Jayakrishnan EduTips Daily Digest (1 October 2026)
National
UPSC completes 100 years on 1 October 2026. The Public Service Commission was established on 1 October 1926, and the UPSC has evolved into an independent constitutional body.
A commemorative coin and stamp are being released to mark the UPSC Centenary.
The Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 2026 comes into force from 1 October 2026, replacing the Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 1891.
The new banking law recognises electronic and digital banking records as admissible evidence, subject to prescribed safeguards.
The Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) 2024-25 recorded 2.67 lakh registered manufacturing establishments in India.
Manufacturing employment increased to around 2.10 crore in 2024-25.
The Gross Value Added (GVA) of the registered manufacturing sector increased by 9.59% in 2024-25.
The five leading states in manufacturing employment were Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
The ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME-2026) is being conducted at Subic Bay, Philippines, with Indian Naval Ships INS Sahyadri and INS Kulish participating.
The theme of AIME-2026 is “Anchored in Trust, United at Sea.”
CAG-BHASHINI Anuvaad has been launched to facilitate AI-powered multilingual translation of official documents.
Special Campaign 6.0 is entering its implementation phase from 2 October 2026, focusing on cleanliness, disposal of pending matters and better utilisation of government resources.
International
The second edition of the ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME-2026) is underway at Subic Bay, Philippines.
The exercise aims to strengthen maritime cooperation, interoperability and operational coordination between India and ASEAN countries.
AIME-2026 is associated with India's Act East Policy and the MAHASAGAR vision.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) currently has 10 member states: India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus.
The International Day of Older Persons is observed globally on 1 October.
The 2026 theme of International Day of Older Persons is “The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives.”
International Coffee Day is observed annually on 1 October.
The 2026 theme of International Coffee Day is “Celebrating Coffee, Honouring the People Behind Every Cup.”
The global population aged 60 years and above is projected to increase significantly in the coming decades, highlighting the importance of healthy ageing and social protection.
Economy
The Union Cabinet approved Green Energy Corridor Phase-III (GEC-III) with a total outlay of approximately ₹1,86,405 crore.
GEC-III aims to facilitate the evacuation of up to 135 GW of renewable energy.
The project includes approximately ₹1,36,378 crore for intra-state transmission systems.
Around ₹50,000 crore has been allocated for 50 GWh of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).
GEC-III is targeted for completion by FY 2032-33.
The government increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all mandated Rabi crops for Marketing Season 2027-28.
The highest absolute MSP increase was announced for safflower — ₹675 per quintal.
MSP increases for other major Rabi crops include rapeseed & mustard — ₹413, lentil — ₹390, barley — ₹136, gram — ₹83, and wheat — ₹25 per quintal.
The new MSP for wheat is ₹2,610 per quintal.
The MSP for rapeseed & mustard is ₹6,613 per quintal.
The MSP for safflower is ₹7,215 per quintal.
Small-savings interest rates remain unchanged for the October–December 2026 quarter.
Important small-savings rates include PPF — 7.1%, NSC — 7.7%, Kisan Vikas Patra — 7.5%, Senior Citizens' Savings Scheme — 8.2%, and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana — 8.2%.
India's central government fiscal deficit stood at approximately ₹7.10 lakh crore during April–August 2026.
The FY 2026-27 fiscal-deficit target is ₹16.96 lakh crore, equivalent to 4.3% of GDP.
New Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) norms will apply from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2032.
The new CAFE framework targets approximately 16.7% improvement in fuel efficiency over the five-year period.
The framework provides incentives for cleaner technologies including Battery Electric Vehicles, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles, Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles and Flex-Fuel Vehicles.
From 1 October 2026, the export duty on diesel under the windfall-tax mechanism has been reduced from ₹20 to ₹16 per litre.
Export duty on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) has been reduced from ₹15 to ₹10.5 per litre.
Date’s Importance — 1 October
International Day of Older Persons is observed every year on 1 October.
The International Day of Older Persons was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1990 through Resolution 45/106.
The first International Day of Older Persons was observed in 1991.
International Coffee Day is observed every year on 1 October.
National Voluntary Blood Donation Day is observed in India on 1 October to promote voluntary and safe blood donation.
World Vegetarian Day is observed annually on 1 October.
1 October 1926 marks the establishment of the Public Service Commission, which later evolved into the UPSC.
1 October 2026 marks the centenary of UPSC.
Annie Besant was born on 1 October 1847.
Person of the Day — Annie Besant
Annie Besant was born on 1 October 1847 in London, England.
She was a social reformer, educationist, writer and theosophist.
She became closely associated with the Indian nationalist movement.
She first arrived in India in 1893.
She established the Central Hindu College at Varanasi in 1898.
She played an important role in the Home Rule Movement in India.
She launched the Home Rule League in India in 1916.
She became the first woman President of the Indian National Congress in 1917.
She served as the President of the Theosophical Society from 1907 to 1933.
Annie Besant is particularly important for questions related to Modern Indian History, Home Rule Movement, Indian National Congress and the Theosophical Society.
Sports
The 20th Asian Games are being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from 19 September to 4 October 2026.
India reached 60 medals, comprising 10 Gold, 21 Silver and 29 Bronze.
Indian archers achieved a major feat by winning three gold medals in the men’s, women’s and mixed compound team events.
The Indian men's compound team consisted of Kushal Dalal, Sahil Rajesh Jadhav and Ganesh Maniratnam Thirumuru.
The Indian women's compound team comprised Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Prithika Pradeep and Chikitha Thaniparthi.
Chikitha Thaniparthi and Sahil Jadhav won gold in the mixed compound team event.
Neeru Dhanda and Kynan Chenai won the gold medal in the mixed trap team event.
India's women's hockey team reached the Asian Games final after defeating South Korea 2–0.
Lovlina Borgohain reached the women's 75 kg boxing final, assuring herself at least a silver medal.
Wrestler Sunil Kumar won bronze in the men's Greco-Roman 87 kg category.
Sunil Kumar became the first Indian wrestler to win two Asian Games medals in Greco-Roman wrestling.
Awards
The 2026 Right Livelihood Award has been announced for four laureates recognised for contributions in areas including human rights, women's rights, democracy and responsible artificial intelligence.
Jalila Haider, a Pakistani human-rights lawyer, is among the 2026 laureates.
Timnit Gebru, an AI researcher and founder of the Distributed AI Research Institute, is among the 2026 laureates.
The Rural Women’s Assembly, a network representing women farmers across Southern Africa, has been honoured.
The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association has also received the 2026 Right Livelihood Award.
The Right Livelihood Award was established in 1980.
Other Important Significance
UPSC Centenary: 1 October 2026 marks 100 years of UPSC, making the date important for questions on Indian polity and constitutional bodies.
Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 2026: The new legislation comes into force on 1 October 2026, replacing legislation dating back to 1891.
International Coffee Day: India is marking the occasion with programmes highlighting coffee growers, sustainability, roasters and Indian coffee varieties.
Manufacturing Sector: ASI 2024-25 recorded 9.59% growth in GVA, 7.19% growth in employment, and 10.54% growth in fixed capital in the registered manufacturing sector.
Green Energy Corridor III: The project aims to strengthen India's renewable-energy transmission infrastructure and facilitate integration of 135 GW of renewable energy.
CAFE Norms: The new framework is designed to improve vehicle fuel efficiency and encourage the adoption of electric, hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles.
Small Savings: For October–December 2026, the highest rates among the major listed schemes are 8.2%, applicable to Senior Citizens' Savings Scheme and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana.