News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants
Source: The Hindu , Indian Exp and others

Cabinet approves 3% hike in dearness allowance for central government employees

The Cabinet on Wednesday (October 28, 2026) approved a 3% hike in dearness allowance and dearness relief, benefiting over 1.17 crore central government employees and pensioners. Announcing the decision, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Union Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has decided to increase the DA and DR ahead of Diwali.

Two trains collide in Spain’s Toledo Province; at least 30 dead

A high-speed train slammed into the rear of another train that had stopped, derailing two cars and killing at least 30 people on Wednesday (October 28, 2026) in central Spain, according to local media. Spanish authorities initially reported 10 deaths, but Esther Padilla, spokeswoman for the Castilla La Mancha region, added “that number will surely rise.”

Asian Para Games gold medallist Neeraj Yadav found dead

Asian Para Games gold medallist Neeraj Yadav was found dead at his residence, with a post-mortem examination underway at a Delhi hospital on Wednesday (October 28, 2026). S. Satyanarayana, head coach of the Indian para-athletics team, confirmed the incident, saying he had learnt of the tragedy. “Unfortunately, such a thing has happened,” Mr. Satyanarayana said.

Cyclone Arnab: 17 Odisha districts affected by heavy rain, Gajapati worst hit

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday (October 28, 2026) said 17 districts of Odisha had been affected by heavy rainfall triggered by severe cyclonic storm Arnab, which crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast early in the day. The State government is prepared to deal with any eventuality, as the cyclonic system is expected to bring heavy rainfall until the morning of October 29 before weakening.

Karnataka SIR: 64.5 lakh voters potentially missing in rolls, majority of them young

Around 64.5 lakh electors are potentially missing from the final electoral rolls of Karnataka released after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise on Tuesday (October 27, 2026), based on the Elector-to-Population (E-to-P) ratio of 66.11 released by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).

Cockroach Janta Party backs INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), on Wednesday (October 28, 2026), extended its support to the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally against the irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, reiterating its demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

Railways to turn off charging points in trains during night

Train passengers will no longer be allowed to keep their mobile phones charging overnight, with the Railway Board issuing strict instructions to all zonal railways to switch off charging points between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Tiger Shroff firing case: 11 accused re-arrested under MCOCA after court grants permission

All 11 accused arrested in connection with the firing on Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff’s car were re-arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on Wednesday (October 28, 2026), after a special court in Mumbai granted permission to the Crime Branch to proceed under the stringent law.

Delhi SIR: Supreme Court asks ECI to extend deadlines, simplify enrolment

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (October 28, 2026) asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to extend deadlines for the SIR in Delhi, and to simplify the enrolment process. The court also observed that Form 6 of the special intensive revision of electoral rolls (SIR) is “cast in stone”, and that all forms, including 6, 7 and 8, cannot be changed.

Three killed in Andhra after landfall near Narsapur; Cyclone ‘Arnab’ weakens

Cyclone Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts about 20 km east-northeast of Narsapur early on Wednesday (October 28, 2026). It has since weakened from a very severe to a severe cyclonic storm, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The landfall was complete by 8.30 a.m.

Rajnath Singh, Hegseth review progress of India-U.S. defence pact

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday (October 28, 2026) reviewed the progress of a 10-year India-U.S. defence framework pact that seeks to drive strategic convergence in critical technologies, information sharing, and co-production of military hardware.

Supreme Court allows petitioner seeking pre-loaded drop-down caste menu in Census to approach Registrar General

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (October 28, 2026) gave the OBC Federation of India liberty to approach the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RGCCI) with their petition for a pre-loaded drop-down menu of recognised Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the digital tools for Census 2027.

Theni jailbreak: Two more prisoners secured; two still at large

Two more escaped prisoners from the Theni district jail have been arrested, bringing the total number of persons secured to 15. Two more prisoners are still at large, and the police continued their combing operations for the second consecutive day on Wednesday (October 28, 2026).

Netanyahu bloc leads after half of Israeli votes counted but no majority

The camp of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was ahead of his rival’s Opposition bloc but still short of a majority on Wednesday (October 28, 2026) after 50% of the votes were counted in Israel’s pivotal general election. Voters turned out in the highest numbers in decades to give their verdict on Mr. Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, who has pushed the country sharply to the right and unleashed a wave of wars in response to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack.

U.S. Fed holds interest rates steady despite surging inflation

The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday (October 28, 2026) held interest rates steady, in line with market expectations, days ahead of crucial midterm elections where surging inflation has been a key issue.

Pioneering U.S. labour leader Dolores Huerta dies at 96

Dolores Huerta, the U.S. labour leader and civil rights icon whose union work changed the lives of migrant workers, has died, her family said Wednesday (October 28, 2026). She was 96. For nearly four decades, Huerta was vice president of United Farm Workers, the union she founded with Cesar Chavez, organising strikes and walkouts that won improvements in working conditions for the millions of men and women who labour in U.S. fields.