October 2026 Current Affairs Quiz

Explanation

The 2026 Asian Games opened on 19 September 2026 at Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya, where Japan's Emperor Naruhito declared the Games open. Shooter Manu Bhaker and kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat led the Indian contingent. Pawan replaced shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, whose official kit did not arrive in time. Exam angle: India's flag bearers at Hangzhou 2022 were Harmanpreet Singh and Lovlina Borgohain.

Explanation

India's first gold of the 2026 Asian Games came on 22 September in women's cricket (T20), when the team beat Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final. Smriti Mandhana hit 79 off 45 balls, Shafali Verma made 48 and Richa Ghosh 49 not out. It was India's second consecutive Asian Games gold in women's cricket, after Hangzhou 2022. Exam angle: cricket at the Asian Games is played in the T20 format.

Explanation

On 20 September 2026, Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod won silver in the women's 10m air rifle team event, opening India's medal tally; China took gold with a world record 1904.2. In the individual final the same day, Elavenil finished a narrow second behind Japan's Hinata Taichi to take silver. Exam angle: Sonam Maskar shared only in the team silver.

Explanation

On 26 September 2026, India's men's kabaddi team beat Iran 40-34 in the final to win their ninth Asian Games gold and retain the title. Men's kabaddi entered the Asian Games in 1990; India won seven straight golds from 1990 to 2014, Iran took the 2018 title, and India regained it in 2022. The same day, India's women also beat Iran, 37-34, to retain their title. Exam angle: Iran was the opponent in both finals.

Explanation

On 23 September 2026, Mirabai Chanu lifted 198kg in total (87kg snatch, 111kg clean and jerk) to win silver in the women's 49kg; North Korea's Ri Song Gum took gold with 215kg. It was India's first Asian Games weightlifting medal in 28 years, the previous one being Karnam Malleswari's at Bangkok 1998. It was also Mirabai's first Asian Games medal; she was fourth at Hangzhou 2022. Exam angle: Mirabai won silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Explanation

On 29 September 2026, India's team of Kiran Pahal, M.R. Poovamma, Prachi Choudhary and Vithya Ramraj won the women's 4x400m relay gold in 3:29.69. Bahrain (3:30.21) took silver and China (3:31.02) bronze. It was India's first and only athletics gold at Aichi-Nagoya. Exam angle: India won silver in the mixed 4x400m relay, while Vithya also took bronze in the 400m hurdles and Prachi bronze in the 400m.

Explanation

Gulveer Singh, a runner from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, completed a medal hat-trick at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya: silver in the men's 10,000m and 1,500m, and bronze in the 5,000m. An Indian Army athlete, Gulveer won all three medals in middle and long-distance running. Exam angle: at the same Games, Sawan Barwal won silver in the men's marathon and Tejaswin Shankar took bronze in the decathlon.

Explanation

On 30 September 2026, Chikitha Taniparthi and Sahil Jadhav beat South Korea in a shoot-off to win the compound mixed team gold; Sahil's deciding 10 was answered by a Korean 9. The win earned India a quota in the compound mixed team event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. The same day, India also won the men's and women's compound team golds. Exam angle: compound archery will feature at the Olympics for the first time at LA 2028.

Explanation

On 30 September 2026, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Chikitha Taniparthi and Prithika Pradeep beat China 238-234 in the women's compound team final, a score that equalled South Korea's world record. India had edged South Korea 234-233 in the semi-final. It was Jyothi's fourth Asian Games gold, after three at Hangzhou 2022, while Chikitha and Prithika won gold on their Asian Games debut. Exam angle: India swept all three compound team golds.

Explanation

On 2 October 2026, Sujeet Kalkal beat Tajikistan's Abdulmazhid Kudiev 10-9 in the men's 65kg freestyle final, recovering from a big deficit in the last two minutes with a string of takedowns. In the semi-final he had beaten Japan's reigning Olympic champion Kiyooka. It was India's first wrestling gold of the Games and the first since Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat at Jakarta 2018. Exam angle: Bajrang won the same 65kg title in 2018.

Explanation

On 2 October 2026, Ankush Panghal beat South Korea's Kim Min-seong 4-0 in the men's 80kg final to win gold. He became the first Indian male boxer to win Asian Games gold since Amit Panghal in 2018. The same day, Lovlina Borgohain and Parveen Hooda (65kg) also won gold, giving India three boxing golds in one day. Exam angle: India won 6 boxing medals (3 gold, 3 bronze); Narender Berwal took bronze in the +90kg.

Explanation

On 2 October 2026, her 29th birthday, Lovlina Borgohain of Assam beat China's Bao Ziyi 5-0 in the women's 75kg final to win gold. She had won silver in the same category at Hangzhou 2022. Parveen Hooda (65kg) also won gold that day; after Mary Kom, Lovlina and Parveen became the second and third Indian women to win Asian Games boxing gold. Exam angle: Lovlina won bronze in the 69kg category at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Explanation

On 2 October 2026, India's women's hockey team beat China 1-0 in the final to win gold; Lalremsiami scored the only goal in the first quarter and the goalkeeper saved a penalty stroke. It was India's first women's hockey gold at the Asian Games in 44 years, the previous one coming at New Delhi 1982. The win also gave India direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Exam angle: women's hockey made its Asian Games debut at New Delhi 1982.

Explanation

On 3 October 2026, 17-year-old Kumkum Anil Mohod beat South Korea's Oh Yejin 6-5 in the women's individual recurve final; with the match tied 5-5 after five sets, her 10 in the shoot-off beat Oh's 8. She is the first Indian woman to win this Asian Games gold. In the men's event, Tarundeep Rai had won individual recurve silver at Guangzhou 2010. Exam angle: Kumkum also won the women's recurve team gold with Ankita Bhakat and Kirti Sharma.

Explanation

On 3 October 2026, Karnataka's Pranavi Urs won the women's individual golf gold by one stroke at 15-under 265, recovering from a triple bogey on the third hole of the final round. She is the first Indian woman to achieve this, and it was India's first golf gold since Shiv Kapur in 2002. Pranavi, Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar also won the women's team silver. Exam angle: Aditi Ashok won individual silver at Hangzhou 2022.

Explanation

On 3 October 2026, Aman Sehrawat beat North Korea's reigning world champion Han Chong Song 11-7 in the men's 57kg freestyle final. It was India's second wrestling gold of the Games, after Sujeet Kalkal's at 65kg. India also won wrestling silvers through Antim Panghal (women's 53kg) and Nitesh Siwach (Greco-Roman 97kg). Exam angle: Aman Sehrawat won bronze in the 57kg category at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Explanation

On 3 October 2026, in Nisshin, India made 211/6 in the men's cricket final and held Pakistan to 192/6 to win by 19 runs. Abhishek Sharma scored 61 off 28 balls, while Pakistan's Hasan Nawaz made 96. India won its second consecutive men's cricket gold after Hangzhou 2022. Exam angle: India's women also retained their title, so India won both cricket golds.

Explanation

Bihar cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (born 27 March 2011) became India's youngest Asian Games gold medallist at 15 years, 6 months and 6 days when India won the men's cricket gold on 3 October 2026. He surpassed shooter Saurabh Chaudhary (Jakarta 2018, 10m air pistol, aged 16 years, 3 months and 9 days). Exam angle: Vaibhav's gold came in a team event, so Saurabh remains India's youngest individual gold medallist.

Explanation

On 3 October 2026, India beat Malaysia 5-1 in the men's hockey final; Harmanpreet Singh scored twice from penalty corners, with Jugraj Singh, Hardik Singh and Shilanand Lakra adding one each. It was India's fifth Asian Games hockey gold (1966, 1998, 2014, 2022, 2026) and the first time India defended the title. The win also sealed direct qualification for LA 2028. Exam angle: India beat Japan in the Hangzhou 2022 final.

Explanation

At the closing ceremony in Nagoya on 4 October 2026, trap shooter Neeru Dhanda carried India's flag. On 29 September she became the first Indian woman to win trap gold at the Asian Games. The next day she won the mixed trap gold with Kynan Chenai, setting an Asian record of 34 hits, and she also took silver in the women's trap team event. Exam angle: the next Asian Games will be held in Doha, Qatar, in 2030.

Explanation

In the final medal table of the 2026 Asian Games, India and Uzbekistan both won 21 golds. Medal-table rankings count golds first and then silvers as the tie-breaker; India's 27 silvers beat Uzbekistan's 25, so India finished fourth and Uzbekistan fifth. China topped the table, followed by hosts Japan and South Korea. Exam angle: India had also finished fourth at Hangzhou 2022.

Explanation

At the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan (19 September to 4 October 2026), India won 85 medals: 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze. It is India's second-biggest Asian Games haul, behind its best showing at Hangzhou 2022, where it won 28 golds. India had won 70 medals at Jakarta 2018. Exam angle: India's Hangzhou tally, announced as 107, became 106 after Parveen Hooda's bronze was annulled in 2024.

Explanation

India won the most medals at the 2026 Asian Games in athletics: 24 in all, made up of 1 gold, 9 silver and 14 bronze. The lone gold came in the women's 4x400m relay, and Gulveer Singh alone won three medals. Shooting was next with 15 medals (3 gold, 8 silver, 4 bronze), while archery produced 9. Exam angle: badminton yielded just one medal for India, a bronze in the men's team event.

Explanation

Archery was India's most successful sport at the 2026 Asian Games, with 9 medals: 5 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze. The golds came in the compound men's, women's and mixed team events, the women's recurve team, and Kumkum Mohod's women's individual recurve. Shooting and boxing produced 3 golds each, and cricket, hockey, kabaddi and wrestling 2 each. Exam angle: in recurve, India also won silver in the men's team and mixed team events.

Explanation

On 4 October 2026, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav released two male Great Indian Bustards (Godawan) into the wild at Sam in the Desert National Park, Jaisalmer. The Sam and Ramdevra conservation breeding centres hold 97 birds: 40 from wild-collected eggs, 57 bred in captivity; 11 are earmarked for release. Chicks: 24 in 2025, 29 in 2026. Exam angle: the Godawan is Rajasthan's state bird, Critically Endangered (IUCN) and in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

Explanation

PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs) has a total outlay of Rs 60,000 crore over five years: Centre Rs 30,000 crore, States Rs 20,000 crore and industry Rs 10,000 crore. Launched on 4 October 2025, this Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Skill Development Ministry upgrades 1,000 government ITIs as 200 hubs and 800 spokes. Exam angle: on 7 July 2026, the 4th National Steering Committee cleared nationwide rollout to all 200 ITI clusters.

Explanation

On 27-28 September 2026, a 5.56 km free-space Quantum Key Distribution link was demonstrated between BISAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics) and IIT Gandhinagar, described as India's first at the 5 km scale. QNu Labs equipment gave 230-260 secure key bits per second at 1550 nm, with an error rate below 5%. The keys fed BISAG-N's post-quantum platform Vedic Kavach. Exam angle: free-space QKD is a step towards satellite-based quantum communication.

Explanation

At the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan (19 September to 4 October 2026), India finished fourth with 85 medals: 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze. Uzbekistan also won 21 gold, but India placed higher on silver count, 27 to 25. China topped the table, followed by Japan and South Korea. Exam angle: 85 is India's second-best Asian Games haul, behind the record 106 medals (28 gold) at Hangzhou 2022, where India also finished fourth.

Explanation

The 153rd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly runs on 5-9 October 2026 at the Arusha International Conference Centre, hosted by the National Assembly of Tanzania, a first-time host. Its theme is good governance and empowering communities through inclusivity, trust and opportunity. The Governing Council is to elect a new President there; the outgoing President is Tanzania's Dr Tulia Ackson. Exam angle: IPU is headquartered in Geneva; Arusha hosts the East African Community headquarters.

Explanation

The Kautilya Economic Conclave (KEC) is an initiative of the Delhi-based Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), organised in partnership with the Union Ministry of Finance. First held in 2022, its 5th edition took place in New Delhi from 3 to 5 October 2026 on the theme 'Resilience in an Age of Flux', with participants from around 30 countries. Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan delivered the inaugural address. Exam angle: the conclave is named after Kautilya (Chanakya), author of the Arthashastra.

Explanation

On 4 October 2026, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav released two captive-bred male Great Indian Bustards at Sam in Desert National Park, Jaisalmer. On 3 October, a Rs 9.25 crore Rewilding Aviary at Ramdevra was inaugurated with CM Bhajan Lal Sharma. Sam and Ramdevra centres hold 97 birds, 11 earmarked for release. It is a joint programme of MoEFCC, Rajasthan Forest Department and Wildlife Institute of India. Exam angle: the Godawan is Rajasthan's state bird and IUCN Critically Endangered.

Explanation

Tarang Shakti is the IAF's multinational air exercise. Its second edition is being held at Air Force Station Jodhpur, Rajasthan, from 26 September to 12 October 2026 under the theme 'Power in Partnership'. Seven friendly foreign countries take part with aircraft: Australia, the USA, the UAE, France, Germany, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Foreign aircraft include the US F-35, French Rafale and UAE F-16. Exam angle: the first edition in 2024 ran in two phases, at Sulur (Tamil Nadu) and Jodhpur.

Explanation

The second edition of the ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME-2026) commenced on 28 September 2026 at Subic Bay, Philippines. The Indian Navy was represented by INS Sahyadri and INS Kulish. The theme is 'Anchored in Trust, United at Sea', with a harbour phase and a sea phase. It reflects India's Act East Policy and MAHASAGAR vision. Exam angle: the first AIME was held in May 2023, with the harbour phase at Changi Naval Base, Singapore, and the sea phase in the South China Sea.

Explanation

On 29 September 2026, King Mohammed VI appointed Fatima Zahra Mansouri as Morocco's first woman Prime Minister. Her Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won the 23 September election, its first victory. Under the 2011 Constitution, the King names the PM from the party winning most seats. A former Marrakesh mayor and Urban Planning Minister, she succeeds Aziz Akhannouch of the RNI. Exam angle: Morocco's capital is Rabat, and it co-hosts the FIFA World Cup 2030 with Spain and Portugal.