23 October 2026 | English | FREE Current Affairs PDF

Today’s Highlight: India targets 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, and core sector growth hit a 30 month high of 7.9 per cent in September. The RBI Monetary Policy Committee minutes show all six members voted for a 25 basis point repo rate hike to 5.5 per cent. Policy, economy and data updates like these are regular exam topics for Banking and SSC aspirants.

News in One Liner – 23 October 2026

PIB News

India Targets 100 GW Nuclear Power By 2047

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said India targets 100 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity by 2047 and Net Zero emissions by 2070. He spoke on the sidelines of the Bloomberg Economy Forum 2026 and stressed that India’s nuclear programme is meant for peaceful purposes. He added that nuclear energy will meet the rising power demand of AI and data centres.

WWF India Launches Nationwide Green Diwali Campaign

World Wide Fund for India’s Programme Centre Resource Partner, supported by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, launched a nationwide Green Diwali Campaign. It runs from 20 October to 8 November 2026 and urges citizens to avoid firecrackers in line with Mission LiFE. The drive focuses on the 130 cities covered under the National Clean Air Programme.

Industry News

India Records Over 1.5 Crore Domestic Air Passengers In A Month

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said India recorded over 1.5 crore domestic passengers in a single month. He spoke in a video message on the International Day of the Air Traffic Controller and noted more than 5,000 domestic and over 1,000 international traffic movements every day. The Airports Authority of India has earmarked Rs 3,490 crore for modernising infrastructure.

Core Sector Growth Hits 30 Month High Of 7.9 Per Cent

Output of India’s nine core industries rose to a 30 month high of 7.9 per cent in September, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. This is the highest under the new series with 2022 to 2023 as the base year. Iron ore, coal and refinery products drove the growth, while fertilizers and natural gas contracted.

Sitharaman Seeks Global Framework On Sanctions Fallout

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called for a global framework to address the fallout of economic sanctions. She said such penalties often cause consequences far beyond their intended targets. She asked for multilateral rules to manage cross-border economic disruptions.

CBDT Notifies Form 173A For Government Securities Exemption

The Central Board of Direct Taxes notified Form 173A through the Income-tax (Seventh Amendment) Rules, 2026 on 19 October. The form is needed to claim tax exemption on interest income and capital gains from government securities under entries 13D and 13E of Schedule IV of the Income-tax Act, 2025. Entry 13D covers foreign institutional investors and entry 13E covers the Bank for International Settlements.

Retail Sugar Inflation Crosses 30 Per Cent In 21 States And UTs

Retail sugar inflation crossed 30 per cent in 21 of the 36 states and Union Territories in September, based on Consumer Price Index data. Odisha led with a 37.48 per cent rise over the previous year. National sugar inflation rose to 29.80 per cent from 24.27 per cent in August, the highest since January 2026 under the new CPI series with 2024 as the base year.

Form 141 Replaces Four TDS Forms For Individuals And HUFs

The Income Tax Department introduced a consolidated reporting Form 141 for individuals and Hindu Undivided Families under the Income-tax Act, 2025. It replaces Forms 26QB, 26QC, 26QD and 26QE, which covered property purchases, rent, payments to contractors and professionals, and virtual digital asset transfers. A new Schedule E covers property purchases from non-resident sellers.

Government Sets Up Two Panels To Overhaul Exporter Refund Schemes

The government set up two panels to overhaul exporter tax refund schemes after a recommendation from the expenditure finance committee. The commerce ministry had sought over Rs 1.3 trillion under the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products scheme for the next five years. This is about 70 per cent higher than the allocation of the previous five years.

Centre To Back Agrivoltaics Under PM KUSUM 2.0

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy plans to support agrivoltaics under the second phase of PM KUSUM. The aim is to add about 5 gigawatts of dual use agrisolar capacity over three years. Agrivoltaics costs about 25 per cent more, which the government plans to offset through subsidies, with an outlay of about Rs 35,000 crore for new projects.

India Crude Import Bill Surges 46.3 Per Cent To 90.6 Billion Dollars

India’s crude oil import bill rose 46.3 per cent to 90.6 billion dollars during April to September, according to the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell. The rise came from elevated global prices as import volumes stayed largely flat. The net oil and gas import bill increased 35 per cent to 81.1 billion dollars.

Financial News

BSE And NSE To Hold Diwali Muhurat Trading On 8 November

The BSE and NSE will hold a special Muhurat trading session on 8 November on Diwali Laxmi Pujan. The session runs from 2:20 PM to 3:30 PM, preceded by a block deal session from 1:50 PM to 2:05 PM and a pre-open session from 2:05 PM to 2:20 PM. Muhurat trading marks the start of the new Hindu calendar year, Samvat 2083.

RBI Rejects All Bids At Treasury Bill Auction

The Reserve Bank of India rejected all bids at the government’s Treasury bill auction as short term yields climbed. The government had planned to raise Rs 23,000 crore through 91 day, 182 day and 364 day T-bills. After the result, the benchmark 10 year bond yield settled at 7.44 per cent, its highest since 4 November 2022.

Finance Ministry Exempts NDB Maharaja Bond Interest From TDS

The Ministry of Finance exempted interest on the New Development Bank’s Maharaja INR Bonds from Tax Deducted at Source from the 2026 to 2027 tax year. The exemption covers resident investors and foreign institutional investors. The New Development Bank plans to raise Rs 25,000 crore through rupee bonds over five years for sustainable and green projects in India.

MPC Minutes Show Unanimous Vote For 25 Basis Point Repo Hike

The RBI released the minutes of the Monetary Policy Committee meeting held from 5 to 7 October. All six members voted to raise the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.5 per cent. Four members backed a shift from a neutral stance to calibrated tightening, while two preferred to stay neutral. The next MPC meeting is scheduled for 2 to 4 December 2026.

National & State News

Tamil Nadu Orders 25 More Days Of Rural Employment Under Vetri 150

The Tamil Nadu government ordered an additional 25 days of guaranteed wage employment for vulnerable rural households under the Vetri 150 scheme. This extends the annual entitlement to 150 days for families that have used their initial 125 days. The state approved Rs 100 crore for the purpose from the revised budget estimates for 2026 to 2027.

Jammu And Kashmir Orders Annual Darbar Move To Jammu

The Jammu and Kashmir government ordered the bi-annual Darbar Move, shifting administrative offices from Srinagar to Jammu for the 2026 to 2027 winter. Offices in the Civil Secretariat will reopen in Jammu on 2 November. The Civil Secretariat and departments within its premises will work from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

Amit Shah Sets Target To Make India Drug Free By 2029

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced a target to make India drug free by 31 December 2029. He spoke at the Police Commemoration Day event at the National Police Memorial in New Delhi. He urged police forces to intensify anti-narcotics operations and disrupt illicit funding networks of drug syndicates.

World News

World Bank Group Launches Its First Digital Strategy

The World Bank Group launched its first comprehensive digital strategy with artificial intelligence, affordable internet access and job creation at its centre. It was announced in Seoul and combines public support with private investment. The strategy notes that over 1.2 billion young people will reach working age in developing countries over the next 10 to 15 years, while over two billion people remain offline.

India Offers To Make Nuclear No First Use A Multilateral Legal Pact

India reiterated its willingness to make its nuclear No First Use commitment, and its pledge not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states, part of a multilateral legal agreement. The position was stated at the United Nations General Assembly First Committee in New York. India also reaffirmed support for universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament and a voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing.

India Raises Concern Over UN Liquidity Crisis

India expressed serious concern over the difficult liquidity situation of the United Nations during the 81st Main Session of the Fifth Committee of the UN General Assembly. It said unpaid assessed contributions have reached unacceptably high levels. India urged all member nations to clear their assessed dues promptly so global mandates run smoothly.

Science & Technology

IIA Creates First Doppler Velocity Images Of Solar Corona

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics generated Doppler velocity images of the solar corona using data from the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph on Aditya-L1. The method tracks whether hot plasma in the corona moves towards or away from the observer. It helps study coronal mass ejections along the Sun-Earth line and improves space weather forecasting.

Awards & Honors

Haryana Medical College Wins International Medical Education Prize

Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College for Women in Khanpur Kalan, Haryana, became the first Indian institution to win the IMU Ron Harden Innovation in Medical Education Award. It was presented at the 19th International Medical Education Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The win was for the student leadership programme Network of Student Leaders, in which 278 students from 11 colleges ran 63 community health projects.

Obituaries

Sengol Craftsman Vummidi Ethiraj Passes Away At 99

Master jeweller Vummidi Ethiraj, a key craftsman behind the historic Sengol, passed away in Chennai at the age of 99. He belonged to the family behind Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers, established in 1900. The Sengol was presented to Jawaharlal Nehru to symbolise the transfer of power in 1947.

Reports & Indices

Oxfam India Study Shows Rural Women Workers Mostly Unpaid Helpers

An Oxfam India study found that rural women’s labour force participation nearly doubled between 2017 to 2018 and 2023 to 2024. The rise came mainly from self-employment, which grew from 57 per cent to 72.2 per cent of rural women workers. About 59 per cent of these self-employed women were unpaid helpers in family enterprises, while the share in regular salaried work fell from 11 per cent to 8 per cent.