Current Affairs Test — October 24, 2026

The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) showcased India's agricultural research excellence at the 2026 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa, USA, featuring an institutional MoU signed with the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST). Notably, Indian student Ms. Ameena Nazreen A S won the prestigious Global Youth Institute (GYI) Award of US$500. Read the official release at https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2327138. Additionally, the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation organized a National Training of Trainers under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, introducing the story-based handbook 'The Story of Panipur' to strengthen grassroots rural water governance. Details at https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2327625. Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan also launched an enhanced security-focused version of the NMMS app featuring AI-based face verification and offline attendance under VB-G RAM G, announcing that the nationwide Farmer ID drive has crossed 10.99 crore. More info at https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2327556.

The bilateral naval exercise INDRA 2026 between the Indian Navy and the Russian Federation Navy (RuFN) successfully concluded with the departure of INS Sahyadri from Vladivostok, strengthening interoperability and bilateral naval ties. Comprehensive report: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2327353. The Ministry of Home Affairs announced a first-of-its-kind joint training initiative with the Indian Army to build a vibrant Civil Defence Network, targeting 600 Master Trainers and 60,000 volunteers across 12 States/UTs. Check https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2327332. Furthermore, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh released the Land Warfare Doctrine during the Army Commanders’ Conference, emphasizing multi-domain capabilities and indigenous defense production. Details at https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2327474.

Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the 30th Meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) in New Delhi, emphasizing heightened vigilance against macroeconomic risks, global bond yield spikes, and strengthening cyber resilience through the FSCSS. See https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2327596. India's first maritime NBFC, SMFCL, scaled up its cumulative disbursements to ₹5,107 crores, targeting ₹60,205 crores by FY2031 under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. Check https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2327664. The Department of Commerce and EEPC India also held a dedicated Chintan Shivir to chart a robust strategy for achieving US $250 billion in engineering exports by 2030. Details at https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2327521.

The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) established its sixth Centre of Excellence (CoE) at IIT (BHU), Varanasi to advance next-gen telecom technologies including 6G and Quantum communications. See https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2327317. C-DAC and Bank of India partnered to advance indigenous quantum technologies and cryptographic security frameworks for banking applications. More at https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2327274. Additionally, scientists from ARIES published breakthrough research detailing how black hole spin impacts X-ray flickering (Quasi-Periodic Oscillations / QPOs) in X-ray binaries. Details at https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2327410.