13 October 2026 | English | FREE Current Affairs PDF

Today’s Highlight: The Centre capped trade margins on non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs at 30 per cent of the MRP. Prices could fall by up to 70 per cent, saving patients about Rs 2,500 crore a year. Health policy, NPPA and numbers like these are likely exam questions for Banking and SSC aspirants.

News in One Liner – 13 October 2026

PIB News

Trade Margin Cap of 30% on Anti-Cancer Drugs

The Centre has approved a trade margin cap of 30 per cent of the Maximum Retail Price on non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs. Prices of these medicines could fall by up to 70 per cent, saving patients about Rs 2,500 crore every year. An expert committee under the Directorate General of Health Services will finalise the list, after which the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority will notify it under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order.

World Bank’s World Development Report 2026 Launched

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the World Bank Group’s World Development Report 2026, titled ‘The Promise of Artificial Intelligence’, in New Delhi. The report gives developing countries a three-part framework: adoption, adaptation and advancement of AI. Indian leaders pointed to Digital Public Infrastructure and the India AI Mission as key strengths.

Windergy India 2026 Opens in Chennai

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi inaugurated the eighth edition of Windergy India 2026 in Chennai. He said India’s installed wind capacity reached 59.20 GW as of 30 September 2026. India is on track for the national target of 100 GW of wind energy by 2030.

Three Sivaji Ganesan Film Prints Donated to NFAI

Three rare 35 mm prints of Tamil classics starring Sivaji Ganesan and directed by A. P. Nagarajan were donated to the National Film Archive of India in Pune. The films are Thiruvarutchelvar (1967), Thillana Mohanambal (1968) and Thiruvilayadal (1965). The Thiruvarutchelvar print is the only surviving preservation print and was missing from the archive in any format.

MNRE Marks World Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day 2026

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy organised World Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day 2026 at Atal Akshay Urja Bhawan in New Delhi. A report titled ‘India’s Hydrogen Standards: Gap Assessment and Preliminary Action Framework’, prepared with the Boston Consulting Group, was released. The National Green Hydrogen Mission has an outlay of Rs 19,744 crore and targets 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen a year by 2030.

Annpurna Devi Chairs Women and Child Development Summit

Union Minister Annpurna Devi chaired a two-day departmental summit on Women and Child Development at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi. Minister of State Savitri Thakur was present along with state ministers and senior officials. Talks focused on stronger Anganwadi centres, safety of vulnerable children and women’s safety laws.

Satcom Rules Are Fair, Says Communications Ministry

The Ministry of Communications said India’s satellite communication framework is fair and non-discriminatory. Licences have been granted to three GMPCS operators using non-geosynchronous satellite orbits. All three are going through the same security assessment before spectrum assignment.

India Seeks Climate Finance at Pre-COP31 in Fiji

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav addressed the Pre-COP31 meeting in Nadi, Fiji, and asked for scaled-up climate finance, technology transfer and respect for national development pathways. He pointed to Article 9.1 on finance and Article 6 on cooperative approaches of the Paris Agreement. COP31 is due in Antalya, Turkey, in November.

National SC-ST Hub Procurement Rises to Rs 4,013 Crore

The National SC-ST Hub, run through the National Small Industries Corporation under the MSME Ministry, has helped over 1.9 lakh beneficiaries. Procurement from SC and ST owned units rose nearly 39-fold, from Rs 99 crore in 2015-16 to over Rs 4,013 crore in 2025-26. The Hub also offers a 25 per cent capital subsidy up to Rs 25 lakh under the Special Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme.

Industry News

India Building a Gross Domestic Knowledge Product Framework

India is developing a Gross Domestic Knowledge Product (GDKP) framework to map, measure and protect its knowledge assets. NITI Aayog said the metric would capture intellectual capital, skills and indigenous knowledge systems alongside normal economic output. It also urged colleges to move from degree-centred courses to competency-based learning in AI tools, data literacy and the care economy.

National & State News

PM Modi Inaugurates Chennai Metro Corridor and Rail Projects

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 14.5 km Poonamallee to Vadapalani metro corridor in Chennai. He also dedicated five Amrit Bharat railway stations in the region. During the visit he reviewed the Brain Centre at IIT Madras and dedicated a music research centre set up by composer and Rajya Sabha MP Ilaiyaraaja.

Uttar Pradesh to Rename Noida Airport After PM Modi

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, approved a proposal to rename the Noida International Airport at Jewar as Narendra Modi International Airport. The move coincides with celebrations marking 25 years of Narendra Modi’s tenure as head of government. The airport is being developed through a public-private partnership with Zurich Airport International AG.

CAPF Act Notified Amid Supreme Court Challenge

The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a gazette notification bringing the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) Act into force. The Act sets common rules for recruitment, promotions and service conditions in forces such as CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP and SSB. More than 3,000 serving officers have challenged its deputation quotas for IPS officers in the Supreme Court.

72 Lakh Teachers Trained on PRASHAST Disability Screening

More than 72 lakh general school teachers have been trained to use digital screening tools under the PRASHAST framework to spot disabilities early. The tool helps special educators sort students across 21 disability categories. The data will link with the PM-DAKSH scheme and the National Scholarship Portal so benefits reach students faster.

TVK Wins Madurantakam and Dharapuram Bypolls

The ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) won the bypolls for the Madurantakam and Dharapuram assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu. Both are reserved seats. The results were seen as the first big electoral test for the party since it came to power.

319 Vellore-Region Villages Honoured as TB-Free

The Tamil Nadu Health Department honoured health workers, volunteers and village representatives in 319 panchayats of Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Ranipet and Tirupattur districts for achieving TB-free status. Tiruvannamalai led with 157 villages, Vellore and Ranipet had 57 each and Tirupattur had 48. The status followed door-to-door surveys and drug susceptibility testing under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme.

World News

US Suspends Major IT Firms From PERM Green Card Programme

The US Department of Labor suspended major IT and outsourcing firms, including Cognizant, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL Technologies, Capgemini, Microsoft and Adobe, from the Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) programme. Officials said the firms accounted for over 2.3 lakh H-1B approvals and over 1 lakh labour certifications. The move worries the Indian IT sector, and industry bodies have sought government help.

Shinzo Abe Memorial Corridor Opens in Varanasi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Akie Abe, wife of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, inaugurated the Shinzo Abe Memorial Corridor at the Rudraksh Convention Centre in Varanasi. Nearly 1,400 Japanese companies work in India. India and Japan will mark 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2027.

India and Singapore Study 3,000 km Power Link

India and Singapore are studying a 3,000 km cross-border power link to carry 2,000 MW of clean energy from Imphal to Singapore. The line would pass through Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia and fit into the ASEAN Power Grid. The talks involve the ASEAN Centre for Energy, NTPC, Power Grid Corporation, the Central Electricity Authority and the National Institute of Solar Energy.

WMO Warns El Nino Will Strengthen Until December Peak

The World Meteorological Organization said El Nino is firmly established and will keep strengthening before peaking in December. It is almost certain to last through February 2027 and could be among the strongest since 1950. For India, the warning comes after a monsoon with a rainfall deficit and raises worries for rabi sowing.

Sports News

Shreyas Iyer Reaches Career-Best Seventh in ICC ODI Rankings

Shreyas Iyer climbed two places to a career-best seventh in the ICC ODI batting rankings. Shubman Gill kept the top spot after an unbeaten 223 against the West Indies. Virat Kohli stayed third and KL Rahul jumped seven places to tenth after a century in the third ODI.

Awards & Honors

Navi Pillay Honoured for Human Rights Work

South African jurist Navi Pillay was honoured for her lifelong work in global justice, international criminal law and human rights. She was the first woman of colour on the High Court of South Africa and a judge and President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. She later served on the International Criminal Court and as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Israel to Honour Indian Pilot Smit Machchhar

Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced that Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar will get Israel’s Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism. On 30 September 2026 he saved flydubai Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv after an attack in the cockpit, and the aircraft landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Some 174 passengers and crew were on board.

Obituaries

Apollo Software Pioneer Margaret Hamilton Dies at 90

Margaret Hamilton, the software engineer who led the team that wrote the onboard flight software for NASA’s Apollo missions, has died at 90 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She directed the Software Engineering Division at the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory. Her error-detection design helped prevent a computer overload during the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, and she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

Ranking and Reports

UNCTAD: India’s Greenfield Share Is Over Double China’s

UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Report says India took 5.7 per cent of global greenfield investment between 2020 and 2025, more than double China’s share. Malaysia had 4 per cent, Indonesia 3.8 per cent and China 2.8 per cent. India brought in 707 industrial policy measures between 2022 and 2025.

Bharat Microfinance Report Urges Climate Risk Checks in Lending

On the release of the Bharat Microfinance Report, sector leaders urged microfinance institutions and rural lenders to build climate risk into credit appraisal. Rural farmers and small entrepreneurs face income shocks from erratic monsoons and extreme weather. The advice is meant to protect asset quality and prevent rural defaults.