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Rajat Sharma was unanimously re-elected as the president of the News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDA) for the 2026-27 tenure. The decision was taken by the NBDA Board of Directors during its meeting on September 23, 2026. Sharma is the chairman and editor-in-chief of India TV and will continue to lead the association for another term. The NBDA represents leading news and current affairs broadcasters in India and has 29 member organisations operating 130 news channels and digital platforms. The association also inducted Jayant Mammen Mathew of MM TV into its Board of Directors during the 19th Annual General Meeting.

Dinesh Sharma has been appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by President Droupadi Murmu. The appointment was announced through a Rashtrapati Bhavan notification issued on September 5, 2026. Sharma, a senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP, previously served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. He will replace Admiral D K Joshi (retd.), who had served as the Lieutenant Governor since October 8, 2017. Sharma’s new role involves overseeing the administration of the strategically important Union Territory.

Shantanu Moitra will receive the National Lata Mangeshkar Award 2026 for his achievements in music direction. The award, instituted by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 1984, will be presented to him at the Lata Mangeshkar Auditorium in Indore on September 28, 2026. The honour includes a tax-free cash prize of ₹5 lakh and a citation. Moitra has composed music and background scores for films such as Parineeta, 3 Idiots, Piku, October and 12th Fail. He also received the National Film Award for Best Music Direction (Background Score) in 2014 for the Telugu film Na Bangaru Talli.

RBL Bank received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on October 16, 2026, for the merger of Emirates NBD Bank P.J.S.C.’s Indian branch operations with RBL Bank, effective December 1, 2026. In June 2026, Emirates NBD acquired a 60% equity stake in RBL Bank through a capital infusion of approximately ₹26,000 crore. The investment was described as one of the largest foreign direct investments in India’s banking sector. The merger will integrate Emirates NBD’s Indian branch operations under RBL Bank, strengthening its capital base and expanding the role of foreign investment in the Indian banking industry.

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) partnered with UNDP India on August 27, 2026, to support 50,000 Safai Mitras and strengthen waste management across 50 cities by 2028. The initiative focuses on formalising livelihoods, improving occupational safety and social security, and promoting the inclusion of women waste workers. HUL’s Project Circular Bharat promotes plastic circularity through financially viable recycling models, while Project Utthaan focuses on social inclusion and dignity for waste workers. The programme also emphasises source-level waste segregation, recovery value chains, and open-source toolkits for government bodies, in coordination with relevant Union ministries.

Blue Dart Express Limited signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Department of Posts on October 9, 2026, in New Delhi to strengthen nationwide parcel delivery services. Under this partnership, Blue Dart will utilise India Post’s extensive network of 1.64 lakh post offices to expand its logistics reach across urban, semi-urban and rural regions, including remote and underserved areas. The services will include prepaid and Cash on Delivery (COD) parcels, OTP-based delivery authentication and real-time shipment tracking. The initiative operates under the Ministry of Communications and aims to improve last-mile delivery, strengthen logistics infrastructure and support the continued growth of India’s e-commerce sector.

The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee increased the policy repo rate by 25 basis points in its October 2026 meeting, taking the repo rate to 5.50%. The decision was taken during the 63rd MPC meeting held from 5 to 7 October 2026 under RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra. A basis point is equal to one-hundredth of a percentage point, so a 25-bps increase represents a rise of 0.25 percentage points. The MPC cited strengthened inflationary pressures, including higher food and fuel prices, as an important reason for the rate hike. The policy stance was also changed to “calibrated tightening.”

Manesar in Haryana is the location where Maruti Suzuki India commissioned its first 300 kW green hydrogen plant on September 25, 2026. The pilot plant uses surplus solar power generated at the manufacturing facility during holidays to produce green hydrogen through electrolysis. The hydrogen is then blended with natural gas and used as process fuel, helping reduce fossil-fuel consumption in manufacturing. The initiative forms part of the company’s broader green-energy plans, which include investments in compressed biogas, a biogas plant at Kharkhoda, and a battery energy storage system. The project also aligns with India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission.

World Polio Day is observed annually on October 24 to raise awareness about poliomyelitis and promote efforts to eradicate the disease through vaccination. The day also highlights the importance of immunisation, disease surveillance, and international cooperation in preventing polio. The 2026 theme is “Together, We End Polio,” emphasising the collective responsibility of governments, healthcare professionals, international organisations, and communities. October 24 also marks the birthday of Jonas Salk, who led the team that developed the first injectable polio vaccine. Although wild poliovirus transmission has been eliminated in many countries, continued vaccination remains essential to prevent outbreaks and achieve global eradication.

World Habitat Day 2026 will be observed on October 5. It is celebrated annually on the first Monday of October to draw attention to the condition of human settlements and the importance of adequate housing. The United Nations has selected “Adequate Housing for All” as the theme for 2026, emphasising the need for safe, affordable, accessible and dignified housing. The global observance will take place in Muscat, Oman, from October 5 to October 8, 2026. World Habitat Day also marks the beginning of Urban October, a UN-Habitat-led campaign focused on sustainable urban development and inclusive human settlements.

Copenhagen hosted the 4th India-Denmark MSME Joint Working Group meeting, which focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in the MSME sector, innovation, and technology. The meeting brought together representatives from India’s Ministry of MSME and the Danish Patent and Trademark Office. Key areas of discussion included Intellectual Property-led growth, technology transfer, startup support, and innovation. The delegation also participated in TechBBQ, a major Nordic startup event, and visited Aarhus University Innovation Kitchen and Agro Food Park. The engagement reflects the growing economic and technological partnership between India and Denmark, including cooperation benefiting MSMEs and startups.

New Delhi hosted the first-ever BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting on October 13, 2026, under the leadership of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Representatives from all seven member countries participated in the meeting, which concluded with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration. The participating nations also agreed to strengthen cooperation against major regional security threats, including terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, cybercrime and illicit financial flows. BIMSTEC stands for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. It promotes regional cooperation between South and Southeast Asian countries in areas such as security, trade, connectivity and economic development. The meeting highlighted the importance of collective action to address cross-border crimes and strengthen regional security.

Red Hexagonal is the proposed warning label shape for HFSS (High Fat, Sugar, and Salt) packaged foods under the FSSAI’s compliance proposal submitted to the Supreme Court on August 28, 2026. The warning would apply when a product is high in at least two of three specified nutrients: added sugar, added salt, or added saturated fat. The proposed label would be one point larger than the back-of-pack nutrition information and displayed in both Hindi and English. The framework is aligned with the ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines 2024 and uses the HFSS definition from earlier regulatory proposals and parliamentary discussions.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to score a half-century in Duleep Trophy history at the age of 15 years and 157 days. He achieved this milestone during the 2026 semifinal between East Zone and Central Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1 in Bengaluru. Sooryavanshi scored 92 runs from 81 balls and reached his fifty in just 42 balls. He surpassed Laxman Singh’s 57-year-old record, who had scored a Duleep Trophy fifty at 16 years and 23 days in the 1969 edition.

Sheetal Devi of India won her first individual World Archery Para Series gold medal in the women’s compound event in Ahmedabad. She defeated Kazakhstan’s Aizada Seidan in a dramatic shoot-off after both archers began the final with identical scores. Seidan’s final two arrows included two Xs, forcing the contest into a shoot-off. Sheetal Devi responded strongly by shooting an X in the decisive round to secure the gold medal. Aizada Seidan won the silver medal, while India’s Sarita claimed bronze after defeating China’s Wang Huiting. Sheetal Devi’s victory also provided an important confidence boost ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games.

Sujeet Kalkal won the men’s freestyle 65kg wrestling gold medal at the Asian Games 2026, securing India’s first wrestling gold at the Games. In the final at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Centre, Kalkal defeated Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiyev 10-9 after making a remarkable comeback from a 2-9 deficit. He scored eight successive points to overturn the result in his favour and claim his maiden Asian Games gold medal. Earlier in the tournament, Kalkal defeated wrestlers from Afghanistan and Iran before overcoming Japan’s Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka in the semifinal. The victory marked a significant achievement for the 23-year-old Indian wrestler.

Punjab has been targeted to become drug-free by December 31, 2029, following an announcement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on October 20, 2026, during a Vijayadashami event in Ludhiana. The initiative, known as Nasha Mukt Punjab, aims to eradicate illicit narcotics networks and strengthen action against drug trafficking. As part of the measures, the murder case of anti-drug activist Parwinder Singh Jhota was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the alleged conspirators. Citizens are also encouraged to report drug trafficking through the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) helpline. Central agencies may intervene if state-level enforcement is considered insufficient.

Chhattisgarh is the state where NMDC Ltd commissioned its ₹5,427 crore integrated iron ore processing, slurry pipeline, and pellet-making project in the Bastar region. The project includes an iron ore processing plant at Bacheli, a 135-km slurry pipeline, and a 2 MTPA pellet plant at Nagarnar. The pipeline can transport 15 MTPA of iron ore and directly connects the Bacheli mines with the Nagarnar steel plant. Bastar is an important mining region known for high-grade hematite iron ore deposits and the Bailadila mines. NMDC is India’s largest iron ore producer and a Navratna public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Steel.

Tamil Nadu will launch the one-gram gold ring scheme, known as the Thaimaaman Thanga Mothiram Thittam, for eligible newborns delivered in government hospitals. The scheme is scheduled to be inaugurated on September 28, 2026, and has been made retroactive from June 22, 2026. Under the scheme, eligible babies will receive a one-gram, 22-carat gold ring with a unique serial number. The first batch of 1.28 lakh rings has been procured for distribution. The state government has made an annual provision of ₹755.83 crore to support the scheme, which draws inspiration from the Tamil tradition of Thaimaaman Seer.

The European Space Agency (ESA) signed an agreement with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to expand their existing space cooperation to include human and robotic exploration. The agreement was signed in Paris in September 2026, during the International Space Summit. The existing Cooperative Agreement was extended for five years and will remain valid until January 8, 2032. The expanded cooperation also covers space weather and the sustainability of outer space activities. The exchange of letters was conducted by ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan and ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher. The ISRO-ESA partnership originally began in January 2002.