Current Affairs - National

October 9 to 15 is the period during which the Department of Posts observes National Postal Week 2026 in India. The week begins with World Post Day on October 9 and highlights the importance of a modern, inclusive, and technology-enabled postal network. The celebrations include activities focused on philately, financial inclusion, mail and parcels, and technological innovation. The designated World Post Day 2026 theme is “World Post Day: One Postal Network, Infinite Possibilities.” Initiatives such as N-Gen Post Offices, Jan Sewa Connect Post Offices, the Dak Sewa App, and the Dak Mitra App aim to improve service delivery, strengthen digital empowerment, and make postal services more accessible to citizens.

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, is the location of the Shinzo Abe Memorial Corridor, inaugurated on October 7, 2026, by Akie Abe, wife of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The memorial is located at the Rudraksh International Convention Centre and honours Shinzo Abe’s contribution to strengthening India-Japan relations. It also commemorates his December 2015 visit to Varanasi with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when they attended the Ganga Aarti. The corridor highlights the strategic, diplomatic and cultural partnership between India and Japan and celebrates Abe’s lasting contribution to bilateral cooperation.

Noida International Airport, located at Jewar in the Gautam Buddha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, has been proposed for renaming as Narendra Modi International Airport. The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved the proposal during a meeting in Lucknow on October 9, 2026. The airport is a major greenfield infrastructure project designed to improve air connectivity across the National Capital Region, including Noida, Greater Noida and western Uttar Pradesh. It is being developed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG of Switzerland. The airport will also complement Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.

IIM Kolkata signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA) to conduct a four-year longitudinal impact assessment of rural roads developed under PMGSY-IV and PM-JANMAN. The study aims to evaluate the long-term socio-economic effects of improved rural connectivity across 10 States and Union Territories, covering 50 districts, 150 blocks and 250 roads. Researchers will collect data from approximately 5,000 households to assess changes in mobility, agriculture and livelihoods. The assessment will also examine whether better road access improves healthcare, education and market connectivity, as well as women's empowerment. The findings are expected to help evaluate the effectiveness of rural infrastructure programmes and guide future development policies.

Kolkata, West Bengal, will host the 19th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD) Convention from January 7 to 9, 2027. The three-day convention will be organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with the Government of West Bengal. The event will bring together members of the Indian diaspora and other stakeholders from across the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the convention, while President Droupadi Murmu will confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards and preside over the valedictory session. The convention also includes a Youth PBD segment focusing on innovation, entrepreneurship, networking, and knowledge exchange.