Current Affairs for Competitive Exams: 25 October – 31 October 2026 , Weekly Updates
25 October – 31 October 2026
National Current Affairs
1. Union Cabinet Approves Container Manufacturing Promotion Scheme (CMPS): The scheme aims to increase domestic container manufacturing capacity nearly tenfold to 7.5 lakh TEUs, reduce import dependence and strengthen maritime logistics. Expected to generate around 3,000 direct and over 50,000 indirect jobs.
2. Cabinet Approves Pradhan Mantri Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana (PM-VGSY): It aims to strengthen Panchayati Raj institutions, train around 32 lakh elected representatives and promote digital governance through Gram Panchayat Development Plans on eGramSwaraj.
3. Cabinet Approves Khelo India Sports Goods Manufacturing Scheme: It aims to promote indigenous sports equipment manufacturing and reduce dependence on imports, in line with Khelo Bharat Niti 2025.
4. India Creates 11 Crore Farmer IDs under Digital Agriculture Mission: The government has created 11 crore Farmer IDs, five months ahead of the 31 March 2027 deadline. The digital identity will facilitate faster and transparent access to government schemes, bank loans, crop insurance and disaster relief while reducing paperwork and repeated verification.
5. Export Promotion Mission to Support MSME Certification Costs: The government will bear the entire cost of expensive certifications for micro and small enterprises under the ₹25,060-crore Export Promotion Mission (EPM). EPM has two sub-schemes: Niryat Protsahan (₹10,401 crore) and Niryat Disha (₹14,659 crore).
6. NPPA Reduces Prices of 543 Anti-Cancer Medicine Brands: The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) revised the maximum retail prices of 543 brands of anti-cancer medicines, with reductions exceeding 90% in some cases.
7. ‘Punah Bharan’ App Launched for Groundwater Recharge: The Jal Shakti Ministry launched the Punah Bharan mobile app, developed by BISAG-N with the National Water Mission. It helps identify suitable artificial groundwater recharge zones within a 3-km radius and provides village-level recharge zonation maps through its web portal.
8. Government e-Marketplace (GeM) Reduces Transaction Charges: GeM reduced its transaction charge to 0.30%, raised the exemption threshold to ₹10 lakh and cut Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) assessment fees by up to 92%.
9. India’s Metro Network Expands to 1,185 km: At the 19th Urban Mobility India Conference in Bhubaneswar, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal stated that nine Metro projects covering approximately 174 km and costing over ₹59,000 crore have been approved since December 2025. Metro network now spans 1,185 km across 26 cities.
10. India’s Extreme Poverty Falls to 2.6%: According to the World Bank’s October 2026 Poverty and Equity Report, India’s extreme poverty rate declined from 27.1% in 2011 to 2.6% in 2023. Over 49 crore people moved above the lower-middle-income poverty line. Employment increased by 13.4 crore between 2017 and 2023.
Defence Updates
1. India and Philippines Participate in ADMM-Plus: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh led the Indian delegation at the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, Philippines, on 28–29 October.
2. India–Indonesia Joint Exercise GARUDA SHAKTI 2026: The 11th edition of the India–Indonesia Joint Special Forces Exercise GARUDA SHAKTI began at Banyuwangi, Indonesia.The exercise involves India’s Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) and Indonesian Special Forces. Training includes jungle operations, air assault, mountaineering and combat marksmanship.
3. Rafale-M Completes First Landing on INS Vikrant: A Rafale-Marine fighter successfully landed on the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant on its first attempt on 29 October. India has ordered 26 Rafale-M aircraft from France.
4. India–US Defence Framework Reviewed:Rajnath Singh met US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Cebu and reviewed the 10-year India–US Defence Framework.
5. India–Singapore Maritime Exercise SIMBEX-2026 Concludes: The 33rd edition of the Singapore–India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX-2026) concluded at Visakhapatnam on 26 October.
6. Navy Launches Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel ‘Srishti’: Yard 1283, Srishti, a Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV), was launched at Goa Shipyard Limited.
7. India–Sri Lanka Naval Cooperation: The Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron, comprising INS Tir, INS Sujata and ICGS Sarathi, visited Colombo, Sri Lanka. The visit included cross-training activities and a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with the Sri Lanka Navy.
International Current Affairs
1. India and Mexico Begin Negotiations for Preferential Trade Agreement: India and Mexico signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) in Mexico City to formally launch negotiations for a bilateral Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).
2. 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum Concludes in New Delhi: The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum concluded in New Delhi with the adoption of a Joint Declaration.
3. India–EU Parliamentary Engagement: Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan met a delegation of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), led by David McAllister.
4. India–Austria Relations: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held talks with Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger in New Delhi. Discussions covered trade, investment, startups, space, skilling and mobility. Hoping for the India–EU Free Trade Agreement to enter into force in the coming months.
5. India–Sri Lanka Cooperation in Fisheries: India will provide 430 electric motorbikes to field officers in Sri Lanka’s fisheries sector.
Science, Technology & Environment
1. C-DOT and IIT-BHU Partner for 6G Quantum Technologies: The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) signed an MoU with IIT (BHU), Varanasi, to establish its sixth Centre of Excellence.
2. ISRO Successfully Launches Navigation Satellite NVS-03: ISRO successfully launched NVS-03 aboard GSLV-F18 from Sriharikota on 30 October. The 2,250-kg satellite carries an indigenous atomic clock and is the third next-generation satellite in the NavIC constellation. It will help restore the minimum number of satellites required for standalone regional navigation services and adds the L1 signal.
3. Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2026: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ESTIC 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
4. Advanced Air Pollution Analysis Laboratory Inaugurated: Science Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated the Advanced Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosol Toxicity Analysis Laboratory (AATAL) at IITM, New Delhi.
5. New Deep-Sea Electric Ray Discovered: The Zoological Survey of India described a new deep-sea electric ray, Tetronarce ramanamurthyi, named the Arabian Black Electric Ray. The research was conducted under the Deep Ocean Mission and published in Zootaxa.
Sports Update
1. India Wins Record 114 Medals at Asian Para Games 2026: President Droupadi Murmu congratulated Indian para-athletes for their highest-ever haul of 114 medals at the Asian Para Games 2026.
2. Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and Paralympics Reveal Official Slogan: The organising committee for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games unveiled its official slogan: “Stars Align”.
Important Observances & Days
1. World Polio Day – 24 October: Observed to raise awareness about the global effort to eradicate polio and sustain immunisation programmes.
2. Rashtriya Ekta Diwas – 31 October: Observed to commemorate the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, popularly known as the Iron Man of India. The 2026 celebrations were held at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat.
3. Global Media and Information Literacy Week – 24–31 October: Promotes media and information literacy, critical thinking and responsible engagement with information and digital media.
4. World Cities Day – 31 October: Established by the United Nations General Assembly to promote global cooperation on sustainable urbanisation. 2026 theme: “Regenerating the City: Adequate Housing for All”.
Miscellaneous One-Liners Current Affairs
- Chandigarh Police received the President’s Police Colour, the highest national recognition for a police force, ahead of its 60th Raising Day on 1 November.
- Digital Agriculture Mission achieved its target of 11 crore Farmer IDs on 23 October, five months ahead of its 31 March 2027 deadline.
- The Centre approved 320 additional postgraduate medical seats in six Himachal Pradesh medical colleges, with about ₹415 crore in grants.
- ICAR-CMFRI supplied five lakh additional green mussel seeds to Maharashtra, taking the total to 10 lakh in six months, along with one lakh oyster seeds.
- Odisha aims to raise urbanisation from 17% to 40% by 2036 and become a $500-billion economy by its formation centenary.
- Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has reached over 35 crore people, including 13 crore youth and 10 crore women, with a drug-free India targeted by 2029.
- Vigilance Awareness Week 2026 is being observed from 26 October to 1 November on the theme “Probity for Prosperity.”
- Green mussel seeds were produced at ICAR-CMFRI’s Vizhinjam hatchery in Thiruvananthapuram.
- MYAS, the Ministry of Education, and UNESCO signed a tripartite MoU to integrate anti-doping values into school curricula.
- India Post and UTI Mutual Fund partnered to offer doorstep KYC onboarding through rural post offices.
- The Lakshadweep Tourism Trade (Registration, Safety and Facilitation) Regulation, 2026 makes registration mandatory for tourism operators and adds safety and environmental norms.
- From 1 November, a Concessional Local Pass for non-commercial vehicles within 20 km of a toll plaza costs ₹1,500 annually outside municipal limits and ₹3,000 within them.
- Under the Gyan Bharatam Mission, the Culture Ministry signed an MoU with France’s Bibliothèque nationale de France for digitising, conserving and researching Indic-origin manuscripts.
- Railway coach charging points will remain switched off between 11 pm and 5 am as a fire-safety measure.
- Udupi Cochin Shipyard launched the first of eight 6,300-DWT dry cargo vessels for Norway’s Wilson ASA.
- IIT Kharagpur signed an MoU to establish the Benjamin Gupta School of Physical AI, backed by a ₹35-crore initiative.
- The NHRC issued an advisory on women’s safety at workplaces and public spaces to Union Ministries, the Railway Board and State governments.
- The reference date for Census 2027 is 1 March 2027.
- NVS-03 is the third next-generation NavIC satellite and carries an indigenous atomic clock.
- The Navy awarded an iDEX contract to Bengaluru-based Ci4 for an indigenous Underwater Vision System and multi-modal observation tools.
- Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit assumed charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on 31 October, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh.
- Former Central Vigilance Commissioner Suresh N. Patel will chair the High Level Committee on Banking for Viksit Bharat.
