PM Modi opens a new stretch of Chennai Metro Phase II, South African jurist Navi Pillay wins the Nobel Peace Prize, the Coast Guard commissions ICGS Ajit, India leads the West Indies 2–1 in the T20I series after a record chase at Ranchi, and September's retail inflation figure is due this afternoon. Here is the news that matters for competitive exams today.
India – National Affairs
PM Modi inaugurates Poonamallee–Vadapalani stretch of Chennai Metro Phase II
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Poonamallee–Vadapalani stretch of Phase II of the Chennai Metro Rail Project on 11 October 2026, and rode the train from Porur Bypass to Poonamallee Bypass and back with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, in the presence of Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
Key details
- The stretch is about 15 km with 11 elevated stations, built at a cost of around Rs. 4,900 crore under Corridor 4 of Phase II; it is reported to run on driverless operations and advanced signalling, linking the western suburbs with the city centre.
- The visit was part of a package of projects reported at over Rs. 13,000 crore for Tamil Nadu, including National Highway projects of about Rs. 3,700 crore, railway works of over Rs. 750 crore (the Karaikal–Peralam line and three rail flyovers in and around Coimbatore), and the foundation stone for a Rs. 1,620 crore Lube Oil Base Stocks project at the Chennai Petroleum Corporation's Manali refinery.
Katchatheevu: Centre tells Supreme Court it does not intend to reopen the 1974 and 1976 agreements
A Supreme Court bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva heard on 6 October a batch of petitions, pending since 2008 (the first was filed by then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa), challenging the 1974 India–Sri Lanka maritime agreement under which Katchatheevu island went to Sri Lanka and the 1976 agreement that restricted Indian fishermen's rights.
- Attorney General R. Venkataramani told the Court that the Centre does not want to reopen the issue, citing India's "excellent" relations with Sri Lanka, and that fishermen's concerns are being handled diplomatically.
- The bench orally remarked that Tamil Nadu fishermen need to be sensitised against fishing inside Sri Lanka's territorial waters; Tamil Nadu's counsel said the State has written to the Centre after recent arrests of fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy.
- Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on 11 October that India had acknowledged in court that the island belongs to Sri Lanka. The hearing did not change the island's legal status or settle the constitutional challenge; one report says the matter has been put off to February 2027.
- Background: Katchatheevu is a small island in the Palk Strait; the 1974 agreement allows Indian fishermen to fish around it and dry nets there.
Rajya Sabha biennial elections: poll on 16 October if contested
For the Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant in November 2026, the last date for withdrawal of candidatures was 9 October; polling, where needed, and counting take place on 16 October 2026.
Other national headlines
- BRICS Traditional and Indigenous Sports Demonstration Games 2026 are being held in Ahmedabad on 12 and 13 October (as listed by GKToday).
- Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan launched the Adavi Thalli Baata 2.0 road project on 11 October.
- The reintroduced hard-ground barasingha population in Satpura Tiger Reserve (brought from Kanha National Park) was reported at about 303 animals by 10 October.
- The National Postal Week is being observed from 9 to 15 October.
Economy & Banking
September retail inflation (CPI) due today at 4 PM; economists expect a 23-month high
MoSPI releases the Consumer Price Index (base 2024=100) for September 2026 today, 12 October, at 4:00 PM IST. In August, retail inflation was 4.82% (July: 4.45%), with food inflation at 5.95%.
- A Mint poll of 19 economists expects about 5.6% (range 5–5.9%), which would be the first print above 5% since December 2024 and the fourth straight month above the RBI's 4% medium-term target.
- The RBI's own projection, issued with its 7 October rate hike, is for CPI inflation to average almost 5.8% over the next three quarters.
- The official figure had not been released at the time of writing.
- Coming up this week: WPI inflation for September on 14 October; forex reserves data for the week ended 9 October on 16 October.
Recap: the policy week that was
- RBI (7 October): repo rate raised by 25 bps to 5.50%, the first hike since February 2023; stance 'calibrated tightening'; FY27 growth projected at 7.1%.
- 57th GST Council (8 October): arrest powers of GST officers to be removed; prosecution threshold raised from Rs. 1 crore to Rs. 5 crore; general penalty cut from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 10,000; no change in rates.
- World Bank raised India's FY27 growth forecast to 7.1% (from 6.6%).
- India joined the US and 13 other economies in a Joint Ministerial Statement on structural excess capacity after the G20 Trade Ministerial in Milwaukee.
Science & Technology
2026 Nobel Peace Prize: Navi Pillay
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on 9 October to South African jurist Navanethem "Navi" Pillay (aged 85, born in Durban) "for her efforts to promote peace and international law." The committee's chair, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, announced it in Oslo; this was the 125th Peace Prize.
- The committee said she has been instrumental in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted, and stressed that the rule of law underpins the system set up to resolve conflicts non-violently.
- Pillay is a former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a former judge of the International Criminal Court and former president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. She also chaired a UN commission of inquiry whose findings on Gaza are contested.
- The Nobel Institute could not reach her before the announcement. Hours later, US President Donald Trump criticised the choice, saying the committee had "demeaned" the prize.
- The Committee received 287 nominations (208 individuals and 79 organisations); the prize is 12 million Swedish kronor.
Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences announced today
The final prize of Nobel Week, the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, is announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences at 11:45 CEST (3:15 PM IST) today. The winners had not been announced at the time of writing. The 2025 prize went to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt for explaining innovation-driven economic growth.
2026 Nobel laureates so far
- Medicine: Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, Georg Nagel (optogenetics).
- Physics: Francis Halzen (IceCube neutrino observatory).
- Chemistry: Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai (non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric synthesis).
- Literature: Anne Carson (Canada).
- Peace: Navi Pillay (South Africa).
Indo-French TRISHNA satellite to launch in 12–16 months
The Indo-French TRISHNA (Thermal Infra-Red Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural Resource Assessment) is set to launch within the next 12 to 16 months, as reported by The Hindu. A joint project of ISRO and France's CNES, it will give high-resolution thermal imaging for water-resource management, agriculture and climate monitoring.
Recap: India Mobile Congress 2026
The 10th India Mobile Congress ran from 7 to 10 October at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, with Prime Minister Modi highlighting India's 5G expansion and digital-technology push.
Defence & Security
Coast Guard commissions ICGS Ajit, seventh of eight Adamya-class fast patrol vessels
The Indian Coast Guard commissioned the indigenous Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS Ajit ("Invincible") at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) on 9 October 2026.
- It is the seventh of eight Adamya-class FPVs being built by GSL; the eighth, ICGS Aparajit, was launched with Ajit on 24 October 2025. The first of the class, ICGS Adamya, was commissioned in September 2025.
- About 52 m long, displacing about 320 tonnes, with a crew of 39; armed with a 30 mm naval gun and two 12.7 mm machine guns; more than 60% indigenous content.
- It will be based at Okha, Gujarat, strengthening surveillance in the Arabian Sea. Roles include maritime surveillance, search and rescue, anti-smuggling and pollution response.
Naval shipbuilding: other reported milestones
- FSS-1 'Surya', the Navy's first indigenous Fleet Support Ship (about 43,500 tonnes), was launched on 6 October at Hindustan Shipyard, Visakhapatnam, with the keel of FSS-5 laid the same day.
- As reported by Indian Defence News, GRSE launched the third Next-Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel 'Shreyas' (an 11-ship programme, with GRSE building four), and the Navy is moving ahead with the 'Shakti' electronic warfare suite (developed by DLRL/DRDO, produced by BEL) for upgrading Shivalik-class frigates.
Exercises and appointments
- Tarang Shakti 2026 (IAF's multinational air exercise, Jodhpur) is scheduled to conclude today, 12 October.
- Mountain Guardian 2026 (India–UAE, Chaubatia, Uttarakhand) continues until 18 October.
- Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit takes over as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on 31 October. The MoD's Rs. 661.50 crore BrahMos fire-control and launcher contract for Navy ships was signed on 6 October.
Sports
India lead West Indies 2–1 in the T20I series after a 14-run win in Indore
India beat the West Indies by 14 runs in the third T20I at Indore on 11 October, making 223 and holding the visitors to 209/7 (Shamar Springer 35 off 11 at the end), with Arshdeep Singh and Abhishek Sharma credited for the win. India lead the 5-match series 2–1; the fifth T20I is on 17 October at Bengaluru.
How the series has gone
- ODIs: India won the 3-match series 2–1; Shubman Gill was Player of the Series. Virat Kohli reached 15,000 ODI runs in the series (recorded as the fastest to the mark) and Rohit Sharma reached 12,000.
- 1st T20I, Lucknow (6 Oct): India won by 8 wickets; captain Shreyas Iyer made 102* off 43, his maiden T20I century, and Naman Dhir took 3/31 on T20I debut.
- 2nd T20I, Ranchi (9 Oct): the West Indies chased down 250 (IND 249/5) with 252/4 in 18.3 overs, their highest T20I chase, through Shai Hope (102*) and Sherfane Rutherford (84); India's first home defeat after ten straight wins.
Coming up
- 2026 Asian Para Games: Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, 18–24 October; flagbearers Pramod Bhagat and Bhavina Patel.
- BWF World Junior Championships: Egypt, 5–18 October.
- Summer Youth Olympics: Dakar, Senegal, 31 October–13 November.
Important Days
12 October – World Arthritis Day
Observed every year on 12 October to raise awareness of arthritis and other rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.
Recent observances (recap)
- 9 October – World Post Day: marks the founding of the Universal Postal Union in 1874; National Postal Week in India runs 9–15 October with 10 October as National Postal Day.
- 10 October – World Mental Health Day.
- 11 October – International Day of the Girl Child (declared by the UN General Assembly in 2011; first observed in 2012).
- 4–10 October – World Space Week.
Coming up this week
- 13 October: International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.
- 14 October: World Standards Day.
- 15 October: World Students' Day (birth anniversary of Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam); International Day of Rural Women.
- 16 October: World Food Day (FAO was founded on 16 October 1945).
Quick Revision – One-Liners
- Chennai Metro Phase II stretch inaugurated on 11 October – Poonamallee–Vadapalani (Corridor 4); about 15 km, 11 elevated stations, about Rs. 4,900 crore.
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister – C. Joseph Vijay; Governor – Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
- Katchatheevu petitions in the Supreme Court – pending since 2008; challenge the 1974 and 1976 India–Sri Lanka agreements; AG R. Venkataramani.
- September CPI inflation release – 12 October, 4 PM; August figure – 4.82%; base year 2024=100.
- WPI inflation (September) release – 14 October.
- Nobel Peace Prize 2026 – Navi Pillay (South Africa), "for her efforts to promote peace and international law"; 125th Peace Prize.
- Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee – Jørgen Watne Frydnes.
- Nobel Economic Sciences 2026 announcement – 12 October, 3:15 PM IST; 2025 laureates – Mokyr, Aghion, Howitt.
- Indo-French satellite due in 12–16 months – TRISHNA (ISRO–CNES), thermal infra-red imaging.
- ICGS Ajit – 7th of 8 Adamya-class FPVs; built by Goa Shipyard; based at Okha; commissioned 9 October 2026.
- Tarang Shakti 2026 – scheduled to end 12 October; Mountain Guardian 2026 (India–UAE) – until 18 October.
- India vs West Indies T20I series – India lead 2–1 after the third T20I at Indore (India won by 14 runs); fifth T20I on 17 October, Bengaluru.
- West Indies' highest T20I chase – 252/4 vs India at Ranchi (9 October).
- Shreyas Iyer's maiden T20I century – 102* off 43, Lucknow.
- World Arthritis Day – 12 October; World Food Day – 16 October.
