Daily Current Affairs
Daily digests (5-8 items/day).
GS3 · Economy · Energy and agricultureThe oil marketing companies have kept sugar out of India’s ethanol programme for the coming year. The tender issued on 16 October 2026 seeks about 11 billion litres of ethanol for the 2026-27 supply year, but asks for none made from sugarcane juice, sugar syrup or B-heavy molasses, because the Government wants sugar diversion for ethanol cut to zero. Grain must now carry the load, and even the maize incentive has been cut. Read this as a live example of the food-versus-fuel trade-off.
18 Oct 2026GS2 · Polity · Fundamental rightsIn a judgment of 15 October 2026, the Supreme Court said that the right to access and use the internet is a fundamental right of every person, children included, under Article 21 read with Article 19(1)(a). So the answer to online danger is not to lock children out but to go after the abusive content and the platforms that fail to remove it. The Court ordered a National Hash and URL List Database, two-hour reporting of unknown abuse material, and loss of revenue for platforms that profit from it through paywalls.
18 Oct 2026GS3 · Environment · BiodiversityOn 17 October 2026 the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) said it had shared ₹1.19 crore with 29 State Biodiversity Boards and one UT Biodiversity Council. The money came from seed companies that used Indian maize, rice, pearl millet and cotton for research and commercial hybrids. As the crops were bought from markets and the original holders could not be traced, the amount was split in proportion to each State’s cultivation area. The release comes two days before the CBD COP 17 opens in Yerevan.
18 Oct 2026GS2 · Health · Drug pricingOn 17 October 2026 the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) capped trade margins on 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs at 30%, using its special public-interest power under Paragraph 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. The Government expects the retail price of these medicines to fall by up to 70%, and the new prices apply from 9 November 2026. The list includes costly immunotherapy drugs such as pembrolizumab and durvalumab.
18 Oct 2026GS2 · Health · NutritionOn 17 October 2026 FSSAI explained a draft rule that would stop companies from adding sucrose (table sugar) or fructose (fruit sugar) to any product meant for babies up to six months old. The draft amends the Foods for Infant Nutrition Regulations, 2020, was published in the Gazette on 16 October, and is open for public comments for 60 days. The idea is simple: in the first six months a baby needs the right nutrients, not an early taste for sugar.
17 Oct 2026GS3 · Agriculture · Food safetyOn 17 October 2026 FSSAI explained draft limits for two insecticides in tea: 20 ppm for acetamiprid and 50 ppm for imidacloprid. The draft, published in the Gazette on 16 October, amends the rules on contaminants, toxins and residues. India’s proposed acetamiprid limit is lower than Japan’s 30 ppm and the USA’s 50 ppm.
17 Oct 2026GS3 · Agriculture · ExtensionOn 17 October 2026 Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reviewed preparations for the Khet Bachao Abhiyan with agriculture ministers of 11 States and UTs. The campaign runs from 22 October to 30 November 2026. About 4,150 teams of Krishi Vigyan Kendra and ATMA staff, with over 12,000 scientists and officials, plan around 1.5 lakh meetings with farmers on soil health, crop residue, balanced fertiliser use and key schemes.
17 Oct 2026GS3 · Economy · Food securityOn 16 October 2026 the Department of Consumer Affairs said the first-ever Kanda Express consignment to Agartala, Tripura — about 440 MT of buffer onions under the Price Stabilization Fund — was expected by 18 October, covering seven of Tripura's eight districts. Earlier North-East supplies included two rail rakes and 44 truck consignments.
16 Oct 2026GS3 · Security · DefenceOn 16 October 2026 Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan commissioned INS Samarthak, the Indian Navy's first indigenous multi-purpose vessel, at Naval Base Karwar (INS Kadamba), Karnataka. Built by Larsen & Toubro under Make in India with over 75% indigenous content, it is the first of two such vessels and is meant for surveillance, trials of indigenous sensors and weapons, unmanned systems support and HADR.
16 Oct 2026GS2 · Governance · GS3 · Human resource developmentOn 16 October 2026 the National Steering Committee of PM-SETU, chaired by MSDE Secretary Debashree Mukherjee, approved five Strategic Investment Plans worth ₹1,194.92 crore for ITI clusters in Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra and Odisha. Cumulative sanctioned investment under the scheme has reached ₹3,687 crore.
16 Oct 2026 
