Daily Current Affairs (DCA) 15 October, 2026

Context of the News

The 10th National Convention of Agrivision 2026 was held in New Delhi on 13-14 October. The theme running through it was India’s shift from production-centric agriculture to market-oriented agri-food value chains.

What Is Agrivision?

• A national agricultural convention
• It brings together students, scientists, policymakers, entrepreneurs and farmers
• The focus areas are innovation, agricultural education, entrepreneurship and farmer-centric development

Who Organised It?

• Agrivision, under the ICAR Agricultural Education Division
• Venue: the ICAR-NASC Complex, Pusa, New Delhi

What Is the Aim?

• Strengthen collaboration among agricultural stakeholders
• Promote market-driven agriculture
• Improve farmer profitability through innovation and value addition

Context of the News

At a Soybean Harvest Day organised by ICAR-National Soybean Research Institute, Indore, two new varieties — NRC 268 and NRC 270 — showed preliminary yields of about 20 quintals per hectare.

What Are They?

• High-yielding, climate-resilient soybean (Glycine max) varieties
• Developed by ICAR-NSRI, Indore, Madhya Pradesh
• Meant to raise farm productivity, seed quality and returns for oilseed growers

What Are Their Key Traits?

• Climate and disease resilience — better tolerance of irregular rainfall, dry spells, pests and diseases
• NRC 270 is bold-seeded — larger grains, higher seed weight, better market value
• High oil and protein content — supporting both edible oil extraction and protein-rich soybean meal for livestock feed
• Suited to Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, mainly in the kharif season

Context of the News

Only four individuals of the endangered Jeypore ground gecko have been recorded in the past year in Odisha’s Balda hills — inside the site of a proposed bauxite mining project.

What Is the Jeypore Ground Gecko?

• A nocturnal lizard, about 3.6 inches long
• Comparatively large head, yellow-orange body, strikingly patterned
• Lives in rock crevices and under leaf litter
• Found in the Eastern Ghats of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh

Important Facts for Exams

• The Indian Army launched Bharat Rice to supply quality rice to Army Supply Depots, including remote areas of Ladakh and the Northeast.
• The Directorate General of Supplies and Transport (DGST) is leading the initiative.
• The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) will procure and supply rice in 10 kg and 30 kg bags during Financial Year 2026–27.
• The Army signed a five-year, extendable Memorandum of Understanding with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to use its infrastructure, equipment and trained manpower during operational contingencies.

Context of the News

SEBI will soon issue a circular expanding the framework for Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs). The change is expected to raise the pool of accredited investors from 1 lakh to about 4 lakh.

What Are AIFs?

• Privately pooled investment vehicles
• They raise money from institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals
• They invest in alternative asset classes — unlisted securities and other non-traditional investments
• Because they hold complex and often illiquid assets, they carry higher risk
• So they follow a separate regulatory framework from retail products such as mutual funds

Important Facts for Exams

• AIFs are regulated under the SEBI (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012
• Three categories:
  • Category I — venture capital, SME, social venture and infrastructure funds; government-encouraged sectors
  • Category II — private equity and debt funds; no special incentives and no leverage
  • Category III — hedge funds and funds using complex trading strategies; may use leverage
• Minimum investment in an AIF: ₹1 crore, reduced to ₹25 lakh for employees and directors of the fund
• Minimum corpus: ₹20 crore, or ₹10 crore for an angel fund

Context of the News

The Archaeological Survey of India announced that the missing head of the 11th-century Vishnu idol at Khajuraho’s Javari Temple has been traced in an ASI store — ending a dispute that had reached the Supreme Court.

What Is the Javari Temple?

• A compact, finely sculpted Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu
• Part of the Khajuraho Group of Monuments, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986
• Located in the Eastern Group of Temples, Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh

Important Facts for Exams

• Javari Temple — dedicated to Vishnu; in the Eastern Group, Khajuraho, Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh
• Built 1075-1100 CE under the Chandela dynasty
• Khajuraho Group of Monuments — UNESCO World Heritage Site, 1986
• Of about 85 original temples, around 25 survive, in three groups — Western, Eastern and Southern
• The Western Group is the largest and includes the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, the biggest and most ornate
• Khajuraho temples follow the Nagara style — curvilinear shikhara, no boundary wall, built on a raised jagati
• They are built of sandstone, mostly without mortar, using interlocking stone

Context of the News

Lakshadweep was declared a 100 per cent literate Union Territory by Administrator Praful Patel, under the ULLAS-Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram.

What Is ULLAS?

• Full form: Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society
• Also called the Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram or New India Literacy Programme (NILP)
• A Centrally Sponsored Scheme
• Aligned with the National Education Policy 2020
• Targets adults aged 15 and above who missed formal schooling

Who Runs It and For How Long?

• Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education
• A five-year cycle, from FY2022 to FY2027
• Vision: “Jan Jan Saakshar”

What Does “100 Per Cent Literate” Mean?

• Under ULLAS, a place is declared fully literate when it crosses 95 per cent literacy among the target population, not a literal 100 per cent.
• The standard is set by the Ministry of Education, and the measurement is through the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT).

• India’s Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation rose to 11.4% in September, a 49-month high according to the longer historical series mentioned in the report.
• Inflation in food articles increased to 8.1%, compared with 5.7% in the previous month.
• Inflation in non-food primary articles stood at 10.3%.
• WPI measures changes in the prices of goods at the wholesale level, before they reach consumers.

• During January–September 2026, India’s exports to China increased 40.7% to $19.26 billion.
• Imports from China reached $125.19 billion, an increase of 23.3%.
• Total two-way trade reached $144.45 billion, growing by 25.4%.
• India’s trade deficit with China reached $105.93 billion, meaning India imported substantially more from China than it exported.

• The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) projected India’s economic growth at 7.3% in 2026.
• Global growth is projected at 2.6%, down from 2.9% in 2025; developing economies are expected to grow by 4%.
• Global trade reached a record $35 trillion in 2025, while trade in goods and services is projected to grow by around 4% in 2026.
• The report highlights the growing importance of artificial intelligence products, semiconductors and advanced computing equipment in global trade.

• India’s share of global internet shutdowns reportedly increased from 37% in 2016 to 63% in 2020, before declining to 21% in 2025.
• Despite this decline, India ranked second globally in 2025, behind Myanmar and ahead of Pakistan.
• Protests accounted for 47% of shutdown cases in 2025, compared with 8% in 2021, according to the figures in the supplied article.
• Internet shutdowns restrict access to online communication and services and raise concerns about access to information, livelihoods and public safety.

• A The Hindu article argues that classifying workers as “unskilled” can affect their wages, workplace safety and job security.
• Safe in India Foundation data cited in the article for the automotive sector in 2024 showed an average of 2.27 fingers lost per accident among the lower-paid “unskilled” category, compared with 1.54 among the “skilled” category.
• The article links this difference to the assignment of dangerous machinery without adequate training and safety measures.
• Uttar Pradesh announced an interim monthly wage increase to ₹13,690 for “unskilled” workers and ₹16,868 for “skilled” workers.

• The National Statistics Office conducted India’s first all-India household travel survey between July 2025 and July 2026.
• The survey covered more than 14,000 villages and 10,000 urban blocks.
• Two-wheelers accounted for 43% of workers’ travel, while public transport accounted for 15% and cars for 3%.
• Average commuting time was 25 minutes; average monthly spending on travel to a fixed workplace was ₹785. The survey also reported a gap in daily work trips between male workers (62%) and female workers (42%).

• INS Tarkash, an Indian Navy guided-missile stealth frigate, arrived in South Africa for the ninth edition of Exercise IBSAMAR.
• The exercise involves the navies of India, Brazil and South Africa.
• IBSAMAR is a trilateral maritime exercise conducted under the India–Brazil–South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum.
• It aims to improve joint naval training, maritime cooperation and operational coordination.

• Czech Republic Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlíček inaugurated a new production line at Gopalan Aerospace India Private Limited in Hoskote, Karnataka.
• Five Memoranda of Understanding were signed with Czech partners.
• Areas of cooperation include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), fire-extinguishing solutions, thermal-reflective coatings and unmanned traffic management systems.
• The partnership aims to strengthen India–Czech cooperation in aerospace and related technologies.

• The 10th India Mobile Congress was held at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, from 7 to 10 October 2026.
• The theme was “Scale Without Boundaries.”
• It was organised by the Department of Telecommunications and the Cellular Operators Association of India.
• The event covered 5G and 6G, artificial intelligence networks, semiconductors, cybersecurity, quantum communication and electronics manufacturing. It also announced Viksit Tech 47, a platform to identify and promote Indian technology brands.

• Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia inaugurated the symposium at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, from 7 to 9 October 2026.
• It was organised by the Bharat 6G Alliance to support India’s next-generation communication technology ambitions.
• The Alliance exchanged MoUs with five organisations, including the GSMA and one6G Association.
• A report on progress towards the New Delhi Declaration on 6G principles and nine working-group white papers were released.

• The Indian Navy commissioned INS Mangrol (P82) in Mumbai in October 2026.
• It is the third of eight Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) built by Cochin Shipyard Limited.
• The vessel has more than 80% indigenous content, according to the supplied report.
• Its roles include anti-submarine warfare, underwater surveillance, coastal security and protection of maritime assets.

• American economists Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford received the 2026 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.
• The prize recognises their work on the microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation.
• They will share the prize money of 12 million Swedish kronor.
• The award ceremony is held annually on 10 December in Stockholm, Sweden.

• Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced that Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar would receive the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism.
• According to the supplied report, the award recognises his actions in preventing a potential aircraft disaster.
• Six passengers who helped prevent the incident were also named as recipients.
• The award recognises civilians who risk their lives to save others.

• French President Emmanuel Macron named Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, a Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour in October 2026.
• The honour recognises his contribution to India–France economic relations, telecommunications and digital infrastructure.
• Mittal received the Padma Bhushan in 2007 for contributions to trade and industry.
• He also serves as co-chairman of satellite communications company Eutelsat, according to the supplied report.

• The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports formed a seven-member committee to review the Hockey India League’s governance, financial model and structure.
• The committee includes representatives of the Sports Ministry, Hockey India and league franchises.
• The league was relaunched in 2024 after a seven-year break.
• The committee is expected to recommend measures to address financial challenges and franchise uncertainty.

• Indian lawn bowls player Putul Sonowal from Assam won bronze in the men’s singles category in October 2026.
• The tournament took place in Barham, Australia, from 6 to 10 October.
• The competition was organised under the aegis of World Bowls, the international governing body for lawn bowls.
• Lawn bowls is a precision sport in which players roll biased bowls towards a target ball called the jack.

• Observed annually on 11 October to promote girls’ rights, empowerment and well-being.
• 2026 theme: “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights!”
• The United Nations General Assembly established the day through Resolution A/RES/66/170 in 2011.
• The first observance took place on 11 October 2012. UNICEF India named cricketer Smriti Mandhana as its Celebrity Advocate for 2026, according to the supplied report.

• Observed annually on 12 October to raise awareness about rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.
• The day promotes awareness of early diagnosis, treatment, prevention and support for affected people.
• It was established in 1996 by Arthritis and Rheumatism International.
• 2025–26 theme stated in the supplied material: “Achieve Your Dreams.”