NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India Becomes Second-Highest Contributor in THE World
University Rankings 2026; IISc Bangalore Leads National List: The Indian Institute
of Science (IISc), Bangalore, has been ranked as India’s top university in
the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026, securing
a spot in the 201–250 rank band.India has achieved a major milestone by
becoming the country with the second-highest number of ranked universities, trailing
only the United States.Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences
(Chennai) improved its ranking to the 351–400 band, while Jamia Millia Islamia
(Delhi) and Shoolini University (Himachal Pradesh) were placed in the 401–500
category.Prestigious institutions like BHU, IIT Indore, KIIT University, Lovely
Professional University, Mahatma Gandhi University, and UPES Dehradun are ranked
in the 501–600 range.Several universities including AMU, Amity, IIT Patna, NIT
Rourkela, University of Delhi, and VIT Vellore feature in the 601–800 rank
band, reflecting India’s broad representation across multiple categories.
2. Fiji Launches First-Ever National Child Safeguarding
Policy to Strengthen Child Protection Across the Country: Fiji has launched
its first-ever National Child Safeguarding Policy, establishing a national
benchmark to ensure child safety across all sectors of society.The policy mandates
child-safe practices in all services involving children, including a Child
Protection Code of Conduct, safe recruitment and vetting processes, and risk
mitigation strategies to prevent harm.The initiative addresses regional
concerns in the Pacific, where cultural taboos, limited resources, and
underreporting have often left cases of child abuse hidden or unresolved.
3. Deepika Padukone Named India’s First Mental Health
Ambassador to Promote Awareness and Well-Being: Renowned actor Deepika Padukone has been
appointed as the first-ever Mental Health Ambassador of the Union Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare, expressing her honour and commitment to the
role.She aims to support India’s mental health initiatives under the leadership
of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, contributing to strengthening the nation’s
mental health framework.This partnership focuses on raising awareness, reducing
stigma, and promoting mental well-being across India, marking a significant
step in prioritising mental health.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. World Bank and SEWA Launch BETI Project to Empower
Women Entrepreneurs in Gujarat with Digital Tools: The World Bank’s BETI
(Business Enterprise Technology for Indian women) project,
in collaboration with SEWA, has trained micro-level women
entrepreneurs in Gujarat to use digital tools and financial management skills
to build and manage their businesses.The initiative extends the ‘Beti
Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign by adding a focus on economic empowerment
— termed ‘Beti Kamao’ — helping women become entrepreneurs and job
creators.The pilot, implemented in Mehsana, Ahmedabad, Anand, and Bodeli,
equipped women with mobile-based tools to improve bookkeeping, inventory
management, debt tracking, and product cataloguing for sales.
2. Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma Appointed as Global
Brand Ambassadors for Pay10 Ahead of UPI App Launch: Fintech firm
Pay10 has appointed Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma as global
brand ambassadors ahead of the launch of its UPI-enabled payments app in India.The
collaboration aims to promote safe, seamless, and smart digital transactions
while engaging India’s growing population of tech-savvy users.Pay10 believes
the duo reflects the brand’s values of trust, innovation, and reliability,
making them ideal representatives for a platform that seeks to make digital
payments accessible to all.
3. 11 October – International Day of the Girl Child: The International
Day of the Girl Child is observed annually on 11 October to
highlight the challenges faced by girls and promote their empowerment and human
rights.Theme 2025 – The girl I am, the change I lead: Girls on the
frontlines of crisisThe day was first declared by the United Nations in 2011,
following a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. US to Supply Advanced AMRAAM Missiles to
Pakistan: The United States has
confirmed supplying Pakistan with AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air
Missiles (AMRAAM). This follows Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent
visit to Washington. The deal is part of a new phase in defence cooperation
between the two countries. It involves an expanded contract with Raytheon, the
American defence manufacturer. The contract, now valued at over $2.51 billion,
covers production of the missile’s latest variants, the C8 and D3, with
completion expected by May 2030. The AIM-120 AMRAAM is a widely used
beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile. Developed in the US during the
late 1970s and 1980s, it became operational in 1991. Its key feature is the
fire-and-forget capability. Once launched, the missile uses its onboard radar
to track targets independently. This frees the pilot from guiding the missile,
allowing long-range engagement. The latest versions, C8 and D3, offer improved
range, accuracy and resistance to electronic countermeasures. The missile can
reach speeds near Mach 4 and operate in all weather conditions.
2. Pakistan–Afghanistan Conflict (2025): The Pakistan–Afghanistan War of 2025 is
the armed confrontations and escalating hostilities between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,
ruled by the Taliban,
and the Islamic
Republic of Pakistan. The conflict began in October 2025 following
a series of explosions in Kabul and southeastern Afghanistan, which the Taliban
government blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denied responsibility but accused
Kabul of harbouring Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants responsible for numerous attacks within Pakistani
territory. The fighting marks one of the most serious escalations in relations
between the two neighbouring countries since the Taliban’s return to power in
2021. The roots of the 2025 conflict can be traced to the complex and often
uneasy relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan following the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August
2021. Pakistan, long perceived as a key backer of the Taliban,
expected the new regime to curtail militant activity along the border. However,
Islamabad soon accused the Taliban of sheltering TTP fighters, a
banned militant organisation ideologically aligned with the Afghan Taliban.
The TTP, or Pakistan Taliban, has waged a violent
insurgency against the Pakistani state since the mid-2000s, demanding the
enforcement of a strict interpretation of Islamic law and opposing Islamabad’s
alignment with Western powers. After 2021, the group re-emerged from its
sanctuaries in eastern Afghanistan, leading to a surge in attacks on Pakistani
security forces.
3. DRDO Unveils Indian Radio Software
Architecture 1.0: The Defence
Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
officially launched the Indian Radio Software Architecture (IRSA) standard
version 1.0 in October 2025. This milestone aims to enhance interoperability in
military communication across the Indian Armed Forces. IRSA sets a national
benchmark for Software Defined Radios (SDR), marking a key step towards
self-reliance in defence communication technology. IRSA was developed through
collaboration among DRDO, Integrated Defence Staff (IDS), and
the Tri-Services. The standard was formally released during a national workshop
held at DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi. The event brought together defence officials,
industry representatives, academia, and research institutions. It brought into
light the journey of IRSA from concept to reality and discussed future
collaboration and adoption plans.
SPORTS
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Three Major Indian Ports Recognised as Green Hydrogen
Hubs Under National Mission: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has
officially recognised Deendayal Port (Gujarat), V.O. Chidambaranar Port
(Tamil Nadu), and Paradip Port (Odisha) as Green Hydrogen Hubs under the
National Green Hydrogen Mission, advancing India’s clean energy transition.Ports,
Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal called it a defining moment
in India’s maritime journey and emphasised the government’s push for
sustainable development and achieving net zero by 2070.The National Green
Hydrogen Mission aims to make India a global hub for production, utilisation,
and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives, promoting large-scale
hydrogen hubs as key centres for production and consumption.
2. India Strengthens Fight Against Cyber
Frauds: India’s
digital landscape has rapidly expanded, with over 86% of households connected
to the internet by 2025. This growth fuels convenience but also exposes
citizens to increasing cyber frauds. Cybersecurity has become a national
priority as incidents surged from 10.29 lakh in 2022 to 22.68 lakh in 2024. The
government and stakeholders are intensifying efforts to protect the digital
ecosystem. Cyber frauds in India have diversified, adapting to new technologies
and user habits. Fraudsters use spoofing, phishing, and AI-driven deepfakes to
deceive victims. The Unified Payments
Interface (UPI), a widely used
digital payment system, faces threats from compromised mobile numbers. Online
betting apps have generated over ₹400 crore through fraudulent schemes. The
growing financial damage demands robust detection and preventive strategies.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Delhi Government Launches Collateral-Free Loan Scheme
to Empower Small Businesses and Women Entrepreneurs: The Delhi
government has launched a collateral-free loan
scheme to support small businesses and women entrepreneurs, aiming to
enhance the city’s economic growth and improve access to credit without
requiring personal or business assets as security.The scheme, with
an initial allocation of ₹5 crore in FY26 and a phased ₹50 crore
contribution in partnership with Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and
Small Enterprises (CGTMSE), provides guarantee coverage of up to 95% to reduce
lenders’ risk.Under the initiative, loans up to ₹10 crore are available for
small and women-led enterprises, with higher coverage for women entrepreneurs,
Agniveer-promoted MSMEs, and micro units, supporting sectors like
manufacturing, services, retail, and education.
2. RBI Launches Unified Interface to Tokenize
Assets: The Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) has introduced the Unified Markets Interface (UMI), a
pioneering financial market infrastructure aimed at asset tokenisation.
Announced in 2025 by RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, UMI leverages blockchain
technology and wholesale Central Bank
Digital Currency (CBDC) to digitise
real-world assets. This innovation promises to enhance market efficiency,
transparency, and accessibility. UMI enables conversion of physical assets into
digital tokens on a blockchain. This process creates fractional ownership,
allowing global trading of smaller asset portions. Tokenisation improves
settlement speed using smart contracts and broadens market access. The pilot
phase of UMI has shown positive signs in boosting market efficiency. The
interface integrates wholesale CBDC for asset settlements. Wholesale CBDC is a
digital form of central bank money used by financial institutions. Its use in
UMI ensures secure, fast, and transparent transactions. This integration is
expected to reduce reliance on traditional intermediaries and lower transaction
costs.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Nobel Prize in Literature 2025 Awarded to László Krasznahorkai: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on 9 October 2025 that the Nobel Prize in Literature for the year has been awarded to Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai. The award recognises his compelling and visionary body of work that explores themes of apocalyptic terror while affirming the enduring power of art. The Nobel Prize in Literature is part of the annual Nobel Prize announcements. Recently, the Literature Prize followed those in Physiology or Medicine, Physics, and Chemistry announced earlier in the week. The Peace Prize and the Prize in Economic Sciences are scheduled for announcement later in October. Each Nobel Prize carries a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor, equivalent to approximately ₹1.03 crore. The awards ceremony takes place on 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
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