Current Affairs 15 September 2026

Banking & FinanceHighquizQuiz

NPCI Sets 0.4% MDR on UPI Merchant Payments Above Rs 2,000 From 15 October

•The National Payments Corporation of India announced on 15 September 2026 that a Merchant Discount Rate of 0.4% will apply to eligible person-to-merchant UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 from 15 October 2026.
•Person-to-person transfers and all merchant payments up to Rs 2,000 stay free; these small payments are more than 95% of UPI's P2M volume.
•The fee is capped at Rs 300 for transactions of Rs 75,000 and above, and merchants receiving up to Rs 1 lakh a month through UPI QR codes are exempt.

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InternationalMediumquizQuiz

Fiji Declares National HIV Emergency as 1 in 60 Adults Live with HIV

•On 15 September 2026, Fiji's Health Minister Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu declared HIV a national emergency, following a Cabinet decision of 9 September.
•About 1 in 60 Fijian adults now lives with HIV, up from 1 in 167 five years earlier. New infections rose 12-fold between 2010 and 2025.
•Only 39% of people living with HIV knew their status, and just 22% were on antiretroviral treatment in 2025.

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EnvironmentMediumquizQuiz

Indravati Tiger Reserve to Reopen to Tourists on November 1 After Four Decades

•Chhattisgarh announced that the Indravati Tiger Reserve in Bijapur district (south Bastar) will reopen to tourists on 1 November 2026, the first organised wildlife tourism there in about four decades.
•Left Wing Extremism had kept around 70% of the reserve out of reach even of forest staff; its decline made the reopening possible.
•The reserve holds a critical herd of 14-17 wild water buffaloes (Chhattisgarh's state animal) and around six tigers.

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EnvironmentMediumquizQuiz

FAO's 'Forests for Food' Report: Over 5 Billion People Depend on Forests

•The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) published 'Forests for food: Nourishing people, sustaining the planet' on 15 September 2026, developed jointly with the Landscape Alliance.
•The report links forests to all four dimensions of food security and nutrition: availability, access, utilisation and stability.
•Over 5 billion people depend on forests to some extent for livelihoods, and about 1.8 billion rely on woodfuel for cooking.

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NationalMediumquizQuiz

Vice-President Addresses ICWA's Silver Jubilee as an Institution of National Importance

•Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan, ex-officio President of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), addressed its 25th anniversary as an Institution of National Importance at Sapru House, New Delhi, on 15 September 2026.
•ICWA was founded in 1943 by intellectuals led by Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru and Dr. H.N. Kunzru as a think tank on international relations.
•The Indian Council of World Affairs Act, 2001 declared it an Institution of National Importance; it is funded by the Ministry of External Affairs but is autonomous.

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Schemes & CommitteesMediumquizQuiz

Swachh Seva Aankalan Launched: Annual Gram Panchayat Self-Assessment of Rural Sanitation under SBM-G

•Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil launched Swachh Seva Aankalan (SSA) on 15 September 2026 at a virtual meeting with States and UTs. MoS V. Somanna also attended.
•SSA is an annual, digital self-assessment of rural sanitation service delivery, carried out at the Gram Panchayat level under Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen (Phase II).
•ODF Plus (Model) Gram Panchayats, their Village Water and Sanitation Committees and communities will assess ODF sustainability, visual cleanliness, solid and liquid waste management, and the upkeep of sanitation assets.

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InternationalMediumquizQuiz

US Names India, China, Pakistan Among 23 Major Drug Transit or Producing Countries for FY2027

•On 15 September 2026, the US President sent Congress the FY2027 determination naming 23 major drug transit or major illicit drug producing countries, including India, China and Pakistan — all three were also on the FY2026 list.
•Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma (Myanmar) and Colombia were designated as having 'failed demonstrably' to meet counternarcotics obligations; Bolivia, Burma and Colombia received national-interest waivers.
•The determination welcomed India's efforts against illicit opium poppy cultivation and cited the US-India Drug Policy Framework; China was called the world's largest producer of many fentanyl precursor chemicals.

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InternationalMediumquizQuiz

Oman Pitches Sohar Port to Indian Firms as Gateway Outside the Strait of Hormuz

•Oman's Sohar Port and Freezone held a two-day investment roadshow in New Delhi with ASSOCHAM at the Omani Embassy, pitching itself to Indian manufacturers and exporters as a gateway to the Gulf and beyond.
•Sohar lies on the Gulf of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz, so cargo moving through it avoids the Hormuz chokepoint.
•The port and freezone have drawn over US$30 billion in investment and handle more than 72 million tonnes of cargo a year.

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Ranks & ReportsMediumquizQuiz

Free to Think 2026 Report Rates India's Academic Freedom 'Severely Restricted'

•Scholars at Risk's 'Free to Think 2026' report, released on 15 September 2026, puts India in the 'severely restricted' category for academic freedom.
•India's Academic Freedom Index (AFI) score fell from 0.38 in 2022 to 0.14 in 2025.
•The report documents 382 attacks on higher-education communities in 59 countries and territories between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026.

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History & CultureLowquizQuiz

Nuakhai Celebrated in Western Odisha; PM Greets People on the New-Rice Festival

•Nuakhai, the agricultural festival of western Odisha that welcomes the season's new rice, was observed on 15 September 2026; PM Modi sent 'Nuakhai Juhar' greetings in English and Odia.
•'Nua' means new and 'khai' means food; it falls on the panchami (fifth day) of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada.
•Newly harvested rice (nabanna) is first offered to the presiding deity — Goddess Samaleswari at Sambalpur — before families eat it together; the tradition is linked to the Chauhan ruler Ramai Deva of Patnagarh.

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DefenceMediumquizQuiz

DAD Normalises 5.35 Lakh Discrepant Defence Pension Cases on SPARSH; IAF and Navy at 100%

•The Defence Accounts Department (DAD) said on 15 September 2026 that it has normalised all 1,45,182 discrepant pension cases of the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy on SPARSH.
•IAF accounted for 1,12,638 cases and the Navy 32,544 — 100% in both; for the Army, 3,90,336 of 3,94,779 cases (98.8%) have been normalised.
•In all, 5,35,518 discrepant cases have been fixed through a mission-mode special drive.

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EnvironmentLowquizQuiz

Study Finds Abandoned Mines Are Asola-Bhatti Sanctuary's Most Bird-Rich Habitat

•A study of Delhi's Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary found that abandoned mining areas are its most bird-rich habitat.
•Surveys in 2024 recorded 130 bird species from 20 orders and 55 families across 15 habitat types.
•Standardised richness was highest in the Abandoned Mine habitat (45.6 species) and lowest in Lantana woodland (13.1).

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EconomyMediumquizQuiz

ED Makes IBC Frauds and Deep Haircuts a Key Enforcement Priority

•The Enforcement Directorate held its 36th Quarterly Conference of Zonal Officers on 14-15 September 2026 at IIM Bangalore, chaired by Director Rahul Navin.
•It made frauds under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 — especially disproportionately large haircuts letting promoters regain assets — a key operational focus.
•Zonal offices were told to identify red flags, file intervention applications before the NCLT and open independent PMLA probes.

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EnvironmentMediumquizQuiz

India-Cambodia Tiger Reintroduction Pushed to 2028 Over Prey Shortage in Cardamom Landscape

•India and Cambodia have pushed their tiger reintroduction programme from 2025 to 2028, it was reported on 15 September 2026, after habitat assessments found too little natural prey in the Cardamom landscape.
•Bengal tigers from India are to be released in Cardamom (Krâvanh) National Park in south-western Cambodia, where tigers were declared extinct in 2016.
•The programme stems from an India-Cambodia MoU on biodiversity conservation and sustainable wildlife management signed on 12 November 2022.

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History & CultureMediumquizQuiz

150th Birth Anniversary of Saratchandra Chattopadhyay, Author of Devdas and the Banned Pather Dabi

•The Prime Minister paid tribute to Bengali novelist Saratchandra Chattopadhyay on his 150th birth anniversary, 15 September 2026.
•Born on 15 September 1876 at Debanandapur, Hooghly, he wrote Parineeta, Devdas, Srikanta, Charitraheen and Pather Dabi; his works have inspired more than 40 films.
•Pather Dabi (1926), about revolutionary resistance to British rule, was banned by the colonial government.

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SportsLowquizQuiz

UEFA Names Munich (2028) and Barcelona's Camp Nou (2029) as Champions League Final Hosts

•The UEFA Executive Committee, meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece, on 15 September 2026, chose Munich Football Arena (Allianz Arena) for the 2028 Champions League final and Camp Nou, Barcelona, for 2029.
•Munich will host its third final at the stadium after 2012 and 2025; Camp Nou last staged the final in 1999.
•The 2027 final is at the Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid, on 5 June 2027.

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DefenceLowquizQuiz

Exercise Eager Lion 2026: US Hosts Jordan for the First Time, at Fort Carson, Colorado

•US Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Jordanian Armed Forces began Exercise Eager Lion 2026 at Fort Carson, Colorado, on 15 September 2026.
•It is the 12th edition of the biennial exercise and the first time the United States has hosted it; earlier editions were held in Jordan.
•More than 200 personnel, including Colorado and Illinois National Guard members, take part in the two-week drill.

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Agreements & MoUsLowquizQuiz

NSTFDC-HPCL MoU: ₹16.01 Crore Smart Classrooms and Computer Labs for 29 Eklavya Schools in Rajasthan

•The National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) signed an MoU on 15 September 2026 for computer labs-cum-smart classrooms in 29 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) in Rajasthan.
•The ₹16.01 crore project, funded through HPCL's CSR, covers 11 districts and will benefit more than 10,000 Scheduled Tribe students a year.
•Each school gets four smart classrooms with 86-inch interactive panels, a networked computer lab, 10 tablets with competitive-exam material and one year of internet.

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Summits & ConferencesLowquizQuiz

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Leads Indian Delegation at 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference

•The 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) is being held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 13 to 19 September 2026, hosted by the Parliament of South Africa and the CPA South Africa Branch.
•India's delegation, with MPs from both Houses, is led by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh; on 15 September he held bilateral meetings with South African parliamentary leaders.
•Theme: 'Strengthening International Law and Parliamentary Democracy in a Changing World Order: Commonwealth Leadership'.

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EnvironmentMediumquizQuiz

Assam Has 3,260 One-Horned Rhinos, About 80% of the Global Population of 4,075

•On 15 September 2026, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state has 3,260 greater one-horned rhinos - about 80% of the world's population.
•The global population is estimated at 4,075: about 3,323 in India and 752 in Nepal, up from fewer than 100 animals in the early 1900s.
•Kaziranga National Park holds more than 2,600 rhinos and Manas 40-50; the species also lives in Orang and Pobitora.

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SportsMediumquizQuiz

Sports Ministry Sets Up 10-Member Task Force to Bring Formula 1 Back to India by 2028

•Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced a 10-member Task Force on 15 September 2026 to study the feasibility of reviving Formula 1 in India.
•It is chaired by NITI Aayog Programme Director and Adviser Yugal Kishore Joshi; its mandate is a coordinated roadmap so that India can host a race in 2028.
•It will look at taxation, policy, infrastructure and Public-Private Partnership models - tax issues were among the reasons F1 left India after 2013.

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BusinessMediumquizQuiz

Mazagon Dock Signs MoU for ₹27,000 Crore Greenfield Shipbuilding Cluster at Dighi, Raigad

•On 15 September 2026, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) signed an MoU with National Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Park Maharashtra Ltd (NSHIPML) for a greenfield shipbuilding cluster at Dighi, Raigad district, in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
•The cluster involves about ₹27,000 crore of investment, targets at least 2 million gross tonnes of annual capacity and is expected to create around 90,000 jobs.
•MDL is the anchor shipyard, committing about ₹15,000 crore and at least 1.2 million GT a year of its own capacity.

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BusinessMediumquizQuiz

SiCSem Gets Approval for Rs 3,406 Crore Silicon Carbide Chip Unit in Odisha

•SiCSem Private Limited's Rs 3,406.25 crore silicon carbide (SiC) device facility in Odisha has been approved by the Unit Approval Committee of Falta SEZ at its 217th meeting; the approval was announced on 15 September 2026.
•The unit will come up at IDCO Infovalley-II in Arisol Mouza, Jatni tehsil, Khordha district, on 21.889 acres.
•It will make 4.8 million SiC diodes and 91.2 million SiC MOSFETs a year and employ about 1,270 people.

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DefenceMediumquizQuiz

Bharat Forge and Pratt & Whitney Canada to Evaluate Engines for DRDO's HALE Drone

•Bharat Forge Ltd and Pratt & Whitney Canada announced a collaboration on 15 September 2026 on engines for DRDO's High-Altitude, Long-Endurance (HALE) UAV programme.
•Pratt & Whitney Canada will assess how well its turboprop engines suit the drone - compatibility, performance and installation needs.
•Pune-based Bharat Forge will lead engine-airframe integration, including installation design and systems interfaces.

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DefenceMediumquizQuiz

Defence Ministry Unveils MSME and Start-up Framework at DRDO's VIMARSH 2026

•The Defence Ministry unveiled policy measures for MSMEs and deep-tech start-ups at VIMARSH 2026, a DRDO-Industry Synergy Meet in New Delhi on 15 September 2026.
•The framework offers direct funding, incubation support and access to DRDO testing facilities.
•Nine Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology (LAToTs) were handed to 13 manufacturing partners, and a secure framework for sharing DRDO software source codes was launched.

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EconomyMediumquizQuiz

PLFS August 2026: Labour Force Participation Rises to 55.6%, Unemployment Eases to 5%

•The PLFS monthly bulletin for August 2026, released on 15 September, put India's Labour Force Participation Rate (15+ years) at 55.6%, up from 55.4% in July.
•The Worker Population Ratio rose to 52.8%, its highest since March 2026.
•The overall unemployment rate fell to 5.0% from 5.1%; rural unemployment dropped to 4.1%, the lowest since January 2026, while urban unemployment was 6.8%.

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Agreements & MoUsHighquizQuiz

Centre and Six States Sign Kishau Dam MoU, Ending Eight-Year Cost-Sharing Deadlock

•On 15 September 2026 the Centre and six states - Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi - signed an MoU on the Kishau Multipurpose Project in New Delhi.
•The meeting was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and attended by the Chief Ministers of all six states.
•The Rs 15,624 crore project on the Tons, a Yamuna tributary, had been stuck for about eight years over cost-sharing.

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AppointmentsMediumquizQuiz

Sanjukta Parashar Becomes First Woman IG to Head CRPF's CoBRA Unit

•IPS officer Sanjukta Parashar has been appointed Inspector General of the CRPF's Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), the first woman to head the unit.
•She is a 2006-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre and succeeds 1996-batch IPS officer Danesh Rana.
•CoBRA is the CRPF's 10-battalion jungle warfare force, raised in 2008-09 against Left Wing Extremism and insurgency.

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History & CultureMediumquizQuiz

Zanskar's Kumik Declared Ladakh's First Heritage Village

•Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena declared Kumik in Zanskar Ladakh's first designated Heritage Village on 15 September 2026.
•The declaration came at the launch of the Ladakh Zanskar Festival 2026.
•Kumik is known for traditional mud houses, sacred spaces, farming practices and Tibetan Buddhist texts, including Kanjur (Kangyur) manuscripts.

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State NewsLowquizQuiz

Karnataka Makes Engineers' Day an Official State Event and Allows 'Er.' Prefix

•Karnataka issued a Government Order on 15 September 2026 making Engineers' Day on 15 September an official annual state event.
•The same order lets engineers in the State use the professional prefix 'Er.' before their names.
•It follows an earlier Karnataka decision allowing teachers to use the prefix 'Tr.'

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SportsLowquizQuiz

Brendan Taylor Overtakes Tendulkar for the Longest Career in Men's ODIs

•Zimbabwe wicketkeeper-batter Brendan Taylor now has the longest career in men's ODIs, at 22 years and 148 days.
•He passed Sachin Tendulkar's span of 22 years and 91 days by playing the first ODI against Australia in Harare on 15 September 2026.
•Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya is third, at 21 years and 184 days.

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Polity & GovernanceMediumquizQuiz

Department of Justice holds Tele-Law awareness workshop at Nuh, Haryana under DISHA 2.0

•The Department of Justice held an officer-level Tele-Law awareness workshop at the Mini Secretariat, Nuh, Haryana, on 15 September 2026 under DISHA 2.0.
•About 150 participants attended, including CSC representatives, Village Level Entrepreneurs, panel lawyers and Nyaya Sahayaks.
•The Tele-Law Portal and the AI-enabled Nyaya Setu chatbot were demonstrated live.

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Agreements & MoUsMediumquizQuiz

NSTFDC–HPCL MoU: computer labs and smart classrooms for 29 Eklavya schools in Rajasthan

•NSTFDC and HPCL signed an MoU to set up integrated Computer Lab-cum-Smart Classroom facilities in 29 functional EMRSs across 11 districts of Rajasthan.
•HPCL's Board has approved ₹16.01 crore from CSR; the project is to be finished within six months of signing.
•Each school gets four smart classrooms, a networked computer lab, 10 tablets with competitive-exam coaching material and one year of internet.

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Science & TechLowquizQuiz

CSIR-NIScPR adopts ANRF's SARAL AI to turn journal research into short videos

•CSIR-NIScPR is using SARAL AI, an ANRF tool, to convert research published in its journals into short, accessible videos.
•The institute held a hands-on SARAL AI workshop for over 90 journal editors and researchers.
•The videos are released through a dedicated YouTube playlist aimed at students and the public.

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InternationalLowquizQuiz

Indian delegation led by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman at 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, Cape Town

•Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh leads India's delegation at the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Cape Town, 12-19 September 2026.
•32 Presiding Officers and 18 Secretaries from State/UT legislatures, all CPA members, are also attending.
•Harivansh addresses the General Assembly on 'New Leadership Opportunities for the Commonwealth: Parliamentary Action to Strengthen Democracy and International Law'.

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EconomyLowquizQuiz

Five Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals in Gujarat; salt freight train flagged off from Shivlakha to Mithapur

•Railway Minister inaugurated Shivlakha GCT (Kachchh), dedicated Bhimasar, Devaliya and Chandisar GCTs, and laid the foundation stone for Linch GCT (Mahesana).
•A salt-loaded freight train from Shivlakha to Mithapur was flagged off, using new lightweight stainless steel salt containers.
•150 Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals have now been commissioned nationwide.

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DefenceLowquizQuiz

Defence Accounts Department normalises all 1,45,182 discrepant Air Force and Navy pension cases on SPARSH

•In a special drive, the Defence Accounts Department (DAD) normalised all 1,45,182 discrepant Indian Air Force and Indian Navy pension cases on SPARSH.
•Air Force accounted for 1,12,638 cases and Navy for 32,544, both cleared in full.
•For the Army, 3,90,336 of 3,94,779 discrepant cases (98.8%) have been normalised.

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Polity & GovernanceLowquizQuiz

NHRC takes suo motu cognizance of assault and public humiliation of woman in Banswara, Rajasthan

•NHRC took suo motu cognizance of a media report that a woman was beaten, had her hair cut and was paraded semi-nude by her husband and relatives in Banswara, Rajasthan, on 1 September 2026.
•Notices went to Rajasthan's Chief Secretary and the Banswara Superintendent of Police for a report within two weeks.
•The report must cover the investigation status and any compensation paid to the victim.

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Polity & GovernanceLowquizQuiz

Government Approved Test Centre network grows to 51 under Legal Metrology framework

•The Department of Consumer Affairs has recognised 51 Government Approved Test Centres (GATCs), with fresh applications under process.
•Amended GATC Rules cover 23 categories of weighing and measuring instruments, including fuel dispensers for petrol, diesel, CNG, LPG, LNG and hydrogen.
•Several States have notified their own GATC Rules in line with the amended central framework.

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Polity & GovernanceLowquizQuiz

National Dam Safety Authority reviews Dam Safety Act compliance in Jharkhand

•An NDSA team reviewed implementation of the Dam Safety Act, 2021 with Jharkhand's Water Resources Department on 8 September 2026.
•NDSA sought Comprehensive Dam Safety Evaluations, Emergency Action Plans on the DHARMA portal, and a plan to rehabilitate Category-II dams.
•It asked Jharkhand to make its State Dam Safety Organisation a dedicated body and directed Nalkari Dam (Patratu) to set up a Dam Safety Unit.

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EnvironmentLowquizQuiz

CAQM's 139th Enforcement Task Force meeting: 150 inspections in 15 days, 28,547 units inspected so far

•CAQM's Enforcement Task Force held its 139th meeting on 14 September 2026, reviewing 150 inspections made between 24 August and 7 September 2026.
•Proposed actions include closure of 3 C&D projects and 1 industrial unit and sealing of 25 DG sets.
•Cumulatively, CAQM Flying Squads have inspected 28,547 entities, issuing 1,829 closure directions and 1,479 resumption orders.

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DefenceLowquizQuiz

22nd India-US Exercise Yudh Abhyas begins at Auli and Mahajan Field Firing Range

•The 22nd edition of India-US joint military exercise Yudh Abhyas opened on 15 September 2026 at the Auli Foreign Training Node, Uttarakhand.
•It runs simultaneously at Auli and the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan, with 600 personnel from each side.
•Focus: employing Integrated Battle Groups in mountainous and semi-mountainous terrain, plus drones and autonomous systems.

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Science & TechLowquizQuiz

Fourth Hanle Dark Sky Reserve Star Party held at Indian Astronomical Observatory, Ladakh

•The fourth Hanle Dark Sky Reserve (HDSR) Star Party was held from 7 to 12 September 2026 at the Indian Astronomical Observatory, Hanle, Ladakh.
•It was organised by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics with Ladakh's Department of Wildlife Protection, BARC and TIFR; an Open Night drew over 1,200 visitors.
•HDSR, notified by the Government of Ladakh in December 2022, combines curbing light pollution with community astro-tourism.

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NationalLowquizQuiz

Rs 10,998-crore Varuna Elevated Corridor to link NH-31 with Varanasi Ring Road

•The 43.218-km, Rs 10,998-crore Varuna Elevated Corridor will connect NH-31 with the Varanasi Ring Road along the Varuna River.
•NHAI will build the predominantly elevated 6/4-lane corridor, including an iconic cable-stayed bridge.
•Travel time from NH-31 to Kashi Railway Station is expected to fall from about 40 to about 20 minutes.

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Banking & FinanceHighquizQuiz

Rural Development Department and PFRDA sign MoU to create 'Pension Sakhis' through DAY-NRLM cadre

•The Department of Rural Development (DoRD) and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) signed an MoU on 14 September 2026 to create community-level 'Pension Sakhis'.
•Pension Sakhis will be drawn from the DAY-NRLM network, including Banking Correspondent (BC) Sakhis and other trained community resource persons.
•They will give pension awareness, financial literacy, enrolment and post-enrolment support to SHG members, rural women and Lakhpati Didis.

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EconomyMediumquizQuiz

Coal India lays out shift from conventional to smart mining, with Rs 1,900 crore R&D plan to FY30

•The Ministry of Coal set out Coal India Limited's move from conventional to technology-led 'smart' mining across exploration, open-cast and underground operations.
•CIL aims to raise underground output to around 100 MT using Continuous Miner, Longwall and Highwall technology.
•Of 92 planned First Mile Connectivity projects, 46 are commissioned (about 432 MTPA capacity); the ~Rs 27,800 crore programme targets 994 MTY mechanical loading by FY 2029-30.

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EnvironmentHighquizQuiz

India hosts World Circular Economy Forum 2026 at Gandhinagar, a first for South Asia

•The Union Environment Minister and the Chief Minister of Gujarat inaugurated the World Circular Economy Forum 2026 at Gandhinagar on 15 September 2026; it runs to 18 September.
•The theme is 'Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity', and this is the first WCEF hosted in South Asia.
•It is jointly organised by the Central Pollution Control Board, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, MoEF&CC, the Government of Gujarat and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board.

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Schemes & CommitteesMediumquizQuiz

12th District Collectors' Peyjal Samvad reviews Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 rollout

•The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, held the 12th District Collectors' Peyjal Samvad by video conference to speed up Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 implementation.
•Six districts — Shahdol, Samba, Hooghly, Dhamtari, Fatehgarh Sahib and North and Middle Andaman — presented best practices on source sustainability, behaviour change, grievance redressal and convergence.
•Districts were told to hand completed schemes to Gram Panchayats through the Jal Arpan programme after the prescribed trial run, and to use the Decision Support System for rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge planning.

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NationalMediumquizQuiz

India flags off largest-ever 70-member contingent for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026

•The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship held the send-off for India's WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 contingent at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi.
•Seventy competitors — India's largest-ever team — will contest 63 skill categories at the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai from 22 to 27 September 2026.
•India enters 11 skill categories for the first time, including Unmanned Aerial Systems, Aircraft Maintenance, Optoelectronic Technology and Software Testing.

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Schemes & CommitteesMediumquizQuiz

SHREYAS Reports Rs 3,509 Crore Spent on 1.18 Lakh SC and OBC Students Since 2014-15

•Cumulative expenditure under the four components of SHREYAS from 2014-15 to 2025-26 stands at about Rs 3,509.39 crore.
•The cumulative beneficiary count over the same period is 1,18,248 SC and OBC students.
•The four components are Free Coaching, Top Class Education for SCs, the National Overseas Scheme and the National Fellowship for SC Students.

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Science & TechMediumquizQuiz

SPROUT Facility Opens at BRIC-NIPGR as SpeedSeed Cuts Chickpea Cycle to 40 Days

•The SPROUT facility - SpeedSeed Phenotyping and Resource Optimization for Unified Trait Analysis - was inaugurated at BRIC-National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi.
•It is a season-independent, controlled-environment facility for high-throughput phenotyping and precision stress screening, with chickpea as its major focus crop.
•NIPGR's separate SpeedSeed technology can cut the chickpea generation cycle to about 40 days.

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DefenceMediumquizQuiz

VIMARSH 2026: DRDO Opens Source Codes to Licensees and Hands Over Nine Technology Transfers

•Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh unveiled a framework at VIMARSH 2026 to lower technical and financial entry barriers for MSMEs and deep-tech start-ups in defence R&D.
•A standardised, secure framework for sharing DRDO-developed software source codes with licensee industries was launched.
•Nine Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology were handed over to 13 manufacturing partners.

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Polity & GovernanceMediumquizQuiz

CCPA Fines Rapido Rs 10 Lakh for Confirm Shaming and Interface Interference

•The Central Consumer Protection Authority has imposed a Rs 10 lakh penalty on Roppen Transportation Services Private Limited, which operates the ride-hailing platform Rapido.
•CCPA found two dark patterns: 'confirm shaming' in prompts urging riders to raise their fare, and 'interface interference' in a colour-coded pricing slider.
•It held that a tip is voluntary and paid after a service, and cannot be presented as a condition for the ride being provided.

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EconomyMediumquizQuiz

India's August 2026 Exports Reach $82.68 Billion as Trade Deficit Narrows to $9.41 Billion

•Total exports of merchandise and services in August 2026 are estimated at US$ 82.68 billion, a growth of 25.41 per cent over August 2025.
•The overall trade deficit for the month narrowed to US$ 9.41 billion from US$ 11.62 billion a year earlier.
•Cumulative exports for April-August 2026-27 stand at US$ 399.27 billion, up 15.55 per cent, against imports of US$ 459.65 billion.

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Ranks & ReportsMediumquizQuiz

PLFS August 2026: LFPR Rises to 55.6 Per Cent, Rural Unemployment at 4.1 Per Cent

•The overall Labour Force Participation Rate for persons aged 15 and above rose to 55.6 per cent in August 2026 from 55.4 per cent in July.
•Worker Population Ratio reached 52.8 per cent, the highest since March 2026, driven by rural areas.
•Rural unemployment fell to 4.1 per cent, its lowest since January 2026, while the overall rate held at 5.0 per cent.

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Schemes & CommitteesLowquizQuiz

NISD's TAPAS online platform records 6,866 enrolments in social-defence courses

•TAPAS, the online learning platform of the National Institute of Social Defence, recorded 6,866 enrolments from 2021 to 2026, including 733 in 2026.
•It offers five self-paced certificate courses with 48 modules on elderly care, social defence, drug-abuse prevention, transgender issues and dementia care.
•Courses follow a four-quadrant approach: video lectures, reading material, discussion forums and self-assessment.

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Polity & GovernanceLowquizQuiz

Special Campaign 6.0 set for October 2026 with e-waste disposal focus; DARPG launches portal

•Special Campaign 6.0 to institutionalise Swachhata and cut pendency runs 2–31 October 2026 across 84 Ministries/Departments, after a 16–30 September preparatory phase; its focus is collection, segregation and disposal of e-waste.
•Across five editions (2021–2025) and monthly Secretariat Reforms up to July 2026: 24.20 lakh sites covered, 180.48 lakh files weeded out/closed, over ₹5,102.91 crore earned from scrap.
•The Department of Higher Education reviewed 95.2% of physical files and 87.46% of e-files under Special Campaign 5.0.

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History & CultureLowquizQuiz

Nuakhai harvest festival of western Odisha and Jain Samvatsari observed on 15 September

•The Prime Minister greeted the nation on Nuakhai, the new-rice harvest festival of western Odisha, with 'Nuakhai Juhar'.
•He also greeted Jains on Samvatsari, the day of forgiveness that closes Paryushana, with 'Michhami Dukkadam'.
•Nuakhai centres on offering the first grain (nabanna) to Goddess Samaleswari at Sambalpur.

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Important DaysLowquizQuiz

PM pays tribute to Saratchandra Chattopadhyay on his 150th birth anniversary

•The Prime Minister paid homage to Bengali novelist Saratchandra Chattopadhyay on his 150th birth anniversary (born 15 September 1876).
•He noted that Saratchandra's works, translated into every Indian language, depict rural Bengali society, and cited his commitment to social reform, women's rights and nationalism.
•His novel Pather Dabi was proscribed by the British government in 1927 for sedition.

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History & CultureLowquizQuiz

Department of Posts issues commemorative postage stamp on Bhakti saint Sant Malukdas

•Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia released a Department of Posts commemorative stamp honouring Sant Malukdas at a Sant Samagam held in his memory.
•Malukdas (1574–1682) was a Bhakti poet-saint devoted to Lord Ram, born at Kara near Prayagraj.
•The stamp was released alongside the inauguration of a Shri Ram Katha, with office-bearers of the Shri Maluk Peeth Seva Sansthan Nyas present.

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History & CultureLowquizQuiz

Institute of Archaeology trains 53 new ASI conservation assistants with revamped curriculum

•The Culture Secretary opened a one-month induction programme for 53 newly recruited ASI Senior Conservation Assistants and Conservation Assistants at the Institute of Archaeology, Greater Noida.
•The revamped curriculum adds GFR, administrative law, establishment rules and departmental inquiries to core archaeology.
•The Institute is being repositioned beyond its 15-student PG Diploma into a large training centre; refresher courses for ASI and state archaeology staff will follow.

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InternationalMediumquizQuiz

ICWA marks 25 years as an Institution of National Importance under the 2001 Act

•Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan, ex-officio President of ICWA, addressed its 25th anniversary as an Institution of National Importance at Sapru House, New Delhi.
•ICWA, founded in 1943, was declared an institution of national importance by the Indian Council of World Affairs Act, 2001.
•He set four priorities: research on Neighbourhood First, Act East, Global South and Indo-Pacific; cyber, space, critical technologies and supply chains; university outreach; and an Indian-perspective knowledge repository.

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EnvironmentLowquizQuiz

Jal Shakti Ministry releases anthem for 'Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari – Catch the Rain'

•The Ministry of Jal Shakti released an anthem for 'Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari – Catch the Rain', sung by Shankar Mahadevan.
•It carries the campaign slogan 'Catch the Rain – Where It Falls, When It Falls' and targets young people as water-conservation ambassadors.
•Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari aims to turn rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge into a people-led movement.

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Banking & FinanceMediumquizQuiz

New UPI Framework Keeps P2P Free and Applies MDR Above Rs 2,000 to Merchants

•All person-to-person UPI transactions remain free of Merchant Discount Rate, whatever the amount transferred.
•MDR applies only to person-to-merchant transactions above Rs 2,000, leaving about 96 per cent of merchant transactions unaffected.
•Small merchants receiving up to Rs 1 lakh a month through UPI QR codes continue to pay nothing.

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Polity & GovernanceHighquizQuiz

Six States Sign Kishau Multipurpose Project Agreement on the Tons River

•The Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana signed the Kishau Multipurpose Project agreement on 15 September 2026.
•The project involves a 232.6-metre-high concrete gravity dam on the Tons River along the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border, storing 1,562 million cubic metres.
•It has been declared a National Project, with the Centre bearing about 90 per cent of the cost and the partner states 10 per cent.

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Science & TechHighquizQuiz

SEMICON India 2026 Opens as Three Approved Chip Units Reach Commercial Production

•SEMICON India 2026 runs from 17 to 19 September 2026 at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, on the theme 'Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem'.
•Twelve semiconductor projects have been approved across six states with investment commitments above Rs 1.64 lakh crore; three units are already in commercial production.
•Semicon India 2.0, approved in July 2026, carries an outlay of Rs 1,27,500 crore against Rs 76,000 crore for the 2021 programme.

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Science & TechMediumquizQuiz

CSIR-NIScPR Adopts ANRF's SARAL AI to Turn Research Papers into Videos

•CSIR-NIScPR has begun using SARAL AI, an Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) platform, to convert research published in its journals into videos, podcasts and posters.
•SARAL AI takes a paper through an arXiv link or a LaTeX file, extracts the text and figures, writes a presentation script using AI models, adds synthesised narration and builds a shareable video.
•It supports content in 18 Indian languages, widening the reach of research beyond English-reading specialists.

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EconomyMediumquizQuiz

Deficient Monsoon and Strengthening El Niño Raise Food Inflation Risk for Kharif and Rabi

•As of 13 September 2026, all-India southwest monsoon rainfall was 14.7% below the Long Period Average, with 24 of 36 meteorological subdivisions more than 10% deficient.
•Kharif sowing reached 1,096.5 lakh hectares by 11 September, only 1.4% below last year, but falling fertiliser sales, rising wholesale prices and lower USDA crop forecasts point to a smaller harvest.
•The USDA projects India's rice output at 147 million tonnes (from a record 154 mt) and maize at 50 mt (from 55.1 mt).

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Important DaysLowquizQuiz

International Day of Democracy 2026 Spotlights Citizens' Assemblies and Deliberative Democracy

•The International Day of Democracy was observed worldwide on 15 September 2026.
•The UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF) and the UN Office for Partnerships held an event at UN Headquarters, New York, titled 'Raising Hands and Voices', on how deliberative democracy and citizens' assemblies give people ownership of decisions.
•UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed bringing people from across societies together to enrich decision-making and build peaceful, inclusive and resilient societies.

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Banking & FinanceHighquizQuiz

MSE Facilitates First Tokenised Bond by a Non-PSU NBFC Under SEBI's Demat 2.0

•IIFL Finance has completed a ₹25 crore tokenised bond transaction on the Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India, becoming the first non-PSU NBFC in the country to do so under SEBI's Demat 2.0 pilot.
•Demat 2.0 is a joint SEBI-RBI pilot launched at the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai on 10 September 2026, under which corporate bonds are issued as digital tokens on a distributed ledger.
•The money leg is settled in the RBI's wholesale Central Bank Digital Currency through the Unified Market Interface, enabling atomic settlement in which bond and cash move at the same instant.

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History & CultureLowquizQuiz

Samvatsari Observed on 15 September, Closing the Shwetambara Paryushan Parva

•Samvatsari Parva was observed on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, the eighth and final day of the Shwetambara Paryushan Parva that began on 8 September.
•It is the Jain day of annual forgiveness, marked by the Prakrit phrase Micchami Dukkadam - 'may my misdeeds be forgiven'.
•The central rite of the day is Samvatsari Pratikraman, an annual review of one's conduct in thought, word and deed, followed by confession and resolve.

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Summits & ConferencesMediumquizQuiz

India Hosts World Circular Economy Forum 2026 in Gandhinagar, First in South Asia

•The World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026 opens at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar (Gujarat) on 15 September. It is the first WCEF held in South Asia.
•Theme: 'Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity'. Over 2,000 delegates from 65+ countries and 125+ exhibitors are expected.
•The main forum runs on 15-16 September. About 80 Accelerator Sessions follow on 17-18 September in Gandhinagar and other cities around the world.

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Important DaysLowquizQuiz

National Engineers' Day 2026 Marks Sir M. Visvesvaraya's 165th Birth Anniversary

•National Engineers' Day was observed across India on 15 September 2026, the birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya (born 15 September 1861, Muddenahalli, Karnataka).
•India has marked the day since 1968. Visvesvaraya received the Bharat Ratna in 1955.
•He designed automatic sluice gates, first installed at Khadakvasla Reservoir near Pune in 1903. He also led the Krishna Raja Sagara Dam project and advised on flood protection after the 1908 Musi floods in Hyderabad.

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