Current Affairs Today 19th October 2026 Daily GK Update

Daily Current Affairs 19th October 2026 Daily GK Update

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National News

Sankoo Becomes Ladakh’s 8th District, Gets Separate Hill Council

• Ladakh got its eighth district as Sankoo was carved out of Kargil, ending a long wait for residents who had been demanding a separate district. Sankoo will also have its own hill council, though elections to it will be held later.
• Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena announced the decision during a visit to Sankoo, where a large gathering celebrated the move.
• The decision comes less than six months after Ladakh added five new districts. The Union Territory, which had only Leh and Kargil as its two districts until April this year, now has eight.

Banking & Financial

Cabinet approves Rs 52,878 crore IDBI Bank sale to Fairfax arm in India’s largest financial-sector FDI

• The Union Cabinet approved the sale of a 60.72% stake in IDBI Bank to Fairfax Financial Holdings’ subsidiary, M/s 10955230 Canada Inc., for Rs 52,878.08 crore, paving the way for a major restructuring of the lender.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Canadian entity as the strategic buyer.
• The transaction involves the sale of the government’s 30.48% stake and Life Insurance Corporation of India’s (LIC) 30.24% holding in IDBI Bank. Following the proposed transaction, the government will retain a 15% stake and LIC 19%, taking their combined holding to 34%.

Deloitte Projects India GDP Growth at 7.1–7.3% in FY27

• Deloitte has projected India’s economy to grow by 7.1-7.3 per cent in FY 2026-27, with a sustained revival in private investment expected to add another source of demand and build productive capacity for future growth, according to its latest Economic Outlook.
• The report also forecast gross domestic product growth of 6.6-7 per cent in FY 2027-28.
• The outlook identified geopolitical tensions, volatile energy prices and trade disruptions as key risks to the growth forecast.

India’s FY27 GDP Projections by Organization

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI): 6.7%
• ICRA: 6.7%
• World Bank: 7.1%
• Asian Development Bank (ADB): 7%
• International Monetary Fund (IMF): 7%
• Moody’s: 7%
• India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra): 6.8%
• Standard & Poor’s(S&P):7%
• World Economic Forum (WEF): 6.7%
• Finch:7.5%
• OECD:7.1%
• UNCTAD: 7.3%

Karnataka Bank launches nine new banking solutions under Nava Dhamaka 2026

• Karnataka Bank has launched a new range of banking products and services under the theme ‘Nava Dhamaka 2026 – Enhancing Banking Experience’.
• Under ‘Nava Dhamaka 2026’, the bank unveiled nine key solutions spanning investments, digital banking, payments, customer engagement and lending.

NTPC And Africa50 Sign Agreement To Develop Power Projects Across Africa

• NTPC Limited, India’s largest power utility, has signed a Cooperation Agreement with Africa50, an investor specialising in African infrastructure, to jointly identify, assess and develop power-generation projects and cross-border electricity trading opportunities across Africa.
• The partnership aims to advance commercially viable power projects, attract investment and improve reliable electricity supply for households and businesses across the continent.
• Under the agreement, both organisations will combine their respective strengths in engineering, project development, financing and infrastructure investment to identify promising opportunities in mutually agreed African countries.
• The collaboration will focus on assessing project feasibility, developing viable solutions and supporting selected projects from the initial planning stages towards implementation.

Appointment

Hyderabad-based INCOIS Director Balakrishnan Nair elected chair of UNESCO-IOC sub-commission

• International recognition for Indian oceanographic science, Dr TM Balakrishnan Nair, Director of the Hyderabad-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), has been elected as the Chair of the UNESCO-IOC Sub-Commission for the Central Indian Ocean (IOCINDIO).
• The election of INCOIS’s head to the prestigious regional body highlights India’s growing leadership in marine science, coastal safety, and ocean governance.
• The scientific community and marine science institutions across the country have extended their warm congratulations to Dr TM Balakrishnan Nair and the newly elected IOCINDIO leadership team as they step into their roles to drive sustainable ocean management.

Obituary

Padma Shri Awardee Cheruvayal Raman, Known as ‘Nellachan’, Passed Away

• Padma Shri awardee and celebrated tribal conservationist Cheruvayal Raman, affectionately known as ‘Nellachan’ (Father of Paddy), passed away at the age of 74 on October 14, 2026, while undergoing treatment at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.
• Conservation Work: Preserved over 50 rare and indigenous rice varieties (including traditional staples like Thondi, MannuVeliyan, and aromatic cultivars like Jeerakasala and Gandhakashala) on his farm, functioning as a “living paddy gene bank”.
• Seed Philosophy: Distributed native seeds completely free of charge to organic farmers, asking only that they return an equal quantity of harvested seeds after the season.
• Awards: Padma Shri (2023), National Plant Genome Saviour Award (2016), Kerala State’s Oommen Chandy Memorial Award (2025)

Important Days

15 October : Global Handwashing Day

• Global Handwashing Day (GHD) is an international hand washing promotion campaign to motivate and mobilize people around the world to improve their hand washing habits. Washing hands at critical points both during the day and washing with soap are important.
• In 2008, Global Handwashing Day was celebrated for the first time. This day aims to make people around the world aware of the importance of washing their hands with soap in order to prevent diseases and infections.
• Theme 2026: “Be a Handwashing Hero!

16 October: World Food Day

• World Food Day 2026 was observed on October 16, 2026, marking the founding anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 1945.
• Focus: Harnessing science, technology, data, and traditional knowledge to build climate-resilient agrifood systems and improve food security.
• Theme 2026: “Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow.”

16 October: World Spine Day

• World Spine Day is an annual healthcare event observed every year on 16 October, intending to promote the importance of spine health and educate people to understand the seriousness of spine health, which is one of the single most reasons for disability on the planet.
• Every year on 16 October, various health organizations and concerned communities around the world unite to organize various campaigns and activities on the importance of physical activities, proper posture for long-term back health and injury prevention at various local levels to educate and encourage people to participate in learning and practising to keep the spine healthy.
• Theme 2026: “Spine Health for Life”