Current Affairs — 21 October 2026
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
Wed, 21 Oct 2026
Asian Para Games 2026: Simran (100m T12), Dilip Gavit (100m T47), Sachin Khilari, Praveen Kumar and Ayush Verma win gold on 21 October
On 21 October 2026 at the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, India won athletics gold through Simran (women's 100m T12, Games record), Dilip Gavit (men's 100m T47), Sachin Khilari (shot put F46), Praveen Kumar (high jump T64, Games record) and Ayush Verma (shot put F53).
Police Commemoration Day (21 October): Amit Shah pays tribute at National Police Memorial, flags off 'Fight against Drugs' motorcycle rally
On Police Commemoration Day, 21 October 2026, Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid tribute at the National Police Memorial in New Delhi, flagged off a nationwide 'Fight against Drugs' motorcycle rally and set the goal of a drug-free India by 31 December 2029.
UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2026 'The Point of Return': exceeding 1.5°C now unavoidable; 18% cut by 2030 needed to return
The UN Environment Programme's Emissions Gap Report 2026, 'The Point of Return', released in Nairobi on 21 October 2026, says global warming will exceed 1.5°C and that emissions must fall 18% by 2030, 45% by 2035 and 69% by 2040 (vs 2025) to limit peak warming to 1.7-1.8°C and return to 1.5°C by 2100.
Ladakh to hold panchayat polls on 21 November 2026, first since becoming a UT; LAHDC Kargil dissolved, 100 seats notified for eight hill councils
On 21 October 2026, Ladakh's State Election Commission announced panchayat elections on 21 November 2026, the first since Ladakh became a Union Territory, while the UT administration dissolved LAHDC Kargil and notified 100 constituencies for eight hill councils.
RBI releases MPC minutes: all six members backed 25 bps repo hike to 5.50%; two favoured keeping a neutral stance
Minutes of the 63rd Monetary Policy Committee meeting (October 5-7, 2026), released by the RBI on 21 October 2026, show all six members voted to raise the repo rate by 25 bps to 5.50%, while Dr Nagesh Kumar and Prof. Ram Singh wanted to keep the stance neutral.
Defence Ministry signs ₹770 crore contract with BEL for Improved Low Level Light Weight Radars (LLLR-I) for the Army
On 21 October 2026, the Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth about ₹770 crore with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to procure Improved Low Level Light Weight Radars (LLLR-I) for the Indian Army.
SIMBEX-2026: 33rd Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise begins at Visakhapatnam
The 33rd edition of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX-2026) began at Visakhapatnam on 21 October 2026 and runs until 26 October, with RSS Supreme of the Republic of Singapore Navy taking part.
India hosts 7th AgriVoltaics World Conference at Bharat Mandapam, first time in the Global South
On 21 October 2026, Union Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Pralhad Joshi jointly inaugurated the three-day 7th AgriVoltaics World Conference at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, the first time the conference is held in the Global South.
Index of Eight Core Industries grows 7.9% in September 2026; iron ore leads with 18.4%
The Index of Core Industries (base 2022-23) grew 7.9% year-on-year in September 2026 (provisional), up from 5.9% in August 2026, with iron ore (18.4%) showing the highest growth, as per data released on 21 October 2026.
President Murmu presents Lalit Kala Akademi awards of the 65th National Exhibition of Art and 3rd Print Biennale India 2026
On 21 October 2026, President Droupadi Murmu presented the Lalit Kala Akademi awards to 20 artists of the 65th National Exhibition of Art and felicitated winners of the 3rd Print Biennale India 2026 in New Delhi.
CAQM invokes Stage-I of GRAP across Delhi-NCR as Delhi's AQI slips to 'Poor'
On 21 October 2026, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked all 25 action points of Stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the entire NCR after Delhi's average AQI reached 244-245 ('Poor').
Inaugural Chhattisgarh Hockey League opens in Raipur with six franchises and 132 players
The inaugural Chhattisgarh Hockey League opened on 21 October 2026 at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Hockey Stadium, Raipur, with six franchise teams and 132 players; the season runs till 1 November 2026.
Vummidi Ethiraj, Chennai jeweller who helped craft the historic Sengol, dies at 99
Vummidi Ethiraj, the Chennai jeweller who helped craft the Sengol presented to Jawaharlal Nehru in 1947 and installed in the new Parliament building in 2023, died in Chennai on 21 October 2026 at the age of 99.
Army Commanders' Conference begins in New Delhi (21-23 October 2026); Land Warfare Doctrine to be released
The Army Commanders' Conference, the Indian Army's apex-level biannual forum, began in New Delhi on 21 October 2026 and runs till 23 October, with Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh set to release the Land Warfare Doctrine.
Raman Research Institute study finds X-ray pulsar Centaurus X-3 accretes matter through an accretion disk, rare for high-mass binaries
Scientists of the Raman Research Institute (RRI), led by Kinjal Roy, found that the bright X-ray pulsar Centaurus X-3 draws in matter through an accretion disk, which is rare for high-mass X-ray binaries, as per a DST release of 21 October 2026.