NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Important Sectors in India’s Creative Economy: India’s creative economy brings together culture, technology, talent, and intellectual property to generate economic value. It spans traditional arts as well as digital media, making it an important source of jobs, exports, and innovation. For Prelims, the sector is best understood through its major industries, policy support, and recent institutional developments. The creative economy comprises industries where value is created primarily through creativity, culture, design, technology, and intellectual property. It includes cultural, artistic, and innovative goods and services, with creative inputs as the core resource. In India, this space connects heritage-based activities with modern digital platforms, allowing traditional skills and new-age content to contribute to national growth.
2. IICT Signs Five MoUs to Boost AVGC-XR Ecosystem: The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) signed five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on 30 September 2026 at FICCI FRAMES 2026 in Mumbai. The agreements were signed at the Grand Hyatt during the second day of the two-day event held on 29 and 30 September 2026. The five partner organisations are the Motion Picture Association (MPA) India, Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-DIT) Kerala, E-Sports Games Federation (ESGF), RioWood, and Warm Up Ventures. Maharashtra Minister for Electronics, Information Technology, AI and Cultural Affairs Ashish Shelar was present at the signing ceremony. AVGC-XR stands for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality. The term covers digital content creation, immersive media, and interactive entertainment technologies used in film, gaming, training, and simulation.
3. Narendra Bhooshan Assumes Charge as Environment Secretary: Narendra Bhooshan, an Indian Administrative Service officer of the 1992 batch from the Uttar Pradesh cadre, assumed charge as Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on 1 October 2026. He was appointed to the post on 30 September 2026 and succeeded Tanmay Kumar, an IAS officer of the 1993 Rajasthan cadre, who superannuated on the same date. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is a Union ministry of the Government of India that deals with environmental policy, forest administration, wildlife conservation, and climate-related matters. The ministry functions under the Government of India’s allocation of business and is headed administratively by a Secretary.
4. UPSC Marks Centenary Celebrations with Manthan: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) held its centenary celebrations titled Manthan on 30 September 2026 and 1 October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The Commission was established in 1926, and the centenary programme marked 100 years of its existence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the event on 1 October 2026. The centenary celebrations concluded a year-long programme that began on 1 October 2025. During the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a UPSC Centenary Commemorative Coin, a Commemorative Stamp, and a book titled 100 Landmark Judgements – Shaping the Policies of UPSC and Public Service Commissions in India.
5. Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027: The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 were published on 30 September 2026 and covered 2,297 institutions across 118 countries and territories. The rankings assess research-intensive universities on five core missions: teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook, and industry. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings use a methodology based on performance indicators across teaching, research, citations, international outlook, and industry income. The 2027 edition introduced more granular ranking bands for institutions outside the precisely ranked top tier. The University of Oxford retained the number one position globally for the 11th consecutive year. UC Berkeley was ranked as the top public university in North America and tied with Yale University for ninth place globally.
6. Uttarakhand Installs First Glacial Lake Early-Warning System: Uttarakhand began installing its first glacial lake early-warning system at Vasundhara Tal in Chamoli district on 29 September 2026. The project is being carried out by a 22-scientist team led by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, with support from the Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee, under the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority and the National GLOF Risk Mitigation Programme. Vasundhara Tal is one of the glacial lakes identified as high-risk in Uttarakhand. The National Remote Sensing Centre identified 344 glacial lakes in the State in 2023, and the National Disaster Management Authority classified 13 of them as high-risk. The early-warning system will use sensors to measure water levels, weather conditions, snow depth, sub-surface temperatures, ground movement, and water flow. The system will transmit data through satellite links because the site has no mobile network connectivity.
7. India’s Kaveri Engine Programme Reaches Milestone: India’s Kaveri dry engine programme reached a major development stage in September 2026 when the engine recorded a peak dry thrust of 48.5 kilonewtons during high-altitude and flight trials in Russia. The engine, also called the Kaveri Derivative Engine, is being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment in Bengaluru for the planned Ghatak stealth Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle. The Kaveri programme is India’s indigenous aero-engine development effort for military aviation. The dry variant is a non-afterburning turbofan engine, while the afterburning version is designed to provide higher thrust for combat aircraft applications.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Key Indicators of Glacier Change: Glacier change is one of the clearest indicators of climate variability and long-term warming. Scientists track it through changes in ice gain or loss, glacier size, thickness, length, and meltwater output. These measures help assess climate trends, water availability, and hazards such as glacial lake outburst floods. Glacier mass balance is the most important measure of glacier health. It shows whether a glacier is gaining ice through sMass balance is widely used because it links glacier behaviour directly to climate conditions. A negative balance over several years indicates persistent shrinkage, while a positive balance suggests glacier growth. For exam purposes, it is the standard scientific indicator of ice gain or loss and a key tool for climate trend analysis
2. Brazil Expands Biological Control in Agriculture: Brazil is expanding biological control technologies for tropical agriculture through the Advanced Research Center on Biological Control, known as SPARCBio, in Piracicaba. The centre works with the University of São Paulo’s Luiz de Queiroz School of Agriculture, the São Paulo Research Foundation, and Koppert on biological agents, new products, and knowledge for Integrated Pest Management. Biological control is the use of living organisms such as predators, parasitoids, pathogens, and parasites to reduce pest populations. Integrated Pest Management combines biological, cultural, mechanical, and chemical methods to manage pests in a coordinated manner.
3. Switzerland’s Largest Glacier Records Biggest-Ever Melt in 2026: Switzerland’s glaciers lost more than 5% of their total ice volume in 2026 after a winter with very little snow and a summer with record-breaking heatwaves. The Aletsch Glacier, which is Switzerland’s largest glacier, recorded its biggest melt on record in 2026, while the Rhône Glacier and Clariden Glacier also recorded their greatest melt ever in the same year. Switzerland has about 1,400 glaciers, and most of them are located in the Alps. The Aletsch Glacier lies in the Bernese Alps and is the largest glacier in the country by area and ice volume. Glacier thickness in Switzerland is measured through field surveys, aerial observations, and remote sensing methods used by glacier monitoring services. Between the 2025 and 2026 seasons, the volume of glacial ice in Switzerland shrank by 5.5%. Average glacier thickness across the country decreased by 2.5 to 4 metres in 2026, and some glacier tongues lost up to 10 metres of ice. Nearly 20% of Switzerland’s total glacier volume has vanished in the past five years.
4. California Becomes First US State to Ban Child Marriage: California became the first state in the United States to ban child marriage through Assembly Bill 1267, which sets 18 years as the minimum age for marriage and domestic partnerships with no exceptions. The law was signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom on 30 September 2026 and will take effect on 1 January 2027. Before AB 1267, California was one of three US states, along with New Mexico and Mississippi, that had no fixed minimum age for marriage. In such cases, minors could marry under state law with parental consent and court approval. With this law, California becomes the 18th US state to completely prohibit marriage below 18 years.
5. Ganesh Mani Ratnam Wins Bronze in Asian Games Archery: Indian archer Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru won the men’s individual bronze medal in compound archery at the Asian Games 2026 on 1 October 2026. He defeated Cong Duc Dang of Vietnam 149-144 in the bronze-medal match at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square in Aichi, Japan. Compound archery is an archery discipline that uses a compound bow with a levering system of cables and pulleys. The compound bow is used in target archery events at major multi-sport competitions, including the Asian Games. Ganesh Mani Ratnam scored 149 out of 150 points in the bronze-medal playoff. In the semi-final, he lost 144-148 to Kim Jongho of the Republic of Korea. In the quarter-finals, he defeated Chen Chieh-Lun of Chinese Taipei 148-138.
6. Bathymyrus perplexus Identified as New Fish Species in Bay of Bengal: Bathymyrus perplexus is a newly identified fish species from the Bay of Bengal, with scientific identification completed by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) unit at Gopalpur on 30 September 2026. The species was first represented by a specimen collected off Paradip in 2021, and 32 specimens were recorded between 2021 and 2025 from Paradip, West Bengal, the Godavari region, and Kakinada. The research was carried out by a joint team from ZSI Gopalpur that included Dr. Anil Mohapatra, Dr. Smrutirekha Acharya, Dr. Deepanjan Ray, Dr. Swarup Ranjan Mohanty, Shubhendu Sekhar Mishra, and Dr. Jitendra Kumar Sundaray. The findings were published in the Bulletin of Marine Science, a marine science journal based in the United States, on 24 September 2026.
7. ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise 2026 Begins in Subic Bay: The second edition of the ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME-2026) began on 28 September 2026 at Subic Bay in the Philippines. Indian Naval Ships INS Sahyadri and INS Kulish are participating with maritime forces from all ASEAN Member States. AIME is a bilateral and multilateral maritime exercise framework involving India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The 2026 edition is the second iteration of the exercise and is being conducted under the theme “Anchored in Trust, United at Sea.” AIME-2026 has two phases, namely a Harbour Phase and a Sea Phase. The Harbour Phase includes professional, operational, and social engagements, while the Sea Phase includes coordinated maritime exercises and operational serials. The exercise aims to improve mutual understanding, cooperation, and interoperability among participating maritime forces through practical training.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. IAF’s 17 Squadron ‘Golden Arrows’ Marks 75 Years: The Indian Air Force’s No. 17 Squadron, known as the Golden Arrows, completed 75 years on 1 October 2026. The squadron was raised on 1 October 1951 at Air Force Station Ambala, and Flight Lieutenant D. L. Springett served as its first commanding officer. No. 17 Squadron began as a tactical reconnaissance unit in 1951. It first operated 12 American Harvard-II B aircraft and later converted to British de Havilland Vampires in 1955. The Vampire was among the early jet aircraft inducted by the Indian Air Force. The squadron has served in major Indian military operations since the 1960s. Its operational record includes the 1961 Liberation of Goa, the Indo-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971, the Kargil conflict of 1999, the Balakot strikes, and Operation Sindoor in May 2025.
2. Army Conducts Exercise Jai Se Vijay on NH-911: The Indian Army conducted Exercise Jai Se Vijay on 29 September 2026 near the India-Pakistan International Border in Rajasthan. The drill used a stretch of National Highway-911 near Dantour as a temporary military runway for helicopter operations. The exercise took place on NH-911, a road corridor in Rajasthan that runs close to the border area. The location near Dantour placed the drill in a strategically sensitive sector under the South Western Command, also known as Sapta Shakti Command. National Highway-911 is part of India’s road network and was used as a dual-use infrastructure asset for military aviation activity. Such road-runway arrangements are relevant in border regions where fixed airfields may not be available for rapid deployment.
3. US Launches FORTRESS America Defence Security Initiative: The United States Department of War launched the FORTRESS America initiative on 30 September 2026 through a memorandum. FORTRESS America stands for Federal Operations for Resilience, Troop Resources, Energy, Supply, and Survivability. The initiative covers American defence infrastructure, military operations, and domestic military installations. The initiative seeks to make major domestic military installations independent of the civilian power grid. This arrangement is intended to support uninterrupted operations during cyberattacks, sabotage, and other emergencies. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth described the initiative as a national insurance policy for the American homeland.
SPORTS
1. India Wins First Athletics Gold at 2026 Asian Games: India won its first athletics gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on 29 September 2026. The gold medal came in the women’s 4x400m relay, and the Indian team finished in 3:29.69 minutes at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium. The 4x400m relay is a track event in which four athletes run 400 metres each and pass a baton within designated exchange zones. The Indian quartet in this event comprised Kiran Pahal, Poovamma Machettira, Prachi, and Vithya Ramraj. Vithya Ramraj won her third medal of the 2026 Asian Games through this relay gold. She had earlier won a bronze medal in the women’s 400m hurdles at the same edition of the Games.
Chikitha Taniparthi, Sahil Jadhav Win Compound Mixed Team Gold: Indian archers Chikitha Taniparthi and Sahil Jadhav won the gold medal in the compound mixed team event at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on 30 September 2026. The pair also secured India a qualification quota for the compound mixed team event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, where compound archery will make its Olympic debut. Compound archery uses a bow fitted with a levering system of pulleys and cables. The compound bow allows archers to hold less draw weight at full draw than a recurve bow, and it is used in target archery competitions at world and continental level. The mixed team format in archery pairs one male and one female archer from the same country. In the compound mixed team final at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, Taniparthi and Jadhav faced Park Jeong-yun and Choi Yonghee of South Korea.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. SatLeo to Launch TAPAS-1 Thermal-Imaging Payload: Ahmedabad-based spacetech startup SatLeo Labs will launch its thermal-imaging satellite TAPAS-1 on 1 October 2026. The 3-kilogram payload will fly on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter-18 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, United States, through Dhruva Space’s LEAP-2 platform. Long-wave infrared sensing is used for thermal data collection that is not visible in conventional optical imagery. The mission has planned uses in climate monitoring, agriculture, urban heat mapping, water stress monitoring, industrial monitoring, disaster monitoring, and forest-fire detection. SatLeo Labs was founded in Ahmedabad in 2023 by Shravan Singh Bhati, Dr. Ranendu Ghosh, and Urmil Bakhai. The company plans to launch eight more satellites of the same type by 2029 and aims to build a constellation of 10 to 15 thermal-imaging satellites. TAPAS-2 is already under manufacture for a mid-2027 launch.
2. New Penguin Species Identified in Gentoo Reclassification: Scientists have identified a previously unrecognised penguin species, Pygoscelis kerguelensis, also called the southeastern gentoo penguin. The finding came from DNA analysis of gentoo penguin populations and led to the reclassification of one former species into four distinct evolutionary lineages. Penguins belong to the family Spheniscidae, which includes flightless seabirds found mainly in the Southern Hemisphere. The gentoo penguin was earlier treated as a single species, Pygoscelis papua, before genetic studies separated it into multiple species-level lineages. The study was published in Communications Biology in April and involved an international team of 22 researchers. Scientists from the University of Chile and the University of California, Berkeley, participated in the multiyear genetic analysis that used DNA evidence to identify the new species.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. People’s Plan Campaign 2026-27 ‘Sabki Yojana, Sabka Vikas’ to Launch on October 2: The People’s Plan Campaign (PPC) 2026-27, with the theme “Sabki Yojana, Sabka Vikas”, will begin across India on October 2, 2026. The campaign will start the process for Gram Panchayats to prepare Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) for the financial year 2027-28. The People’s Plan Campaign is a national exercise for decentralised planning at the Gram Panchayat level. It has been implemented since 2018 and supports the preparation of inclusive, participatory, and evidence-based development plans. More than 2.55 lakh Gram Panchayats have already prepared and uploaded plans on eGramSwaraj. Special Gram Sabhas will be held nationwide on October 2, 2026, for the formal launch of the campaign. Gram Sabhas are statutory village assemblies under the Panchayati Raj system, and they provide a forum for citizens and elected representatives to discuss local needs, governance reforms, and development priorities.
2. NSE Gets SEBI Nod for Corporate Bond Index Futures: The National Stock Exchange of India received a No Objection Certificate from the Securities and Exchange Board of India on 1 October 2026 to launch futures contracts linked to a corporate bond index. The proposed product remains subject to approval from the Reserve Bank of India and will enter India’s exchange-traded fixed-income derivatives segment after the required clearances. Corporate bonds are debt securities issued by companies to raise funds from investors for business operations, refinancing, or expansion. In India, the outstanding value of corporate bonds stood at 61.05 trillion rupees, or 636.07 billion US dollars, as of August 2026. Corporate bond index futures are derivative contracts whose value is linked to a corporate bond index. Such contracts are used for price discovery, portfolio hedging, and risk management in fixed-income markets.
3. Kotak Mahindra Bank appoints Anup Kumar Saha as MD and CEO: Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd received approval from the Reserve Bank of India on 1 October 2026 for the appointment of Anup Kumar Saha as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. His three-year tenure will begin on 1 January 2027, and he will succeed Ashok Vaswani, whose term ends on 31 December 2026. The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer is the top executive position in a company and combines board-level leadership with day-to-day management. In Indian listed companies, the appointment of a Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer generally requires approval from the board, the shareholders, and the relevant regulator in regulated sectors such as banking.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. India Women’s Compound Archery Team Wins Asian Games Gold: India’s women’s compound archery team won the gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on 30 September 2026. The team of Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Prithika Pradeep, and Chikita Taniparthi defeated China 238-234 in the final at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park. Compound archery is an archery discipline that uses a compound bow with a levering system of cams and pulleys. The Asian Games include compound team events for men and women, and the women’s team event has been part of the programme since 2014. India’s final score of 238 equalled the existing world and Asian record set by South Korea at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. India also beat South Korea 234-233 in the semi-final to reach the gold medal match.
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