Current Affairs 08 October 2026

India and Ghana Sign MoU to Strengthen Agricultural Research

India and Ghana have strengthened cooperation in agricultural research, education, and technology transfer through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, and Ghana’s Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI). The agreement reinforces India’s emphasis on South-South Cooperation and India-Africa collaboration.

The MoU will remain in force for five years and provides a framework for joint agricultural research, scientific and technological exchanges, capacity building, and the application and commercialisation of agricultural technologies.

• Ghana Capital: Accra
• Ghana Currency: Ghanaian Cedi (GHS)

Dhokra Craft

Dhokra (Dokra) craft, recently in the news due to its showcase at the 8th PM Mementos auction, is an ancient lost-wax metal-casting tradition prominently associated with Chhattisgarh, particularly its tribal communities. The Ministry of Culture highlighted that the craft has a history of more than 4,000 years in India.

Dhokra objects are produced through the lost-wax casting technique, in which artisans first prepare a wax model and then use it to create a mould for casting metal. The technique is valued for producing distinctive handcrafted metal figures and decorative objects. Chhattisgarh, especially the Bastar region, is one of India’s best-known centres of Dhokra craft.

JOSH Teams Launched

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ministry of Defence, launched JOSH (Joint Squad for Health) Teams. In the first phase, JOSH Teams were rolled out across 55 districts in 11 States. The initiative was designed to strengthen youth-led community mobilisation for TB Mukt Bharat and raise awareness about tuberculosis (TB) beyond health facilities to the grassroots. An AI-powered chatbot called “Khushi Avatar” was also launched to improve public awareness, community engagement, and participation in India’s TB elimination efforts.

Indian Scientists Develop Metal-Free Catalyst for Zinc-Air Batteries

Indian researchers developed a metal-free porous catalyst called TTT-DHTD that could reduce dependence on expensive platinum in next-generation clean-energy technologies, particularly zinc-air (Zn-air) batteries. Researchers from the S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS), Kolkata; the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali; and SRM University, Amaravati developed the material.

TTT-DHTD is a specially designed metal-free organic porous material made entirely from abundant elements such as carbon, sulphur, nitrogen and hydrogen. Its ultra-porous, honeycomb-like structure facilitates the Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) — the reaction in which oxygen from the air reacts at the electrode and plays a critical role in determining the efficiency of Zn-air batteries.

India’s First Indigenous Fleet Support Ship

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched Surya (FSS-1), India’s first indigenous Fleet Support Ship (FSS), at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, in October 2026. During the ceremony, he also laid the keel for FSS-5, the fifth vessel in the same series.

The Fleet Support Ship project is being implemented under a ₹19,000-crore contract between the Ministry of Defence and Hindustan Shipyard Limited for the construction of five indigenous auxiliary vessels. The ships are designed to strengthen the Indian Navy’s operational endurance and logistical capabilities during extended deployments.

10th India Mobile Congress 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 10th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 on 8 October 2026 at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi. The four-day event is being held from 7 to 10 October 2026.

IMC 2026 is jointly organised by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). The theme for the 10th edition is “Scale Without Boundaries”, highlighting India’s growing capabilities in digital innovation, next-generation connectivity and technology-led economic growth.

The event is structured around four key pillars — Srishti: Building the Future; Samvardhan: Fueling Growth; Sashakt: Expanding Opportunities; and Suraksha: Strengthening Trust.

Nobel Prize in Physics 2026

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Francis Halzen, a Belgium-born physicist associated with the University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA, for his pioneering contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin.

Francis Halzen first proposed using the Antarctic ice to detect neutrinos in 1988. His vision led to the development of IceCube, a massive underground observatory completed in 2010. The detector occupies approximately one cubic kilometre of Antarctic ice and contains 5,160 optical sensors designed to detect faint flashes of light produced by neutrino interactions.

Neutrinos are extremely light, electrically neutral subatomic particles that interact very weakly with matter, making them difficult to detect. IceCube primarily studies high-energy astrophysical neutrinos, which originate from powerful cosmic phenomena such as energetic collisions and environments surrounding supermassive black holes.

Ashutosh Dixit Appointed 29th Chief of the Indian Air Force

The Ministry of Defence announced the appointment of Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) of the Indian Air Force (IAF). He is scheduled to assume office on 31 October 2026, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who will retire on the same day.

Q1. What is the theme of the 10th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026?
A. Connecting India, Transforming Lives
B. Scale Without Boundaries
C. Digital India for a Sustainable Future
D. Innovate, Connect and Transform

Q2. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) recently signed a five-year MoU for agricultural research and technology cooperation with the Crops Research Institute of which country?
A. Kenya
B. Ghana
C. Ethiopia
D. Tanzania

Q3. Dhokra, a traditional metal-casting craft with a history of more than 4,000 years in India, was recently highlighted as part of the cultural heritage of which State?
A. Chhattisgarh
B. Rajasthan
C. Gujarat
D. Punjab

Q4. What does “JOSH”, recently launched as part of India’s TB elimination efforts, stand for?
A. Joint Organisation for Social Health
B. Joint Squad for Health
C. Joint Outreach for Sustainable Healthcare
D. Juvenile Organisation for Social Health

Q5. TTT-DHTD, recently developed by Indian researchers as a metal-free porous catalyst, is primarily aimed at improving the performance and affordability of which type of battery?
A. Sodium-ion battery
B. Zinc-air battery
C. Lead-acid battery
D. Nickel-cadmium battery

Q6. Who was awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for pioneering contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos?
A. Arthur B. McDonald
B. Takaaki Kajita
C. Francis Halzen
D. John F. Clauser

Q7. INS Surya, which was recently in the news, is India’s first indigenous ______.
A. Nuclear-powered submarine
B. Fleet Support Ship
C. Aircraft carrier
D. Guided-missile destroyer

Q8. Who has been appointed as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, effective from 31 October 2026?
A. Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor
B. Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh
C. Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit
D. Air Marshal S. P. Dharkar