India’s cheetah population reaches 60 after five births at Kuno.
Dated: 08 October 2026
Indian-born female cheetah KJP21 gave birth to five healthy cubs at Kuno National Park on October 5, 2026, taking India’s cheetah population to 60.
Key Highlights:
1. The population comprises 41 Indian-born cheetahs and 19 translocated adults.
2. The 32-month-old KJP21 is the third Indian-born female to give birth after Mukhi and KGP12.
3. The cubs begin a Botswanan lineage because their father is a male from Botswana.
4. The births occurred during Wildlife Week under Project Cheetah.
5. The Environment Ministry manages the project.
Additional Information:
1. Project Cheetah began on September 17, 2022 as the first intercontinental large-carnivore translocation programme.
2. Kuno lies in Sheopur and Morena, became a sanctuary in 1981 and a national park in 2018.
First Fleet Support Ship FSS-1 launched at HSL Visakhapatnam.
Dated: 08 October 2026
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the first Fleet Support Ship FSS-1 and inaugurated upgraded shipbuilding infrastructure at Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam on October 6, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. FSS-1 is the first of five fleet support ships being built for the Indian Navy.
2. The vessel displaces 43,500 tonnes and will replenish warships at sea.
3. It entered water within 18 months of steel cutting; the keel of FSS-5 was also laid.
4. The upgraded Slipway-4 and a 300-tonne Goliath crane support ships up to 45,000 DWT.
5. The project expands Indian Navy endurance in the Indian Ocean Region.
Additional Information:
1. HSL was established in 1941 and works under the Defence Ministry.
2. Operation Trident targeted Karachi harbour in 1971 and its success is commemorated on Navy Day, December 4.
MoHUA honours best-performing PMAY states on World Habitat Day.
Dated: 08 October 2026
The Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry observed World Habitat Day on October 5, 2026 under the theme Adequate Housing for All and honoured top PMAY-U performers.
Key Highlights:
1. For BLC houses, Uttar Pradesh ranked first, Gujarat second and Madhya Pradesh third.
2. Arunachal Pradesh led the North-East, hilly and Union Territory category.
3. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh led large States in PMAY-U 2.0 grounding.
4. HDFC Bank received the best lending PLI recognition under the Interest Subsidy Scheme.
5. Tamil Nadu SIPCOT had the highest operational ARHC beds at 18,720.
Additional Information:
1. World Habitat Day has been observed on the first Monday of October since 1986.
2. PMAY-U began on June 25, 2015; PMAY-U 2.0 targets 1 crore houses during 2024-25 to 2028-29.
India-UAE Exercise Mountain Guardian 2026 begins in Chaubatia.
Dated: 08 October 2026
India-UAE Joint Military Exercise Mountain Guardian 2026 began at the Foreign Training Node in Chaubatia, Uttarakhand on October 5, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The exercise runs from October 5-18, 2026.
2. It has 92 personnel, equally represented by the Indian and UAE armies.
3. India is represented by the Bhairav Battalion and UAE by a Mountain Infantry Battalion.
4. Women officers and combatants from both countries participate in specialist roles.
5. Training covers tactical planning, drones, surveillance, firing, rock climbing and endurance.
Additional Information:
1. The UAE capital is Abu Dhabi and currency is the UAE Dirham.
2. India-UAE exercises include Desert Cyclone for armies and Zayed Talwar for navies.
UltraTech becomes first Indian company to cross 2 GW green capacity.
Dated: 08 October 2026
UltraTech Cement became the first Indian company to exceed 2 GW of captive green-energy capacity on October 6, 2026 after commissioning a wind project in Rajasthan.
Key Highlights:
1. Its cumulative captive green capacity reached 2,024 MW.
2. New assets include a 116.55 MW wind project at Barmer and a 10 MW waste-heat recovery system in Karnataka.
3. The mix comprises 1,580 MW renewable energy and 444 MW waste-heat recovery.
4. Green sources now meet about 48% of the company’s power requirement.
5. UltraTech started India’s first on-site solar-wind-battery hybrid round-the-clock project at Sewagram in 2025.
Additional Information:
1. UltraTech is the Aditya Birla Group flagship and the largest cement maker outside China by sales volume.
2. Its grey cement capacity is 210.1 MTPA and white cement and putty capacity 3.5 MTPA.
India and Japan launch Joint Crediting Mechanism operational manual.
Dated: 08 October 2026
India and Japan launched the Operational Manual for their Joint Crediting Mechanism in New Delhi on September 30, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The mechanism promotes low-carbon technologies, climate finance and high-integrity emission reductions.
2. It operationalises bilateral cooperation under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement.
3. The manual covers project idea submission and issuance and authorisation of credits.
4. The Memorandum of Cooperation was signed on August 7, 2025 and implementation rules adopted on June 8, 2026.
5. The launch moves the mechanism from institutional preparation to project implementation.
Additional Information:
1. JCM transfers advanced Japanese technology to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
2. The Paris Agreement was adopted at COP21 in December 2015.
Uttar Pradesh renames Bhadohi as Sant Ravidas Nagar Bhadohi.
Dated: 08 October 2026
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath officially renamed Bhadohi district as Sant Ravidas Nagar Bhadohi on October 5, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The announcement came during inauguration and foundation-laying of 112 projects worth over Rs.1,340 crore.
2. The district was created on June 30, 1994 as Uttar Pradesh’s 65th district from Varanasi.
3. Its name had been changed from Sant Ravidas Nagar back to Bhadohi on December 6, 2014.
4. Restoration of the name was proposed on July 29, 2024.
5. Bhadohi is globally known as Carpet City.
Additional Information:
1. Sant Ravidas was a 15th-16th century Bhakti poet-saint born in Varanasi.
2. Uttar Pradesh has 75 districts, 80 Lok Sabha seats and 31 Rajya Sabha seats.
India records best Asian Games wrestling campaign since 1962.
Dated: 08 October 2026
India completed its best Asian Games wrestling campaign since 1962 at Aichi-Nagoya on October 4, 2026 with six medals.
Key Highlights:
1. The haul comprised 2 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals.
2. Aman Sehrawat won men’s freestyle 57 kg and Sujeet Kalkal won 65 kg gold.
3. Antim Panghal won women’s 53 kg silver and Nitesh Siwach men’s Greco-Roman 97 kg silver.
4. Deepak Punia and Sunil Kumar won bronze in freestyle 97 kg and Greco-Roman 87 kg.
5. The result was India’s strongest return since 12 wrestling medals at Jakarta 1962.
Additional Information:
1. Aman Sehrawat is India’s youngest Olympic medallist.
2. At Jakarta 1962 India won 3 gold, 6 silver and 3 bronze wrestling medals.
Mumbai to host 14th India Chem 2026.
Dated: 08 October 2026
Union Minister of State Anupriya Patel launched the 14th India Chem 2026 on October 5; the event will be held in Mumbai from October 22-24, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The Chemicals and Petrochemicals Department and FICCI jointly organise the biennial event.
2. Its theme is Advantage Bharat: An Emerging Global Hub.
3. India targets a USD 1 trillion chemical sector by 2040.
4. BHAVYA Rasayan seeks plug-and-play chemical parks to reduce production costs.
5. The proposed RDI scheme coverage has an outlay of about Rs.1 lakh crore.
Additional Information:
1. The Chemicals and Petrochemicals Department works under the Chemicals and Fertilizers Ministry.
2. FICCI was established in 1927 on Mahatma Gandhi’s advice by G. D. Birla and Purshottamdas Thakurdas.
Doha receives 2030 Asian Games flag from Aichi-Nagoya.
Dated: 08 October 2026
The 20th Asian Games closed in Aichi-Nagoya on October 4, 2026 and the Games flag was handed to Doha, host of the 2030 edition.
Key Highlights:
1. The closing ceremony at Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium followed the theme One Asia.
2. India finished fourth with 85 medals: 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze.
3. Shooter Neeru Dhanda, winner of 2 gold and 1 silver, carried India’s flag.
4. China topped the table with 169 gold and 341 total medals.
5. The edition featured 469 gold events across 43 sports and about 17,000 athletes.
Additional Information:
1. Doha will host the Asian Games for the second time after 2006.
2. The Asian Games began in New Delhi in 1951 and are governed by the Olympic Council of Asia.
Trio wins 2026 Nobel Prize in Medicine for optogenetics.
Dated: 08 October 2026
The Nobel Assembly awarded the 2026 Physiology or Medicine Prize to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel on October 5, 2026 for developing optogenetics.
Key Highlights:
1. The work discovered light-gated ion channels and enabled light control of nerve-cell activity.
2. Hegemann and Nagel identified channelrhodopsin-1 and 2 in Chlamydomonas algae.
3. Deisseroth introduced the channelrhodopsin-2 gene into rat neurons in 2005.
4. Living mouse neural circuits were controlled with the method in 2007.
5. Applications include brain mapping, vision restoration research and improved cochlear implants.
Additional Information:
1. Alfred Nobel’s 1895 will established the Nobel Prize and awards began in 1901.
2. Karolinska Institutet awards the Physiology or Medicine Nobel Prize.
Sanjay Kumar appointed next MD and CEO of Petronet LNG.
Dated: 08 October 2026
Petronet LNG’s board appointed Sanjay Kumar as the company’s next Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer on October 2, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. He will take charge on May 13, 2027 and succeed A. K. Singh.
2. The appointment is for five years.
3. IOC, GAIL, ONGC and BPCL each hold 12.5% in the joint venture.
4. Petronet LNG is registered as a private limited company.
5. The Union Petroleum Secretary is ex-officio board Chairman.
Additional Information:
1. The company remains outside CAG, CVC and RTI purview due to its registration structure.
2. Board-level executive retirement age is 65, against 60 in standard public enterprises.
Filmmaker Singeetham Srinivasa Rao passes away at 94.
Dated: 08 October 2026
Renowned filmmaker Singeetham Srinivasa Rao died in Chennai at the age of 94 on October 4, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. His six-decade career covered films in five languages and began as assistant to L. V. Prasad.
2. His dialogue-free Pushpaka Vimanam won the National Film Award for wholesome entertainment.
3. Aditya 369 was the first Telugu science-fiction film to explore time travel.
4. Mayuri was a biographical drama on dancer Sudha Chandran.
5. He debuted as director with Neeti Nijayiti in 1972.
Additional Information:
1. Rao was born on September 21, 1931 in Gudur, Andhra Pradesh.
2. He directed more than 60 films and received National Film and Nandi Awards.
Adani Ahmedabad Marathon joins World Athletics Global Calendar.
Dated: 08 October 2026
The Adani Ahmedabad Marathon was included in the World Athletics Global Calendar before its 10th edition scheduled for November 29, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. Race results can now count toward World Athletics Rankings.
2. Recognition validates international course, timing, medical and anti-doping standards.
3. The previous edition drew more than 24,000 runners.
4. The event centres on the Run4OurSoldiers campaign honouring Indian Armed Forces.
5. Recognition supports Ahmedabad’s sports ambitions before the proposed 2030 Commonwealth Games.
Additional Information:
1. World Athletics was established in 1912, is headquartered in Monaco and has 214 member federations.
2. Ahmedabad became India’s first UNESCO World Heritage City in 2017.
TDB supports BigEndian for indigenous AI Vision SoC.
Dated: 08 October 2026
Technology Development Board signed an agreement with BigEndian Semiconductors on October 5, 2026 to provide Rs.130 crore for an indigenous AI Vision System-on-Chip.
Key Highlights:
1. Project VeerAI will advance the technology from readiness level 5 to 9.
2. The Rs.260 crore project receives Rs.130 crore as optional convertible debt from the RDI Fund.
3. It will build a secure camera-specific AI chip and reduce imported supply dependence.
4. Primary uses are CCTV and surveillance in India and the Global South.
5. Later applications include defence, automotive, industrial and medical sectors.
Additional Information:
1. TDB is a statutory body under the 1995 Act and works under the Science and Technology Ministry.
2. BigEndian is an Indian semiconductor-design company headquartered in Bengaluru.
India’s first Premier League Park launched in New Delhi.
Dated: 08 October 2026
The Premier League launched India’s first Premier League Park in Chattarpur, New Delhi on October 2, 2026 as a year-round football destination.
Key Highlights:
1. The facility has two seven-a-side football pitches.
2. It includes pickleball and padel courts and an events area for screenings and tournaments.
3. GoalTech Innovation India operates it under the Claygrounds brand.
4. It follows the Premier League’s first permanent Indian office in Mumbai in April 2025.
5. JioStar is integrated as official broadcast partner for fan engagement.
Additional Information:
1. The park serves football fans and players across the National Capital Region.
2. Hrishikesh Shende is the Premier League Managing Director for India.
Pranavi Urs wins India’s first Asian Games women’s golf gold.
Dated: 08 October 2026
Pranavi Urs became the first Indian woman to win Asian Games golf gold at Aichi-Nagoya on October 6, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. She won the individual event at 15-under 265 at Kasugai Country Club.
2. She finished one stroke ahead of Shannon Tan and Yin Ruoning, who shared second.
3. India also won its first women’s team silver with Urs, Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar.
4. India posted 14-under 546; China won team gold and Chinese Taipei bronze.
5. This was India’s fourth Asian Games golf gold and first since 2002.
Additional Information:
1. Lakshman Singh won India’s first individual and team golf golds in 1982.
2. Aditi Ashok won India’s first women’s individual golf medal, silver, at Hangzhou 2023.
NRIDA and IIM Kolkata sign MoU for rural road impact study.
Dated: 08 October 2026
NRIDA and IIM Kolkata signed an MoU for a four-year longitudinal assessment of roads under PMGSY-IV and PM-JANMAN.
Key Highlights:
1. The study covers 10 States and Union Territories.
2. It includes 50 districts, 150 blocks and 250 roads.
3. About 5,000 households will be surveyed for changes in mobility, agriculture and livelihoods.
4. The baseline survey lasts 14 months, transition about 12 months and endline 22 months.
5. It will evaluate access to health, education, markets and women’s empowerment.
Additional Information:
1. NRIDA provides technical and managerial support to PMGSY under the Rural Development Ministry.
2. PM-JANMAN supports Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups through 11 critical interventions.
CAG and BHASHINI launch AI translation solution Anuvaad.
Dated: 08 October 2026
The CAG and Digital India BHASHINI Division launched CAG-BHASHINI Anuvaad in New Delhi on September 30, 2026 for multilingual audit-document translation.
Key Highlights:
1. The AI tool translates official audit reports into regional languages.
2. It was unveiled at the closing of the 74th Hindi Diwas and Hindi Pakhwada 2026.
3. It supports 36 Indian text languages, 23 Indian voice languages and 35 international languages.
4. BHASHINI processes more than 24 million AI inferences daily.
5. A customised environment protects data sovereignty, security and terminology consistency.
Additional Information:
1. The CAG is established under Article 148 and appointed for six years or until age 65.
2. BHASHINI works under Digital India Corporation and the Electronics and Information Technology Ministry.
ICAR and FCI sign MoU for sustainable foodgrain storage research.
Dated: 08 October 2026
ICAR and Food Corporation of India signed an MoU on September 30, 2026 to develop alternative fumigation methods for wheat and rice storage.
Key Highlights:
1. ICAR-CIPHET Ludhiana will execute the project.
2. Phase I is a two-year pilot and Phase II a one-year multi-location trial.
3. Trials use over 99% nitrogen for silo wheat, carbon dioxide plus phosphine for bagged grain and carbon dioxide in hermetic covers.
4. The goal is to replace aluminium phosphide and malathion and reduce occupational exposure.
5. Pest resistance has reached 72-100% in some States.
Additional Information:
1. ICAR was established on July 16, 1929 and is headquartered in New Delhi.
2. FCI was established in 1965 under the Food Corporations Act, 1964 and handles procurement, storage and distribution.
Bank of Baroda becomes second PSB pension-fund sponsor.
Dated: 08 October 2026
Bank of Baroda became the second public-sector bank to receive PFRDA’s Certificate of Appointment as a pension-fund sponsor in October 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The authorisation under Section 27 of the PFRDA Act, 2013 was presented at NPS Divas 2026.
2. BoB Pension Fund Management Company has authorised capital of Rs.100 crore.
3. Bank of Baroda holds 80.10% and Baroda BNP Asset Management Company 19.90%.
4. Tatkal NPS was integrated with the BHIM app for paperless onboarding.
5. SBI was the first public-sector bank in the segment through SBI Pension Funds in April 2008.
Additional Information:
1. Bank of Baroda was established in 1908 and is headquartered in Vadodara.
2. PFRDA is the statutory NPS regulator under the Finance Ministry’s Department of Financial Services.