Current Affairs 26 October 2026 — Full notes
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Current Affairs 26 October 2026 — 48 news items
At a glance
the top events
The most important events of this page, and how many news items each topic holds.
Top events
- 26 Oct — Manipur's Mera Hou Chongba festival was scheduled for 26 October 2026 in Imphal. It aims to strengthen bonds between hill and valley communities, and a Hills Tribal Chiefs' Guest House, built since 2020 with North Eastern Council funds, was opened for visiting chiefs.
- 26 Oct — The month-long Kartika Brata (Kartik vow) began at the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, on 26 October and runs to 24 November 2026; the state's free Habishyali scheme covers about 2,500 women with stay, Mahaprasad and darshan.
- 26 Oct — Nomination filing for the Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha by-election opens on 26 October and runs till 2 November; the seat fell vacant after L. Murugan resigned, and polling is on 12 November 2026.
- 26 Oct — On Valmiki Jayanti, 26 October, CM Yogi Adityanath was scheduled to visit the Valmiki Ashram at Bithoor (Kanpur) and inaugurate or lay foundation stones of 48 projects worth Rs 411.77 crore in the Bithoor and Bilhaur areas.
- 26 Oct — The GCC Innovation Summit 2026 in Lucknow was scheduled for 26 October, to be inaugurated by CM Yogi Adityanath; the IIT Kanpur Alumni Association organises it with Invest UP and HCLTech, with about 15 MoUs expected.
- 26 Oct — The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal was reported to have intensified into Cyclonic Storm Arnab (a name given by Bangladesh) on 26 October; landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast is forecast on 28 October.
- 26 Oct — The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony is scheduled for 26 October at the London Palladium, the first time it is held in London and the award's 70th anniversary; Thierry Henry and Kate Scott are the hosts.
- 26 Oct — The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum opened in New Delhi on 26 October (to run to 27 October) under the chairmanship of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla; PM Modi was scheduled to attend, and reports differ on the exact wording of the theme.
- 26 Oct — J&K Accession Day is marked on 26 October: on this day in 1947 Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession, joining Jammu and Kashmir to India; Governor-General Lord Mountbatten accepted it on 27 October 1947.
- 26 Oct — Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti is observed on 26 October 2026, the full-moon day of the Hindu month of Ashwin (Ashwin Purnima, also called Sharad Purnima); Valmiki is regarded as the author of the Ramayana and the 'Adi Kavi' (first poet).
News by topic
- Government & States
- 2 one-liners
- International & Agreements
- 1 one-liners
- Economy & Banking
- 2 one-liners
- Science, Defence & Environment
- 2 one-liners
- Sports, Days & Culture
- 41 one-liners
Government & States
2 one-liners
Policy · laws · schemes · states.
National
- 26 Oct — Nomination filing for the Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha by-election opens on 26 October and runs till 2 November; the seat fell vacant after L. Murugan resigned, and polling is on 12 November 2026.
States & UTs
- 26 Oct — On Valmiki Jayanti, 26 October, CM Yogi Adityanath was scheduled to visit the Valmiki Ashram at Bithoor (Kanpur) and inaugurate or lay foundation stones of 48 projects worth Rs 411.77 crore in the Bithoor and Bilhaur areas.
International & Agreements
1 one-liners
World · summits · MoUs · exercises.
Summits, Agreements & Exercises
- 26 Oct — The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum opened in New Delhi on 26 October (to run to 27 October) under the chairmanship of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla; PM Modi was scheduled to attend, and reports differ on the exact wording of the theme.
Economy & Banking
2 one-liners
RBI · markets · trade · reports.
Economy & Banking
- 26 Oct — Uttar Pradesh's GCC drive aims for more than 500 Global Capability Centres by 2031, up from over 200 now; its GCC Policy 2024 offers a capital subsidy of up to 25% on eligible investment, as reported before the Lucknow summit.
- 26 Oct — The GCC Innovation Summit 2026 in Lucknow was scheduled for 26 October, to be inaugurated by CM Yogi Adityanath; the IIT Kanpur Alumni Association organises it with Invest UP and HCLTech, with about 15 MoUs expected.
Science, Defence & Environment
2 one-liners
Space · tech · forces · ecology.
Defence & Security
- 26 Oct — The Indian Navy's First Training Squadron (INS Tir, INS Sujata and Coast Guard ship Sarathi) is scheduled to visit Colombo from 26 to 28 October, with a joint India-Sri Lanka navy band show planned at Galle Face Green on 27 October.
Environment & Ecology
- 26 Oct — The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal was reported to have intensified into Cyclonic Storm Arnab (a name given by Bangladesh) on 26 October; landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast is forecast on 28 October.
Sports, Days & Culture
41 one-liners
Results · important days · heritage.
Sports
1 one-liners
1 Sports — 26 Oct.
- 26 Oct — The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony is scheduled for 26 October at the London Palladium, the first time it is held in London and the award's 70th anniversary; Thierry Henry and Kate Scott are the hosts.
Important Days
38 one-liners
38 Important Days — 26 Oct.
Important Days — 38 one-liners
Part 1
26 Oct
Important Days: 13.
- 26 Oct — The Central Vigilance Commission, behind Vigilance Awareness Week, was set up in 1964 on the Santhanam Committee's advice and became a statutory body in 2003 under the CVC Act.
- 26 Oct — Janjatiya Gaurav Divas on 15 November honours tribal leader Birsa Munda, born in 1875, so 2026 is his 151st birth anniversary; the day has been observed since 2021 and is also Jharkhand's foundation day.
- 26 Oct — Children's Day on 14 November honours Jawaharlal Nehru, born in 1889, so 2026 is his 137th birth anniversary; the date replaced 20 November after his death in 1964.
- 26 Oct — National Education Day on 11 November marks the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (born 1888), independent India's first Education Minister; it has been observed since 2008.
- 26 Oct — National Legal Services Day on 9 November is linked to the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, which came into force on 9 November 1995 and created NALSA.
- 26 Oct — Uttarakhand Foundation Day on 9 November marks the state's creation in 2000 as India's 27th state; 2026 is its 26th anniversary, a year after the silver jubilee.
- 26 Oct — National Cancer Awareness Day is observed in India on 7 November, the birth date of Marie Curie, to promote prevention and early detection of cancer.
- 26 Oct — The year-long commemoration of 150 years of Vande Mataram, launched by PM Modi on 7 November 2025, is scheduled to end on 7 November 2026; the song is traced to 1875 and Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.
- 26 Oct — Most calendars place Dhanteras on 6 November 2026, Naraka Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali) on 7 November and Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) on Sunday, 8 November 2026.
- 26 Oct — The UN International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict is observed on 6 November; the General Assembly created it in 2001.
- 26 Oct — Assamese singer, composer and poet Bhupen Hazarika, who received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1992 and the Bharat Ratna in 2019, died on 5 November 2011; 2026 is his 15th death anniversary.
- 26 Oct — World Tsunami Awareness Day on 5 November was designated by the UN General Assembly in December 2015 on Japan's proposal; the 2026 theme is reported as "Be Tsunami Ready: Resilience Begins with You".
- 26 Oct — Revolutionary Vasudev Balwant Phadke, called the father of India's armed struggle for independence, was born on 4 November 1845 at Shirdhon, Maharashtra; 2026 is his 181st birth anniversary.
Part 2
26 Oct
Important Days: 13.
- 26 Oct — Physicist C. V. Raman, who won the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics for the Raman effect and the Bharat Ratna in 1954, was born on 7 November 1888; 2026 is his 138th birth anniversary.
- 26 Oct — 3 November is the 79th martyrdom anniversary of Major Somnath Sharma of the 4th Kumaon Regiment, who fell at Badgam, Kashmir, in 1947 and became the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra.
- 26 Oct — The US midterm elections are scheduled for 3 November 2026; all 435 House of Representatives seats and about one-third of the 100 Senate seats are due for election.
- 26 Oct — The UN International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2 November was set by a 2013 General Assembly resolution, recalling the killing of two French journalists in Mali on 2 November 2013.
- 26 Oct — From 1 November, the Department of Telecommunications has reportedly told operators to show the registered caller name (CNAP, Calling Name Presentation) on incoming calls over 4G and 5G networks.
- 26 Oct — India's second Vande Bharat Sleeper train, on the Bengaluru-Mumbai route with a reported journey of about 16 hours, is reported to start from 1 November, with public travel from 2 November.
- 26 Oct — World Vegan Day on 1 November was first held in 1994 by Louise Wallis to mark the 50th anniversary of the Vegan Society, which was founded in the United Kingdom in 1944.
- 26 Oct — Haryana and Punjab both complete 60 years on 1 November 2026: the Punjab Reorganisation Act made Haryana a separate state on 1 November 1966, with Chandigarh as the common capital.
- 26 Oct — Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh on 1 November 2000 as India's 26th state; 1 November 2026 is its 26th Foundation Day.
- 26 Oct — Andhra Pradesh marks its formation on 1 November, linked to the 1956 merger of Telugu-speaking areas of Hyderabad State with Andhra State; calendars count 2026 as the 70th anniversary.
- 26 Oct — Kerala Piravi on 1 November 2026 marks 70 years of the state, formed in 1956 by joining Malabar, Cochin and Travancore; it is the first such day since Parliament renamed the state Keralam in August 2026.
- 26 Oct — World Cities Day on 31 October 2026 has the theme "Regenerating the City: Adequate Housing for All"; the global event is hosted by Fuzhou, China, with the fourth-cycle Shanghai Award. The day was set up by the UN in 2013 and first held in 2014.
- 26 Oct — Indira Gandhi, India's first woman Prime Minister, was assassinated by her bodyguards on 31 October 1984; 2026 is her 42nd death anniversary, observed at her memorial Shakti Sthal in Delhi.
Part 3
26 Oct
Important Days: 12.
- 26 Oct — The Statue of Unity, a 182 m statue of Sardar Patel on the Narmada at Kevadia designed by sculptor Ram V. Sutar, was inaugurated on 31 October 2018; Rashtriya Ekta Diwas has been observed since 2014.
- 26 Oct — Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, born at Nadiad, Gujarat, on 31 October 1875, was India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister; he led the integration of the princely states and received the Bharat Ratna in 1991.
- 26 Oct — Swami Dayanand Saraswati, founder of the Arya Samaj in 1875 and author of Satyarth Prakash, died at Ajmer on 30 October 1883; 2026 is his 143rd death anniversary.
- 26 Oct — Nuclear scientist Homi Jehangir Bhabha, the first chairman of India's Atomic Energy Commission and founder of TIFR, was born on 30 October 1909; 2026 is his 117th birth anniversary.
- 26 Oct — Sister Nivedita, the Irish-born disciple of Swami Vivekananda whose original name was Margaret Noble, was born on 28 October 1867; 2026 is her 159th birth anniversary.
- 26 Oct — UNESCO observes the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage on 27 October, recalling the 1980 UNESCO Recommendation for the Safeguarding and Preservation of Moving Images; the day promotes protecting film, radio and television archives.
- 26 Oct — Infantry Day falls on 27 October; it is likely the 80th observance, as 2025 was the 79th. It marks 27 October 1947, when the 1st Sikh Regiment was airlifted to Srinagar to stop raiders, the first military operation of independent India.
- 26 Oct — Other observances of 26 October: Austria's National Day, linked to its 1955 law of permanent neutrality, and Intersex Awareness Day, which is reported to have started in 1996 to highlight the rights of intersex people.
- 26 Oct — Freedom fighter and journalist Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, who edited the Hindi weekly Pratap from Kanpur, was born on 26 October 1890, so 2026 is his 136th birth anniversary; he died in 1931 trying to stop communal riots.
- 26 Oct — J&K Accession Day is marked on 26 October: on this day in 1947 Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession, joining Jammu and Kashmir to India; Governor-General Lord Mountbatten accepted it on 27 October 1947.
- 26 Oct — Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti is observed on 26 October 2026, the full-moon day of the Hindu month of Ashwin (Ashwin Purnima, also called Sharad Purnima); Valmiki is regarded as the author of the Ramayana and the 'Adi Kavi' (first poet).
- 26 Oct — Vigilance Awareness Week 2026 began on 26 October with an integrity pledge by public servants at 11 am; it runs to 1 November under the theme "Probity for Prosperity", alongside a preventive vigilance campaign from 17 August to 16 November.
Art, Culture & Tourism
2 one-liners
2 Art, Culture & Tourism — 26 Oct.
- 26 Oct — Manipur's Mera Hou Chongba festival was scheduled for 26 October 2026 in Imphal. It aims to strengthen bonds between hill and valley communities, and a Hills Tribal Chiefs' Guest House, built since 2020 with North Eastern Council funds, was opened for visiting chiefs.
- 26 Oct — The month-long Kartika Brata (Kartik vow) began at the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, on 26 October and runs to 24 November 2026; the state's free Habishyali scheme covers about 2,500 women with stay, Mahaprasad and darshan.
Quick quiz
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Practice questions on this period. Tap an option to check your answer.
Fill in the blank: one-liner flashcards
- _____ is observed on 26 October 2026, the full-moon day of the Hindu month of Ashwin (Ashwin Purnima, also called Sharad Purnima); Valmiki is regarded as the author of the Ramayana and the 'Adi Kavi' (first poet).
- Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti
- _____ is marked on 26 October: on this day in 1947 Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession, joining Jammu and Kashmir to India; Governor-General Lord Mountbatten accepted it on 27 October 1947.
- J&K Accession Day
- _____ falls on 27 October; it is likely the 80th observance, as 2025 was the 79th. It marks 27 October 1947, when the 1st Sikh Regiment was airlifted to Srinagar to stop raiders, the first military operation of independent India.
- Infantry Day
- _____ on 31 October 2026 has the theme "Regenerating the City: Adequate Housing for All"; the global event is hosted by Fuzhou, China, with the fourth-cycle Shanghai Award. The day was set up by the UN in 2013 and first held in 2014.
- World Cities Day
- _____ on 1 November 2026 marks 70 years of the state, formed in 1956 by joining Malabar, Cochin and Travancore; it is the first such day since Parliament renamed the state Keralam in August 2026.
- Kerala Piravi
- The year-long commemoration of _____, launched by PM Modi on 7 November 2025, is scheduled to end on 7 November 2026; the song is traced to 1875 and Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.
- 150 years of Vande Mataram
- The 12th _____ opened in New Delhi on 26 October (to run to 27 October) under the chairmanship of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla; PM Modi was scheduled to attend, and reports differ on the exact wording of the theme.
- BRICS Parliamentary Forum
- The _____ ceremony is scheduled for 26 October at the London Palladium, the first time it is held in London and the award's 70th anniversary; Thierry Henry and Kate Scott are the hosts.
- 2026 Ballon d'Or
- The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal was reported to have intensified into _____ (a name given by Bangladesh) on 26 October; landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast is forecast on 28 October.
- Cyclonic Storm Arnab
- The _____ in Lucknow was scheduled for 26 October, to be inaugurated by CM Yogi Adityanath; the IIT Kanpur Alumni Association organises it with Invest UP and HCLTech, with about 15 MoUs expected.
- GCC Innovation Summit 2026
MCQs
Who signed the Instrument of Accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India on 26 October 1947?
- Sheikh Abdullah
- Maharaja Hari Singh
- Lord Mountbatten
- V. P. Menon
Show answer
Answer: Maharaja Hari Singh — Maharaja Hari Singh signed it on 26 October 1947; Lord Mountbatten accepted it the next day.
Infantry Day on 27 October marks the landing of which regiment's troops at Srinagar in 1947?
- Rajputana Rifles
- Gorkha Rifles
- 1st Sikh Regiment
- Madras Regiment
Show answer
Answer: 1st Sikh Regiment — The 1st Sikh Regiment was airlifted to Srinagar on 27 October 1947 in the first operation of independent India.
Which Sardar Patel birth anniversary is marked by Rashtriya Ekta Diwas on 31 October 2026?
- 150th
- 151st
- 149th
- 152nd
Show answer
Answer: 151st — Patel was born in 1875, so 31 October 2026 is his 151st birth anniversary.
Which city hosts the global observance of World Cities Day on 31 October 2026?
- Shanghai
- Nairobi
- Muscat
- Fuzhou
Show answer
Answer: Fuzhou — UN-Habitat is holding it at Fuzhou, China, under the theme "Regenerating the City: Adequate Housing for All".
Which two states were formed out of the old Punjab on 1 November 1966, completing 60 years on 1 November 2026?
- Karnataka and Kerala
- Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
- Haryana and Punjab
- Uttarakhand and Jharkhand
Show answer
Answer: Haryana and Punjab — Haryana was made a separate state on 1 November 1966 under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, and Punjab was reorganised on the same day.
Kerala Piravi on 1 November 2026 marks how many years since the state was formed in 1956?
- 60
- 65
- 75
- 70
Show answer
Answer: 70 — Kerala was formed on 1 November 1956, so 2026 marks 70 years; the state was renamed Keralam in August 2026.
The year-long commemoration of 150 years of which national song ends on 7 November 2026?
- Jana Gana Mana
- Saare Jahan Se Achha
- Vaishnav Jan To
- Vande Mataram
Show answer
Answer: Vande Mataram — The commemoration of 150 years of Vande Mataram began on 7 November 2025 and is scheduled to end on 7 November 2026.
Which country proposed World Tsunami Awareness Day, designated by the UN General Assembly in 2015?
- Indonesia
- Chile
- Japan
- Thailand
Show answer
Answer: Japan — Japan, with its long experience of tsunamis, proposed the day, which is observed on 5 November.
Major Somnath Sharma, whose martyrdom day is 3 November, was the first recipient of which gallantry award?
- Maha Vir Chakra
- Ashoka Chakra
- Kirti Chakra
- Param Vir Chakra
Show answer
Answer: Param Vir Chakra — Major Somnath Sharma of the 4th Kumaon Regiment fell at Badgam in 1947 and received the first Param Vir Chakra.
Who chairs the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum held in New Delhi on 26 and 27 October 2026?
- Harivansh
- C. P. Radhakrishnan
- Om Birla
- Droupadi Murmu
Show answer
Answer: Om Birla — Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is the chairperson of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum hosted by India.
In which city is the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony being held, for the first time?
- Paris
- London
- Madrid
- Zurich
Show answer
Answer: London — The 2026 ceremony is at the London Palladium, the first time the Ballon d'Or gala is held in London.
Which Sri Lankan city was the Indian Navy's First Training Squadron scheduled to visit from 26 to 28 October 2026?
- Colombo
- Galle
- Trincomalee
- Jaffna
Show answer
Answer: Colombo — INS Tir, INS Sujata and ICGS Sarathi were scheduled to be at Colombo from 26 to 28 October.