Today Current Affairs 8 October 2026 – Compiled from official public sources. Daily important news useful for preparation of UPSC, SSC, UPSSC, Defence and Police competitive exams.
Awards and Honors
Kagan and Soai win 2026 Nobel chemistry prize for single molecular mirror creation
Scientists Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for solving a long-standing riddle of how to form a single molecular mirror image, a discovery hugely important for pharmaceutical manufacturing, the award-giving body said on Wednesday.
- Established in the will of Swedish inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel, the prizes for achievements in science, literature and peace have been awarded since 1901, with a few interruptions mostly due to the world wars.
- Nobel, a chemist by trade, amassed huge wealth in the 19th century from inventions primarily tied to warfare, most notably dynamite.
- The laureates will receive their medals from Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
Economy
PM Modi to inaugurate 10th India Mobile Congress in New Delhi today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 10th edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC) at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi on 8 October 2026.
- The 10th edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC) will be held in New Delhi.
- The event will showcase India’s progress in telecommunications, digital connectivity, and technological innovation.
- IMC will provide a global platform for collaboration, investment, and knowledge exchange.
57th GST Council meeting to be held in New Delhi today
The 57th GST Council meeting will be held in New Delhi on 8 October 2026.
- The GST Council meeting will be chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
- The government will propose a five-pronged plan for the next set of reforms to the GST system.
- The five-pronged proposal covers process reforms, structural reforms, ease of living and doing business, exports of services, and e-commerce.
RBI removes Paytm Payments Bank from list of scheduled banks after licence cancellation
The RBI said PPBL has been excluded from the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
25-basis-point repo rate hike unlikely to impact economic expansion, says RBI Governor
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has stated that a recent 25-basis-point repo rate hike is unlikely to significantly impact the overall economic expansion.
- The repo rate hike may moderate bank credit growth, currently above 18 per cent.
- The RBI believes the rate hike will have a limited effect on the economy.
- The economic expansion is expected to continue despite the rate hike.
Important Days
IAF marks 94th Air Force Day with theme ‘Infallible, Impervious and Precise’
On 8 October 2026, The 94th Indian Air Force Day will be celebrated today.
- The theme for this year’s celebration is “Indian Air Force – Infallible, Impervious and Precise”.
- In his message through Akashvani on the eve of Air Force Day, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, said that the Indian Air Force is always ready to protect the nation with alertness and firm commitment.
- He said that last year, Operation Sindoor reaffirmed the pivotal power of integrated air operations, demonstrating its capability and capacity to defend the country’s sovereignty.
National
Global leaders hail PM Modi’s 25 years as Head of Government, laud leadership and public service
World leaders from across continents on Wednesday extended warm greetings and congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on completing 25 continuous years as Head of Government, marking a political journey that began with his assumption of office as Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001 and continued with his taking over as Prime Minister of India in 2014.
- Leaders from Nigeria, Bhutan, the Philippines, Nepal, Botswana, Belgium, Japan, Dominica, South Korea and Serbia, among others, highlighted his leadership, public service and contributions to India’s development and growing engagement with the world.
- Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay congratulated Prime Minister Modi on the milestone, describing enlightened leadership as the exercise of wisdom, compassion and courage through selfless service.
- He underlined the significance of Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat and its reflection of the collective aspirations of Indians for a strong, prosperous and developed country.
Science and Technology
New metal-free porous material could help make clean energy more affordable
Scientists have developed a metal-free porous material that can deliver catalytic performance close to platinum, potentially lowering the cost of next-generation clean-energy technologies.
- The material, named TTT-DHTD, was prepared using 2,4,6-tris(4-aminophenyl)-1,3,5-triazine (TTT) and 4,8-dioxo-4,8-dihydrobenzo[1,2-b:4,5-b’]dithiophene-2,6-dicarbaldehyde (DHTD) linkers.
- The material achieved about 96 per cent of the performance of commercial platinum catalysts while demonstrating high stability after 120 hours of continuous operation.