Monthly current affairs for September 2026

Akasa Air has successfully operated its first commercial flight using conventional Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) blended with 1% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), supplied by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL).

The flight, which departed from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai, marks a milestone in the sustainability initiatives of the airline. It is to be noted that this initiative aligns with the national goal to achieve 5% SAF blending in aviation fuel by 2030 to reduce the carbon footprint of the domestic aviation sector.

The Tamil Nadu government has announced the establishment of a world-class “TN Olympic City” in Chennai to strengthen sports infrastructure and enhance India medal prospects in global events.

The state will set up a Talent Research Wing (TRW) and Olympic Centres of Excellence in 10 locations to foster athletic development. A “Motor Sports City” will also be developed to host Formula racing events.

Dr Dinesh Sharma has been appointed as the Lt Gov of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (A&N). He succeeds Admiral (Ret.) Devendra Kumar Joshi.

Sudivya Sonu, the Minister for Urban Development, Higher and Technical Education of Jharkhand, passed away at the age of 56.

Solomon Pappaiah, a veteran Tamil scholar and renowned orator, passed away at the age of 90. He was a recipient of the Padma Shri in 2021.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dr Jitendra Singh has virtually inaugurated the 51st state-of-the-art Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) of India at Sambalpur, Odisha.

He highlighted that the national DWR network has expanded from 14 units in 2014 to the current 51. He also stated that 40 additional radars are planned for deployment under the “Mission Mausam” initiative.

Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has chaired the Sports Ministers’ Meeting of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. He, along with Union Minister of State (MoS) Raksha Khadse, also led the BRICS Friendship Cycling Event in Visakhapatnam.

Additionally, India has hosted the 18th BRICS Academic Forum in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. The forum was organised as a part of the BRICS Presidency of India in 2026.

The fifth National Steering Committee (NSC) meeting under the PM Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) has approved strategic investments worth ₹735.70 crore for three Industrial Training Institute (ITI) clusters. With this, the cumulative sanctioned investment under the PM-SETU initiative has increased to ₹2,171 crore across nine ITI clusters.

The approved Strategic Investment Plans (SIPs) are: Rajasthan (A SIP of ₹241 crore submitted by HG Infra Engineering Ltd), Telangana (A SIP of ₹254.3 crore submitted by ZEN Technologies Ltd) Uttar Pradesh (A SIP of ₹240.4 crore submitted by the National Skill Development Corporation).

Union Minister Rajnath Singh has visited Sri Lanka to strengthen bilateral relations and expand cooperation in defense and regional maritime security. He held meetings with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and PM Harini Amarasuriya in Colombo to discuss the partnership between the two nations.

During the visit, they virtually inaugurated 3 Bailey Bridges constructed by the Indian Defence Forces in Sri Lanka. An MoU was signed to upgrade 6 40mm L70 anti-aircraft guns for the Sri Lankan Air Force under a grant from the Government of India (GoI). Two additional MoUs were signed to enhance institutional collaboration.

The PM Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) has completed 6 years of operation since its launch in 2020, aiming for the sustainable and responsible development of the fisheries sector.

The scheme is implemented by the Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying with a total outlay of ₹20,050 crore. It is to be noted that a record allocation of ₹2,500 crore has been designated in the Budgeted Estimates for 2026-27 to support the implementation of the scheme.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated, dedicated to the nation, and laid the foundation stones for various development projects worth over ₹35,000 crore in Vadodara, Gujarat.

During the event, he virtually inaugurated the final three sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC). The corridor connects the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Navi Mumbai with Dadri in Uttar Pradesh. These three final sections of the WDFC, spanning across Maharashtra and Gujarat, were developed at an estimated cost of ₹20,700 crore.

The Ministry of Finance has notified that banks and payment system providers are prohibited from imposing any direct or indirect charges on UPI transactions up to ₹2,000. The MoF has also extended this prohibition to payments made through RuPay-powered debit cards.

RNFI Services Ltd, a fintech platform, has secured in-principle authorisation from the RBI to operate as a Payment Aggregator-Physical (PA-P). The authorisation was granted under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

India and the MERCOSUR bloc have signed the First Additional Protocol to their Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to formally accept electronic Certificates of Origin (CoOs), promoting paperless trade. The protocol modifies Article 16 of Annex III (Rules of Origin) within the existing PTA.

It is to be noted that the foundational India-MERCOSUR PTA was signed in 2004 and entered into force in 2009. Under this agreement, India extends tariff concessions on 450 tariff lines, while the MERCOSUR countries (comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia) offer concessions on 452 lines.

The Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA) under the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH) has signed a 5-year MoU with the Heartfulness Institute (HFI) to promote preventive and holistic healthcare through an integrated approach involving Ayurveda, yoga, meditation, and ecological practices.

It is to be noted that ITRA, located in Jamnagar, Gujarat, is an Institute of National Importance. HFI is situated in Hyderabad.

According to a dataset released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Karnataka has emerged as the leading state in semiconductor support under the ChipIN Centre initiative.

The state recorded the highest engagement under the initiative, featuring 81 organisations, 73 chip tape-outs, and 88 lakh hours of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tool usage. The ChipIN Centre initiative was launched by MeitY in 2023 and is established at the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).

The 22nd edition of the annual bilateral military exercise between the Indian Army (IA) and the US Army named “Yudh Abhyas 2026” is held at Bikaner in Rajasthan and Auli in Uttarakhand.

The exercise is being conducted under the “Operation Pathways” framework to enhance military cooperation and strategic ties between the two nations. The IA contingent is represented by an infantry battalion of the Rajput Regiment. The US contingent features elite, Arctic-trained soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division (“Arctic Angels”) and the 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force (3MDTF).

JSW Group has signed a non-binding MoU with the Volkswagen Group, through Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd (SAVWIPL), to form a proposed Joint Venture (JV).

The proposed JV will feature a 51:49 ownership structure and focus on the passenger vehicle operations of Volkswagen in India.

The Chhattisgarh Cabinet has approved the ‘Chief Minister’s Startup and New-Age Industry Preparedness through Up-skilling of New Generation Youth (NIPUN) Mission’ to facilitate employment, skill development, and innovation.

The mission is scheduled for implementation over 5 years with a total financial outlay of ₹500 crore.

The Odisha government has signed agreements with the UAE-based International Holding Company (IHC) and the Adani Group to explore 14 projects involving an indicative investment of ₹2.1 lakh crore.

Additionally, a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed between the state government and the Indian Business & Professional Group (IBPG) to bolster trade, exports, and investments between Odisha and the UAE.