Daily digests (5-8 items/day).
The 57th GST Council meeting on 8 October 2026 focused on process reform rather than rates. It recommended removing arrest powers under GST, raising the prosecution threshold from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore, cutting the general penalty from ₹25,000 to ₹10,000, no notices below ₹10,000 tax, wider input tax credit and refunds, and limits on interception of goods in transit.
8 Oct 2026
On 8 October 2026 the Department of Telecommunications rejected a social media claim that satellite internet licensing is discriminatory. Three licences for Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite services using non-geostationary satellites have been issued; all three are going through security assessment, after which each can seek spectrum.
8 Oct 2026
NHAI released a document on wildlife mitigation measures during National Wildlife Week (2-8 October 2026). It records over 2,150 wildlife crossing structures built or proposed on national highways and about ₹19,700 crore spent in five years on such measures, from animal underpasses and overpasses to viaducts, tunnels and canopy crossings.
8 Oct 2026
At the Pre-COP31 meeting in Nadi, Fiji, India's Environment Minister asked for flexibility, pragmatism and mutual respect so that COP31 gives an ambitious and balanced result. India said higher ambition must come with climate finance, technology and capacity building, and that each country's path must be respected. COP31 is in Antalya, Türkiye, in November.
8 Oct 2026
The government has approved a cap on trade margins for non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines at 30% of MRP. It expects prices to fall by up to 70% and patients to save about ₹2,500 crore a year. NPPA found average mark-ups of about 170% on such drugs. A 2019 cap on 42 cancer drugs saved ₹984 crore a year.
8 Oct 2026
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research signed a five-year MoU with Ghana's CSIR-Crops Research Institute, Accra, on 7 October 2026 in the presence of both Foreign Ministers. The first phase focuses on tomato research; the MoU also covers cassava and yam processing, post-harvest cold chain, and exchange of scientists and germplasm.
7 Oct 2026
Scientists from S.N. Bose Centre Kolkata, INST Mohali and SRM University Amaravati made a metal-free porous organic catalyst, TTT-DHTD, for the oxygen reduction reaction in zinc-air batteries. It reached about 96% of commercial platinum's performance and stayed stable for 120 hours. Replacing platinum could cut the cost of zinc-air batteries and fuel cells.
7 Oct 2026
MoSPI released the Strategy for Environmental-Economic Accounts in India 2026-2030 on 7 October 2026. It extends the 2022-26 strategy to cover forests, minerals, soil, land, water, carbon stock, biodiversity and more, using the UN's System of Environmental-Economic Accounting. The idea is to show how the economy uses and depletes nature.
7 Oct 2026
The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions has notified regulations for Autonomous Boards and a Central Assessment Committee, and for registering allied and healthcare professionals with unique IDs in State and Central Registers. It also notified a two-year competency-based Diploma in Medical Radiology and Imaging Technology with a six-month internship.
7 Oct 2026
The third Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue opened on 7 October 2026, organised by the Shipping Ministry with ORF. The PM's message called for a free, open, secure and rules-based maritime order. The minister presented Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, and an India-EU Green Shipping Corridor coalition was launched.
7 Oct 2026