
The Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Act, 2026, came into force on 8 October 2026 after a notification by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The Act establishes a common framework for recruitment and service conditions of Group A general duty officers and other officers in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). Serving CAPF officers have challenged its constitutional validity in the Supreme Court.
The 3rd International Bharat 6G Symposium 2026 is being held from 7 to 9 October at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, New Delhi. Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia inaugurated the symposium on 8 October. The Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) organised the event alongside the India Mobile Congress 2026.
Margaret Hamilton, the computer scientist who led development of NASA’s Apollo flight software, died on 30 September 2026 at the age of 90. MIT published an obituary on 7 October 2026. Hamilton joined MIT’s Instrumentation Laboratory in 1965, where the team developed onboard software for Apollo missions.
US President Donald Trump presented the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to six people on 8 October 2026. The ceremony took place during the “Science: A New Golden Age Summit” in Washington, D.C. Four recipients received the science medal and two received the technology and innovation medal.
Ladakh launched India’s first high-altitude snow leopard wildlife safari on 7 October 2026, during Wildlife Week celebrations in Leh. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena flagged off six specially designed open-back vehicles. The initiative is a collaboration between the Snow Leopard and High-Altitude Nature Conservation (SHAN) Society and the Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment, UT Ladakh. Ladakh hosts 477 of India’s estimated 718 snow leopards.
Canadian poet and essayist Anne Carson received the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature on 8 October 2026. The Swedish Academy announced the award in Stockholm, citing her literary work’s dialogue with the classical tradition and its creation of new forms for contemporary literature. Carson was born in Toronto in 1950.
Starlink has established 20 gateway sites in India, equipped with hundreds of antennas, as part of its ground infrastructure for satellite communications. At the India Mobile Congress 2026, SpaceX Vice President of Starlink Business Operations Lauren Dreyer said the company had developed India-specific security controls to keep Indian user data within the country. Starlink is awaiting final regulatory clearances before beginning commercial services.
The World Bank ranked India among the top 10 emerging-market performers in artificial intelligence readiness on 6 October 2026. The assessment appeared in the report titled India and Artificial Intelligence: Seizing the Development Opportunity. The report linked India’s position to its technical workforce, globally integrated information technology sector, and digital public infrastructure.
The Reserve Bank of India raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50% on 7 October 2026. The Monetary Policy Committee, chaired by Governor Sanjay Malhotra, voted unanimously to increase the policy rate from 5.25% and changed the stance from neutral to calibrated tightening.
Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai received the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry on 7 October 2026 for discoveries concerning non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the award in Stockholm. The prize is worth 12 million Swedish kronor, equivalent to approximately US$1.2 million.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed India among seven countries in discussions for hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics. The other countries in the process are Qatar, South Africa, South Korea, Germany, Hungary, and Turkey.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India appointed Smriti Mandhana as the full-time white-ball captain of the India Women’s cricket team on 6 October 2026. Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from the captaincy across all formats on the same day after a review meeting in Guwahati on 5 October 2026.