*TODAYS TOP NEWS*
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1. PM Narendra Modi will attend the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, on 31 October, marking the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Home Secretary Govind Mohan said this year’s Ekta Parade will commemorate the end of armed Naxalism, and the NSD will stage a ‘Naxal Mukt Bharat’ performance with about 2,000 artists from 126 districts.
2. President Droupadi Murmu begins a two-day visit to Chhattisgarh today. In Raipur she will release a commemorative coin in honour of Pujya Mata Hasi Devi Ji at Lok Bhavan, and on 23 October she will attend the Muriya Darbar and a public programme on the occasion of Bastar Dussehra at Jagdalpur.
3. New and Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi said one of the world’s largest agrivoltaics programmes will be launched in the next phase of PM-KUSUM, under which 25 lakh farmers have benefited so far. He and Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the 7th Agrivoltaics World Conference at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on the theme ‘Powering the Global South’, with over 1,500 participants from more than 40 countries.
4. TRIFED, under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, will hold ‘Aadi Bazaar 2026’ at the Town Hall, Collectorate premises, Raipur, from 24 October to 2 November. Tribal artisans from several States will sell handicrafts, handloom, jewellery, paintings, bamboo and wood crafts and forest-based organic products directly to buyers, without middlemen.
5. The Ministry of Women and Child Development will hold a dedicated nationwide drive on 30 October under Special Campaign 6, with Grievance Redressal Chaupals and e-Chaupals for beneficiaries of Poshan Tracker and the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY). Special Campaign 6 is being implemented from 2 to 31 October.
6. Paying tribute at the National Police Memorial on Police Commemoration Day, Home Minister Amit Shah said the government aims to free India of drugs by 31 December 2029 and that the country became free of Naxalism on 31 March 2026. He said 36,852 police personnel have laid down their lives since Independence, and flagged off a nationwide ‘Fight Against Drugs’ motorcycle rally.
7. The Finance Ministry’s Department of Financial Services has launched a nationwide Financial Inclusion Saturation Campaign across 2.70 lakh Gram Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies, to run till 31 December. Banks will hold camps for PM Jan Dhan Yojana accounts, PMJJBY, PMSBY and Atal Pension Yojana enrolment and re-KYC, and promote Kisan Credit Card and PM Fasal Bima Yojana enrolment ahead of the Rabi season.
8. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches the nationwide ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan – Rabi 2026’ from Karnal, Haryana, today; it will run till 30 November. The campaign will promote soil-test-based balanced fertiliser use, crop diversification through the oilseed, pulse and horticulture missions, use of fallow fields after paddy harvest and crop residue management, with Kisan Chaupals and field demonstrations down to Gram Panchayat level.
9. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has invoked all actions under Stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the entire NCR with immediate effect, after Delhi’s AQI rose from 179 (‘Moderate’) on 20 October to 244 (‘Poor’) at 2 pm on 21 October.
10. Economist Parakala Prabhakar, actor-activist Prakash Raj, and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke will be among those leading a nationwide protest on Friday (October 23) against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Mr. Prabhakar said, “Har gali me Jantar Mantar!”.
11. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan said the model of a proposed next-generation heavy-lift launch vehicle, able to place over 30,000 kg in low Earth orbit, and the Chandrayaan-4 and 5 projects will be showcased at the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2026 in New Delhi from 27 to 29 October. He said India aims to send astronauts to the Moon by 2040.
12. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has issued a fresh advisory asking all private satellite TV channels to strictly follow the Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, while reporting on terrorism, crime, violence and communal issues. It cautioned against sensationalising disturbing visuals, revealing the identity of sexual offence survivors and debates promoting communal or anti-national attitudes, and asked channels to use AI tools only in an assistive role.
13. UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre has added three Indian sites to India’s Tentative List: the Karst-Mud Volcano Complex of Baratang and the Andaman Subduction Volcanoes in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (natural), and the Sirpur Cultural and Archaeological Landscape in Chhattisgarh (cultural). Inclusion is the first step towards a formal World Heritage nomination.
14. Two new subterranean fish species have been discovered in wells in Assam’s Goalpara district, State Environment Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said. They are Gitchak nakana, a tiny, transparent and blind loach about 2 cm long, and Rakthamichthys anchi, a slender, eel-like fish of the swamp eel family.
15. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan condoled the passing of artisan Vummidi Ethiraj, remembered for crafting the historic Sengol presented to Jawaharlal Nehru. The Sengol was installed in the new Parliament building in 2023.
16. Ladakh’s State Election Commission has announced panchayat elections across all Panchayat Halqas, with polling on 21 November and the Model Code of Conduct in force immediately. The last panchayat polls in Ladakh were held in November 2018; the administration has also dissolved the LAHDC, Kargil.
17. State Bank of India said a cyberattack led to the exposure of about 3.75 lakh customer records on the dark web, of which 3,897 contain personally identifiable information such as names, mobile numbers and addresses. The bank was alerted by a threat intelligence provider, the Defence Cyber Agency and CERT-In.
18. The Uttarakhand government has discontinued Friday as the weekly holiday for madrasas recognised by, or seeking recognition from, the State education department, shifting it to Sunday. The decision affects 206 madrasas with more than 30,000 children.
19. The West Bengal government has formed a six-member committee headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Anindita Roy Saraswati to probe the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal stampede. The panel, which includes officials of the Disaster Management Department, STF, State police and NDRF, must report within three months.
20. In Manipur, women protesters against the killing of three Meitei men clashed with police outside the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex in Imphal, where Chief Minister Y. Khemchand Singh was attending an event; police fired tear gas, injuring three. Separately, several homes were set on fire in Khiokai Kuki village near Chassad in Kamjong district.
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*LEGAL REPORT*
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1. The Supreme Court stayed for seven days the Kerala Vigilance probe against former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena T and her husband P.A. Mohamed Riyas in the CMRL bribery case. A Bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana set aside the High Court order that denied them leave to appeal, enabling them to challenge the single-judge order before a Division Bench.
2. The Supreme Court directed the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission not to publish the final list of candidates for urban local body polls until 26 October, holding that the YSR Congress Party had made out a prima facie case that its candidates were prevented from filing nominations. The SEC has halted the election process in all 100 ULBs.
3. The CBI re-registered the FIR in the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota of Mansa at its Chandigarh unit, naming store owner Ashwani Kumar and unknown persons under BNS sections for murder, attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy, and the Arms Act. The post-mortem will be conducted at PGIMER, Chandigarh.
4. A Special Executive Magistrate in Delhi ordered the release of Cockroach Janta Party co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka after they gave written undertakings not to breach peace or call protests at Jantar Mantar while it remains denotified, and furnished personal and surety bonds of ₹50,000 each. The next hearing is on 23 October.
5. Mumbai Police told a court that the firing at actor Tiger Shroff’s car was allegedly carried out at the behest of Lawrence Bishnoi gang member Anil Pandit. Eight people have been arrested so far, and three key accused brought from Kota, Rajasthan, were remanded in police custody till 31 October.
6. The CBI arrested Dr Harender Kumar, a medicine specialist and nodal officer for outsourcing at Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital, Pitampura, Delhi, and contractual supervisor Pradeep Kumar while accepting a ₹1 lakh bribe to ensure that an awarded tender was not cancelled and bills were cleared on time.
7. The Delhi High Court set aside a CIC order directing disclosure, under RTI, of information on the Prime Minister’s foreign visits on Indian Air Force aircraft. Justice Amit Mahajan said spending of public funds alone does not justify disclosure that may compromise the PM’s security arrangements.
The order came on a plea by Air Headquarters’ Directorate of Personal Services against a July 2020 CIC order on an RTI application by Commodore Lokesh K. Batra (retd), who had sought details of foreign visits by former PM Manmohan Singh and PM Narendra Modi on IAF aircraft between 2013 and 2018. The court upheld the exemptions claimed under Sections 8(1)(a) and 8(1)(g) of the RTI Act.
—— *MISHAPS*———-
1. In Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir — Two Killed as Bus Plunges into Gorge
Two people, including a child and a young woman, were killed and 17 injured when a passenger bus travelling from Pachiound to Ramnagar skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge at Gulli Gala in Basantgarh tehsil on Wednesday. Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and CM Omar Abdullah expressed grief.
2. In Kota, Rajasthan — Four Drowned as Boat Capsizes During Durga Immersion: Four young men — Suraj Singh and Vikas Verma (both 22) and cousins Rahul Joshi (18) and Ashu Joshi (19) — died when a boat carrying seven people capsized during Durga idol immersion in a canal at a spot where immersion was prohibited. NDRF and SDRF teams recovered all four bodies on Wednesday; three others swam to safety.
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*DEFENCE News*
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1. The Ministry of Defence signed a contract of about ₹770 crore with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for Improved Low Level Light Weight Radars (LLLR-I) for the Army, in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. The radar can detect and track fighter-size targets as well as mini and micro drones, helping counter the threat of unmanned aerial systems.
2. The biannual Army Commanders’ Conference, chaired by Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth, began in New Delhi. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will address it on Friday and release the Army’s new Land Warfare Doctrine, a framework to prepare the force for the evolving character of warfare and future conflicts.
3. The ninth edition of the India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime Exercise, IBSAMAR IX 2026, concluded at Simon’s Town, South Africa, after ten days of harbour and sea phases aimed at enhancing interoperability among the three navies. INS Tarkash represented the Indian Navy.
4. The 33rd edition of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX-2026) began at Visakhapatnam and will run till 26 October, with a sea phase in the Bay of Bengal from 24 to 26 October featuring anti-submarine, anti-surface and anti-air warfare drills. Singapore Navy ship RSS Supreme arrived for the exercise.
5. The Indian Air Force held an Industry Outreach Programme at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, to share its long-term requirements in unmanned and autonomous systems with MSMEs, start-ups and industry. Chaired by Air Marshal Premkumar K, Director General (Weapon Systems), it drew about 100 representatives of drone companies.
6. The Indian Navy is conducting trials of the Rafale-Marine fighter at the Shore-Based Test Facility in Goa, which replicates an aircraft carrier’s take-off ramp. India is buying 26 Rafale-M jets under a ₹64,000-crore inter-governmental agreement with France, with deliveries from 2028 to 2030, for INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya.
7. The Indian Air Force will hold an air show at Namo Ghat in Varanasi on 22, 24 and 25 October to mark its 94th anniversary, with PM Narendra Modi expected at the main event on 25 October. About 12,000 police and security personnel have been deployed; the Sarang Helicopter Display Team performed in full-dress rehearsals.
*FINANCE*
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*INDIAN RUPEE VALUE*
💷 *GBP* ₹126(Approx)
€ *Euro* : ₹106(Approx)
*USD* ₹ 94(Approx)
🇨🇦 *Canada* :CAD ₹67
🇦🇺 *Australia* : ₹ 66
🇦🇪 *UAE Dirham* : ₹ 26
*🇨🇳 China Yuan ¥* : ₹ 14
🇲🇻 *Maldives Rufiya* : ₹ 6.12
🇧🇹 *Bhutan ngultrum* : ₹ 1.00
🇳🇵 *Nepal Rupee* : ₹ 0.63
🇧🇩 *B’desh Taka** : ₹ 0.77
🇵🇰 *Pak Rupee* : ₹ 0.34
🇱🇰 *Sri Lanka Rupee* : ₹ 0.29
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*BSE SENSEX*
73,709.69 -143.21 (0.19%)🔻
*NIFTY*
22,811.35 -77.60 (0.34%)🔻
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*Rates in Financial Capital Mumbai*
*GOLD* : ₹ 14,608/ 01gm (24 krt)
*SILVER* : ₹ 2,30,000/KG
1. The Index of Eight Core Industries grew 7.9% in September 2026, up from 5.9% in August, led by iron ore (18.4%), electricity (11.4%), coal (10.7%), refinery products (10.3%) and cement (9.8%). Cumulative growth for April–September was 5.1%, against 2.5% a year earlier.
2. Minutes of the RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting of 5–7 October show all six members voted to raise the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50%, the first hike in nearly four years, though Nagesh Kumar and Ram Singh opposed changing the stance from neutral to calibrated tightening. Governor Sanjay Malhotra said rate cuts are off the table in the near term.
3. Jio Platforms’ IPO was subscribed 3.02 times on the first day, with qualified institutional buyers bidding 9.02 times their quota and retail investors 0.69 times. The issue, India’s largest-ever IPO, was fully subscribed within 100 minutes of opening and closes on 23 October.
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*ENTERTAINMENT NEWS*
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1. *Daler Mehndi Row*
Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal stopped singer Daler Mehndi’s performance at the Kunjapuri fair in New Tehri, accusing him of being drunk. Anupam Kher, Shaan and Gurdas Maan backed Mehndi, saying he is unwell and does not drink.
2. Amitabh Bachchan Takes a Break
The 84-year-old megastar said on X that he has been advised to take a few days off to rest and recuperate, and apologised to fans for being unable to write.
3. *Ghatak: A Retrospective*
NFDC–National Film Archive of India will hold a four-day Ritwik Ghatak festival in Pune from 22 to 25 October, screening 4K-restored classics such as Meghe Dhaka Tara, Komal Gandhar and Subarnarekha.
*22 Oct (Thursday)*
*Vedic Ritu/* Sharad
*Drik Ritu* : Sharad (Autumn)
पक्ष :: *Shuklapaksh*
*Samvatsara* : Parabhava Nama
(Purnimanta)
*Vikram Samvat – 2083*
*Month* : Ashvina 26
(In Amanta calendar)
*Shaka Samvat – 1948*
*Month* : Ashvina 11
*Tithi* : Ekadashi (up to 2:47 pm)Dwadashi
*Nakshatra*: Shatabhisha/
Purva Bhadrapada
*Rahu* : 01:30 PM – 02:55 PM
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Ms. Pooja, |
