Daily Current Affairs 17 October 2026

Union Minister Amit Shah has chaired the inaugural Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Home Ministers’ Meeting (HMM) in New Delhi.

The event concluded with the unanimous adoption of the ‘Delhi Declaration’ by the member states to strengthen regional security and cooperation. During the meeting, five regional security initiatives were approved, including the BIMSTEC Convention against Trafficking in Persons and the BIMSTEC Plan of Action on Drug Control.

The central government has approved the Delhi Revenue and Imaging Survey, Spatial Technology Initiative (DRISHTI) project with an outlay of ₹65 crore.

The project aims to accelerate the granting of property rights to residents of unauthorized colonies in Delhi under the PM Unauthorized Colonies in Delhi Awas Adhikar Yojana (PM-UDAY) scheme. It will be implemented across PM-UDAY cells in all 13 districts of Delhi, along with a dedicated unit at the Revenue Department headquarters.

Ambaji Mohanthal, a traditional sweet offering of the Ambaji Temple in Gujarat, has been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

The National Steering Committee has approved an investment of ₹1,194.92 crore under PM-SETU for 5 Industrial Training Institute (ITI) clusters across Maharashtra, Odisha, and Jammu & Kashmir. With this, the cumulative investment sanctioned under the PM-SETU scheme has reached ₹3,687 crore.

The initiative involves upgrading the Kataka ITI cluster in Odisha in partnership with the Tata Steel Foundation. Furthermore, the Pune ITI cluster will be upgraded with BVG India, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar ITI cluster with Belrise Industries, and the Jammu and Srinagar ITI clusters in partnership with Eagle Infra India and Inderdeep Infra India, respectively.

Federal Bank has launched a premium savings account named ‘Verto’ to offer integrated financial solutions for young professionals and entrepreneurs.

Karur Vysya Bank has signed a bancassurance partnership with Zurich Kotak General Insurance Company (India) to sell the latter’s general insurance products via the bank’s branches. The partnership aims to enhance customer access to non-life insurance solutions.

The ePlane Company, operated by Ubifly Technologies, has signed an MoU with Noida International Airport to develop ground infrastructure, regulatory procedures, and operational systems for electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

The Technology Development Board (TDB) has signed an agreement with the Bengaluru-based QNu Labs Pvt Ltd to provide financial support of ₹150 crore under the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund.

The project, involving a total cost of ₹300 crore, aims to develop an indigenous technology backbone for the Quantum Secure and Sensing Networks of India (IQSN).

Union Minister Dr S Jaishankar has visited 3 African nations: Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ethiopia, to deepen bilateral relations in trade, investment, and infrastructure development.

During his visit to Ghana, two major MoUs were signed in the fields of agriculture and zoological research. In Côte d’Ivoire, he held talks with Minister Niale Kaba, focusing on cooperation in trade, infrastructure, agriculture, and healthcare. Additionally, India will organise the next edition of the Jaipur Artificial Limb Fitment camp in Ethiopia.

The 14th Joint Working Group meeting between the Defence Ministries of India and Mongolia was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of both nations to strengthening their bilateral defence partnership.

Vice President CP Radhakrishnan has commissioned ‘INS Samarthak’, the Indian Navy’s first indigenous Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPV), at the naval base in Karwar, Karnataka.

Constructed by Larsen & Toubro (L&T), the vessel is the first of four planned Multi-Purpose Vessels for the Indian Navy. It features over 75% indigenous content. The crest of the ship features an Indian elephant emerging from the waves, with the official motto “Victory is Our Sole Aim”.

Indian Captain Smit Machchhar, a pilot of flydubai, will receive the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism, the highest civilian bravery award of Israel. He is recognised for preventing a potential catastrophe aboard an aircraft.

Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has formed a 7-member committee to revive the financially troubled Hockey India League (HIL) and address concerns regarding its governance, financial model, and structure.

The committee includes Vineel Krishna (Sports Ministry Joint Secretary (Khelo India)), Dilip Tirkey (Hockey India President), Bhola Nath Singh (Secretary General), and Sekar J Manoharan (Treasurer). It is to be noted that HIL is a professional field hockey competition organised by Hockey India, which held its inaugural season in 2013 and was relaunched in 2024.

Dr Alluri Venkata Satyanarayana Raju, the founder and Chairman Emeritus of Nagarjuna Construction Company (NCC) Ltd, passed away at 89. He was a recipient of Padma Shri in 2010 for his contributions to trade and industry.

Guruvayur Dorai, a renowned Mridangam maestro (double-headed percussion instrument used in Carnatic music), passed away at the age of 91.

He is a recipient of Padma Shri in 2025 in the field of Arts.