November 2026 Current Affairs
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Sunday, 1 November 2026
Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit Assumes Charge as 29th Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air ForceAir Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit PVSM AVSM VM VSM assumed charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) of the Indian Air Force on October 31, 2026, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh. Commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF on December 6, 1986, he brings four decades of experience spanning operations, flight testing, capability development, and joint staff assignments across multiple Air Commands.Delhi-NCR Activates GRAP Stage 1 from November 1, 2026: Winter Air Pollution Action Plan ExplainedThe Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) invoked Stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR from November 1, 2026, as Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) touched 226 — the 'Poor' category. New measures include restrictions on non-BS6 vehicles, a 'No PUC, No Fuel' policy at petrol pumps, and doubling of parking fees for the winter season (November 1, 2026 – January 31, 2027).Manisha Bhanwala Wins Historic Gold at Senior World Wrestling Championships 2026: First Indian Woman World ChampionManisha Bhanwala became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Senior World Wrestling Championships, defeating American Abigail Nette 8–6 in the 59 kg freestyle final at Astana, Kazakhstan on October 30, 2026. She is only the second Indian wrestler ever to win a senior world title — after Sushil Kumar (65 kg) in 2010 — ending India's 39-year wait for a women's gold at the championships. India also won three other medals (2 silvers, 1 bronze) in the women's freestyle category at the same championships.Cotton Import Customs Duty Exemption Extended to December 31, 2026: CBIC Notification 35/2026 ExplainedThe Government of India extended the exemption from Basic Customs Duty (BCD) and Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) on cotton imports until December 31, 2026, through CBIC Notification No. 35/2026-Customs dated October 30, 2026. The measure, covering cotton under HS Tariff Heading 5201, is designed to augment raw cotton availability for the domestic textile sector, ease input cost pressures on spinning mills and MSMEs, and maintain India's competitiveness in global textile and apparel markets.India Hosts Inaugural BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise at Andaman and Nicobar IslandsIndia hosted the first-ever BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise at Sri Vijaya Puram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, from October 30 to November 3, 2026, bringing together all seven member states of BIMSTEC under the theme "Shared Seas, Shared Security and Shared Prosperity." The inaugural exercise, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, aims to enhance maritime domain awareness, operational interoperability, and regional security cooperation across the Bay of Bengal.