23rd October, 2026

1. India-Singapore Maritime Exercise SIMBEX-26 Commences in Visakhapatnam, AP
2. WWF-India EIACP Launches Green Diwali Campaign 2026 to Promote Cracker-Free Celebrations
3. BHASHINI-IISc Bengaluru Develop AI-Based Text-to-Speech Models for ‘Sourashtra’ Language
4. AU SFB Partners with Paytm to Launch India’s First RuPay Credit Card with Family Lounge Access
5. Bank of Baroda Launches Festive Campaign ‘Bob Ke Sang Tyohaar Ki Umang’
6. DRDO’s ARDE Shortlists SSS Defence & Kalyani Group to Develop India’s First Indigenous Aviation Gun System
7. NASA’s Perseverance Rover Sets World Record by Driving 45.22 km on Mars
8. Former Prasar Bharati Chairman Surya Prakash Releases Harsaran Bir Kaur Pandey’s Book “The Evolution of TV News in India”
9. Ladakh LG Vinai Kumar Saxena Notifies 100 Constituencies for LAHDCs, Nearly Doubling Council Strength
10. President Murmu promulgates law on Ladakh hill councils
11. India Plans Mandatory Automatic Emergency Braking in New Cars from October 2030
12. ISRO to Launch NVS-03 Navigation Satellite on October 30, 2026
13. India Notifies New Telecom Rules for Testing Emerging Technologies
14. Folk Artist Devadas Chimakode Selected for Karnataka Janapada Award 2026
15. Ashfaqullah Khan Birth Anniversary 2026: Kakori Case and Freedom Struggle
16. Taiwan Grinds to Halt as Typhoon Champi Nears
17. WHO confirms first documented human Shamonda virus case in France
18. India and Uzbekistan agree to strengthen cooperation against terrorism and regional security threats
19. India hands over 24 houses in Sri Lanka’s Galle district under Model Village Housing Project
20. India and Poland agree to boost defence, space and nuclear energy cooperation
21. India and Poland agree to double bilateral trade by 2030 and establish Defence Industry Dialogue, says MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George
22. Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron arrives in Maldives for long-range training deployment
23. India Showcases Make in India Water Technologies at WETEX 2026 in Dubai
24. Indian Artist Sangita Bhutada’s Rangoli Design Features on US Diwali Commemorative Stamp
25. MP CM Mohan Yadav to Inaugurate Semiconductor Summit in Indore
26. Jharkhand Governor inaugurates Swarnim Bharat Expo 2026 in Ranchi
27. PM Modi to inaugurate Chinmaya Amrit Mahotsav Global Sammelan in New Delhi tomorrow, marking Chinmaya Mission’s 75th Anniversary
28. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal Warns EU Carbon Tax Could Raise Costs
29. Environment Minister says India has introduced sector-specific rules for nine waste streams
30. Road Ministry proposes mandatory emergency braking systems for all new car models from October 2030
31. Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh inaugurates GYANDEEP Hindi library under Special Campaign 6
32. President Murmu releases ₹200 commemorative coin marking 200th birth anniversary of Mata Sahib Hasi Devi Ji
33. Education Minister Pralhad Joshi launches registration portal for fifth Kashi Tamil Sangamam
34. HM Amit Shah Launches Yamuna Rejuvenation Projects Worth Over ₹8,941 Crore in Delhi
35. India aims one-trillion-dollar chemicals market by 2040, says Union Minister J. P. Nadda
36. HM Amit Shah Pays Tribute to Tribhuvandas Patel, Pioneer of India’s Dairy Cooperative Movement, on Birth Anniversary
37. Overview of 25th SCO CHG Meeting Held from October 19 to October 20, 2026 in Tajikistan

National News

WWF-India Launches Nationwide Green Diwali Campaign

• What: WWF-India’s Programme Centre – Resource Partner (PC-RP), supported by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), launched a nationwide Green Diwali Campaign urging citizens to avoid firecrackers.
• Tell me more:
  • The campaign is in line with Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment).
  • Special focus: 130 cities covered under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
  • Citizens are encouraged to take the Green Diwali Pledge to avoid firecrackers and adopt eco-friendly habits, and WWF-India’s Carbon Footprint Survey to understand their environmental footprint.

MoRTH Proposes Mandatory Emergency Braking in New Cars

• What: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) issued a draft notification proposing to make Advanced Emergency Braking Systems (AEBS) mandatory for all new car models from October 2030.
• Tell me more:
  • Cars: New car models must have AEBS conforming to Automotive Industry Standard (AIS)-185 from October 2030, while models already in production must comply from October 2032.
  • Trucks:
    • New truck and bus models must have AEBS from January 2027, along with blind spot information, moving-off information, driver drowsiness detection and alerts, and lane departure warning systems.
    • Trucks must also have Electronic Stability Control (ESC), conforming to AIS-162, and a revised braking standard from October 2027.
  • The government aims to halve road accidents and deaths by 2030 and has identified 100 districts with high accident rates for urgent intervention.

Centre Notifies Telecom Regulatory Sandbox Rules, 2026

• What: The Union Government notified the Telecommunications (Regulatory Sandbox) Rules, 2026, allowing new telecom technologies and services to be tested in a controlled environment before their commercial launch.
• Tell me more:
  • During testing, participants can be exempted from certain rules of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Act, 1997, to encourage innovation in the sector.
  • A regulatory sandbox can run for up to 24 months, extendable by 12 months at a time, after which the government can close the testing of the product or allow commercial deployment based on the test results.

India, Poland Agree to Deepen Defence, Space, Nuclear Ties

• What: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, during Tusk’s visit to India, agreed to deepen cooperation in defence, space and nuclear energy, inviting Polish companies to co-develop and co-produce in these sectors.
• Tell me more:
  • Key outcomes:
    • The two sides agreed to set up a Defence Industry Dialogue to link defence manufacturers of both countries, along with a Counter-Terrorism Dialogue.
    • They are finalising an agreement on the protection and exchange of classified information, needed for cooperation on sensitive military technologies.
    • They will build partnerships in critical minerals and coal gasification using Polish expertise, and set up a “startup bridge” for AI, cybersecurity and fintech.
    • They will build partnerships in critical minerals and coal gasification using Polish expertise, with an MoU on geology, mining and critical minerals under negotiation.
    • They agreed to resume the bilateral working group on agriculture, develop scientific cooperation in polar affairs, and concluded a cooperation agreement between the National Archives of India and the State Archives of Poland.
  • Global alliances
    • Poland joined the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and India invited it to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the Global Biofuels Alliance and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
  • Trade and investment:
    • Bilateral trade: $6.3 billion, targeted to double by 2030
    • Indian investments in Poland: $3 billion
  • Background:
    • India and Poland established diplomatic ties in 1954 (Indian Embassy in Warsaw opened in 1957) and set up the India–Poland Strategic Partnership in 2024.

India Showcases Water Technologies at WETEX 2026, Dubai

• What: Indian companies are showcasing water treatment, environmental and sustainability solutions at the Bharat Pavilion at the 28th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX) at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
• Tell me more:
  • WETEX is organised by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), whose MD & CEO, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, is also WETEX’s Founder and Chairman.
  • The Bharat Pavilion is led by the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and supported under the Government of India’s Export Promotion Mission.
  • UAE-India non-oil trade reached AED 1 trillion in about four years. The full form of AED is United Arab Emirates Dirham.
  • WETEX 2026 coincides with the 12th World Green Economy Summit (WGES), also held at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The WGES is organised by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, DEWA, and the World Green Economy Organization.

PM Modi Inaugurates Chinmaya Amrit Mahotsav Global Sammelan

• What: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Chinmaya Amrit Mahotsav Global Sammelan at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, marking the culmination of the year-long celebrations of 75 years of the Chinmaya Mission.
• Tell me more:
  • Chinmaya Mission is a global spiritual movement founded by Swami Chinmayananda in 1951 to make the wisdom of Vedanta and the Bhagavad Gita accessible to all.
  • The celebrations began with PM Modi releasing a Tamil versification of the Bhagavad Gita, with music by Ilaiyaraaja, at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Tamil Nadu.

CII’s Circular Economy Conference Held in New Delhi

• What: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, at the Circular Economy Conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi, said the government has introduced sector-specific rules for nine waste streams.
• Tell me more:
  • Nine waste streams: plastic waste, battery waste, e-waste, waste tyres, used oil, end-of-life vehicles, construction and demolition waste, non-ferrous scrap metal and solid waste
  • About Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR):
    • Under EPR frameworks, producers, importers and brand owners must manage their products at the end of life, while EPR certificates reward recyclers, helping process nearly 500 lakh metric tonnes of waste.
    • Registered under EPR: 86,043+ producers and 4,880 recyclers
  • Under the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, solid waste must be segregated into four streams: wet, dry, sanitary and special-care waste.

Registration Portal Launched for Kashi Tamil Sangamam 5.0

• What: Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi launched the registration portal for the fifth edition of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS 5.0), a cultural and educational exchange programme celebrating the ancient bonds between Tamil Nadu and Kashi.
• Tell me more:
  • Theme: ‘Thirukkural’
    • Thirukkural is a 2,500-year-old classical Tamil text by poet-philosopher Thiruvalluvar, with 1,330 couplets (kurals) in 133 chapters, offering insights into ethics, morality and virtuous living.
    • PM Modi recently gifted its Russian translation to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the BRICS Summit 2026.

14th India Chem 2026 Exhibition and Conference Inaugurated in Mumbai

• What: The 14th edition of India Chem 2026, an international exhibition and conference on chemicals and petrochemicals, was inaugurated in Mumbai by Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers and Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda.
• Tell me more:
  • Organisers: Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, in partnership with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
  • Theme: ‘Advantage Bharat: An Emerging Global Chemicals Hub’
  • Partner country: Japan
  • Partner states: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh
  • The India Chem Youth Innovation Challenge, a new feature of this edition, engages young innovators and students in solving chemical industry challenges.
  • Indian chemical industry projections:
    • By 2030: USD 300 billion
    • By 2040: USD 1 trillion
  • About BHAVYA Rasayan Scheme:
    • Under the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna (BHAVYA) Rasayan Scheme, the government will develop three new dedicated chemical parks as globally competitive manufacturing hubs.

State News

Ladakh Notifies 100 Constituencies for Hill Councils

• What: Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena notified 100 constituencies for the Union Territory’s eight Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs), up from the existing 52 seats.
• Tell me more:
  • The constituencies were notified under the LAHDC (Amendment) Regulation, 2026, promulgated by President Droupadi Murmu, which allows elected Hill Councils in all eight districts, including the newly created Sankoo district.
  • Seats per council:
    • Leh: 22
    • Kargil: 21
    • Sankoo: 13
    • Changthang: 10
    • Nubra, Sham and Zanskar: 9 each
    • Drass: 7
  • LAHDCs are elected statutory district-level bodies that provide local self-rule, plan socioeconomic development and manage land and resources in Ladakh.
  • Key changes as per the LAHDC (Amendment) Regulation, 2026:
    • This regulation amends the LAHDC Act, 1997, aligning the councils with the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, and replaces terms like ‘State’ and ‘Governor’ with ‘Union Territory of Ladakh’ and ‘Administrator’.
    • The administration will fix each council’s elected seats between 7 and 24 (earlier 26 per council) and nominate up to 4 members from women and unrepresented communities, while Ladakh’s Lok Sabha MP will be an ex-officio member.
    • Councils will act as district-level panchayats under the J&K Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, but their district plans must follow administrative guidelines and their bye-laws need the administration’s approval.
    • The State Election Commission of the UT of Ladakh will conduct council elections, and disputes can be filed before the High Court of J&K and Ladakh within 45 days of the result.
    • Term of each council: 5 years, extendable if elections are impracticable

BHASHINI, IISc Develop Text-to-Speech Models for Sourashtra

• What: The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), under Digital India Corporation (DIC), MeitY, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, developed Text-to-Speech (TTS) models for Sourashtra, a minority Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in Tamil Nadu.
• Tell me more:
  • Sourashtra speakers (Census 2011): around 2.48 lakh
  • Number of models: 4 – male and female voices, each available in Tamil script and Sourashtra script
  • The models were trained on the SPICOR TTS 3.0 Sourashtra Corpus, 28+ hours of speech data developed at SPIRE Lab, IISc, now available on AIKOSH, BHASHINI’s platform for language datasets.
  • BHASHINI supports:
    • Indian text languages: 36
    • Indian voice languages: 23
    • International languages: 35

Madhya Pradesh Hosts Semiconductor Summit-2026 in Indore

• Madhya Pradesh CM Dr Mohan Yadav inaugurated the two-day Semiconductor Summit-2026 in Indore, aimed at positioning the state as a semiconductor hub through investment in chip design, manufacturing, advanced packaging and testing.

Jharkhand Governor Inaugurates Swarnim Bharat Expo 2026 in Ranchi

• What: Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar inaugurated the ‘Swarnim Bharat Expo 2026’ in Ranchi, organised by the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) to showcase Central Government schemes, Viksit Bharat @2047 and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• Tell me more:
  • Theme: ‘12 Years of Trust, Development and Public Welfare’
  • The Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) is the unified outreach and advertising wing of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.

Amit Shah Launches ₹8,941 Crore Yamuna Rejuvenation Projects

• What: Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for Yamuna rejuvenation projects worth ₹8,941 crore in Delhi, aimed at treating wastewater before it enters the river.
• Tell me more:
  • Target to clean the Yamuna: May 2029, through time-bound action plans prepared jointly by the Centre and the governments of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
  • The key project is a 124 million gallons per day (MGD) sewage treatment plant (STP) at Okhla, the biggest in Delhi and claimed to be Asia’s biggest as well, built jointly by the Centre and the Delhi government.
  • Delhi Lieutenant Governor: Taranjit Singh Sandhu
  • Delhi Chief Minister: Rekha Gupta

International News

25th SCO Heads of Government Meeting Held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan

• What: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh represented India at the 25th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan in October.
• Tell me more:
  • Key outcomes:
    • Members adopted a Joint Communiqué, approved the SCO budget for 2027 and the Programme of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation (PMTEC) Action Plan for 2026–2030.
    • The CHG chairmanship passed to Uzbekistan, which will host the next meeting in 2027.
    • The SCO Development Bank, agreed at the Bishkek Summit, will be set up to help identify and finance multilateral projects.
    • The decision to set up the bank was taken at the SCO Heads of State meeting in Tianjin, China (2025), and its progress was noted in the Bishkek Declaration (2026) under Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship.
    • The bank will help identify and finance multilateral projects, and its fifth round of consultations on its establishment was held in Hangzhou, China, co-chaired by China and Pakistan in September 2026.

26th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State Held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

• What: The 26th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, under the chairmanship of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov in September.
• Tell me more:
  • The summit marked the end of Kyrgyzstan’s 2025–26 chairmanship, themed ‘25 Years of the SCO: Together for Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity’.
  • The SCO chairmanship for 2026–27 passed to Pakistan, with the theme ‘Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity’.
  • Key outcomes:
    • Of the 28 documents approved, key ones include the Bishkek Declaration, a Protocol amending the SCO Charter, and an MoU between the SCO Secretariat and the African Union Commission.
    • The SCO amended the Charter to include English as an official and working language of the SCO.
    • SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital (2026–27): Lahore, Pakistan
  • SCO Plus:
    • It was a separate meeting held alongside the summit, with the theme ‘The UN as a Key Element of a Just World Order: The Contribution of the SCO Plus States to the Formation of a Multipolar World’.
    • Unlike the summit, which is for member states only, it also included the observer state (Mongolia), dialogue partners (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Egypt, Laos, Turkey), guest countries of the host (Vietnam, Togo), and heads of bodies like the EAEU, CSTO, UN, CICA and CIS.
  • About SCO:
    • Member states: Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
    • SCO Secretary General: Nurlan Yermekbayev
    • India has been a full member since 2017.
    • The SCO obtained observer status at the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

NASA’s Perseverance Sets Longest Off-World Driving Record

• What: NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover became the vehicle to drive the farthest on the surface of another world, covering 45.22 km and beating the 45.16 km record of NASA’s Opportunity rover.
• Tell me more:
  • Perseverance is exploring the western rim of Jezero Crater on Mars.
  • Its autonomous navigation system, AutoNav, maps hazards in 3D and plots its route while driving, and has been used for over 90% of its total distance.
  • NASA approved the mission’s first extension, taking it till around the end of 2028.
  • Distances driven on other worlds:
    • Perseverance (NASA, Mars): 45.22 km
    • Opportunity (NASA, Mars): 45.16 km
    • Lunokhod 2 (Soviet Union, Moon): 39 km
    • Curiosity (NASA, Mars): 38.07 km
    • Apollo 17 astronauts (Moon): 35.7 km

France Reports First Human Case of Shamonda Virus

• What: The World Health Organisation (WHO), headed by Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, reported the world’s first documented human infection with the Shamonda virus in France, where the immunocompromised patient died.
• Tell me more:
  • First found in cattle in Nigeria in the 1960s, the virus mainly affects cattle, sheep, goats and horses, causing fever and pregnancy-related problems.
  • It spreads among animals through bites of midges, small fly-like insects, and there is no evidence that it spreads from person to person.
  • Shamonda is a type of Orthobunyavirus and belongs to the same family as the Schmallenberg virus, which causes reproductive problems in livestock.

India Hands Over 22nd Model Village in Sri Lanka

• What: India handed over the Didula Model Village of 24 houses in Sri Lanka’s Galle District under the India-supported Model Village Housing Project.
• Tell me more:
  • Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka: Santosh Jha
  • The Model Village Project is an India-assisted housing initiative in Sri Lanka to construct 100 model villages comprising 2,400 houses for war-affected people and estate workers.
  • Model villages handed over so far: 22

US Postal Service Releases Diwali Stamp Featuring Rangoli

• What: The US Postal Service (USPS) released a Diwali commemorative postage stamp featuring a rangoli design by Houston-based Indian artist Sangita Bhutada.
• Tell me more:
  • This is the USPS’s second Diwali stamp, after the first one issued in 2016.
  • India’s Ambassador to the US: Vinay Mohan Kwatra

4th Edition of Berlin Global Dialogue (BGD)

• What: Established in 2022 at ESMT Berlin (a business school), the BGD is an annual summit that brings together governments and businesses for high-level dialogue, whose 4th edition (2026) is themed ‘Advancing Alliances for the New Era’.
• Tell me more:
  • At the Summit, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal criticised the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), a carbon-emission tax on steel, aluminium and cement imports, under which Indian exports could face 20–35% tariffs.
  • India has about 17% of the world’s population but only 3–3.5% of global carbon emissions, while the EU accounts for about 20%.
  • CBAM does not recognise the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and the EU’s anti-deforestation regulation (EUDR) acts as a non-tariff barrier for sectors like rubber.
  • Separately, at the India-Germany Business Roundtable, held alongside the BGD, Goyal called for a tenfold rise in India-Germany bilateral trade, from about €31.5 billion to €310 billion.
  • German Chancellor: Friedrich Merz

Banking and Economy

AU SFB, Paytm Launch Lifetime-Free RuPay Credit Card

• AU Small Finance Bank and Paytm launched the Paytm AU SFB Credit Card, a co-branded, lifetime-free RuPay credit card with no joining or annual fee.

Bank of Baroda Launches Festive Campaign ‘Shubh Bhi, Labh Bhi’

• Bank of Baroda launched its festive campaign ‘bob Ke Sang Tyohaar Ki Umang – Shubh Bhi, Labh Bhi’, offering benefits on home loans, car loans, MSME financing, savings products and debit card spending.

Defence News

India, Singapore Navies Hold 33rd SIMBEX Exercise

• What: The 33rd edition of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX-2026) between the Indian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) began in Visakhapatnam.
• Tell me more:
  • SIMBEX started in 1994 as Exercise Lion King and has grown into a key bilateral maritime engagement between the two navies.
  • Singapore participating ship: RSS Supreme
  • India’s participating ship: INS Nilgiri and INS Kamorta

DRDO Picks Firms for Developing Indigenous Helicopter Gun

• What: DRDO’s Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) shortlisted SSS Defence and Kalyani Group as Development cum Production Partners (DcPP) to develop an indigenous 20mm aviation gun and turret system.
• Tell me more:
  • After ARDE signed an MoU with HAL for this project, bidding was called, which SSS Defence and Kalyani Group won.
  • This is India’s first effort to design and develop a medium-calibre aviation gun domestically.
  • The gun is meant for HAL’s Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk-IV Rudra, the weaponised version of HAL’s Dhruv, and the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand, India’s indigenous attack helicopter.
  • The LCH currently uses the THL20 gun turret made by European defence company KNDS.

India, Uzbekistan Hold 10th Counter-Terrorism JWG Meeting

• What: The 10th meeting of the India-Uzbekistan Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism was held in New Delhi.
• Tell me more:
  • Both sides agreed to boost counter-terrorism cooperation through information sharing and capacity building, and to work together in the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) and the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (EAG).
  • Next JWG meeting venue: Uzbekistan

Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron Visits Maldives

• What: Ships of the Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron (1TS) arrived at Malé, Maldives, as part of its Long Range Training Deployment.
• Tell me more:
  • Participating ships: INS Tir, INS Sujata and Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Sarathi
  • Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives: G Balasubramaniam
  • The visit strengthens maritime cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), in line with India’s MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision.

Defence Ministry Opens Hindi Library ‘Gyandeep’ in Sena Bhawan

• What: The Ministry of Defence inaugurated a new Hindi library, ‘Gyandeep’, in Sena Bhawan, New Delhi, as part of Special Campaign 6 to promote the use of Hindi (Rajbhasha) in official work.
• Tell me more:
  • Under the campaign, space in South Block was freed up by disposing of old records and handed over to the Yuga Yugeen Bharat Museum project.

Science and Technology

ISRO to Launch NVS-03 Navigation Satellite

• What: ISRO, headed by Chairman Dr V Narayanan, will launch the navigation satellite NVS-03 on board the GSLV Mk II from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota for the NavIC system.
• Tell me more:
  • The GSLV Mk II, equipped with an indigenous cryogenic engine, recently launched EOS-05, India’s first geosynchronous earth observation satellite.
• Knowledge Nuggets:
  • NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) is India’s indigenous GPS service provided by ISRO’s IRNSS (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System) and NVS satellites, on which work began in 1999 after the Kargil war.
  • Ideal constellation: 7 satellites; minimum 4 needed for navigation
  • Satellites launched since 2013: 11, of which 6 failed, mainly due to defective imported atomic clocks
  • Currently functional satellites: IRNSS 1B, IRNSS 1L and IRNSS 1J (NVS-01)
    • If NVS-03 is successful, it will restore NavIC system to the minimum 4 functional satellites needed for offering optimal navigation services.
    • NVS-02 (IRNSS 1K) reported an engine failure last year.

Awards

Bidar Folk Artist Devadas Chimakode Wins Janapada Award

• What: Folk artist Devadas Chimakode from Bidar district was selected for the Karnataka Janapada Academy’s annual honorary award for 2026.
• Tell me more:
  • He was honoured for his contributions to folk singing, instrumental music and traditional art forms like Suggi Kunitha (folk harvest dance) and Halage (hand-held percussion drum instrument) of Karnataka.
  • Award: ₹25,000 cash prize and a citation

Miscellaneous

Harsaran Bir Kaur Pandey’s Book on TV News Launched

• What: Former Prasar Bharati Chairman Surya Prakash launched the book ‘The Evolution of TV News in India: From Doordarshan to Digital Disruption – An Insider’s Account’, written by veteran broadcaster and former Doordarshan producer Harsaran Bir Kaur Pandey.
• Tell me more:
  • Publisher: Om Books International

Remembering Freedom Fighter Ashfaqulla Khan on Birth Anniversary

• What: India remembers revolutionary freedom fighter Ashfaqulla Khan, born on 22 October 1900 in Shahjahanpur, on his birth anniversary.
• Tell me more:
  • In 1924, he and other freedom fighters formed the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) to achieve a free India through armed revolution.
  • To fund arms for the movement, he and Ram Prasad Bismil, along with other revolutionaries, looted a train carrying British government money at Kakori near Lucknow on 9 August 1925.
  • He was sentenced to death in the Kakori case along with Bismil and others, and was hanged at Faizabad jail on 19 December 1927.

Remembering Tribhuvandas Patel, Architect of Amul, on Birth Anniversary

• What: Union Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah paid tribute to Tribhuvandas Patel, pioneer of the White Revolution and architect of the cooperative movement, on his birth anniversary (born 22 October 1903 in Anand, Gujarat).
• Tell me more:
  • Under Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s guidance, he founded the Kaira (Kheda) District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd in 1946, now known worldwide as Amul.
  • India’s first National Cooperative University, the Tribhuvandas Cooperative University in Anand, Gujarat, is named after him.
  • His Awards:
    • Ramon Magsaysay Award (1963) for Community Leadership, shared with Dr Verghese Kurien and Dara Nusserwanji Khurody
    • Padma Bhushan (1964)
  • He was a Rajya Sabha member twice and later set up the Tribhuvandas Foundation for women and child health in Kheda district.

President Murmu Releases ₹200 Coin Honouring Mata Hasi Devi

• What: President Droupadi Murmu released a ₹200 commemorative coin in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, to mark the 200th birth anniversary of Mata Sahib Hasi Devi, the fifth head (Peethadhish) of Shadani Darbar, a spiritual and cultural centre of the Sindhi community.
• Tell me more:
  • The coin, issued by the Union Ministry of Finance, bears Mata Hasi Devi’s portrait on one side and the Lion Capital of the Ashoka Pillar with the ₹200 denomination on the other.
  • Chhattisgarh Governor: Ramen Deka
  • Chhattisgarh Chief Minister: Vishnu Deo Sai

Typhoon Champi Shuts Down Taiwan

• Typhoon Champi, which shut down Taiwan, is forming over the Philippine Sea in the western Pacific Ocean.
• Typhoon Champi was named by Laos under the regional naming system for tropical cyclones in the northwestern Pacific.

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