LEGAL NEWS

Reconstitution of 24 Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs) – 2026–27

• In October 2026, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan reconstituted the 24 Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs) for the 2026–27 term.

• The committees’ term became effective from 26 September 2026, according to the official notification.

• The DRSCs examine the functioning of ministries and departments, including their policies, programmes and budgetary demands.

• The Committee on Finance will be chaired by BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab.

• The Finance Committee comprises 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.

• Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has been appointed chairperson of the Committee on External Affairs.

• The Committee on External Affairs also comprises 21 Lok Sabha members and 10 Rajya Sabha members.

• BJP MP Radha Mohan Singh has been appointed chairperson of the Committee on Defence.

APPOINTMENTS

Appointment of Three High Court Chief Justices as Supreme Court Judges – 2026

• In October 2026, the Ministry of Law and Justice notified the appointment of three High Court Chief Justices as Judges of the Supreme Court of India.

• Justice Sunita Agarwal, Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court, was appointed a Supreme Court Judge.

• Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, and Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, were also appointed.

• The appointments were made by President Droupadi Murmu under Article 124(2) of the Constitution.

• President Murmu also appointed Gurvinder Pal Singh, a judicial officer, as an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court under Article 224(1), until June 2028, from the date he assumes charge.

• Following the elevation of the incumbent Chief Justices, Justice Puthichira (P.) Sam Koshy was appointed Acting Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court.

• Justice Manash Ranjan Pathak was appointed Acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court.

• Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre was appointed Acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court under Article 223 of the Constitution.

Smriti Mandhana Appointed India Women’s White-Ball Captain – 2026

• The BCCI appointed Smriti Mandhana as India Women’s full-time white-ball captain on 6 October 2026.

• Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from captaincy across all formats following a review meeting in Guwahati on 5 October 2026.

• Mandhana will lead India in both One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is).

• She has previously captained India in 18 T20Is and four ODIs.

• Mandhana has represented India since 2013 and captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru to WPL titles in 2024 and 2026.

• Harmanpreet Kaur will continue playing for India after relinquishing the captaincy.

• Harmanpreet led India to its maiden Women’s ODI World Cup title in 2025.

• India’s first series under Mandhana’s full-time white-ball captaincy is scheduled against Zimbabwe from 16 October 2026. ODIs have 50 overs per side, while T20Is have 20 overs per side.

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit Appointed Next Chief of Air Staff

• Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit has been appointed as the next Chief of the Air Staff (CAS).

• He will assume office on 31 October 2026.

• He will succeed Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh.

• The Chief of the Air Staff is the professional head of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

• The appointment marks a leadership transition at the highest professional level of the IAF.

• The Chief of the Air Staff oversees the operational readiness and professional functioning of the Air Force.

• The IAF is one of the three services of the Indian Armed Forces.

• The other two services are the Indian Army and Indian Navy.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Cotton Day 2026 – 7 October

• World Cotton Day was observed on 7 October 2026.

• The global theme was “Cotton for Good: Building Prosperity Through Trade, Transformation and Partnership.”

• The global event was held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

• The global focus was on trade, transformation, partnerships and sustainable cotton value chains.

• India organised the World Cotton Day Celebrations and 5th Global Cotton Conference in New Delhi.

• The Indian theme was “Collaborating for a Resilient Cotton Value Chain.”

• The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) organised the Indian event.

• Cotton is an important commercial crop in India and is popularly known as “White Gold.”

NATIONAL NEWS

Narendra Modi Completes 25 Years as Head of Government

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed 25 years as head of government on 7 October 2026.

• He first assumed the office of Chief Minister of Gujarat on 7 October 2001.

• He served as Gujarat’s Chief Minister until May 2014.

• Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of India in 2014.

• His milestone marks 25 continuous years in leadership as head of a government.

• The Union Cabinet passed a resolution congratulating him on completing 25 years.

• His tenure spans leadership at both the state and national levels.

• The milestone marks the completion of a quarter-century since he first became Chief Minister of Gujarat.

Joint Squad for Health (JOSH) Teams – 2026

• The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will launch JOSH Teams nationally on 8 October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

• The launch will be led by Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda, in collaboration with the Ministries of Youth Affairs and Sports and Defence.

• The initial rollout will cover 55 districts across 11 states.

• The initiative aims to strengthen youth-led community mobilisation and support the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.

• Each team will include Class-I officers, MY Bharat volunteers and National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets.

• The launch will feature new Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials and an AI-powered chatbot called “Khushi Avatar”.

• In 2025, 67,933 Panchayats across 697 districts received TB Mukt recognition.

• Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. India’s National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) was formerly called the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme and was renamed in 2020. The BCG vaccine helps protect children against severe forms of TB.

STATE NEWS

Uttarakhand Declared India’s Sixth Fully Literate State

• Uttarakhand was declared India’s sixth fully literate state.

• The state reported an adult literacy rate of 98.70%.

• Under the national framework, a state must achieve at least 95% functional literacy to qualify as fully literate.

• The achievement was made under the ULLAS initiative.

• ULLAS stands for Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society.

• The initiative promotes adult literacy and lifelong learning.

• Around 25,000 volunteers supported Uttarakhand’s literacy campaign.

• The campaign highlights the role of community participation in improving literacy and educational inclusion.

Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve – Madhya Pradesh

• Madhya Pradesh plans to develop its third cheetah habitat at Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve (VDTR), formerly known as Nauradehi, with the first pair of cheetahs scheduled for release.

• The reserve covers 2,339 sq. km across Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur districts of Madhya Pradesh.

• It includes areas of Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary and Durgavati Wildlife Sanctuary and forms part of the upper Vindhyan range.

• The reserve falls under the Deccan Peninsula biogeographic region and is named after Rani Durgavati, the queen of the Gondi people.

• The reserve spans parts of the Narmada and Yamuna river basins. Major rivers include Kopra, Bamner and Bearma, which are tributaries of the Ken River.

• Singorgarh Fort is located within the reserve, which features hills, valleys, grasslands, streams and waterfalls.

• The vegetation is mainly dry deciduous, with trees such as teak, saja, dhaora, ber and amla.

• Its wildlife includes tigers, leopards, wolves, hyenas, chinkara, chital and sambar. It is also an important stronghold for the white-rumped vulture and Indian vulture, both critically endangered species.

RANKING AND REPORTS

World Bank Report on India’s AI Readiness – 2026

• On 6 October 2026, the World Bank ranked India among the top 10 emerging-market performers in AI readiness.

• The report was titled “India and Artificial Intelligence: Seizing the Development Opportunity.”

• India’s position was linked to its skilled technical workforce, IT sector and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

• Private AI investment in India rose from USD 1.2 billion in 2024 to USD 4.1 billion in 2025.

• Professionals employed by India’s Global Capability Centres (GCCs) increased from 1.9 million in 2024 to 2.36 million in 2025.

• Around 23% of Indian firms reported using AI, compared with approximately 43% in the United States.

• The World Bank recommended stronger AI infrastructure, an improved business environment, wider AI access and enhanced workforce skills.

• On 6 October 2026, the World Bank raised India’s FY2026–27 growth forecast to 7.1%. AI adoption was identified as an opportunity to improve productivity and public service delivery.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) – 2026

• On 6 October 2026, Oman, Egypt, Lebanon, Greece and Cyprus expressed interest in joining IMEC.

• IMEC was announced in September 2023 during India’s G20 Presidency to connect India, the Gulf region and Europe.

• It proposes railways, maritime shipping, road networks, electricity cables, digital connectivity and a clean hydrogen pipeline.

• It has two components: an eastern corridor linking India with the Gulf and a northern corridor connecting the Gulf with Europe.

• The eight original signatories are India, the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union.

• Unanimous approval of all eight original signatories is required for membership expansion.

• Greece and Cyprus seek full membership; Lebanon has discussed involving the ports of Beirut and Tripoli.

• Key Fact: The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman. Oman could offer an alternative maritime route for IMEC.

SPORTS

Novak Djokovic Wins China Open Title – 2026

• Novak Djokovic won the China Open men’s singles title in Beijing, China, on 6 October 2026.

• Australia’s Alex de Minaur retired early in the second set due to a groin injury, with Djokovic leading 7–6(3), 0–1.

• The victory marked Djokovic’s 102nd career tour-level title.

• He moved within one title of Roger Federer’s 103 titles and seven behind Jimmy Connors’ Open Era record of 109.

• Djokovic extended his unbeaten China Open record to 34–0 across seven appearances.

• At 39 years old, he became the oldest ATP 500 champion since the category began in 2009.

• The ATP 500 category, introduced in 2009, awards 500 ranking points to the tournament champion.

• Djokovic defeated Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals and advanced past Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals after Medvedev was disqualified for hitting a spectator.

Carlos Alcaraz Wins Japan Open Title – 2026

• Carlos Alcaraz won the Japan Open men’s singles title in Tokyo on 6 October 2026.

• He defeated Czech player Jiri Lehecka by 7–6(4), 6–4 in the final.

• Alcaraz secured his second consecutive Japan Open title.

• The victory marked his third title of the 2026 season and his 27th career title.

• He also won the Australian Open 2026, according to the provided report.

• Alcaraz returned to competition after a four-and-a-half-month wrist injury layoff, reaching the US Open quarter-finals and playing in the Laver Cup.

• The Japan Open is an ATP Tour hard-court tournament held annually in Tokyo.

• Alcaraz was scheduled to compete in the Shanghai Masters from 7 October 2026. The Shanghai Masters is an ATP Masters 1000 tournament held in China.

SUMMIT AND CONFERENCE

National Conclave on Constitutional Rights and Tribal Communities – 2026

• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs organised a two-day National Conclave in New Delhi from 6 October 2026 at the Scope Complex.

• The conclave was inaugurated by Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram.

• More than 75 delegates from around 30 States and Union Territories participated.

• The conclave discussed constitutional safeguards, legal provisions and administrative challenges affecting tribal communities.

• The Fifth Schedule applies to Scheduled Areas in most states, while the Sixth Schedule covers specified tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

• Important constitutional provisions include Articles 244, 275 and 46, relating to tribal administration, grants and promotion of educational and economic interests.

• Discussions covered digitisation of records, documentation, inter-state verification, online tracking and grievance redressal.

• Minister of State Durgadas Uikey joined virtually, while Ministry Secretary Ranjana Chopra highlighted best practices for transparent, time-bound and citizen-friendly tribal welfare delivery.

DEFENCE

India–UAE Joint Military Exercise ‘Mountain Guardian 2026’

• The inaugural edition of Exercise Mountain Guardian 2026 commenced in October 2026 at the Foreign Training Node (FTN), Chaubatia, Uttarakhand.

• The bilateral military exercise involves the Indian Army (IA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Army.

• The exercise is scheduled for 5–18 October 2026, spanning two weeks.

• A total of 92 personnel are participating, comprising 46 Indian Army personnel from the Bhairav Battalion and 46 UAE Army personnel from the Mountain Infantry Battalion.

• Women officers and combatants are also participating in specialised roles.

• Training activities include joint planning, tactical drills, firing practices and surveillance-grid setup.

• The exercise also covers drone operations, integrated field exercises, endurance training, rock climbing and obstacle courses.

• Its primary objectives are to improve interoperability, mutual understanding and military cooperation, with emphasis on technology-enabled operations and the exchange of tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) for mountainous terrain.

12th National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX-2026)

• SAREX-2026 is the 12th National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise.

• It was inaugurated on 7 October 2026 by Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth.

• The exercise is organised by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

• A major search-and-rescue demonstration was scheduled off the Paradip coast, Odisha, on 8 October 2026.

• The exercise involves 32 observers from 30 countries.

• Participating assets include Coast Guard ships, Indian Navy ships, Dornier aircraft, helicopters and Indian Air Force aircraft.

• One major scenario simulates an aircraft ditching at sea with 228 persons on board.

• The exercise aims to strengthen maritime search-and-rescue preparedness, coordination and cooperation among participating agencies.