National

The 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC) was officially constituted in January 2025 to revise salaries, pensions, and service conditions of over 50 lakh Central Government employees and 70 lakh pensioners. Its recommendations are expected to be implemented from January 1, 2026.

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🏛️ About the Central Pay Commission

The Central Pay Commission is a periodic body established by the Government of India to review and recommend changes in pay, allowances, and pensions of Central Government employees, defence personnel, and pensioners.
It is typically formed every 10 years — the 7th CPC was implemented in 2016.

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📅 Key Details of the 8th CPC

• Announced: January 2025
• Terms of Reference Approved: October 2025
• Chairperson: Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai (Former Supreme Court Judge)
• Members:
  • Pulak Ghosh (IIM Bangalore) – Part-Time Member
  • Pankaj Jain (Petroleum Secretary) – Member-Secretary
• Report Submission Timeline: Within 18 months
• Implementation Date: Likely from January 1, 2026

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🎯 Scope and Objectives

The 8th CPC will examine and recommend changes related to:

• Pay structure and allowances of government employees
• Pension and retirement benefits
• Service conditions and career progression
• Impact on state finances (as many states adopt CPC guidelines)
• Fiscal prudence to balance welfare and budgetary sustainability

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👥 Beneficiaries

• Central Government employees (Groups A, B, C)
• Defence personnel
• Pensioners
• Employees of autonomous bodies following CPC norms

On 28 October 2025, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC-UAC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Moscow to jointly produce the SJ-100 civil commuter aircraft in India.

The SJ-100 is a twin-engine, narrow-body passenger aircraft already in service with over 16 airlines worldwide, with more than 200 units produced globally.

This collaboration builds on the long-standing India–Russia aerospace partnership and aims to meet India’s rising demand for regional jets, projected to exceed 200 aircraft in the next decade, plus another 350 for the Indian Ocean region and nearby tourist destinations.

This marks the first complete passenger aircraft production in India since the AVRO HS-748 programme (1961–1988). The SJ-100, to be built for India’s domestic market, will enhance short-haul air connectivity under the UDAN regional connectivity scheme.

Police Commemoration Day is observed every year on October 21 to honor the supreme sacrifices made by police personnel in the line of duty. The day originated from the 1959 Hot Springs incident in Ladakh, where ten CRPF jawans were martyred after being ambushed by Chinese troops.

The main ceremony takes place at the National Police Memorial (NPM) in New Delhi, featuring the Wall of Valour, a central sculpture, and a museum dedicated to police history.

In 2025, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh led the national tribute, with state-level parades, exhibitions, and outreach programs organized across India to honor fallen heroes. Police units also engaged with schools and communities to spread awareness about the courage and service of the force.

On 17 October 2025, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled the first Tejas LCA Mk1A fighter jet from HAL’s new Nashik production line and inaugurated a second production line for the HTT-40 trainer aircraft.

Rajnath Singh noted that before 2014, around 65–70% of defence equipment was imported, but now about 65% is produced domestically. He praised HAL Nashik for its six-decade contribution to strengthening India’s defence manufacturing.

The Tejas LCA Mk1A is an advanced, 4.5-generation, multi-role fighter jet designed to replace the MiG-21s, featuring improved avionics, air-to-air refuelling, and capabilities for air defence, ground attack, and maritime strike missions.

Q. Which organization developed the Tejas LCA Mk1A fighter jet?
A) DRDO
B) ISRO
C) Bharat Dynamics Limited
D) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)

Ans: D) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)

On October 15, 2025, in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, 61 senior Naxal cadres, including Polit Bureau Member Mallujola Venugopal Rao alias Bhupati, surrendered before the Gadchiroli Police in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The surrendered group, with a collective bounty of ₹6 crore, included top ranks such as divisional and area committee members.

CM Fadnavis called it the biggest Naxal surrender in Maharashtra’s history, symbolizing the success of efforts led by the Prime Minister and Home Minister against Maoist insurgency. He welcomed the cadres into the mainstream by presenting them a copy of the Indian Constitution, assuring jobs and rehabilitation support.

The CM also stated that North Gadchiroli is now largely Naxal-free and announced a ₹1 crore reward for the Gadchiroli Police for their success in anti-Naxal operations.

On October 15, 2025, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a ₹659.47 crore contract to equip the Indian Army’s SIG716 assault rifles with advanced night sights, greatly enhancing night combat capability.

The indigenous upgrade, under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category, was awarded to a consortium of MKU Limited and Medbit Technologies, ensuring over 51% local content. The new sights allow accurate targeting up to 500 metres in starlight, boosting operational readiness in border and counter-insurgency operations.

The Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy are conducting the 5th edition of the bilateral maritime exercise “Samudra Shakti” from October 14 to 17 at Visakhapatnam. The exercise aims to strengthen maritime cooperation and interoperability between the two navies.

INS Kavaratti, an anti-submarine warfare corvette, and KRI John Lie, an Indonesian corvette with a helicopter, are participating. The event includes a harbour phase with professional exchanges, yoga, and sports, and a sea phase involving advanced naval drills like helicopter manoeuvres, air defence, weapon firing, and Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations to boost tactical coordination and joint operational skills.

The first-ever India–South Korea naval bilateral exercise began on 13 October 2025 at Busan Naval Base, marking a significant step in the growing strategic partnership between the Indian Navy (IN) and the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN). The INS Sahyadri, a Shivalik-class stealth frigate built in India under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision, participated alongside ROKS Gyeongnam.

The exercise includes harbour and sea phases focusing on interoperability, mutual understanding, and tactical coordination. Activities during the harbour phase include professional exchanges, cross-deck visits, and sports events, while the sea phase features complex joint manoeuvres and operational drills.

On 13 October 2025, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that Railway Protection Force (RPF) recruitment will now be conducted annually by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC). Speaking at the 41st Raising Day of the RPF in Valsad, Gujarat, he also unveiled modernization plans, including VHF sets, digital, and drone training for RPF personnel.

Highlighting Indian Railways’ progress, he stated that 35,000 km of new tracks have been built, 99% electrification achieved, and 7,300 stations are under redevelopment, with 110 completed.

The fourth edition of India–Australia joint military exercise AUSTRAHIND 2025 began in Perth, Australia, on 13 October 2025. The exercise, running till 26 October, involves 120 Indian Army personnel, led by a Battalion of Gorkha Rifles.

It aims to enhance defence cooperation, improve interoperability, and exchange tactics and techniques for sub-conventional warfare in urban and semi-urban terrain. The focus is on joint company-level operations in open and semi-desert areas, including joint planning, tactical drills, and special arms skills. The exercise will help both armies hone operational capabilities, integrate emerging technologies, and strengthen mutual camaraderie.

On October 8, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), marking a major milestone in India’s aviation infrastructure. Built at Ulwe, Navi Mumbai, with an investment of ₹19,650 crore, the project is developed under a PPP model by Adani Airports Holdings Ltd (74%) and CIDCO (26%).

Phase 1 of NMIA can handle 20 million passengers and 0.8 million metric tonnes of cargo annually, supporting up to 380 flights per day. The lotus-inspired design by Zaha Hadid Architects features advanced sustainability elements like 47 MW solar power, Sustainable Aviation Fuel storage, and electric mobility solutions.

NMIA offers multimodal connectivity through road, rail, metro, and water taxi links, and includes an Automated People Mover (APM) for terminal transfers. It will operate alongside Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), making Mumbai India’s first dual-airport city.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has waived Aadhaar biometric update charges for children aged 5 to 17 years for one year, effective from 1 October 2025. This move will benefit around six crore children across India.

Aadhaar enrollment for children below five years requires only basic demographic details (name, photo, date of birth, gender, and address) since biometrics are not taken at that age. The first mandatory biometric update is done when a child turns five, and the second at fifteen. These updates, now free for the 5–7 and 15–17 age groups, would otherwise cost ₹125 per update.

The India-UK naval exercise KONKAN-2025 began on 5 October 2025 off India’s western coast, strengthening maritime cooperation under the India-UK Vision 2035. Conducted in two phases till 12 October, it includes harbour activities like professional exchanges and sea drills on anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare.

The exercise features INS Vikrant from India and the UK Carrier Strike Group (HMS Prince of Wales), with participation from Norway and Japan. Afterward, the UK group will hold a joint drill with the Indian Air Force on 14 October 2025.

On 3 October 2025, The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has announced significant reforms to make its recruitment exams more transparent, secure, and candidate-friendly.

Transparency: Candidates can now view their question papers, responses, and correct answers. Selected past papers will also be published as official sample sets. Restrictions apply only during ongoing multi-shift exams.

Candidate Welfare: Fee for challenging questions has been reduced from ₹100 to ₹50. A grievance redressal portal has been launched alongside a toll-free helpline.

Fairness in Evaluation: Introduction of equi-percentile normalization to remove variations across exam shifts.

Security Measures: Aadhaar-based authentication to prevent impersonation, digital vault for secure paper transmission, and IT agency support to prevent hacking.

On 1 October 2025, the Union Cabinet approved several major decisions:

1. Dearness Allowance (DA) & Dearness Relief (DR): Increased by 3%, effective from 1 July 2025, benefiting about 49.2 lakh employees and 68.7 lakh pensioners.
2. New Kendriya Vidyalayas: Approval for 57 new schools with an outlay of ₹5,862 crore, creating 4,600 teaching posts and benefiting 87,000 students. This includes schools in aspirational districts, LWE areas, and the Northeast.
3. Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses: A six-year mission (2025–31) with an outlay of ₹11,440 crore to achieve 350 lakh tonnes production by 2030-31, benefiting 2 crore farmers through improved seeds, procurement, and infrastructure.
4. MSP Hike for Rabi Crops (2026-27): Highest increase for safflower (+₹600/qtl) followed by lentil (+₹300/qtl) to ensure remunerative prices.
5. Infrastructure Project in Assam: Widening and upgrading of the Kalibor–Numaligarh section of NH-715 (85 km) to four lanes at a cost of ₹6,957 crore under EPC mode.

On 1 October 2025, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved an increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all mandated Rabi crops for the Marketing Season 2026–27 to ensure remunerative prices for farmers.

• The highest MSP hike was for safflower (+₹600/qtl), followed by lentil/masur (+₹300/qtl).
• Increases for other crops: rapeseed & mustard (+₹250/qtl), gram (+₹225/qtl), barley (+₹170/qtl), and wheat (+₹160/qtl).
• Final MSPs (per quintal) are: wheat ₹2,585, barley ₹2,150, gram ₹5,875, lentil ₹7,000, rapeseed & mustard ₹6,200, and safflower ₹6,540.
• The increase aligns with the Union Budget 2018-19 promise to set MSPs at least 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production.
• Margins over cost of production: wheat (109%), rapeseed & mustard (93%), lentil (89%), gram (59%), barley (58%), and safflower (50%).