The Tamil Nadu government has ordered a rainwater harvesting (RWH) campaign across the State to conserve water and recharge groundwater. Existing RWH structures will be revived, and fresh facilities will be set up in houses, apartments, institutions, commercial buildings and industries.
The 70th Dhammachakra Pravartan Day was marked on 20 October 2026 at Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur, Maharashtra. The day recalls 14 October 1956, Ashoka Vijayadashami, when Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and his followers adopted Buddhism at Deekshabhoomi, an event remembered as a historic mass conversion.
World Trauma Day falls every year on 17 October. It aims to make people more aware of traumatic injuries, how such injuries can be prevented, and why prompt medical treatment matters in saving lives. The theme chosen for 2026 is "Building a Safer Future with Trauma Care".
Global Iodine Deficiency Disorder Prevention Day was observed on 21 October to spread awareness of iodine deficiency and its health effects. Iodine is a vital micronutrient the body needs to make thyroid hormones, which support the body's growth, metabolism and brain development.
Police Commemoration Day, also called Police Shaheed Diwas or Police Martyrs Day, is marked on 21 October to pay tribute to police personnel who laid down their lives on duty. It recalls 21 October 1959, when 10 Indian policemen on patrol along the India–China border lost their lives when Chinese troops attacked them at Hot Springs in the high-altitude region…
Researchers have described three centipede species new to science from southern India: Rhysida quadrispinosa, Rhysida coorgensis and Rhysida neyyarensis. Rhysida coorgensis takes its name from Coorg in Karnataka, and Rhysida neyyarensis from Kerala's Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary. With these additions, India now has 23 known species of the genus Rhysida.
A Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl (Bubo nipalensis / Ketupa nipalensis) has been sighted in the Janakikkad forest of Kozhikode district, Kerala, marking the species' first known record in the district. The bird is a member of the family Strigidae in the order Strigiformes and ranks as the second-largest owl found in India.
India has begun evaluating all 1,211 regularly occurring bird species, under the IUCN framework. The work is led by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), the IUCN SSC Center for Species Survival India–Wildlife Trust of India and the State of India's Birds initiative.
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