Daily Current Affairs 21 September 2026

India and Vietnam have designated 2027 as the ‘Year of India-Vietnam Friendship’ to commemorate the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The announcement was made during the 19th India-Vietnam Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) held in New Delhi.

Both nations have committed to achieving a bilateral trade target of $25 billion by 2030.

According to the data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the total combined exports (merchandise and services) of India in the first five months of FY27 (April-August 2026) reached $399.27 billion, representing a growth of 15.5%.

Merchandise exports for the period stood at $215.91 billion, compared to $183.21 billion in the same period of the previous year. Total imports for the April-August 2026 period are estimated at $459.65 billion, showing a growth of 18.01%.

MoC&I further stated that in August 2026, the total combined exports of India were estimated at $82.68 billion, registering a growth of 25.41%. Total combined imports for the month are estimated at $92.09 billion, marking a growth of 18.75%.

Bharat Forge Ltd (BFL) has partnered with the US-based Pratt & Whitney Canada to assess the feasibility of incorporating advanced turboprop engines into the High-Altitude, Long-Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) programme. The HALE UAV is currently being developed by the DRDO.

The 13th edition of the bilateral maritime exercise between India and Sri Lanka named “SLINEX-26” is held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

INS Kavaratti (an indigenous Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette) and INS Jyoti (a Fleet Tanker) of the Indian Navy (IN) and SLNS Sindurala of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) participated in the exercise to enhance maritime cooperation and interoperability.

The Table Top Exercise (TTX) under the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) has concluded at the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The exercise focused on strengthening coordinated responses to illegal maritime activities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Tata Steel Ltd (Tata Steel) has commissioned a “Coke Oven Gas (COG) Injection Project” at its Meramandali plant in Odisha. The project, implemented at Blast Furnace 1, is the first-ever initiative of its kind in the Indian steel industry.

NASA scientists have confirmed the discovery of the ‘McGetchin crater’ on the Moon using imagery from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). The crater, formed by an asteroid or comet impact in May 2024, is recognized as the largest known impact crater formed in recent times within the solar system.

It is to be noted that the crater is named in honor of the late Thomas McGetchin, the former Director of the Houston-based Lunar and Planetary Institute.

Eknath Shinde, the Deputy CM of Maharashtra, has been conferred with three international awards during his visit to London.

The honours include the ‘Commonwealth Public Leadership Recognition’, the ‘Statesmanship Award for Transformative Leadership’, and the ‘Global Pride of Maharashtra Award’.

Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has announced the formation of a 10-member Task Force to evaluate the challenges and feasibility of reviving Formula 1 (F1) in India.

The committee is chaired by Yugal Kishore Joshi (Programme Director and Adviser, NITI Aayog). The Task Force will explore the possibility of hosting an F1 Grand Prix in 2028 and prepare a roadmap for the sustainable growth of motorsports in the country.

James Rodriguez, a 35-year-old footballer from Colombia, has announced retirement from international football.

Alexander Zverev of Germany has won the men’s singles title, defeating Ben Shelton (USA) at the 146th edition of the US Open held at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan has won the women’s singles title. Christian Harrison (USA) and Neal Skupski (UK) have won the men’s doubles title, Katerina Siniakova (Czech Republic) and Taylor Townsend (USA) have won the women’s doubles title, and Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik (Czech Republic) have won the mixed doubles title.

Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas, popularly known as ‘Alla Nani’ and the former Deputy CM of Andhra Pradesh, passed away at the age of 56.

N Purushothama Mallya, a renowned educationist, writer, and Konkani language activist, passed away at the age of 97. He was a recipient of Padma Shri in 2015.