Sep 28 – Oct 04
India's First Free-Space Quantum Key Distribution Link: Secret Keys Sent 5.56 km Through Open Air
India carried out its first field test of a free-space quantum key distribution (QKD) link over 5.56 km. 'Free-space' means the signal trave...
Next-Gen GST: Rate Cuts Done, Process Reforms Next: How India's GST Is Being Rebuilt
The Union Finance Ministry set out the government's view of 'Next-Gen GST', the second big round of reform of the Goods and Services Tax (GS...
Mass Deletion of Voters Is Arbitrary, Says a Supreme Court Judge: Adult Suffrage, Article 14 and the SIR Explained
On 4 October 2026, Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, speaking at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, said any process that removes ...
Rabi MSP for 2027-28: Why a Farmers' Body Rejected It, and the C2 Cost Debate Explained
On 30 September 2026, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) raised the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of all six rabi (winter) crops...
GST Council May End IGST Exemption on Gold, Silver and Platinum Imports by Banks and Nominated Agencies
The GST Council may withdraw the exemption from Integrated GST (IGST) that banks and government-nominated agencies get when they import gold...
RBI Signals Interest Rates May Stay High for Longer as Global Risks Rise
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has hinted that interest rates in India may stay high for a longer time, instead of being cut soon. Markets ...
GST Council to Take Up Compliance Reforms: E-Commerce Registration, Credit Protection and Fewer Small Disputes
The GST Council was set to consider a package of process reforms at its meeting on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, as part of the wider 'GST 2.0'...
Rabi MSPs for 2027-28: Wheat Gets Only ₹25 More, Oilseeds and Pulses Get Bigger Hikes
On 30 September 2026, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved higher Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for all six rabi (winte...
Next-Generation GST After One Year: Lower Rates, Wider Tax Base and the Push for Simpler Compliance
A recent review of the next-generation GST reform (often called 'GST 2.0') looked at its results about one year after the new rates began on...
India Tests a 5.56 km Free-Space Quantum Key Distribution Link in Gandhinagar
An Indian startup, QNu Labs, worked with BISAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics) and IIT Gand...
RBI Likely to Raise the Repo Rate in October 2026 as West Asia Crisis Pushes Up Inflation
A poll of 16 economists and bankers found that most expect the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to raise the repo rate by 0.25 percentage points ...
Mass Exclusion from Voter Lists Is "Intrinsically Arbitrary": Supreme Court Judge on the Right to Vote, Article 14 and Basic Structure
Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan gave the closing (valedictory) address at the 19th NALSAR Justice B.R. Sawhny Memorial Moot Court C...
First Agniveer Batch Completes Its Term: Armed Forces Suggest Changes to the Agnipath Scheme
The first batch of Agniveers (young soldiers recruited for four years under the Agnipath scheme) will finish its four-year term in October 2...
GST Council to Discuss Removing Arrest Powers: Decriminalisation of Tax Law Explained
The Centre and the states are considering removing the power of GST officers to arrest taxpayers under the GST law. The proposal is expected...
GST Council to Consider Big Compliance Reforms: Easier Registration for Online Sellers, Safer Credit for Honest Buyers, Fewer Small Disputes
The GST Council is expected to look at a set of procedural reforms (changes in the process of paying and filing tax, not in tax rates) as pa...
GST Council May End Officers' Arrest Powers and Raise the Prosecution Threshold to ₹5 Crore
The GST Council is likely to consider a major change in how GST law is enforced at its meeting on 7 October 2026 (its 57th meeting). The mai...
India-Chile CEPA Talks: Critical Minerals Become the Main Sticking Point
India and Chile want to finish talks on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) by the end of 2026, but they disagree on criti...
India and Canada Hold the Fifth Round of CEPA Talks: Aiming for a Trade Deal by End-2026
India and Canada are holding the fifth round of talks for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in Ottawa, from 5 to 9 Octob...
GST Law Committee Proposes Higher Prosecution Threshold and Shorter Jail Terms; Council to Decide on Arrest Powers
The GST Council's Law Committee has proposed changes to the criminal (jail-related) provisions of the GST law. The proposals will go before ...
Iran Links Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to Seven Conditions Under the Islamabad MoU
Iran's Parliament Speaker stated on 4 October 2026 that the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until seven Iranian conditions are met. These c...
India and Canada Begin Fifth Round of CEPA Trade Talks in Ottawa
The chief negotiators of India and Canada begin the fifth round of talks on a proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) i...
First Captive-Bred Great Indian Bustards Released into the Wild at Desert National Park
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) released two male Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) into the wild at Sam, i...
Environment Ministry Resumes Processing of Pending Post-Facto Environmental Clearances: What the Law Says
On 30 September 2026, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) wrote to its central and state expert panels. It...
Rabi MSP for 2027-28: Why Farmers' Groups Want the C2+50% Formula
On 30 September 2026, the Union Cabinet approved Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for six rabi (winter-sown) crops for the 2027-28 marketing se...
Tejas Delays, the 114-Jet MRFA Deal and Theatre Commands: What the IAF Chief Flagged
At a press conference ahead of Air Force Day on 3 October 2026, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, said long delays i...
Five New Centres of Excellence for Classical Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Pali and Prakrit
The Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, has approved five Centres of Excellence (CoEs) for the study of five classical la...
Jal Arpan: Over 1,850 Villages Take Charge of Their Water Supply Schemes under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0
On Gandhi Jayanti (2 October 2026), more than 1,850 Gram Panchayats and villages observed Jal Arpan during Special Gram Sabhas (village asse...
India Demonstrates Its First 5.56 km Free-Space Quantum Key Distribution Link
India demonstrated its first free-space Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) link over 5.56 km. 'Free-space' means the quantum signal travelled th...
IAF Chief Rules Out a Separate Drone Force: Why Drones Must Fight Alongside Fighter Jets
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, said drones are 'evolutionary, not revolutionary' for the Indian Air Force (IAF). ...
IAF Chief Flags Delays in Indigenous Aircraft Programmes: Why Fewer Projects and Faster Delivery Matter
At the annual press conference before Air Force Day (8 October), the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, said delays in in...
Uttarakhand Publishes Final Voter List After SIR: 71.58 Lakh Electors, About 8 Lakh Fewer Than Before
Uttarakhand's final electoral roll (the official voter list) was published on 3 October 2026, after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of ...
RBI Governor Sets Out Five Priorities to Protect Financial Stability
The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Sanjay Malhotra, gave a special address on 'Preserving Financial Stability in an Evolving W...
Western Ghats ESA: Mapping in Kodagu and Udupi Shows Most Proposed Area Is Already Protected
A citizen-led group, the Paani Earth Foundation, mapped the villages proposed as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) in two Karnataka distr...
IRDAI Proposes to Reset Insurance Commissions: Curbing Mis-selling and Putting the Customer First
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) released a consultation paper (a draft for public comments) titled 'Reca...
Sawalkote and New Hydropower Projects in J&K: What They Mean Under the Indus Waters Treaty
The Union Power Secretary said the Centre is considering new hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir, including the Sawalkote project on th...
RBI Warns Against Complacency on Financial Stability: Macroprudential Policy, NPAs and the FSDC Explained
The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Sanjay Malhotra, spoke at the Kautilya Economic Conclave in New Delhi on 3 October 2026. He...
Andhra Pradesh Moves Supreme Court over BC Quota in Local Body Polls: The 50% Ceiling and the Triple Test Explained
The Andhra Pradesh government has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court. It challenges a judgment of the Andhra Pradesh ...
Ukraine Open to India's Ceasefire Proposal: Energy and Black Sea Truce Explained
Ukraine's Foreign Minister said Ukraine is ready to consider a ceasefire proposal put forward by India. Ukraine has received four ceasefire ...
Ukraine Calls India's Peace Proposal "Most Comprehensive": India's Role in a Black Sea Energy and Shipping Truce
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said four proposals are being discussed to reduce or end the Russia-Ukraine war, and described India's...
India's Growing Glacial Lake Flood Risk: Lessons Three Years After the Sikkim GLOF
Three years have passed since the 4 October 2023 disaster in Sikkim, when a huge landslide fell into South Lhonak lake and caused a Glacial ...
MRFA Deal for 114 Rafale Jets May Be Finalised This Year: India's Fighter Gap Explained
The Chief of the Air Staff said India may finalise the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) deal within the current financial year (2026–27, w...
Five New Centres of Excellence for Classical Languages: Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Pali and Prakrit
The Union Ministry of Education has approved setting up five Centres of Excellence (CoEs) for the study of five classical languages: Assames...
Tigers Return to Buxa: How India Brings Tigers Back to an Empty Forest
A three-year-old tigress, code-named T138, was shifted from Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar to Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal. She was rel...
Carbon Debt and the BRICS View on Fossil Fuels: Why Historical Emissions Matter at COP31
With about a month left for COP31 (the 31st UN climate summit, to be held in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026), the idea of 'car...
G20 Trade Ministers Debate Government-Backed Overcapacity: What It Means for India and World Trade
The G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA), from 30 September to 1 October 2026, under the United States' G20 P...
RBI Stays Cautious on Crypto but Backs Blockchain and Tokenisation: What It Means
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said India will continue its cautious approach towards cryptocurrencies. The Governor spoke at the 5th Kauti...
Katra-Banihal Speed Limit Raised to 100 kmph: Vande Bharat Crosses Chenab and Anji Bridges
The maximum permitted speed on the 111-km Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to Banihal section in Jammu and Kashmir has been raised to 100 kmph. ...
Special Intensive Revision of Voter Lists: Rising Deletions, Restoration Drive and the Law on Electoral Rolls
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls (voter lists) by the Election Commission of India (ECI) has now covered 30 States an...
Green Energy Corridor Phase-III: ₹1.86 Lakh Crore Plan for State Power Lines and 50 GWh of Battery Storage
The Union Cabinet has approved Green Energy Corridor Phase-III (GEC-III). It will build intra-state transmission lines (power lines inside e...
New Rules for the National Tribunals Commission: One Common System to Appoint Tribunal Heads and Members
The Union Law Ministry has framed the National Tribunals Commission and Qualification, Selection and Conditions of Service of Chairperson an...
GOBARdhan Scheme Formally Launched: A 10-Fold Jump in Compressed Biogas and India's Natural Gas Goal
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas formally launched the ₹23,731-crore GOBARdhan scheme at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. It aims to rai...
RoDTEP Extended to December 2026 and ECGC Export Cover Raised to 95%: How India Is Shielding Exporters from the West Asia Crisis
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry extended the RoDTEP scheme (Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products) until 31 December 2026...
PMEGP May Be Extended Till 2030-31 With a ₹15,000 Crore Outlay and Easier Norms for First-Time Entrepreneurs
The Union government is examining a proposal to extend the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) for five more years, up ...
India Opposes Making the WTO's Most-Favoured-Nation Rule Conditional at the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting
The G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA) from 30 September to 1 October 2026, hosted by the US Trade Represen...
Mahanadi Water Dispute: Odisha and Chhattisgarh Move Towards a Negotiated Settlement
A high-level meeting on the Mahanadi river water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh was held in New Delhi on 1 October 2026, chaired by...
From Drone Maps to Registered Titles: Madhya Pradesh Uses SVAMITVA to Formalise Rural Property
Madhya Pradesh has launched the Swamitva Adhikar Abhilekh Nishpadan evam Panjiyan Yojana, 2026. It takes the rural property rights already r...
Samudra Manthan: India's ₹84,084-Crore Mission to Find Oil and Gas Under the Sea
India is pushing its search for oil and natural gas into deeper waters. The focus is on the Mahanadi basin off Odisha, the Andaman-Nicobar r...
Urea Subsidy: Why Farmers Pay About ₹242 for a Bag That Costs Much More
The Union Finance Ministry said that the Centre is paying a subsidy (government support that lowers the price) of about ₹2,700 on every bag ...
Gujarat's Uniform Civil Code Gets the President's Assent: What It Means and How the Process Works
The President of India has given her assent (formal approval) to the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026. The assent was given on 17 Septe...
RoDTEP Export Tax Refund Scheme Extended Till 31 December 2026: How India Supports Its Exporters
The government has extended the RoDTEP scheme (Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products) by three months, until 31 December 2026. ...
FPO Ships Frozen Food from Haryana to Canada: How Farmer Groups and APEDA Link Farms to World Markets
A 24-metric-tonne consignment of frozen food products was flagged off from Sonipat, Haryana, on 1 October 2026 for export to Canada. The exp...
One Nation, One Election Panel's Planned Supreme Court Visit: Why Separation of Powers Became the Issue
The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the 'One Nation, One Election' Bills had planned a visit to the Supreme Court on 6 October...
India and Australia Push to Speed Up the CECA Trade Deal and Review the ECTA
India's Commerce and Industry Minister met Australia's Minister for Trade and Tourism on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting i...
India-Canada CEPA Talks Speed Up: Fifth Round in Ottawa, Goal of About $70 Billion Trade in Five Years
India and Canada will hold the fifth round of negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in Ottawa, starting on 5...
TRISHNA: India and France Fast-Track a Satellite to Map Earth's Water and Heat
India's Union Minister of State for Science and Technology met France's Minister for Higher Education, Research and Space on 28 September 20...
India and UAE Aim for $200 Billion Trade by 2032: Local Currencies, Payment Links and Digital Currencies
India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) held the 14th meeting of the India-UAE High Level Joint Task Force on Investments in Mumbai on 28 S...
India-US Trade Talks: Interim Deal, Section 301 Probes and the New US Russia Sanctions Law
India and the US are expected to focus on the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) and an interim deal when the Union Commerce Minister meets the...
Commerce Minister's US Visit: G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting and India-US Trade Deal Talks
The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry will visit the United States from 29 September to 5 October 2026. He will attend the G20 Trade M...
India and UAE Speed Up Rupee-Dirham Trade and UPI Payment Links
India and the UAE agreed to speed up work on settling their trade in their own currencies (Indian rupee and UAE dirham) and on linking their...
UAE Signals USD 25 Billion More Investment in India; Trade Target Set at USD 200 Billion by 2032
The 14th meeting of the India-UAE High Level Joint Task Force on Investments was held in Mumbai on 28 September 2026. It is co-chaired by In...
UN Adopts Its First Declaration on Sea-Level Rise: Island Nations Keep Statehood and Sea Zones
The UN General Assembly adopted its first-ever declaration on sea-level rise on 24 September 2026. It was adopted by acclamation (general ag...
Insurance for Fish Farmers: How PM-MKSSY Protects Aquaculture Against Disease and Disasters
The Government highlighted how the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY) is helping aquaculture (fish farming) farmers ...
J&K Assembly Passes Resolution Seeking Full Statehood: How a Union Territory Can Become a State Again
On 28 September 2026, the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) passed a resolution asking the Government o...
UAE Signals $25 Billion More Investment in India: CEPA, Rupee Trade and Energy Security
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has signalled an additional $25 billion of investment intent in India. This was announced around the 14th mee...
COP31 in Antalya: Why Hosts Türkiye and Australia Face Pressure on Fossil Fuel Language
COP31, the 31st UN climate conference, will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026. The two countries leading it, Türkiye a...
SIR Under Scrutiny: Mass Deletions, Pending Appeals and Reported Dissent Inside the Election Commission
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls (a house-to-house re-check of the voter list) is facing fresh questions over large-s...
Medium Transport Aircraft Deal: C-130J-30 vs C-390 in the Race to Replace the IAF's Ageing AN-32 Fleet
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is choosing a new Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) to replace its ageing Soviet-era AN-32 aircraft and, over time,...
Iran Completes the Chabahar-Zahedan Railway, Opening a New Land Route for India to Central Asia
Iran has finished laying tracks on the Chabahar-Zahedan railway line, a roughly 630 to 730 kilometre line connecting Chabahar Port on Iran's...
India Builds a Carbon Market at Home as the EU's Carbon Border Tax Bites
The European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), a charge on the carbon pollution released while making certain imported good...
J&K Assembly to Debate a Resolution on Restoring Statehood: Articles 370, 35A and the Constitutional Route
On 25 September 2026, the Jammu and Kashmir government moved a resolution in the Union Territory's Legislative Assembly. It asks the Governm...