Current affairs 16 Oct 2026

Friday

Tamil Test

Global Handwashing Day observed on 15 October with 2026 theme 'Be a Handwashing Hero'

Global Handwashing Day is marked each year on 15 October. Its purpose is to encourage the habit of washing hands and, through that simple practice, to raise the standard of public health.

World Standards Day observed on 14 October; 2026 theme spotlights SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy

World Standards Day falls every year on 14 October. It draws attention to the role international standards play in keeping people safe, smoothing global trade and supporting sustainable development. Standards give manufacturers, regulators and consumers…

Bathukamma, Telangana's nine-day floral festival, celebrated from 10 to 18 October 2026

Bathukamma, the floral festival of Telangana that runs for nine days, is being celebrated from 10 to 18 October 2026. The festival is dedicated to the worship of Goddess Gauri and is marked by honouring…

9th edition of IBSAMAR naval exercise involving India, Brazil and South Africa hosted by South Africa

South Africa is the host of IBSAMAR Exercise 2026, the ninth edition of the maritime exercise conducted among India, Brazil and South Africa. The name IBSAMAR combines IBSA, the trilateral grouping of these three countries…

Indian Army launches 'Bharat Rice' for personnel, signs MoU with Food Corporation of India

The Indian Army has introduced 'Bharat Rice' for its defence personnel and entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to bolster military logistics. Under the arrangement, the Army…

Indian Navy receives two indigenous TROUT underwater ROVs developed by Kerala-based EyeROV

The Indian Navy has taken delivery of two TROUT remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs), built indigenously by EyeROV, a company based in Kerala. TROUT is described as India's first military-grade underwater ROV. It is designed…

Padma Shri awardee Cheruvayal Raman, conserver of traditional rice varieties, passes away

Cheruvayal Raman, the Padma Shri recipient celebrated for safeguarding traditional rice varieties, has passed away in Kerala. A member of the Kurichya tribal community from Kammana village in Wayanad, he was fondly called "Nellachan" (Father…

Central Asian Conservation Network launches Central Asian Flyway Digital Hub for migratory birds

The Central Asian Conservation Network (CACN) has rolled out the Central Asian Flyway Digital Hub, an online platform meant to aid the protection of migratory birds. The hub brings together details on bird species, key…

Madhya Pradesh reintroduces wild water buffaloes in Kanha Tiger Reserve after about a century

Madhya Pradesh has let eight wild water buffaloes into a 17-hectare enclosure inside Kanha Tiger Reserve, aiming to bring back a species that vanished from the State's forests nearly a hundred years ago. The group…

First BIMSTEC Home Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi adopts Delhi Declaration 2026

New Delhi hosted the first-ever Home Ministers' Meeting of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation), which ended with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration 2026. The grouping has seven members…