Daily Current Affairs

(12/11/10 – Oct – 26)

On 12 October 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron named Sunil Bharti Mittal a Chevalier, or Knight, of the National Order of the Legion of Honour. Mittal is the Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises. France established the Legion of Honour in 1802 under Napoleon Bonaparte.

National Order of the Legion of Honour

The National Order of the Legion of Honour is France’s highest national distinction. It recognises outstanding service to France in civilian or military life and may be conferred on French citizens and foreign nationals. Its five ranks, from lowest to highest, are Chevalier, Officier, Commandeur, Grand Officier and Grand-Croix. The insignia for Mittal’s Chevalier rank is scheduled to be presented on 28 October 2026 at the Embassy of France in New Delhi. The award recognises his efforts to deepen economic ties between India and France, as well as his contributions to telecommunications and digital infrastructure.

Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri arrived in Vladivostok, Russia, on 10 October 2026, for the bilateral naval exercise INDRA-2026. The exercise is scheduled from 13 to 18 October and will involve the Indian Navy and the Russian Federation Navy (RuFN), including Russia’s Pacific Fleet.

Exercise Profile

INDRA-2026 will have a harbour phase in Vladivostok, followed by coordinated operational activities at sea, including drills in the Sea of Japan. The Russian Navy’s participating vessel is the corvette Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov. The exercise is intended to strengthen maritime cooperation, improve operational interoperability and support mutual understanding between the two navies. Harbour-phase activities provide for engagements alongside in port, while the sea phase involves coordinated activities at sea.

INS Sahyadri and Shivalik Class

INS Sahyadri is a Shivalik-class stealth multi-role frigate of the Indian Navy. The Shivalik class comprises INS Shivalik, INS Satpura and INS Sahyadri. These frigates were built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai, and INS Sahyadri was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 2012. A frigate is a surface combatant used for roles such as escort, surveillance and anti-submarine warfare. INS Sahyadri’s deployment to Russia forms part of the Indian Navy’s overseas operational engagements.

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari declared an emergency and imposed governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 11 October 2026. The provincial government led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was suspended after a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The federal government cited worsening law and order, terrorist attacks and a breakdown of constitutional machinery as grounds for the action.

Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution

Article 232 of the Constitution of Pakistan concerns the proclamation of an emergency, including situations involving war, external aggression or internal disturbance beyond a provincial government’s capacity to control. Article 234 applies when the President is satisfied that a province cannot be governed in accordance with the Constitution. Under Article 234, the President may assume provincial government functions and provide for the exercise of provincial assembly powers by or under Parliament’s authority.
The proclamation cited Articles 232(1) and 234(1). The federal government alleged that the provincial administration had disengaged from counter-terrorism efforts. These stated grounds are the federal government’s position on the imposition.

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved a proposal on 9 October 2026 to rename Noida International Airport at Jewar as “Narendra Modi International Airport, Noida-Jewar”. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the decision in Lucknow after a Cabinet meeting. The airport is located at Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh.

Renaming proposal

The state Cabinet’s proposal names the airport after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The stated purpose is to honour his 25-year journey of public service as head of a government. The proposed name is “Narendra Modi International Airport, Noida-Jewar”; the existing name is Noida International Airport. Approval by the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet is a state-level step in the naming process. The final decision on naming or renaming an airport in India rests with the Union Cabinet. The approved name is subsequently notified in the Gazette of India, the official publication used for government notifications.

Navanethem “Navi” Pillay was awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on 9 October 2026. The South African jurist was recognised for efforts to promote peace and international law. Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, announced the award in Oslo.

Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Peace Prize is one of six Nobel Prizes established under the will of Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. It is awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, whose five members are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament. The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901. The committee cited Pillay’s work to strengthen international legal institutions and support the prosecution of war crimes and genocide. The 2026 prize carries a gold medal and 12 million Swedish kronor, equivalent to approximately US$1.2 million. The ceremony is scheduled to take place in Oslo on 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896.

International Law and Courts

Pillay served as a judge of the International Criminal Court and as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014. The International Criminal Court, established by the Rome Statute, is a permanent court that prosecutes individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. Pillay’s early legal work included defending Nelson Mandela and other opponents of apartheid. Apartheid was a system of racial segregation and discrimination enforced in South Africa from 1948 until the early 1990s.