United Nations Day | 24 October

United Nations Day is celebrated annually on October 24 to mark the official entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945. With the ratification of this founding document by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United Nations officially came into being. Currently made up of 193 Member States, the UN and its work are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter. The United Nations has set sustainable development goals for 2030, in order to achieve a better and more sustainable future for us all. UN Member States have also agreed to climate action to limit global warming.

The United Nations, its specialized agencies, related agencies, funds, programmes and staff have been awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize thirteen times.

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World Development Information Day | 24 October

World Development Information Day is observed annually on 24 October to draw the attention of world public opinion to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them.

In 1972, the General Assembly established World Development Information Day to draw the attention of the world to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them (resolution 3038(XXVII)). The Assembly decided that the date for the Day should coincide with United Nations Day, 24 October, which was also the date of the adoption, in 1970, of the International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade.

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Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week | 24 – 31 October

Global Media and Information Literacy Week is an annual event observed from 24th to 31st October to raise awareness and celebrate the progress achieved towards Media and Information Literacy for all.

Under the theme “We All Play a Part – Media and Information Literacy for the People”, highlights the power of individuals and communities to make informed decisions, think critically and participate meaningfully in an increasingly complex information landscape.

In 2021, the UN General Assembly decided to commemorate Media and Information Literacy (MIL) week, citing the need for the dissemination of factual, timely, targeted, clear, accessible, multilingual and science-based information.

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Disarmament Week | 24 October - 30 October

Disarmament Week is observed annually from 24 October to 30 October. Disarmament Week seeks to promote awareness and better understanding of disarmament issues and their cross-cutting importance. Starting on 24 October, the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, the week-long annual observance was first called for in the Final Document of the General Assembly’s 1978 special session on disarmament (resolution S-10/2). In 1995, the General Assembly invited governments, as well as NGOs, to continue taking an active part in Disarmament Week (resolution 50/72 B, 12 December 1995) in order to promote a better understanding among the public of disarmament issues.

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The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), first established in 1983.

NICDC launches Bihar Integrated Manufacturing City Gaya Limited, signs 12 MoUs worth Rs. 4,200 crore

The National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) has launched Bihar Integrated Manufacturing City Gaya Limited (BIMCGL), signing 12 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) covering approximately 300 acres of land with proposed investments worth Rs.4,200 crore at Integrated Manufacturing City (IMC) Gaya. BIMCGL is the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) tasked with implementing the Integrated Manufacturing Cluster (IMC) at Gaya under the Amritsar–Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC), part of the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP). “The National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) marked a significant milestone in advancing industrial development in Bihar with the formal launch of Bihar Integrated Manufacturing City Gaya Limited (BIMCGL) by the Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Samrat Choudhary, at Bodh Gaya

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NICDC launches Bihar Integrated Manufacturing City Gaya Limited, signs 12 MoUs worth Rs. 4,200 crore

Spread across 1,670 acres in the Dobhi block of Gaya district, the project was approved by the Centre on August 28, 2024, at a total cost of Rs. 1,339 crore, including land acquisition costs. It is expected to attract investments of approximately Rs. 16,500 crore and generate employment opportunities for around 1.10 lakh people. Incorporated on January 6, 2025, BIMCGL is a joint venture between the Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA) and the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT), with both holding equal equity stakes. Infrastructure development at IMC Gaya is underway, with the Bihar government taking possession of the entire project land. The Centre released the first equity tranche of ₹132 crore in September 2025 against the transfer of 415 acres.

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SEBI orders Avadhut Sathe Trading Academy to refund Rs 546 crore; imposes Rs 11.5 crore penalty

Markets regulator SEBI directed Avadhut Sathe Trading Academy Pvt Ltd (ASTAPL) and its Founder Avadhut Sathe to refund Rs 546.17 crore collected from participants for providing unregistered investment advisory and research analyst services, along with interest of Rs 67.87 crore.

The regulator has also barred the academy and Sathe from accessing the securities market for two years or until compliance with the refund direction, whichever is later. In its 171-page final order, the regulator imposed a total penalty of Rs 11.5 crore on the academy, Sathe and Gouri Avadhut Sathe for violations of securities market regulations.

The academy has been fined Rs 6 crore, Sathe has been fined Rs 4 crore, while Gouri Avadhut Sathe has been penalised Rs 1.5 crore.

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SEBI orders Avadhut Sathe Trading Academy to refund Rs 546 crore; imposes Rs 11.5 crore penalty

The regulator found that the academy and Sathe provided investment advice and research recommendations through paid programmes, sessions and WhatsApp groups without obtaining the required registration. The academy and Sathe had collected around Rs 601.38 crore from course participants since inception. However, based on the evidence examined, fees of Rs 546.17 crore attributable to the relevant programmes were identified for disgorgement and refund.

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S. Meghana retires from all forms of cricket

India's top-order batter S. Meghana announced her retirement from all forms of cricket at the age of 30. Hailing from Andhra Pradesh, Meghana last played for India in November 2022. She played for RCB and Gujarat Giants in the Women's Premier League. She made her India T20 debut against the West Indies back in 2016. Six years later, she played her first ODI. She scored a fifty each in both the formats.

In 17 T20 Internationals, Meghana scored 258 runs at a strike rate of 102.78, including one half-century. At the franchise level, Meghana featured in three seasons of the Women's Premier League, representing Gujarat Giants before joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), where she spent two seasons.

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Bihar govt introduces performance assessment index for banks

The Bihar government has for the first time introduced a 100-point performance assessment index to rank banks operating in the state.

IDFC FIRST Bank currently tops the list with 74 points. Banks have been classified into three zones based on their score. The Green Zone, indicating excellent performance, includes 11 banks scoring 50 or above, while seven banks fall in the Yellow Zone and several others in the Red Zone. The Red Zone includes leading public sector banks. Bihar has set an annual credit plan target of Rs 4.95 lakh crore for the 2026-27 fiscal. As of September 30, banks disbursed Rs 1.89 lakh crore, achieving 38.25 per cent of the target, officials said. The figure was Rs 46,228.29 crore higher than that of the corresponding period last year.

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Bihar govt introduces performance assessment index for banks

The Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector recorded 52.68 per cent achievement, with credit disbursement of Rs 84,091.21 crore against a target of Rs 1.59 lakh crore. Agriculture credit disbursement stood at Rs 43,967.17 crore, or 28 per cent of the target,

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Ashoke Sen becomes first Indian physicist to receive Oskar Klein Medal

Professor Ashoke Sen has been awarded the Oskar Klein Medal for 2026, becoming the first Indian physicist to receive the honour. Mr. Sen, an ICTS-Infosys Madhava Chair Professor, is internationally recognised for his pioneering work on S-duality, the precise counting of black hole entropy and string field theory, which have helped shape modern string theory, the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences.

Mr. Sen delivered the 2026 Oskar Klein Memorial Lecture, titled ‘Gravity from Strings and Strings from Gravity’, at Stockholm University’s AlbaNova Centre on October 22. He received the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics in 2012 for his contributions to establishing the unifying structure of string theory and the Dirac Medal in 2014.

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His other Honours - The Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2013.

Centre introduces AI-based verification upgrade in attendance app for rural jobs scheme

With an aim to plug the gaps that allegedly allowed misuse of the mobile-based application used to capture workers’ attendance under the rural employment programme, Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB-G-RAM-G), Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that an upgraded version with AI-based verification and other enhanced security features that safeguard against tampering and fraudulent attendance, will be used. Face authentication was introduced in March 2026 as the Ministry’s response to concerns over fake attendance, under MGNREGA, that preceded the current rural programme.

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Centre introduces AI-based verification upgrade in attendance app for rural jobs scheme

The latest version includes safeguards against cloning and tampering, along with liveness detection. These features are designed to verify that the person appearing before the camera is a real, live worker rather than a dummy image or an old photograph. AI-based face verification has also been refined to account for differences across States and geographical regions.

Apart from this, the government has also put in place a “multi-layered verification system” to ensure that payments correspond to genuine work. The system includes an AI-based photo de-duplication module that identifies suspicious or repeated photographs. In areas where network connectivity is unavailable at a worksite, attendance can be recorded offline. An authorised exception mechanism is also available when face authentication fails for elderly workers or persons with disabilities, or when a mobile device encounters technical problems.

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Assam government to present 1st Bhupen Hazarika National Award to Usha Mangeshkar

The Assam government will present the inaugural 'Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika National Award' to eminent singer Usha Mangeshkar in recognition of her outstanding contributions to Indian music and her association with the maestro's works. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will present the award at the concluding ceremony of the singer's year-long birth centenary celebrations at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on November 29. The award will be given every three years to an internationally or nationally recognised figure in music, arts or cinema, and comprises Rs.10 lakh in cash and a citation.

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Assam government to present 1st Bhupen Hazarika National Award to Usha Mangeshkar

The prime minister had also released a commemorative coin of Rs100 brought out by the Reserve Bank of India to honour the singer, and also a biography of the maestro, titled 'Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika', on the occasion.

Hazarika was born on September 8, 1926, in Sadiya in the Tinsukia district of Assam. He died on November 5, 2011, in Mumbai. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2019.

The cabinet, meanwhile, also approved increasing the cash prize amount for the prestigious 'Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev Award' to Rs 15 lakh to reflect its stature as a premier cultural honour.

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Dr. Bhupen Hazarika was popularly called the Bard of Bard of the Brahmaputra.

England's Bodhana Sivanandan becomes International Master at age of 11, breaks 38-year-old record

Indian-origin English chess player Bodhana Sivanandan has become the youngest female International Master (IM) at the age of 11, breaking a 38-year-old record set by Judit Polgar.

Sivanandan, who hails from Harrow in north London, needed only a few rating points to qualify for the open IM title and break Polgar's record, while also securing a place among the 10 youngest IMs of all time. Bodhana delivered a fantastic performance, scoring 5.5/7 on Board 1 for She Plays to Win Lionesses, making her the youngest female player in history to earn the IM title

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Greece passes social media ban for children under 15

Greece’s Parliament approved a bill that bans the ‌use of social media ​platforms for children under ⁠15 amid growing concerns over their impact on the health ‌and safety of minors. The ban comes ‌into force on ‌January ⁠1, 2027.

Australia was ⁠the first country to pass legislation to curb the use of ​social media ‌by minors, doing so last year. A similar law passed in France was ‌struck down by ​the country’s Constitutional Council in August. Greek Prime ⁠Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said social media platforms have 2-1/2 ‌months to devise a way to verify users’ ages and protect their privacy.

Greece is among seven European Union countries ‌seeking an age verification solution with ​the European Commission

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Ladakh becomes India’s first fully organic union territory

Ladakh has become India’s first fully organic Union Territory marking a major step in the region’s drive to eliminate chemical fertilisers , protect its fragile Himalayan ecosystem and promote sustainable agriculture. Before the latest announcement, 207 revenue villages had been brought under organic certification. Under the Mission Organic Development Initiative (MODI), launched in 2020, Ladakh aims to convert all 666 villages into certified organic hubs. The Rs 500-crore initiative includes support for bio-fertiliser production, seed distribution, protected cultivation and marketing of organic produce. Agriculture in Ladakh is shaped by its high-altitude, cold-desert climate and short growing season. Farmers cultivate crops including barley, wheat, peas, buckwheat, foxtail millet and mustard seed, alongside vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, tomato, onion, carrot, potato, radish, turnip and leafy greens.

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Lieutenant Governor - Vinai Kumar Saxena

RBI revises bank leverage ratio norms, new framework effective April 2027

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) revised the leverage ratio framework for banks, changing the requirements for calculating exposure measures and disclosures. The amended directions will come into effect from April 1, 2027. Under the revised norms, the minimum leverage ratio will be 4 per cent for domestic systemically important banks (D-SIBs) and 3.5 per cent for other banks. Indian branches of global systemically important banks (G-SIBs) will have to maintain a leverage ratio of 3.5 per cent plus the applicable leverage ratio buffer, including any additional buffer prescribed by their home regulator. The amendments are aimed at aligning the framework with the leverage ratio standard issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in 2017.

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RBI revises bank leverage ratio norms, new framework effective April 2027

The revised directions specify the treatment of on-balance-sheet assets, derivative exposures, securities financing transactions and off-balance-sheet items.

For on-balance-sheet exposures, banks will generally have to use gross accounting values. They will not be allowed to offset assets and liabilities or reduce exposures by using collateral and guarantees, except where specifically permitted under the directions.

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Currency in circulation growth hits five-year high

Growth in the currency in circulation (CiC) has hit a five-year high owing to deposits under Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank), or FCNR(B), resulting in a robust increase in reserve money, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) “State of the Economy” report.

According to the latest data, the CIC was at Rs 43.46 trillion as on October 15, showing a growth rate of 13.5 per cent year-on-year.

Reserve money grew at 10.3 per cent year-on-year to Rs 53.24 trillion.

Reserve money (adjusted for CRR) expanded at a robust pace with growth in currency in circulation recording its highest print over the past five years as on September 30, 2026.

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Currency in circulation growth hits five-year high

Following the introduction on June 8 of a special dollar-rupee forex-swap facility covering FCNR(B) deposits, external commercial borrowing, and overseas foreign-currency borrowing,  banks had mobilised $133 billion FCNR(B) deposits till August 31, the day the window closed.

The central bank starting to drain liquidity, growth in reserve money would be contained. The report further highlighted that the Indian economy had withstood global shocks with high-frequency indicators going up. India’s external sector was resilient. The report further said the RBI had taken steps to curb speculative activities in the foreign-exchange market. The report said that despite being a net energy importer, growth in gross domestic product had been supported by sustained domestic demand and services. The retail inflation rate edged up over the months and showed signs of greater generalisation across commodities, calling for a commensurate change in monetary policy.

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Ramsar Sites in India

India’s network of Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention has expanded nearly fourfold since 2014. It has grown from 26 to 103 designated sites covering over 13.87 lakh hectares. Ranking first in Asia and third globally, these ecosystems safeguard biodiversity, buffer floods, recharge groundwater, and sustain livelihoods. Anchored by the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, the Government of India drives scientific and participatory conservation through the National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA), Amrit Dharohar, MISHTI, and Mission Sahbhagita to secure long-term ecological resilience. Globally, these habitats are protected under the Convention on Wetlands or the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental treaty. It was adopted at Ramsar, Iran, on 2 February 1971 and entered into force in 1975. As on October 2026, it now includes 172 Contracting Parties and over 2,536 designated "Ramsar Sites" worldwide.

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Ramsar Sites in India

India’s Ramsar Sites span high-altitude lakes, river floodplains, mangroves, coral reefs, village tanks and urban marshes. Tamil Nadu has the highest number with 20 sites, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 14 sites. Growth has been rapid, and in 2025 alone, 11 wetlands were added, taking the national total to 96. Surha Tal in Uttar Pradesh became the 100th site in June 2026, and Glaw Lake the 101st in August. India’s Ramsar site tally has reached 103 on October 15, 2026, with the designation of Sukhna Wetland in Chandigarh and Sauj Jheel in Uttar Pradesh as the latest additions to the list.

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