Quick Revision
- Supreme Court (15 Oct): internet access is a fundamental right (Art. 21, 19(1)(a)) and children share it; platforms must acknowledge CSEAM complaints within 24 hours; compliance affidavit due 10 Dec 2026
- Kolkata Durga Puja stampede (17 Oct): at least 17 killed at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin pandal
- Trump waives Graham Act sanctions on buyers of Russian crude (tariffs of up to 100% had been threatened on India and four others)
- Uttarakhand: state-wide public holiday on Maha Navami (19 Oct); startups up from about 700 to over 1,700 in five years; Rs 61.42 crore approved for 18 Kumbh 2027 works
- INS Samarthak commissioned at Karwar (16 Oct): first of two MPVs (L&T, Rs 887 crore). Correction to the 16 and 17 Oct notes, which said "first of four"
- MoD contracts of Rs 4,106 crore (15 Oct): GSAT-7C (Rs 2,563 crore, NSIL) and Varunastra torpedoes (Rs 1,543 crore, BDL)
- Merchandise exports up 23.04% to USD 44.40 billion in September; trade deficit USD 30.21 billion
- FSSAI draft: no added sucrose or fructose in foods for infants up to six months (60 days for comments)
- National Waterways: 111 declared (20,187 km), only 32 operational; cargo 218 MMT in 2025-26
- India-West Indies T20I series ends 2-2 after rain abandons the decider
TODAY IN 60 SECONDS
Three stories carry the day: the Supreme Court's ruling that children too have a fundamental right to internet access, the Kolkata Durga Puja stampede that killed at least 17, and President Trump's waiver of Graham Act sanctions that eases the tariff threat on India.
1. UTTARAKHAND SPECIAL
- Public holiday: CM Dhami declared a state-wide holiday on Monday 19 October for Maha Navami (Sharadiya Navratri)
- 'Viksit Uttarakhand - Yatra Jaari Hai' (17 Oct): dialogue with entrepreneurs and farmers in Dehradun; startups rose from about 700 to over 1,700 in five years
- Kumbh 2027 (Haridwar): Rs 61.42 crore approved for 18 infrastructure works under the Government of India's infrastructure grant
- Hailstorm relief: extra assistance for affected farmers, deferral of Oct-Dec electricity bills, and a request to the Centre to defer KCC repayments by three months
- Funds (16 Oct): Rs 328.278 crore to urban local bodies (Fifth SFC, third instalment); Rs 124.21 crore for free textbooks
- Recap: Dinesh Arya elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha; Mountain Guardian ended 18 Oct; Dhal Singh Bisen named Governor among six new Governors
EXAM POINTER: Haridwar Kumbh years: 2010, 2021, 2027; Kumbh inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2017. Governor: Art. 155 (appointment), Art. 156 (pleasure of the President).
2. POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
- Right to internet: bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran held that blanket, age-based restrictions are disproportionate; platforms must forfeit revenue from prohibited content
- Kolkata stampede (17 Oct): at least 17 killed at a Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata; reported factors were rain, narrow entry and exit gates and poor lighting; no official finding at the time of reporting
- SC-appointed five-member panel opens a portal for complaints on violence during the July 2026 protests
- OCI cardholder served an FRRO notice to leave India; Supreme Court to hear a plea against preventive detention (Art. 22)
EXAM POINTER: Anuradha Bhasin (2020) on internet access; POCSO Act, 2012; crowd disasters fall under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, while public order is a State List subject.
3. ECONOMY AND INFRASTRUCTURE
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Merchandise exports, Sept 2026 | USD 44.40 billion (up 23.04%); trade deficit USD 30.21 billion |
| Net direct taxes | up 13.21% to about Rs 13.38 lakh crore in FY27 so far |
| National Waterways | 111 declared, 20,187 km, only 32 operational; cargo 218 MMT |
| NW-2 (Brahmaputra) | four riverine lighthouses (Rs 74 crore) |
| Follow-ups | WPI 11.39%, CPI 5.54%; IDBI-Fairfax completion by about March 2027 |
India-US trade pact drafting continues (first phase). Technology
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