# UPSC current affairs, 18 October 2026 URL: https://upsc.help/current-affairs/2026-10-18/ Publisher: upsc.help (Pratidin), free and open-source UPSC Civil Services current affairs. Not affiliated with UPSC. Every fact was checked against the source reports by a separate review before publishing. ## Stories ### Supreme Court: children have a fundamental right to access and use the internet URL: https://upsc.help/current-affairs/2026-10-18/sc-children-internet-fundamental-right/ (Markdown: https://upsc.help/current-affairs/2026-10-18/sc-children-internet-fundamental-right.md) Source: The Hindu, Page 1. UPSC papers: GS2, GS3 **In one line:** The Supreme Court has held that children, like adults, have a fundamental right to access and use the internet, and that the State must protect them by targeting harmful material, not by keeping them offline. Prelims facts: - On 15 October 2026 the Supreme Court held that the right to access and use the internet is a fundamental right under Article 21 read with Article 19(1)(a), for children as well as adults. - The Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran rejected blanket bans, calling them 'unproven measures of proven disproportionality'. - The Centre must set up a National Hash and URL List Database solely for CSEAM, with a final check by at least three trained human analysts. - The order came in Just Rights for Children Alliance v. S. Harish, the case in which the Court in September 2024 held that viewing and storing CSEAM is an offence. - Digital safety and age-appropriate sex education are to be part of the core curriculum, developed by NCERT and SCERTs. ### Trump waives Graham Act tariffs on Russian oil buyers, giving India relief for now URL: https://upsc.help/current-affairs/2026-10-18/us-waives-graham-act-russia-tariffs/ (Markdown: https://upsc.help/current-affairs/2026-10-18/us-waives-graham-act-russia-tariffs.md) Source: The Hindu, World. UPSC papers: GS2, GS3 **In one line:** A U.S. executive order of 16 October 2026 put in place, and then immediately waived, the Graham Act's tariffs on big buyers of Russian oil, sparing India a possible 100% duty for now. Prelims facts: - The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 was signed on 18 September 2026; the Senate passed it 86 to 11. - It provides for a 500% ad valorem duty increase on Russian goods and up to 100% on goods from the top five importers of Russian crude and gas. - A 16 October 2026 executive order waived these duties under Section 115(a), by certifying that a waiver is in the U.S. national interest. - The waivers have no end date and can be withdrawn; the U.S. Trade Representative must keep monitoring purchases. - GTRI says Russia's share of India's oil imports fell from 51% in July to 44% in August 2026. ### FSSAI proposes a ban on added sucrose and fructose in foods for infants up to six months URL: https://upsc.help/current-affairs/2026-10-18/fssai-infant-food-added-sugar-ban/ (Markdown: https://upsc.help/current-affairs/2026-10-18/fssai-infant-food-added-sugar-ban.md) Source: The Hindu, News. UPSC papers: GS2, GS3 **In one line:** A draft FSSAI amendment, notified on 16 October 2026, would bar adding sucrose and fructose to food products for infants up to six months old, with 60 days for public comments. Prelims facts: - FSSAI's draft Foods for Infant Nutrition Amendment Regulations, 2026 would bar added sucrose and fructose in products for infants up to six months. - The draft was published in the Gazette on 16 October 2026, with 60 days for objections and suggestions. - The 2020 regulations prefer lactose and glucose polymers and cap sucrose plus fructose at 20% of total carbohydrate. - FSSAI makes regulations under Section 92 of the FSS Act, 2006, with previous Central approval and after previous publication. - The Health Ministry tied the draft to childhood obesity and to exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. ### Explained: Why central banks from the Fed to the RBI are raising interest rates again URL: https://upsc.help/current-affairs/2026-10-18/global-central-banks-rate-hikes-explained/ (Markdown: https://upsc.help/current-affairs/2026-10-18/global-central-banks-rate-hikes-explained.md) Source: The Hindu, FAQ. UPSC papers: GS3 **In one line:** Between 10 September and 7 October 2026 the ECB, the Fed, the BoJ and the RBI each raised their policy rates by 25 basis points, to fight inflation fed largely by energy prices and the Middle East conflict. Prelims facts: - The Fed raised its target range to 3.75% to 4.00% on 16 September 2026, its first hike since July 2023. - The ECB raised its deposit facility rate to 2.50% and the BoJ its rate to 1.25%, by a 7 to 2 vote. - On 7 October 2026 the RBI raised the repo rate to 5.50%, with SDF at 5.25% and MSF at 5.75%, and adopted a 'calibrated tightening' stance. - The RBI projects 2026-27 CPI inflation at 5.2%, above the 4% target, and GDP growth at 7.1%. - India's 4% inflation target with a 2% to 6% band was retained for April 2026 to March 2031. ### Sri Lanka's rights commission says militarisation persists in the Tamil North and East URL: https://upsc.help/current-affairs/2026-10-18/hrcsl-militarisation-north-east-report/ (Markdown: https://upsc.help/current-affairs/2026-10-18/hrcsl-militarisation-north-east-report.md) Source: The Hindu, World. UPSC papers: GS2 **In one line:** A report by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka says "militarization remains a persistent feature of governance and land use" in the Tamil-majority North and East, 17 years after the war. Prelims facts: - The HRCSL's October 2026 report says militarisation remains a persistent feature of governance and land use in Sri Lanka's Northern and Eastern Provinces. - More than 580 skeletal remains have been recovered from the Chemmani mass grave in Jaffna. - Sri Lanka's Defence Ministry says over 90% of military-held land has been returned; Tamil MPs dispute the figure. - The HRCSL was created by Act No. 21 of 1996 and cannot enforce its own recommendations. - The 13th Amendment, which followed the July 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord, created nine provincial councils, but land and police powers were never fully devolved. ## Other articles in brief ### How the U.S. deal to import Russian diesel affects India The Hindu (Explained). The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License No. 135 on 9 October 2026, temporarily authorising transactions for imports of Russian diesel, valid until 7 April 2027. It followed record U.S. diesel prices as fuel movement through the Strait of Hormuz was constrained. Analysts note the deal earns revenue for Moscow even as Washington presses India to stop buying Russian crude, which gives India an argument in its talks with the U.S. Prelims facts: - OFAC's General License No. 135 for Russian diesel imports was issued on 9 October 2026 and runs until 7 April 2027. - India is the world's third-largest crude oil importer, with import dependency above 88%. Mains angle: Shows inconsistency in the sanctions policies of major powers and how India can use it to defend strategic autonomy and energy security. ### Why actor Imran Khan, an OCI cardholder, was asked to leave India The Hindu (Explained). Actor Imran Khan, reported to be a U.S. citizen holding an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, was asked to leave India, reportedly by 28 October, after joining an October 10 protest in Mumbai demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Because he is not an Indian citizen, authorities can direct him to leave under immigration law. Prelims facts: - An OCI card does not confer Indian citizenship; it allows multiple entries into India but does not allow voting. - The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 lets the Central Government regulate the entry, presence and movement of foreigners and direct their removal. Mains angle: Raises the question of how far political rights such as the right to protest extend to non-citizens, including OCI cardholders, under Indian law. ### IISER researchers make a solid compound that releases hydrogen and methane The Hindu (News). Researchers at IISER Thiruvananthapuram, led by chemistry professor Ajay Venugopal, reported in Science Advances a solid compound, magnesium hydridomethylzincate, that releases both hydrogen and methane on moderate heating. Heating its crystals at 80 to 110 degrees Celsius released both gases, while heating it in solution at 100 degrees released only hydrogen. The work could help store and transport fuel gases, but the compound is moisture-sensitive and its reversibility is unproven. Prelims facts: - Magnesium hydridomethylzincate is an organometallic compound of magnesium, zinc, hydrogen and carbon that stays solid at room temperature. - Hydrogen's low density makes conventional storage difficult and costly, which is why solid-state storage materials are studied. Mains angle: Illustrates research on hydrogen storage, a key bottleneck for clean fuels, and the gap between a laboratory result and commercial use. ### Ladakh groups reject Home Ministry draft; talks to continue in Delhi on October 22 The Hindu (News). A fresh round of talks between Ladakh leaders and Union Home Ministry officials was held in Leh on 15 October 2026, where the Ministry presented a draft proposal. The Apex Body Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance rejected it in principle, saying it departs from assurances made in earlier sub-committee meetings and that significant gaps remain. Both sides agreed to continue discussions in Delhi on October 22. Prelims facts: - The Apex Body Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance have led the agitation for statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh. - A three-member commission headed by former Supreme Court judge B.S. Chauhan was set up to inquire into the 24 September 2025 Leh violence, in which four people died. Mains angle: Feeds the debate on autonomy and safeguards for tribal and border regions under the Sixth Schedule, and on dialogue as a tool for resolving regional demands.