1 Gujarat Government will give ‘Vishisht Gujarat Dignity Award’ to Captain Smit Machhar
The Gujarat government will honor FlyDubai ‘s Indian Captain Smit Machar with the ” Vishisht Gujarat Garima Award ” for his exceptional bravery . Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced this on Thursday. He will also receive a cash reward of ₹2.5 million (2.5 million rupees) . The Chief Minister stated that Captain Machar displayed tremendous courage despite being seriously injured and bleeding after being attacked by the co-pilot during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. His bravery helped save the lives of all 174 passengers (including 27 children) on board . This announcement comes a day after the incident on FlyDubai Flight FZ1073 (Boeing 737 Max 8) from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The co-pilot allegedly attacked Captain Machar in the cockpit, causing the plane to rapidly descend. Despite his injuries, the captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter and overpower the attacker. With the help of two passengers, the plane was safely landed at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
2 Asian Games: Ancy Sojan wins silver medal in long jump
Indian athlete Ancy Sojan said that fatigue and luck cost her her first Asian Games gold medal by just two centimeters. She said that winning the silver medal at the 2026 Asian Games is a reward for her hard work. China’s Huang Huang, with a best jump of 6.55 meters, snatched the gold medal from Ancy by just two centimeters. Ancy had to settle for the silver medal with a best effort of 6.53 meters. Ancy has been a Target Olympic Podium Scheme athlete since December 2021. She made headlines by winning the silver medal in the long jump at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. A major achievement came when Ancy recorded a brilliant jump of 6.88 meters at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, breaking Anju Bobby George’s 22-year-old Indian national record of 6.83 meters.
3 Asian Games: India wins its first medal in sailing, taking its medal tally to 63
India won its first medal in sailing at the Asian Games . Manu Francis and Prince Kurisinkal Noble won the silver medal in the men’s skiff competition at the Japan Asian Games . Francis and Noble displayed remarkable consistency across nine races, scoring a total of 23 points and winning one race to win the silver medal. Sheetal Verma and Harshita Tomar won the bronze medal in the women’s skiff . In wrestling, Nitesh Siwach won the silver medal in the Greco-Roman 97 kg category . Compound archer Ganesh Maniratnam Thirumuru won the bronze medal in the men’s individual event . Ganesh defeated Cong Duc Dang of Vietnam 149-144 in the bronze medal playoff. In squash , the Indian women’s team (Anahat Singh, Tanvi Khanna, Joshna Chinappa, and Shamina Riaz) settled for the bronze medal after losing 1-2 to Hong Kong in the semifinals, while the men’s team won the bronze medal. This is Anahat Singh’s second medal at the Asian Games. She had previously won a silver medal in the women’s singles . In sepak takraw, India secured a medal by advancing to the semifinals after defeating Vietnam 2-0 in the men’s quadrant event. India is ranked 8th in the medal tally with 63 medals, including 10 gold, 21 silver, and 31 bronze.
4 International Day of Non-Violence
Mahatma Gandhi ‘s birth anniversary is a symbol of national pride for India and the universal message of peace and non-violence for the entire world. 2 October is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti in India and is also observed by the United Nations as the International Day of Non-Violence . The United Nations General Assembly, through resolution A/RES/61/271, decided on 15 June 2007 to observe 2 October as the International Day of Non-Violence . The objective of the day is to spread the message of non-violence through education and public awareness and to promote a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence. The resolution was introduced by India and co-sponsored by 140 countries .
5 The central government will launch the ‘Sabki Yojana, Sabka Vikas’ campaign on October 2.
The central government is launching the ” Sabki Yojana, Sabka Vikas ” campaign on October 2nd . Special Gram Sabhas will be held across the country on this day, where rural development, local governance, and the implementation of government schemes will be discussed in detail. According to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the main objective of these special Gram Sabhas is to improve the quality of life in rural India and strengthen local governance. The People’s Planning Campaign (PPC) 2026-27 will also be launched on this occasion. Gram Panchayats will prepare their Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) for the financial year 2027-28 through participatory and evidence-based planning. Citizens and public representatives will meet together to assess the village’s achievements and shortcomings based on the Panchayat Progress Index to determine development priorities for the next year.
6 ICAR and FCI to jointly conduct research for safe storage of wheat and rice
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to research alternative fumigation techniques for safe and sustainable storage pest control of wheat and rice . The agreement is valid until September 30, 2026. This research project is supported by the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. The first phase of the project will last two years and will be implemented by the ICAR-Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET), Ludhiana . For decades , aluminum phosphide (ALP) and malathion have been used primarily for pest control in grain storage in India . Their continued and widespread use has led to the emergence of insect resistance. In some major states, insect resistance rates have reached 72 to 100 percent. This requires repeated fumigation procedures and increases operational costs. Existing chemical methods pose a risk of respiratory health problems for workers and can also have long-term environmental impacts. The new initiative aims to address these challenges by scientifically developing a combination of nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide (CO₂), and carbon dioxide and phosphine .
7 National PNG Drive 3.0 launched
The Central Government has launched National PNG Drive 3.0 to promote the use of natural gas in the country and to provide Piped Natural Gas (PNG) facility to more and more households. Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched this campaign on Thursday. Under this campaign, which will run from October 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, the target has been set to provide 50 lakh new domestic PNG connections , reactivate 40 lakh inactive connections and 50 lakh new registrations. The government aims to increase the share of natural gas in the energy mix from the current around 6% by promoting the use of PNG in place of LPG.
8 11th BIMSTEC Counter Terrorism Meeting held in New Delhi
The 11th BIMSTEC Sub-Group Meeting on Counter-Terrorism was held on September 30th . The meeting focused on discussing traditional and emerging security threats . Issues discussed included cybercrime, cross-border terrorism, drug trafficking, and extremism. BIMSTEC stands for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation . Its member countries include India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Its headquarters are located in Dhaka, Bangladesh . The meeting was chaired by Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan, Additional Secretary for Counter-Terrorism in the Ministry of External Affairs of India.
9 Swiss President Guy Parmelin to be on a three-day visit to India
Swiss President Guy Parmelin will be on a three-day visit to India from October 5th to 7th . He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation of senior officials and business leaders. This will be President Parmelin’s first state visit to India and his second visit this year. Previously, he visited India in February this year to participate in the AI Impact Summit held in New Delhi .
10 Indian Naval Ship Trishul participated in the 24th edition of the Indo-French bilateral maritime exercise Varuna
Indian Naval Ship INS Trishul arrived at Toulon, France , on 22 September 2026 to participate in the 24th edition of the annual bilateral maritime exercise “Varuna” with the French Navy . The French Navy welcomed INS Trishul with a ceremonial water cannon salute. Professional, sporting, and cultural events were held during the harbor phase, aimed at strengthening maritime and professional ties between the two navies. The Trishul crew also visited French Navy ships Charles de Gaulle, Forbin, and La Fayette, gaining insight into aircraft carrier operations, aviation facilities, and onboard procedures. INS Trishul conducted maritime exercises with French Navy units, FLF Forbin, FLF La Fayette, and SNA Suffren, NH90 helicopters, and Atlantique-2 maritime patrol aircraft.
11 25 years of jointness and integration
Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) celebrated its Silver Jubilee on Thursday, marking 25 years of jointness and integration . Established on October 1, 2001 , in New Delhi, the 25th anniversary of HQ IDS was celebrated as ‘Tri-Services Day’. Emphasis was laid on strengthening future defence preparedness through jointness and integration. As part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations, HQ IDS organised a ‘Trishakti Manthan’ on the theme ‘Future Preparedness through Jointness and Integration’. The event was addressed by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, General N.S. Raja Subrahmanyam and Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) , Air Marshal Tejinder Singh .
12 Births and Deaths Registration Amendment Act implemented, emphasis on preventing delays and promoting timely registration
The Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Act came into effect on October 1. This Act amended the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1969. The Act aims to prevent delays in the registration of births and deaths and encourage people to register in a timely manner. The Act provides that if a birth or death is reported to the Registrar more than one year ago but within two years , its registration can be done only with the approval of the District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, or Executive Magistrate .
13 The government has increased the validity of FASTags, which are exempted for persons with disabilities, from one year to five years.
The government has extended the validity of discounted FASTags for persons with disabilities from one year to five years. The Center has amended the guidelines for issuance and renewal of discounted FASTags for eligible persons with disabilities and differently-abled beneficiaries. Under the previous guidelines, annual renewal of discounted FASTags for persons with disabilities was mandatory.