Daily Current Affairs · 10 October 2026

Correct answer: A. Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change

1. WHO’s 2026 campaign uses Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change for 10 October.
2. It calls for people with lived experience of mental health conditions to participate in policy and service decisions, rather than merely share personal stories.
3. Meaningful involvement includes co-designing services, peer support and evaluating whether care responds to users’ needs.
4. India’s Tele-MANAS, launched on 10 October 2022, offers round-the-clock mental health assistance through 14416.
5. Exam connection: distinguish the annual observance date, the year-specific theme and the Indian helpline. The other options relate to earlier campaign themes.

Correct answer: B. Mali

1. India and Mali marked World Cotton Day at UN Headquarters in New York on 7 October 2026.
2. The event connected cotton production with sustainable livelihoods, processing and cooperation along textile value chains.
3. Cotton supports farmers, textile workers and traditional crafts. Value addition means processing raw cotton into products with greater economic value.
4. World Cotton Day is observed on 7 October; the UN General Assembly recognised the day through Resolution 75/318.
5. Static link: Mali is a landlocked West African country, with Bamako as its capital. Do not confuse the partner country with the event venue, the United States.

Correct answer: C. Rs 3 lakh

1. The minimum settlement amount under SEBI’s 2026 regulations is Rs 3 lakh for a first-time applicant and Rs 7 lakh for others.
2. The official notification is dated 6 October 2026 and was published in the Gazette on 8 October. The rules take effect on the day succeeding the 30th day from Gazette notification.
3. The regulations govern settlement of eligible administrative and civil proceedings under securities laws. This is different from the settlement cycle for trading shares.
4. Regulation 10 determines the settlement amount using the prescribed calculation. A minimum is a floor, not a promise that every case can be settled for that sum.
5. The regulator is SEBI. Eligibility, the nature of the default and the applicable conditions must be checked in the regulations; the monetary amount alone does not guarantee settlement.

Correct answer: D. 99%

1. RBI increased the minimum daily maintenance from 90% to 99% of the required CRR, effective 16 October 2026.
2. The circular is dated 9 October 2026. It reduces banks’ flexibility to hold substantially lower reserve balances on individual days.
3. This changes the daily maintenance percentage, not the overall CRR rate. CRR remains a proportion of net demand and time liabilities maintained with RBI.
4. Example: if required CRR is Rs 100 crore, the daily minimum becomes Rs 99 crore, compared with Rs 90 crore previously. The fortnightly average must still meet the full prescribed requirement.
5. Exam trap: 99% does not mean banks must deposit 99% of all deposits with RBI. It is 99% of the calculated CRR requirement.

Correct answer: A. West Bengal

1. West Bengal approved the Bhagini Nivedita Scheme for support to unmarried women pursuing higher education.
2. The announced assistance totals Rs 50,000 over three years: Rs 17,000 in each of the first two years and Rs 16,000 in the third.
3. Statewide implementation is scheduled for January 2027. Cabinet approval and actual benefit disbursal are different stages.
4. Educational grants can reduce financial barriers to continuing a degree; this is the policy purpose rather than a guarantee of admission or employment.
5. Do not invent application dates, income limits or documents. Detailed operational eligibility must be checked against the government’s eventual guidelines.

Correct answer: B. Madhya Pradesh

1. Satpura Tiger Reserve is in Madhya Pradesh; the October update records approximately 303 hard-ground Barasingha.
2. The population recovery programme began in 2015 through translocation from Kanha National Park.
3. Reintroduction establishes a species in a part of its former range. Translocation refers to deliberately moving animals between locations for conservation.
4. Suitable grasslands, protection and breeding are necessary for recovery; wildlife corridors can improve movement and genetic exchange between groups.
5. Static link: both Satpura and Kanha are in Madhya Pradesh. The population figure is an approximate dated estimate, not a permanent species count.

Correct answer: C. Gujarat

1. Ambaji Mohanthal, a traditional temple prasad, is associated with Gujarat.
2. The GI registry lists application number 1228, the Shree Arasuri Ambaji Mata Devsthan Trust as applicant and Class 30 for food stuffs.
3. The official register records a certificate date of 1 October 2026. Registration, announcement and ceremonial handover dates need not be identical.
4. A geographical indication identifies goods whose qualities, reputation or other characteristics are linked to their geographical origin.
5. GI protection concerns the registered geographical identity; it does not mean that every similarly named sweet made elsewhere is the registered product.

Correct answer: D. Justice K V Viswanathan

1. Justice K V Viswanathan chairs the Standing Committee on Judicial Well-being constituted by the Supreme Court.
2. Chief Justice Surya Kant initiated it on 10 October 2026, coinciding with World Mental Health Day.
3. Its focus includes occupational stress, workload and the mental and physical well-being of judicial officers.
4. The multidisciplinary composition brings legal, psychiatric, psychological and administrative perspectives to welfare measures.
5. Exam distinction: the Chief Justice constituted the committee, while Justice Viswanathan chairs it. Welfare support contributes to sustainable functioning of the justice system.

Correct answer: A. 9 to 15 October

1. National Postal Week 2026 is observed from 9 to 15 October across India.
2. It begins with World Post Day on 9 October, highlighting communication, parcel delivery and financial inclusion through the postal network.
3. The programme includes philately on 12 October, financial inclusion and CCS on 13 October, mails and parcels on 14 October and technology and innovation on 15 October.
4. Philately is the collection and study of postage stamps; it connects postal history with culture and education.
5. Remember the week separately from World Post Day. The latter marks the Universal Postal Union’s founding in Berne on 9 October 1874.

Correct answer: B. Panama

1. The US Geological Survey recorded a magnitude 7.7 earthquake near Pitaloza Arriba, Panama, on 9 October 2026.
2. The listed epicentre is about 12 km west-southwest of Pitaloza Arriba, with a depth of 12.6 km.
3. Magnitude measures the earthquake’s size; shaking intensity describes effects at a particular place. They are related but different measures.
4. An epicentre is the surface point above the earthquake’s origin. Shallow earthquakes can cause severe local shaking, depending on distance and building conditions.
5. Static link: Panama connects Central and South America, and Panama City is its capital. The Panama Canal links Atlantic and Pacific shipping routes.

Correct answer: C. Katie Zacharia

1. Katie Zacharia was announced as the next White House press secretary by President Donald Trump on 9 October 2026.
2. She is an attorney and political commentator with experience in communications, including a role at the Department of Homeland Security.
3. The announcement identifies her as successor to Karoline Leavitt. Naming a successor and the precise date of assuming office should be distinguished.
4. The press secretary communicates the US administration’s positions to the media and conducts press briefings.
5. Exam connection: White House refers to the US presidential administration, based in Washington, DC; it is different from the US Congress.

Correct answer: D. Gaurav Yadav

1. Gaurav Yadav, a 1992-batch IPS officer, was appointed Punjab’s regular Director General of Police on 9 October 2026.
2. He had held the position in an officiating capacity since July 2022; the regular appointment ends the prolonged interim arrangement.
3. The appointment followed consideration of a UPSC-empanelled group of eligible officers.
4. The order provides a minimum tenure of two years from assuming charge, linked to Supreme Court directions on police reforms.
5. Exam distinction: an officiating appointment is temporary charge, while a regular appointment fills the post formally. DGP stands for Director General of Police.

Correct answer: A. Adopt, Adapt and Advance

1. The World Bank’s World Development Report 2026, titled The Promise of Artificial Intelligence, recommends Adopt, Adapt and Advance.
2. Adopt means using available AI tools; adapt means making them suitable for local languages, institutions and development needs.
3. Advance means progressively strengthening domestic capability rather than assuming every economy must immediately build frontier AI models.
4. Benefits require reliable power, connectivity, computing, usable data, skills and accountable governance.
5. Exam link: WDR is a World Bank publication. AI readiness depends on complementary infrastructure and institutions, not merely the number of AI applications.

Correct answer: B. USD 4.1 billion

1. The World Bank reports India’s private AI investment at USD 4.1 billion in 2025, compared with USD 1.2 billion in 2024.
2. Its India Development Update, released on 6 October 2026, includes the special focus India and Artificial Intelligence: Seizing the Development Opportunity.
3. India is among the top ten leading emerging-market performers in AI readiness; this is not a claim that India ranks tenth among all countries.
4. Global Capability Centre employment rose from 1.9 million professionals in 2024 to 2.36 million in 2025.
5. The report stresses workforce skills, wider access, infrastructure and a supportive business environment. Long-term labour-market outcomes remain uncertain.

Correct answer: C. 15

1. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presented the SIDM Champion Awards 2026 to 15 organisations.
2. The ceremony took place at SIDM’s eighth annual session in New Delhi on 9 October 2026.
3. SIDM stands for Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers. The awards recognise contributions such as indigenous design, innovation and manufacturing.
4. India’s defence exports reached Rs 38,424 crore in FY2025-26, according to the Defence Ministry release.
5. The policy emphasis is on private participation, research investment and domestic production. Indigenisation includes developing capabilities and reducing reliance on imported systems.

Correct answer: D. Cochin Shipyard Limited

1. Cochin Shipyard Limited built Mangrol, its third Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft for the Indian Navy.
2. Commissioning is scheduled for 12 October 2026 at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. At the date of this update, it is a forthcoming event.
3. The vessel is named after Mangrol, a coastal town and fishing harbour in Gujarat, and has over 80% indigenous content.
4. Its equipment includes Abhay hull-mounted sonar and the Maareech torpedo-decoy system; waterjet propulsion supports shallow-water manoeuvrability.
5. ASW means anti-submarine warfare. The building shipyard is in Kochi, the ceremony is in Mumbai, and the namesake location is in Gujarat.

Correct answer: A. Goa Shipyard Limited

1. Goa Shipyard Limited built ICGS Ajit for the Indian Coast Guard. The October news update concerns its commissioning.
2. The Defence Ministry separately documented the vessel’s handover on 25 August 2026; handover and commissioning are different milestones.
3. The official handover release gives a length of 51.43 metres, displacement of 330 tonnes and more than 65% indigenous content.
4. The vessel supports fisheries protection, EEZ surveillance, patrolling, anti-smuggling and search-and-rescue missions.
5. Exam distinction: ICGS identifies a Coast Guard ship, whereas INS is used for Indian Navy ships. Ajit is a fast patrol vessel; Mangrol is an ASW shallow-water craft.

Correct answer: B. Ahmedabad

1. Ahmedabad will host the BRICS Traditional and Indigenous Sports Demonstration Games on 12 October 2026.
2. The venue is the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, and the programme is organised by the Sports Ministry with the Gujarat government.
3. Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is scheduled to inaugurate the event under India’s BRICS Chairship.
4. Indian disciplines include Mallakhamb, Yogasana and Kalaripayattu, with other countries showcasing their own traditional practices.
5. It is a culturally focused demonstration event promoting heritage and exchange. Do not confuse Ahmedabad with Visakhapatnam, which hosted the earlier BRICS Sports Ministers’ Meeting.

Correct answer: D. South Africa

1. Navanethem Navi Pillay, from South Africa, received the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for promoting peace and international law.
2. The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the award on 9 October 2026, recognising her contribution to international justice and accountability.
3. She is of Indian Tamil descent and was born in Durban; ancestry should not be confused with the country identified for the laureate.
4. She served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014 and worked with international criminal tribunals.
5. The Peace Prize is selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee and presented in Oslo. Pillay’s legal career links human rights, justice and peaceful resolution of conflicts.

Correct answer: B. National Medal of Technology and Innovation

1. Satya Nadella and Michael Dell received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in the October 2026 awards announcement.
2. The reported ceremony on 8 October honoured six technology leaders under two separate national medal categories.
3. Elon Musk, Sergey Brin, Jensen Huang and Lisa Su were named for the National Medal of Science.
4. Nadella is associated with Microsoft and Dell with Dell Technologies. Their recognition concerns contributions to technology and industrial innovation.
5. Exam trap: the two medal categories are different. Match Nadella and Dell with Technology and Innovation rather than automatically assigning all six recipients to the Science medal.