Daily Current Affairs 22 September 2026

India has hosted the 18th edition of the Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. The summit was organized around these four primary pillars.

The event witnessed the launch of the BRICS Integrated Early Warning System (EWS) for infectious diseases, a Logistics Supply Chain Cooperation framework, a Startup Innovation Fund, and the BRICS Incubator Network. Other initiatives include a MSME portal, a Digital Centre for Smart Grids and Energy Storage, the Urban Mobility Hub (UMH), and CoEs for Agro-Ecology and Regenerative Agriculture.

PM Narendra Modi released two commemorative postage stamps titled “BRICS: Two Decades of Cooperation, 2006-2026” to mark the 20th anniversary of the forum. President of China Xi Jinping proposed a “5-point action plan”, including the creation of an open-source AI community. The summit concluded with the unanimous adoption of the “New Delhi Declaration”.

The UPI and Services Committee, led by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has introduced a revised Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) framework, effective from October 15, 2026. Under the new rules, a 0.4% charge will be applied to UPI transactions above ₹2,000.

A flat MDR of ₹5 per transaction will apply to payments exceeding ₹2,000 in specific sectors like railways, telecommunications, insurance, and fuel. For capital market transactions, including mutual funds and stockbroking, the MDR is set at 0.02% of the transaction value, capped at ₹300.

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has partnered with Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd (TRSL), a railway rolling stock manufacturer, to establish a 50:50 Joint Venture Company (JVC). The JVC will be responsible for the maintenance of Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets for a period of 35 years.

The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has extended its MoU with the ‘Art of Living’ under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA). The organization will utilize its grassroots network to promote value-based living and family resilience, and to reduce the stigma associated with substance use disorders.

It is to be noted that the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has partnered with 12 spiritual organizations under the NMBA framework to expand the outreach of the initiative.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has partnered with the Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX) to modernize and upgrade the market infrastructure system of the latter.

The PM Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PM-KMY) was launched in 2019 as a voluntary and contributory old-age pension scheme to provide social security to Small and Marginal Farmers (SMFs). The scheme is implemented in collaboration with the LIC and has recently completed 7 years of operation.

The PM-KMY offers eligible landholding SMFs in the age group of 18 to 40 years with cultivable land up to 2 hectares a steady monthly pension starting from the age of 60.

Enrolled farmers are required to make monthly contributions ranging from ₹55 to ₹200, depending on their entry age. It is to be noted that as of February 2026, a total of 24.96 lakh farmers have enrolled in the scheme across the country.

India has successfully flight-tested its first indigenous long-range one-way attack drone named ‘KAL’ at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Rajasthan. Developed by the Noida-based IG Defence, the loitering munition (kamikaze drone) is designed for one-way strike missions.

The drone features an operational range of up to 1,000 km and a payload capacity of 50 kg. It is capable of fully autonomous flight at an altitude of up to 5,000 m using a navigation suite that combines multi-band Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Inertial Navigation Systems (INS).

Matangi, an indigenous Autonomous Surface Vessel (USV) developed by Sagar Defence Engineering, has successfully completed a 1,500 km (850 nautical miles) open-ocean voyage from Mumbai to Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.

The voyage, which was completed with zero human intervention (no captain or crew on board), was flagged off by Union Minister Rajnath Singh. The mission was conducted under the ‘Swavlamban’ initiative of the Indian Navy to foster self-reliance. The vessel is controlled by an indigenously developed AI-driven operating suite named ‘Genesis’.

The West Bengal government has approved a proposal by the DRDO to establish a new weapon and missile testing range at Junput village in Purba Medinipur district. Situated along the Bay of Bengal coast, the facility will be the third major missile-testing hub for the DRDO.

Existing testing infrastructures include the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Odisha (at Chandipur and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island) and the Navdurga Missile Test Range (NMTR) currently being developed at Nagayalanka, Andhra Pradesh.

OpenAI has launched “GPT-6 Astra”, a next-generation AI model designed to function as a highly capable computer operator.

The organization has also expanded the AI ecosystem with the introduction of “Astra for Law”.

The National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has inaugurated the NIELIT-Infineon Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Semiconductor Manufacturing.

It is to be noted that the CoE is established in collaboration with Infineon Technologies at the NIELIT facility in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

TypeSafe AI has introduced “Jev”, which utilizes a new architecture known as a “System One Model”. The model is designed to overcome the structural limitations found in traditional Large Language Models (LLMs).

It is to be noted that while LLMs are proficient in conversational tasks, they are often unsuitable for direct, programmatic backend software automation. Jev aims to bridge this gap.

Vinai Kumar Saxena, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, has designated Kumik village as the first Heritage Village of the region during the 11th Ladakh Zanskar Festival 2026 held in Zanskar Valley.

The heritage status was conferred in recognition of the historical and cultural assets of the village, including Buddhist manuscripts, traditional architecture, and preserved cultural practices.

Karan Yadav has been appointed as the inaugural CEO of the Indian Super League (ISL). The appointment comes as the league transitions toward a new club-led operational model.

World Athletics has designated Nairobi, Kenya, as the host for the 2029 World Athletics Championships, marking the first-ever edition of the competition to be held in Africa. The decision was taken by the council in Budapest, Hungary.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has selected the Munich Football Arena in Germany to host the 2028 final. UEFA also designated Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain, as a host venue.

Hindi Diwas

Day - September 14

Observed since - 1953

Commemorating - Adoption of Hindi as the official language of India as per Article 343 of the constitution

International Day for South-South Cooperation

Day - September 11

Theme 2026 - “Solidarity Rising: Global Alliance for Inclusive and Innovative Development”

Observed by - UN

Observed since - 2004

Commemorating - The adoption of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA) in 1978

National Forest Martyrs Day (Shaheed Van Diwas)

Day - September 11

Observed since - 2013

Commemorating - The ‘Khejarli Massacre of 1730’, which occurred in Khejarli, Rajasthan