Saturday
17 October 2026
9 updates for SSC, banking, railway and Andaman exams, each checked against an official source or two news reports.
- Updates
- 9
- Topics
- 3
- Exam facts
- 4
- Quiz questions
- 5
9 key points reported between 13 and 17 October 2026. Each is checked against at least two news outlets that reported the same names, figures and dates.
If you read only 5
- 1Economy and BusinessSeptember exports23.04%
- 2Economy and BusinessApril-September exports18.51%
- 3Defence and EnvironmentINS SamarthakThe Navy commissioned INS Samarthak at Naval Base Karwar on 16…
- 4Defence and EnvironmentRamsar sitesIndia’s Ramsar site count rose to 103 with the addition of Sukhna…
- 5International RelationsRubio visitUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Samarkand and then…
No update in this topic today. Pick another one.
September exports
India’s merchandise exports rose 23.04% to USD 44.40 billion in September 2026, while the merchandise trade deficit narrowed to USD 30.21 billion.
Merchandise trade covers goods only; services are counted separately.
Source: The Tribune, Swarajya
April-September exports
Merchandise exports in the first half of 2026-27 rose 18.51% to USD 259.89 billion, while merchandise imports reached USD 437.53 billion.
Source: Swarajya, Maritime Gateway
WPI inflation
Wholesale price inflation rose to 11.39% in September 2026 from 9.92% in August, driven by mineral oils, food articles and crude petroleum.
WPI data comes from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Source: News On AIR, Devdiscourse
IDBI Bank sale
On 14 October 2026 the CCEA approved selling a 60.72% stake in IDBI Bank to a Fairfax Financial Holdings entity for about Rs 52,878 crore.
Source: Business Today, The Federal
India-New Zealand FTA
The India-New Zealand free trade agreement will come into force on 20 October 2026, after both countries completed their approval steps.
Source: News On AIR, Newcastle Herald
INS Samarthak
The Navy commissioned INS Samarthak at Naval Base Karwar on 16 October 2026; it is the first of four multi-purpose vessels built by Larsen & Toubro.
Over 75 per cent of its equipment is indigenous.
Source: Punjab Kesari, India Observers
Nagastra-1R delivery
Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited delivered 450 Nagastra-1R loitering munitions to the Indian Army, ordered under emergency procurement after technical trials.
Source: The Week, Asianet News
Ramsar sites
India’s Ramsar site count rose to 103 with the addition of Sukhna Wetland in Chandigarh and Sauj Jheel in Uttar Pradesh.
Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance.
Source: News On AIR, Insights on India
Rubio visit
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Samarkand and then Mumbai and Jamnagar from 17 to 22 October 2026, focusing on energy cooperation.
Source: Business Today, Siasat