09 October 2026 | English | FREE Current Affairs PDF

Today’s Highlight: The RBI raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50%, its first hike since February 2023, and moved to a stance of calibrated tightening. It also lifted the FY27 CPI inflation forecast to 5.2%, so rate decisions, stances and inflation numbers are very likely exam questions for Banking aspirants.

News in One Liner – 09 October 2026

PIB News

eSanjeevani Crosses 50 Crore Teleconsultations

India’s national telemedicine service eSanjeevani has crossed 50 crore teleconsultations, making it the world’s largest government-led telemedicine programme. It runs in two variants: eSanjeevani AB-HWC links Health and Wellness Centres with specialists at hubs, and eSanjeevani OPD lets patients consult doctors from their smartphones. Over 57% of beneficiaries are women and more than 70% of consultations are in rural and remote districts.

MoD Signs Rs 661 Crore BrahMos Deal for Navy Warships

The Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth Rs 661 crore with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited for Fire Control Systems and Launchers for Indian Navy warships. The hardware will be fitted on newly inducted frontline warships as the main surface-to-surface missile strike platform. BrahMos flies at speeds up to Mach 2.8, and the deal supports the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision.

DRDO Conducts First Live Jump Test of High-Altitude Parachute

DRDO successfully completed the maiden live jump test of its indigenous Advanced High-Altitude Parachute (AHAP). The test took place at Nyoma (Mudh Drop Zone) in Ladakh, one of the highest military drop zones in the world. The system is built for safe drops of special forces and payloads at extreme altitudes, helping rapid deployment along border areas such as the LAC.

National Postal Week 2026 Runs From 9 to 15 October

The Department of Posts will observe National Postal Week 2026 from 9 to 15 October, starting on World Post Day. The 2026 theme is ‘One Postal Network, Infinite Possibilities’. Daily focus themes include Financial Inclusion Day, Mails and Parcels Day, Philately Day and Citizen Centric Services Day, with a push for the Dak Sewa App and India Post Payments Bank services.

India Seeks Balance on Adaptation and Mitigation at Pre-COP31

At the Pre-COP31 meeting in Antalya, Turkiye, India asked developed countries to give adaptation and means of implementation the same weight as mitigation. Means of implementation covers finance, technology and capacity-building support. India also stressed that developing countries need predictable public finance to build climate resilience.

Sanjay Seth to Open SAREX-2026 Off Paradip Coast

Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth will inaugurate the National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX-2026) off the Paradip coast in Odisha. The Indian Coast Guard is organising it to test readiness and inter-agency coordination in large maritime emergencies. The 24th National Maritime Search and Rescue (NMSAR) Board Meeting will also be held in Bhubaneswar.

Union Cabinet Honours PM Modi for 25 Years of Public Service

The Union Cabinet passed a resolution congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi on completing 25 consecutive years in elected executive office. The resolution cited reforms, digital public infrastructure, welfare schemes and India’s rising role in forums such as the G20 and BRICS. Mr Modi was Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and has been Prime Minister since 2014.

Industry News

MoSPI Unveils 2026-30 Roadmap to Value India’s Natural Wealth

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released a 2026-2030 strategy to measure the economic value of India’s natural resources using the UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA). New priority areas include soil, carbon stock and pollination service accounts. The accounts will track around 40 global indicators across 9 Sustainable Development Goals.

CPSEs Spend 51% of FY27 Capex Target in First Half

Data from the Department of Public Enterprises shows that 63 tracked CPSEs spent Rs 4.30 trillion in the first half of FY27, which is 51% of their annual capex target of Rs 8.43 trillion. Spending was about 12% higher than in H1 FY26, though September spending fell 17% year-on-year. The Railway Board and NHAI led with 64% and nearly 46% of their annual targets.

Financial News

RBI Hikes Repo Rate by 25 bps to 5.50%

The RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee, chaired by Governor Sanjay Malhotra, unanimously raised the repo rate by 25 basis points from 5.25% to 5.50%. It is the first rate hike since February 2023, and the stance shifted to ‘calibrated tightening’. Global trade uncertainty, higher crude oil prices linked to West Asia conflicts and a weak rupee drove the move.

RBI Raises FY27 Inflation Forecast to 5.2%

The RBI raised its CPI inflation projection for FY27 to 5.2% from 5.0%, citing high crude oil prices and global supply chain disruptions. The quarterly path is 4.9% for Q2, 6.0% for Q3, 5.7% for Q4 and 5.6% for Q1 FY28. Core inflation remains moderate, but energy costs and imported inflation risks led to the revision.

RBI to Make Account Aggregators Interoperable by December 2026

The RBI plans to make the Account Aggregator (AA) ecosystem interoperable, so users can share data regardless of which AA app they use. The scope will also expand to include demat holdings along with bank deposit data by 31 December 2026. This gives lenders quicker visibility into borrower cash flows, helping MSMEs and retail borrowers.

Personal Service Transactions Exempt From FEMA Reporting

RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra announced that transactions involving personal services will no longer need reporting under updated FEMA rules. Reporting on the Import Export Data Processing and Monitoring System (IEDPMS) will shift entirely to Authorised Dealer (AD) banks. The RBI will also release FAQs to clear operational doubts.

RBI Removes Paytm Payments Bank From Second Schedule

The RBI excluded Paytm Payments Bank Limited from the Second Schedule to the RBI Act, 1934, after cancelling its banking licence for persistent non-compliance. The Delhi High Court ordered its winding-up, and the RBI said the bank has enough liquidity to settle depositors’ dues. The case shows the RBI’s strict stance on KYC and compliance in payments banks.

India and UK to Explore Cross-Border Listings via GIFT IFSC

After the 4th UK-India Financial Markets Dialogue in London, the two countries agreed to explore cross-border equity and corporate bond listings through GIFT IFSC. The talks also covered insurance and pensions regulation, sustainable finance and fraud prevention. Both sides reaffirmed the internationalisation of the rupee, with London acknowledged as an offshore rupee trading centre.

EPFO Pilots Provident Fund Withdrawals Through UPI

The EPFO has begun pilot testing PF claim settlements directly into bank accounts through the UPI network. The aim is to cut claim processing time from 10-15 days to near real-time. The system relies on auto-validation between the subscriber’s UAN, Aadhaar and UPI-linked bank account.

NCLT Approves Record 107 Resolution Plans in Q2 FY27

The National Company Law Tribunal approved a record 107 resolution plans worth over Rs 11,071 crore in Q2 FY27 (July-September). This took total approvals in H1 FY27 to 185, against 78 in Q1 FY27 and 60 in Q2 FY26. The record came despite a working strength of 48 members against a sanctioned strength of 62.

National & State News

Andhra Pradesh Declares Drought in 388 Mandals Across 21 Districts

The Andhra Pradesh government declared 388 of its 688 mandals in 21 districts as drought-hit for Kharif 2026, with 283 severely and 105 moderately affected. The state received 197.6 mm of rain against a normal 424.3 mm between June and August, a 53.4% deficit linked to El Nino. The declaration follows the Manual for Drought Management, 2016.

India Targets First Made-in-India Civilian Aircraft Within Two Years

Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu said India expects to launch its first indigenous civilian aircraft within two years through a public-private joint venture. Indian airlines have an order book of over 1,600 aircraft worth about $100 billion. The minister also spoke of building more than 100 new airports in the next decade.

World News

Jaishankar Begins Five-Day Visit to Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Ethiopia

External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar is on a five-day tour of Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Ethiopia from 6 to 10 October 2026. Talks cover trade, development cooperation, capacity building, digital public infrastructure and security. In Addis Ababa he will chair the Regional Heads of Mission Conference to review India’s diplomacy in Africa.

India Urges Reform of Global Financial Institutions at UNGA

Speaking at the UN General Assembly’s Second Committee, Member of Parliament C. P. Joshi called for restructuring of post-WWII multilateral development banks and institutions like the IMF and World Bank. India highlighted $150 million committed to the India-UN Development Partnership Fund and $70 million to the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). It also offered to share its Digital Public Infrastructure expertise.

Appointments and Resignation

Mithun Chakraborty Gets Cabinet Minister Rank in West Bengal

Veteran actor and former Rajya Sabha MP Mithun Chakraborty has been given Cabinet Minister rank in West Bengal after being appointed Chief Advisor in the state administration. He will assist the Chief Minister on strategic policy and welfare initiatives, with the perks, security and protocol of a Cabinet-rank minister. He earlier received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2024) and the Padma Bhushan.

Defence News

HAL Opens Second Shakti Engine Production Line at Koraput

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a second production line for Shakti helicopter engines at HAL’s Engine Division in Sunabeda, Koraput, Odisha, built at a cost of Rs 218 crore. It will be fully operational by 2028-29, with capacity of up to 100 engines a year. The event also marked the delivery of the Koraput division’s 2,000th aero-engine.

Summits & Conferences

PM Modi Backs Rules-Based Maritime Order at Sagarmanthan Dialogue

PM Narendra Modi sent a message to Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue 2026 in New Delhi, backing a free, open and rules-based maritime order built on international law and UNCLOS. The dialogue highlighted port-led development under Sagarmala, green ports and Indo-Pacific partnerships. The event is organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways with the Observer Research Foundation.

Sports News

Ronaldo Leads, Messi Second in All-Time International Goals

Cristiano Ronaldo holds the men’s international record with 143 goals in 229 appearances. Lionel Messi is second with 126 goals in 207 caps, while Iran’s Ali Daei, the earlier record holder, has 108. India’s all-time top scorer is Sunil Chhetri with 95 international goals.

Important Days

World Cotton Day 2026 Observed on 7 October

The UN observed World Cotton Day on 7 October 2026 under the theme ‘Cotton for Good: Building Prosperity Through Trade, Transformation and Partnership’. The day is organised by the FAO and the International Cotton Advisory Committee and highlights smallholder farmers and value addition. It was first launched in 2019 at the WTO in Geneva on the initiative of the Cotton Four (C4) countries.

Awards & Honors

Kagan and Soai Win 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Henri B. Kagan of France and Kenso Soai of Japan were awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The prize recognises their work on non-linear effects and asymmetric autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. Their discoveries help industry make single-enantiomer drugs, which reduces side effects.