New Delhi 16 October 2026**TODAYS TOP NEWS* from UPAAJTAK news channel 

New Delhi 16 October 2026**TODAYS TOP NEWS* from UPAAJTAK news channel 

 

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🌄 🇮🇳𝐒𝐇𝐔𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐃𝐇A𝐘🙏
𝕴𝖓𝖉𝖎𝖆`𝖘 1𝖘𝖙 𝖂𝖍𝖆𝖙𝖘𝖆𝖕𝖕 𝕹𝖊𝖜𝖘, 𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮 2013
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*16 Oct (Friday)*
*Vedic Ritu/* Sharad
*Drik Ritu* : Sharad (Autumn)
पक्ष :: *Shuklapaksh*
*Samvatsara* : Parabhava Nama
(Purnimanta)
*Vikram Samvat – 2083*
*Month* : Ashvina 20

(In Amanta calendar)
*Shaka Samvat – 1948*
*Month* : Ashvina 6
*Tithi* : Shashthi / Saptami
*Nakshatra*: Jyeshta/
Mula
*Rahu* : 10:46 AM – 12:12 PM
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*TODAYS TOP NEWS*
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1. President Smt Droupadi Murmu has called for greater economic empowerment of rural women, asserting that their active participation in nation-building will be crucial to achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat before 2047. The President inaugurated the National SARAS Mela 2026 in Vijayawada yesterday in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Governor S. Abdul Nazeer, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and several Union and State Ministers.
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2. Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi yesterday dedicated to the nation five major development projects worth around Rupees Three Thousands Three Hundred Fifty Crore (₹3,350 crore) in Ladakh through video conferencing.

3. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that the Narendra Modi government is committed to providing opportunities for rehabilitation to victims of Naxal Violence and people with disabilities. Mr Singh said this while addressing an assistive devices distribution ceremony for Divyangjans, including those affected by Naxal violence through video conference under the ongoing Seva Sankalp Abhiyan.

4. The Capacity Building Commission (CBC) will organise the third regional workshop of Sādhana Śhrinkhla 2026 in Uttar Pradesh on 23 and 24 October. The workshop will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, in the presence of Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister for Science and Technology.

5. NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub released the Data Centre Evaluation Framework to help States plan sustainable growth of data centres. Developed with inputs from MeitY, Ministry of Power and DPIIT, it is a decision-support tool to assess infrastructure readiness, safeguard critical resources like power and water, and maximise long-term economic value.

6. Piyush Goyal said the first tranche of the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement has been finalised and is under legal drafting. He also said the India-EU Free Trade Agreement would be signed in December and come into force in February or March next year.

7. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote to President Droupadi Murmu over the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim Governor, citing the CBI probe into the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case. Gautam has denied the allegations against him.

8. The Delhi government has announced a payment of one thousand 370 rupees to students of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) schools through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

9. The Government has reduced the stock holding period for sugar dealers to 15 days and fixed the stock holding limit at one thousand quintals, which will come into effect 15 Oct 2026.

10. President Smt Droupadi Murmu has accepted the resignation of Dr L. Murugan from the Union Council of Ministers, with immediate effect, on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Dr Murugan has tendered his resignation yesterday, saying he wishes to return to the grassroots, stand with party workers and dedicate full-time to strengthening the BJP in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

11. Himachal Pradesh has inaugurated its first solar power project with battery storage at Rongtong in Spiti Valley. The 2 MW plant is expected to generate 36 lakh units of electricity annually.

12. Indian Railways must extend insurance to counter-booked tickets from 27 October 2026, following a Supreme Court order. Know the existing ₹10 lakh cover, premium and key rules. In case of insurance through the online channel, the maximum coverage possible is ₹10 lakh in the event of death or permanent total disablement.

13. Maharashtra has formed a committee to overhaul MPSC, appointing Tukaram Mundhe as secretary and former judge Dilip Bhosale as chairman amid a 10-day protest by aspirants in Pune.

14. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday appealed to farmers to avoid rabi cultivation, particularly paddy, in view of the impending water and power crisis triggered by deficient rainfall under the impact of the El Niño weather system. Urging people to conserve water and electricity for eight to 10 months.

15. A 30-foot-tall cockroach effigy will be burnt alongside the effigies of Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad during a Ramlila event in Delhi’s Pitampura this year. The organisers say the unusual addition is intended to highlight the importance of cleanliness and support the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns.
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*LEGAL REPORT*
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1. The Supreme Court has ruled that individuals converting from Hinduism to Islam or other non-Hindu religions cannot automatically claim reservation benefits under the Backwards Class category. Dismissing the Tamil Nadu government’s plea against a Madras High Court verdict.

2. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has congratulated Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Assam Police for its sustained crackdown against narcotics and drug networks. The crackdown resulted in over 900 arrests, over 500 cases and narcotics seizures worth over 180 crore rupees, alongside action against 703 hotspots and attachment of properties worth nearly 31 crore rupees under process.

3. The Supreme Court flagged an “undesirable incident” of AI-generated, non-existent judgments in a case compilation filed by appellants. A Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih dismissed the appeals of GSTAAD Hotels and Neo Capricorn Plaza and upheld insolvency proceedings under Section 7 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.

4. Delhi police urged people to avoid the CJP’s ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march at Connaught Place on Friday.
Police indicated they might allow a select group to wave the national flag and sing the anthem at a suitable place.
Prohibitory.

The Central Park in Delhi’s Connaught Place will remain closed to the general public on October 16 and 17, according to a public notice issued by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Thursday. The notice cited “administrative reasons” for the closure.

5. A Bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed Delhi Police to place on record prohibitory orders issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 (old Section 144 CrPC) during recent protests. It also ordered all agencies to preserve CCTV footage and digital material relating to the protests.

6. Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar (Retd), chairman of the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC), launched a web portal for public inputs on demographic changes. The MHA constituted the committee on 26 May 2026; it will recommend a mechanism for legal, fair and time-bound identification, detention and deportation of illegal immigrants.

7. A delegation of BJP women MPs yesterday met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and submitted a memorandum regarding Congress MP Bimol Akoijam in connection with an alleged sexual harassment case at JNU.

—— *MISHAPS*———-

1. In Jalgaon, Maharashtra — Six of a Family Killed in Bike-Truck Collision
A couple, their three children (including a three-month-old) and a relative died when their motorcycle collided head-on with a truck on the Jamner-Bodwad road. The tribal family from Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh, had come for seasonal farm work; the truck driver has been arrested.

2. In Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand — Car Falls into Gorge near Devprayag
Two people, including a 72-year-old woman, were killed and three injured when a car travelling from Chandigarh to Rudraprayag plunged about 150 metres into a gorge. SDRF teams retrieved the bodies and ferried them across the river on a raft.
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*DEFENCE NEWS*
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1. The Ministry of Defence signed two contracts worth ₹4,106 crore. Bharat Dynamics Ltd will supply Varunastra heavyweight torpedoes (₹1,543 crore) to the Navy, and NewSpace India Ltd will provide the indigenous GSAT-7C communication satellite (₹2,563 crore) to the Air Force. Varunastra is a ship-launched anti-submarine torpedo designed by DRDO’s Naval Science and Technological Laboratory.

2. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India now exports indigenous defence products to nearly 100 countries. Defence exports have grown from ₹686 crore in 2013-14 to over ₹38,000 crore in 2025-26, he said at the Times Now Defence Conclave 2026.

3. Rajnath Singh said India has achieved over 90% self-reliance in ammunition, with 159 of the 175 ammunition variants in the Army’s inventory now indigenous. He called for preparing for an era of “hybrid, high-tech and hyper warfare”.

4. The Defence Ministry has approved procurement worth over ₹2,400 crore from startups and MSMEs. Projects worth over ₹1,500 crore have also been approved for developing new technologies.

5. Solar Defence and Aerospace Ltd delivered 450 Nagastra-1R loitering munitions to the Indian Army under a ₹158-crore emergency procurement contract. Loitering munitions are drones that hover over a target area and strike precisely; it is the largest single batch supplied to the Army.

6. ⚓ INS Sahyadri is taking part in Exercise INDRA-2026 with the Russian Navy at Vladivostok (till 18 October). Meanwhile, INS Trishul took part in Exercise KONKAN-26 with the UK’s Royal Navy off Plymouth.
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✈ *INTERNATIONAL NEWS*
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1. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh has urged all Indian nationals to continue to follow local authorities’ instructions, stay indoors in case of an aerial attack, and refrain from circulating videos or news related to ongoing events in view of the current situation in Saudi Arabia.

2. External affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a “warm and productive” meeting with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, reviewing the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The India-UAE CEPA came into force in May 2022; about 4.3 million Indians live in the UAE.

3. Speaking at the second Raisina Middle East in Abu Dhabi, Jaishankar said globalisation cannot be reversed but must be navigated with greater resilience. He called for urgent reform of multilateral institutions and said the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is shaping regional thinking on connectivity.

4. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said the “big items are done” in India-US trade negotiations and both sides are “very close to landing it”. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said signing depends partly on the US finalising its new tariff structure.

5. The KAUMARACON-2026, an international conference on Kaumarabhritya, was inaugurated by Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan on 15 October 2026 in New Delhi. KAUMARACON-2026 is an international conference organised by the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) that dealt with various aspects related to the health of children, research and clinical developments in traditional medicine.
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🌎 *WORLD NEWS* 🌍
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1. In Bangladesh: Preparations on for Durga Puja beginning on Friday. This year, Durga Puja will be celebrated at 33,851 mandaps nationwide, an increase from 32,351 last year.

2. The embassy of India in Riyadh reminded Indian nationals to continue following instructions issued by local authorities and stay indoors in case of aerial attack in view of the prevailing situation in Saudi Arabia.

3. In Peshawar, Pakistan, the roof of a private school (Al-Khair Education Center) collapsed, killing 34 children and a teacher and injuring over 45. PM Shehbaz Sharif ordered a probe and the school owner was arrested.

4. Ukraine resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries after Russia continued attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Russian drone strikes killed three people in Ukraine’s Kirovohrad region.

5. At a UN Security Council open debate on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, UN agencies said more than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the October 2025 ceasefire. Nearly all of Gaza’s 2.1 million people still need shelter aid as winter sets in.

6. Heavy rain caused flooding in Istanbul, Turkey, leaving three people dead.

7. Two Singapore-registered container ships, GFS PRIDE and GFS GISELLE, were struck by unknown projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore reported that the GFS PRIDE caught fire and sank, but all 21 crew members evacuated safely without injury.
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🚣🚴🏇🏊 *SPORTS*
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1. PM Modi lauds athletes’ performances during interaction with India’s Asian Games contingent.

2. Indian wrestler Vishvajit Ramchandra More has created history by clinching a historic silver medal in the Greco-Roman finals at the U23 World Championships in Las Vegas. Competing in the men’s 55kg final, More narrowly lost 12-13 to Georgia’s Koba Karumidze in the final seconds of the bout.

3. In Men’s Cricket, the West Indies defeated India by 24 runs in the fourth T20 International in Hyderabad last night. Chasing a target of 248 runs set by West Indies, India scored 223 for nine in 19.3 overs. Sanju Samson was the top scorer with 56 runs.

4. India batter Punam Raut, part of the 2017 Women’s World Cup final run, retired from all forms of international cricket. She played four Tests, 73 ODIs and 35 T20Is.

5. Jagsher Singh Khangurra reached the semifinals of the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships 2026, assuring India of a medal.
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*FINANCE*
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*INDIAN RUPEE VALUE*

💷 *GBP* ₹126(Approx)
€ *Euro* : ₹107(Approx)
*USD* ₹ 95(Approx)
🇨🇦 *Canada* :CAD ₹67
🇦🇺 *Australia* : ₹ 66
🇦🇪 *UAE Dirham* : ₹ 26
*🇨🇳 China Yuan ¥* : ₹ 14
🇲🇻 *Maldives Rufiya* : ₹ 6.15
🇧🇹 *Bhutan ngultrum* : ₹ 1.00
🇳🇵 *Nepal Rupee* : ₹ 0.63
🇧🇩 *B’desh Taka** : ₹ 0.77
🇵🇰 *Pak Rupee* : ₹ 0.34
🇱🇰 *Sri Lanka Rupee* : ₹ 0.29
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*BSE SENSEX*
74,315.61 +1,533.72 (2.11%)🔺

*NIFTY*
22,997.35 +374.65 (1.66%)🔺
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*Rates in Financial Capital Mumbai*

*GOLD* : ₹ 14,800/ 01gm (24 krt)

*SILVER* : ₹ 2,30,000/KG

1. The Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal launched the National Strategic Trade Command Centre (NSTCC) in New Delhi. It will give policymakers a consolidated view of India’s trade performance through dashboards on DGFT functions such as Importer Exporter Code, Advance Authorisation, EPCG, Certificate of Origin and SCOMET (export control list for dual-use items).

2. India’s merchandise exports rose to USD 44.4 billion in September 2026, while imports increased to USD 74.61 billion, as per Commerce Ministry data released on Thursday. The merchandise trade deficit widened to USD 30.21 billion from USD 26.86 billion in August. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said the trend of export growth was continuing.

3. India’s net direct tax collections grew 13.21% year-on-year to ₹13.38 lakh crore up to 14 October this financial year. The rise reflects robust growth in both personal income tax and corporate tax revenues.
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*ENTERTAINMENT NEWS*
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1. *RAMAYANA*
The new trailer of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor as Rama and Yash as Ravana, was released, featuring the Jatayu battle sequence.

2. *DRISHYAM* 3: The Conclusion
Ajay Devgn’s thriller continues its successful theatrical run. According to The Times of India, the film’s worldwide gross has reportedly reached ₹515 crore after 14 days.

3. *GAJAB RAAT*
Manoj Bajpayee’s thriller (earlier titled Ghooskhor Pandat) released its trailer and will stream on Netflix from 23 October.
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🇮🇳 *FACTS ABOUT INDIA* 🇮🇳
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🌾 Who is known as the Father of India’s Green Revolution?

Answer: Dr. M.S. Swaminathan

The agricultural scientist championed high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice in the 1960s, helping India move from food shortages to self-sufficiency. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 2024.
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😀 *THOUGHT OF THE DAY* 😃

“There are people in the world so hungry that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.” — Mahatma Gandhi
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😆 *JOKE OF THE DAY — FRIEND & CHINTU* 😂

👬 Friend: Chintu, today is World Food Day. What are you doing to celebrate?

😎 Chintu: I am making sure no food goes waste.

👬 Friend: Wow! How?

😎 Chintu: I finished everyone’s lunch in the office before it could get cold! 🤣😂

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😳 *WHY?* ❓❓

*Why is World Food Day observed on 16 October?*

It marks the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations on 16 October 1945 in Quebec City, Canada. The day was first observed in 1981 to raise awareness about hunger, nutrition and sustainable food systems. FAO is headquartered in Rome, Italy.
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🙏 *LEARN SANSKRIT*

अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः।
यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञः कर्मसमुद्भवः॥

Meaning: All living beings are born of food, food comes from rain, rain comes from yajna (sacrifice), and yajna is born of action. (Bhagavad Gita 3.14)

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🤔 *HOW IT WORKS?*
How does a refrigerator keep food cold? ❄️

* A liquid refrigerant flows through coils inside the fridge and evaporates, absorbing heat from the food compartment.

* The compressor then squeezes this vapour, raising its pressure and temperature.

* The hot gas moves to the condenser coils at the back, where it releases heat into the room.

* As it cools, the refrigerant turns back into liquid.

* It passes through an expansion valve, drops in pressure and cools, and the cycle repeats.
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📚 GK TODAY

16 October — Important Day

* World Food Day, marking the founding of FAO in 1945.
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🐣💐 BORN TODAY

Hema Malini (born 16 October 1948)

The actor, Bharatanatyam dancer and politician was born in Ammankudi, Tamil Nadu. Known as the “Dream Girl” of Hindi cinema, she starred in classics like Sholay and Seeta Aur Geeta. She received the Padma Shri in 2000 and represents Mathura in the Lok Sabha.
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🙏 *IDIOMS & PHRASES*

“Bread and butter”

Meaning: A person’s main source of income or livelihood.

Example: Chintu’s tuition classes are his bread and butter, so he never misses one.
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📖 *SYNONYMS & ANTONYMS*

* Abundant: Plentiful × Scarce

* Nourish: Feed × Starve

* Waste: Squander × Conserve
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🛕 *VEDIC GYAN*

“अन्नं ब्रह्मेति व्यजानात्।”

Meaning: He (Bhrigu) realised that food (anna) is Brahman, for from food all beings are born, by food they live, and into food they return.

(Taittiriya Upanishad, Bhriguvalli 3.2.1)
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🧬 *HEALTH CARE: HEALTHY HABITS* 🩺

Eat smart, waste less (World Food Day)

🥗 Fill half your plate with vegetables and fruits.

🍚 Serve small portions first; take more only if hungry.

🥜 Include pulses, nuts or curd for protein every day.

🧂 Cut down on added salt, sugar and fried snacks.

💧 Drink enough water and avoid eating late at night.

Note: These are general wellness suggestions and do not replace professional medical advice.
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