Daily Current Affairs and GK Updates (8th October, 2026) |

National News

MoSPI Unveils Environmental Economic Accounts Strategy 2026-2030

MoSPI unveiled the Strategy for Environmental Economic Accounts in India 2026-2030, a five-year roadmap for environmental-economic accounting.
The strategy aims to measure the economic value of natural assets and ecosystem services alongside traditional indicators such as GDP.
It focuses on improving account quality, addressing data gaps and strengthening communication with policymakers.
About 10 priority areas include forests, water, land, soil, minerals, carbon stocks, biodiversity, pollination services, environmental economic activities and environment statistics.
The framework aligns India’s accounting with the UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) and the 2025 System of National Accounts.
Key Fact: India’s environmental accounts support around 40 international indicators across 9 SDGs.

PM Modi Inaugurates 10th India Mobile Congress 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 10th India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, on October 8.
The four-day event is being held from October 7 to 10 with the theme “Scale Without Boundaries.”
India has achieved 5G connectivity in every district, with more than 5.5 lakh 5G base stations across the country.
The event focuses on 5G, 6G, AI, semiconductors, cybersecurity, quantum communication, satellite networks and robotics.
The Bharat 6G Alliance includes 90 institutions working on next-generation telecom innovation.
Key Fact: Mobile data costs declined from around ₹268 per GB in 2014 to about ₹8 in 2026.

Centre to Deploy JOSH Teams Across 55 Districts

The Centre will deploy Joint Squad for Health (JOSH) teams across 55 districts in 11 states to support India’s TB elimination efforts.
Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda will lead the national launch at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
The initiative is jointly undertaken by the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Youth Affairs and Sports, and Defence.
Teams will include Class-I officers, MY Bharat volunteers and NCC cadets working at community and local levels.
They will promote awareness about TB symptoms, prevention, diagnosis, treatment adherence and stigma reduction.
Key Fact: 67,933 panchayats across 697 districts achieved TB-free recognition in 2025.

State News

Madhya Pradesh Adds Third Cheetah Habitat at Durgavati Reserve

Madhya Pradesh has added a third cheetah habitat at Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Sagar district.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav released male cheetah Vyom and female cheetah Neera into the reserve on October 7, 2026.
The move expands the state’s cheetah conservation programme beyond Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
The state plans to share wildlife tourism revenue with nearby communities to promote local participation in conservation.
Eligible villagers in buffer zones will receive ₹2–3 lakh homestay subsidies.
Key Fact: Madhya Pradesh recorded a 123% increase in vulture population according to the Vulture Population Assessment 2026.

Andhra Pradesh Launches India’s First Rural Housing 3D Printing Pilot

Andhra Pradesh has launched India’s first national-level rural housing pilot using 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) under PMAY-G 2.0.
The project covers 177 houses in Burripalem and Obulnayudupalem/Pothuru in Guntur district.
The estimated project cost is ₹13.93 crore, excluding taxes, with ₹9.44 crore from the Union government and ₹4.49 crore from Andhra Pradesh.
The pilot is being jointly implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development, CSIR-CBRI Roorkee and the Andhra Pradesh Government.
3DCP deposits concrete layer by layer using computer-controlled printers, potentially reducing construction time, waste and labour requirements.
Key Fact: The project is targeted for completion in approximately six months.

International News

Adani Power, DGPC Sign Deal for 770 MW Bhutan Hydropower Project

Adani Power and Bhutan’s Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) signed an agreement to develop the Chamkharchhu-I Hydroelectric Project.
The 770 MW project will be constructed on the Chamkharchhu River in Zhemgang district of central Bhutan.
Adani Power will hold 49%, while DGPC will hold 51% in the project.
The project will follow the BOOT model with a 30-year concession from commercial operation.
Major components include a 108-metre concrete gravity dam, 19.2-km headrace tunnel and underground powerhouse.
Key Fact: Construction is expected to begin in the first half of 2027.

WWF Living Planet Report 2026 Records 73% Wildlife Decline

The WWF Living Planet Report 2026 recorded an average 73% decline in monitored wildlife population sizes between 1970 and 2022.
The latest Living Planet Index, developed by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), covers 35,803 population trends across 5,790 vertebrate species.
Freshwater populations declined by 85%, terrestrial populations by 69% and marine populations by 59%.
Major threats include habitat loss, overexploitation, climate change, pollution, invasive species and disease.
The report also highlights successful conservation recoveries involving green turtles, bluefin tuna, tigers and southern African elephants.
Key Fact: The Living Planet Index tracks 35,803 population trends across 5,790 vertebrate species.

CU Denver Gets UGC Nod for Hyderabad Campus

The University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) received a Letter of Intent from the UGC to establish a degree-granting campus in Hyderabad.
The first student cohort is expected to begin in August 2027.
The campus will be CU Denver’s first campus in India and the first foreign university campus in Telangana.
Planned programmes include business, computing, engineering and analytics.
The initiative follows the UGC 2023 regulations governing foreign higher educational institution campuses in India.
Key Fact: CU Denver is the first US public university to receive an LoI under this framework.

India Joins 14 Economies to Address Global Excess Capacity

India has joined the United States and 13 other economies in a joint ministerial statement addressing structural excess capacity and production.
The statement was released by the US Trade Representative on October 7, 2026, following the G20 Trade Ministerial in Milwaukee.
The 15 signatories will cooperate on non-market policies that contribute to persistent overproduction and market distortions.
Initial sectors include automobiles and EVs, batteries, chemicals, foundational semiconductors and solar panels.
The countries will share information, identify data gaps and explore measures to reduce impacts on trade and workers.
Key Fact: The joint statement has 15 signatories in total.

Banking News

RBI Removes Paytm Payments Bank from Scheduled Banks List

The Reserve Bank of India removed Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL) from the Second Schedule of the RBI Act, 1934.
The exclusion was notified on July 31, 2026, and published in the Gazette of India in September 2026.
RBI had cancelled PPBL’s banking licence in April 2026 over regulatory non-compliance.
PPBL was earlier barred from onboarding new customers in March 2022.
Restrictions on deposits, credits and top-ups were imposed during January-February 2024.
Key Fact: The Second Schedule of the RBI Act, 1934 contains the list of scheduled banks.

Bank of India Launches Programmable Digital Rupee Auto-Issuance

Bank of India launched user-level programmable Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) functionality with auto-issuance on its Digital Rupee platform.
The facility was announced on September 29, 2026, and developed by Montran India on BoI’s CBDC platform.
Users can schedule automatic Digital Rupee transfers to a beneficiary’s CBDC wallet at fixed amounts and frequencies.
Users can also define the permitted purpose of the funds.
Potential applications include education payments, household allowances, welfare transfers and purpose-bound transactions.
Key Fact: India’s Digital Rupee is issued by the RBI.

Economy News

India Cuts Diesel and ATF Export Levies for Second Fortnight

The Central Government reduced export levies on diesel and Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) effective October 1, 2026.
The diesel export levy was reduced from ₹20 to ₹16 per litre.
The ATF levy was cut from ₹15 to ₹10.50 per litre.
The petrol export levy remained unchanged at ₹0.50 per litre.
The revised rates were notified through Central Excise Notifications 52/2026 and 53/2026 dated September 30.
Key Fact: Petroleum export levies are reviewed fortnightly based on international crude oil and petroleum-product prices.

Appointments News

Lavanya R Mundayur Appointed New India Assurance CMD

The Government of India appointed Lavanya R Mundayur as Chairman-cum-Managing Director of The New India Assurance Company Limited.
The Department of Financial Services issued the appointment order on September 30, 2026.
Her tenure will continue until May 31, 2029.
She previously served as CMD of the Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited (AICIL).
New India Assurance is headquartered in Mumbai and was founded by Sir Dorabji Tata in 1919.
Key Fact: New India Assurance was nationalised in 1973.

Press Council of India Reconstituted With 13 Journalist Members

The Central Government nominated 13 working journalists to the Press Council of India for its 15th term.
The nominations were made under the Press Council Act, 1978.
The group includes six editors and seven other working journalists.
The PCI consists of a Chairperson and 28 members representing journalists, newspaper owners, Parliament and other fields.
Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai (Retd.) is the current Chairperson for a three-year term beginning April 2026.
Key Fact: The Press Council of India has 28 members besides the Chairperson.

Awards News

Anne Carson Wins 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature for Literary Innovation

Canadian poet, essayist and translator Anne Carson has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature.
She was born on June 21, 1950, in Toronto, Canada.
The Nobel Committee recognised her pioneering literary work and innovative engagement with classical traditions.
Her notable works include Eros the Bittersweet, Glass, Irony, and God, Autobiography of Red and Economy of the Unlost.
Carson has translated works by Sappho, Sophocles, Euripides and Stesichorus.
Key Fact: Anne Carson is a Canadian poet, essayist and translator.

Defense News

Indian Navy Launches First Indigenous Fleet Support Ship ‘Surya’

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the Indian Navy’s first indigenous Fleet Support Ship, ‘Surya’, at Hindustan Shipyard Limited in Visakhapatnam.
‘Surya’ is the lead vessel of the Surya-class Fleet Support Ships.
It is designed to provide fuel, fresh water, ammunition, provisions and technical stores to deployed warships.
The ship has a displacement of around 43,500–45,000 tonnes and a length exceeding 223 metres.
More than 80% indigenous content strengthens India’s naval logistics and blue-water capabilities.
Key Fact: ‘Surya’ is India’s first indigenous Fleet Support Ship.

Science & Technology News

IIT Madras Team AgniRath Secures Third at Solar Challenge

Team AgniRath from IIT Madras secured third place overall at the Sasol Solar Challenge 2026 in South Africa.
It became the first Indian team to compete and win a trophy in the biennial solar vehicle competition.
The team competed with Aagneya, its second-generation solar-powered vehicle.
Aagneya covered 1,192.6 km over eight days from Johannesburg to Cape Town via Jeffreys Bay.
Founded in 2021 by six students, the team has grown to more than 45 undergraduate engineers.
Key Fact: Team AgniRath secured third place overall at the 2026 Sasol Solar Challenge.

Schemes News

Government Opens Second PRIP Scheme Call with ₹50 Crore Discovery Track

The Government opened the second call under the Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma MedTech Sector (PRIP) Scheme.
The scheme is implemented by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
It has a total financial outlay of ₹5,000 crore.
The new Discovery Track supports startups and MSMEs developing New Chemical Entities and New Biological Entities at TRL 1–3.
Eligible projects can receive assistance of up to ₹50 crore, with at least 25% institutional-investor co-funding.
Key Fact: The total outlay of the PRIP Scheme is ₹5,000 crore.

Sports News

Verstappen Wins Dramatic Bahrain GP Held at Sepang

Max Verstappen won the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix held at Malaysia’s Sepang circuit after the race was relocated.
The victory marked Verstappen and Red Bull’s first Formula 1 win of 2026.
The race started 90 minutes late because of heavy rain and technical problems.
Verstappen finished ahead of Kimi Antonelli, while Lewis Hamilton took third place.
George Russell retired five laps before the finish due to a power-unit failure.
Key Fact: Max Verstappen won the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix.

Pramod Bhagat, Bhavina Patel Named India’s Para Games Flagbearers

Pramod Bhagat and Bhavina Patel have been named India’s flagbearers for the Asian Para Games 2026.
The event will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from October 18 to 24.
Bhagat has won six Asian Para Games medals, including two golds, between 2014 and 2023.
Patel has won two medals across two editions of the Asian Para Games.
Patel also won a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
Key Fact: India won 111 medals, including 29 golds, at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games.

Important Days News

Indian Air Force Day 2026 Marks 94th Raising Anniversary

Indian Air Force Day is observed every year on October 8 to commemorate the establishment of the IAF in 1932.
In 2026, the Indian Air Force marks its 94th anniversary.
The IAF undertakes air defence, airlift, surveillance, search and rescue, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance missions.
Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 is being held at Air Force Station Jodhpur from September 26 to October 12.
The first operational squadron of the IAF, No. 1 Squadron, was formed in 1933.
Key Fact: The IAF motto is “Nabhah Sparsham Diptam” — “Touch the Sky with Glory.”

Obituaries News

Veteran Actor Nana Patekar Dies at 75 in Mumbai

Veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar, whose full name was Vishwanath Patekar, died at the age of 75 on October 8, 2026.
Born on January 1, 1951, in Maharashtra, he worked as an actor, writer, filmmaker and director.
He won three National Film Awards for Parinda, Krantiveer and Agni Sakshi.
Patekar received the Padma Shri in 2013 for his contribution to the arts.
His notable films included Ab Tak Chhappan, Apaharan, Welcome, Raajneeti, Natsamrat and The Attacks of 26/11.
Key Fact: Nana Patekar co-founded the NAAM Foundation in 2015 with Makarand Anaspure.