Today Current Affairs 31 October 2026 – Compiled from official public sources (PIB, Akashvani, DD News). Important news and authentic facts for UPSC, SSC, UPPSC, Defence, Banking and State competitive exams.
National
Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia Appointed as Next IAF Vice Chief
The Ministry of Defence announced on 30 October 2026 that Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia will assume office as the next Vice Chief of the Air Staff.
- He succeeds incumbent Vice Chief Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, who assumes charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff.
- Prior to this appointment, he served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Air Command.
- An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, he was commissioned into the IAF fighter stream on June 11, 1988, and holds the Vayu Sena Medal (2008) and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (2018).
Helicopter Crashes in Forest Area Near Joshimath in Uttarakhand
On 30 October 2026, a helicopter operated by M/S Transbharat Aviation Pvt Ltd crashed in the forest area near Chai village in Joshimath, Uttarakhand.
- The aircraft involved in the incident was an AS350B3 helicopter bearing the registration number VT-HCX, carrying one pilot and five passengers.
- The flight had taken off from the Badrinath helipad at 1314 hours and was en route to the Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun.
- A team from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was dispatched to Dehradun to conduct a preliminary and regulatory assessment of the accident.
Inauguration of Bharat Parv 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘Bharat Parv 2026’ at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat’s Narmada district on 30 October 2026 to mark the beginning of the 151st birth anniversary celebrations of Sardar Patel.
- The cultural festival is organized to reflect the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.
- The event will continue until 15 November 2026.
- The celebrations precede the annual Rashtriya Ekta Diwas events.
Nationwide Census Scheduled from 25th January to 28th February 2027
The Home Ministry announced the nationwide population census across all states and Union Territories on 30 October 2026, scheduled to be conducted from 25th January to 28th February 2027.
- Snow-bound and poll-bound states have been excluded from this phase of the nationwide census operation.
- States exempted from the upcoming census enumeration include Manipur, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand.
Science and Technology
ISRO Successfully Launches NVS-03 Navigation Satellite
The Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launched the NVS-03 navigation satellite using the GSLV-F18 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on 30 October 2026.
- The mission marked the 20th flight of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and achieved a record turnaround time of just 56 days between two successive GSLV missions.
- The spacecraft weighs approximately 2,232 kilograms and carries an indigenous atomic clock along with the introduction of the L1 frequency band alongside the existing L5 and S bands.
- NVS-03 is the third satellite in ISRO’s second-generation series and the fourth satellite launched overall under the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) programme.
Sports
Manisha Bhanwala Becomes First Indian Woman Wrestling World Champion
On 30 October 2026, wrestler Manisha Bhanwala scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Senior World Wrestling Championships.
- Manisha secured the historic gold in the 59kg category by defeating the USA’s Abigail Elizabeth Nette 8-6 in the final after overcoming a 0-6 deficit.
- India concluded its campaign at the global showpiece with a total of four medals, comprising one gold, two silver, and one bronze.
- Kajal Dhochak and Neelam Sirohi won the two silver medals for India at the tournament.
Arshdeep Singh becomes first Indian bowler to claim 150 T20I wickets
Indian fast bowler Arshdeep Singh became the first Indian bowler to claim 150 wickets in T20 Internationals during the fourth T20I against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland on 30 October 2026.
- Arshdeep reached the landmark in 103 appearances and 99 innings with an average of 20.62, an economy rate of 8.65, and best bowling figures of 5/51.
- He became the third fast bowler globally to reach 150 T20I wickets, joining New Zealand’s Tim Southee and Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman.
- He set a new record for the most T20I wickets in a calendar year by a Full Member nation bowler, recording 40 wickets in 2026 to surpass Josh Little’s previous mark of 39 in 2022.
Uttar Pradesh
Varanasi-New Delhi Vande Bharat Sleeper Express
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw are scheduled to flag off the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express between Varanasi and New Delhi from Varanasi on 31 October 2026.
- The train will operate six days a week, remaining suspended on Fridays for the Varanasi-originating service and on Saturdays for the New Delhi-originating service.
- En route, the train will connect Varanasi, Prayagraj, Kanpur Central, Aligarh, and Ghaziabad.
- Safety systems include Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), compliance with EN45545 HL3 grade Fire Safety standards, smoke and fire detection systems, and CCTV surveillance.
Awards and Honors
Prasar Bharati Wins ABU Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award 2026
On 30 October 2026, Prasar Bharati announced that Nongmaithem Nandakumar Singh won the ABU Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award 2026 for contributions to broadcast technology and innovation.
- The award recognized his development of DDPlayout, an indigenous automated playout software adopted by multiple Doordarshan Kendras.
- He was also honored for creating DDSlowMo, a cost-effective slow-motion replay system utilized in broadcasting.
International
Life-size statue of Mahatma Gandhi unveiled in North Dakota, US
A life-size statue of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled for the first time at Peace Park in downtown Bismarck, the capital of North Dakota, United States, on 29 October 2026.
- The installation marks a historic milestone in the Indian-American community’s ongoing efforts to promote Mahatma Gandhi’s enduring message of peace and non-violence.
- Diplomatic and cultural engagement between India and the state of North Dakota has experienced a steady increase since the establishment of the Consulate General of India in Seattle in November 2023.
Israel Election Final Results Leave Both Blocs Short of Majority
The final election results released in Israel on 30 October 2026 revealed that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling group nor the main opposition group secured sufficient seats to attain a parliamentary majority.
- The inconclusive election outcome is expected to trigger weeks of intensive political negotiations to determine a new prime minister and establish a governing coalition.
- Failure of the ongoing political talks to form a stable government could potentially lead Israel to hold another snap election.