October 2026 Current Affairs: Monthly Compilation for Govt Exams

A single-place revision of October 2026's exam-relevant current affairs, grouped by theme. Each item carries the facts and the exam points worth memorising.

National & Government

1. NSAP renamed Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana (PM-SSY)

The Union Cabinet, on 14 October, approved continuation of the National Social Assistance Programme and renamed it the Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana. Exam Points: outlay ₹53,428 crore; period 2026-27 to 2030-31 (5 years); ~3.20 crore beneficiaries across all 36 States/UTs; disability-pension threshold eased to 40% disability (aligned with the RPwD Act 2016). The four sub-schemes were renamed (pension schemes for old age, widows and persons with disabilities, plus the family benefit scheme) — (verify) exact sub-scheme names against PIB.

2. Container Manufacturing Promotion Scheme (CMPS)

Cabinet cleared it on 28 October to build a domestic shipping-container manufacturing ecosystem. Exam Points: outlay ₹10,000 crore; runs 13 years to FY2039-40; components — interest subvention, testing & certification, land-leasing support, operational-expenditure assistance; aim — cut import dependence (a reported target of ~7.5 lakh TEU annual capacity).

3. Khelo India Sports Goods Manufacturing Scheme

Also cleared on 28 October, to boost domestic sports-goods manufacturing and exports (announced in Union Budget 2026-27). Exam Points: outlay ₹1,856.67 crore; period FY2026-27 to FY2033-34 (8 years); covers design, production, certification and international marketing.

4. Pradhan Mantri Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana (PMVGSY)

A Centrally Sponsored Scheme approved in the same 28 October Cabinet meeting. Exam Points: outlay ₹7,395 crore; period 2026-27 to 2030-31 (5 years); rural/panchayat development focus.

5. 3% Dearness Allowance / Dearness Relief hike

Cabinet approved a 3% DA/DR increase for central-government employees and pensioners on 28 October. Exam Points: effective 1 July 2026; benefits ~48 lakh employees and ~68 lakh pensioners; annual exchequer impact over ₹10,000 crore.

Polity & Governance

6. Three new Supreme Court judges sworn in

CJI Surya Kant administered the oath to three new judges on 6–7 October. Exam Points: Justices Sunita Agarwal, Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Aparesh Kumar Singh; recommended by the Collegium on 28 Sep 2026; Court's working strength rose to 37; sanctioned strength was raised from 34 to 38 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 2026.

Economy & Banking

7. RBI raises the repo rate — first hike since 2023

The Monetary Policy Committee (6–7 October, Governor Sanjay Malhotra) raised the policy repo rate by 25 bps to 5.50% and changed its stance to "calibrated tightening". Exam Points: repo 5.25% → 5.50% (first hike since February 2023); SDF 5.25%, MSF and Bank Rate 5.75%; minutes released 21 Oct; next MPC 2–4 December 2026.

8. IMF raises India's growth projection

In its mid-October World Economic Outlook, the IMF upgraded India's 2026 growth forecast to 7.0%. Exam Points: up ~0.6 percentage points from the July update; India remains the fastest-growing major economy; IMF global growth ~3.1% (2026).

9. Retail inflation (CPI) — September 2026

Released 12 October by MoSPI. Exam Points: headline CPI 5.54% (provisional), up from 4.83% in August; food inflation (CFPI) 7.74%; rural 6.08% / urban 4.88%; above the RBI's 4% medium-term target; base 2024=100.

10. GST collections — September 2026

Released 1 October. Exam Points: gross GST ₹2,03,521 crore, up 14.7% year-on-year; net GST ₹1,76,520 cr (+18.1%); third month of FY2026-27 above ₹2 lakh crore; Maharashtra the top state.

11. Index of Industrial Production (IIP)

Exam Points: August 2026 IIP growth 8.0% (quick estimate; later revised to 7.8%), manufacturing +9.0%; September 2026 IIP growth 6.7% (released 28 Oct); compiled by MoSPI.

12. SEBI regulatory changes

SEBI notified new regulations during October. Exam Points: SEBI (Portfolio Managers) Regulations, 2026 notified 12 Oct (replace the 2020 rules; effective 1 Apr 2027; a lower-threshold route with ₹25 lakh minimum); SEBI (Settlement Proceedings) Regulations, 2026 (6 Oct). (verify) against the SEBI Gazette notifications for exact terms.

International Relations

13. India rolls over the ₹30 billion currency swap for the Maldives

The MEA announced on 16 October the first rollover of the Maldives' ₹30 billion (₹3,000 crore) currency-swap facility, effective 23 October. Exam Points: under the SAARC Currency Swap Framework 2024–27; the underlying RBI–Maldives Monetary Authority agreement was signed October 2024; MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed it; the Maldives separately settled its $400 million bilateral tranche.

14. Polish PM Donald Tusk's state visit

Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited India from 21–23 October, with delegation-level talks at Hyderabad House on 22 October. Exam Points: reviewed the India–Poland Strategic Partnership (elevated in 2024, with a Joint Action Plan 2024–2028); focus — trade, defence, emerging technologies, renewable energy; India–Poland business forums in New Delhi and Bengaluru. (verify) — no itemised list of signed agreements was confirmed, so don't assert specific MoUs.

Defence

15. Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit becomes 29th Chief of the Air Staff

Announced 6 October; he assumed charge (as Air Chief Marshal) on 31 October. Exam Points: succeeded ACM Amar Preet Singh (superannuated 31 Oct); was Vice Chief of the Air Staff before elevation; Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia is the new Vice Chief (from 1 Nov).

16. INS Samarthak commissioned

Commissioned into the Navy on 16 October at Karwar — the first major warship built by a private Indian shipyard. Exam Points: built by L&T at Kattupalli (indigenous content >75%); India's first Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPV) — for weapon/sensor trials, surveillance, towing and torpedo recovery; VP C.P. Radhakrishnan presided.

17. INS Mangrol commissioned

Commissioned on 12 October at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. Exam Points: third Mahe-class ASW Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC); built by Cochin Shipyard Limited; ~80% indigenous; fitted with Abhay sonar, lightweight torpedoes and the Maareech decoy.

18. ICGS Ajit commissioned

The Indian Coast Guard commissioned the indigenous Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS Ajit on 9 October at Goa Shipyard Limited. Exam Points: built by Goa Shipyard Limited; to be based at Okha, Gujarat; 51.43 m, speed >27 knots, endurance 1,500 nm.

19. SAREX-2026 — 12th National Maritime SAR Exercise

The Indian Coast Guard conducted it off Paradip, Odisha, on 7–8 October. Exam Points: under the National Maritime Search and Rescue Board; theme — "Leveraging Technology to Strengthen SAR Preparedness and Maritime Safety"; 32 foreign observers from 30 countries; inaugurated by RRM Sanjay Seth, led by ICG DG Paramesh Sivamani.

20. SIMBEX-2026 — 33rd India–Singapore Maritime Bilateral Exercise

Held off Visakhapatnam / Bay of Bengal, 21–26 October. Exam Points: harbour phase 21–23 Oct, sea phase 24–26 Oct; Singapore's RSS Supreme took part; SIMBEX began in 1994 (originally "Exercise Lion King").

21. AUSTRAHIND 2026 — 5th India–Australia joint military exercise

Began 19 October at the Foreign Training Node, Thiruvananthapuram, running to 1 November. Exam Points: ~120 personnel per side; Army-to-Army, sub-conventional operations in island/coastal terrain; a New Zealand observer delegation took part for the first time.

22. Mountain Guardian 2026 — India–UAE joint military exercise

Held at Chaubatia, Uttarakhand, 5–18 October. Exam Points: 92 personnel (46 each); Indian contingent from a Bhairav Battalion, UAE from a Mountain Infantry Battalion; mountain-warfare focus; women personnel from both armies took part. (Edition number uncertain — don't state one.)

23. Defence Acquisition Council clears ~₹2.12 lakh crore

The DAC, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, granted Acceptance of Necessity for acquisitions worth ~₹2.12 lakh crore on 26 October. Exam Points: across Army, Navy and Air Force; ~82% of the value earmarked for Indian industry; included Special Utility Helicopters and high-resolution weather radars; AoN = Acceptance of Necessity (in-principle approval, not a final purchase).

Science & Technology

24. ISRO launches GSLV-F18 with the NVS-03 navigation satellite

ISRO launched GSLV-F18 from Sriharikota, placing the ~2,250 kg NVS-03 satellite in orbit (late October). (verify) the exact date — reported as 30 October, though one schedule cited mid-October. Exam Points: NVS-03 is a second-generation NavIC (IRNSS) navigation satellite; launched on a GSLV; part of India's regional navigation constellation.

Environment & Reports

25. India's Ramsar tally rises to 103

Two new wetlands were designated in mid-October. Exam Points: Sukhna Wetland (Chandigarh) — Chandigarh's first Ramsar site, a 1958 man-made reservoir in the Shivalik foothills; and Sauj Jheel (Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh) — making Mainpuri the only district with two Ramsar sites; India's total now 103; announced by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.

26. Global Hunger Index 2026

Released around World Food Day (14 October). Exam Points: India ranked 100th of 122 with a score of 24.1 ("serious"), shared with Ethiopia; child wasting 19% (highest in South Asia); published by Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide; the government disputes the methodology.

Awards & Honours — the 2026 Nobel Prizes

27. The six 2026 Nobel Prizes

Exam Points:

• Medicine (5 Oct): Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel — "light-gated ion channels and optogenetics".
• Physics (6 Oct): Francis Halzen (sole laureate) — the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and high-energy astrophysical neutrinos.
• Chemistry (7 Oct): Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai — non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric synthesis.
• Literature (8 Oct): Anne Carson (Canadian poet).
• Peace (9 Oct): Navanethem "Navi" Pillay (South Africa), former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
• Economic Sciences (12 Oct): Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford — microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation.
• Prize money raised to 12.0 million SEK per category; ceremonies on 10 December (Oslo for Peace, Stockholm for the rest). (verify) exact citation wording against NobelPrize.org.

Sports

28. 20th Asian Games close — India finishes 4th

The 20th Asian Games (Aichi-Nagoya, Japan) closed on 4 October. Exam Points: India finished 4th with 85 medals (21 gold, 27 silver, 37 bronze) — its second-best ever after Hangzhou 2023; medal table led by China, then host Japan and South Korea; the OCA flag was handed to Doha, Qatar, host of the 21st Asian Games in 2030. (India and Uzbekistan each reportedly won 21 golds; India's 4th place rests on the medal tiebreak.)

Obituaries

29. Veteran actor Nana Patekar dies (verify)

Reported to have died on 8 October (Goa) at age 75, after a cardiac arrest; reported accorded a state funeral in Maharashtra. This is a death claim about a real, recently-living person — confirm against a reliable obituary before publishing. Exam Points: a five-decade career (Parinda, Krantiveer, Agni Sakshi); National Film Award winner and Padma Shri recipient.

Important Days in October

Exam Points: International Day of Older Persons — 1 Oct; Gandhi Jayanti / International Day of Non-Violence & Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti — 2 Oct; World Teachers' Day — 5 Oct; Indian Air Force Day — 8 Oct; World Mental Health Day — 10 Oct; International Day of the Girl Child — 11 Oct; World Food Day — 16 Oct; United Nations Day — 24 Oct; National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, Sardar Patel Jayanti) & World Cities Day — 31 Oct.