NEWS & VIEWS|||SARASIJ|||16-10-2026

 

NEWS & VIEWS|||SARASIJ|||16-10-2026

FRIDAY| VOL—IV/2026/SEPTEMBER

OPINIONATED, FOR FREE CIRCULATION.

न गतं कर्तुं कश्चिद् धनवान्,

परिश्रमेण तु भविष्यं लभ्यते।

No one is rich enough to buy the past; but with effort, the future can be won.

INDIA: (GOI, SWARAJYA, VISHWAMITRA, HINDU POST, INDIA TODAY).

Durga Puja Begin in West Bengal: Durga Puja celebrations officially begin today with Mahashashthi rituals, including Kalpa Rambha, Akal Bodhon, and Bilva Nimantran across the state.

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.

The Capacity Building Commission (CBC) will organize 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.

NITI Aayog's Frontier Tech Hub released the Data Centre Evaluation Framework to help States plan sustainable growth of data centers. 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 maximize long-term economic value.

Piyush Goyal said the first tranche of the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement has been finalized 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. WHY SO LATE?

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).

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.

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 resigned 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.

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

Indian Railways must extend insurance to counter-booked tickets from 27 October 2026, following a Supreme Court order.

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.

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.

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 organizers say the unusual addition is intended to highlight the importance of cleanliness and support the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India now exports indigenous defense 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.

 

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".

WORLD: (REUTER, AP, AFP, BLOOMBERG, CNN, WP)

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.

Speaking at the second Raisina Middle East in Abu Dhabi, Jaishankar said globalization 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.

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 finalizing its new tariff structure.

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 organized 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.

Ukraine resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries after Russia continued attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

GULF NEWS

At least five people were killed and 16 wounded in a Houthi attack on the presidential palace in Yemen’s southern city of Aden, according to the country’s health minister.

Authorities in Yemen’s Marib governorate said the Houthis have fired nine ballistic missiles and seven other projectiles at residential neighborhoods in the city.

Saudi Arabia described Houthi attacks on its airports and oil facilities as “full-fledged war crimes”, while France said it has begun deploying military assets to help protect the kingdom’s energy infrastructure.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington will continue imposing sanctions until Iran’s “coffers are empty”, after announcing measures targeting 16 individuals and 10 entities.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to press Israel to halt its attacks and destruction in southern Lebanon.

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.

CRIME & PUNISHMENT:

SC to hear Bengal SIR case today, ahead of November municipal polls.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Central Park in Delhi’s Connaught Place will remain closed to the 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.

A Bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joy Malya 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.

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.

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: -

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.

In Jalgaon, Maharashtra — Six of a Family Killed in Bike-Truck Collision.

In Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand — Car Falls into Gorge near Devprayag. Two people, including a 72-year-old woman, were killed and three injured.

WEATHER:

Wide spread rain occurred in all over India from departing Monsoon.

GAMES & SPORTS:

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.

Jagsher Singh Khangurra reached the semifinals of the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships 2026, assuring India of a medal.

DAS KAPITAL:

DALAL STREET: BULL TOOK CHARGE.

The Indian stock market witnessed a massive surge in its last trading session, with the BSE Sensex zooming 1,533.72 points (2.11%) to close at 74,315.61, and the NSE Nifty 50 jumping 374.65 points (1.66%) to settle at 22,997.35. Strong domestic triggers, fueled by a sharp rotation into IT stocks and falling crude oil prices, completely overshadowed weak global cues and persistent foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows.

Chinese stock market hit a 13-month low in its last session, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index declining 1.59% (59.75 points) to close at 3,707.48.

BULLIONS:

• 24K Pure Gold (99.9%): Averaging ₹1,47,552 per 10 grams nationwide (Jaipur: ₹1,47,559; Delhi: ₹1,47,580).

• 22K Standard Gold (91.6%): Trading at ₹13,525 per gram or ₹1,35,256 per 10 grams, which remains the benchmark for bridal jewelry.

• Retail Spot Silver (99.9%): Sizzling around ₹2,10,902 per kilogram across primary local markets.

CURRENCY:

•USD: ₹94.70/-|• EUR: ₹106.59/-|•GBP:₹125.69 /-| CNY) : ₹14.21/-

Commerce:

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.

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.

 

THE END.