2 October 2026 · Daily Current Affairs

Banking and RBI

RBI consolidates rules on note sorting machines

2 October 2026 | Reserve Bank of India

RBI issued a Master Direction on Note Sorting Machines on 2 October 2026, addressed to all banks. It is issued under Sections 35A and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, and collects the current instructions on the subject in one place.

The earlier circulars on the subject are withdrawn from the date the Master Direction was issued. Earlier guidance included a 2009 circular that told banks note sorting machines must meet standards set by RBI, and guidelines on note authentication and fitness sorting parameters.

Exam takeaway: A Master Direction consolidates instructions and replaces older circulars; it does not change the policy repo rate.

Quick revision: Note Sorting Machines Master Direction: all banks; BR Act ss. 35A and 56.

Banking and RBI

RBI Citizen's Charter: September 2026 applications

2 October 2026 | Reserve Bank of India

RBI published its Citizen's Charter performance for September 2026. At the start of the month 3,011 applications were pending and 17,200 were received. 701 were referred back to applicants for more information, leaving a total of 19,510.

RBI processed 16,844 applications in the month, 16,822 of them (99.9 per cent) within the timeline and 22 (0.1 per cent) beyond it. At month-end 2,666 applications were pending, of which 2,646 were within the timeline and 20 beyond it.

Currency Management had 7,351 applications and Banker to Banks and Governments 7,173, the two largest functions.

Exam takeaway: Read the table carefully: 'total' is pending at the start plus received minus referred back.

Quick revision: Citizen's Charter Sept: 17,200 received, 99.9% processed within timeline.

Banking and RBI

Forex reserves fall to US$ 747.6 billion

2 October 2026 (data as on 25 September 2026) | Reserve Bank of India

RBI's Weekly Statistical Supplement, published on 2 October 2026, shows total foreign exchange reserves of US$ 747,557 million as on 25 September 2026. That is down US$ 18,343 million over the week, but up US$ 56,450 million from end-March 2026 and US$ 47,322 million from a year earlier.

Foreign currency assets were US$ 615,411 million, gold US$ 108,701 million, SDRs US$ 18,642 million and the reserve position in the IMF US$ 4,804 million. Foreign currency assets fell US$ 15,570 million in the week.

Exam takeaway: Foreign currency assets are the largest component; gold is second.

Quick revision: Reserves US$ 747.6 bn, down US$ 18.3 bn in a week; FCA US$ 615.4 bn.

Economy and Finance

SEBI revamps document number verification

1 October 2026 | SEBI Press Release No. 60/2026

SEBI revamped its Document Number Verification System, launched in April 2025, to make authentication of its physical letters and notices more credible. The subject matter of the letter is now a mandatory field for verification, and the system is aligned with the outward number format generated by SEBI's E-Office system.

A recipient, or someone acting for them, can check whether a SEBI letter, including a notice or show cause notice, was issued by SEBI. The mandatory details are the outward number, the name of the SEBI official, the date, the subject matter and the recipient's name. The check confirms issue by SEBI; it does not verify the contents of the letter.

Exam takeaway: Verification confirms that SEBI issued a letter. It does not confirm that the letter's contents are correct.

Quick revision: SEBI DNVS: subject matter now mandatory; verifies issue, not contents.

Economy and Finance

RoDTEP scheme extended to 31 December 2026

2 October 2026 | Ministry of Commerce and Industry (PIB)

The Department of Commerce extended the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme to 31 December 2026 through Notification No. 41/2026-27 dated 30 September 2026. It applies to exports by DTA units, Advance Authorisation holders, SEZ units and Export Oriented Units.

RoDTEP refunds embedded, un-rebated central, State and local duties, taxes and levies borne on exported products. The rates and value caps in Appendix 4R and 4RE as on 30 September 2026 continue unchanged during the extension.

Exam takeaway: RoDTEP refunds embedded taxes on exports; it does not change the rates in this extension.

Quick revision: RoDTEP: extended to 31 Dec 2026 at unchanged rates and caps.

Economy and Finance

Finance Ministry review flags inflation and capital-flow risks

2 October 2026 | Ministry of Finance Monthly Economic Review, via Tribune

The Finance Ministry's monthly economic review says India's outlook faces short-term risks from inflation, geopolitical conflict and difficulty in attracting investment, even though the domestic economy is resilient. The Department of Economic Affairs said climate factors, geopolitical events and tight monetary conditions could add to inflation pressure.

The report flagged a possible strong El Nino and its effect on the coming Rabi crop through heat stress and lower soil moisture, though a favourable Indian Ocean Dipole could soften the impact. It also noted that high crude oil prices could raise imported inflation after the US Federal Reserve's 25 basis point increase in September.

It said India, like other developing countries, faces a challenge in securing capital inflows, with doubts over trade ties with the US, tariffs and crude oil worries.

Exam takeaway: Match each risk to its channel: weather affects food prices, crude affects imported inflation, tariffs affect investment confidence.

Quick revision: MER risks: El Nino, crude, US tariffs; Fed +25 bp in Sept.

Government Schemes

Delhi's AI-enabled traffic system gets Cabinet nod

30 September 2026 | Union Cabinet, via The Hindu

The Union Cabinet approved an Intelligent Traffic Management System for Delhi at an estimated Rs 1,789.52 crore, to be implemented by Delhi Police. It will use real-time traffic data, adaptive traffic signals, automated enforcement and an integrated command-and-control system.

The project covers 42 traffic corridors and will be implemented in three phases over 24 months, followed by five years of operation and maintenance.

Exam takeaway: Remember the structure: three phases over 24 months, then five years of operation and maintenance.

Quick revision: Delhi ITMS: Rs 1,789.52 crore, 42 corridors.

Carried forward: approved on 30 September 2026.

Government Schemes

Tiger reintroduction begins at Buxa

2 October 2026 | Press Information Bureau

A tigress, T138, brought from Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar, was released in Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal on 2 October 2026 in the presence of Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. It began a phased Tiger Reintroduction Programme to restore a viable, self-sustaining tiger population in Buxa.

Buxa was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1983 and connects to forests and protected areas of Bhutan and Assam. Habitat loss, land-use change and fewer prey led to a long absence of a stable resident tiger population. Since 2018 the Tiger Augmentation and Recovery Project has been implemented with support from the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Wildlife Institute of India.

Exam takeaway: Source reserve (Valmiki, Bihar) and destination reserve (Buxa, West Bengal) are a common question pair.

Quick revision: Buxa: tigress T138 from Valmiki; phased reintroduction.

National and International Affairs

US trade chief: India deal in 'short strokes' but not imminent

1 October 2026 | US Trade Representative, via Indian Express

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said India-US trade talks are in their final phase but a signing is not imminent, because both sides have identified a set of items that remain sticking points. He spoke after meeting Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal at the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Greer said President Trump and Prime Minister Modi had a constructive call the previous day and may speak again soon. The report notes the US has imposed 10 per cent tariffs on India on grounds of imports of items produced with forced labour, and that the US is expected to publish results of a second Section 301 investigation on overcapacity.

Exam takeaway: Final phase does not mean signing is near. Both sides still have listed sticking points.

Quick revision: India-US deal: final phase, not imminent; G20 trade meeting.

National and International Affairs

28 Ladakh places formally named on Survey of India map

2 October 2026 | Government of India, via The Hindu (PTI)

The Government of India, in consultation with the UT administration of Ladakh, identified 28 places and features in Ladakh by standard names on the official Survey of India map on 2 October 2026. The government said the step aims to facilitate accurate recognition and public awareness.

Gogra and Hot Spring, friction points during the 2020 standoff between Indian and Chinese forces, are among the strategic locations.

Exam takeaway: Official identification means standard names on the Survey of India map; it is a cartographic step.

Quick revision: 28 Ladakh features on SoI map, including Gogra and Hot Spring.

Appointments, Awards and Important Days

Gandhi Jayanti and the International Day of Non-Violence

2 October 2026 | United Nations in Turkmenistan

2 October 2026 marked the 157th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the International Day of Non-Violence. A UN Resident Coordinator's speech quoted Gandhi's line that non-violence is a weapon of the strong and called for dialogue, diplomacy and international law.

The speech linked peace and development: without peace, years of development can be destroyed in days, and without development, peace has no foundation.

Exam takeaway: 2 October is both Gandhi Jayanti in India and the International Day of Non-Violence at the UN.

Quick revision: 2 Oct: Gandhi's 157th anniversary; Non-Violence Day.

Appointments, Awards and Important Days

Wildlife Week 2026 begins

2 October 2026 | Press Information Bureau

The PIB release on the Buxa tigress describes the release as a fitting beginning of India's Wildlife Week 2026. Wildlife Week starts on 2 October.

The Buxa release was presented as the start of a phased reintroduction programme, tying the observance to a concrete conservation action.

Exam takeaway: Wildlife Week begins on 2 October; the Buxa release was the opening event this year.

Quick revision: Wildlife Week 2026 began 2 Oct with the Buxa release.

Reports, Indices, Science and Technology

ISRO begins NETRA radar facility near Guwahati

1 October 2026 | ISRO, via Khel Ja

ISRO announced a new radar facility at Chandrapur near Guwahati, Assam, under its Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis (NETRA), to improve space situational awareness. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma laid the foundation stone on 21 September in the presence of ISRO chairman V. Narayanan.

The ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) is setting up the facility. It will support tracking of space assets and protection from collisions with space debris, and will help ionospheric and atmospheric observation, weather monitoring, cloud tracking and space weather research. ISRO also cited uses in flash-flood and urban-flood warnings and thunderstorm and lightning nowcasting.

Exam takeaway: NETRA concerns space object and debris tracking, called space situational awareness.

Quick revision: NETRA radar at Guwahati; ISTRAC; space debris tracking.

Reports, Indices, Science and Technology

Indian payloads ride Falcon 9 Transporter-18

2 October 2026 | The Hindu

SpaceX's Falcon 9 launched the Transporter-18 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on 2 October 2026, delivering 130 payloads. Several payloads built by Indian companies were deployed.

Dhruva Space's LEAP-2 satellite, which hosts several in-orbit demonstration missions including TAPAS-1 by India's Satleo Labs and a star tracker by France's Sodern ArianeGroup, was deployed at 1 a.m. IST on 2 October. Dhruva Space also handled launch vehicle integration, and says it extends its role to end-to-end mission delivery.

Exam takeaway: A rideshare mission carries many customers' payloads on one launch.

Quick revision: Transporter-18: 130 payloads; Dhruva LEAP-2 hosts TAPAS-1.