Current Affairs 18 October 2026

At a glance

the top events

The most important events of this page, and how many news items each topic holds.

Top events

1. 18 Oct — CJI Surya Kant inaugurated the Ladakh Bench of the J&K and Ladakh High Court at Melongthang, Leh, on 18 October; work started on 21 October. Chief Justice is Pushpendra Singh Bhati.
2. 18 Oct — The Ladakh Bench is set up under the UT of Ladakh (Sitting of Bench) Regulation 2026, using Article 240 and Section 58(2) of the J&K Reorganisation Act 2019.
3. 18 Oct — Braj Mohan Ram, a former three-time BJP MP from Palamu, was sworn in as Governor of Odisha at Lok Bhavan, Bhubaneswar, with Chief Justice Harish Tandon giving the oath. He succeeds Hari Babu Kambhampati.
4. 18 Oct — Himachal Pradesh was chosen among the best-performing larger states in the Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 3.0; the award is to be presented in New Delhi on 28 October, CM Sukhu announced.
5. 18 Oct — Chief Minister Satheesan opened the 800-metre Makkekadavu-Nere Kadavu bridge across Vembanad Lake, linking Alappuzha and Kottayam, and announced that Aroor will become a blue economy hub under Mission Samudra.
6. 18 Oct — The nine-day Bathukamma floral festival of Telangana ended with Saddula Bathukamma on 18 October 2026, with women immersing flower stacks at Tank Bund, Hyderabad.
7. 18 Oct — Organisers said a 72-foot floral Bathukamma at Amberpet, Hyderabad, earned recognition from the Universal Book of Records; Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy led the celebrations.

News by topic

Government & States

2 one-liners

Economy & Banking

1 one-liners

Sports, Days & Culture

3 one-liners

Awards, Appointments & Books

2 one-liners

Government & States

2 one-liners

Policy · laws · schemes · states.

National

• 18 Oct — CJI Surya Kant inaugurated the Ladakh Bench of the J&K and Ladakh High Court at Melongthang, Leh, on 18 October; work started on 21 October. Chief Justice is Pushpendra Singh Bhati.
• 18 Oct — The Ladakh Bench is set up under the UT of Ladakh (Sitting of Bench) Regulation 2026, using Article 240 and Section 58(2) of the J&K Reorganisation Act 2019.

Economy & Banking

1 one-liners

RBI · markets · trade · reports.

Economy & Banking

• 18 Oct — Chief Minister Satheesan opened the 800-metre Makkekadavu-Nere Kadavu bridge across Vembanad Lake, linking Alappuzha and Kottayam, and announced that Aroor will become a blue economy hub under Mission Samudra.

Sports, Days & Culture

3 one-liners

Results · important days · heritage.

Important Days

• 18 Oct — International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is observed on 18-24 October. The 14th edition has the theme "From Detection to Prevention".

Art, Culture & Tourism

• 18 Oct — The nine-day Bathukamma floral festival of Telangana ended with Saddula Bathukamma on 18 October 2026, with women immersing flower stacks at Tank Bund, Hyderabad.
• 18 Oct — Organisers said a 72-foot floral Bathukamma at Amberpet, Hyderabad, earned recognition from the Universal Book of Records; Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy led the celebrations.

Awards, Appointments & Books

2 one-liners

Honours · new posts · books · obituaries.

Awards & Honours

Appointments

Quick quiz

test yourself

Practice questions on this period. Tap an option to check your answer.

Fill in the blank: one-liner flashcards

_____, a former three-time BJP MP from Palamu, was sworn in as Governor of Odisha at Lok Bhavan, Bhubaneswar, with Chief Justice Harish Tandon giving the oath. He succeeds Hari Babu Kambhampati.

Braj Mohan Ram

Chief Minister Satheesan opened the 800-metre _____ across Vembanad Lake, linking Alappuzha and Kottayam, and announced that Aroor will become a blue economy hub under Mission Samudra.

Makkekadavu-Nere Kadavu bridge

The nine-day _____ floral festival of Telangana ended with Saddula Bathukamma on 18 October 2026, with women immersing flower stacks at Tank Bund, Hyderabad.

Bathukamma

CJI _____ inaugurated the Ladakh Bench of the J&K and Ladakh High Court at Melongthang, Leh, on 18 October; work started on 21 October. Chief Justice is Pushpendra Singh Bhati.

Surya Kant

_____ was chosen among the best-performing larger states in the Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 3.0; the award is to be presented in New Delhi on 28 October, CM Sukhu announced.

Himachal Pradesh

Organisers said a _____ at Amberpet, Hyderabad, earned recognition from the Universal Book of Records; Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy led the celebrations.

72-foot floral Bathukamma

MCQs

1. Who was sworn in as the new Governor of Odisha on 18 October 2026?

   1. Hari Babu Kambhampati
   2. Om Prakash Mathur
   3. Braj Mohan Ram
   4. Dhal Singh Bisen
   Show answer

   Answer: Braj Mohan Ram — Braj Mohan Ram, a former MP from Palamu, took oath at Lok Bhavan, Bhubaneswar, succeeding Hari Babu Kambhampati.

2. Himachal Pradesh was named among the best-performing larger states in which campaign?

   1. Poshan Abhiyaan
   2. Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 3.0
   3. Swachh Survekshan
   4. Fit India Movement
   Show answer

   Answer: Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 3.0 — The award will be presented in New Delhi on 28 October 2026.

3. Under which initiative will Aroor be developed as a blue economy and seafood hub?

   1. Mission Vimukthi
   2. Project Surya
   3. Mission Sagar
   4. Mission Samudra
   Show answer

   Answer: Mission Samudra — Chief Minister Satheesan announced it at the Makkekadavu-Nere Kadavu bridge inauguration on 18 October.

4. From which year will Madhya Pradesh hold two MPPSC exams every year, as announced at the CM Youth Conclave 2026?

   1. 2026
   2. 2027
   3. 2028
   4. 2029
   Show answer

   Answer: 2027 — CM Mohan Yadav also announced that 2027 will be observed as Youth Year.

5. West Bengal's Chief Minister said the Muriganga bridge giving access to Gangasagar will be inaugurated in which year?

   1. 2027
   2. 2028
   3. 2030
   4. 2029
   Show answer

   Answer: 2029 — Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said at Kakdwip that the bridge will open in 2029.

6. How much central grant is expected for the 320 new PG medical seats approved for six Himachal Pradesh colleges?

   1. Rs 150 crore
   2. Rs 215 crore
   3. Rs 315 crore
   4. Rs 415 crore
   Show answer

   Answer: Rs 415 crore — Union Health Minister Nadda said about Rs 415 crore will be provided under the Rs 15,000 crore scheme for 10,000 seats.

7. Akram Khan Behrupiya and Manzoor Khan Manganiyar received which award in October 2026?

   1. Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
   2. Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar
   3. Padma Shri
   4. Tansen Samman
   Show answer

   Answer: Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar — The award for young artists was given by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

8. Sankoo, announced as a new district in October 2026, is part of which Union Territory?

   1. Jammu and Kashmir
   2. Ladakh
   3. Chandigarh
   4. Puducherry
   Show answer

   Answer: Ladakh — Sankoo was carved out of Kargil to become the eighth district of Ladakh.

9. Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi flagged off 25 electric buses under which central scheme in October 2026?

   1. FAME India
   2. PM e-Drive
   3. PM e-Bus Sewa
   4. Smart Cities Mission
   Show answer

   Answer: PM e-Bus Sewa — The buses were flagged off under the PM e-Bus Sewa scheme at the National Urban Conclave 2026 in Bhubaneswar.

10. From which date will the Khelo India Games be held in Telangana?

    1. 11 December
    2. 1 November
    3. 26 January
    4. 15 December
    Show answer

    Answer: 11 December — Reports of 23 October 2026 said the Khelo India Games in Telangana will start on 11 December.