Daily Current Affairs 29 October 2026: Important National and International News

Daily Current Affairs in English for Competitive Examinations | APSC, ADRE, UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway and UGC NET

Introduction

Daily current affairs are an essential part of competitive examination preparation. The following notes cover important government announcements, economic developments, defence and international relations, agriculture, governance and other significant events reported on 29 October 2026. The content is based primarily on official Government of India releases.

1. India and Regional Security: 13th ADMM-Plus Meeting

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, Philippines, on 29 October 2026.

He reaffirmed India's commitment to regional security, counter-terrorism cooperation and a stable Indo-Pacific region. He also offered to share India's practical counter-terrorism experience with partner countries through joint exercises, intelligence sharing and capacity-building programmes.

Key points:

• Meeting: 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus.
• Location: Cebu, Philippines.
• Indian representative: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
• Major themes: Counter-terrorism, maritime security, regional cooperation and Indo-Pacific stability.
• India–Malaysia cooperation: Both countries are co-chairing the ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Counter-Terrorism for the 2024–2027 cycle.
• New proposal: A defence “Youth Bridge” to promote India–ASEAN youth connectivity, digital innovation and capacity building.

Exam relevance: International relations, ASEAN, India's defence diplomacy and Indo-Pacific security.

Source: Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Defence. Read the official release.

2. Cyclone Arnab: Centre Assures Assistance to Affected States

On 29 October 2026, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, as well as the leadership of Puducherry, regarding the situation arising from Cyclone Arnab.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs' official statement, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams were engaged in rescue and relief operations. Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs) were also to be sent to assess the impact and determine further assistance requirements.

Key points:

• Cyclone: Arnab.
• Government response: Rescue, relief and disaster-impact assessment.
• NDRF: National Disaster Response Force.
• SDRF: State Disaster Response Force.
• IMCT: Inter-Ministerial Central Team.

Exam relevance: Disaster management, cyclone preparedness, federal coordination and the roles of NDRF and SDRF.

Source: Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs. Read the official release.

3. Minimum Support Price for Rabi Crops: Marketing Season 2027–28

The Government of India published an official backgrounder on 29 October 2026 detailing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Rabi crops for the 2027–28 marketing season.

MSP is an important agricultural policy instrument intended to provide farmers with a degree of price assurance for designated crops. The government had approved increased MSPs for the mandated Rabi crops on 30 September 2026.

Important MSP figures

Crop	MSP for 2027–28 (₹ per quintal)
Wheat	2,610
Barley	2,286
Gram	5,958
Lentil (Masur)	7,390
Rapeseed and Mustard	6,613
Safflower	7,215

The highest absolute increase among these six crops was for safflower, at ₹675 per quintal, followed by rapeseed and mustard, at ₹413 per quintal.

The government estimated that approximately ₹90,962 crore would be paid to farmers for 324 lakh metric tonnes of produce under the cited Rabi MSP framework.

Exam relevance: Agricultural economics, food security, agricultural pricing policy and farmers' welfare.

Source: Press Information Bureau. Read the official MSP backgrounder.

4. ESIC Extends the New Amnesty Scheme, 2025

The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) extended the New Amnesty Scheme, 2025, for another three months, from 1 October to 31 December 2026.

The scheme provides a one-time mechanism for resolving certain pending disputes between ESIC and employers, with the aim of reducing litigation and encouraging voluntary compliance.

Important features:

• It offers a structured route for settling eligible disputes outside court.
• Certain eligible assessment cases may be settled by paying actual contributions and interest, without damages.
• Some eligible pending cases may be withdrawn subject to the scheme's conditions.
• Cases filed by ESIC up to 31 March 2025 may qualify, subject to the applicable eligibility rules.

Employers and other eligible parties should consult the official scheme guidelines before applying.

Exam relevance: Social security, labour administration, ease of doing business and dispute resolution.

Source: Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Labour and Employment. Read the official release.

5. Special Campaign 6: Textile Committee's Achievements

On 29 October 2026, the Ministry of Textiles highlighted the work of the Textile Committee under Special Campaign 6, which ran from 2 to 31 October 2026.

The campaign focused on institutional cleanliness, efficient records management, disposal of pending matters and sustainable workplace practices.

Activities included removing scrap and unusable materials, clearing accumulated packaging waste, organising physical and electronic records and improving the use of office space. The Textile Committee also reported revenue of ₹4,38,444 from scrap disposal during the campaign activities described in the official release.

Exam relevance: Government administration, institutional efficiency, cleanliness campaigns, records management and sustainable practices.

Source: Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Textiles. Read the official release.

6. India–Mexico Preferential Trade Agreement Negotiations

India and Mexico signed the Terms of Reference for negotiations on a proposed Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) on 28 October 2026.

The agreement establishes a framework for negotiations aimed at expanding bilateral trade, creating business opportunities, encouraging investment and strengthening supply chains.

The proposed negotiations cover areas such as market access for goods, rules of origin, customs procedures, trade facilitation, technical barriers to trade and dispute settlement.

Important facts:

• Countries: India and Mexico.
• Proposed agreement: Preferential Trade Agreement.
• Purpose: Expand trade and investment and diversify supply chains.
• Background: The initiative follows discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum during the G7 Summit in Canada in June 2025.

Exam relevance: International trade, economic diplomacy, trade agreements and India's relations with Latin America.

Source: Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Read the official release.