIT Kharagpur's Research Park in Rajarhat, Kolkata, during the institute's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
32. On 12th October 2026, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) extended a temporary relaxation on changes to the fresh-issue size in Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). The relaxation applies to IPOs opening on or before 31st March 2027.
33. The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is an instant payment system operated by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). As of 13th October 2026, NPCI had deferred the proposed 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on selected Person-to-Merchant (P2M) UPI transactions exceeding Rs. 2,000 until after Diwali 2026.
34. On 13th October 2026, US authorities announced penalties exceeding 1.21 billion against Bank of America for anti-money laundering and sanctions violations. Regulators said the bank failed to report more than 5 billion in suspicious transactions to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), including over $1 billion linked to national security and other priority risks.
35. On 13th October 2026, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) proposed making the appointment of a monitoring agency mandatory for every public issue, irrespective of issue size. The proposal excludes the offer-for-sale portion and forms part of a review of the Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements (LODR) Regulations, 2015.
36. India's largest integrated phenol and acetone plant was inaugurated in Haldia, West Bengal, on 14th October 2026. Developed by Adperma Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Haldia Petrochemicals Limited, the facility involved an investment of Rs. 6,000 crore. It is the first phenol manufacturing facility on India's eastern coast.
37. NITI Aayog and Deloitte India released the "Data Centre Evaluation Framework to Help States Plan for Sustainable Growth" on 14th October 2026. The framework proposes that States link data centre approvals to verified electricity, water and infrastructure availability, and assess projects economic benefits against public support received.
38. On 14th October 2026, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) fully subscribed to a Rs. 4 crore Zero Coupon Zero Principal (ZCZP) issue by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) on the National Stock Exchange's Social Stock Exchange (SSE). The project aims to support overseas employment for 600 rural youth from Other Backward Classes (OBC) in Madhya Pradesh.
39. On 14th October 2026, the Ministry of Cooperation mandated the Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Auditor's Report) Order, 2026 (MSCARO, 2026). It prescribes a uniform audit-reporting framework for Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS), with structured reporting on financial, administrative, governance and statutory matters.
40. On 14th October 2026, Astranova Mobility announced that its lending subsidiary, NovaFusion Capital, had received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC). The New Delhi-based company is targeting Rs. 5,000 crore in assets under management over five years, with financing focused primarily on electric vehicles (EVs) used by commercial operators.
41. The World Bank Group mobilised a cumulative 36 billion in private capital for India over four years, including 9.6 billion for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Private capital mobilisation rose from about 3 billion in fiscal year 2022 (FY22) to 14.5 billion in fiscal year 2026 (FY26). The figures were noted on 14th October 2026 by Manuel Reyes-Retana, Division Director for South Asia at the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
42. India and Saudi Arabia held discussions on 19th and 20th October 2026 on a proposed electricity transmission link and wider cooperation in the power sector. Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary in India's Union Ministry of Power, met virtually with Nasser Al-Qahtani, Saudi Arabia's Assistant Minister of Energy for Electricity Affairs.
43. On 19th October 2026, Nepal banned the import, sale and distribution of Priyagold biscuits manufactured by India's Surya Food & Agro Ltd. Nepal's Food Technology and Quality Control Department described the biscuits as sub-standard and directed authorised importers and food traders to recall existing stocks. The action followed food safety proceedings and a notice by India's Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
44. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) introduced Form 173A on 19th October 2026 for claims of income-tax exemptions on interest and capital gains from government securities. The form was prescribed under the Income-tax (Seventh Amendment) Rules, 2026, which came into force upon publication in the Official Gazette on the same date.
45. The India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) came into force on 20th October, 2026. New Zealand eliminated tariffs on all Indian goods from that date, while India began implementing tariff concessions on selected imports from New Zealand. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced the pact's implementation on 19th October, 2026.
46. On 20th October 2026, three Indian properties were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. They are the Karst-mud-volcano Complex of Baratang and Andaman Subduction Volcanoes in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the Sirpur Cultural and Archaeological Landscape in Chhattisgarh. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) prepared heritage research and documentation for the sites.
47. Chiricahua National Monument in Cochise County, Arizona, was redesignated as Chiricahua National Park on 20th October 2026. The designation made it Arizona's fourth national park and the 64th in the United States. The site covers approximately 12,000 acres and is known for volcanic rock formations, including tall spires and hoodoos.
48. The United States aims to raise bilateral trade with India to more than 500 billion within three years. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor announced the target in Mumbai on 20th - 21st October 2026. The current record in bilateral trade between the two countries is more than 240 billion. US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the US-India partnership.
49. On 21st October 2026, Nucelion Therapeutics and VeGen Bio announced a partnership to transfer technology and manufacture and commercialise CAR-T cell therapies in India. The collaboration centres on VL-2511, VeGen Bio's lead candidate, described as a first-in-class dual BCMA/CD19 autologous CAR-T therapy for multiple myeloma. Nucelion Therapeutics is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bharat Biotech.
50. The Tuticorin International Container Terminal (TICT) at VO Chidambaranar Port (VOC Port), Tamil Nadu, was designated a green terminal on 22nd October 2026 after all its operational equipment was electrified. The Union Shipping Secretary made the designation during a review of port projects. VOC Port has an annual cargo-handling capacity of 82 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).
51. India's extreme poverty rate fell from 27.1% in 2011 to 2.6% in 2023, with an estimated 496 million people moving out of poverty, the World Bank's October 2026 Poverty and Equity Brief says. At the lower-middle-income poverty line of USD 4.20 a day (2021 purchasing power parity), the rate dropped from 57.7% to 16.1%. The Bank described the decline as one of the world's fastest, with progress in monetary and non-monetary poverty.
52. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced on 25th October 2026 in Rotterdam that India aims to quadruple its port capacity by 2047. He said the country had doubled port capacity over the preceding decade and plans to double it twice more over the following two decades.
53. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Arvind Limited's textile manufacturing plant at Khochwan, Mirzamurad, in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, on 25th October 2026. The facility, built at an approximate cost of Rs. 150 crore, covers about 7-8 acres and is the company's first major manufacturing plant in the Purvanchal region.
54. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) issued Circular No. 257/03/2026-GST on 26th October 2026. It sets out timelines and procedures for GST registration, including deemed approval when a proper officer takes no action within the applicable period under the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Rules, 2017.
55. Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan announced government approval on 26th October 2026, for the Kerala Civil Aviation Development Cooperative Society to launch flight services. The proposed airline, tentatively named Co-Keralam, is planned as India's first airline in the cooperative sector. C. N. Vijayakrishnan, Chairman of MVR Cancer Centre and Research Institute, is spearheading the project.
56. Tata Communications announced an investment of nearly $450 million, or about Rs. 4,350 crore, on 26th October 2026 to build high-speed network infrastructure for India's artificial intelligence (AI) data-centre corridors. The project will add approximately 10,000 kilometres of long-haul fibre cables across the country.
57. India and Mexico formally launched negotiations for a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) after signing the Terms of Reference (ToR) in Mexico City on 26th October 2026. The signing took place during the visit of India's Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal. The proposed agreement follows an understanding reached by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at the G7 Summit in Canada in June 2025.
58. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Sanjay Malhotra advised State governments to adopt prudent borrowing strategies, maintain quality expenditure and manage cash efficiently at the 36th Conference of State Finance Secretaries in Mumbai on 27th October 2026. The conference theme was 'Role of Quality of Expenditure, Effective Cash and Prudent Debt Management in Enhancing States' Fiscal Sustainability'.
59. On 27th October 2026, US-headquartered Wabtec Corporation secured orders worth about $94 million (Rs. 839 crore) from Indian Railways. The contract covers onboard systems for the Vande Bharat Sleeper train programme.
60. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has reduced 47,957 compliance requirements across Central Ministries and States and Union Territories as of 27th October 2026. The measures include digitisation, simplification, decriminalisation and elimination of requirements.
61. At its 57th meeting on 8th October 2026, the GST Council recommended a 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate without input tax credit (ITC) on delivery services for goods supplied through electronic commerce operators. The Central Government issued Notification No. 09/2026-Central Tax (Rate) on 27th October, with the revised treatment taking effect from 1st November 2026.
62. On 28th October 2026, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted 10 - 2 to keep the federal funds rate target range at 3.75% - 4%. The decision followed a 0.25-percentage-point increase in September 2026, the first rate hike since 2023.
63. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, revised the Maximum Retail Prices (MRPs) of 543 anti-cancer medicine brands on 28th October 2026. The revised prices are scheduled to take effect on 9th November 2026.
64. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a 3 percentage-point increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) for pensioners on 28th October 2026. The revision applies retrospectively from 1st July 2026 and raises both rates from 60% to 63% of basic pay or pension.
65. HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), the shipbuilding arm of HD Hyundai, has reiterated its intent to be a strategic investor in a proposed greenfield shipyard at Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal met HD Hyundai Chairman Chung Ki-sun in Seoul on 28th October 2026. The parties agreed to work towards a joint venture and prepare a detailed project report (DPR) within six months.
66. Christine Lagarde announced on 29th October 2026 that she would resign as President of the European Central Bank (ECB), with effect from 7th February 2027. Her eight-year term was due to end in October 2027. Lagarde cited a desire to regain "freedom of speech" and take part in wider political and global matters; the ECB presidency requires political neutrality.
67. On 29th October 2026, the Tamil Nadu Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, approved incentives for eight industrial projects involving Rs. 3,767 crore and projected to create 4,853 jobs. Energy and Law Minister C. T. R. Nirmal Kumar briefed the media after the meeting.
68. On 29th October 2026, the Supreme Court of India directed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to frame regulatory measures against digital arrest fraud. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant said banks should fully compensate victims, with payment not less than the amount lost, where failures in due diligence enabled the fraud.
Science & Technology
1. The NASA and SpaceX Crew-13 mission launched on 1st October 2026 at 11:10 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The mission carried four crew members to the International Space Station for a six-month science expedition aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft named Grace, launched by a Falcon 9 rocket.
2. The European Space Agency's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, or JUICE, completed its third Earth gravity assist on 28th September 2026. The spacecraft passed about 8,640 km above Earth over the Indian Ocean and changed its trajectory by about 20 degrees.
3. A total solar eclipse observed on 17th July 709 BCE at the court of the Lu Duchy in ancient China has provided new constraints on Earth's historical rotation. Researchers corrected an approximately eight-kilometre error in the mapped location of ancient Qufu, enabling a more accurate reconstruction of the eclipse's visibility. The study was published in Astrophysical Journal Letters.
4. On 2nd October 2026, payloads from Dhruva Space, TakeMe2Space, SatLeo Labs and EON Space Labs reached orbit aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket on the Transporter-18 rideshare mission. The launch took place at 12:02 am IST from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, and the mission carried about 130 payloads in total.
5. Scientists at the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) developed an India-specific disease severity score for sickle cell anaemia on 2nd October 2026. The tool was built from clinical data of 171 Indian children aged up to 18 years treated at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur.
6. Indian researchers developed a laboratory sensor that distinguishes cobra venom from viper venom using liquid crystals and artificial intelligence. The study, published in Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, reported 95% identification accuracy and a sensing time of four minutes.
7. On 5th October 2026, Command Hospital (Eastern Command) in Kolkata administered India's indigenous CAR-T cell therapy, NexCAR19, to a 39-year-old serving soldier with relapsed/refractory B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (B-cell ALL). Command Hospitals across India are among the institutions authorised to administer this therapy.
8. Astronomers have identified a candidate for a second-generation planet orbiting the white dwarf HS 0209+0832. The finding was published in Nature Astronomy on 5th October 2026 and involved researchers from the University of Warwick and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
9. The Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department of Science & Technology signed an agreement with Bengaluru-based BigEndian Semiconductors on 5th October 2026 for Project VeerAI. The agreement provides Rs. 130 crore under the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund for the development of an indigenous AI Vision System-on-Chip (SoC).
10. Kerala is set to launch the IT Parks Affiliation Scheme on 6th October 2026 to connect IT companies outside major government-owned IT parks with a state-level technology ecosystem. The scheme will allow eligible firms to access benefits usually extended by IT parks and to register through an affiliation portal opened before the launch.
11. IIT Ropar launched the digital learning platform AVNI - Grow with Nature on 6th October 2026 through its Centre of Excellence in AI for Digital Agriculture, ANNAM.AI. The app is designed for children to learn about plants, crops, food, and agriculture through surroundings, activities, and artificial intelligence tools.
12. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, developed a computational framework that maps 9,389 elementary chemical reactions involved in carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion into fuels and chemicals. The study was published in Nature Communications on 6th October 2026 and focuses on CO2 hydrogenation on a copper catalyst.
13. Brazil is expanding biological control technologies for tropical agriculture through the Advanced Research Center on Biological Control, known as SPARCBio, in Piracicaba. The centre works with the University of Sao Paulo's Luiz de Queiroz School of Agriculture, the Sao Paulo Research Foundation, and Koppert on biological agents, new products, and knowledge for Integrated Pest Management.
14. NASA's SpaceX Crew-12 astronauts returned to Earth on 8th October 2026 after 237 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off Los Angeles at 8:34 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. The crew completed more than 3,792 Earth orbits and travelled over 100 million miles.
15. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted a Type Certificate to Kothari Industrial Corporation Limited (KICL) for its KOAIR-10L Drone on 9th October 2026. The Chennai-based company announced the certificate to the Bombay Stock Exchange on the same date.
16. The Spices Board India and the ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) held a national seminar in Kochi, Kerala, on 9th October 2026 to discuss the proposed Bharat Spice Map. The initiative combines geospatial technology, scientific research and market intelligence to map spice-growing regions, varieties and quality characteristics.
17. Scientists formally identified Victoria colombiana as a new giant waterlily species on 9th October 2026. The findings were published in the botanical journal Phytotaxa. The species is the fourth scientifically recognised member of the genus Victoria.
18. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), under the Ministry of Communications, and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) organised the AI for Good Build-a-thon 5.0 during India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026. The event took place at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, on the final day of the congress, held from 10th to 14th October 2026. Its theme was "Creating innovative agents in 5G", with participants developing Agentic Artificial Intelligence solutions for telecommunications.
19. NASA's Perseverance rover set a record for the longest distance driven by a vehicle on another world, reaching 28.10 miles (45.22 kilometres) on Mars by 11th October 2026. It surpassed the previous record of 28.06 miles (45.16 kilometres), set by NASA's Opportunity rover during its 2004-2018 mission.
20. The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, hosted the APARC Early Career Workshop on 11th October 2026 at Meghdoot Hall. Titled "The ECR Nexus: Connecting Voices, Tools, and Science to Society", it was designed for early career researchers and students and served as a curtain-raiser for the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2026.
21. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has delayed certification of the Boeing 737 MAX 10 after Boeing identified a software issue in the aircraft's flight management computer (FMC). The problem affects software versions 14 and 14.1 and involves loss of automated flight guidance, including vertical navigation (VNAV), in a specific go-around or missed approach scenario.
22. The National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) has launched two certification courses on cybersecurity and cyber resilience for the GIFT International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). The programmes were launched on 12th October 2026 by NISM Director Sashi Krishnan and International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) Chairperson K. Rajaraman. GIFT IFSC is located in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
23. Microsoft unveiled Maia 300, its third-generation custom AI accelerator, on 12th October 2026. Production deployments are planned to begin in 2027, with the company aiming for more than one million chips and multi-gigawatt deployment across its Azure infrastructure.
24. Scientists identified two new Australian stick insect species in 2026 after re-examining members of the genus Anchiale. The study also reinstated one previously unrecognised species and revised the group from two species to five distinct species.
25. Research reported on 12th - 13th October 2026 examined how the Sun's polar magnetic environment relates to microwave polar brightening. The collaborative study involved the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO) of the Physical Research Laboratory, IIT Delhi and IIT Roorkee.
26. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) launched its public-facing Cyclone Warning and Marine Weather Services Decision Support System on 12th October 2026. The launch took place during the IMD's pre-cyclone exercise meeting for the October-December 2026 post-monsoon season.
27. The Government of India's Research, Development and Innovation Fund (RDIF) announced its first cohort of 19 Second-Level Fund Managers (SLFMs) on 12th October 2026. The Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS) approved the cohort at a meeting on 8th October 2026, with a total RDIF commitment of Rs. 7,131 crore.
28. The BRIC-CDFD-ONT India Genomics Centre of Excellence was jointly inaugurated in New Delhi on 12th October 2026 by Dr. Jitendra Singh, India's Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, and Jonathan Reynolds, the UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. The inauguration took place during the 8th India-UK Science and Innovation Council meeting.
29. The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), deployed BHASHINI's Shrutlekh platform at a National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) capacity-building programme in Mussoorie. The programme on urban service delivery for civil servants from multiple countries runs from 12th to 23rd October 2026.
30. Google launched Gemini 4 Argon globally on 13th October 2026 after an earlier limited release to testing partners. The artificial intelligence model is designed for complex tasks in software engineering, finance, legal services, cybersecurity and scientific research. Developers and businesses can access it through the Gemini API, AI Studio and Google Antigravity; eligible Google AI Ultra and Pro subscribers can use it through the Gemini app and AI Mode in Search.
31. IBM and MeitY Startup Hub (MSH), an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Mumbai on 13th October 2026. The partnership was announced at the IBM Think 2026 conference and is intended to expand Indian deep-tech startups access to enterprise technology and innovation platforms.
32. CtrlS Datacenters inaugurated a Rs. 400-crore data centre in Patna, Bihar, on 13th October 2026, and announced a proposed Rs. 10,000-crore, 150 MW hyperscale AI factory in Bodh Gaya. The company signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the Bodh Gaya project with the Government of Bihar.
33. The Ministry of Ayush released Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) titled "Management of Dermatological Disorders for Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy" on 13th October 2026. The guidelines were prepared by the Ayush Vertical of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Their public release coincided with the 11th Ayurveda Day.
34. A new lizard species, Liolaemus archipensis, was discovered in the southern Andean region of Arequipa in Peru at an altitude of more than 4,800 metres, or 15,750 feet. The finding was announced in early October 2026 by the Natural History Museum of San Marcos University in Lima.
35. Antarctic sea ice reached an annual maximum extent of 17.59 million square kilometres on 14th September 2026, the third-lowest maximum in the satellite record. Scientists from NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) confirmed the measurement. The 2026 maximum was about one million square kilometres below the long-term average maximum.
36. The Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, developed a sustainable catalytic filter for treating dye-contaminated wastewater, announced on 14th October 2026. The filter combines zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) nanofibres, using light and mechanical vibrations to break down pollutants.
37. Cervavac, India's first indigenously developed gender-neutral quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine, has received World Health Organization prequalification. The vaccine was developed by Serum Institute of India in Pune and targets HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18.
38. North Korea conducted an underwater test of the Zam-2.0, a new high-speed precision-guided torpedo system, on 15th October 2026. The country's state news agency, KCNA, announced the test on 17th October and said artificial intelligence (AI) was used for target detection and guidance.
39. Europe's Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellite was launched on 15th September 2026 aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. In late September, it returned its first images and measurements from two instruments, about two weeks after launch.
40. On 15th October 2026, Vice-President of India C. P. Radhakrishnan inaugurated KAUMARACON 2026 at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Sarita Vihar, New Delhi. The third International Conference on Kaumarabhritya is scheduled from 15th to 17th October and focuses on Ayurveda-based child healthcare, research and clinical practice. The event also marked the institute's 10th Foundation Day.
41. AM Intelligence (AMI), an AI infrastructure platform established by Greenko's promoters, has placed two new firm orders for 20,000 NVIDIA Rubin graphics processing units for deployment in India and Malaysia. The latest order adds about 70 megawatts of compute capacity and takes AMI's total committed frontier compute capacity to about 29,000 Rubin GPUs and close to 100 MW.
42. On 16th October 2026, India's Aditya-L1 mission and the European Space Agency's (ESA) Proba-3 mission combined observations of solar eruptions. Data from Aditya-L1's Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) and Proba-3's ASPIICS instrument were used to measure the mass, density and energy of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) near the Sun.
43. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) completed Crew Module (CM)-Service Module (SM) separation tests for the Gaganyaan programme on 16th and 17th October 2026. Conducted at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, the tests evaluated the separation system ahead of Gaganyaan's first uncrewed mission, G1, targeted for launch in 2026.
44. Bengaluru-based private space technology company Ethereal Exploration Guild, also known as The Guild, unveiled The Anchorage on 16th October 2026. The 150-acre rocket development and testing facility is in Space City, Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh, about 40 km from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR) at Sriharikota. It will support development, testing, manufacturing and refurbishment of the company's fully reusable medium-lift launch vehicle, Razor Crest Mk 1 (RCM1).
45. China's Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and Technology jointly published a draft revision to the Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited and Restricted from Export on 16th October 2026. Titled "Announcement No. 48", it proposes a complete export ban on 14 technologies and export restrictions on 26 others across artificial intelligence (AI), photovoltaics and biomedicine.
46. On 16th October 2026, Indian scientists identified terrestrial sites in Tamil Nadu and Chile containing minerals that provide geological analogues for studying Mars. The minerals are melanterite, found at Neyveli, and gypsum, found in the Tiruchirappalli Badlands and the Atacama Desert. Both are hydrous sulphates associated with water-rock interactions.
47. Scientists described three new species of centipedes in the genus Rhysida from southern India on 16th October 2026. The species are Rhysida quadrispinosa, Rhysida coorgensis and Rhysida neyyarensis. Their addition brings India's known Rhysida species to 23. The research involved the Western Ghat Regional Centre of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), based in Kozhikode, and Malabar Christian College.
48. Starlink has established 20 gateway sites in India, equipped with hundreds of antennas, as part of its ground infrastructure for satellite communications. At the India Mobile Congress 2026, SpaceX Vice President of Starlink Business Operations Lauren Dreyer said the company had developed India-specific security controls to keep Indian user data within the country. Starlink is awaiting final regulatory clearances before beginning commercial services.
49. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi launched the Science on Wheels programme in Himachal Pradesh on 17th October 2026. The initiative provides practical science-learning activities for school students, particularly those in rural areas.
50. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is scheduled to launch the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission on 20th October 2026, Japan Standard Time. The spacecraft will travel aboard an H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center and attempt to return samples from Phobos, one of Mars's two natural satellites.
51. Nigeria confirmed its first imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory on 20th October 2026. The case involved a woman who travelled to Nigeria from Uganda after a business trip to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where her exposure is under investigation.
52. On 20th October 2026, Chinese technology companies ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent had collectively ordered more than 3 million RTX PRO 5500 graphics cards from Nvidia, with a stated combined value exceeding 35 billion. The cards cost about 11,400 each and are designed for professional workstations.
53. Two previously unknown subterranean fish species were discovered in wells in Assam's Goalpara district. The species, "Gitchak nakana" and "Rakthamichthys anchi", were announced by Assam's Environment and Forests Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah on 21st October 2026.
54. The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) launched UDYOG, or Upskilling and Development for Young Graduates, in Chennai on 21st October 2026. The industry-oriented finishing school is designed to train graduates for biotechnology and biomanufacturing roles. Its first batch is scheduled to begin on 18th January 2027.
55. On 21st October 2026, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) granted marketing authorisation in India for Qfitlia, whose active ingredient is fitusiran. The therapy is approved for routine prophylaxis to prevent bleeding episodes in adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older with haemophilia A or B, with or without factor VIII or IX inhibitors.
56. French health authorities confirmed the country's first human case of Shamonda virus on 22nd October 2026. The patient died after contracting the virus. Shamonda virus is an insect-borne virus primarily associated with livestock, particularly cattle, and is transmitted by biting midges.
57. Two new plant species, Ophiorrhiza shidiensis and Ophiorrhiza pemae, were identified during botanical surveys in the Vijoynagar area of Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh. The findings were published online on 23rd October 2026. Both species belong to the family Rubiaceae.
58. NASA's Juno spacecraft detected complex plasma waves and multiple shock regions in Jupiter's magnetic environment during observations in December 2024. The University of Iowa-led study, published online in Nature Communications on 31st July 2026, provides detailed observations of Jupiter's bow shock, where the solar wind meets the planet's magnetic environment.
59. The National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Kundli (NIFTEM-K), hosted "Hack the Fork", described as India's first Artificial Intelligence (AI) and food technology hackathon. The 24-hour event began on 24th October 2026 and concluded on 25th October 2026. It was organised by France-based non-profit Hack the Fork in collaboration with the NIFTEM-K Smart Protein Project and The Good Food Institute India.
60. Astronomers detected fine, thread-like magnetic structures in the chromosphere above a quiet region of the Sun using the Sunrise-III solar observatory. The findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on 24th October 2026 by an international research team led by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ).
61. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to have four functional space launch pads by 2029. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan announced the plan on 25th October 2026. The proposal includes a dedicated Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) complex at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin district.
62. Samsung affiliates plan to invest a combined 12.26 trillion won (9.15 billion) in semiconductor operations in Vietnam and South Korea. About 8 trillion won (5.99 billion) is earmarked for Vietnam, while South Korea is to receive investment in high-end production capacity. The plans include memory-chip testing facilities and expanded flip-chip ball grid array substrate capacity.
63. Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) inaugurated and began operating a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) facility on 26th October 2026, at Manipal, a suburb of Udupi in coastal Karnataka. The facility is designed for high-containment biomedical research, infectious-disease studies, diagnostics, surveillance and translational biomedical science. It received certification from the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM), under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), in March 2026.
64. INOX India and its partners inaugurated the SemiOrbit Skill Excellence Centre on 26th October 2026 at the Paldi campus of ITM SLS Baroda University in Vadodara, Gujarat. The centre is a collaboration among INOX India (INOXCVA), ITM SLS Baroda University, INOX Air Products and Swagelok Bombay. Its programmes are designed for students, engineers and working professionals preparing for technical roles in semiconductor manufacturing.
65. On 26th October 2026, Indian IT services company HCLTech and Japan's Rapidus Corporation inaugurated dedicated semiconductor engineering development centres in Bengaluru and Hubli, Karnataka. The centres will support Rapidus engineering requirements and develop a pipeline of Indian talent for its workforce needs in Japan.
66. Researchers at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, MIT and Harvard University unveiled Lumina on 26th October 2026. The simulation models the first two billion years of the universe, including interactions among ordinary matter, dark matter and radiation. It covers a region approximately 1.5 to 1.6 billion light-years across on each side.
67. Two nearly complete fossil skeletons of Gerrothorax maritimus, identified as the first known fully marine stem amphibian, were discovered in Guizhou Province, China. The animal lived about 237 million years ago, during the Late Triassic. The study was published in Nature Ecology & Evolution on 26th October 2026.
68. On 27th October 2026, researchers at UC San Diego announced a method for changing magnetic states with light to write digital information. The study, published in Nature Communications, used a shaped and reduced ultrafast laser beam to switch magnetisation in a magnetic material. The researchers estimate that the technique could operate more than 1,000 times faster than conventional magnetic switching methods.
69. On 27th October 2026, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved Amazon's acquisition of Globalstar in a transaction valued at approximately $11.57 billion. The FCC Space Bureau completed its review of the deal, which will bring Globalstar's mobile-satellite spectrum and infrastructure into Amazon Leo, Amazon's satellite communications business, formerly known as Project Kuiper.
70. The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved a 69.52-acre Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics park in Greater Noida on 27th October 2026. Named the Platform for Robotics and AI Growth Through Technology and Innovation (PRAGATI) Park, it is projected to generate more than 1,00,000 direct and indirect jobs and contribute about Rs. 2,000 crore annually in Gross Value Added (GVA) at full scale.
71. PhonePe launched Tatkal NPS on its platform on 27th October 2026, enabling users to open a National Pension System (NPS) account digitally with an initial contribution of Rs. 250. The service uses existing bank Know Your Customer (KYC) details authenticated through a one-time password (OTP), so users do not need to upload fresh documents.
72. The International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center announced 2026 ED138 as a possible dwarf planet on 27th October 2026. The icy object was detected beyond Pluto's orbit by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile and is estimated to be between 600 and 1,500 kilometres in diameter.
73. Google is developing a 15-billion artificial intelligence (AI) data-centre project in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Planned as the company's largest AI hub outside the United States, the facility is expected to become operational in 2028. It forms part of Google's planned 15-billion investment in India from 2026 to 2030.
74. A scientific survey published in Ecology and Evolution in October 2026 estimated that 180,000 to 183,000 Aldabra giant tortoises live on Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles. The estimate exceeds the country's human population, which was about 123,000 at the end of 2025 and estimated at 134,959 in mid-2026.
75. NASA astronaut Anil Menon completed his fourth career spacewalk on 29th October 2026, alongside Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, at the International Space Station (ISS). The spacewalk lasted 7 hours and 11 minutes.
76. A study by researchers from the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) and the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram, found differences in gut bacteria between people with Parkinson's disease and healthy individuals. The study involved patients from Keralam and was published online in "npj Parkinson's Disease" on 29th October 2026.
77. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has scheduled the GSLV-F18/NVS-03 mission for 23:51 IST on 30th October 2026. The launch is to take place from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR), Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. As the launch is scheduled for later tonight, its success and the satellite's subsequent performance remain unconfirmed.
78. BioSentinel is a NASA astrobiology mission designed to study the effects of deep-space radiation on living organisms. Developed by NASA Ames Research Center, it uses a biosensor experiment involving budding yeast, scientifically known as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The mission was the first in more than 40 years to collect direct experimental data from a biological study beyond Low Earth Orbit.
79. Former Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman John Urschel, now a tenure-track assistant professor of mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has published research addressing a conjecture about Gaussian elimination that dates to the 1990s. His paper, "On the Growth Factor of Random Matrices," provides a proof concerning the behaviour of the algorithm for random matrices.
80. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is expected to launch GSAT-7B by mid-2028 as the Indian Army's first dedicated communication satellite. The satellite is designed to provide secure, round-the-clock connectivity for troops and military units, including in remote border areas and challenging terrain.
81. Astronomers have identified WD J1330+6435, a white dwarf that appears chartreuse green to human eyes. It is about 280 light-years from Earth in the constellation Draco. The discovery was announced in October 2026, and the study was led by astrophysicist Mark Hollands of the University of Warwick, England.
82. NASA's PUFFINS mission, short for Polarimetry in the Ultraviolet to Find Features in INterStellar dust, is designed to study cosmic dust and its role in the search for extraterrestrial life. NASA selected the SmallSat for its competitive Astrophysics Pioneers program and has allocated it a budget of $20 million. The mission is scheduled to launch in April 2030.
83. Kufri Jamunia is a biofortified potato variety developed by the ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-CPRI) in Shimla and officially released in 2024. It has dark purple skin and purple flesh, and is intended for cultivation in the North Indian plains. Its nutrients include anthocyanins, vitamin C, carotenoids, iron and zinc.
84. The Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) hub of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) facilitated the establishment of 84 micro-enterprises in eight districts of Kerala between 2022 and 2026. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) funded the initiative, which aims to diversify livelihoods in fisheries.
85. The Indian Embassy in Jakarta launched an artificial intelligence (AI) avatar named Dewi in October 2026 for public outreach. The virtual guide is designed to share information on Indian culture, travel, scholarships, business, investment opportunities and consular services.
Government Schemes
1. The Union Government launched the GOBARdhan Central Sector Scheme on 1st October 2026 in New Delhi to accelerate India's Compressed Biogas (CBG) sector. The Union Cabinet approved the GOBARdhan National Circular Bioenergy Scheme on 6th August 2026 with an outlay of Rs. 23,731 crore for implementation over FY 2026-27 to FY 2035-36.
2. The People's Plan Campaign (PPC) 2026-27, with the theme "Sabki Yojana, Sabka Vikas", will begin across India on 2nd October 2026. The campaign will start the process for Gram Panchayats to prepare Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) for the financial year 2027-28.
3. Tamil Nadu launched the expanded Vetri Payanam Thittam in Chennai on 2nd October 2026, and the scheme was earlier known as Vidiyal Payanam Thittam. The scheme provides cost-free bus travel for women and transgender persons on selected services operated by the Tamil Nadu government.
4. The Department of Commerce, Government of India, extended the timelines under Component II of the RELIEF (Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation) scheme on 2nd October 2026. The extension was notified through Notification No. 37/2026-27 dated 30th September 2026, and the validity for eligible shipments has been extended until 31st March 2027.
5. Andhra Pradesh launched India's first pilot housing project using 3D concrete printing technology on 4th October 2026. The project covers 177 houses in Burripalem and Obulnayudupalem villages in Tenali Mandal of Guntur district under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) 2.0.
6. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta launched a cashless medical facility for more than 50,000 Delhi Jal Board pensioners and their family members in New Delhi on 5th October 2026. The facility was launched under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan and provides treatment and medical tests through a single-window system.
7. e-Sanjeevani is India's National Telemedicine Service and crossed 50 crore teleconsultations on 15th September 2026. As of 6th October 2026, the platform recorded a cumulative 50,00,92,730 teleconsultations across all 36 States and Union Territories.
8. Delhi government doubled the monthly incentives for 6,690 Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 6,000 on 6th October 2026. It also launched the Nursing Home Management System portal for online registration and renewal of private nursing homes in Delhi.
9. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs organised a two-day National Conclave on Constitutional Rights and Legal Provisions for Tribal Communities in New Delhi from 6th October 2026. The conclave was held at the Scope Complex and was inaugurated by Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Jual Oram.
10. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will launch Joint Squad for Health (JOSH) Teams nationally on 8th October 2026. The launch will take place at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, with Union Minister J. P. Nadda leading the event.
11. The Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) completed its first year of implementation on 11th October 2026. The Union Cabinet approved the scheme on 16th July 2025, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched it on 11th October 2025. It is a six-year initiative covering financial years 2025-26 to 2030-31.
12. Lakshadweep was declared a 100% literate Union Territory on 11th October 2026. Administrator Praful Patel made the announcement at a function in Kavaratti. The achievement was recorded under ULLAS - Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, a Centrally sponsored scheme for adult education. An initial survey identified 1,113 adult non-literates across the islands, and all eligible learners cleared the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT).
13. Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan launched the Adavi Thalli Baata 2.0 road project on 11th October 2026. The Rs. 2,052-crore project covers 1,976 km of roads to connect 1,341 tribal habitations across the state. Its first phase is planned to provide road access to at least 735 villages.
14. On 12th October 2026, PM-SETU approved Rs. 440 crore to upgrade nine Government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in the Surat and Visakhapatnam clusters. The partnership covers five ITIs in Surat, Gujarat, and four in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Shareholders Agreements were signed by the Directorate General of Training (DGT), the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), the two State Governments and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India).
15. On 13th October 2026, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways launched two credit risk insurance products for India's shipbuilding industry. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced the policies at the 21st Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) meeting in Mumbai.
16. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a rise in the monthly honorarium for Gram Praharis on 13th October 2026. The payment will increase by Rs. 1,000, from Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 3,500. Gram Praharis and their families will also receive cashless medical treatment coverage of up to Rs. 5 lakh annually. The announcements were made at a felicitation ceremony at Bareilly Police Lines.
17. Karnataka generated 2.04 crore person-days of employment under the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM G, from 1st July to 13th October 2026. The scheme replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) in the state from 1st July 2026. Employment during the corresponding period of 2025 was 1.71 crore person-days under MGNREGA.
18. Karnataka made the Anna Seve mobile application available statewide from 14th October 2026. The app enables beneficiaries of the Public Distribution System (PDS), including people covered by Anna Bhagya, to complete electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) verification for ration cards from home.
19. On 14th October 2026, the Union Cabinet approved Rs. 53,428 crore to continue the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) for five years, from 2026-27 to 2030-31. The programme is set to be renamed the Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana and is expected to benefit 3.20 crore people across 36 states and Union territories.
20. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated 101 food distribution centres under the Shramik Annapurna Yojana on 16th October 2026. The centres operate across 28 districts, taking the scheme's total network to 372 centres. The 101 new centres are expected to add capacity for 10,000 meals a day.
21. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the upgraded Agri Welfare Portal in New Delhi on 19th October 2026. The mobile-accessible platform provides farmers with information on government schemes, financial assistance and agriculture, alongside online eligibility checks and application facilities.
22. On 21st October 2026, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced state-level outreach initiatives to help farmers, workers, women, youth, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and small businesses use export opportunities under India's Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). The Department of Commerce is organising the initiatives with state governments. India has nine FTAs covering 38 countries.
23. The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare will launch the nationwide Khet Bachao Abhiyan-Rabi 2026 on 22nd October 2026. Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will launch the campaign from Karnal, Haryana. It is scheduled to run until 30th November, 2026, and focuses on sustainable agriculture, soil health and judicious use of agricultural resources.
24. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) notified amendments to the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, on 26th October 2026. The amendments introduce a FASTag-based annual local pass for eligible private non-commercial vehicle owners living within 20 km of a National Highway fee plaza. The pass will become available nationwide from 1st November 2026.
25. The Department of Commerce extended Component II of the RELIEF (Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation) initiative until 31st March 2027. Announced on 26th October 2026, the extension was notified through Notification No. 37/2026-27, dated 30th September 2026.
26. India launched the fourth edition of the Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign (TFYC 4.0) on 28th October 2026. The nationwide campaign is scheduled to run for 60 days, until 26th December 2026. Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav launched it in New Delhi at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.
27. On 28th October 2026, the Central Government released Rs. 77.98 crore as grant-in-aid for 755 senior citizen welfare projects. The release covers the quarter ending 30th September 2026, in the financial year 2026-27. The funds were released under the Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC), a component of the Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY). The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment administers the scheme.
28. On 28th October 2026, the Union Cabinet approved the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana (PM VGSY), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for strengthening Panchayats and traditional local bodies. The scheme has an outlay of Rs. 7,395.55 crore for 2026-27 to 2030-31 and covers States and Union Territories.
29. The Union Cabinet of India approved the Rs. 10,000-crore Container Manufacturing Promotion Scheme (CMPS) on 28th October 2026. Announced in the Union Budget 2026-27, the scheme has a budgetary outlay extending up to the financial year 2039-40. It aims to develop container manufacturing capacity in India, reduce import dependence and strengthen supply-chain resilience.
30. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Khelo India Sports Goods Manufacturing Scheme on 28th October 2026. The scheme has a total outlay of Rs. 1,856.67 crore and will run from 2026 to 2033-34. It aims to promote investment, manufacturing, innovation and exports in India's sports goods sector.
31. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 54th Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI) meeting at Seva Teerth on 28th October 2026. The meeting reviewed infrastructure projects worth more than Rs. 16,000 crore across 31 States and Union Territories.
32. The Ministry of Textiles will reopen the application window for Round 4 of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for textiles from 1st November to 31st December 2026. The minimum turnover requirement under Part 2 has been reduced from Rs. 200 crore to Rs. 100 crore.
33. The Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has extended the New Amnesty Scheme 2025 until 31st December 2026. The scheme was initially scheduled to run from 1st October 2025 to 30th September 2026, and the extension provides eligible employers and insured persons with three additional months to resolve pending legal disputes. The Ministry of Labour and Employment announced the extension after receiving representations from stakeholders.
Awards & Honours
1. Altermagnetism is a class of magnetic order that combines features associated with ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism. Scientists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and collaborators developed the concept, and researchers later produced experimental evidence for the phenomenon. In 2026, three scientists received the Europhysics Prize for work establishing altermagnetism.
2. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2026 was awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel on 5th October 2026. The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, announced the prize for discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics.
3. UltraTech Cement Limited became the first Indian cement company to cross 2 gigawatts of green energy capacity for captive use on 5th October 2026. Its cumulative installed green energy capacity reached 2,024 MW, with 1,580 MW from renewable energy sources and 444 MW from Waste Heat Recovery Systems.
4. PLSS Chaitanya Prakash assumed charge as the Director (Power) of NLC India Limited (NLCIL) on 5th October 2026. His appointment is effective from the date of assuming charge until his superannuation on 31st December 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
5. Margaret Hamilton, the computer scientist who led development of NASA's Apollo flight software, died on 30th September 2026 at the age of 90. MIT published an obituary on 7th October 2026. Hamilton joined MIT's Instrumentation Laboratory in 1965, where the team developed onboard software for Apollo missions.
6. Professor Mahesh Kakde of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, received the Ramanujan Prize 2026 for his contributions to algebraic number theory. The International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and the International Mathematical Union (IMU) announced the award on 30th September 2026; IISc announced it on 7th October 2026.
7. Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai received the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry on 7th October 2026 for discoveries concerning non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the award in Stockholm. The prize is worth 12 million Swedish kronor, equivalent to approximately US$1.2 million.
8. US President Donald Trump presented the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to six people on 8th October 2026. The ceremony took place during the "Science: A New Golden Age Summit" in Washington, D.C. Four recipients received the science medal and two received the technology and innovation medal.
9. Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced on 8th October 2026 that Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar will receive the Presidential Award for Civil Heroism. The award recognises his actions during an incident aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was bound for Tel Aviv.
10. Canadian poet and essayist Anne Carson received the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature on 8th October 2026. The Swedish Academy announced the award in Stockholm, citing her literary work's dialogue with the classical tradition and its creation of new forms for contemporary literature. Carson was born in Toronto in 1950.
11. Indian photographer and fine artist Sitaram Raul won the 'Behaviour: Invertebrates' category at the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. His photograph, titled Shifting Sand, depicts an Indian Buthacus scorpion burrowing into sand near the village of Sam in Rajasthan's Thar Desert as sunrise approached. The competition is organised by London's Natural History Museum and received more than 65,000 entries from around the world in 2026.
12. Historian M. R. Raghava Varier has been selected for the 2026 Prof. M. G. S. Narayanan Memorial Award. The award was jointly instituted by the Kerala History Congress and the Calicut Heritage Forum, and carries a cash prize of Rs. 50,000 and a citation.
13. Sanjay Kumar, Director (Marketing) at GAIL (India) Ltd, has been appointed as the next Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Petronet LNG Ltd. His five-year term will begin on 13th May 2027 after the completion of the extended tenure of the current CEO, A. K. Singh, on 12th May 2027.
14. The International Space Station (ISS) is a modular space station in low Earth orbit that has operated continuously since November 2000. It is being discussed as a possible recipient of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, which the Norwegian Nobel Committee will announce in Oslo on 9th October 2026.
15. Navanethem "Navi" Pillay was awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on 9th October 2026. The South African jurist was recognised for efforts to promote peace and international law. Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, announced the award in Oslo.
16. Tyeb Mehta's 2002 acrylic-on-canvas painting Rickshaw Puller sold for Rs. 69.1 crore at auction on 11th October 2026. The price, which includes a 15% buyer's premium, set a world auction record for the Indian artist.
17. On 12th October 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron named Sunil Bharti Mittal a Chevalier, or Knight, of the National Order of the Legion of Honour. Mittal is the Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises. France established the Legion of Honour in 1802 under Napoleon Bonaparte.
18. American economists Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford received the 2026 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel on 12th October 2026. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the prize for research on the microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation. Hall is affiliated with Stanford University, while Woodford is affiliated with Columbia University.
19. Jindal Steel Limited won the 2026 Steelie Award for "Excellence in People" for its "Dakshata Engineering Safety: One Duty Position at a Time" programme. The World Steel Association announced the winners of the 17th Steelie Awards on 12th October 2026 in New Delhi.
20. On 14th October 2026, 14-year-old British photographer Oscar Whitfield was named Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026. He lives in Zimbabwe and won with a black-and-white photograph titled "Labour of Love", which captures a dung beetle pushing a ball of dung. Whitfield made the photograph in Zimbabwe by lying on the ground to photograph the beetle at eye level.
21. Dr. Sudha Yadav was sworn in as Governor of Karnataka at Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru on 16th October 2026. President Droupadi Murmu appointed her to the office on 12th October 2026. Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru administered the oath of office and secrecy.
22. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) appointed Indian Foreign Service officer Sudhakar Dalela as India's next Ambassador to Nepal on 16th October 2026. Nepal's approval of his appointment is pending; he will succeed Naveen Srivastava, who completed his tenure in September 2026.
23. The government reconstituted the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) on 16th October 2026 and appointed S. C. L. Das as its chairman. Das is a retired 1992-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the AGMUT cadre and a former Secretary of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. His three-year term begins on the date of notification of the resolution.
24. Dhal Singh Bisen was sworn in as the Governor of Uttarakhand on 19th October 2026 at Lok Bhavan in Dehradun. Acting Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari of the Uttarakhand High Court administered the oath. Bisen succeeded Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (retd.), who had served as Governor for more than five years. President Droupadi Murmu announced Bisen's appointment on 12th October 2026.
25. The Sangeet Natak Akademi General Council selected 106 young artists for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for 2024 and 2025 at a meeting held in New Delhi from 22nd to 26th March 2026. The awards are scheduled to be conferred by Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on 19th October 2026 at the Meghdoot Complex, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi.
26. Essar Ports Limited received a Letter of Award from the Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) on 21st October 2026 to develop a multipurpose cargo terminal at Tuna Tekra in Kandla, Gujarat. The project has an estimated cost of Rs. 2,276.06 crore and a planned annual capacity of 18.33 million tonnes, excluding liquid and container cargo.
27. President Droupadi Murmu presented awards at the 65th National Exhibition of Art and the 3rd Print Biennale India 2026 on 21st October 2026 in New Delhi. The ceremony took place at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre and was organised by the Lalit Kala Akademi under the Union Ministry of Culture.
28. Folk artist Devadas Chimakode was selected on 21st October 2026 for the Karnataka Janapada Academy's annual honorary award for 2026. He is a 56-year-old artist from Chimakod village in Bidar taluk, Bidar district, and has worked in folk arts for 35 years. The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 25,000 and a citation.
29. Shabari Naturals, a Maharashtra government initiative, received the G-Mark - Global Design Award on 25th October 2026 for packaging inspired by traditional tribal art. The Japan Institute of Design Promotion is scheduled to formally present the award in Tokyo on 4th November 2026. Leena Bansod, Managing Director of the Nashik-headquartered Shabari Tribal Finance and Development Corporation (STFDC), will accept it on behalf of the Maharashtra government.
30. The Coal Controller Organisation (CCO), under the Ministry of Coal, received the SKOCH Gold Award 2026 for its SUVIKALP Initiative on 26th September 2026. The award was presented in the "Digital Operational Efficiency - Data Driven Decision Making" category. SUVIKALP is an in-house mine repurposing tool developed by CCO to support data-driven decisions on sustainable mine closure and the reuse of mined-out land.
31. Harry Kane won the Men's Ballon d'Or on 26th October 2026 at the 70th ceremony, held at the London Palladium. He became the first English winner of the men's award since Michael Owen, who received it in 2001.
32. England and Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka won the 2026 Socrates Award at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London on 26th October 2026. The award recognises humanitarian work and charitable initiatives undertaken outside football.
33. On 27th October 2026, Indian-origin pilot Captain Smit Machchhar received the First-Class Order of Zayed II, described as the United Arab Emirates highest civilian honour. He received it alongside fellow flydubai crew members for their actions during an attack aboard Flight FZ1073 on 30th September 2026.
34. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) launched the sixth edition of the National Startup Awards, NSA 6.0, in New Delhi on 27th October 2026. The awards form part of the Startup India initiative, launched in January 2016.
35. The New India Foundation (NIF) announced the shortlist for the 2026 Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize on 28th - 29th October, 2026. The shortlist comprises five non-fiction books published in 2025 on modern and contemporary India. The winner will receive a cash prize of Rs. 15 lakh, with the award presentation scheduled for 12th December 2026, at the Bangalore Literature Festival.
36. The Earthshot Prize 2026 will take place in Mumbai on 16th - 17th November 2026, marking the award's first event in India. The sixth annual Awards Night is scheduled for 17th November. The city was announced as the host during the inaugural Mumbai Climate Week on 17th February 2026.
Sports
1. The International Cricket Council announced the schedule for the ICC Men's ODI Cricket World Cup 2027 on 1st October 2026. The tournament will be held from 2nd October to 21st November 2027 and will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
2. The Premier League launched its first Premier League Park in Chattarpur, New Delhi, on 1st October 2026. The venue is a football-focused destination developed for watching, playing, and socialising around the Premier League. Premier League Park includes two seven-a-side football pitches, a dedicated events and social area, and courts for pickleball and padel.
3. Nethra Kumanan won a bronze medal in the women's dinghy event at the Aichi-Nagoya Games on 2nd October 2026. The 29-year-old sailor from Chennai won her first Asian Games medal in her fourth appearance at the continental multi-sport event.
4. Lovlina Borgohain won the gold medal in the women's 75 kg boxing category at the Asian Games 2026 on 2nd October 2026. She defeated China's Bao Ziyi by a unanimous 5-0 decision in the final at Nishio Gymnasium in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
5. India won its maiden Asian Games gold medal in the women's recurve archery team event on 2nd October 2026 at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The Indian team of Ankita Bhakat, Kirti Sharma, and Kumkum Mohod defeated South Korea 5-3 in the final at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square in Okazaki.
6. Parveen Hooda won the women's 65 kg boxing gold medal at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on 2nd October 2026. She defeated Chen Nien-Chen of Chinese Taipei in the final by a 3-2 split decision.
7. Indian boxer Ankush Panghal won the gold medal in the men's 80 kg boxing category at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya on 2nd October 2026. He defeated South Korea's Kim Min-seong 4-0 in the final bout. This was India's first Asian Games gold medal in the men's 80 kg boxing category.
8. Lhuan-dre Pretorius, a 20-year-old South African batter, scored 188 not out off 79 balls in a CSA T20 Challenge match at Bloemfontein, South Africa, on 2nd October 2026. The innings became the highest individual score in men's T20 cricket and surpassed Chris Gayle's 175 not out, made in 2013 for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
9. Sujeet Kalkal, a 23-year-old freestyle wrestler from Imlota village in Haryana, won the gold medal in the men's 65kg category at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. He defeated Tajikistan's Abdulmazhid Kudiev 10-9 in the final on 2nd October 2026 after trailing 2-9 with 1 minute and 40 seconds remaining.
10. Diksha Dagar of Jhajjar won a silver medal in the women's team golf event at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 with teammates Pranavi Urs and Aditi Ashok. India finished second with a team total of 14-under 546 at the Kasugai Country Club East Course in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on 3rd October 2026.
11. The Indian women's golf team won the silver medal at the Asian Games on 3rd October 2026 at the Kasugai Country Club East Course. The team finished with a score of 14-under 546 in the women's team event, while China won gold with 22-under.
12. Aman Sehrawat and Antim Panghal reached the gold-medal bouts in freestyle wrestling at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on 3rd October 2026. Aman entered the men's 57kg final after defeating Tajikistan's Aiaal Belolyubskii 14-8 in the semifinal, while Antim advanced to the women's 53kg final after beating China's Jin Zhang 6-1.
13. Kumkum Mohod, a 17-year-old Indian archer, won India's first gold medal in the women's individual recurve event at the Asian Games on 3rd October 2026. She defeated South Korea's Oh Yejin in a shoot-off after the final ended 5-5.
14. Doha, Qatar, formally received the Olympic Council of Asia Flag at the closing ceremony of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Japan on 4th October 2026. The handover took place at Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya and marked the official transition of host responsibility for the 21st Asian Games in 2030.
15. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed India among seven countries in discussions for hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics. The other countries in the process are Qatar, South Africa, South Korea, Germany, Hungary, and Turkey.
16. India won four gold medals and one silver medal at the 19th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) 2026. The competition was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, from 25th September to 5th October 2026, and all five members of the Indian team won medals.
17. The Adani Ahmedabad Marathon has been included in the World Athletics Global Calendar as of 5th October 2026. The race will hold its 10th edition on 29th November 2026 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and performances at the event will be eligible for consideration in World Athletics Rankings.
18. Harmanpreet Kaur, aged 37, stepped down as captain of the Indian Women's Cricket Team across all formats on 6th October 2026. She announced the decision through a statement on her Instagram account after a BCCI review meeting in Guwahati.
19. Carlos Alcaraz won the men's singles title at the Japan Open in Tokyo on 6th October 2026. He defeated Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic 7-6(4), 6-4 in the final and claimed his second consecutive Japan Open title.
20. Novak Djokovic won the China Open men's singles title in Beijing, People's Republic of China, on 6th October 2026. The final ended when Australia's Alex de Minaur retired with a groin injury early in the second set, with Djokovic leading 7-6(3), 0-1.
21. The Board of Control for Cricket in India appointed Smriti Mandhana as the full-time white-ball captain of the India Women's cricket team on 6th October 2026. Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from the captaincy across all formats on the same day after a review meeting in Guwahati on 5th October 2026.
22. Tokyo Paralympics silver medallist Bhavina Patel opened her Asian Para Games campaign with a win in women's singles para table tennis. She defeated Kuwait's Ahad Alrasheedi 3-0 in a Class 4-5 Group A match, with game scores of 11-6, 11-3 and 11-6.
23. India ended its wrestling campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan with six medals, including two gold, two silver and two bronze. This was India's best wrestling performance at the Asian Games since Jakarta 1962, when the country won 12 medals, including three gold.
24. South African swimmer Pieter Coetze set a men's 50m backstroke short-course world record of 22.09 seconds at a World Aquatics World Cup meet in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on 9th October 2026. The 22-year-old lowered the previous record of 22.11 seconds, set by Russia's Kliment Kolesnikov in 2022, by 0.02 seconds. It was Coetze's first career world record.
25. Delhi's Keya Kumar Badugu won the Ladies title at the IGU Bio-Gen Rotary Southern India Golf Championship for Ladies and Junior Girls on 9th October 2026. The championship was played at the Karnataka Golf Association course in Bengaluru. Kumar Badugu defeated Kolkata's Anaahat Bindra in a playoff after both golfers completed the 54-hole tournament at one-under-par 215.
26. Aditya Mehta won the men's snooker gold medal at the Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships 2026 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He defeated fellow Indian cueist Dhvaj Haria 3-0 in the final on 10th October 2026. India topped the medal table with 13 medals: three gold, five silver and five bronze.
27. Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi, aged 17 years and three months, won the women's singles title at the ITF W35 tournament in Lagos, Portugal, on 11th October 2026. She defeated Spain's Celia Cervino Ruiz 6-4, 6-2 in the final. Revathi also won the doubles title with Ukraine's Yelyzaveta Kotliar.
28. UNICEF India appointed Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana as a celebrity advocate on 11th October 2026, the International Day of the Girl. In this role, she will advocate equal opportunities, health and well-being for adolescent girls across India, including their participation in sports.
29. Ankita Dhyani of Railways won the women's 3,000m steeplechase at the 65th National Open Athletics Championships on 11th October 2026. She clocked 9 minutes 34.86 seconds, setting a meet record at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. The championships ran from 8th to 11th October 2026.
30. Indian shooter Udhayveer Sidhu won the men's 10m air pistol gold medal at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol in Cairo, Egypt, on 11th October 2026. The 24-year-old scored 240.6 points in the final, securing his first World Cup medal in this event.
31. Kolkata is hosting the 19th World Sudoku Championship and the 33rd World Puzzle Championship from 11th to 18th October 2026. The event is being held at The Westin in Rajarhat and organised by Logic Masters India (LMI), the national representative to the World Puzzle Federation since 2008. Participants from 35 countries are taking part.
32. Alexander Zverev clinched the ATP Year-End No. 1 ranking on 12th October 2026, becoming the first German man to finish a season at the top of the ATP Rankings. The confirmation followed Carlos Alcaraz's defeat at the Shanghai Masters in China.
33. The BRICS Traditional and Indigenous Sports Demonstration Games 2026 will take place in Ahmedabad on 12th and 13th October 2026. Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya is scheduled to inaugurate the event at Veer Savarkar Sports Complex. The Games are being organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with the Gujarat Government under India's BRICS Chairship 2026.
34. Kolkata is scheduled to host an exhibition match between Barcelona Legends and Real Madrid Legends on 25th November 2026. The match will be played at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, also known as Salt Lake Stadium. West Bengal Sports Minister Indranil Khan announced the event on 13th October 2026. Luis Figo, Carles Puyol and Iker Casillas are among the former players expected to feature; the official squads have not been confirmed.
35. Shubman Gill won his fifth ICC Player of the Month award on 13th October 2026 for his performances in September 2026. He received the award after scoring heavily in India's One Day International (ODI) series against the West Indies. Gill's previous awards came in January 2023, September 2023, February 2025 and July 2025.
36. The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) President Ajay Singh suspended Secretary General Pramod Kumar with immediate effect on 13th October 2026. The suspension is pending an inquiry into alleged financial irregularities, non-cooperation with investigations and misuse of authority. The suspension order describes the action as an interim protective measure, not a final determination of the allegations.
37. Nepal's Subhash Tamang is scheduled to become the first Nepali golfer to compete in a DP World Tour event at the DP World India Championship. The tournament is scheduled for 15th - 18th October 2026 at Delhi Golf Club in New Delhi, with a US$4 million prize fund, the largest for a golf tournament held in India.
38. Indian wrestler Vishvajit Ramchandra More won silver in the men's 55kg Greco-Roman event at the U23 World Wrestling Championships on 15th October 2026. He became the first Indian wrestler to win a Greco-Roman silver medal at the U23 championships. The final took place in Las Vegas, United States, where More lost 12-13 to Georgia's Koba Karumidze.
39. Indian players Manasi Joshi and Thulasimathi Murugesan reached the women's doubles SL3-SU5 semifinals at the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on 17th October 2026. Their semifinal berth assured India of a medal because both losing semifinalists received bronze. The pair had won silver at the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou.
40. Amruta Pujari won a silver medal in the women's 72kg category at the U-23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, United States, on 17th October 2026. India's women wrestlers finished the competition with two medals, while India's overall tally was three medals: two silver and one bronze.
41. South Korean badminton player An Se Young won her 47th career international singles title at the Denmark Open on 18th October 2026. The BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament was held in Odense, Denmark. Her title tally surpassed the previous women's singles record of 46, held by Indonesian player Susi Susanti.
42. Kenyan runner Charles Matata set a course record at the 21st Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon on 18th October 2026. He completed the 21.097-kilometre race in 58 minutes and 52 seconds.
43. Indian para-archer Sheetal Devi scored 704 points out of 720 in the women's compound archery ranking round at the 2026 Asian Para Games. The event took place at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on 19th October 2026. Her score equalled the world record and established a new Asian record.
44. Mizoram batter Chinmay Sutar scored an unbeaten 400 against Nagaland on 19th October 2026 in the Ranji Trophy 2026-27 Plate Division. The match was played at Nagaland Cricket Stadium in Sovima, and Mizoram declared at 581 for 9.
45. Nishad Kumar won the men's T47 long jump gold medal at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on 19th October 2026. His best jump measured 7.11 metres, and the medal was India's second gold at the Games.
46. Mona Agarwal won the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 gold medal at the Asian Para Games on 19th October 2026. She scored 250.0 points in the final at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, setting a new Asian Para Games record.
47. On 19th October 2026, Arshi Gupta became the world's youngest driver to win the Rotax MAX Challenge Mini title. She secured the Mini Max title at the FMSCI RMC Indian National Karting Championship 2026 on her tenth birthday.
48. Indian para-athlete Deepthi Jeevanji won the women's 400m T20 gold medal at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on 20th October 2026. She finished in 56.36 seconds, setting a new Asian Para Games record. It was India's fifth gold medal at the event and its first gold on Day 2.
49. India's Ashok Kumar Malik won silver in the men's 65kg Para powerlifting event at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Japan, on 20th October 2026. Malik, aged 37, recorded a best lift of 192kg. China's Zou Yi won gold with 216kg, while Indonesia's Margono took bronze with 177kg.
50. Indian para-swimmers Himanshu Nandal and Niranjan Mukundan won bronze medals in their respective events at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Japan, on 20th October 2026. Nandal clocked 5:10.91 in the men's 400m freestyle S11, while Mukundan recorded 2:57.01 in the men's 200m individual medley SM7.
51. India's Ayush Verma won the men's shot put F53 gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games on 21st October 2026. He recorded a best throw of 8.16 metres. The Games are being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from 18th to 24th October 2026. The Asian Para Games are a multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities from across Asia.
52. India's Kasthuri Rajamani won silver in the women's 67kg powerlifting event at the Asian Para Games on 21st October 2026. The Games are being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Rajamani, a 42-year-old athlete from Tamil Nadu, lifted 108kg on her third and final attempt.
53. Sachin Khilari won the men's shot put F46 gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games on 21st October 2026. His throw of 15.87 metres set a Games record, and India secured all three medals in the event. He also became a two-time Asian Para Games champion in the shot put F46 event, having won gold at Hangzhou in 2023.
54. Indian para-athlete Praveen Kumar won gold in the men's high jump T44/64 event at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on 21st October 2026. He cleared 2.05 metres to set a new Games record. India's Banti won silver with a personal-best jump of 1.92 metres, while Uzbekistan's Temurbek Giyazov took bronze with 1.86 metres.
55. Dilip Gavit won the men's 100m T47 gold medal at the 2026 Asian Para Games on 21st October 2026. He clocked 10.69 seconds at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Japan. India's Mohammed Basil Morssinganakath finished second in 10.72 seconds.
56. India won gold and silver medals in archery at the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on 22nd October 2026. Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar won the compound mixed team final, while Swati Chaudhary took silver in the women's individual W1 event.
57. Rajgir in Bihar will host an India-New Zealand Under-20 Rugby Series from 22nd to 28th October 2026. New Zealand's under-20 men's and women's teams, named Tama Toa and Hine Toa, will play Indian under-20 teams. The series is linked to 100 years of sports cooperation between India and New Zealand.
58. India became the first men's cricket team to record 200 outright victories in T20 Internationals on 24th October 2026. The landmark came with a four-wicket win over New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, and also marked India's 300th men's T20 International appearance.
59. India's Yuki Bhambri and American Ryan Seggerman won the men's doubles title at the ATP 250 Almaty Open in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 25th October 2026. They defeated top seeds Lucas Miedler and Neil Oberleitner of Austria in the final.
60. Ahmedabad will host the Senior World Weightlifting Championships in 2029, the first time India has hosted the senior edition of the competition. The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) confirmed the decision on 25th October 2026, after an Executive Board meeting in Ningbo, China.
61. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) announced a 17-member Indian contingent for the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games on 26th October 2026. The Games are scheduled from 31st October to 13th November 2026 in Senegal.
62. Punjab will host the Men's Asian Champions Trophy from 27th October to 5th November 2026 in Jalandhar and Mohali. It will be the first international hockey tournament in Punjab since the 2009 Punjab Gold Cup. India will host the competition for the second time and enter as defending champions and five-time winners.
63. Kajal Dhochak and Neelam Sirohi won silver medals at the World Wrestling Championships, which concluded in Astana, Kazakhstan, on 28th October 2026. Dhochak competed in the 76kg category and Sirohi in the 50kg category. They became the first two Indian women to reach the finals in the same edition of the championships.
References:
jagranjosh.com
gktoday.in
business-standard.com
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