LEGAL NEWS
Supreme Court Questions Wider Trade Margin Caps on Medicines
• On 12 October 2026, the Supreme Court of India questioned why trade margin caps imposed on anti-cancer medicines could not be extended to other medicines.
• The Centre informed the Court that it had decided to cap trade margins on anti-cancer medicines at 30% of the Maximum Retail Price (MRP), with estimated annual savings of approximately ₹2,500 crore for patients.
• A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta sought wider price-control measures and directed the Centre to submit the modalities by the next hearing, scheduled for 27 October 2026.
• The Court highlighted large price differences in medical products, including a saline drip costing ₹11 but selling for ₹270, and an Indian-made cardiac stent costing around ₹5,000 but reportedly priced above ₹25,000 in hospitals.
• The Centre argued that trade margins help maintain medicine supplies in remote areas. The Court emphasised the government’s responsibility to ensure the availability of price-controlled medicines to patients.
• The Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 (DPCO) regulates the prices of scheduled formulations. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, fixes and revises medicine prices under this framework.
• The National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), 2022 contains 388 drugs and more than 900 formulations. The DPCO is issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, while the NPPA was established in 1997.
• Under the DPCO framework, ceiling prices for scheduled formulations are generally calculated using the simple average of prices to retailers of qualifying brands and generic versions with at least 1% market share, plus a 16% retailer margin. The Supreme Court’s next hearing was scheduled for 27 October 2026 to consider the Centre’s proposed modalities for wider medicine price controls.
NATIONAL NEWS
L. Murugan Resigns as Union Minister and Rajya Sabha Member
• L. Murugan resigned as Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs on 13 October 2026.
• He also relinquished his Rajya Sabha membership, where he represented Madhya Pradesh. His term was scheduled to end in April 2030.
• Murugan communicated his decision in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating his intention to return to Tamil Nadu and strengthen the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
• Under Article 75 of the Constitution, the President appoints the Prime Minister and appoints other Union ministers on the Prime Minister’s advice.
• Article 75(3) provides that the Union Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
• Under Article 101(3)(b), a parliamentary seat becomes vacant when a member’s resignation is accepted by the presiding officer of the concerned House.
• The Rajya Sabha, also known as the Council of States, is a permanent House of Parliament. Its members serve six-year terms, with approximately one-third retiring every two years. The minimum age for membership is 30 years.
• Murugan previously served as president of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh in 2021 and again in 2024. The Vice-President of India serves as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) Renamed and Extended
• On 14 October 2026, the Union Cabinet approved ₹53,428 crore to continue the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) for five years, from 2026–27 to 2030–31.
• The programme is proposed to be renamed Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana and is expected to benefit 3.20 crore people across 36 States and Union Territories.
• NSAP was launched on 15 August 1995 and is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme administered by the Ministry of Rural Development.
• It provides social assistance to eligible poor households, including senior citizens, widows, persons with disabilities and families that lose their primary breadwinner.
• The minimum disability threshold for pension eligibility has been reduced from 80% to 40%, and the minimum age requirement has been removed, allowing eligible persons to receive assistance from birth.
• The revised disability pension rates are ₹375 per month for beneficiaries aged 0–79 years, increased from ₹200, and ₹625 per month for those aged 80 years and above, increased from ₹500.
• The old-age pension component will be called Pradhan Mantri Vridhavastha Pension Yojana, the widow pension component Pradhan Mantri Vidhawa Pension Yojana, and the disability pension component Pradhan Mantri Divyangjan Pension Yojana.
• The National Family Benefit Scheme will be renamed Pradhan Mantri Parivar Labh Yojana. Detailed implementation guidelines on eligibility, beneficiary numbers and assistance rates are to be issued within three months of approval.
India’s Ramsar Sites Reach 103
• On 15 October 2026, India’s Ramsar site count reached 103 with the addition of Sukhna Wetland in Chandigarh and Sauj Jheel in Uttar Pradesh. The announcement was made by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.
• Sukhna Wetland was listed as Ramsar Site No. 2602, while Sauj Jheel became Site No. 2603.
• The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands. It was adopted in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971 and came into force in 1975.
• India became a party to the Ramsar Convention in 1982.
• Sukhna Wetland is a peri-urban reservoir at the foothills of the Outer Himalayas and is Chandigarh’s first Ramsar site. It supports resident and migratory birds.
• Species associated with Sukhna Wetland include the vulnerable common pochard, endangered Pallas’s fish eagle and black pond turtle.
• Sauj Jheel is a shallow lake surrounded by farmland in the Ganga River floodplain in Mainpuri district, Uttar Pradesh. It supports diverse waterbirds and is linked ecologically to nearby Saman Bird Sanctuary.
• Mainpuri is the only district in Uttar Pradesh with two Ramsar sites: Sauj Jheel and Saman Bird Sanctuary. Ramsar wetlands may include lakes, rivers, marshes and reservoirs, both natural and artificial.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Indian Embassy in Jakarta Launches AI Avatar ‘Dewi’
• The Indian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, launched an artificial intelligence (AI) avatar named Dewi in October 2026 to improve public outreach and access to embassy-related information.
• The initiative was announced by Sandeep Chakravorty, India’s Ambassador to Indonesia, on the social media platform X.
• Dewi is designed to provide information about Indian culture, tourism, scholarships, business, investment opportunities and consular services.
• The avatar aims to improve communication between the Indian Embassy and people interested in India–Indonesia relations and embassy services.
• The name “Dewi” means “goddess” in Indonesian, connecting the avatar’s identity with Indonesian language and culture.
• The launch was associated with Navaratri and Durga Puja, Hindu festivals linked to the worship of the goddess in her various forms.
• An AI avatar is a computer-generated digital character that uses artificial intelligence technologies to communicate with users or provide information through digital platforms.
• The initiative illustrates the use of AI in public diplomacy and digital service delivery, helping diplomatic missions disseminate information about cultural exchanges, travel, education, investment and consular assistance.
Oman Becomes India’s Largest LNG Supplier in September 2026
• Oman became India’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplier in September 2026, replacing the United States, which had ranked first in August.
• India imported 2.17 million tonnes of LNG in September 2026, a decline of 14% from the 2.5 million tonnes imported in August.
• Oman supplied 585,000 tonnes, accounting for approximately 27% of India’s total LNG imports, with shipments increasing by 11.6% month-on-month.
• Nigeria ranked second, supplying 351,000 tonnes despite a 35% decline in shipments compared with August.
• The United States ranked third, as its LNG exports to India fell by 59% from the 848,000 tonnes supplied in August. Qatar ranked sixth, supplying approximately 94,000 tonnes.
• LNG is natural gas cooled to approximately −162°C to convert it into liquid form. Liquefaction reduces its volume to roughly one-six-hundredth of its gaseous volume, facilitating storage and transportation.
• Regasification is the process of converting imported LNG back into gaseous natural gas at receiving terminals. LNG supports India’s power generation, fertiliser production, city gas distribution and industrial sectors.
• India’s changing supplier rankings reflected efforts to diversify energy imports amid geopolitical disruptions in West Asia. Competition from European importers affected US cargo availability, while Qatar’s supplies were partly affected by disruptions following an Iran strike on Ras Laffan Industrial City in March 2026.
Subhash Tamang to Become First Nepali Golfer in a DP World Tour Event
• Subhash Tamang of Nepal is scheduled to become the first Nepali golfer to compete in a DP World Tour event at the DP World India Championship.
• The tournament is scheduled for 15–18 October 2026 at Delhi Golf Club, New Delhi.
• The championship has a prize fund of US$4 million, reported as the largest prize fund for a golf tournament held in India.
• Tamang qualified after finishing 23rd in the Race to DP World India Championship standings on the domestic DP World–Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) Tour.
• He is scheduled to tee off at 7:55 a.m. local time on 15 October 2026, alongside Indian golfers Manoj S and Mohammed Azhar.
• His participation is expected to increase the number of nations represented in DP World Tour history to 120.
• Before turning professional, Tamang became the first Nepali amateur golfer to enter the top 100 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).
• The DP World India Championship is a four-day professional golf tournament. Under the commonly used stroke-play format, golfers compete to complete the course in the fewest total strokes; a standard round consists of 18 holes.
STATE NEWS
Maharashtra Expands Drought Declaration to 305 Talukas
• On 14 October 2026, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expanded the drought declaration from 265 to 305 talukas, citing weak monsoon rainfall.
• Maharashtra recorded an 18.8% rainfall deficit between June and 18 September 2026. The expected continuation of El Niño until February 2027 raised further concerns.
• The drought-affected areas included Marathwada and Vidarbha. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division had 74 affected talukas, while Yavatmal had 16 and Jalgaon had 15.
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare’s Manual for Drought Management provides guidelines for drought assessment using rainfall, soil moisture and crop-sown area.
• Relief measures included land-revenue waivers, crop-loan restructuring, suspension of farm-loan recovery, electricity-bill exemptions for agricultural pumps and school examination-fee waivers.
• Fadnavis announced ₹5,000 in direct financial assistance to farmers before Diwali, along with arrangements for drinking water and fodder.
• Drought damaged crops including soybean, maize, cotton, oranges, grapes, pomegranates and bananas. Reports indicated that 5,000 hectares of orange trees had been removed by 12 October.
• Water-conservation measures included weekly water-supply cuts in Pune, a ban on new borewell drilling in Nagpur and irrigation restrictions in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Punjab to Host Men’s Asian Champions Trophy 2026
• Punjab will host the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy from 27 October to 5 November 2026 in Jalandhar and Mohali, the first international hockey tournament in the state since the 2009 Punjab Gold Cup.
• The six participating teams are India, Malaysia, South Korea, China, Japan and Bangladesh. Bangladesh replaced Pakistan after its withdrawal due to security concerns.
• India enters as the defending champion and five-time winner, having won the title in 2011, 2016, 2018, 2023 and 2024.
• Each team will play the others once in the league stage. The top four teams will qualify for the semifinals.
• India will begin its campaign against Bangladesh on 27 October 2026 in Jalandhar.
• The league-stage matches and opening ceremony will take place at Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium, Jalandhar, from 27 October to 2 November.
• The semifinals and medal matches will be held at Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium, Mohali, on 4 and 5 November.
• Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched the tournament logo on 14 September 2026. The state approved a budget of ₹25.40 crore, and entry to all matches will be free.
RANKING AND INDEX
Pakistan Ranks 106th in Global Hunger Index 2026
• Pakistan scored 25.5 and ranked 106th among 122 countries with sufficient data in the 2026 Global Hunger Index (GHI), released around 14 October 2026.
• The report’s theme was “No Security Without Food Security.” Pakistan’s score placed it in the “serious” hunger category.
• The GHI was jointly prepared by Welthungerhilfe, the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict at Ruhr University Bochum, and Helvetas.
• The index measures hunger using four indicators: undernourishment, child wasting, child stunting and under-five mortality.
• GHI scores range from 0 to 100. A score of 20.0–34.9 indicates serious hunger, while 35.0–49.9 indicates alarming hunger.
• Pakistan’s indicators included 16.1% undernourishment, 33.6% child stunting, 9.8% child wasting and an under-five mortality rate of 5.6%.
• Pakistan’s GHI score improved from 36.2 in 2000 to 25.5 in 2026, although the report noted deterioration in conditions since 2018.
• South Asia recorded an overall GHI score of 23.5. Afghanistan scored 28.6, making Pakistan the second-worst country in the region by GHI score, behind Afghanistan.
AWARDS
Oscar Whitfield Named Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026
• On 14 October 2026, 14-year-old British photographer Oscar Whitfield was named Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026.
• Whitfield lives in Zimbabwe and won the award with his black-and-white photograph titled “Labour of Love”, depicting a dung beetle pushing a ball of dung.
• He captured the photograph in Zimbabwe by lying on the ground and positioning his camera at the beetle’s eye level.
• The Natural History Museum in London, United Kingdom, organises the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. The 2026 edition marked the competition’s 62nd year.
• The 2026 competition received a record 65,403 entries from 121 countries and territories, reflecting its international reach.
• For the first time in the competition’s history, both the adult overall winner and the young overall winner were recognised for black-and-white photographs.
• Dung beetles feed partly or entirely on dung. Many species belong to the subfamily Scarabaeinae, which falls under the family Scarabaeidae.
• Dung beetles play an important ecological role by rolling or burying dung, helping with nutrient recycling, soil processes and nutrient movement through ecosystems.
Shubman Gill Wins Record Fifth ICC Player of the Month Award
• Indian cricketer Shubman Gill won his fifth ICC Player of the Month award on 13 October 2026 for his performances in September 2026.
• Gill received the award after his outstanding batting performances in India’s One Day International (ODI) series against the West Indies.
• His four previous monthly awards came in January 2023, September 2023, February 2025 and July 2025.
• In the first ODI at Thiruvananthapuram on 27 September 2026, Gill scored 110 runs off 108 balls, helping India secure an eight-wicket victory.
• In the second ODI at Guwahati on 30 September 2026, Gill scored an unbeaten 223 runs off 133 balls as India successfully chased a target of 406 runs. His innings included 26 fours and eight sixes.
• According to the provided report, Gill reached his double-century in 117 balls, setting a new record for the fastest double-century in ODI cricket. His 223 was also reported as the highest individual score by a captain in a successful ODI chase.
• The International Cricket Council (ICC) introduced its Player of the Month awards in 2021 to recognise outstanding performances by international cricketers. Separate awards are presented in men’s and women’s categories.
• Gill’s fifth award set a record among male recipients, matching the overall tally of Hayley Matthews of the West Indies, who has won five women’s awards. Shafali Verma of India won the women’s Player of the Month award for September 2026 for her performances in the Asia Cup and Asian Games.
Jindal Steel Wins 2026 Steelie Award
• Jindal Steel Limited won the 2026 Steelie Award for “Excellence in People” for its programme, “Dakshata Engineering Safety: One Duty Position at a Time”.
• The World Steel Association (worldsteel) announced the winners of the 17th Steelie Awards on 12 October 2026 in New Delhi.
• The Steelie Awards recognise achievements by steel industry member companies in areas such as safety, sustainability, communication and innovation.
• The Dakshata programme replaces generic safety training with role-specific learning and competency assessment based on employees’ duties and workplace risks.
• The programme assesses employees, identifies skill gaps, provides targeted training and reassesses their proficiency before deployment.
• It covers safety knowledge, practical skills, emergency preparedness and safe workplace behaviour, promoting continuous assessment and training.
• During FY 2025–26, Jindal Steel’s Raipur Machinery Division recorded 17,752 safety observations, supported by AI-enabled workplace monitoring.
• The division also eliminated or mechanised 379 high-risk tasks, reducing direct human involvement in selected hazardous work processes.
Reema Nanavaty Receives Hillary Rodham Clinton Award 2026
• Indian social worker Reema Nanavaty received the Hillary Rodham Clinton Award on 15 October 2026 at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security in Washington, D.C.
• Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented the award, which recognises leaders advancing women’s rights, peace and security worldwide.
• The 2026 recipients also included Tory Burch, founder of the Tory Burch Foundation, and Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank and Nobel laureate.
• Reema Nanavaty is the Director of the Self-Employed Women’s Association of India (SEWA), a trade union supporting women workers in the informal economy.
• SEWA was founded in 1972 by Ela Bhatt and is headquartered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It promotes women’s economic participation and livelihood opportunities.
• SEWA supports women-led enterprises and supply chains in sectors including agriculture, energy, food processing, waste recycling and textiles.
• Nanavaty initiated SEWA’s food security programme covering one million households and leads the Hariyali Green Energy and Livelihoods Initiative.
• She received the Padma Shri in 2013 for her contributions. Her work also includes rebuilding rural women’s livelihoods after earthquakes and supporting rehabilitation programmes in Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.
DEFENCE
29 Nursing Cadets Commissioned into Military Nursing Service
• On 14 October 2026, 29 nursing cadets from Batch IX of the College of Nursing, Army Hospital (Research & Referral), Delhi Cantonment, were commissioned as Lieutenants in the Military Nursing Service (MNS).
• The ceremony was held at Army Hospital (R&R) and reviewed by Lieutenant General Avinash Das, its Commandant.
• The cadets completed four years of nursing training and academic instruction before joining the MNS.
• The newly commissioned officers took an oath to uphold professional conduct and follow the principle of “Service Before Self.”
• Lieutenant General Avinash Das congratulated the officers and highlighted the MNS’s 101 years of service in 2026.
• The Military Nursing Service (MNS) is the nursing cadre of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) and provides healthcare to armed forces personnel.
• The AFMS comprises three principal components: the Army Medical Corps, Army Dental Corps and Military Nursing Service.
• Lieutenant is the entry-level commissioned officer rank in the Indian Army. The commissioning added 29 nursing officers to the MNS cadre.
SPORTS
Vishvajit More Wins Silver at U23 World Wrestling Championships 2026
• Indian wrestler Vishvajit Ramchandra More won silver in the men’s 55 kg Greco-Roman event at the U23 World Wrestling Championships on 15 October 2026.
• He became the first Indian wrestler to win a Greco-Roman silver medal at the U23 World Championships.
• The final was held in Las Vegas, United States, where More lost 12–13 to Georgia’s Koba Karumidze.
• More defeated Iran’s U20 World Champion Shamsipour 8–1 in the quarter-finals and Russia’s Malik Gigiev 7–4 in the semi-finals.
• His silver medal was India’s first medal at the 2026 championships and his third medal at the competition.
• More had previously won bronze medals at the U23 World Wrestling Championships in 2024 in Albania and 2025 in Serbia.
• Greco-Roman wrestling prohibits holds and attacks below the waist, unlike freestyle wrestling, which permits attacks on the legs.
• The championships are organised under United World Wrestling (UWW), the international governing body for wrestling. India’s participation in 2026 faced visa difficulties, with nine wrestlers from the Greco-Roman and women’s categories denied US visas.
SUMMIT AND CONFERENCE
First BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting Held in New Delhi
• The first BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting was held in New Delhi on 13 October 2026, chaired by India’s Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
• Delegations from all seven member states participated: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The meeting adopted the Delhi Declaration and approved five regional security initiatives.
• BIMSTEC stands for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. It was established in 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration.
• The BIMSTEC Secretariat is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and began operations in 2014. The BIMSTEC Charter was adopted at the fifth summit in 2022 and entered into force on 20 May 2024.
• The five security initiatives include the BIMSTEC Convention against Trafficking in Persons and a plan of action on drug control.
• The remaining initiatives include a Memorandum of Understanding on capacity building to combat money laundering and terror financing, a plan to prevent illicit financial flows, and a plan to improve preparedness and coordination for natural disasters in the Bay of Bengal region.
• The Delhi Declaration addresses cross-border terrorism, terror financing, radicalisation and cybercrime. India also reiterated its commitment to sharing expertise in police training, counter-terrorism operations and forensic investigations.
• The meeting emphasised intelligence sharing, mutual legal assistance and extradition among member states. BIMSTEC’s wider cooperation covers security, trade, transport, energy, technology, agriculture and disaster management.
