Daily Current Affairs 24 September 2026

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has granted in-principle approval for the establishment of an AI Centre of Excellence (AI CoE) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The AI CoE will function as a national-level hub for AI innovation, startup incubation, and solution deployment.

The initiative will be implemented by the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) under MeitY, in collaboration with Blue Cloud Softech Solutions as the industry partner.

Indian Railways has commissioned KAVACH Version 4.0 for the first time on the South Central Railway (SCR). The project involved the upgradation from KAVACH Version 3.2 to Version 4.0.

The implementation was completed on the Malkajgiri-Kamareddi section of the Hyderabad Division, covering a total distance of 108 Route Kilometres (RKm).

India has inaugurated its first farm-level soil carbon payment initiative at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana, Punjab.

The payments are distributed as part of the ‘Aadi’ farmer carbon programme, which was launched by Grow Indigo in 2019 under the technical guidance of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). A total of 2,550 smallholder farmers from Punjab and Haryana will receive disbursements of over ₹2.9 crore for implementing verified regenerative agricultural practices.

It is to be noted that the initial phase of the project covered 30,000 acres and generated over 50,000 verified carbon credits. Individual payouts to the farmers ranged from ₹3,000 to ₹15,000, depending on the volume of verified carbon credits generated from the landholdings.

According to a report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the GDP growth forecast of India for FY27 is revised to 7% from the earlier estimate of 6.6% in July.

novio, operated by Credilio Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd, has partnered with the Indian Overseas Bank to launch a co-branded RuPay credit card.

According to the 17th edition of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Monthly Bulletin for August 2026 released by the NSO under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the overall unemployment rate (UR) for individuals aged 15+ decreased to 5.0% in August 2026, compared to 5.1% in July 2026.

The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for the same age group increased to 55.6% in August 2026 (up from 55.4% in July 2026). The Worker Population Ratio (WPR) also rose to 52.8% from 52.5% in the previous month.

According to the 9th edition of the “Trade Watch Quarterly (TWQ) Thematic Analysis: Metals and Ores Trade” released by the NITI Aayog for the first quarter (Q1) of FY 2027 (April to June 2026), global goods trade reached $13.7 trillion in the first half of Calendar Year (CY) 2026, reflecting a 12.5% Year-on-Year (Y-o-Y) growth.

The total merchandise and services trade of India expanded to $506.9 billion in Q1 FY27, registering a 15.5% Y-o-Y growth. During the same period, merchandise exports increased by 16% to $129.5 billion, while merchandise imports grew by 19.8% to reach $216.1 billion.

US President Donald Trump, along with the leaders of Denmark and Greenland, has signed a trilateral security agreement titled “Infinite Life” at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The pact allows for the expansion of the military presence of the USA in the Arctic region without changing the territorial status of Greenland. The agreement grants the USA permanent basing, overflight, and operational rights. It is to be noted that the agreement serves as an update to the original defense pact which was established in 1951.

Zoho has launched ‘Zia Chat’, a unified AI interface for business operations. The company also announced its entry into vertical Software as a Service (SaaS) by introducing 7 industry-specific applications.

These applications are designed to cater to sectors including retail, automotive, Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), healthcare, education, real estate, and restaurants.

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) has signed an MoU with the government of Andhra Pradesh to serve as the anchor shipyard for a mega greenfield shipbuilding industrial cluster.

The proposed industrial facility is scheduled for development at Dugarajapatnam in the Tirupati district of the state.

The Madhya Pradesh government has launched the ‘Swamitva Adhikar Abhilekh Nispadan Evam Panjiyan Yojana-2026’ to provide free registration for approximately 50 lakh rural properties across 55 districts.

It is to be noted that Madhya Pradesh is the first state in India to offer free registration for rural residential plots under the scheme. The initiative was introduced during the ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’, a campaign marking the birthday of PM Narendra Modi.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has reconstituted the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with 18 members for a tenure of 3 years. The panel will be led by Shashi Shekhar Vempati, the Chairperson of the CBFC.

It is to be noted that the reconstitution takes immediate effect. The previous formal restructuring of the board occurred in 2017.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the reappointment of Kamlesh Chandra Varshney as a Whole-Time Member (WTM) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

Sanjukta Parashar has been appointed as the Inspector General (IG) of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), an elite jungle warfare unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

She becomes the first woman officer to lead the 10-battalion CoBRA sector and succeeds Danesh Rana. It is to be noted that the CoBRA sector is headquartered in New Delhi.

Theja Rio, a filmmaker from Nagaland, has won the “Platform Prize” for his debut feature film “Angh” at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The award carries a trophy and a cash prize of CAD 20,000.

It is to be noted that the win grants the film a direct qualifying pathway for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards (2027).

EM Sudarsana Natchiappan, a senior leader of the Indian National Congress (INC) and former Union Minister, passed away at the age of 78.

Govindan Vijayaraghavan, a distinguished cardiologist, passed away at the age of 84. He was a recipient of the Padma Shri in 2009.