Skip to content
Free updates Login

Daily Current Affairs: 26 October 2026

Current affairs of 26 October 2026: RBL Bank to merge Emirates NBD India branches, add ₹11,000 crore; FCNR(B) scheme an insurance policy but repayment needs plan: Uday Kotak; RELIEF Component II extended to 31 March 2027 for exporters, and 15 more topics. Key facts for every exam, with a quiz.

Take the quiz (15 questions)October 2026
18 TOPICSDaily CurrentAffairs26 October 2026In focus: RBL Bank to merge Emirates NBD India…safalsetu.com

In this issue: 18 topics

National Affairs

  1. Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority Bill 2026 gets President’s assent
  2. Vigilance Awareness Week 2026 begins; theme ‘Probity for Prosperity’
  3. Accession Day: Jammu and Kashmir marks 79th anniversary of accession

Government Schemes

  1. NAPS: Women form 29.5% of apprentices in FY27 so far

Banking & Finance

  1. RBL Bank to merge Emirates NBD India branches, add ₹11,000 crore
  2. FCNR(B) scheme an insurance policy but repayment needs plan: Uday Kotak

Economy

  1. RELIEF Component II extended to 31 March 2027 for exporters
  2. Indian crude basket nears $120/bbl in October, highest since March 2012
  3. Coal stocks critical at 98 power plants as electricity demand surges

International Affairs

  1. 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum held at Samvidhan Sadan, New Delhi
  2. Lula da Silva wins fourth term as Brazil President; Modi congratulates
  3. Jaishankar: terrorism as statecraft unjustifiable; flags ‘4F’ crisis

Agriculture & Rural

  1. Sugarcane price row: Karnataka CM meets farmers and mills in Belagavi

Science & Technology

  1. TDB backs Manastu Space with ₹116 crore for green propulsion
  2. ESTIC 2026 curtain raiser held at ICGEB New Delhi

Environment & Ecology

  1. Cyclone Arnab to cross Andhra Pradesh coast on 28 October: IMD

Defence & Security

  1. ADMM-Plus 2026: Rajnath Singh to lead India at 13th meet in Cebu

Awards & Persons

  1. Ahmedabad to host 2029 World Weightlifting Championships, India’s first

National Affairs

Polity & Governance

1. Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority Bill 2026 gets President’s assent

  • President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) Bill 2026; CM Neiphiu Rio announced it on 25 October.
  • Nagaland Legislative Assembly passed the Bill unanimously on 3 September 2026.
  • FNTA covers Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire, Noklak and Shamator districts.
  • It gets legislative, executive and financial autonomy over 46 subjects, in line with Article 371A.
  • The 62-member body will have 40 directly elected members; one-third of seats are reserved for women.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Polity & Governance

2. Vigilance Awareness Week 2026 begins; theme ‘Probity for Prosperity’

  • Vigilance Awareness Week 2026 is observed from 26 October to 1 November 2026.
  • Theme: 'Probity for Prosperity' (Satyanishtha se Samriddhi).
  • It is organised by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) in the week of Sardar Patel's birth anniversary (31 October).
  • Public servants took the integrity pledge at 11:00 hours on 26 October, as per CVC Circular No. 05/09/26.
  • PM Modi cited DBT, Government e-Marketplace, e-procurement and Prevention of Corruption Act amendments.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Polity & Governance

3. Accession Day: Jammu and Kashmir marks 79th anniversary of accession

  • Jammu and Kashmir observed its 79th Accession Day on 26 October 2026.
  • Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession on 26 October 1947; it came into force on 27 October 1947.
  • Government offices and educational institutions in J&K were closed, as per the General Administration Department holiday calendar.
  • Infantry Day (Shaurya Diwas) on 27 October marks Indian infantry troops landing at Srinagar airport in 1947.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Government Schemes

Banking & Finance

Banking & Finance

5. RBL Bank to merge Emirates NBD India branches, add ₹11,000 crore

  • RBI sanctioned the amalgamation of Emirates NBD Bank's Indian branches with RBL Bank on 16 October 2026, under Section 44A(4) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
  • The scheme takes effect on 1 December 2026; the branches will then function as RBL Bank branches.
  • RBL MD & CEO R Subramaniakumar expects the three branches to add ₹10,000-11,000 crore (over $1 billion) to the balance sheet.
  • RBL raised $3.4 billion in FCNR(B) deposits, about half through the UAE-India corridor linked to Emirates NBD.
  • RBL's balance sheet has doubled since March 2022; it targets a CAGR of at least 20%.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Economy

6. FCNR(B) scheme an insurance policy but repayment needs plan: Uday Kotak

  • Uday Kotak spoke at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit 2026 in Mumbai on 26 October 2026.
  • He estimated more than $130 billion was raised under the FCNR(B) scheme; repayment with interest may total about $160-170 billion.
  • He praised the RBI for the scheme's timing and for closing it on 31 August.
  • His estimates: FY26 current account deficit $26 billion against gold imports of $72 billion; FY27 gold imports could touch $90 billion.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Economy

Economy

7. RELIEF Component II extended to 31 March 2027 for exporters

  • Component II of RELIEF under the Export Promotion Mission now runs until 31 March 2027.
  • The extension came through Notification No. 37/2026-27 dated 30 September 2026.
  • It gives 95% risk coverage to exporters who take ECGC cover for shipments to specified regions.
  • RELIEF stands for Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation; it was launched on 19 March 2026.
  • FCL, LCL and reefer cargo are covered; energy shipments are left out.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Economy

8. Indian crude basket nears $120/bbl in October, highest since March 2012

  • India's crude oil basket averaged about $120 per barrel in October 2026 so far, the highest since March 2012 ($123.61).
  • The basket averaged $101.31/bbl in Q1 FY27 and $96.11/bbl in Q2 FY27.
  • WPI inflation rose to 11.4% in September 2026; RBI raised the repo rate by 25 bps to 5.5%.
  • Crude oil imports rose 46.4% to $90.6 billion in April-September 2026-27.
  • On 26 October, Brent fell 1.1% to $115.41 and WTI fell 1.6% to $101.62.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Economy

9. Coal stocks critical at 98 power plants as electricity demand surges

  • CEA data as of 23 October 2026: 98 plants had critically low coal stocks totalling 19.7 million tonnes.
  • These stocks covered about 6.3 days of use, roughly 32% of the 19-20 day norm.
  • Domestic coal output fell 3.2% year-on-year in the first five months of FY27, while supplies to power rose 4% (ICRA).
  • Grid-India data: national power demand grew 23.4% year-on-year in the first 10 days of October.
  • Gujarat hit a record peak demand of 29,822 MW on 16 October 2026.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

International Affairs

International Relations

11. Lula da Silva wins fourth term as Brazil President; Modi congratulates

  • Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won Brazil's presidential runoff on 25 October 2026.
  • He defeated Senator Flavio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party; TSE figures gave Lula 51.79% and Bolsonaro 48.21%.
  • This is Lula's fourth, non-consecutive term; he earlier served 2003-2010 and won again in 2022.
  • Inauguration is due on 5 January 2027, when he will be 80.
  • PM Modi spoke of deepening the India-Brazil Strategic Partnership.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
International Relations

12. Jaishankar: terrorism as statecraft unjustifiable; flags ‘4F’ crisis

  • EAM S Jaishankar spoke on 25 October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
  • The event was the Chinmaya Amrit Mahotsav Global Sammelan, marking 75 years of Chinmaya Mission.
  • He said using terrorism as an instrument of statecraft cannot be justified or rationalised.
  • He said the Global South faces a '4F' crisis: finance, fuel, food and fertiliser.
  • He called for UN leadership and reformed multilateralism, citing the Ukraine and West Asia conflicts.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Agriculture & Rural

Agriculture & Rural Development

13. Sugarcane price row: Karnataka CM meets farmers and mills in Belagavi

  • CM D.K. Shivakumar met farmer representatives and sugar mill owners at Suvarna Soudha, Belagavi, on 26 October 2026.
  • Farmer unions demand ₹5,500 per tonne for 2026-27, including a ₹1,000 per tonne state top-up.
  • The Union Cabinet's FRP for 2026-27 is ₹365 per quintal (₹3,650 per tonne).
  • Representatives from 15 cane-growing districts and 81 sugar mills were invited.
  • Farmer leaders warned of a statewide bandh on 27 October if talks failed.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Science & Technology

Science & Technology

14. TDB backs Manastu Space with ₹116 crore for green propulsion

  • Technology Development Board (DST) signed an agreement with Manastu Space Technologies Pvt Ltd, Navi Mumbai.
  • Support of ₹116 crore under the RDI Fund as Optionally Convertible Debt; total project cost ₹277.63 crore.
  • Project: integrated green propulsion for satellites and launch vehicles in the 5 mN to 300 N thrust class.
  • Technology to move from TRL 6 to TRL 9; it uses a hydrogen peroxide-based propellant.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Science & Technology

15. ESTIC 2026 curtain raiser held at ICGEB New Delhi

  • ESTIC stands for Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave.
  • ESTIC 2026 is scheduled for 27-29 October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
  • CSIR organises it under the guidance of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser.
  • The conclave has 12 thematic areas; DBT steers the Systems and Synthetic Biology session.
  • Prof. Gobardhan Das, Member, NITI Aayog, was chief guest at the ICGEB curtain raiser.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Environment & Ecology

Environment & Ecology

16. Cyclone Arnab to cross Andhra Pradesh coast on 28 October: IMD

  • At 5:30 am on 26 October 2026, Cyclone Arnab lay near 15.4°N, 88.9°E, about 650 km east-southeast of Visakhapatnam.
  • IMD forecast it to become a severe cyclonic storm by midnight and a very severe cyclonic storm on 27 October.
  • Landfall expected on the forenoon of 28 October between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, with winds of 115-125 km/h gusting to 140 km/h.
  • Andhra Pradesh kept 10 NDRF and 11 SDRF teams ready; CM N. Chandrababu Naidu ordered a high alert.
  • The name Arnab, meaning 'ocean', was contributed by Bangladesh.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Defence & Security

International Relations

17. ADMM-Plus 2026: Rajnath Singh to lead India at 13th meet in Cebu

  • The 13th ADMM-Plus is being held on 28-29 October 2026 in Cebu, Philippines, the 2026 ASEAN chair.
  • Rajnath Singh will speak on 'Exchange of Views on Regional and International Security Issues'.
  • ADMM-Plus brings together 11 ASEAN members, including Timor-Leste, and 8 Dialogue Partners including India.
  • The first ADMM-Plus met in Hanoi on 12 October 2010; ministers have met every year since 2017.
  • India and Malaysia co-chair the Experts' Working Group on Counter-Terrorism for 2024-2027.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Awards & Persons

Test yourself

15 questions from the news of 26 October 2026, with answers and explanations.

Start the quiz