08 October 2026 | English | FREE Current Affairs PDF

Today’s Highlight: Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit is the next Chief of the Air Staff (29th CAS, taking over on 31 October 2026), and the 2026 Nobel Prizes in Medicine (optogenetics) and Physics (IceCube neutrino research) were announced. Appointments, award winners and their fields are regular questions in Banking, SSC and TNPSC exams, so note the names.

News in One Liner – 08 October 2026

PIB News

India and Switzerland Sign Mobility, Youth Exchange and Research Pacts

During the state visit of the Swiss President, India and Switzerland signed a Migration and Mobility Partnership MoU, an Agreement on the Exchange of Young Professionals, a transport technology MoU and a science cooperation LoI. The mobility pact offers multiple-entry visas valid up to 5 years with stays of up to 6 months per visit, plus 1-year renewable student permits. The young professionals scheme allows 300 persons per country each year, expandable to 500.

President Appoints Three High Court Chief Justices to Supreme Court

President Droupadi Murmu appointed Justice Sunita Agarwal, Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, Chief Justices of the Gujarat, Delhi and Telangana High Courts, as Judges of the Supreme Court. The appointments followed recommendations of the Supreme Court Collegium headed by the Chief Justice of India. They add judicial capacity at the apex court to handle pending matters.

Indian-Born Cheetah Gives Birth to Five Cubs at Kuno; Population Reaches 60

Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced that an Indian-born cheetah gave birth to five healthy cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. The litter takes India’s total cheetah population to 60. It marks a milestone for the next generation of wild cheetahs under Project Cheetah.

Dibrugarh Flags Off First International Cargo Vessel to Bangladesh

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways flagged off the first international cargo shipment from Bogibeel, Dibrugarh, to Bangladesh, the first such movement from Dibrugarh since 1947. The vessel uses National Waterway 2 on the Brahmaputra and the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route. IWAI, Assam Petrochemicals Limited and the Assam Government coordinated the event.

TRAI Releases Yearly Telecom Performance Indicators for FY 2025-26

TRAI’s yearly report shows total telephone subscribers at 1,330.58 million in FY 2025-26, with wireless subscribers at 1,282.33 million. Internet subscribers rose to 1,092.79 million and broadband subscribers reached 440.87 million. Rural tele-density increased from 59.06% to 60.46%, and wireless data revenue grew 11.53% to Rs 2,39,874 crore.

MoSPI Releases National Household Travel Survey for July 2025-June 2026

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released the National Household Travel Survey conducted between July 2025 and June 2026. It benchmarks passenger mobility, commuter distance and modal split across rural and urban India. Buses accounted for 55.8% of passenger trips.

MoHUA Marks World Habitat Day 2026 and Confers PMAY-U Awards

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs observed World Habitat Day 2026 and presented the PMAY-U Awards 2026. HDFC Bank won Best Primary Lending Institution, Gujarat the Best Town Planning Scheme procedure and Tamil Nadu the Best Shelter Fund Practice. Bihar was recognised among large states for the highest sanctions against target under PMAY-U 2.0.

India-UAE Exercise MOUNTAIN GUARDIAN 2026 Begins in Uttarakhand

The Indian Army and UAE Armed Forces began the joint exercise MOUNTAIN GUARDIAN 2026 at the Foreign Training Node in Chaubatia, Uttarakhand. It covers tactical drills, high-altitude manoeuvres, counter-terrorism operations and casualty evacuation. The aim is to build coordination in mountainous terrain and strengthen defence cooperation.

India and Japan Launch Operational Manual for Joint Crediting Mechanism

India and Japan launched the Operational Manual for the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) in New Delhi. It sets standard procedures across the project cycle, from the Project Idea Note to verification and issuance of JCM carbon credits. The JCM promotes low-carbon technologies and helps both nations meet their NDCs.

Financial News

SEBI Launches Samajh Se Investing Simple Campaign, MUST Initiative and WhatsApp Channel

SEBI launched the ‘Samajh Se Investing Simple’ awareness campaign under Project Jagrook at Panjab University, Chandigarh, during World Investor Week 2026. It also rolled out the MUST initiative with the Association of Indian Universities to train campus Partner Trainers. SEBI introduced a verified WhatsApp channel (1800 22 7575) and opened a new local office in Chandigarh.

DFS Secretary Directs Banks to Expand Digital Lending and Inclusion

The Department of Financial Services Secretary urged public and private sector banks to adopt end-to-end digital loan processing and intensify financial inclusion drives. Banks were told to improve credit access for street vendors, MSMEs and rural entrepreneurs. They were also advised to keep strong cybersecurity and follow RBI’s Digital Lending Guidelines.

National & State News

Railways Commissions Rs 2,400 Crore Mokama Rail Bridge Parallel to Rajendra Pul

Indian Railways opened a new Rs 2,400 crore double-line rail bridge over the Ganga at Mokama in Bihar after safety clearance from the Commissioner of Railway Safety. The 15.5 km project includes a 1.9 km main bridge with 17 steel spans, parallel to the 1959-built Rajendra Pul. It raises the lines at this bottleneck to three on the Delhi-Howrah and North-South Bihar routes.

Appointments and Resignation

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit Appointed Next Chief of the Air Staff

The Government appointed Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh. He takes over on 31 October 2026. A fighter pilot commissioned in 1986, he is an Experimental Test Pilot who took part in Operation Safed Sagar and Operation Sindoor, and served as Vice Chief of the Air Staff.

Justice P. Sam Koshy Appointed Acting Chief Justice of Telangana High Court

The Centre notified Justice Puthichira Sam Koshy as Acting Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court under Article 223. The post fell vacant after Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh was elevated to the Supreme Court. Justice Koshy joined the Chhattisgarh High Court as an Additional Judge in 2013 and moved to Telangana in July 2023.

Defence News

Rajnath Singh Launches Navy’s First Indigenous Fleet Support Ship ‘Surya’

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched ‘Surya’, the lead vessel of five indigenous Fleet Support Ships built for the Indian Navy by Hindustan Shipyard Limited at Visakhapatnam. The ship displaces about 44,000 tonnes and will carry out replenish-at-sea operations, supplying fuel, water, ammunition and stores. It has over 80% indigenous content and extends the Navy’s blue-water endurance.

Rajnath Singh Inaugurates New Aero-Engine Facilities at HAL Koraput

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated expanded aero-engine manufacturing infrastructure at HAL’s Engine Division in Sunabeda, Koraput, Odisha. The lines raise capacity to make, overhaul and test engines such as the AL-31FP for the Su-30MKI, with testing support for AMCA and LCA Tejas projects. The move reduces dependence on foreign OEMs.

Sports News

IOC Confirms India and Qatar Among Seven Nations Bidding for 2036 Olympics

The IOC confirmed seven nations, including India, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Indonesia, Chile and Egypt, are in the Continuous Dialogue stage for hosting the 2036 Summer Games. The Indian Olympic Association has submitted a Letter of Intent naming Ahmedabad as the proposed hub. The Future Host Commission will later pick a preferred host for targeted dialogue.

Smriti Mandhana Appointed Captain of Indian Women’s Cricket Team

The BCCI named opening batter Smriti Mandhana full-time captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team across Tests, ODIs and T20Is, taking over from Harmanpreet Kaur. A long-time vice-captain, she captains Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women’s Premier League. Her appointment comes ahead of key ICC tournaments.

Important Days

World Teachers’ Day 2026: UNESCO Warns of 44 Million Teacher Shortage

UNESCO observed World Teachers’ Day 2026 on the theme ‘Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures’. It warned that 44 million more primary and secondary teachers are needed by 2030 to achieve SDG 4. The flagship event in Paris presented the 9th UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development.

Awards & Honors

India Wins Four Gold, One Silver at 19th Astronomy Olympiad (IOAA)

All five members of the Indian team won medals at the 19th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics in Hanoi, Vietnam: four Gold and one Silver. Gold went to Pranjal Dixit, Sumant Gupta, Akshat Srivastava and Arnav Sehrawat, and Silver to Harshil Amitkumar Patel. India finished joint third with Vietnam, behind Iran and South Korea.

Deisseroth, Hegemann and Nagel Win 2026 Nobel Prize in Medicine for Optogenetics

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was shared by Karl Deisseroth (USA), Peter Hegemann (Germany) and Georg Nagel (Germany). They were honoured for developing optogenetics, which uses light-sensitive proteins to switch neurons on or off. The technique helps map neural circuits behind memory, emotion and disorders such as Parkinson’s.

Francis Halzen Awarded 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for IceCube Neutrino Research

Belgian-American physicist Francis Halzen of the University of Wisconsin-Madison won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics. He was honoured for his decisive role in building the IceCube Neutrino Observatory deep under the Antarctic ice at the South Pole. IceCube made the first detection of high-energy neutrinos from distant sources beyond our galaxy.

Obituaries

Author and Former UK Politician Lord Jeffrey Archer Passes Away at 86

British novelist and former Conservative MP Lord Jeffrey Archer died at his London home aged 86, just before his final novel Adam and Eve was due for publication. Over five decades he sold over 300 million copies in 49 languages. His best-known books include Kane and Abel, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less and The Clifton Chronicles.

Ranking and Reports

World Bank Upgrades India’s FY27 GDP Growth Projection to 7.1%

In its South Asia Economic Update, the World Bank raised India’s FY27 GDP growth forecast by 50 basis points to 7.1% from 6.6%. It cited solid private consumption, strong industry and services growth and resilient exports. The report projects 7.2% growth for FY28.