Current Affairs — 07 October 2026
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
Wed, 07 Oct 2026
Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 awarded to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai for non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis
On 7 October 2026, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 jointly to Henri B. Kagan (France) and Kenso Soai (Japan) "for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis".
RBI MPC raises repo rate by 25 bps to 5.50%, changes stance to 'calibrated tightening'
On 7 October 2026, the RBI's Monetary Policy Committee, chaired by Governor Sanjay Malhotra, unanimously raised the policy repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50% and changed its stance to 'calibrated tightening'; SDF now 5.25% and MSF/Bank Rate 5.75%.
SAREX-2026 inaugurated by Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth; 24th NMSAR Board meeting reviews maritime search and rescue
On 7 October 2026, Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth inaugurated the Indian Coast Guard's 12th National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX-2026), to be held off Paradip, Odisha on 8 October with 32 delegates from 30 countries.
MEA condemns string of Black Sea attacks on ships with Indian crew; all 23 Indians on tanker Aframax Rio rescued
On 7 October 2026, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal condemned attacks on four commercial vessels with Indian seafarers in the Black Sea, said all 23 Indian crew of the Liberia-flagged tanker Aframax Rio were rescued, and called for dialogue and diplomacy.
Raksha Mantri approves revised SOP for Indian defence industry's use of MoD proof ranges, field firing ranges and test facilities
On 7 October 2026, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh approved a revised Standard Operating Procedure for utilisation of MoD proof ranges, field firing ranges and test facilities by the Indian defence industry, waiving proof/testing charges for iDEX, TDF, Make and other MoD developmental projects.
India and Ghana sign ICAR–CSIR-CRI MoU on agricultural research, education and technology transfer
On 7 October 2026, ICAR and Ghana's CSIR-Crops Research Institute (Accra) signed a five-year MoU on agricultural research, education and technology transfer, in the presence of EAM S. Jaishankar and Ghana's Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
3rd edition of Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue opens; PM calls for a free, open, secure and rules-based maritime order
On 7 October 2026, the 3rd edition of Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue, organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), opened with PM Narendra Modi's message calling for a free, open, secure and rules-based maritime order.
Paytm Payments Bank Limited excluded from the Second Schedule to the RBI Act, 1934
On 7 October 2026, the RBI announced that Paytm Payments Bank Limited has been excluded from the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, through a notification dated 31 July 2026 published in the Gazette on 7 September 2026.
Central Zoo Authority and IIFM begin 3-day regional training for zookeepers of Central India at Bhopal
On 7 October 2026, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) began a three-day (7–9 October) regional training programme for zookeepers of Central India at IIFM, Bhopal, with field visits to Van Vihar National Park.
Chhattisgarh's 16 mementos, led by 4,000-year-old Dhokra craft, showcased in 8th PM Mementos e-auction
On 7 October 2026, the Ministry of Culture highlighted 16 mementos from Chhattisgarh, centred on Dhokra lost-wax metal casting with over 4,000 years of history in India, in the 8th PM Mementos e-auction, which has been extended till 31 October 2026 with proceeds going to the Namami Gange Project.
After NCSC intervention, DFS orders scheme-wise and bank-wise reporting of Scheduled Caste beneficiaries by SLBCs
Following an intervention by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, the Department of Financial Services directed all SLBC/UTLBC convenors to report scheme-wise and bank-wise numbers and percentages of SC beneficiaries under major financial schemes, with an action-taken report due by 9 October 2026.
NCAHP notifies Autonomous Boards and Central Assessment Committee Regulations, 2026 and D.MRIT curriculum
On 7 October 2026, the Health Ministry said the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) has notified the Autonomous Boards and Central Assessment Committee Regulations, 2026 and a competency-based curriculum for the two-year Diploma in Medical Radiology and Imaging Technology (D.MRIT).
DST institutes develop metal-free porous catalyst TTT-DHTD that nearly matches platinum in zinc–air batteries
Scientists from DST's S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (Kolkata) and INST (Mohali), with SRM University-AP, developed a metal-free organic porous catalyst, TTT-DHTD, that achieved about 96% of commercial platinum's performance as the air-electrode catalyst in zinc–air batteries, as per a DST release of 7 October 2026.
MoSPI releases 'Strategy for Environmental Economic Accounts in India 2026-2030'
On 7 October 2026, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the document 'Strategy for Environmental Economic Accounts in India 2026-2030', a roadmap extending its earlier 2022-2026 strategy based on the UN-endorsed SEEA framework.
Narendra Modi completes 25 continuous years as Head of Government; world leaders send greetings
On 7 October 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed 25 continuous years as Head of Government, counting from his first taking office as Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001 and as Prime Minister since 2014; leaders of several countries sent greetings.