main headlines from Himachal Pradesh for October 21, 2026:
Today Himachal News 21 October 2026
🏛️ Government Decisions & Social Welfare
- Anganwadi Income Limit Increased: The Himachal government has raised the annual income limit from ₹35,000 to ₹75,000 for widows, destitute, and single women seeking appointment in Anganwadis (5:21).
- Honorarium Hike: The monthly honorarium for Anganwadi workers has been increased from ₹10,500 to ₹11,500, and for helpers from ₹5,800 to ₹6,800 (5:48).
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- CM’s Village Visit: Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will visit the tribal sub-division of Bharmour (Holi tehsil) on October 22–23, where he will launch development projects worth crores and spend the night in a village (6:06).
🩺 Health & Infrastructure
- PGI-Level Medical Colleges: The state is preparing to upgrade two medical colleges to match the advanced facilities of PGI Chandigarh (1:42). Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla is chosen for Upper Himachal, while Tanda Medical College or Hamirpur Medical College will be chosen for Lower Himachal (1:54).
- Bulk Drug Park Construction: Progress on the Bulk Drug Park under construction in Haroli (Una) will be reviewed at a PM GatiShakti meeting on October 28 (4:07). Infrastructural work worth ₹61 crore is nearing completion (4:32).
- National Highway Projects: Road and bridge construction projects worth over ₹850 crore—initially drafted by the state PWD—have been handed over to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for execution (9:22).
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- Kangra Airport Expansion: The blueprint to shift 22 major government and public buildings (including schools and health centers) has been prepared to facilitate the airport expansion (10:49).
🎭 Culture & Local Governance
- Kullu Dussehra Begins: The international Kullu Dussehra festival commenced following the arrival of the ruling deity, Goddess Hidimba, from Manali (0:43). Following age-old tradition, Lord Raghunath’s chariot procession cannot start until her palanquin arrives (1:27). A tight security net of 1,265 police and home guard personnel, alongside 155 CCTV cameras and drones, is monitoring the festival (15:01).
- Assembly Winter Session: State Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania announced a proposal to hold the winter session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly in Dharamshala this November (3:20).
💼 Employment, Education & Sports
- New ITI Courses: The Directorate of Technical Education has invited applications for new private ITIs for the 2027–28 session, focusing on modern trades like Artificial Intelligence (AI), drone technology, electric vehicles, and solar energy (7:16).
- Driver Recruitment in Electricity Board: The State Electricity Board has initiated the process to deploy 32 drivers on an outsource basis via the Home Guards department to fix ongoing shortages (7:52).
- TGT Regularisation Delay: Trained Graduate Teachers (TGT) who completed their 2-year contract period by September 30 are facing anxiety over delays in official regularisation orders (13:05). The School Education Director stated that the file is currently being processed (13:56).
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- Sports Glory: CM Sukhu congratulated para-athlete Nishad Kumar for winning a Gold Medal in the men’s long jump (T47 category) with a 7.11-meter leap at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Nagoya, Japan (14:17).
🌦️ Weather Update
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- Rain and Snowfall Forecast: While the weather remains dry with light clouds until October 23, a Western Disturbance is expected to bring light rain and snowfall to parts of Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, and Lahaul-Spiti on October 24 and 25 (15:30). Key high-altitude areas like Keylong, Kukumseri, and Tabo have already recorded minimum temperatures below freezing (15:47).
