Daily Current Affairs 13 October 2026: CPI Inflation, PMDDKY and SSC GD PET/PST Update

Updated: 13 October 2026 | Reading time: about 8 minutes

Today’s exam-relevant developments include the latest retail inflation figures released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the first-year review of the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY), and a fresh Staff Selection Commission (SSC) notice on shortlisting candidates for the Constable (GD) recruitment’s Physical Efficiency Test and Physical Standard Test. These updates matter for different reasons: inflation figures feed into economy questions, agricultural schemes are frequently tested through their objectives and implementation design, and recruitment notices require candidates to act on official instructions rather than social-media summaries.

1. Retail inflation rises to 5.54% in September 2026

MoSPI’s National Statistics Office released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures for September on 12 October. The all-India year-on-year headline inflation rate, using the new base year 2024=100, was 5.54% on a provisional basis. The corresponding figures were 6.08% for rural India and 4.88% for urban India. Food inflation, measured through the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), stood at 7.74% nationally, with rural food inflation at 8.06% and urban food inflation at 7.18%.

The CPI general index for September was 109.49 on a combined basis; the combined CFPI index was 112.17. These index values and inflation rates answer different questions. The index records the price level relative to the index base, while the year-on-year rate compares the current month with the same month a year earlier. Do not confuse a 5.54% inflation rate with a 5.54-point increase in the index.

Why it matters

Inflation affects household purchasing power, business costs and monetary-policy decisions. Food inflation is particularly important because food has a direct and visible effect on household budgets. However, a single monthly CPI release does not automatically dictate a central-bank rate decision: policymakers also assess the persistence of price pressures, demand conditions, growth, expectations and other risks. The September release is provisional, so use the published status correctly when quoting the data.

How the data are collected

MoSPI reported that price data were collected from 1,407 urban markets, including online markets, and 1,465 villages. Field staff of the NSO’s Field Operations Division collected prices through personal visits on a weekly roster. The response rate was reported at 100% for both rural and urban markets in September. The next CPI release, for October 2026, is scheduled for 12 November 2026, or the next working day if that date is a holiday.

Static GK connection: MoSPI is the nodal ministry for official statistics; the National Statistical Office (NSO) compiles key statistical series, including CPI. CPI tracks changes in prices paid by consumers, while the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) tracks price movements at the wholesale level. They have different coverage and should not be treated as interchangeable.

2. PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana completes one year

The Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana completed its first year on 11 October 2026. The Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry marked the milestone at an event in New Delhi on 12 October. The government said the programme is designed to focus development efforts on 100 districts identified for challenges such as low agricultural productivity, low cropping intensity and limited agricultural credit disbursement.

Announced in the Union Budget 2025–26 and formally launched on 11 October 2025, PMDDKY brings together 36 Central schemes across 11 ministries and departments, alongside relevant State Government schemes. Its design is based on convergence: instead of treating irrigation, credit, storage and crop choices as isolated problems, district-level plans are expected to combine interventions around local agricultural needs.

The stated objectives include improving agricultural productivity, encouraging crop diversification and sustainable farming practices, increasing post-harvest storage at panchayat and block levels, improving irrigation facilities and facilitating short- and long-term institutional credit. The official first-year review said District Action Plans and indicator-based monitoring had been put in place across the 100 districts. Gaya in Bihar, Nagaur in Rajasthan and Umaria in Madhya Pradesh were recognised as best-performing districts at the event.

Why the scheme is worth tracking

Low farm output is not always caused by a lack of seeds or fertiliser alone. Water availability, crop choice, credit access, storage losses and local infrastructure can all constrain farm incomes. A district-based approach can help align public programmes with the binding constraints in a particular area. Its success, however, must ultimately be judged by outcomes—such as productivity, resilience, marketable surplus and access to finance—not simply by the number of meetings or plans completed.

For aspirants, distinguish the scheme’s announced design from measured results. The one-year milestone confirms the programme’s implementation period and its stated district-level framework; it does not, by itself, prove that every district has achieved the same improvement in income or output. The next phase will depend on execution, coordination between Central and State agencies, and the quality of local monitoring.

Static GK connection: Agriculture is primarily a State subject, while the Union Government supports the sector through national schemes, finance and policy. The scheme’s convergence model involves both levels of government. Revise the difference between cropping intensity (gross cropped area relative to net sown area), irrigation coverage, post-harvest infrastructure and institutional agricultural credit.

3. SSC GD 2026: candidates shortlisted for PET/PST

The Staff Selection Commission’s official notice board listed a notice dated 12 October 2026 titled “Constable (GD) in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and SSF, and Rifleman (GD) in Assam Rifles Examination, 2026 – Shortlisting of candidates to appear in Physical Efficiency Test (PET)/Physical Standard Test (PST).” This is a stage-specific recruitment update, not a fresh application notice. Candidates should open the notice on the SSC website and verify the applicable roll-number list, instructions, qualifying conditions and subsequent schedule.

PET and PST are distinct stages. PET assesses physical performance against the standards prescribed for the recruitment; PST checks physical measurements and other standards specified in the official rules. The requirements can vary by category, region and notified exemptions, so candidates should not rely on a generic fitness chart or an old recruitment cycle. The notice itself and any later corrigendum take precedence.

What candidates should do now

• Open the latest SSC notice from the official SSC website, rather than an unofficial mirror.
• Check the roll number and read the notice in full, including annexures and any category-specific instructions.
• Keep the application details and identity documents used during registration available for verification.
• Follow only the official schedule and venue instructions once they are issued; shortlisting for PET/PST is not a final selection or appointment.
• Do not assume that qualifying the physical stage completes the recruitment. Further medical, document-verification or other stages may apply under the official rules.

DailyGKUpdate has already covered SSC recruitment and result updates in separate guides. Use the Government Jobs page, Admit Card hub and Results hub to navigate related updates. This article deliberately does not repeat a full recruitment notification or invent a shortlisted-candidate count that is not stated in the verified summary available here.

4. UPSC monthly recruitment results: where to verify

The UPSC website also lists a monthly recruitment-results announcement for August 2026, published on 9 October. Candidates awaiting a recruitment-test outcome should check the Commission’s official results section and locate the exact post or advertisement number. A monthly results notice can cover multiple posts, so the date of the announcement alone is not enough to determine whether a particular candidate has been recommended.

Use the official UPSC website and the relevant recruitment-result document. Check whether the result is a recommendation list, a recruitment-test result, an interview-related update or a final result. Those labels indicate different stages and should not be treated as equivalent.

Quick revision: facts to remember

• September 2026 headline CPI inflation: 5.54% year on year, provisional, base 2024=100.
• September 2026 food inflation (CFPI): 7.74%; rural 8.06%, urban 7.18%.
• Price collection coverage: 1,407 urban markets and 1,465 villages.
• PMDDKY: 100 districts; 36 Central schemes across 11 ministries/departments plus relevant State schemes.
• PMDDKY launched on 11 October 2025; first year completed on 11 October 2026.
• SSC GD notice dated 12 October concerns shortlisting for PET/PST; it is not a final selection notice.

Possible MCQ areas

1. What was India’s provisional headline CPI inflation in September 2026? 5.54%.
2. Which index measures consumer food inflation? Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI).
3. How many districts are covered by PMDDKY? 100.
4. How many Central schemes are brought together under PMDDKY? 36 schemes across 11 ministries/departments.
5. What is the difference between PET and PST in SSC GD recruitment? Physical performance testing versus physical measurement standards.

Official sources

• MoSPI/PIB: CPI and CFPI, September 2026
• Agriculture Ministry/PIB: PMDDKY completes one year
• Staff Selection Commission: official notice board
• Union Public Service Commission: official results and recruitment notices

Related reading

• Daily Current Affairs 12 October 2026
• GSDP Estimates: MoSPI Draft Guidelines and Base Year 2022–23
• Government Jobs: active recruitment notices
• Competitive Exam Results
• Competitive Exams Preparation Hub

Editorial standard: figures and scheme details are attributed to official releases. Recruitment candidates must rely on the current SSC/UPSC notice for their own status and next steps.