India and ASEAN hold 15th AITIGA Joint Committee meeting to review trade pact
The 15th meeting of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) Joint Committee was held at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 6 to 9 October 2026, in hybrid format. The meeting was co-chaired by Nitin Kumar Yadav, Additional Secretary in India's Department of Commerce, and Mastura Ahmad Mustafa, Deputy Secretary General for Trade in Malaysia's Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry. The Joint Committee directed its sub-committees to expedite the pending chapters under the ongoing AITIGA review, with the next meeting scheduled for January 2027 in India.
Background. AITIGA is the goods component of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area, in force since 2010; India and the ten ASEAN member states have been negotiating a review of the agreement to update its tariff schedules and rules of origin.
For Prelims, remember
- The AITIGA Joint Committee's 15th meeting, held during 6 to 9 October 2026, took place at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia.
- The meeting was co-chaired by officials from India and Malaysia.
- The next AITIGA Joint Committee meeting is scheduled for January 2027, to be held in India.
India calls US Vice-President Vance's "indentured servants" remark on IT workers deeply offensive
India's Ministry of External Affairs, on 9 October 2026, called remarks by US Vice-President J.D. Vance describing foreign workers, including Indian IT professionals, as "indentured servants" unwarranted and deeply offensive. The Ministry's statement came in response to both Vance's comments and the US Department of Labour's suspension, a day earlier, of several Indian IT majors from the Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) programme, saying the steps would not advance the shared ambitions of both countries.
Background. India's Ministry of External Affairs is the nodal ministry for India's foreign policy and diplomatic responses; the Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) programme, run by the US Department of Labour, is the process an employer must complete to sponsor a foreign worker, typically an H-1B visa holder, for a US green card.
For Prelims, remember
- The Ministry of External Affairs is India's nodal ministry for conducting foreign relations and issuing diplomatic responses to statements by foreign governments.
- US Vice-President J.D. Vance made the "indentured servants" remark about foreign workers, including Indian IT professionals, on 9 October 2026.
- The Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) programme, from which several Indian IT firms were suspended, is administered by the US Department of Labour.
India's wind power capacity crosses 59 GW as government reaffirms 100 GW target by 2030
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi inaugurated the eighth edition of Windergy India 2026 in Chennai on 8 October 2026, saying the country's installed wind power capacity had reached 59.20 GW as of 30 September 2026, against a national target of 100 GW by 2030. He said India achieved its highest ever annual wind installation of 6.05 GW in FY2026, and that annual installations are expected to surpass this record in FY2027. The four day conference, running from 7 to 9 October 2026, brought together around 400 exhibitors from more than 20 countries.
Background. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is the nodal ministry overseeing India's wind energy sector and its broader renewable energy capacity targets.
For Prelims, remember
- India's installed wind power capacity stood at 59.20 GW as of 30 September 2026, against a national target of 100 GW by 2030.
- India's highest ever annual wind power installation, 6.05 GW, was achieved in FY2026.
- The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is the nodal ministry for India's wind energy sector.
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September 2026 current affairs compilation
214 stories and 175 practice MCQs, sorted subject-wise, with a PDF and answer key.