World Cotton Day 2026: India and Mali held an event at UN Headquarters, New York, to commemorate World Cotton Day + Theme – “Cotton for Sustainability: Livelihoods, Value Addition and Partnership” + First Observance – Hosted in Geneva on October 7, 2019, at the initiative of the Cotton-4 countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali + UN Recognition – Proclaimed an international observance by UN General Assembly Resolution 75/318 in 2021

India’s 1st Indigenous Military-Grade Underwater ROV: EyeROV TROUT, developed by Kochi-based deep-tech startup EyeROV and delivered to the Indian Navy + Development Programme – Built under the iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) DISC 7 SPRINT Challenge for the Indian Armed Forces + Order & Delivery – On October 7, 2026, the first two units of a total order of five systems were delivered to the Indian Navy + Depth Rating – Operates at depths of up to 300 metres in harsh marine environments + Compliance – Qualified by the Directorate of Quality Assurance (Naval), DQA(N), and designed to meet Environmental Stress Screening (ESS) and military standards.

Wētāpunga – World’s Heaviest Insect Species: Wētāpunga (Deinacrida heteracantha), native to New Zealand, has been brought back from the brink of extinction through a 15-year captive-breeding and conservation programme + Size & Weight – Adult females grow up to 10 cm long, with legs extending up to 20 cm, and weigh around 70 grams + Appearance – Flightless insect, often called a “living fossil” or “armored tank” of the forest; cannot jump + Diet – Fresh green foliage, leaf litter and protein + Habitat – By the 1990s, mainland populations had disappeared, leaving the species restricted to Te Hauturu-o-Toi (Little Barrier Island).