IISc Professor Mahesh Kakde wins 2026 Ramanujan Prize.
Dated: 12 October 2026
Indian mathematician and IISc professor Mahesh Kakde received the 2026 Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians from Developing Countries on October 8, 2026 for work in algebraic number theory.
Key Highlights:
1. ICTP and the International Mathematical Union jointly award the prize.
2. It recognises researchers below 48 who work in developing countries and carries $10,000.
3. Kakde contributed to noncommutative Iwasawa theory and Gross-Stark and Brumer-Stark conjectures.
4. His work gives a p-adic approach to Hilbert’s 12th problem for totally real fields.
5. He earned a Cambridge doctorate in 2008 and joined IISc in August 2019.
Additional Information:
1. The Ramanujan Prize began in 2005 for young mathematicians in developing countries.
2. IISc was established in Bengaluru in 1909 with support from Jamsetji Tata and the Maharaja of Mysore.
India and Ghana sign MoUs in agriculture and zoology.
Dated: 12 October 2026
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Accra on October 7, 2026 and witnessed India-Ghana agreements in zoology and agricultural research and education.
Key Highlights:
1. Zoological Survey of India signed with the University of Ghana for research, academics and capacity building.
2. ICAR signed with Ghana’s CSIR-Crops Research Institute for agricultural research and education.
3. The visit formed the first leg of a Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Ethiopia tour from October 6-10.
4. Talks covered trade, investment, pharmaceuticals, defence, technology, African Union and ECOWAS.
5. ZSI was established in 1916, is based in Kolkata and works under the Environment Ministry.
Additional Information:
1. ICAR was established in 1929 and is headquartered in New Delhi.
2. Ghana’s capital is Accra, currency is the Ghanaian Cedi and it became independent in 1957.
MoSPI and Pahle India Foundation sign statistics MoU.
Dated: 12 October 2026
The National Statistics Office under MoSPI signed an MoU with Pahle India Foundation on October 8, 2026 for cooperation in official statistics and data analysis.
Key Highlights:
1. The agreement strengthens official statistics, research and data analysis.
2. It supports capacity building, knowledge sharing and joint activities based on MoSPI priorities.
3. Sunitha Bhaskar represented MoSPI and Ravi Pokharna represented Pahle India Foundation.
4. MoSPI was formed in 1999 by merging the Statistics and Programme Implementation departments.
5. It includes the National Statistical Office and National Sample Survey Office.
Additional Information:
1. MoSPI is headquartered in New Delhi and administers MPLADS.
2. Pahle India Foundation is a New Delhi non-profit think tank for economic and financial research.
Defence Ministry approves revised SOP for testing facilities.
Dated: 12 October 2026
The Defence Ministry approved a revised SOP on October 7, 2026 for indigenous industry use of proof ranges, field firing ranges and defence testing facilities.
Key Highlights:
1. Testing charges are fully waived for iDEX, TDF and Make developmental projects.
2. Facilities of DRDO, quality-assurance agencies and the Army, Navy and Air Force are listed.
3. The SOP streamlines calculation and payment of charges where applicable.
4. A mandatory three-day slot each quarter is reserved for government-supported development projects.
5. Arbitration is replaced with a Conciliation Agreement Clause for faster dispute resolution.
Additional Information:
1. iDEX began in April 2018 and is managed by the Defence Innovation Organisation.
2. DRDO was established in 1958 and is headquartered in New Delhi.
Veteran actor Nana Patekar passes away at 75.
Dated: 12 October 2026
Veteran actor and former Territorial Army officer Vishwanath Patekar, known as Nana Patekar, died following cardiac arrest in Goa on October 8, 2026 at age 75.
Key Highlights:
1. He received the Padma Shri in 2013, three National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards.
2. He won Best Supporting Actor for Parinda in 1989.
3. Commissioned as Territorial Army Captain in 1988, he served in the Kargil War as a Major.
4. He retired in 2013 as an Honorary Lieutenant Colonel.
5. He debuted in Gaman in 1978 and appeared in Salaam Bombay in 1988.
Additional Information:
1. His directorial debut was Prahaar: The Final Attack after three years of military training.
2. Born in Murud-Janjira, he supported farmers in Latur and widows of farmers.
EyeROV delivers India’s first military-grade ROV to Navy.
Dated: 12 October 2026
Kochi startup EyeROV delivered the first two EyeROV TROUT units, India’s first military-grade underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle, to the Indian Navy on October 7, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. TROUT was developed under the iDEX DISC 7 SPRINT Challenge.
2. It passed DQA Naval qualification, environmental stress screening and type tests.
3. The vehicle integrates electronics, navigation, sensors and robotic control.
4. It performs underwater inspection, surveillance, search, recovery and intervention in strong currents and low visibility.
5. The first order covers five TROUT systems.
Additional Information:
1. EyeROV is a Kochi-based marine robotics and artificial-intelligence startup.
2. iDEX began in April 2018 and is funded and managed by the Defence Innovation Organisation.
94th Indian Air Force Day observed on October 8.
Dated: 12 October 2026
The 94th Indian Air Force Day was observed on October 8, 2026 to commemorate the force’s establishment and its role in protecting Indian airspace.
Key Highlights:
1. The IAF motto is Nabhah Sparsham Deeptham, meaning Touch the Sky with Glory.
2. Its fighters include Su-30MKI, Rafale, Mirage 2000, MiG-29 and indigenous Tejas.
3. Operational roles cover air defence, reconnaissance, close air support and troop transport.
4. The force also evacuates civilians and carries relief supplies during disasters.
5. The Indian Air Force was established on October 8, 1932 and is headquartered in New Delhi.
Additional Information:
1. Major operations include the 1947-48 conflict, 1965 and 1971 wars and 1999 Kargil conflict.
2. HAL Tejas was developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
World Bank raises India FY27 growth forecast to 7.1%.
Dated: 12 October 2026
The World Bank raised India’s economic growth forecast for fiscal year 2026-27 to 7.1% on October 6, 2026, citing resilient domestic consumption.
Key Highlights:
1. The earlier India forecast was 6.6%.
2. South Asia’s 2026 growth estimate rose by 60 basis points to 6.9%.
3. India’s growth is expected to moderate from 8.6% in 2025-26.
4. The economy expanded 7.8% during the April-June quarter.
5. Domestic consumption supported the upgraded projection.
Additional Information:
1. The World Bank was founded at Bretton Woods in 1944 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
2. It provides long-term loans and grants to low- and middle-income countries.
Metallurgist Palle Rama Rao passes away at 89.
Dated: 12 October 2026
Renowned metallurgist and Padma Vibhushan recipient Palle Rama Rao died in Hyderabad on October 4, 2026 at age 89.
Key Highlights:
1. He received the Padma Vibhushan in 2011 for physical and mechanical metallurgy.
2. He served as DMRL Director, AERB Chairman and Atomic Energy Commission member.
3. He was Secretary in Science and Technology and Ocean Development departments.
4. He served as University of Hyderabad Vice-Chancellor from 1999 to 2002.
5. He helped create the indigenous Heavy Alloy Penetrator Plant at Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli.
Additional Information:
1. AERB was established on November 15, 1983 and is headquartered in Mumbai.
2. Rama Rao was born June 30, 1937 in Kurnool and earned his metallurgy doctorate from BHU.
World Cotton Day observed annually on October 7.
Dated: 12 October 2026
World Cotton Day was observed on October 7, 2026 to highlight cotton’s importance as a natural fibre and its contribution to global development.
Key Highlights:
1. The 2026 theme was Cotton for Good: Building Prosperity Through Trade, Transformation and Partnership.
2. The first World Cotton Day took place in Geneva on October 7, 2019.
3. Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali, known as Cotton-4, proposed the initiative with WTO.
4. The United Nations General Assembly recognised the day in August 2021.
5. WTO and FAO organise the observance.
Additional Information:
1. FAO was established in 1945 and is headquartered in Rome.
2. WTO was established in 1995, replaced GATT and is headquartered in Geneva.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2026 observed globally.
Dated: 12 October 2026
Breast Cancer Awareness Month was observed worldwide from October 1-31, 2026 to promote early detection, timely treatment and equal access to care.
Key Highlights:
1. The 2026 theme was Every story is unique, every journey matters.
2. Objectives include early diagnosis, prompt medical intervention and family support.
3. October is widely known as Pink October.
4. The pink ribbon is the internationally recognised awareness symbol.
5. The observance began in October 1985.
Additional Information:
1. It was created through the American Cancer Society and Imperial Chemical Industries pharmaceutical division.
2. The pink ribbon became the global symbol in the early 1990s.
CU Denver to open first US public university campus in Hyderabad.
Dated: 12 October 2026
The University Grants Commission issued a Letter of Intent to the University of Colorado Denver on October 7, 2026 to establish a degree-granting campus in Hyderabad.
Key Highlights:
1. It will be the first American public university with a degree-granting location in India.
2. It will also be Telangana’s first foreign university.
3. The first student cohort is scheduled for August 2027.
4. Courses will focus on business, computing, engineering and analytics.
5. Global education company Emeritus is the strategic joint-venture partner.
Additional Information:
1. CU Denver was established in 1973 and is governed by the University of Colorado Board of Regents.
2. UGC is a statutory body under the UGC Act, 1956 and is headquartered in New Delhi.
India and Canada strengthen security ties at NSA dialogue.
Dated: 12 October 2026
India and Canada held an NSA-level Security Dialogue in New Delhi from October 5-7, 2026 to strengthen law-enforcement cooperation and bilateral security ties.
Key Highlights:
1. Indian NSA Ajit Doval and Canadian adviser David Morrison led the dialogue.
2. Talks covered organised crime, terrorism, violent extremism, trafficking, cybercrime and extortion.
3. Both sides discussed faster extradition and stronger information sharing.
4. They reviewed the February 2026 Security Work Plan and CEPA negotiations.
5. Earlier dialogues occurred in New Delhi in September 2025 and Ottawa in February 2026.
Additional Information:
1. India’s NSA is the Prime Minister’s principal security adviser; the post began in 1998.
2. CEPA covers services, investment and regulatory matters beyond a standard free-trade agreement.
Pramod Bhagat and Bhavina Patel named Asian Para Games flag bearers.
Dated: 12 October 2026
Para-shuttler Pramod Bhagat and table-tennis player Bhavina Patel were named India’s flag bearers for the fifth Asian Para Games on October 8, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The Games will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan from October 18-24.
2. Bhagat, from Odisha, won six medals including two golds across 2014-2023 editions.
3. Patel won two medals in two previous editions.
4. India won a record 111 medals including 29 gold at the fourth Games in Hangzhou.
5. The Paralympic Committee of India manages the contingent.
Additional Information:
1. PCI was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in New Delhi.
2. Asian Para Games are regulated by the Asian Paralympic Committee and held every four years.
WWF Living Planet Report 2026 records 73% global decline.
Dated: 12 October 2026
WWF and the Zoological Society of London released Living Planet Report 2026 on October 8, documenting a 73% average decline in monitored global wildlife populations from 1970-2022.
Key Highlights:
1. The report analysed 5,790 vertebrate species; freshwater populations fell 85%.
2. Terrestrial populations declined 69% and marine populations 59%.
3. Latin America and Caribbean declined 95%, Africa 76% and Asia-Pacific 49%.
4. India counted 3,682 tigers, 891 Asiatic lions, 13,874 leopards and 718 snow leopards.
5. It also reported over 3,300 one-horned rhinos and 6,324 Ganges dolphins.
Additional Information:
1. WWF was established in 1961, is headquartered in Gland and publishes the report biennially.
2. ZSL was founded in 1826 and manages the Living Planet Index.
India joins 15-economy pact on global excess capacity.
Dated: 12 October 2026
India joined the United States and 13 other economies on October 7, 2026 in a ministerial statement addressing structural excess capacity and market distortions in global manufacturing.
Key Highlights:
1. The 15 signatories include Argentina, Australia, Canada, EU, France, Germany, India, Italy and Japan.
2. South Korea, Mexico, Poland, Turkiye, United Kingdom and United States also signed.
3. The statement was signed alongside the OECD Trade Committee.
4. It seeks to identify non-market policies and persistent production above global demand.
5. Dedicated sector platforms will examine excess capacity.
Additional Information:
1. OECD was founded in 1961, has 38 members and is headquartered in Paris.
2. US Trade Act Section 301 allows action against unjustifiable or unreasonable foreign trade practices.
Press Council of India reconstituted with 13 journalist members.
Dated: 12 October 2026
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry reconstituted the Press Council of India on October 7, 2026 by nominating 13 new members from journalism.
Key Highlights:
1. The nominations include six editors and seven working journalists.
2. Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai retired is the current Chairperson.
3. The Central Government made nominations under Sections 5 and 6 of the Press Council Act, 1978.
4. The Council protects press freedom and maintains newspaper and news-agency standards.
5. Its membership represents media, Parliament and specialised fields.
Additional Information:
1. PCI is a statutory autonomous self-regulatory watchdog for print media.
2. It is headquartered in New Delhi and consists of a Chairperson and 28 members.
Assam’s Nameri Tiger Reserve receives CA/TS accreditation.
Dated: 12 October 2026
Nameri Tiger Reserve in Assam received global CA/TS Approved status on September 10, 2026 for tiger conservation and protected-area management.
Key Highlights:
1. The CA/TS International Executive Committee granted the status after assessment.
2. Standards cover wildlife protection, habitat management, monitoring, administration and community participation.
3. Nameri became the last of Assam’s four tiger reserves to receive the status after Kaziranga, Manas and Orang.
4. The reserve covers 464 sq km including a 200 sq km core in northern Sonitpur.
5. Nameri became a wildlife sanctuary in 1988, national park in 1998 and tiger reserve in 1999-2000.
Additional Information:
1. It borders Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh.
2. Conservation Assured Tiger Standards was launched in 2013.
10th India Mobile Congress held at Yashobhoomi New Delhi.
Dated: 12 October 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 10th India Mobile Congress at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi on October 8, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. Its four pillars were Srishti, Samvardhan, Sashakt and Suraksha.
2. India’s one-GB mobile data cost fell from Rs.268 in 2014 to Rs.8 in 2026.
3. Bharat 6G Alliance includes 90 institutions and secured 7,700 patents, including 4,400 international patents.
4. The event drew over 1.5 lakh visitors from more than 100 countries.
5. It featured 500+ partners, 600+ startups, 900+ thought leaders and 2,000 technology use cases.
Additional Information:
1. IMC is Asia’s largest digital technology forum, jointly organised by DoT and COAI.
2. Bharat 6G Vision targets Indian 6G deployment by 2030.
Rs.993.64 crore approved for NH-10 development in Sikkim.
Dated: 12 October 2026
Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari approved Rs.993.64 crore on October 8, 2026 to widen and develop National Highway 10 in Sikkim.
Key Highlights:
1. The Rangpo-Ranipool section will become a two-lane corridor.
2. Works include tunnels, viaducts, bridges, cut-and-cover stretches and slope protection.
3. The design addresses landslide and sinking zones in Himalayan terrain.
4. It will improve movement of defence personnel and military supplies.
5. The project strengthens tourism, agriculture transport and Sikkim’s primary link with India.
Additional Information:
1. NHIDCL, established in 2014 under the Road Transport Ministry, will execute it.
2. NH-10 connects Siliguri to Gangtok and is called Sikkim’s lifeline.
LIC appoints five independent directors for four-year term.
Dated: 12 October 2026
LIC approved five Independent Directors for four-year terms beginning October 7, 2026 under Section 4(2)(g) of the LIC Act, 1956.
Key Highlights:
1. Appointees include retired IAS officer Shailesh Kumar Singh and former Exim Bank MD David Rasquinha.
2. Former Federal Bank MD Shyam Srinivasan was also appointed.
3. Former RBI Executive Director Ganesh Kumar Sundara Iyer brings payment-system experience.
4. Yubi founder Gaurav Kumar is the fifth appointee.
5. None is barred by SEBI or another authority from holding office.
Additional Information:
1. LIC was established on September 1, 1956 through insurance nationalisation.
2. It is a statutory body under the LIC Act, 1956 and is headquartered in Mumbai.