CURRENT AFFAIRS 2026

🟠 OCTOBER 2026

1. UPSC completed 100 years — The Union Public Service Commission marked its centenary in October 2026.

2. UPSC Centenary Celebrations — Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the centenary celebrations of UPSC in New Delhi on 1 October. (The Times of India)

3. GOBARdhan Central Sector Scheme — A Central Sector Scheme for the Compressed Biogas (CBG) sector was launched on 1 October 2026.

4. GOBARdhan Unified Portal — The GOBARdhan Handbook and Unified GOBARdhan Portal were launched along with the scheme. (Current Affairs Pulse)

5. PM E-DRIVE Scheme — The outlay of PM E-DRIVE was increased to ₹11,900 crore and the scheme was extended up to 31 March 2028. (Current Affairs Pulse)

6. Andaman Sea Mineral Blocks — Two offshore polymetallic nodule blocks were offered for composite licence auction: Sewell Rise-01 and West Sewell Ridge-01. (Current Affairs Pulse)

7. National PNG Drive 3.0 — PNGRB launched National PNG Drive 3.0 and the MyPNG consumer portal on 1 October.

8. PNGRB Foundation Day — The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board marked its 20th Foundation Day in October 2026. (Current Affairs Pulse)

9. G20 Trade Ministers — G20 Trade Ministers reached a statement opposing the weaponisation of food through coercive trade actions. (Current Affairs Pulse)

10. Gandhi Jayanti — 2 October 2026 marked the 157th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

11. Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti — 2 October also marked the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

12. Asian Games 2026 — Indian athletes won gold medals in women's hockey, men's wrestling, men's boxing and women's boxing during the Asian Games period. (Press Information Bureau)

13. Smriti Mandhana has been appointed the new white-ball captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, succeeding Harmanpreet Kaur.

14. Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down as captain of the Indian women’s cricket team but will continue to play for India.

15. The Union Cabinet approved a ₹10,000 crore SME Growth Fund to provide growth equity support to promising small and medium enterprises.

16. The Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA) was approved as a Special Purpose Vehicle to improve coordination in transport and logistics planning.

17. ITLA will prepare a National Transport Master Plan and technically appraise major government infrastructure projects costing ₹500 crore or more.

18. Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit was appointed as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff. He will assume office on 31 October 2026.

19. Francis Louis Halzen received the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos.

20. Henri B. Kagan of France and Kenso Soai of Japan won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

21. The Nobel Chemistry award recognised their work related to asymmetric synthesis, non-linear effects and autocatalysis.

22. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50%.

23. The RBI changed its monetary-policy stance to “calibrated tightening.”

24. The RBI projected India's GDP growth for FY 2026–27 at 7.1%.

25. The Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rate was set at 5.25%.

26. The Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) and Bank Rate were set at 5.75%.

27. India and Japan launched an operational manual for the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) to strengthen cooperation on climate action and emission reduction.

28. TRAI released its Telecom Performance Indicators report covering the telecommunications sector.

29. Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Urban (PMAY-U) Awards 2026 were presented for achievements in urban housing.

30. Population enumeration in the snow-bound areas of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh under Census 2027 was completed.

31. Ladakh was reported as the first Union Territory to complete the Census 2027 population enumeration exercise.

32. Andhra Pradesh declared drought in 21 out of 26 districts because of significant rainfall deficiency.

33. A total of 388 mandals in Andhra Pradesh were classified as drought-affected.

34. Kenya reported its first Ebola-related death in the current outbreak, prompting increased border monitoring and contact tracing.

35. Lionel Messi scored and provided two assists in Argentina's 3–0 victory over Benin, marking the end of his international career.

36. The National Medical Commission (NMC) clarified requirements concerning Indian medical graduates from Georgia and their eligibility for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE).

37. The Press Council of India was reported to have vacancies and lacked representation from some categories of working journalists and newspaper editors.

🟣 SEPTEMBER 2026

1. OECD GDP Forecast for India — OECD raised India's FY 2026–27 GDP growth forecast to 7.1%. (Pareeksha)

2. 72nd National Film Awards — The 72nd National Film Awards were presented on 22 September 2026 at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat. (Press Information Bureau)

3. National Film Awards — The awards recognised achievements in Indian cinema for the year 2024. (Press Information Bureau)

4. Project Cheetah — A Botswana cheetah was released in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh. (The Indian Express)

5. India–Japan Defence Exercise — Veer Guardian 2026 highlighted strengthening India-Japan defence cooperation. (The Indian Express)

6. ISRO–ESA Cooperation — India and the European Space Agency strengthened cooperation in space-related activities. (The Indian Express)

7. India-Visegrad Group Dialogue — India engaged with the Visegrad Group comprising Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. (The Indian Express)

8. 81st UN General Assembly — India strongly reiterated its position on Jammu & Kashmir and rejected references to the region in an OIC communiqué. (The Indian Express)

9. Maharashtra Drought Declaration — Drought-related developments in Maharashtra became an important environmental and governance issue. (The Indian Express)

10. Supreme Court and Article 22 — The Supreme Court strengthened safeguards concerning re-arrest and personal liberty. (The Indian Express)

11. Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey — Tourism expenditure data emerged as an important economic indicator. (The Indian Express)

12. Sardar Patel National Unity Awards — The first Sardar Patel National Unity Awards were among the important national-award developments of the month. (The Indian Express)

🔵 AUGUST 2026

1. Semicon 2.0 — India advanced its semiconductor ecosystem through the Semicon 2.0 framework.

2. Q1 GDP Growth — India's first-quarter economic growth data became a major economic current-affairs topic. (The Indian Express)

3. Equal Earth Map — The United Nations adopted the Equal Earth projection, aimed at presenting countries and continents with more accurate relative areas. (The Indian Express)

4. India–Belgium Relations — India and Belgium strengthened bilateral relations. (The Indian Express)

5. Indus Waters Treaty — India reiterated its position regarding the international court's order concerning the Indus Waters Treaty. (The Indian Express)

6. Indian Standard Time Rules 2026 — New Legal Metrology rules concerning Indian Standard Time were introduced. (The Indian Express)

7. Sone River Water — An agreement concerning sharing of Sone river water became an important water-management development. (The Indian Express)

8. Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope — NASA's Roman Space Telescope featured prominently in science and space current affairs. (The Indian Express)

9. EOS-05 — ISRO's EOS-05 was among India's important space developments. (The Indian Express)

10. INS Nipun — INS Nipun, a Diving Support Vessel, was highlighted in defence current affairs. (The Indian Express)

11. Magsaysay Award — The Ramon Magsaysay Award featured among important international honours. (The Indian Express)

12. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper — The bird species was in the news in India's environmental and biodiversity context. (The Indian Express)

🟢 JULY 2026

1. Anurag Jain appointed NITI Aayog CEO — Senior IAS officer Anurag Jain was appointed Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog for two years. (Current Affairs Pulse)

2. Infosys CEO-designate — Infosys named Ashiss Kumar Dash as CEO-designate, succeeding Salil Parekh from April 2027. (Current Affairs Pulse)

3. Higher Education Secretary — Naresh Pal Gangwar was appointed Secretary of the Department of Higher Education. (Current Affairs Pulse)

4. Education Ministry — Pralhad Joshi was given charge of the Education Ministry after Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. (Current Affairs Pulse)

5. National Anti-Doping Act — The National Anti-Doping Act 2022 and its 2025 amendment were brought into force. (Current Affairs Pulse)

6. Anti-Doping Framework — India's anti-doping regime moved to a stronger statutory framework under the Act. (Current Affairs Pulse)

7. NITI Aayog — Anurag Jain's appointment was an important governance and administration development. (Current Affairs Pulse)

8. Indian IT sector — Infosys leadership succession became an important corporate current-affairs topic. (Current Affairs Pulse)

9. Higher Education Administration — Naresh Pal Gangwar's appointment was important for the education sector. (Current Affairs Pulse)

10. Sports and Anti-Doping — The implementation of the anti-doping legislation strengthened India's sports regulatory framework. (Current Affairs Pulse)

🟡 JUNE 2026

1. India's GDP Growth — India's real GDP growth for FY 2025–26 was estimated at 7.7% under the new 2022–23 base. (Current Affairs Pulse)

2. New IIP Base Year — The base year for the Index of Industrial Production was changed from 2011–12 to 2022–23.

3. IIP Growth — Industrial production grew 4.9% in April 2026 under the new series. (Current Affairs Pulse)

4. Seafood Exports — India's seafood exports reached a record ₹73,890.46 crore in FY 2025–26. (Current Affairs Pulse)

5. Praggnanandhaa — R. Praggnanandhaa became the first Indian to win Norway Chess, taking the 2026 title. (Current Affairs Pulse)

6. SAFF Women's Championship — India defeated Bangladesh 3–1 to win the SAFF Women's Championship 2026, its sixth title. (Current Affairs Pulse)

7. FIFA World Cup 2026 — The 23rd FIFA World Cup began on 11 June 2026.

8. Women's Hockey Nations Cup — India won the FIH Women's Hockey Nations Cup and earned a return to the FIH Pro League. (Current Affairs Pulse)

9. BRICS Agriculture Ministers Meeting — The 16th BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting was held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. (Current Affairs Pulse)

10. BRICS Culture Working Group — The 2nd BRICS Culture Working Group meeting was held in Varanasi. (Current Affairs Pulse)

11. BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction — The second technical meeting of the BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group was held in Puri, Odisha. (Current Affairs Pulse)

12. Surha Tal — Surha Tal in Ballia became India's 100th Ramsar site. (Ujiyari)

13. Chief of Army Staff — General Dhiraj Seth became the 31st Chief of the Army Staff. (Ujiyari)

14. LVM3 — ISRO opened the LVM3 launch vehicle to greater industry participation. (Ujiyari)

🟠 MAY 2026

1. Chenab–Beas Link Tunnel — The Centre cleared a ₹2,352 crore Chenab–Beas Link Tunnel project in Himachal Pradesh. (Current Affairs Pulse)

2. India–Nepal Cultural Cooperation — India gifted more than 40 kg of sandalwood to Nepal for the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. (Current Affairs Pulse)

3. Ebola Medical Aid — India supplied emergency medical assistance for the Ebola response to Africa CDC in Uganda. (Current Affairs Pulse)

4. International Labour Day — A West Bengal tea workers' union filed an ILO Article 24 representation concerning India. (Current Affairs Pulse)

5. Pashupatinath Temple — The sandalwood assistance highlighted India's cultural and religious ties with Nepal. (Current Affairs Pulse)

🔴 APRIL 2026

1. Census 2027 begins — India began the first phase of Census 2027 on 1 April 2026. (Press Information Bureau)

2. First Digital Census — Census 2027 is India's first census using digital data capture. (Press Information Bureau)

3. Self-Enumeration — For the first time, citizens were provided the option of Self-Enumeration. (Press Information Bureau)

4. Census 2027 — It is India's 16th Census and the 8th since Independence. (Press Information Bureau)

5. House Listing Operations — The first phase covers House-listing and Housing Census operations. (Press Information Bureau)

6. Jan Vishwas Amendment Bill 2026 — The Bill was passed by both Houses of Parliament.

7. Decriminalisation — The Jan Vishwas Bill amended 784 provisions across 79 Central Acts administered by 23 ministries. (Press Information Bureau)

8. 717 provisions were decriminalised under the Jan Vishwas reforms. (Press Information Bureau)

9. Ease of Doing Business — The Jan Vishwas reforms aimed to reduce compliance burden and litigation. (Press Information Bureau)

10. Census confidentiality — Census information remains protected under the Census Act, 1948. (Press Information Bureau)

🔵 MARCH 2026

1. Modified UDAN Scheme — Union Cabinet approved the modified UDAN scheme.

2. UDAN Outlay — The scheme has a total outlay of ₹28,840 crore.

3. UDAN Period — Modified UDAN will operate from 2026–27 to 2035–36. (Press Information Bureau)

4. 100 Airports — The scheme proposes development of 100 airports from existing unserved airstrips. (Press Information Bureau)

5. Helipads — Around 200 modern helipads are proposed under the scheme. (Press Information Bureau)

6. Viability Gap Funding — ₹10,043 crore was proposed as VGF support for airline operators over 10 years. (Press Information Bureau)

7. Census 2027 Preparation — Government announced details of the world's largest census exercise ahead of the April launch.

8. Digital Census — Census 2027 will use digital technology and self-enumeration. (Press Information Bureau)

🟣 FEBRUARY 2026

1. Union Budget 2026–27 — Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget on 1 February 2026. (Press Information Bureau)

2. Total Expenditure — Budget estimates placed total expenditure at ₹53.5 lakh crore. (Press Information Bureau)

3. Non-debt Receipts — Estimated at ₹36.5 lakh crore. (Press Information Bureau)

4. 16th Finance Commission — Government accepted the recommendation to retain the States' vertical share of tax devolution at 41%. (Press Information Bureau)

5. Finance Commission Grants — ₹1.4 lakh crore was provided to States for FY 2026–27 as Finance Commission grants. (Press Information Bureau)

6. India–France Relations — India-France relations were upgraded to a Special Global Strategic Partnership. (Press Information Bureau)

7. India-France Innovation Year — India and France launched the India-France Year of Innovation. (Press Information Bureau)

8. AI and Health — India and France launched an Indo-French Centre for AI in Health at AIIMS, New Delhi. (Press Information Bureau)

9. Critical Minerals — India and France agreed to cooperate in critical minerals and metals. (Press Information Bureau)

10. AI Impact Summit — AI, digital technology and responsible artificial intelligence were major themes of India's international engagement during the month.

🟢 JANUARY 2026

1. Economic Survey 2025–26 — The Economic Survey was presented on 29 January 2026. (Press Information Bureau)

2. FY26 GDP Growth — Economic Survey estimated India's real GDP growth at 7.4% for FY 2025–26. (Press Information Bureau)

3. FY27 Growth Projection — Real GDP growth for FY 2026–27 was projected at 6.8–7.2%. (Press Information Bureau)

4. India's Remittances — India remained the world's largest recipient of remittances, receiving US$135.4 billion in FY25. (Press Information Bureau)

5. Services Exports — India's services exports reached an all-time high of US$387.6 billion in FY25. (Press Information Bureau)

6. Global Innovation Index — India's ranking improved from 66th in 2019 to 38th in 2025. (Press Information Bureau)

7. PM Jan Dhan Yojana — 55.02 crore bank accounts had been opened under PMJDY as of March 2025. (Press Information Bureau)

8. Padma Awards 2026 — The President approved 131 Padma Awards, including two duo cases. (Press Information Bureau)

9. Padma Award Categories — Padma awards are divided into Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. (Press Information Bureau)

10. Parliament Budget Session — The Budget Session commenced on 28 January 2026 and was scheduled to continue until 2 April. (PRS Legislative Research)

11. President's Address — The President addressed the joint sitting of Parliament at the beginning of the Budget Session. (PRS Legislative Research)

12. Economic Survey and Agriculture — The Survey highlighted agriculture as a central pillar for inclusive growth and the Viksit Bharat objective. (Press Information Bureau)

Quick Facts to Remember 

PM E-DRIVE revised outlay                             ₹11,900 crore

Modified UDAN outlay                                      ₹28,840 crore

India FY26 GDP estimate                                7.4% / later provisional 7.7%

FY27 GDP projection in Economic Survey      6.8–7.2%

States' tax devolution                                       41%

Finance Commission grants FY27                   ₹1.4 lakh crore

Padma Awards 2026                                        131

India's FY25 remittances                                  US$135.4 billion

FY25 services exports                                      US$387.6 billion

India's Global Innovation Index rank 2025       38th

Census 2027                                                    16th Census / 8th after Independence

India's Ramsar sites after Surha Tal                 100

Modified UDAN period                                      2026–27 to 2035–36

Census Phase I                                                1 April–30 September 2026

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

1. New Chief of the Army Staff

General Dhiraj Seth took over as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff after General Upendra Dwivedi completed his tenure on 30 June 2026.

2. Rajiv Kumar

Former Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar was appointed as Part-time Chairman of HDFC Bank for a three-year period.

3. India’s Humanitarian Mission

India launched Operation Amistad to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to Venezuela following a devastating earthquake.

4. Seychelles Honour

Seychelles conferred the Presidential Distinction – Guardian of the Blue Horizon on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

5. Slovakia Honour

Slovakia conferred its highest national honour, the Order of the White Double Cross, First Class, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

IPL 2026 – IMPORTANT FACTS

Teams: 10
Matches: 74
Winner: Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Runner-up: Gujarat Titans
RCB title: Second IPL title
Most Valuable Player: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Most Runs: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi – 776 runs
Most Wickets: Kagiso Rabada – 29 wickets

Indian Athletics Awards 2025

• Best Male Athlete: Neeraj Chopra

• Best Female Athlete: Parul Chaudhary

• Best Emerging Male Athlete: Shahnavaz Khan

• Best Emerging Female Athlete: Pooja Singh

• Best Coach: Parveer Singh

• Best Technical Official: Dr. Kuldeep Singh

• Best State Association: Tamil Nadu Athletics Association

• Best State Supporting Athletics: Government of Odisha

Lifetime Achievement Award

• P. T. Usha

• Gurbachan Singh Randhawa

• Bahadur Singh Chauhan

• Anju Bobby George

Major Awards

• Golden Conch – Best International Documentary: Silver

• Silver Conch – International Short Film: Under the Snow

• Silver Conch – International Animation: Maya’s Song

• Silver Conch – National Animation: Armstrong from Angaalamman Temple Street

• Best Indian Short Fiction: Small Clouds

• Best Indian Documentary: Waai

• FIPRESCI International Critics Prize: The Hug of Emptiness

• Best Debut Director: Pooja Tolani for Raaza

IMPORTANT PERSONS IN NEWS

Robert F. Thurman

Renowned American Buddhist author and academic and Padma Shri recipient, who passed away on 16 June 2026.

Jaspal Rana

Arjuna Award and Dronacharya Award recipient and renowned shooting coach, who passed away on 12 June 2026.

Bharathiraja

Veteran Tamil film director, producer, screenwriter and actor, recipient of the Padma Shri and several National Film Awards, who passed away on 10 June 2026.

Salim Kumar

Malayalam film actor and National Film Award winner, who passed away on 6 June 2026.

Suman Kalyanpur

Renowned Indian playback singer and Padma Bhushan recipient, who passed away on 31 May 2026 at the age of 89.