Current affairs October 8, 2026 for CUET

The Indian Air Force marked its 94th anniversary on 8 October 2026 at Air Force Station Hindan, Ghaziabad, where the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, reviewed the Air Force Day Parade. The year's theme was 'Indian Air Force: Infallible, Impervious and Precise'. Three Mi-17 1V helicopters in 'Dhwaj' formation carried the National flag and the IAF flag, and Air Warriors received medals for gallantry and distinguished service.

The 57th meeting of the GST Council, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, was held in New Delhi on 8 October 2026. Where the 56th meeting had rationalised and cut rates, this one turned to process: registration, returns, refunds and adjudication. It recommended a simplified registration route for small sellers on e-commerce platforms and steps to ease the export of services, and gave in-principle approval to an optional scheme for small consumer-facing businesses with a turnover of up to ₹5 crore.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 10th India Mobile Congress (IMC 2026) at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, on 8 October 2026. Organised by the Department of Telecommunications and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) on the theme 'Scale Without Boundaries', it is billed as Asia's leading digital technology forum. The Prime Minister said 5G, launched from the IMC platform in 2022, now reaches every district through 5,50,000 5G base stations, and that mobile internet speeds have risen tenfold since 2022. Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia set the aim of 1 billion 5G users by 2030.

On 8 October 2026 Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the World Bank Group's World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence in New Delhi, at an event organised by the IndiaAI Mission with the World Bank. The report looks at what AI offers developing economies, and the risks, and sets out a framework of adoption, adaptation and advancement. It finds that the gains, in medical screening, farm decisions and education, rest on foundations such as reliable power and connectivity, computing, quality data, skills and capable institutions.

The India–UK annual bilateral naval exercise KONKAN-26 is held off Plymouth, in the United Kingdom, in two phases from 8 to 15 October 2026, with the guided-missile stealth frigate INS Trishul representing the Indian Navy. The harbour phase covers professional exchanges, cross-deck visits and sport; the sea phase includes air-defence and anti-submarine drills and cross-deck landings. The Ministry of Defence tied the exercise to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership set out in the India-UK Vision 2035.