India and Switzerland sign five pacts on defence, nuclear energy and mobility
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swiss President Guy Parmelin held bilateral talks in New Delhi on 5 October 2026, during Parmelin's three day visit marking the first anniversary of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA). The two countries signed five agreements, including a Migration and Mobility Partnership offering multiple entry visas valid for up to five years and renewable one year student permits, and an Exchange of Young Professionals covering 300 people annually per country. Modi said the countries had identified new opportunities for cooperation in military exchanges, defence production and nuclear energy, while inviting Swiss infrastructure companies to invest in India. Parmelin said Switzerland hopes to conclude an investment protection agreement soon to sustain investment momentum under TEPA.
Background. The visit marks the first anniversary of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement, which entered into force on 1 October 2025 between India and the four country European Free Trade Association, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
For Prelims, remember
- The India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement entered into force on 1 October 2025 between India and the four country European Free Trade Association.
- An MoU on transport technology cooperation was signed between the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research and India's Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
- The Migration and Mobility Partnership signed on 5 October 2026 provides multiple entry visas valid for up to five years, with stays of up to six months on each visit, and renewable one year student permits.
Sitharaman: India has opened 92.5% of tariff lines to the EU under the free trade deal
At the opening of the Munich Leaders Meeting in New Delhi on 5 October 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India has opened up 92.5 per cent of all its tariff lines and 97 per cent of trade value to the European Union under their free trade deal, while the EU has opened up 99 per cent of trade value and about 97 per cent of tariff lines to India. She said India and the United States have reached a plateau in their trade talks beyond which further concessions would be very difficult for both sides, with the trade balance currently in India's favour. Sitharaman added that the trade imbalance between India and China has grown exponentially since 2014, raising the same question that imbalance based arguments pose when applied to India's own trade with the US.
For Prelims, remember
- India has opened up 92.5 per cent of its tariff lines to the European Union under their free trade agreement, covering 97 per cent of trade value.
- The European Union has opened up 99 per cent of trade value and about 97 per cent of tariff lines to India under the same agreement.
- Sitharaman made these remarks at the opening session of the Munich Leaders Meeting held in New Delhi on 5 October 2026.
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2026 awarded for discovery of optogenetics
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2026 was awarded on 5 October 2026 to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for discoveries concerning light gated ion channels and optogenetics, the Nobel Assembly at Sweden's Karolinska Institute said. Optogenetics lets researchers switch the activity of individual nerve cells in a living brain on or off using light, and the technique is now used in laboratories worldwide to study how the brain works. Deisseroth is American while Hegemann and Nagel are German; the announcement opened Nobel Prize week, with the physics prize following on 6 October.
Background. Optogenetics combines genetics and optics: a gene for a light sensitive ion channel, first identified in algae, is introduced into specific nerve cells so their electrical activity can then be switched on or off using light.
For Prelims, remember
- The three 2026 medicine Nobel laureates are Karl Deisseroth (American), and Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel (both German).
- The prize was awarded for discoveries concerning light gated ion channels and optogenetics, a technique that lets researchers switch individual nerve cells on or off using light.
- The medicine prize announcement on 5 October 2026 opened Nobel Prize week; the physics prize followed on 6 October and the Economics Prize follows on 12 October.
India and UAE launch Exercise Mountain Guardian 2026 in Uttarakhand
A joint military exercise between India and the United Arab Emirates, Exercise Mountain Guardian 2026, began on 5 October 2026 at the Foreign Training Node in Chaubatia, Uttarakhand, and will run until 18 October. The exercise involves 92 personnel with equal representation from both armies, with the Indian contingent drawn from a Bhairav Battalion and the UAE contingent from a Mountain Infantry Battalion, and focuses on mountain warfare training including tactical drills, surveillance, drone operations and rock climbing. The Ministry of Defence said women officers and combatants from both armies are participating across specialist roles, and that the exercise aims to strengthen military cooperation and interoperability between the two countries.
For Prelims, remember
- Exercise Mountain Guardian 2026 is being held from 5 to 18 October 2026 at the Foreign Training Node, Chaubatia, in Uttarakhand.
- It involves 92 personnel, with the Indian Army contingent drawn from a Bhairav Battalion and the UAE Army contingent from a Mountain Infantry Battalion.
- The exercise focuses on mountain warfare, including joint tactical drills, drone operations and rock climbing training.
Two captive-bred Great Indian Bustards released into the wild at Desert National Park
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav released two captive bred male Great Indian Bustards into the wild in the Desert National Park near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, on 4 October 2026, with Rajasthan Forest and Environment Minister Sanjay Sharma and senior officials from both governments present. The release marks a shift in the conservation programme from captive breeding toward rewilding; the programme's facilities currently hold 97 birds, including 57 captive bred birds that have produced 29 chicks this year. The Great Indian Bustard, locally called Godawan, is classified Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with Rajasthan considered one of its most important remaining habitats.
Background. The Great Indian Bustard's decline has been driven by habitat loss, hunting and collisions with power lines. The Supreme Court in April 2021 ordered power lines in the bird's habitat across Rajasthan and Gujarat to be laid underground, and in March 2024 narrowed the mandatory undergrounding to only the bird's priority habitat after concerns raised by the renewable energy sector.
For Prelims, remember
- The Great Indian Bustard is locally known as Godawan and is classified Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List; Rajasthan is considered one of its most important remaining habitats.
- The conservation programme's breeding facilities currently hold 97 birds, including 57 captive bred birds that have produced 29 chicks this year.
- The Supreme Court ordered power lines in the Great Indian Bustard's habitat to be laid underground in April 2021, and in March 2024 narrowed the mandatory undergrounding to only the bird's priority habitat after concerns from the renewable energy sector.
Supreme Court quashes Bombay High Court order directing Maharashtra FDA to pay ₹5 lakh compensation
The Supreme Court on 5 October 2026 set aside a Bombay High Court direction that had ordered the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to pay ₹5 lakh compensation to a Pune dairy and sweets shop whose food licence had been suspended after a food poisoning complaint. The case began on 12 June 2026, when FDA officers inspected the shop, found hygiene and record keeping deficiencies, and suspended its licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, after a sample of Malai Pedha collected during the inspection was declared unsafe. The Bombay High Court had revoked the suspension and directed the ₹5 lakh compensation on 17 August 2026 in Writ Petition No. 9905 of 2026. The Supreme Court accepted the state's argument that the FDA had acted promptly at every stage and that time taken in good faith during a statutory process cannot form the basis for a compensation order against the government.
For Prelims, remember
- The Maharashtra FDA suspended the shop's food licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, after a sample of Malai Pedha collected during inspection was declared unsafe.
- The Bombay High Court's compensation order, directing the FDA to pay ₹5 lakh, was passed on 17 August 2026 in Writ Petition No. 9905 of 2026.
- The case is titled State of Maharashtra and Others versus M/s Gurunanak Dairy and Sweets.
Gross FDI hits a 15 year high while net FDI reaches a five year peak in Q1 FY27
India recorded its highest quarterly gross foreign direct investment in 15 years in the first quarter of 2026-27 (April to June 2026), at $30.66 billion, surpassing the previous peak set in the second quarter of 2020-21, according to RBI data reported on 5 October 2026. Foreign investors repatriated about 44 per cent of this gross inflow through dividends, royalties and equity sales, while foreign exchange equal to another 31 per cent moved out as Indian companies invested abroad. Net FDI, the gross inflow minus both outflows, stood at $7.84 billion, a five year high but only about 25 per cent of the gross figure.
For Prelims, remember
- Gross FDI in the first quarter of 2026-27 (April to June 2026) was $30.66 billion, the highest quarterly figure in 15 years, surpassing the previous peak from the second quarter of 2020-21.
- About 44 per cent of gross FDI was repatriated by foreign investors through dividends, royalties and equity sales.
- Net FDI in the first quarter of 2026-27 was $7.84 billion, a five year high, but only about 25 per cent of gross FDI.
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September 2026 current affairs compilation
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