Summary of 15 October Current Affairs.

1. Key Infrastructure & Regional Development

₹3,350 Crore Ladakh Development Package: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates five major infrastructure project groups in Ladakh via video conferencing:

Leh Airport Terminal: New Passenger Terminal Building at Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport built for ₹640 crore, incorporating geothermal energy and capable of handling 35 lakh passengers annually.

Live Test Series

Join thousands of aspirants in our weekly live mock tests. Get real-time ranking and detailed analysis.

Nimmu-Padum-Darcha Road: 298-km strategic road constructed by the BRO through Zanskar Valley and Shinkun La Pass, providing an alternative all-weather connectivity corridor to Ladakh.

Clean Energy & Grid: 9 MW Hanu Small Hydroelectric Project and the 66 kV Double-Circuit Dah-Hanu-Khaltsi Transmission Line.

Petroglyph Conservation Park: India's first petroglyph conservation park at Sindhu Ghat, Leh, to safeguard prehistoric rock art.

Project Him Sarovar: 40 water bodies developed across 40 villages to strengthen local water security and irrigation.

Live NCERT Foundation

Master the basics with our live NCERT classes. The perfect foundation for your UPSC journey.

Start Learning

2. Union Cabinet Decisions & Social Welfare

National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) Overhaul:

The Cabinet approved ₹53,428 crore to extend NSAP for five years (2026–27 to 2030–31).

Renamed as Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana. Sub-schemes renamed to Pradhan Mantri Vridhavastha Pension Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Vidhawa Pension Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Divyangjan Pension Yojana, and Pradhan Mantri Parivar Labh Yojana.

Disability eligibility benchmark reduced from 80% to 40%, with minimum age starting from birth, providing ₹375/month (up to 79 yrs) and ₹625/month (80+ yrs).

Advanced GS Course

Deep dive into General Studies with our comprehensive expert-led modules.

View Details

Railway Productivity Linked Bonus: Approved 78 days of Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) worth ₹2,009 crore for over 11.40 lakh non-gazetted Railway employees.

3. Economy, Banking & Energy Sector Reforms

IDBI Bank Restructuring: Union Cabinet approved Fairfax Financial Holdings acquiring a controlling stake in IDBI Bank for ₹52,878 crore at ₹81 per share—the largest FDI deal in India's financial sector history. Government stake falls to 15% and LIC to 19%.

Jio Platforms Mega IPO: Announced India's largest-ever ₹30,213-crore IPO (opening October 21–23, 2026 at ₹1,065–₹1,119 per share).

National Power Data Sharing Framework: Ministry of Power announced the rollout of a voluntary data-sharing framework for power utilities, chaired by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) Chairperson.

AI in Power Sector: CEA launched the Vidhyut Dwar Portal and released the CEA Manual on Transmission Planning Criteria, 2026 during its conference on making the power grid AI-enabled.

WPI Inflation Surge: Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation rose to 11.4% in September 2026, propelled by food articles (8.1%) and fuel/power (25.85%).

4. International Relations & Defense

India–Canada High-Level Engagement: Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand met PM Modi and EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar in New Delhi to advance bilateral ties in trade, technology, security, and expedite negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

'Brihattar Bharat' Conference: Inaugurated by IGNCA at Vigyan Bhawan (14–16 October 2026) marking the centenary of the Greater India Society, involving scholars from 51 countries across 10 research themes.

ASEAN–India Defence Cooperation: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called for co-production of military hardware, joint research, and enhanced maritime surveillance at the maiden ASEAN-India Defence Think Tank Forum.

Exercise Cambrian Patrol 2026: Indian Army's Assam Regiment won the Gold Medal at Exercise Cambrian Patrol in Wales, UK.

5. Standards, Technology & Health

Telecom Standardization: Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) celebrated World Standards Day 2026, highlighting the formulation of 596 national telecom standards, designation of 82 Conformity Assessment Bodies, and issuance of 5,400+ certificates.

Digital Medical Signatures: National Medical Commission (NMC) issued an advisory allowing registered medical practitioners to use digital/electronic signatures for remote review and authentication of medical records.

6. State Governance Updates

Uttar Pradesh: Launched concessional sugar distribution at ₹52/kg across state-run cooperative sales centres.

Maharashtra: Declared 305 talukas drought-hit and announced ₹5,000 direct financial assistance to affected farmers before Diwali.

Punjab: Main accused arrested in Rajasthan following the murder of anti-drug activist Parminder Singh Jhota.