27 October 2026 | English | FREE Current Affairs PDF

Today’s Highlight: The Reserve Bank of India made record net dollar purchases of 43.26 billion dollars in August, more than double the July figure. The Union Cabinet also renamed the National Social Assistance Programme as the Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana with an outlay of Rs 53,428 crore. Economy and scheme news like this is regularly asked in Banking, SSC and TNPSC exams.

News in One Liner – 27 October 2026

PIB News

NSDC Debuts On Social Stock Exchange

The National Skill Development Corporation made its debut on the Social Stock Exchange platform of the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai with its first Zero Coupon Zero Principal issue. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development subscribed Rs 4 crore. The programme will train 600 youth from economically weaker Other Backward Classes households in Madhya Pradesh for jobs in Japan and Germany.

12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum In New Delhi

The Parliament of India will host the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan on 26 and 27 October 2026. The theme is Strengthening Parliaments for People-Centric Development, and it will be discussed in four sessions on resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will grace the forum and meet the leaders of the visiting delegations.

Fisheries Investors And Exporters Conclave In Bhopal

The Madhya Pradesh Department of Fisheries and the Union Department of Fisheries will hold the Fisheries Investors and Exporters Conclave 2026 in Bhopal on 23 October 2026. The event will release the Madhya Pradesh Fisheries Investment and Export Guidelines 2026, and the Centre has notified the state as a Reservoir Fisheries Cluster. India’s fish production reached 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, of which 151.60 lakh tonnes came from inland fisheries.

Urban Mobility India Conference In Bhubaneswar

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs will hold the 19th Urban Mobility India Conference on 23 and 24 October 2026 and the second National Urban Conclave on 24 and 25 October 2026 in Bhubaneswar. Minister of State Tokhan Sahu will inaugurate both events. The mobility conference has the theme Urban Accessibility and Liveability in Digital Age and is organised by the Institute of Urban Transport (India), and about 1,500 delegates are expected.

National Social Assistance Programme Renamed

The Union Cabinet approved on 14 October 2026 the continuation of the National Social Assistance Programme from 2026-27 to 2030-31 with an outlay of Rs 53,428 crore. It is renamed the Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana. The disability pension now follows the 40 per cent benchmark disability instead of 80 per cent, and eligibility starts from birth.

India Uzbekistan Counter Terrorism Talks

India and Uzbekistan agreed to strengthen the framework of their Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism at its tenth meeting in New Delhi. The talks covered extremism, radicalisation, terror financing and the misuse of technology for terrorist purposes. The two sides also reaffirmed cooperation in forums such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure and the Eurasian Group.

Advanced Emergency Braking Proposed For New Cars

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has proposed in a draft notification to make Advanced Emergency Braking Systems mandatory for all new car models from October 2030. For models already in production, the rule would apply from October 2032. The system applies the brakes automatically when the driver fails to respond in an emergency.

Nine Waste Streams Now Have Sector Specific Rules

Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said India has strengthened its legal framework with sector-specific rules for nine waste streams, including plastic waste, battery waste and e-waste. He was speaking at the Circular Economy Conference in New Delhi. Around 500 lakh metric tonnes of waste has been processed across regulated waste streams so far.

Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan Reaches 35 Crore People

The Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has reached more than 35 crore people, including over 13.94 crore youth and 10.86 crore women, under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction. It was launched on 15 August 2020 and initially focused on 272 vulnerable districts. The National De-addiction Helpline number is 14446.

PM-DAKSH Merged Into Kaushal Vikas Yojana

The Pradhan Mantri Dakshata Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi scheme, launched in 2020-21, trained 1,87,305 candidates and placed 96,162 of them by 2023-24. From 2024-25 onwards it was merged with the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana. The scheme covered Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, Economically Weaker Sections, De-notified Tribes and Safai Karamcharis.

PM Modi Addresses NDTV World Summit 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the NDTV World Summit 2026 in New Delhi on the theme The World Between Orders. He called for reform of multilateral institutions and due space for the Global South. He said India now works with the world as a Brain Office and not just a back office.

Vice President Inaugurates Law Commission Conference

Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan inaugurated a Law Commission of India conference on Co-operative Federalism and Law Reforms at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. He highlighted the replacement of three colonial-era criminal laws and the repeal of over 1,700 obsolete laws in the last twelve years. He urged State Law Commissions to recommend the amendment or repeal of outdated laws.

Industry News

India EU Trade Agreement May Start In 2027

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on 22 October 2026 that the India-European Union free trade agreement may take effect in the first quarter of 2027 after signing by the end of 2026. He spoke at the Berlin Global Dialogue in Germany. He also cautioned that EU regulations and standards can create non-tariff barriers to trade.

EPFO Board To Meet In Gir On 19 November

The Central Board of Trustees of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation will hold its 240th meeting on 19 November in Gir, Gujarat. A proposal to raise the minimum monthly pension under the Employees’ Pension Scheme is likely to be discussed. The meeting departs from the usual practice of holding board meetings in New Delhi.

Old Age Protection For Gig Workers Remains A Challenge

A government official said on 22 October 2026 that the Centre is grappling with how to design old-age protection for gig, platform and unorganised workers. The Code on Social Security 2020 allows the Centre to frame schemes for them and provides for a Social Security Fund. Aggregators are to contribute 1 to 2 per cent of annual turnover, capped at 5 per cent of the amount paid to workers.

Cabinet Approves Green Energy Corridor Phase III

The Union Cabinet approved the Green Energy Corridor Phase III on 30 September 2026 to strengthen intra-state transmission systems across States and Union Territories. It will enable evacuation of up to 135 gigawatts of renewable energy and deploy 50 gigawatt hours of battery energy storage, with completion targeted by 2032-33. The total outlay is Rs 1,86,405 crore.

Financial News

Indian Bank Hikes Special Deposit Rates

Indian Bank raised the interest rates on its special term deposit schemes by 15 basis points each from 23 October 2026. The 555-day Ind Grow scheme now offers 6.80 per cent and the 777-day Ind Prosper scheme offers 6.75 per cent. The Reserve Bank of India raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50 per cent earlier this month.

Centre Weighs Cutting Stakes In Four State Banks

The Centre is considering reducing its stake in Central Bank of India, UCO Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank and Indian Overseas Bank to 75 per cent to meet minimum public shareholding norms, according to a report. Shares may be sold through offers for sale depending on market conditions. Earlier this month, the government announced that Fairfax Financial Holdings would acquire a 60.72 per cent stake in IDBI Bank for Rs 52,878 crore.

RBI Makes Record Net Dollar Purchases In August

The Reserve Bank of India net purchased a record 43.26 billion dollars in August, more than double the 18.65 billion dollars bought in July, according to its monthly bulletin. The surge came as dollars raised under the concessional swap facility were routed back to the RBI. The RBI brought forward the closure of the facility to 31 August from 30 September.

RBI Tightens Operational Risk Capital Norms

The Reserve Bank of India tightened norms for calculating banks’ operational risk capital on 23 October 2026, and the revised directions take effect on 1 April 2027. The business indicator is divided into the Interest, Lease and Dividend Component, the Services Component and the Financial Component. Interest rate derivative assets must be measured at fair value and not notional value.

National & State News

Tamil Nadu Announces 2027 Public Holidays

The Tamil Nadu Government announced the list of public holidays for 2027 on 22 October 2026. Pongal falls on 15 January, Thiruvalluvar Day on 16 January and Deepavali on 28 October. The annual closing of accounts on 1 April will be a holiday only for commercial and cooperative banks in the state.

Appointments and Resignation

Sunil Kumar To Be ONGC Chairman

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved Sunil Kumar, currently executive director at Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, as the next chairman for three years from 7 December 2026. He replaces Arun Singh, who has been chairman and chief executive officer since December 2022. He will be the first chairman of the company elevated from the executive director rank.

Science & Technology

Bharat Biotech To Cut Malaria Vaccine Price

Bharat Biotech will cut the price of its malaria vaccine Mosqivac by around 40 per cent under an agreement with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the United Nations Children’s Fund. The price falls to 5.50 euros per dose from early 2027, against 9.30 euros at present. The move is expected to save 50 million dollars for immunisation programmes between 2027 and 2029.

IITM Pravartak Signs MoU With Dialog Axiata

Indian Institute of Technology Madras Pravartak signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Sri Lanka’s telecom company Dialog Axiata PLC to jointly support research and innovation in Sri Lanka. IITM Pravartak is a technology innovation hub funded by India’s Department of Science and Technology. The agreement was signed in the presence of Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha.

Rankings and Reports

India Private Sector Activity At Four Month High

India’s private sector activity rose to a four-month high in October, with the HSBC Flash India Composite Output Index at 56.7 against 55.9 in September. The Flash Manufacturing PMI fell marginally to 54.9, while the Services Business Activity Index rose to 56.2. Input cost inflation slowed for the seventh consecutive month.

PLFS To Capture Gig And Household Work

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation plans changes to the Periodic Labour Force Survey from January to better capture gig workers and unpaid household work. Households will be asked whether any member worked with a digital platform in the last 365 days. Comments on the concept note are invited by 7 November.

Important Days

United Nations Day Observed On 24 October

United Nations Day is observed on 24 October every year. It marks the anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Charter in 1945. The United Nations officially came into being once the majority of signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, ratified the Charter.