1) National
Karmayogi Bharat and OpenAI Sign MoU for Civil Services AI Training: Karmayogi Bharat (a not-for-profit Special Purpose Vehicle under the Department of Personnel and Training, DoPT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with OpenAI to provide OpenAI Academy artificial intelligence learning resources via the iGOT Karmayogi platform to over 1.7 crore registered government employees across the Centre, States, and Union Territories.
National Strategic Trade Command Centre (NSTCC) Launched: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal inaugurated the National Strategic Trade Command Centre (NSTCC) in New Delhi under the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to strengthen real-time trade analytics and streamline Importer Exporter Code (IEC), Advance Authorisation, Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG), Certificates of Origin, and SCOMET (Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies) clearances.
Sunil Kumar Appointed Next ONGC Chairman: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Sunil Kumar (currently Executive Director at Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) as the next Chairman and CEO of ONGC under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, succeeding Arun Kumar Singh with effect from 7 December 2026 until 31 December 2028.
Upgraded NMMS App Launched & 10.997 Crore Farmer IDs Created: Union Rural Development and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched an upgraded version of the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) App—developed with technical support from IIT Madras featuring AI-based face verification, liveness detection, offline capture, and anti-cloning safeguards—and announced that 10.997 crore Farmer IDs have been generated nationwide against the 11 crore target set for December 2027.
President Droupadi Murmu Attends Bastar Dussehra and Muria Darbar: President Droupadi Murmu graced the historic 75-day Bastar Dussehra festival and its traditional tribal governance assembly 'Muria Darbar' at Jagdalpur in Bastar district, Chhattisgarh, in the presence of Governor Ramen Deka and Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai.
MoD Signs Rs 770 Crore Contract with BEL for LLLR-I Radars: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) inked a contract worth Rs 770 crore with Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) in New Delhi to procure Improved Low-Level Light-Weight Radars (LLLR-I) for the Indian Army to detect and track fighter-sized targets, micro/mini drones, and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS).
Ladakh LG Notifies 100 Constituencies for 8 LAHDCs: Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena notified 100 constituencies across 8 Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs), nearly doubling the existing council representation strength of 52 seats.
14th India Chem 2026 Inaugurated in Mumbai: Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Jagat Prakash Nadda inaugurated the 14th edition of India Chem 2026 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, outlining the BHAVYA Rasayan Scheme to develop port-connected, globally competitive chemical and petrochemical manufacturing hubs.
STPI Inaugurates 30,000 Sq Ft Incubation Facility in Dehradun: Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) inaugurated a new 30,000 sq. ft. incubation facility in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, expanding upon its existing 19,533 sq. ft. facility at IT Park Dehradun to support startups in FinTech, AgriTech, MedTech, Drones, and Cybersecurity.
National Action Plan for Inland Small-Scale Fisheries: The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying advanced India to the development phase of the National Action Plan for Inland Small-Scale Fisheries (NAP-ISSF) and announced the Fisheries Investors & Exporters Conclave 2026.
JJM 2.0 Training & Civil Defence Network Expansion: The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti organised a National-level Training of Trainers under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0, while the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) initiated steps to build a nationwide Civil Defence Network.
2) International
Indian Navy to Host Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2026: The Indian Navy announced that it will host the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2026, its apex international annual strategic conference, to foster science, technology, and academic cooperation across the Indo-Pacific maritime domain.
India–Germany High-Level Economic Engagements in Berlin: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held high-level economic dialogues in Berlin, Germany, to expand bilateral trade, clean technology, and manufacturing investments between India and Germany.
UNESCO 2026 GEM Gender Report & Girls' Education Prize: UNESCO released the 2026 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Gender Report focusing on gender equity in education access and limiting early marriage barriers, and conferred the 2026 UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education on transformative projects in Morocco and CARE Peru.
25th SCO CHG Approves PMTEC Action Plan (2026–2030): The 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting concluded with a Joint Communiqué approving the Programme of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation (PMTEC) Action Plan for 2026–2030.
INS Trishul Visits Lisbon & Exercise INDRA 2026 Concludes: Indian Navy stealth frigate INS Trishul concluded a goodwill port call at Lisbon, Portugal, while the bilateral India–Russia naval exercise INDRA 2026 formally concluded.
NAAS Signs MoU with CAST at World Food Prize Symposium: The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), India (led by Dr. M.L. Jat) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) during the 2026 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
3) Economy
CBDT Notifies New Form 173A for Government Securities Exemptions: Through the Income-tax (Seventh Amendment) Rules, 2026, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) under the Ministry of Finance inserted Rule 281A and Form 173A under the Income-tax Rules, 2026, mandating detailed asset and transaction disclosures by eligible investors claiming income-tax exemption on interest and capital gains from Government Securities (G-Secs).
C-DAC and Bank of India Sign MoU for Quantum Banking Tech: The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) (under MeitY) and Bank of India (BoI) signed an MoU to jointly develop indigenous quantum-safe and quantum-inspired technologies, AI fraud analytics, and blockchain solutions for banking security.
Chintan Shivir Charts USD 250 Billion Engineering Exports Roadmap: The Department of Commerce and the Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) India convened a Chintan Shivir to formulate a strategic roadmap for achieving USD 250 billion in Indian engineering exports by 2030.
AU Small Finance Bank & Paytm Launch RuPay Credit Card: AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB) partnered with Paytm to launch India's first RuPay Credit Card offering complimentary family airport lounge access, while Bank of Baroda (BoB) rolled out its festive retail banking campaign 'BoB Ke Sang Tyohaar Ki Umang'.
4) Date’s Importance (24 October)
United Nations Day (24 October 2026): Observed annually across the globe on 24 October (designated by the UN General Assembly in 1947) to mark the 81st anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Charter on 24 October 1945 (signed in San Francisco on 26 June 1945 by 50 countries, with Poland signing later to form 51 founding member states, including India; current membership: 193 member states; Headquarters: New York; Secretary-General: António Guterres).
World Polio Day (24 October 2026): Established by Rotary International in 1985 to commemorate the birth centenary of team leader Dr. Jonas Salk (who developed the first inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine in 1955, followed by Albert Sabin's oral polio vaccine in 1961), and supported by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI, launched in 1988); 2026 Theme: "One day, one focus: ending polio for good" (Note: India was certified Polio-Free by the WHO on 27 March 2014 after its last reported case in Howrah, West Bengal on 13 January 2011).
World Development Information Day (24 October 2026): Instituted by UN General Assembly Resolution 3038 (XXVII) on 19 December 1972 (following UNCTAD III in Santiago) and first observed on 24 October 1973 to mobilise global public opinion and leverage Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to solve international trade and development challenges.
65th Raising Day of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police – ITBP (24 October 2026): Commemorates the raising of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on 24 October 1962 under the CRPF Act (later governed by the ITBP Force Act, 1992) following the 1962 Sino-Indian War; operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs with the motto "Shaurya – Dridhata – Karma Nishtha", the "Himveers" guard the 3,488-km India–China Line of Actual Control (LAC) from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh.
International Day of Diplomats & Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week (24–31 October): 24 October is celebrated as the International Day of Diplomats (proposed and initiated in Brasília in 2017 by Indian diplomat and poet Abhay Kumar / Abhay K.), and also marks the start of UNESCO's Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week (24–31 October).
Key Historical Milestones on 24 October: Signing of the Peace of Westphalia on 24 October 1648, ending the Thirty Years' War and establishing the modern concept of Westphalian state sovereignty; Wall Street Crash of 1929 ("Black Thursday") began on 24 October 1929, triggering the Great Depression; Northern Rhodesia gained independence from Britain as the Republic of Zambia on 24 October 1964; commercial operations of India's first metro rail system—the Kolkata Metro (from Esplanade to Bhowanipore, 3.4 km)—commenced on 24 October 1984; birth anniversary of Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar (24 October 1775), freedom fighter Ustad Bismillah Khan's contemporary maestro Pandit Chhannulal Mishra, and legendary cartoonist R. K. Laxman (24 October 1921, creator of 'The Common Man' and recipient of the Padma Vibhushan and Ramon Magsaysay Award).
5) Person of the Day
Sumit Antil (Two-Time Paralympic Champion & World Record Javelin Thrower): 28-year-old Indian para-athlete and javelin thrower born on 6 June 1998 in Khewra village, Sonipat district, Haryana, who spearheaded an all-Indian podium sweep on 23 October 2026 by winning the Gold Medal in the Men's Javelin Throw F42-F44/F61-F64 with a throw of 72.46 metres on the final day of medal action for India at the 5th Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Career Trajectory from Wrestling to Para-Javelin: Originally an aspiring wrestler before losing his left leg below the knee in a road accident in January 2015, he transitioned to para-athletics in 2017 under coach Naval Singh, competing in the F64 classification for athletes with a lower-limb prosthesis.
Unbeaten Global Dominance: Became the first Indian male para-athlete to successfully defend a Paralympic Gold medal, winning Gold at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics (68.55 m) and Gold at the 2024 Paris Paralympics (Paralympic Record of 70.59 m), besides winning three consecutive World Para Athletics Championships Gold medals (Paris 2023, Kobe 2024, and 2025) and back-to-back Asian Para Games Gold medals (Hangzhou 2022 with a World Record of 73.29 m, and Aichi-Nagoya 2026).
National Honours: Conferred India's highest sporting honour, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (2021), and the Padma Shri (2022) by the President of India, and served as India's Flag Bearer at the 2024 Paris Paralympics Opening Ceremony.
6) Sports
India Scripts History with Best-Ever 114 Medals at 5th Asian Para Games 2026: Adding 26 medals (9 Gold, 9 Silver, and 8 Bronze) on Day 5 (23 October 2026) in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, India concluded its campaign with an all-time record tally of 114 medals—30 Gold, 35 Silver, and 49 Bronze—surpassing its previous best of 111 medals (29 Gold, 31 Silver, and 51 Bronze) recorded at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Para Games.
Three New World Records Set by Indians on Day 5: Indian para-athletes shattered three World Records on 23 October 2026—Sandeep won Gold in Men's 400m T44/T64 with a World Record (which officially took India past the 100-medal mark, before adding a Bronze in Men's 100m T44 in 11.67s), Haney won Gold in Men's Javelin Throw F37/38 with a World Record, and shooter Mona Agarwal won her second Gold of the Games in Women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1 with a World Record.
Javelin Podium Sweep & Club Throw Double Podium: Sumit Antil won Gold (72.46 m) in Men's Javelin F42-F44/F61-F64 ahead of Silver medallist Mahendra Gurjar and Bronze medallist Sandip Sargar (completing an all-Indian 1-2-3 sweep with category Games Records), while Pranav Soorma won his second Gold of the Games in Men's Club Throw F51 with a Games Record of 32.87 m alongside Bronze medallist Dharambir.
Para-Badminton & Para-Archery Golds on Day 5: In Para-Badminton, Nitesh Kumar won Men's Singles SL3 Gold (defeating compatriot Pramod Bhagat, who took Silver), Naveen Sivakumar won Men's Singles SL4 Gold (beating Indonesia's Ferdy Setiawan 21-9, 21-17), and the duo of Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manasi Joshi won Women's Doubles SL3-SU5 Gold (while Thulasimathi also won Silver in Women's Singles SU5 and Silver in Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 with Nitesh Kumar); India's Men's Recurve Open Team also won Gold in Para-Archery (with the Women's Recurve Team winning Silver), and swimmer Himanshu Nandal bagged his third Bronze in Men's 100m Freestyle S11 (1:05.90).
7) Awards
Indian Student Ameena Nazreen A.S. Wins Global Youth Institute Award 2026: Indian student Ameena Nazreen A.S. won the Global Youth Institute Award 2026 (carrying a USD 500 cash prize) at the World Food Prize Foundation Symposium / Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue held under the theme "Before Hunger Wins" in Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
8) Other Important Significance
DRDO's ARDE Shortlists SSS Defence and Kalyani Group as DcPPs: The Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune—a premier laboratory of DRDO—shortlisted Indian private defence manufacturers SSS Defence and Kalyani Group as Development-cum-Production Partners (DcPPs) for indigenous weapon systems.
Telangana to Host Raksha Expo 2026 in Hyderabad: The Government of Telangana scheduled the curtain-raiser of Raksha Expo 2026 on 24 October 2026 at Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, as a flagship aerospace and defence exhibition alongside the Invest Telangana Global Summit 2026, featuring 70+ global and domestic OEMs including HAL, BEL, BDL, Airbus, Boeing, Safran, and Rolls-Royce.
ICAR-CIRCOT Transfers Tech for Cotton-Picking Protective Gloves: The ICAR–Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT), Mumbai, signed an MoU for the technology transfer of ergonomically designed protective gloves for cotton-picking farm workers to prevent boll-prick injuries and occupational dermatitis.
Indian Astrophysicists Unveil Impact of Black Hole Spin on X-Ray Flickering: Scientists under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) uncovered how black hole spin governs the quasi-periodic flickering of high-energy light emitted from accretion discs surrounding black holes.
Book 'The Evolution of TV News in India' Released: Former Prasar Bharati Chairman A. Surya Prakash released the book "The Evolution of TV News in India: From Doordarshan to Digital Disruption – An Insider's Account", authored by veteran broadcaster and former Doordarshan Producer Harsaran Bir Kaur Pandey, at the India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi.