Daily Current Affairs 8 October 2026

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has released the first installment of ₹3,600 crore for the construction of 3 lakh houses in Andhra Pradesh under the PM Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) 2.0.

He also laid the foundation stone for the first Three Dimensional (3D) concrete printing pilot housing project of India at Burripalem village in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. It is to be noted that the technology uses additive manufacturing to build a residential unit in 10 days through computer-controlled machinery and cement-based materials.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a Letter of Intent (LoI) to the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) to establish a campus in Hyderabad.

With this, the university becomes the first public American university authorized to set up a degree-granting location in India.

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav has launched the implementation guidelines for the ‘National Coastal Mission’ (NCM 2.0), a Central Sector Scheme to enhance the conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems of India. The mission has been approved with a total budget of ₹767 crore and will be implemented until FY31.

The mission will cover 9 coastal states (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal) and 4 Union Territories including Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, and Lakshadweep.

The mission framework is organized into 5 thematic categories: climate resilient blue economic growth, coastal vulnerability and risk reduction, climate change adaptation with mitigation co-benefits, capacity building and outreach, and committed liabilities and project management.

The Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has launched the ‘New Discovery Track’ under the Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma and MedTech (PRIP) scheme.

The initiative provides financial assistance of up to ₹50 crore per project to startups and MSMEs through the PRIP portal. To advance projects from Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 1-3 to TRL 6, participants must provide a mandatory 25% co-funding.

It is to be noted that 41 projects were approved with a total funding of ₹1,600 crore during the initial call of the scheme. The PRIP scheme was launched in 2023 with a total outlay of ₹5,000 crore to promote research and innovation in the pharmaceutical and medical technology sectors.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to Air Ayodhya, a regional airline operated by Megamax Aviation Pvt Ltd.

The airline is authorized to operate under the Regional Connectivity Scheme - Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (RCS - UDAN) to improve air connectivity in the underserved regions of Uttar Pradesh (UP).

The Union Cabinet has approved a commitment of ₹10,000 crore for the establishment of the SME Growth Fund (SGF). Under this framework, the centre will provide the amount to an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

The initiative aims to provide growth-oriented capital for SMEs in manufacturing, services, technology, and innovation-driven sectors. It is designed to enable the emergence of “champion Indian enterprises” across strategic value chains.

The Ministry of Finance has reduced the windfall tax on the export of diesel and Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) effective from October 1, 2026.

The export duty on diesel was lowered to ₹16 per litre from ₹20, and the levy on ATF was reduced to ₹10.5 per litre from ₹15. The government has maintained the export duty on petrol at ₹0.5 per litre for the upcoming fortnight.

Lavanya R Mundayur has been appointed as the CMD of the New India Assurance Company Ltd (NIACL). She succeeds Girija Subramanian. Her tenure will continue until her superannuation in May 2029.

Bank of India (BOI), a Public Sector Bank (PSB), has launched a User-Level Programmable Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) with auto-issuance capability.

The system allows users to automate recurring Digital Rupee (e₹) payments and specify the purpose for which the funds can be used. It is to be noted that the technical functionality for this programmable CBDC solution was developed by Montran India.

The SEBI has approved several regulatory reforms to revamp Portfolio Management Services (PMS) and streamline settlement frameworks.

The board introduced the “PRIM” framework, allowing PMS providers to invest in direct mutual fund schemes and Specialised Investment Funds (SIFs). The minimum ticket size for SIFs is set at ₹25 lakh. Discretionary PMS can now invest up to 10% of client Assets Under Management (AUM) in investment-grade unlisted debt with client consent.

SEBI revised the settlement framework by introducing a formula-based method for settlement amounts and a fast-track mechanism for disclosure-related violations up to ₹10 lakh. The application window for settlement is extended from 60 to 90 days, with a one-time 90-day window for pending cases.

The rules for Vault Managers are updated to cover bullion-linked Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and derivatives, with their minimum net worth requirement increased to ₹75 crore. SEBI also eased retrospective listing norms for unlisted Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) and approved a fourth settlement scheme for illiquid stock-option cases.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released the Sub-Sectoral Trial Index of Services Production (ISP) for July 2026, utilizing 2024-25 as the base year to monitor 19 service sub-sectors.

The ISP data indicates that 17 out of the 19 sub-sectors achieved positive growth in July 2026, with 10 sub-sectors recording double-digit growth compared to July 2025. Most categories recorded positive Year-on-Year (YoY) growth, with the exceptions of Air Transport and Repair Services.

According to the “World University Rankings 2027” released by the Times Higher Education (THE) during the World Academic Summit hosted by the University of Cape Town, South Africa, the IISc Bengaluru is the highest-ranked institution in India, ranking 254th worldwide with an overall score of 57.

The University of Oxford (UK) is ranked top for the 11th consecutive year, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA). Princeton University (USA) and Stanford University (USA) are jointly ranked third, while the University of Cambridge (UK) is ranked fifth.

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has signed a share transfer agreement to acquire a 50% stake in the Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation Flying (HATSOFF) Helicopter Training Private Limited.

With this, HATSOFF will become a 100% wholly-owned subsidiary of HAL, giving the latter complete management control.

Tata Communications Ltd (TCL) has established a Centre of Excellence (CoE) at the Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy (SASTRA) Deemed University in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.

The facility is dedicated to the domains of cybersecurity and digital forensics to advance research and technical proficiency in these sectors.

Hyderabad-based TakeMe2Space is set to launch the first networked orbital data centre mission of India in late 2028. The mission will be launched aboard the Falcon 9 rocket of SpaceX.

It is to be noted that the organization has signed a launch service agreement with RIDE! Space, a France-based space technology firm specializing in launch mission management. The company plans to establish a constellation of 6 satellites over the following years to facilitate its orbital data operations.

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, the current Vice Chief of the Air Staff, has been appointed as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff (CAS).

He will assume the rank of Air Chief Marshal from October 31, 2026, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh.

India finished fourth in the overall medal standings with 85 medals (21 gold, 27 silver, and 37 bronze) at the 20th Asian Games (XX Asian Games), officially known as Aichi-Nagoya 2026, held in Japan.

China topped the tally with 341 medals (169 gold), followed by Japan. The event concluded at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium. Yu Zidi, a 13-year-old swimmer from China, was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) - Female for her three gold medals, while Puripol Boonson, a Thai sprinter, was named the MVP - Male.

India won gold medals in team sports including Men’s and Women’s Cricket, Hockey, and Kabaddi. Archery was the most successful individual sport for India with 5 gold medals won in Women’s Individual Recurve), Women’s Recurve Team, and the Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed Compound Teams.

In Shooting, gold medals were won in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team (Kamaljeet and Suruchi Singh), Women’s Trap (Neeru Dhanda), and Mixed Trap (Kynan Chenai and Neeru Dhanda). Boxing gold medals were claimed by Parveen Hooda (Women’s 65kg), Lovlina Borgohain (Women’s 75kg), and Ankush Panghal (Men’s 80kg).

Other gold medalists include Sujeet Kalkal (Men’s 65kg Freestyle Wrestling), the Indian Wrestling Contingent, the Women’s 4x400m Relay team (Athletics), and Pranavi Urs (Women’s Individual Golf).