Ojaswini, 13, makes the Indian Open cut
Ojaswini Saraswat, a 13-year-old amateur, made the cut at the Hero Women's Indian Open in Gurugram and is tied 26th at 4-over after 36 holes.
Politics
PM opens ₹3,350 crore Ladakh projects
On 15 October 2026 the Prime Minister virtually inaugurated Ladakh projects worth about ₹3,350 crore. They include a new passenger terminal at Leh and a 298-kilometre road through Zanskar. This is a different event from the same week's talks on Ladakh's political demands.
PAC questions late SC scholarships
Parliament's Public Accounts Committee has questioned years-late pre-matric and post-matric scholarships for Scheduled Caste students. On 15 October the chief secretaries of six states did not appear. A privilege move is developing. The reports do not agree on one delay figure.
Ladakh talks end without a deal
A day of talks in Leh on 15 October between the Home Ministry, the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance ended without a deal. Sonam Wangchuk called it a continuation, not a failure, and described a huge gap. The next round is in Delhi on 22 October.
Supreme Court tells the Election Commission to produce the Sringeri counting record
In 2023 Congress's T.D. Rajegowda won Karnataka's Sringeri seat by 201 votes. A May 2026 recount declared BJP's Jeevaraj the winner. Rajegowda has asked the Supreme Court for the 2023 counting video, the recount video and the observer report. The commission told the court the 2023 video could not be traced. The next hearing is 15 February 2027.
Courts
SC grants bail to Sandip Ghosh
The Supreme Court granted bail to former RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh in a CBI case on alleged financial irregularities and alleged merit-score manipulation. This is not the RG Kar rape and murder case. Bail is not an acquittal, and release from custody is not confirmed.
Internet access is a right, children too
An order dated 15 October 2026, public on 17 October, says internet access and use is a fundamental right under Articles 21 and 19(1)(a), children included. Blanket bans were called disproportionate.
SC show-cause to Raut and Wagle
On 16 October 2026 the Supreme Court issued show-cause notices in a criminal contempt matter to MP Sanjay Raut and journalist Nikhil Wagle. Personal appearance was exempted. A show-cause notice is not a finding of guilt.
SC upholds Yes Bank AT1 ruling
On 15 October 2026 the Supreme Court upheld the Bombay High Court's order quashing Yes Bank's write-down of ₹8,415 crore of AT1 bonds. Appeals by Yes Bank, the RBI and the Centre were dismissed. The judgment does not order a lump-sum refund of that principal.
Economy
CCPA: 3,940 sellers delisted on 7 sites
The consumer authority says seven platforms delisted 3,940 sellers and listing entries for regulated explosives, with three final penalties of ₹10 lakh each.
iPhone Duo delivery slips to 2027
Apple India's page lists iPhone Duo from ₹2,99,900, available from 23 October. Digit and Business Today say online delivery dates slipped to late January 2027. Apple gave no order count.
137 cancer drugs: cap from 9 Nov
NPPA's order of 17 October caps the trade margin on 137 anti-cancer drugs at 30 percent of MRP, excluding GST. Revised prices take effect on 9 November 2026.
September goods exports rise to $44.4 bn
India's goods exports in September 2026 were $44.4 billion, up 23.04 percent from a year earlier. Goods imports were $74.61 billion. The goods trade deficit was $30.21 billion. The figures are provisional.
World
India & World, 23 Oct: 7 stories
Seven verified stories from 23 October cover a record Asian Para Games haul, an ITBP line on Arunachal, the Jio Platforms IPO, and a quake toll in Tibet.
India & World, 22 Oct: 7 stories
Seven verified stories from 22 October: an India-Poland trade target, a record chase in Christchurch, a court order in Mumbai, and an El Niño outlook.
India & World, 20 Oct: 7 stories
Seven verified stories from 20 October: a Mumbai trade remark with no signature, a power request, a podium sweep, and an Alberta projection.
Rubio: trade deal very close, unsigned
Marco Rubio said in Mumbai on 20 October that a US-India trade deal is very close, with a small number of items left, and that it is not signed.
Sports
Soorma and Simran win gold in Nagoya
Pranav Soorma won discus gold at 11.66 metres and Simran Sharma won the women's 200m T12 on India's third medal day at the Asian Para Games.
Deepthi: 400m T20 gold, Games record
Deepthi Jeevanji retained the women's 400m T20 title in a Games-record 56.36 seconds on India's second medal day at the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya.
Day 1: 11 medals, including 4 golds
Day one brought India 11 medals, four gold, and fourth place at the Asian Para Games. Sheetal Devi equalled a world record in qualification only, with no medal.
UPDATE: Smriti Mandhana named India women's captain; Harmanpreet Kaur stays in the squad as a player
BCCI named Mandhana full-time white-ball captain on 6 Oct, with Shafali Verma as T20I vice-captain and Deepti Sharma as ODI vice-captain; Harmanpreet, who stepped down as captain, is in both squads for the Zimbabwe series from 16 Oct.
Defence & Security
VP commissions INS Samarthak at Karwar
Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan commissioned INS Samarthak at Naval Base Karwar on 16 October 2026. It is the Navy's first indigenous multi-purpose vessel. Reports do not agree on one indigenous-content figure, or on whether it is the first of four ships or the first of two.
MoD signs ₹4,106 crore defence deals
On 15 October 2026 the Ministry of Defence signed two contracts together worth ₹4,106 crore. One buys a dedicated communication satellite for the Indian Air Force. The other buys Varunastra heavyweight torpedoes for the Navy.
BreakingDefence & Security
Rajnath Singh says India is ready for every kind of strike against terrorism if a neighbour continues what he called a state policy
At the NDTV Defence Conclave on Sunday, the defence minister said India wants peace and will not compromise on security. Hindustan Times described the remarks as a message to Pakistan. The sentences below are his, as those reports quoted them.
BreakingDefence & Security
Manipur: Senapati firing toll rises to three after a hospital death
Officials said Ashiho Sani, 49, who was injured on Saturday, died in a private hospital at about 3 am on Sunday. Two Naga civilians had been killed at the spot. Reports attributed the firing to suspected militants and did not agree on a group.
Disasters & Weather
North Chennai waterlogged after rain
Heavy northeast-monsoon rain left low-lying north Chennai waterlogged. The Greater Chennai Corporation says its area reported no rain-related deaths.
Gwalior temple crash: at least 14
As of 11:20 am IST on 18 October, officials put the Gwalior temple truck crash at at least 14 dead, and the cause is not confirmed.
Kolkata pandal crush: 19 dead
Nineteen people died and 25 were injured in a crowd crush at a north Kolkata Durga Puja pandal on the evening of 17 October, as of 8:20 am IST on 18 October. The cause is not confirmed.
Maharashtra drought list rises to 305
Maharashtra added 40 talukas to its drought list, taking it from 265 to 305 of 358, and announced a ₹5,000 advance on drought relief before Diwali. Central aid is not described as sanctioned. Twelve relief measures apply. IAS and IPS officers pledged one day's October salary.
Law & Order
Dipke gets conditional bail at SEM court
On 17 October 2026 a Special Executive Magistrate at Mandir Marg police station gave Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke conditional bail. He was not sent to judicial custody. Release was on signing a peace bond. Outlets differ on whether he had already been released.
What's shut at CP for the Tiranga call
Cockroach Janta Party has called a "Lehra do Tiranga" gathering at Central Park, Connaught Place, for about 5 pm on 16 October. Delhi High Court declined to stop it. NDMC has closed the park to the public on 16 and 17 October. That notice does not close Palika Bazaar, the surrounding shops, or Rajiv Chowk Metro.
Imran Khan moves HC on leave notice
Actor Imran Khan, a US national and OCI holder, filed a writ in the Bombay High Court on 17 October against FRRO Mumbai's notice to leave India by 28 October. The same day the FRRO issued a show-cause on his OCI registration. It is not cancelled. No stay yet.
Mobile internet suspended for 24 hours within 4 km of Janpath–Kartavya Path ahead of CJP protest
Delhi Police requested the suspension and the Union Home Secretary authorised it. It runs from 10 pm on 9 October to 10 pm on 10 October and covers all mobile internet technologies. The area list is NDTV's alone.
Crime
I4C warns of deepfake scheme ads
Reports of an I4C advisory dated 19 October describe fake welfare-scheme ads that use manipulated videos of the PM, the Finance Minister and chief ministers.
3 held in Kota after Shroff firing
Three people were held at Kota Junction on Monday after a firing at actor Tiger Shroff's car in Juhu on Sunday evening. Reports say he was not hit.
Karnataka FIRs over alleged bulk Form-7 voter-deletion bids
Police registered FIRs on allegations of bulk Form-7 filings in Belagavi, Mysuru and Bidar. The state's chief electoral officer told officers to inquire before acting on a knowingly false declaration. The filings, the targeting claim and any guilt are alleged. They are under investigation.
Coast Guard and Gujarat ATS say they seized 526 kg of drugs from an Iranian dhow
Five Pakistani nationals were detained west of Lakshadweep. More than ₹3,000 crore is the Coast Guard's own international-market estimate. The operation was on 25 September and was announced on 30 September.
Explainers
ISRO tests LME1100 gas generator
ISRO ran the first ignition of the full-scale gas generator for its 1,100 kN LOX-methane engine on 9 October. It was not a test of the whole engine.
India's Ramsar wetlands now 103
Sukhna Wetland, Chandigarh, and Sauj Jheel, Uttar Pradesh, are new Ramsar sites. India's tally of wetlands of international importance is 103.
Gaganyaan test was on the ground
ISRO's 16 October release says a ground set-up at VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram, completed Crew Module and Service Module separation tests. This was not a launch. The first uncrewed mission, G1, is targeted for 2026.
Ramya Anche to lead a NASA telescope
NASA awarded a University of Arizona team $20 million for PUFFINS, an ultraviolet SmallSat. Bengaluru-born Dr Ramya Anche is principal investigator. The university and The Hindu give a 2030 launch target. A NASA page says 2029. The mission has not launched.
Fact-check
Air India AI2030's 7500 alert was not a hijack
Air India AI2030, Frankfurt to Delhi, a Boeing 787-9 with 306 people on board, diverted to Jaipur on 14 October after a 7500 code showed on radar. The plane landed at 9:35 am, everyone was checked and cleared, and the flight went on to Delhi. The alert was not a hijack. No official cause has been announced.
Viral theory linking US tariffs to Gen-Z protests is not proven
A viral post says countries that resist US tariffs are now facing Gen-Z protests, and calls that a pattern. France has kept its 3% digital services tax. The India–US trade deal is stalled. Youth protests in India, France and Spain are real, and the causes differ. No source in this check shows a link. Stamp: NOT PROVEN.
PIB Fact Check says the viral all-Saturdays bank-holiday Gazette is fake
No Finance Ministry notification has declared every Saturday a public holiday for public sector banks. The current rule, as Business Standard, the Economic Times and Gujarat Samachar report it, is still the second and fourth Saturdays. A five-day week is a union demand under discussion, not an approved change.
Jantar Mantar 'live protest' video is old footage, Delhi Police says
A clip presented as a live, massive protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar was identified by the DCP New Delhi account as archived footage from a past event. Fact-checkers date the pictures to 31 January 2024. The police post did not.