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Daily Current Affairs: 6 October 2026

Current affairs of 6 October 2026: SME Growth Fund: Cabinet clears ₹10,000 crore commitment; ITLA: Cabinet clears Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority; NBFC credit growth rises to 15.8% in August 2026: RBI data, and 15 more topics. Key facts for every exam, with a quiz.

Take the quiz (15 questions)October 2026
18 TOPICSDaily CurrentAffairs6 October 2026In focus: SME Growth Fund: Cabinet clears ₹10,000…safalsetu.com

In this issue: 18 topics

National Affairs

  1. National Postal Week 2026: 9-15 October; World Post Day theme

Government Schemes

  1. SME Growth Fund: Cabinet clears ₹10,000 crore commitment
  2. ITLA: Cabinet clears Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority
  3. e-Sanjeevani crosses 50 crore teleconsultations

Banking & Finance

  1. NBFC credit growth rises to 15.8% in August 2026: RBI data
  2. Financial inclusion saturation drive from 21 October: DFS review

Economy

  1. Services PMI: HSBC India index rises to 55.2 in September 2026
  2. Auto retail sales hit record 25.37 lakh units in September 2026: FADA

International Affairs

  1. India-Switzerland S&T ties: CHF 45 million, Indo-Swiss Research Framework
  2. Moscow Format on Afghanistan: India attends 8th round in Moscow

Agriculture & Rural

  1. VB-G RAM G: 375 permissible works notified, 41% more than before
  2. Maharashtra drought: Centre sends inter-ministerial team

Environment & Ecology

  1. CAQM mandates PTZ cameras at NCR industrial units

Defence & Security

  1. Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit named next Chief of the Air Staff
  2. BrahMos fire control systems: MoD signs Rs 661.50 crore contract
  3. DRDO High Altitude Platform completes maiden flight trial

Reports & Indexes

  1. World Bank lifts India FY27 GDP growth forecast to 7.1%

Awards & Persons

  1. Nobel Prize in Physics 2026: Francis Halzen for IceCube neutrinos

National Affairs

Government Schemes

Economy

2. SME Growth Fund: Cabinet clears ₹10,000 crore commitment

  • Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi approved the SME Growth Fund on 6 October 2026.
  • Government will give an aggregate commitment of ₹10,000 crore to an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) set up under the SGF framework.
  • Targets small and medium enterprises, not micro units; most funds to go to manufacturing SMEs.
  • Firms in industrial clusters of Tier-II and Tier-III cities get priority.
  • Announced in Para 28 of Union Budget 2026-27.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Economy

3. ITLA: Cabinet clears Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority

  • Union Cabinet approved the Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA) as a Special Purpose Vehicle on 6 October 2026.
  • ITLA will be the apex body for integrated transport and logistics planning, research, project appraisal and monitoring.
  • It will draw up a National Transport Master Plan with a horizon of ten years or more.
  • Transport projects of Rs 500 crore or above will undergo ITLA technical appraisal, monitoring and impact assessment.
  • A National Transport Data Repository will pool GSTN e-way bill, FASTag, Vahan and GPS data.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

Economy

5. NBFC credit growth rises to 15.8% in August 2026: RBI data

  • RBI released Sectoral Deployment of Credit by NBFCs for August 2026 on 6 October 2026.
  • Overall NBFC credit growth rose to 15.8% y-o-y from 10.0% in August 2025.
  • Retail loans grew 22.0% (13.6% a year earlier), helped by housing and gold jewellery loans.
  • Agriculture credit jumped to 17.4% from 5.1%; services slowed to 16.2% from 24.0%.
  • Data covers Upper and Middle Layer NBFCs and HFCs, about 87% of total NBFC credit.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Banking & Finance

6. Financial inclusion saturation drive from 21 October: DFS review

  • DFS Secretary Sanjay Lohiya chaired a financial inclusion review with bank heads in New Delhi on 6 October 2026.
  • Ten schemes were reviewed, including PMJDY, PMJJBY, PMSBY, APY, PM Mudra, Stand-Up India, PM SVANidhi, PM Vishwakarma, PM Surya Ghar and KCC.
  • Banks were told to widen digital outreach and process loans digitally end to end.
  • New insurance beneficiaries are to be enrolled through the Jan Suraksha Portal.
  • A Financial Inclusion saturation campaign will run from 21 October to 31 December 2026.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Economy

Economy

7. Services PMI: HSBC India index rises to 55.2 in September 2026

  • HSBC India Services PMI (final) for September 2026 stood at 55.2, up from 54.1 in August.
  • Composite PMI Output Index rose to 55.9 from 54.3 in August.
  • Services growth was the fastest in three months, but the July-September quarter average was the weakest since January-March 2022.
  • Export growth slowed to its weakest in nearly three years; input cost inflation fell to its lowest since November 2025.
  • HSBC's chief India economist is Pranjul Bhandari.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Economy

8. Auto retail sales hit record 25.37 lakh units in September 2026: FADA

  • FADA said vehicle retail sales reached 25.37 lakh units in September 2026, up about 31.8% year-on-year.
  • Two-wheelers rose about 33%, passenger vehicles 32.1% and commercial vehicles 37.6%; three-wheelers grew about 22%.
  • Five of six vehicle categories posted record sales; H1 FY27 retail was 1,55,12,319 units, up 20.77%.
  • FADA said the jump was inflated by a low base, as buyers deferred purchases in September 2025 ahead of GST 2.0.
  • Electric vehicles sold 3.34 lakh units, a 13% share of retail.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

International Affairs

Science & Technology

9. India-Switzerland S&T ties: CHF 45 million, Indo-Swiss Research Framework

  • Dr Jitendra Singh met Swiss President Guy Parmelin in New Delhi on 6 October 2026.
  • Switzerland allocated CHF 45 million to strengthen research partnership with India.
  • Indo-Swiss Research Framework (ISRF) and a Joint Scientific Board were discussed; DST signed a Letter of Intent with SNSF.
  • DST and Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) signed an implementation arrangement.
  • India-Switzerland science and technology cooperation rests on a 2003 inter-governmental agreement.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
International Relations

10. Moscow Format on Afghanistan: India attends 8th round in Moscow

  • The 8th Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan were held in Moscow on 6 October 2026.
  • India's delegation was led by Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar, with Joint Secretary (PAI) Dr M. Suresh Kumar.
  • India supported Afghanistan's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and the welfare of Afghan people.
  • Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi attended; Belarus and Egypt joined as guests.
  • The Moscow Format was set up in 2017.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Agriculture & Rural

Government Schemes

11. VB-G RAM G: 375 permissible works notified, 41% more than before

  • Ministry of Rural Development notified 375 permissible works under VB-G RAM G on 6 October 2026.
  • This is a 41% rise over the 266 works allowed under the earlier framework.
  • Four pillars: water security 128, core rural infrastructure 111, livelihood infrastructure 98, disaster preparedness 38.
  • Livelihood works form 26% of the list against 1.1% earlier; 181 works relate to agriculture and allied activities.
  • Works will be chosen through Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans approved by the Gram Sabha.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›
Agriculture & Rural Development

12. Maharashtra drought: Centre sends inter-ministerial team

  • Centre constituted an Inter-Ministerial Central Team on 5 October 2026 to assess drought conditions in Maharashtra.
  • The 10-member team is led by Muktanand Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
  • Maharashtra declared 265 talukas drought-affected through a Government Resolution dated 26 September 2026.
  • Assessment follows the Manual for Drought Management, 2020, for relief from NDRF and SDRF.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Environment & Ecology

Polity & Governance

13. CAQM mandates PTZ cameras at NCR industrial units

  • Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) directed NCR industrial units to install Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) cameras; release dated 6 October 2026.
  • Cameras must cover fuel storage areas, fuel charging points and gas meters.
  • Live feeds must reach CPCB and State Pollution Control Board/DPCC servers.
  • Installation deadline is 31 October 2026; SPCBs and DPCC must report status by 1 November 2026.
  • Aim is real-time checking of fuel use to stop unapproved fuels.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Defence & Security

Science & Technology

16. DRDO High Altitude Platform completes maiden flight trial

  • DRDO conducted the maiden flight trial of an indigenous High Altitude Platform (release dated 6 October 2026).
  • The platform climbed to about 21 km above mean sea level and stayed at 20 km for over 30 minutes.
  • It was developed by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra.
  • The lighter-than-air system is a step towards long-endurance stratospheric surveillance platforms.
  • Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh called it an important milestone for Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Reports & Indexes

Economy

17. World Bank lifts India FY27 GDP growth forecast to 7.1%

  • World Bank's India Development Update, released 6 October 2026, projects FY27 growth at 7.1%, revised up from 6.6% in April.
  • Growth projected at 7.2% in FY28 if energy supply chains normalise by early 2027, and 7.0% in FY29.
  • Inflation is expected to average 4.8% in FY27 and 4.4% in FY28.
  • Upgrade follows 7.8% GDP growth in Q1 FY27; private consumption stays the main growth driver.
  • General government fiscal deficit seen stable at 7.4% of GDP in FY27.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Awards & Persons

Science & Technology

18. Nobel Prize in Physics 2026: Francis Halzen for IceCube neutrinos

  • The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences named Francis Halzen sole winner of the 2026 Physics Nobel in Stockholm on 6 October 2026.
  • Halzen, born in 1944 in Tienen, Belgium, works at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA.
  • He was honoured for IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos.
  • IceCube uses one cubic kilometre of ice at the South Pole; Halzen proposed it in 1988 and it was completed in 2011.
  • The prize carries 12 million Swedish kronor; the 2025 prize went to John Clarke, Michel Devoret and John Martinis.
Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

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