Tuesday, Oct 20

Daily Current Affairs: 20 October 2026

Daily current affairs for 20 October 2026 with exam-focused key facts, connected news context, and revision notes for UPSC, SSC, banking and government exams.

Editorial note for exam revision Last updated: 20 October 2026. This briefing is structured for current affairs revision, with key updates and related coverage links to help readers connect recurring topics across days.

Today at a glance

Top current affairs to revise

  1. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Issues Detailed Checklist for Banks to Scrutinise Large Overseas Direct Investments Above
    Editorial note for exam revision Last updated: 20 October 2026. This briefing is structured for current affairs revision, with key updates and related coverage links to help readers connect recurring topics across days.
    Billion
  2. Labour Bureau data shows CPI inflation for agricultural and rural labourers exceeds headline CPI in September
  3. CBDT notifies Form 173A as mandatory for claiming tax exemption on interest and capital gains from government securities
  4. Retail sugar inflation tops 30% in 21 states and UTs with Odisha recording the highest rise
  5. India-UK CETA: Exports to UK rise 8% while imports fall 17% in first two months
  6. India Extends Rs 3,000 Crore Currency Swap Rollover for Maldives From October 23, 2026

Headlines by topic

Topic-wise current affairs headlines

All topic pages
Economy, Banking and Finance9 headlines
  1. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Issues Detailed Checklist for Banks to Scrutinise Large Overseas Direct Investments Above $1 Billion
  2. Labour Bureau data shows CPI inflation for agricultural and rural labourers exceeds headline CPI in September
  3. CBDT notifies Form 173A as mandatory for claiming tax exemption on interest and capital gains from government securities
  4. Retail sugar inflation tops 30% in 21 states and UTs with Odisha recording the highest rise
  5. India-UK CETA: Exports to UK rise 8% while imports fall 17% in first two months
  6. India Extends Rs 3,000 Crore Currency Swap Rollover for Maldives From October 23, 2026
  7. Income Tax Department notifies tax exemption on interest from New Development Bank's Maharaja Bonds
  8. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) permits banks to use 1600-series numbers for two-way communication
  9. SEBI grants 1 Finance in-principle approval for India's first MF Lite asset management company
Open Economy & Banking topic page
Government Schemes and Policy4 headlines
  1. Finance Ministry clears in principle MNRE's proposed scheme to support domestic solar polysilicon manufacturing
  2. New airfare rules: no general fare regulation, caps only in exceptional public-interest cases
  3. Centre Rolls Out Upgraded Agri Welfare Portal for Farmer Services
  4. Finance Ministry to launch nationwide financial scheme saturation campaign across 2.70 lakh gram panchayats and urban local bodies
Open Schemes & Policy topic page
International, Defence and Summits3 headlines
  1. India and Australia Launch Fifth Joint Military Exercise AUSTRAHIND 2026 in Thiruvananthapuram
  2. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh urges SCO members at 25th Council of Heads of Government in Dushanbe to jointly dismantle terrorism's entire ecosystem; India to host first SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum by year-end
  3. India Placed 100th of 122 Countries with Serious Score of 24.1 in Global Hunger Index 2026
Open International & Defence topic page
Science, Discovery, Tech and Environment1 headline
  1. Aditya-L1's VELC payload produces first-of-their-kind Doppler velocity images of the solar corona
Open Science & Environment topic page
Sports1 headline
  1. Asian Para Games 2026: India's Day 2 Medals, Records and Competition Progress
Open Sports topic page
Miscellaneous Current Affairs1 headline
  1. Sirpur in Chhattisgarh added to UNESCO tentative list, moves toward World Heritage status
Open Miscellaneous topic page
People, Positions and Obituaries2 headlines
  1. Subhas Chandra Lal Das Named Part-Time Chairperson of Financial Services Institutions Bureau
  2. Sewa Director Reema Nanavaty Honoured with Hillary Rodham Clinton Award at Georgetown University
Open People & Positions topic page
Jump to current affairs headlines
  1. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Issues Detailed Checklist for Banks to Scrutinise Large Overseas Direct Investments Above $1 Billion
  2. Labour Bureau data shows CPI inflation for agricultural and rural labourers exceeds headline CPI in September
  3. CBDT notifies Form 173A as mandatory for claiming tax exemption on interest and capital gains from government securities
  4. Retail sugar inflation tops 30% in 21 states and UTs with Odisha recording the highest rise
  5. India-UK CETA: Exports to UK rise 8% while imports fall 17% in first two months
  6. India Extends Rs 3,000 Crore Currency Swap Rollover for Maldives From October 23, 2026
  7. Income Tax Department notifies tax exemption on interest from New Development Bank's Maharaja Bonds
  8. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) permits banks to use 1600-series numbers for two-way communication
  9. SEBI grants 1 Finance in-principle approval for India's first MF Lite asset management company
  10. Finance Ministry clears in principle MNRE's proposed scheme to support domestic solar polysilicon manufacturing
  11. New airfare rules: no general fare regulation, caps only in exceptional public-interest cases
  12. Centre Rolls Out Upgraded Agri Welfare Portal for Farmer Services
  13. Finance Ministry to launch nationwide financial scheme saturation campaign across 2.70 lakh gram panchayats and urban local bodies
  14. India and Australia Launch Fifth Joint Military Exercise AUSTRAHIND 2026 in Thiruvananthapuram
  15. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh urges SCO members at 25th Council of Heads of Government in Dushanbe to jointly dismantle terrorism's entire ecosystem; India to host first SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum by year-end
  16. India Placed 100th of 122 Countries with Serious Score of 24.1 in Global Hunger Index 2026
  17. Aditya-L1's VELC payload produces first-of-their-kind Doppler velocity images of the solar corona
  18. Asian Para Games 2026: India's Day 2 Medals, Records and Competition Progress
  19. Sirpur in Chhattisgarh added to UNESCO tentative list, moves toward World Heritage status
  20. Subhas Chandra Lal Das Named Part-Time Chairperson of Financial Services Institutions Bureau
  21. Sewa Director Reema Nanavaty Honoured with Hillary Rodham Clinton Award at Georgetown University
☰

Jump to current affairs

Headlines 20 October 2026
  1. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Issues Detailed Checklist for Banks to Scrutinise Large Overseas Direct Investments Above $1 Billion
  2. Labour Bureau data shows CPI inflation for agricultural and rural labourers exceeds headline CPI in September
  3. CBDT notifies Form 173A as mandatory for claiming tax exemption on interest and capital gains from government securities
  4. Retail sugar inflation tops 30% in 21 states and UTs with Odisha recording the highest rise
  5. India-UK CETA: Exports to UK rise 8% while imports fall 17% in first two months
  6. India Extends Rs 3,000 Crore Currency Swap Rollover for Maldives From October 23, 2026
  7. Income Tax Department notifies tax exemption on interest from New Development Bank's Maharaja Bonds
  8. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) permits banks to use 1600-series numbers for two-way communication
  9. SEBI grants 1 Finance in-principle approval for India's first MF Lite asset management company
  10. Finance Ministry clears in principle MNRE's proposed scheme to support domestic solar polysilicon manufacturing
  11. New airfare rules: no general fare regulation, caps only in exceptional public-interest cases
  12. Centre Rolls Out Upgraded Agri Welfare Portal for Farmer Services
  13. Finance Ministry to launch nationwide financial scheme saturation campaign across 2.70 lakh gram panchayats and urban local bodies
  14. India and Australia Launch Fifth Joint Military Exercise AUSTRAHIND 2026 in Thiruvananthapuram
  15. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh urges SCO members at 25th Council of Heads of Government in Dushanbe to jointly dismantle terrorism's entire ecosystem; India to host first SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum by year-end
  16. India Placed 100th of 122 Countries with Serious Score of 24.1 in Global Hunger Index 2026
  17. Aditya-L1's VELC payload produces first-of-their-kind Doppler velocity images of the solar corona
  18. Asian Para Games 2026: India's Day 2 Medals, Records and Competition Progress
  19. Sirpur in Chhattisgarh added to UNESCO tentative list, moves toward World Heritage status
  20. Subhas Chandra Lal Das Named Part-Time Chairperson of Financial Services Institutions Bureau
  21. Sewa Director Reema Nanavaty Honoured with Hillary Rodham Clinton Award at Georgetown University
Topic

Economy, Banking and Finance

View all Economy & Banking

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Issues Detailed Checklist for Banks to Scrutinise Large Overseas Direct Investments Above $1 Billion

Key Updates:

  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued banks a detailed and standardised checklist for scrutinising large-value overseas direct investments (ODIs) by Indian companies amid pressure on the rupee.
  • The stricter scrutiny applies to all ODIs above $1 billion and beyond the regulatory cap of four times the net worth of the domestic investing company.
  • ODI outflows crossed $30 billion in FY26, up from about $11 billion five years ago.
  • Banks must not rely merely on the availability of a valuation report and must examine whether the premium paid is significantly above intrinsic value and whether swap exchange ratios are independently defensible.
  • Banks must assess the investing company's quality of earnings, previous ODI experience, existing overseas commitments, ability to absorb adverse events, and the bona fide nature of the foreign entity and country risk.
  • Banks must submit amounts and timelines of potential benefits to India, such as incremental exports, import substitution, access to new markets, technology-IP transfer, and inflows of dividends and fees.
  • Where an Indian parent offers a guarantee to lower the overseas entity's borrowing cost, banks must assess the likelihood of invocation of such guarantees.

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Labour Bureau data shows CPI inflation for agricultural and rural labourers exceeds headline CPI in September

Key Updates:

  • CPI inflation for Agricultural Labourers rose to 6.30% in September from 5.18% in August, while inflation for Rural Labourers rose to 5.98% from 4.83%, according to Labour Bureau data.
  • Inflation for Agricultural Labourers (6.30%) and Rural Labourers (5.98%) was higher than the general CPI inflation of 5.54% in September.
  • Food inflation rose to 8.24% for Agricultural Labourers and 7.84% for Rural Labourers in September, exceeding the general retail food inflation of 7.74%.
  • CPI inflation for Agricultural Labourers has been higher than general retail inflation for the last five months, while September was the first month this calendar year that CPI for Rural Labourers exceeded headline inflation.
  • The CPI indices for Agricultural and Rural Labourers are used to revise minimum wages for agricultural and rural labour in different states and are based on data from 787 sample villages across 34 States and Union Territories.

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CBDT notifies Form 173A as mandatory for claiming tax exemption on interest and capital gains from government securities

Key Updates:

  • The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has made it mandatory to furnish information in a new Form 173A to claim income-tax exemption on interest and capital gains from government securities.
  • Form 173A was added to the Income-tax Rules, 2026, through the Income-tax (Seventh Amendment) Rules, 2026, notified on October 19 under Notification No. 137/2026, and the rules came into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
  • The amendment inserts a new rule 281A, requiring assessees to furnish Form 173A to claim exemption under Schedule IV (Sl. Nos. 13D and 13E) of the Income-tax Act, 2025.
  • Part A of Form 173A seeks details including name, country of residence, address, PAN, tax year, email and contact number, along with the Tax Identification Number (TIN) and SEBI registration number as an FPI or FII, which are optional for the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
  • Part B of Form 173A requires details of exempt income claimed, including ISIN, type of government security (Treasury Bills, fixed rate bonds, floating rate bonds, State Development Loans and others), tenor, securities values on April 1 and March 31, purchase value, sale consideration, gross interest and capital gains, ending with a declaration signed by the principal officer.
  • The Income-tax Act, 2025 came into force on April 1, 2026, and the Income-tax Rules, 2026 were published in the Gazette of India on March 20, 2026.
  • Entries 13D and 13E were added to Schedule IV through the Income-tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, promulgated on June 5 and effective from April 1, 2026, exempting interest on government securities and capital gains from their sale, exchange or transfer.
  • Entry 13D covers foreign institutional investors as defined in section 210(6)(a) of the Income-tax Act, 2025, while Entry 13E covers the Bank for International Settlements, based in Basel, Switzerland.

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Retail sugar inflation tops 30% in 21 states and UTs with Odisha recording the highest rise

Key Updates:

  • Retail sugar inflation crossed 30 per cent in 21 of the 36 states and Union Territories in September 2026, with Odisha recording the highest rise at 37.48 per cent.
  • National retail sugar inflation rose to 29.80 per cent in September from 24.27 per cent in August, the highest since January 2026 in the new CPI series with 2024 as the base year.
  • The Consumer Price Index (CPI) sugar index stood at 136.25 in September, the highest since January 2025.
  • September's reading was the highest in 2026 in every state and Union Territory except Rajasthan, where sugar inflation eased from 25.65 per cent in August to 25.15 per cent.
  • Wholesale sugar inflation stood at 12.72 per cent in September, easing from 16.29 per cent in August, which was the highest in 30 months.
  • Oil marketing companies barred ethanol made from sugarcane juice, sugar syrup and B-heavy molasses from their procurement tender for the 2026-27 supply year, issued on 16 October, amid concerns over sugar availability after poor rainfall in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
  • The tender allows ethanol from maize, broken rice, surplus rice procured by the Food Corporation of India and C-heavy molasses, and cuts the incentive for maize-based ethanol to ₹2.79 per litre from ₹5.79, lowering its procurement price to ₹68.86 per litre from ₹71.86.
  • Wholesale maize prices rose 3.34 per cent in September year-on-year, reversing a deflationary trend seen since July 2025.

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India-UK CETA: Exports to UK rise 8% while imports fall 17% in first two months

Key Updates:

  • India's merchandise exports to the UK rose 8% year-on-year to $2.43 billion in August-September 2026, the first two full months after the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) came into force on July 15, 2026.
  • India's goods imports from the UK fell 16.8% to $1.36 billion in August-September 2026.
  • India's exports to the UK grew over 10% to $1.26 billion in August 2026 and about 5.5% to $1.17 billion in September 2026, after a 4.2% fall to $1.2 billion in July 2026.
  • Imports from the UK rose nearly 12% to $639 million in July 2026 and over 24% to $733 million in August, before falling 40% to $630 million in September 2026, partly due to lower imports of precious metals like silver.
  • Provisional commerce ministry data released on October 15 showed India's exports to the UK rose 7.22% to $7.32 billion in April-September 2026-27, while imports declined 1.6% to $4.06 billion.
  • The CETA provides zero-duty access for nearly 99% of India's exports covering almost 100% of trade value, including labour-intensive products such as textiles, leather goods, marine products, gems and jewellery, toys, engineering goods, chemicals and auto components.
  • CETA removes or reduces tariffs on 90% of tariff lines covering about 92% of India's goods imports from the UK, cutting duties on whisky and gin from 150% to 75% at entry into force and 40% after staging, and reducing car tariffs from up to 110% to 10% under a quota.
  • CETA also provides simplified rules of origin, boosts services trade and professional mobility, and a Double Contribution Convention exempts workers and employers from paying social security contributions.

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India Extends Rs 3,000 Crore Currency Swap Rollover for Maldives From October 23, 2026

Key Updates:

  • India confirmed the first rollover of its Rs 3,000 crore currency swap arrangement with Maldives, effective from October 23, 2026, at the request of the Maldivian government.
  • Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated the rollover would add to the financial stability of the Maldives and strengthen the two countries' development cooperation partnership.
  • The currency swap arrangement was established under an agreement signed in October 2024.
  • The facility is extended under the Framework on Currency Swap Arrangement for SAARC countries, signed between the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Maldives Monetary Authority during President Mohamed Muizzu's state visit to India in October 2024.
  • The first drawdown of Rs 30 billion was extended to the Maldivian government on April 23, 2026.
  • Under the 2024-27 framework, the bilateral currency swap arrangement provides concessions, including favourable interest rates and other conditions.
  • Since the framework was introduced in 2012, the RBI has provided aggregate swap support of more than $1.1 billion to the Maldives.
  • India subscribed to two long-term Maldivian Treasury bonds worth $250 million and $100 million, and paid $42.8 million in interest on three Treasury bills worth $150 million that were settled by the Maldives.
  • The Maldives holds a special place under India's Neighbourhood First Policy and its MAHASAGAR vision — Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.

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RBI Forex Swap Facility Attracts Over $20.7 Billion (End of July)

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched a concessional swap facility on June 5, 2026, which became operational on June 8, 2026. As of July 17, 2026, the facility had attracted cumulative forex inflows of $20.718…

Income Tax Department notifies tax exemption on interest from New Development Bank's Maharaja Bonds

Key Updates:

  • The Income Tax Department has notified exemption of tax on interest earned from Maharaja Bonds issued by the New Development Bank (NDB), covering resident Indians and Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) for tax year 2026-27 and subsequent years.
  • The notification came into force on October 19, 2026, the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
  • Maharaja Bond is an onshore rupee-denominated debt instrument, unlike Masala Bonds which are issued by Indian entities in international markets but denominated in rupees.
  • The first Maharaja Bond was issued in 2014 by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group.
  • NDB President Dilma Rousseff announced plans to channel $7.5 billion into India over five years, including $5 billion in sovereign lending and a planned $2.5 billion-equivalent (around ₹25,000 crore) rupee bond programme.
  • The NDB bond issuance will be supported by the Government of India and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
  • NDB, established in 2015 by BRICS countries, is a multilateral development bank funding infrastructure and sustainable development in BRICS and other Emerging Market and Developing Countries.
  • The Income Tax Department notified a new Form 173A for FIIs, overseas investors and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) to claim exemption from capital gains tax on interest and trading gains from government bonds, effective retrospectively from April 1.
  • Under the previous regime, short-term capital gains on government securities were taxed at 30 per cent and long-term capital gains at 12.5 per cent.

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Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) permits banks to use 1600-series numbers for two-way communication

Key Updates:

  • The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has allowed banks and other financial entities to use 1600-series numbers for two-way communication with customers.
  • Customers can call back on a 1600-series number if they miss a call from their bank or need information or clarification.
  • Banks may use other numbers to reach customers if unable to connect through a 1600 number, including when the customer has blocked the number or does not answer.
  • The 1600 series is designated for service and transactional calls from banks and regulated financial entities, while the 140 series is for promotional communications.
  • Trai has barred third-party caller-identification applications from tagging 1600-series numbers as spam, though customers may still block such calls at the device level.
  • Blocking of 1600-series numbers is particularly common in loan recovery calls, and banks with the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) are running outreach programmes to create awareness about the series.

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SEBI grants 1 Finance in-principle approval for India's first MF Lite asset management company

Key Updates:

  • 1 Finance has received in-principle approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to establish India's first MF Lite asset management company, with launch targeted for Q4 of FY 2026-27.
  • The proposed AMC will offer passive investment products, including index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), under SEBI's MF Lite framework, subject to final registration.
  • Mutual fund schemes can be launched only after SEBI grants final registration to the AMC.
  • 1 Finance is a Mumbai-based personal finance advisory firm with more than ₹17,000 crore in assets under advice.
  • MF Lite is a regulatory framework intended for passive investment schemes such as index funds and ETFs.
  • 1 Finance is backed by the Marwadi Chandarana Group, a financial services institution with interests across education and alternative energy.

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Topic

Government Schemes and Policy

View all Schemes & Policy

Finance Ministry clears in principle MNRE's proposed scheme to support domestic solar polysilicon manufacturing

Key Updates:

  • The Ministry of Finance has given in-principle approval to a proposal by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to launch a special scheme supporting domestic polysilicon manufacturing, with the proposal to be moved to the Cabinet, hopefully within a month.
  • Polysilicon, a highly purified form of silicon, is the primary raw material for over 95 per cent of solar panels globally and is the only segment of India's domestic solar value chain not currently covered by a support mechanism.
  • The government targets 30,000 megawatt of domestic polysilicon manufacturing capacity by 2030, requiring an investment of around ₹25,000 crore, according to MNRE Secretary Santosh K Sarangi.
  • Existing support measures across the rest of the solar value chain include the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme and the approved list of models and manufacturers (ALMM); India's solar module manufacturing capacity stands at 225 gigawatt and cell capacity at 37 gigawatt, expected to rise to 50 gigawatt by March 2027.
  • Chinese firms account for more than 93 per cent of global polysilicon production, which is also a key feedstock for the semiconductor industry.
  • ALMM List-I for solar modules is in force, List-II for solar photovoltaic cells came into effect in June this year, and List-III for ingots and wafers, introduced in March, requires solar projects to source these components locally from June 2028.

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New airfare rules: no general fare regulation, caps only in exceptional public-interest cases

Key Updates:

  • Under the new airfare rules, the Centre may cap unjustified airfares on individual routes only in exceptional circumstances deemed necessary in the public interest, with no general airfare cap envisaged.
  • Airlines must provide the regulator DGCA with information on airfares along with a break-up of operating costs and taxes, but will retain pricing freedom without prior government approval.
  • The rules come amid steep festive-season fare increases on key domestic routes during Durga Puja, Chhath Puja and year-end holiday periods.
  • The rules formalise the basis for airfare assessment, replacing earlier ad hoc measures and differing interpretations on airfare intervention.
  • Last week the Centre informed the Supreme Court that the rules were finalised with administrative approval and would be published within two weeks; the court directed the published rules to be placed before it by November 16, when the matter will be taken up next.

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DoT Caps Mobile Connections at Nine per Subscriber (End of August)

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has directed telecom operators to deny new mobile connections to subscribers who already have nine SIM cards registered in their name. The directive will be effective from…

Centre Rolls Out Upgraded Agri Welfare Portal for Farmer Services

Key Updates:

  • Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the upgraded Agri Welfare Portal on October 20, 2026, giving farmers mobile access to government schemes, financial assistance and agricultural information.
  • The portal is a single-window gateway to initiatives including PM-KISAN, AgriStack and the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
  • Farmers can access information on weather, scientific farming practices, seed and fertiliser availability, and agricultural market prices.
  • The portal will also connect Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), agricultural scientists, researchers and startups.
  • A nationwide training campaign through Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) will help farmers use the portal and other digital tools.
  • The portal is lightweight and user-friendly, designed to work on basic smartphones and in areas with weak internet connectivity.

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Finance Ministry to launch nationwide financial scheme saturation campaign across 2.70 lakh gram panchayats and urban local bodies

Key Updates:

  • The Finance Ministry will run a nationwide campaign to saturate financial schemes, covering 2.70 lakh gram panchayats and urban local bodies across India.
  • The campaign will start on October 21 and run till December 31, 2026.
  • Banks will conduct camps for enrolments and Aadhaar seeding under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana (APY).
  • The campaign will also include updating nominations in savings accounts and providing other financial facilities.

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Topic

International, Defence and Summits

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India and Australia Launch Fifth Joint Military Exercise AUSTRAHIND 2026 in Thiruvananthapuram

Key Updates:

  • The fifth edition of the India-Australia Joint Military Exercise AUSTRAHIND 2026 began on October 19, 2026 at the Foreign Training Node in Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam, and will conclude on November 1, 2026.
  • Approximately 120 personnel from each army — a total of 240 defence personnel — are participating, with the Indian contingent drawn from the Garhwal Rifles and the Australian contingent from 13 Brigade.
  • The exercise is being conducted under the theme 'Joint Sub-Conventional Operations in Island and Coastal Environment under Chapter VII of the UN Mandate'.
  • Training will cover coordinated operations in coastal and island terrain, surveillance and reconnaissance, protection of vital installations, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief responses, including aerial and maritime dimensions.
  • For the first time, an observer delegation from New Zealand is participating in the exercise.
  • The previous (fourth) edition was held at Irwin Barracks in Perth, Australia, from October 13 to 26, 2025.
  • The exercise aims to enhance interoperability, jointmanship and mutual trust between the two armies and reinforce their shared commitment to peace, stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region.

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Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh urges SCO members at 25th Council of Heads of Government in Dushanbe to jointly dismantle terrorism's entire ecosystem; India to host first SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum by year-end

Key Updates:

  • Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh addressed the 25th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on October 20, 2026, calling on Member States to make concerted efforts to dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorism, which he described as one of the gravest threats to peace and development.
  • Singh stated there can be no justification for terrorism, no double standards in addressing it, and no place for those who finance, support, or provide safe havens to terrorists; Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was present at the meeting.
  • Singh recalled the SCO Summit in Bishkek (August-September 2026), where Prime Minister Narendra Modi underlined concrete steps on security, connectivity and opportunity, and reaffirmed India's support for the Action Plan 2026-2030 under the Programme for Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation (PMTEC).
  • Singh welcomed the Bishkek Summit decisions to establish the Universal Centre in Tashkent and the Anti-Drug Centre in Dushanbe as permanent bodies of the SCO, saying their effectiveness would depend on efficient coordination and timely execution.
  • On connectivity, Singh said initiatives such as the International North-South Transport Corridor and Chabahar Port can significantly connect Central Asia with broader markets, and stressed that connectivity must be based on consultation and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.
  • Singh announced that India will host the first SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum by the end of 2026 and invited all member countries to participate; the forum was proposed by PM Modi at the SCO Council of Heads of State summit in Tianjin in 2025 to strengthen people-to-people ties and showcase ancient civilisations, art, literature and traditions.
  • The Heads of Delegation adopted the Joint Communiqué of the 25th SCO CHG Meeting, covering the SCO budget for 2027, relevant financial and administrative decisions, and the PMTEC Action Plan for 2026-2030.
  • The meeting reviewed progress in multilateral economic and trade cooperation and discussed strengthening cooperation in transport, finance, digital economy and social development; the SCO CHG is the mechanism responsible for promoting economic and practical cooperation among Member States.
  • India has been a full member of the SCO since 2017 and continues to participate actively in its various mechanisms.
  • On the sidelines, Singh met Tajikistan Prime Minister Qohir Rosulzoda, highlighting longstanding civilisational ties and people-to-people links, and also met Iran's First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref.
  • Singh highlighted India's global initiatives — the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Mission LiFE and the Global Biofuel Alliance — as contributing to affordable clean energy, climate-resilient development and sustainable lifestyles.
  • Singh cited India's Digital Public Infrastructure, one of the world's largest start-up ecosystems, and women-led development as demonstrating the transformative potential of technology and innovation.
  • Singh also referred to his October 15 remarks in New Delhi that any future terrorist act originating from Pakistan would draw an even stronger response, and that since 2014 the 'shelf life' of most terrorists had fallen to less than a year.

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India Placed 100th of 122 Countries with Serious Score of 24.1 in Global Hunger Index 2026

Key Updates:

  • The Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2026, released on 14 October 2026 with the theme 'No Security Without Food Security', ranked India 100th of 122 countries, tied with Ethiopia, with a score of 24.1 in the 'serious' category.
  • The report is published jointly by Welthungerhilfe (WHH), the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV) at Ruhr University Bochum, and Helvetas.
  • India's 2026 indicator values are undernourishment 9.8% (2023-25), child wasting 19.0% (2021-25), child stunting 29.3% (2024) and child mortality 2.7% (2024); child wasting rose from 17.9% around 2000 while undernourishment improved from 18.1%.
  • The GHI combines four indicators on a 100-point scale with weights of one-third each for undernourishment and child mortality and one-sixth each for child stunting and child wasting, so child indicators carry two-thirds of the weight; the serious band covers scores of 20.0 to 34.9.
  • India's GHI score improved from 38.1 in 2000 to 24.1 in 2026, with intermediate scores of 37.0 (2006), 28.8 (2012) and 25.8 (2018).
  • Among India's neighbours, Sri Lanka ranked 53rd (score 10.2), Nepal 72nd (14.5), Bangladesh 84th (19.2), Pakistan 106th (25.5) and Afghanistan 108th (28.6).
  • The world GHI score in 2026 is 18.1 (moderate) and South Asia's is 23.5.
  • The Government of India disputed the index in 2022 and 2023, calling it an erroneous measure of hunger with serious methodological issues, noting undernourishment was based on a small sample of 3,000 and that Poshan Tracker child wasting was consistently below 7.2% versus the 18.7% used in GHI 2023.
  • World Food Day was observed on 16 October 2026 under the FAO banner 'Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow.'; the Food and Agriculture Organization was founded on 16 October 1945 in Quebec City.
  • India's food and nutrition safety net includes the National Food Security Act, 2013 (5 kg foodgrains per person monthly, 35 kg for Antyodaya households, covering up to 75% rural and 50% urban population), PMGKAY providing free foodgrains to about 81.35 crore beneficiaries for five years from 1 January 2024 at an estimated cost of Rs 11.80 lakh crore, and Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 approved for 2021-22 to 2025-26.

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Science, Discovery, Tech and Environment

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Aditya-L1's VELC payload produces first-of-their-kind Doppler velocity images of the solar corona

Key Updates:

  • Scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have generated Doppler velocity images of activities in the solar corona using data from the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) payload onboard India's first solar mission, Aditya-L1.
  • These images are expected to provide information on the propagation of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) along the Sun-Earth direction, which was unavailable until now.
  • Using the Doppler effect concept applied to light waves, positive and negative Doppler velocities indicate solar plasma moving away from and towards the observer, respectively.
  • The VELC data processing software was developed by Dr V. Muthupriyal, Senior Project Scientist with the VELC payload operations team at IIA, and her team.
  • The technical details of the data processing were published in the Astrophysical Journal after international peer review.
  • According to Prof. R. Ramesh, Senior Professor at IIA and Principal Investigator of the VELC project, only VELC can currently generate such images due to its unique spectroscopic observing capability in the visible wavelength range from the Lagrangian L1 position in the Sun-Earth system.
  • The processed Doppler velocity images will be disseminated to the scientific community in addition to data already in the public domain.

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Sports

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Asian Para Games 2026: India's Day 2 Medals, Records and Competition Progress

Key Updates:

  • Deepthi Jeevanji of India won gold in the women's 400m T20 event at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya on October 20, setting a Games record of 56.36 seconds; it was her second successive Asian Para Games gold and marked India's fifth gold medal and first of Day 2.
  • In the women's 400m T20 final, Japan's Niina Kanno took silver in 58.92 seconds and compatriot Akane Kato won bronze in 1:00.26, while Jeevanji finished more than two seconds clear as the Paris 2024 Paralympics bronze medallist.
  • Pranav Soorma won gold with an Asian record throw of 11.66m in the men's discus throw combined F51/52/53 event, leading a 1-2 finish for India ahead of compatriot Ram Ratan Singh, who took silver with 10.35m.
  • Iran's Alireza Hemami, an F53 athlete, took bronze in the men's discus throw F51/52/53 with a fourth-round throw of 20.20m, placed below Soorma and Singh under the Raza Point System used for combined classification events.
  • Simran won her maiden Asian Para Games gold in the women's 200m T12 event with a Games record 24.80 seconds, finishing ahead of Iran's Hajar Safarzadeh (25.02 seconds), while debutant Tejalben Damor took bronze at 25.23 seconds in Nagoya.
  • Devender Kumar won the gold medal in the Men's Discus Throw F43/F44/F62/F64 event at the Asian Para Games 2026.
  • Preeti Pal won the silver medal in the Women's 200m T35 event at the Asian Para Games 2026.
  • Niranjan Mukundan won the bronze medal in the Men's 200m Individual Medley SM7 event at the Asian Para Games 2026.
  • Himanshu Nandal won the bronze medal in the Men's 400m Freestyle S11 event at the Asian Para Games 2026.
  • Shrishti Arora won the bronze medal in the Women's 10m Air Pistol SH1 event at her first Asian Para Games.
  • Ashok won the silver medal in the Men's -65kg Para Powerlifting event at the Asian Para Games 2026.
  • Pradeep Kumar won his second consecutive Asian Para Games silver medal in the Men's Javelin Throw F53/54 event, achieving a personal best.
  • Bhavina Patel won the bronze medal in the Women's Singles Class 4-5 para table tennis event at the Asian Para Games 2026 after losing the semi-final 7-11, 5-11, 7-11 to China's Zhang Bian; she is a 2020 Paralympics silver medallist.
  • India's mixed SL3-SU5 para badminton pair of Pramod Bhagat and Manisha Ramdass assured themselves of a medal by reaching the semi-finals, defeating Thailand's Srinavakul Chanida and Teamarrom Siripong 21-15, 21-14 in 25 minutes.
  • Indian para archers Harvinder Singh and Bhawna advanced in the men's and women's recurve events respectively, while compound archers Sheetal Devi, Payal Nag, Toman Kumar and Shyam Sunder Swami all secured quarterfinal berths in individual events at the 2026 Asian Para Games.

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Miscellaneous Current Affairs

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Sirpur in Chhattisgarh added to UNESCO tentative list, moves toward World Heritage status

Key Updates:

  • Sirpur, an archaeological site in Mahasamund district of Chhattisgarh on the eastern banks of the Mahanadi River, has been included in UNESCO's tentative list, bringing it a step closer to World Heritage Site status.
  • Sirpur contains remains of Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions dating from the 5th to the 12th century CE, including 22 Shiva temples, five Vaishnava temples, 10 Buddhist viharas, and three Jain viharas.
  • The Lakshmana Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu and built around the 7th century, is one of the finest brick temples in India.
  • Sirpur was once the flourishing capital of Dakshina Kosala under the Panduvanshi and later the Somavamshi kings.
  • After tentative list inclusion, the Archaeological Survey of India has one year to prepare and submit a detailed nomination dossier to UNESCO, which must demonstrate Outstanding Universal Value (OUV).
  • The town forms four thematic clusters — Buddhist monastic, Hindu temple, civic-administrative, and Riverine Sacred Landscape — to be connected by heritage pathways with battery-operated vehicles for visitors.

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Rajasthan's Shekhawati Havelis Added to UNESCO Tentative List (Start of September)

Rajasthan's historic Shekhawati havelis have been included in UNESCO's Tentative List, a preliminary step towards potential World Heritage status, covering heritage properties across 14 towns including Alsisar, Bissau…

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People, Positions and Obituaries

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Subhas Chandra Lal Das Named Part-Time Chairperson of Financial Services Institutions Bureau

Key Updates:

  • The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Subhas Chandra Lal (SCL) Das as the part-time Chairperson of the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB).
  • Subhas Chandra Lal Das will serve a three-year term as part-time Chairperson.
  • Six part-time members were also appointed to FSIB, spanning banking, financial institutions, and public sector insurance divisions.

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Sewa Director Reema Nanavaty Honoured with Hillary Rodham Clinton Award at Georgetown University

Key Updates:

  • Indian social worker Reema Nanavaty, director of the Self-Employed Women's Association (Sewa), received the Hillary Rodham Clinton Award for her work in empowering women workers, improving food security and expanding access to sustainable energy.
  • Former US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton presented the award at Georgetown University in Washington during a ceremony hosted by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security.
  • Sewa, founded in 1972 by Ela Bhatt, is India's largest trade union of informal sector workers and represents more than two million self-employed women under Nanavaty's leadership.
  • Nanavaty led Sewa's food security programme supporting over one million households and the Hariyali Green Energy and Livelihoods Initiative providing affordable clean energy to low-income women workers.
  • Nanavaty received the Padma Shri in 2013 for her contributions to society.
  • The 2026 Hillary Rodham Clinton Awards also honoured Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank, and fashion designer Tory Burch, while Muna Sukhtian of Jordan's Microfund for Women received the Georgetown Ambassadors Award.

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Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards 2024 Announced (Start of September)

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards (TNNAA) 2024 for four achievers. The awardees include Baljeet Kaur and Skalzang Rigzin in the Land Adventure category, Rimo…