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Daily Current Affairs: 24 October 2026

Current affairs of 24 October 2026: Bank deposit and credit growth slow in fortnight ended October 15; Electronic Gold Receipts: BSE ties up with MMTC-PAMP to grow EGR market; HSBC Flash India PMI: private sector output at four-month high in October, and 15 more topics. Key facts for every exam, with a quiz.

Take the quiz (15 questions)October 2026
18 TOPICSDaily CurrentAffairs24 October 2026In focus: Bank deposit and credit growth slow in…safalsetu.com

In this issue: 18 topics

National Affairs

  1. AEBS draft: MoRTH plans emergency braking for new car models from 2030

Government Schemes

  1. Farmer ID: 11 crore target met five months before March 2027 deadline
  2. Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan crosses 35 crore people in outreach

Banking & Finance

  1. Bank deposit and credit growth slow in fortnight ended October 15
  2. Electronic Gold Receipts: BSE ties up with MMTC-PAMP to grow EGR market

Economy

  1. HSBC Flash India PMI: private sector output at four-month high in October
  2. Export Promotion Mission to bear certification cost for micro, small units

International Affairs

  1. UNSC reform: India says unrepresentative Council lacks legitimacy
  2. India-Uzbekistan counter-terrorism JWG holds 10th meeting in New Delhi
  3. UN Day 2026: 81 years of the UN; World Development Information Day

Agriculture & Rural

  1. Odisha Agri-PV Policy 2026: first state agrivoltaics policy, 1 GW target

Science & Technology

  1. Telecom Regulatory Sandbox Rules, 2026 notified by DoT

Environment & Ecology

  1. Snow Leopard Day: India has 718 snow leopards, Ladakh leads with 477

Defence & Security

  1. Nagastra-2: Army gets indigenous anti-tank loitering munition
  2. ITBP Raising Day 2026: Force marks 65 years on 24 October

Awards & Persons

  1. ONGC Chairman: Sunil Kumar appointed, takes charge from 7 December
  2. Oskar Klein Medal 2026: Ashoke Sen becomes first Indian winner
  3. Asian Para Games 2026: India ends with record 114 medals

National Affairs

Polity & Governance

1. AEBS draft: MoRTH plans emergency braking for new car models from 2030

  • MoRTH released a draft amendment to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, open for public comments for 30 days.
  • AEBS would be compulsory for new M1 car models from 1 October 2030 and for all M1 models from 1 October 2032.
  • From 1 October 2028, M1 and N1 vehicles offered with AEBS must meet standard AIS-185.
  • ACSF and ELKS become compulsory for M1 vehicles registered as transport vehicles (taxis) from 1 October 2029.
  • M1 means passenger vehicles with up to eight seats besides the driver; N1 means goods vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Government Schemes

Government Schemes

2. Farmer ID: 11 crore target met five months before March 2027 deadline

  • The target of 110 million (11 crore) Farmer IDs was reached on 23 October 2026.
  • The deadline, set by PM Narendra Modi, was March 2027, so the goal was met about five months early.
  • Farmer IDs are being integrated with the Department of Fertilisers' Integrated Fertiliser Management System (iFMS).
  • Fertiliser sales in select border districts fell 37.56% between kharif 2025 and kharif 2026.
  • Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the milestone on 24 October 2026.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Government Schemes

3. Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan crosses 35 crore people in outreach

  • Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) has reached more than 35 crore people, as of 22 October 2026.
  • Outreach includes 13.94 crore young people, 10.86 crore women and over 32 lakh educational institutions.
  • NMBA began on 15 August 2020 in 272 vulnerable districts under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
  • It runs under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR); it has covered the whole country since August 2023.
  • Toll-free National De-addiction Helpline: 14446; government target to root out the drug trade by 31 December 2029.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

Economy

4. Bank deposit and credit growth slow in fortnight ended October 15

  • Deposit growth slowed to 16.7% in the fortnight ended 15 October 2026, from 17.8% in the previous fortnight.
  • Credit growth eased to 18.2% from 19.4% in the previous fortnight.
  • Outstanding deposits stood at ₹278.76 lakh crore and outstanding credit at ₹227.43 lakh crore.
  • Banks saw a net deposit outflow of ₹5.19 lakh crore; outstanding credit fell by ₹2.52 lakh crore.
  • The credit-to-deposit ratio was 81.59%.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Economy

5. Electronic Gold Receipts: BSE ties up with MMTC-PAMP to grow EGR market

  • BSE Ltd and MMTC-PAMP India signed an agreement, reported on 23 October 2026, to develop the Electronic Gold Receipts market.
  • EGRs are SEBI-regulated securities backed by physical gold kept in designated vaults and held in demat form.
  • BSE trades EGRs in units of 100 mg, 1 g and 10 g, with 999 and 995 fineness.
  • MMTC-PAMP, a joint venture with MMTC Ltd and part of MKS PAMP Group, is described as India's only LBMA Good Delivery refiner for gold and silver.
  • BSE was the first exchange in India to launch EGR trading.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Economy

Economy

6. HSBC Flash India PMI: private sector output at four-month high in October

  • HSBC Flash India Composite Output Index rose to 56.7 in October 2026 from 55.9 in September, a four-month high.
  • Flash Manufacturing PMI was 54.9 (55.1 earlier); Flash Services PMI was 56.2 (55.2 earlier).
  • New export orders grew at the fastest pace since June 2025.
  • Input cost and selling price inflation continued to ease.
  • Data released on 23 October 2026; Pranjul Bhandari is HSBC's Chief India Economist.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Economy

7. Export Promotion Mission to bear certification cost for micro, small units

  • Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal spoke at a press conference in Berlin on 23 October 2026.
  • The government is willing to bear the full export certification cost for micro and small enterprises under the Export Promotion Mission.
  • It is exploring approval of Indian verification agencies to cut CBAM and deforestation-rule compliance costs.
  • Exporters have been asked to approach the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
  • Goyal discussed the India-EU FTA and industrial cooperation with German minister Katherina Reiche.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

International Affairs

International Relations

8. UNSC reform: India says unrepresentative Council lacks legitimacy

  • India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Harish Parvathaneni, spoke at the UN General Assembly on 22 October 2026.
  • The debate was on equitable representation on, and increase in membership of, the Security Council.
  • India sought expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories of the Council.
  • India said the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) need a negotiating text as their starting point.
  • India is a candidate for a non-permanent UNSC seat for the 2028-29 term.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
International Relations

9. India-Uzbekistan counter-terrorism JWG holds 10th meeting in New Delhi

  • The 10th India-Uzbekistan Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter-Terrorism met in New Delhi on 22 October 2026.
  • Indian co-chair: Suhel Ajaz Khan, Additional Secretary (Counter Terrorism), Ministry of External Affairs.
  • Talks covered terror financing, radicalisation, misuse of technology and links between organised crime and terrorism.
  • Both sides backed cooperation at the UN, SCO-RATS and the Eurasian Group (EAG).
  • The next JWG meeting will be held in Uzbekistan on a mutually convenient date.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
International Relations

10. UN Day 2026: 81 years of the UN; World Development Information Day

  • UN Day is observed on 24 October, the date the UN Charter entered into force in 1945; 2026 marks 81 years.
  • Secretary-General António Guterres urged dialogue over division, cooperation over confrontation and solidarity over fear.
  • World Development Information Day was created by UNGA Resolution 3038 (XXVII) of 19 December 1972.
  • World Development Information Day was first observed on 24 October 1973.
  • Disarmament Week runs from 24 to 30 October, proposed at the 1978 UNGA special session on disarmament.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Agriculture & Rural

Agriculture & Rural Development

11. Odisha Agri-PV Policy 2026: first state agrivoltaics policy, 1 GW target

  • Odisha presented its Agri-PV Policy 2026 at the 7th Agrivoltaics World Conference, Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
  • Odisha calls itself the first Indian state with a policy dedicated entirely to agrivoltaics.
  • Target: 1 GW of agrivoltaic capacity by 2030; at least 90% of each project area must stay under cultivation.
  • Projects get 25-year power purchase agreements through GRIDCO with assured offtake and open access.
  • Deputy CM Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, who also holds Agriculture and Energy, announced the policy.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Science & Technology

Polity & Governance

12. Telecom Regulatory Sandbox Rules, 2026 notified by DoT

  • The Telecommunications (Regulatory Sandbox) Rules, 2026 were notified as G.S.R. 905(E) on 21 October 2026 and took effect the same day.
  • The rules are framed under the Telecommunications Act, 2023 and notified by the Department of Telecommunications.
  • A sandbox can run for up to 24 months, with extensions of up to 12 months at a time.
  • Applicants pay a non-refundable processing fee of ₹10,000.
  • Waiving any TRAI Act provision requires prior consultation with TRAI.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Environment & Ecology

Environment & Ecology

13. Snow Leopard Day: India has 718 snow leopards, Ladakh leads with 477

  • International Day of the Snow Leopard is observed on 23 October, proclaimed by UNGA Resolution A/RES/79/143 in 2024.
  • SPAI (2019-2023) estimated 718 snow leopards in India; Ladakh alone has 477.
  • Wildlife Institute of India was national coordinator of SPAI, with NCF Mysuru and WWF-India as partners.
  • The Bishkek Declaration of 23 October 2013 first named the date for snow leopard conservation.
  • Snow leopard is Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and lives in 12 range countries.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Defence & Security

Science & Technology

14. Nagastra-2: Army gets indigenous anti-tank loitering munition

  • Nagastra-2 is an anti-tank loitering munition built by Solar Defence and Aerospace Ltd (SDAL), Nagpur.
  • Range is 25 km in recover-and-reuse mode and 50 km in fire-and-forget mode.
  • It carries a 4 kg tandem shaped-charge warhead that can defeat 650 mm of rolled homogeneous armour.
  • Endurance is up to 60 minutes; ECCM features help it work under GPS and communication jamming.
  • Delivery came about a month after SDAL supplied 450 Nagastra-1R drones to the Army.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Defence & Security

15. ITBP Raising Day 2026: Force marks 65 years on 24 October

  • ITBP celebrates its 65th Raising Day on 24 October 2026; the force was raised on 24 October 1962.
  • It guards 3,488 km of the India-China border, from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Most of its border outposts are located between 9,000 and 18,800 feet.
  • ITBP is a Central Armed Police Force under the Ministry of Home Affairs, governed by the ITBP Force Act, 1992.
  • PM Narendra Modi greeted ITBP personnel on X, praising the valour of the Himveers.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Awards & Persons

Economy

16. ONGC Chairman: Sunil Kumar appointed, takes charge from 7 December

  • The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved Sunil Kumar as ONGC Chairman through an order dated 21 October 2026.
  • He will take charge on or after 7 December 2026, succeeding Arun Kumar Singh, whose extended tenure ends on 6 December 2026.
  • Kumar is the first ONGC executive to move directly from Executive Director rank to Chairman.
  • He currently heads ONGC's Mehsana Asset in Gujarat and joined ONGC in 1991.
  • The PESB selection panel was chaired by Mallika Srinivasan.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Science & Technology

17. Oskar Klein Medal 2026: Ashoke Sen becomes first Indian winner

  • Ashoke Sen is the first Indian physicist to receive the Oskar Klein Medal, awarded for 2026.
  • The medal, set up in 1988, is given by Stockholm University and the Nobel Committee for Physics.
  • It recognises his work on S-duality, black-hole entropy and string field theory.
  • He delivered the Oskar Klein Memorial Lecture in Stockholm on 22 October 2026.
  • Sen is ICTS-Infosys Madhava Chair Professor at ICTS, Bengaluru.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Sports

18. Asian Para Games 2026: India ends with record 114 medals

  • India finished the 2026 Asian Para Games with a record 114 medals: 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze.
  • India was fourth on the medal table behind China, Japan and Uzbekistan.
  • The haul beats India's previous best of 108 medals from Hangzhou.
  • Para-athletics gave 65 medals, including 22 gold.
  • Sumit Antil led an Indian sweep in men's javelin F42-44/F61-64 with Mahendra Gurjar and Sandip Sargar.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

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