NEWS & VIEWS|||SARASIJ|||17-10-2026

 

NEWS & VIEWS|||SARASIJ|||17-10-2026

SATURDAY| VOL—IV/2026/OCTOBER

OPINIONATED, FOR FREE CIRCULATION.

ॐ सर्वमंगल माङ्गल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थ साधिके।

शरण्ये त्र्यम्बके गौरी नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते॥

एष स-चन्दन-पुष्प-बिल्व-पत्राञ्जलिः भगवत्यै दुर्गायै नमः॥

MAHASAPTAMI PUSHPANJALI MANTRA.

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

The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the National Social Assistance Programme for five years, from 2026-27 to 2030-31, with an outlay of 53 thousand 428 crore rupees.

The Ministry of Home Affairs notified the Census (Amendment) Rules, 2026 under the Census Act, 1948. The amendment widens the pool of eligible enumerators to include teachers of government, local authority, aided and unaided private institutions, besides clerks and officials of Central and State Governments, PSUs, banks, and statutory bodies.

The 6th National Steering Committee of PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs) approved investment plans worth about ₹1,194 crore for five ITI clusters across Maharashtra, Odisha, and Jammu and Kashmir. Cumulative approvals under the scheme have crossed ₹3,687 crore.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday laid the foundation stones for four projects to improve infrastructure at agricultural markets across the Capital at an event at Azadpur market.

The Telangana state government has constituted the Core Urban Region Economy (CURE) apex governance council with the Chief Minister as Chairperson and the municipal administration and urban development (MA&UD) principal secretary or special chief secretary is convener.

Cargo movement on India's inland waterways rose from 29 million metric tons (MMT) in 2014-15 to 218 MMT in 2025-26, a CAGR of 20.13%, the Ports, Shipping and Waterways Ministry said. This surpasses the 200 MMT target under Maritime India Vision 2030; India has 111 National Waterways spanning 20,187 km.

The locality of Kasari-Masari in Prayagraj, once the stronghold of local gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed, has been renamed Sri Krishnapuri. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the renaming of the area during his visit to the city on Thursday. The chief minister also laid the foundation stone of a housing colony for 1,200 poor families that will come up on the seized land of Atiq Ahmed.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) holds a commanding edge in Uttar Pradesh with nearly two-thirds of the people saying they will vote for the ruling government, The survey, released on Friday, said that nearly 66.6% of the respondents would vote for BJP if the elections were held today.

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Friday invited Hyundai Motors to set up a car manufacturing facility in Hyderabad, assuring the company of the state government's full support.

The Department of Consumer Affairs is expanding the distribution of buffer onions under the Price Stabilization Fund (PSF), with the first-ever Kanda Express movement to Agartala, Tripura. The Ministry said that the consignment, carrying approximately 440 metric tons (MT) of onions, is expected to reach Agartala by 18th of this month.

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) facilitated Export of 1.755 MT of Organic Palmyra Jaggery Powder from Tamil Nadu to Bulgaria. The consignment of National Programme for Organic Production and EU-certified organic Palmyra Jaggery Powder was dispatched yesterday from Erode district of Tamil Nadu to Varna, Bulgaria.

The Chennai Corporation held an online awareness program on breast cancer titled “Pink Pulse 2026”. Medical officers, nurses, healthcare workers, and Anganwadi workers across all 15 zones of the Greater Chennai Corporation and members of the public attended the event online and in person.

Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena has announced the creation of Sankoo District, fulfilling a long-pending demand of the people of the region.

Mizoram CM Lalduhoma launches 4 digital financial management initiatives to enhance transparency & accountability.

The center has assured Punjab that the state would face no shortage of electricity and coal supplies.

BENGAL FILES:

Durga Puja Festivities & Economic Surge: The grand Durga Puja celebrations are in full swing across the state with over 57,500 pandals organized, including 3,300 in Kolkata alone. Economic assessments show the massive festival is serving as a multi-sectoral economic powerhouse, contributing between ₹46,000 crore to ₹50,000 crore—roughly 3% of West Bengal's GDP.

Amit Shah's Festive & Political Visit: Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Kolkata late evening to begin a multi-day visit. While culturally centered on touring iconic pandals like Belur Math, Shobhabazar Rajbari, and Sreebhumi Sporting Club, the tour holds significant political weight amidst ongoing rivalries between the ruling BJP and other parties.

Bankers Demand Saptami Holiday: The All-India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC) has formally urged the West Bengal government to declare a state-wide bank holiday.

Tensions escalated after a division bench of the Calcutta High Court issued a stay order on a single-bench decision that previously allowed the CPI(M) to erect temporary bookstalls outside Durga Puja pandals. I agree with the BAN. The bookstalls were ‘LEFT PROPAGANDA IN DISGUISE’, piggybacking on religious festival which their doctrine considers ‘DRUG’.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially summoned the rival factions of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) for a decisive hearing on October 30.

*LEGAL REPORT*

The Supreme Court held that a person converting to Islam cannot claim Backward Class (Muslim) reservation merely based on pre-conversion caste status. A Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Shree Chandrashekhar upheld the Madras High Court's quashing of Tamil Nadu's 2024 G.O., ruling that benefits under Article 16(4) cannot be claimed on antecedent membership alone.

Bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joy Malya Bagchi sought the Centre's response on a plea for uniform safeguards for all forms of talaq under Muslim personal law. The plea challenges Section 2 of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937 insofar as it recognizes Talaq-e-Hasan, and has been tagged with a pending petition.

An FIR was registered against former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat along with 30 other Congress leaders in connection with the party’s protest on the appointment of Dushyant Gautam as Sikkim Governor.

The Gauhati High Court on Friday, October 16, granted bail to suspended Assam Police DSP Sandipon Garg in connection with the death of singer Zubeen Garg.

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

EAM S. Jaishankar will host UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Mumbai on 19-20 October and hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio there on 20 October, the MEA said. Jaishankar Will Also Be Guest Of Honor At The Celebration Of The 250th Anniversary Of US Independence.

India will carry out the first rollover of the ₹3,000 crore currency swap with the Maldives from 23 October, at Male's request. The facility falls under the RBI's SAARC currency swap framework; the agreement was signed during President Mohamed Muizzu's state visit to India in October 2024.

The Central Government has notified amendments to the India-Mauritius Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, introducing a principal purpose test to prevent the misuse of treaty provisions for tax avoidance and evasion. Under the revised agreement, tax treaty benefits may be denied if obtaining such benefits is found to be one of the principal purposes of a transaction or arrangement.

China released a draft plan proposing export curbs on 14 technologies in artificial intelligence, biotechnology and solar photovoltaics, and listing 26 more for fresh restrictions. China's earlier rare-earth curbs had disrupted global supply chains, including in India and the US.

NEPAL NEWS:

• Cross-Border Energy Trade: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha formally issued a Letter of Intent (LOI) to private companies, granting in-principle consent to prepare for cross-border electricity trade for the first time.

• Chobhar Substation Construction: The 132/11 kV Chobhar substation in Kirtipur Municipality-6 has reached its final construction stage, with the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) planning to charge and operate its power transformers immediately after Dashain.

• Disaster Media Warnings: Authorities in Kathmandu raised alarms regarding the widespread sharing of graphic disaster and flash-flood photos and videos on social media, noting negative mental health impacts on children and adolescents.

Here is a news report covering recent flash floods and disaster updates in Nepal:

Nepal flood death toll rises to 675, more than 2,400 missing.

CHABAHAR PORT SECURITY SITUATION:

The security situation surrounding Chabahar Port and the wider Sistan and Baluchistan province remains highly volatile, marked by a dual threat of regional geopolitical strikes and a sharp escalation in domestic insurgent activity.

Despite the localized fighting and the destruction of nearby facilities, India's $120 million investment in the region remains secure:

• High-resolution satellite imagery verifies that the Shahid Beheshti Terminal, which is operated externally by India, sustained no damage and remains fully intact.

• However, operational efficiency at the Indian terminal continues to face severe bottlenecks due to naval blockade anxieties, regional tensions, and the lack of accessible maritime insurance for incoming cargo vessels.

GULF NEWS:

US President Donald Trump says the US Navy is carrying out an effective blockade of Iran and that no Iranian ship has been able to cross the Strait of Hormuz.

US Central Command tells US forces have helped Gulf allies ship more than 100 million barrels of crude oil through the strait over the past seven days.

Explosions have rocked Aden, the interim seat of Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The government says Houthi forces targeted Aden International Airport with two missiles.

The UK Foreign Office has widened its advice against all but essential travel to cover the whole of Saudi Arabia, extending a warning that previously applied to specific regions and cities.

“Aden International Airport does not only serve areas under the internationally recognized government, it serves all Yemeni cities, from al-Mahra to Saada.”

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen says its forces have targeted Houthi weapons smuggling operations.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has decried the ecological damage caused by conflict in the Middle East, calling it “environmental genocide”. BUT CAN IRAN DENY ITS ROLE IN IT??

CRIME & PUNISHMENT:

The MEA voiced deep concern over a foiled plot to attack the Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple in Aurora near Chicago, and urged the US to ensure the safety of Indian nationals. A 19-year-old has been charged with making a terrorist threat and unlawful possession of a weapon.

MISHAPS: -

In Mysuru, Karnataka — Four Killed as Lorry Hits Sleeper Bus near Periyapatna.

In Ajmer, Rajasthan — Three of a Family Killed as Bus Hits Motorcycle.

ENVIRONMENTAL: -

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Russia's Kamchatka region near the Kuril Islands at a depth of about 140 km.

Sukhna Wetland in Chandigarh and Sauj Jheel in Uttar Pradesh have been added to the Ramsar list, taking India's Wetlands of International Importance to 103. Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced the additions; Sukhna Lake is a man-made, rain-fed lake built in 1958 in the Shivalik foothills.

WEATHER:

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has kept parts of West Bengal under watch following heavy atmospheric changes over the Bay of Bengal. Department also forecasts heavy rain and thunderstorms in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for the next three to five days due to cyclonic circulation over South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and its neighboring areas. 

TECHNOLOGY:

DRDO unveiled the indigenous SHYEN sensor suite for the Indian Navy's Dornier Do-228 maritime patrol aircraft. At its core is the KSHITIJ AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar with about 600 Gallium Nitride-based transmit/receive modules, which can track sea-surface and airborne targets and offers Synthetic Aperture Radar imaging.

GAMES & SPORTS:

India women beat Zimbabwe by four wickets in the first T20I in Raipur. Chasing 115, India got home in 15.4 overs for their sixth straight win; the second T20I is today.

Jagsher Singh Khangurra won bronze at the BWF World Junior Championships in Cairo after losing his semifinal to Indonesia's Radithya Bayu Wardhana. India's tally at the event stands at 13 medals (1 gold, 5 silvers, 7 bronzes).

Komal won bronze in the women's 59kg at the U-23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, beating Kazakhstan's Viktoriia Khusainova 7-2. Amruta Pujari has reached the women's 72kg final.

DAS KAPITAL:

DALAL STREET:

BULL continued its run. DEVIPAKSHA IS A GOOD OMEN!

Key Market Indices at Close:

• BSE Sensex: 74,729.27 (+413.66 points)

• NSE Nifty 50: 23,146.15 (+148.80 points)

• Nifty Bank: 55,844.00 (Ended nearly flat)

• Weekly Gains: The Sensex rose 3.11% and Nifty 50 added 2.77% over the course of the week, marking a solid structural recovery.

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% Purity): Trading at ₹1,47,580 per 10 grams in major hubs like New Delhi and Rajasthan.

• 22K Standard Gold (91.6% Purity): Priced at ₹13,528 per gram or ₹1,35,280 per 10 grams, serving as the active floor price for bridal jewelry fabrication.

• Retail Spot Silver (99.9% Purity): Closed at approximately ₹2,12,220 per kilogram in Northern Indian markets.

CURRENCIES:

USD: ₹94.96/- EUR: ₹106.73/- GBP: ₹126.59/-AED: ₹25.79/-CNY: ₹14.26 INR/-

IMAGE: By Nandalal Bose.

THE END.