Monthly current affairs for September 2026

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has commenced the operational phase of the multilateral air exercise named “Tarang Shakti 2026” at Air Force Station Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

The exercise, themed “Power in Partnership”, witnessed the participation of seven Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs): Australia, the USA, the UAE, France, Germany, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It builds upon the successful inaugural edition of the exercise held in 2024.

DRDO has partnered with the CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CSIR-CGCRI) for a ₹50 crore project to develop indigenous advanced lightweight bulletproof glass for armoured vehicles.

The four-year project is currently at an advanced stage and is being executed within DRDO laboratories. The initiative aims to transition the technology from laboratory development to large-scale manufacturing with an industry partner to be selected by DRDO.

The 18th edition of the annual joint military exercise between India and Mongolia named “Nomadic Elephant 2026” is held at the Foreign Training Node (FTN) in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.

The exercise involves 45 personnel each from the Indian Army (representing a battalion of the Arunachal Scouts) and the Mongolian Armed Forces.

Z T Lalrithangi, popularly known as Pi Mari-i, from Mizoram has been selected by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for the “FAO 100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development” recognition.

Flight Lieutenant Alfred Tyrone Cooke (Retd), a decorated fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and a Vir Chakra (VrC) awardee, passed away at the age of 87.

Sandro Mazzola, former Inter Milan captain and Italy international, passed away at the age of 83.

World Patient Safety Day

Day - September 17

Theme 2026 - “Safe care for Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs)”

Observed by - WHO

Observed since - 2019

Slogan - “Safe care for life!”

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav has distributed the first PRAMAAN certificates under the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme (IFWCS) in New Delhi.

The certificates were awarded to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation (APFDC) for its plantations covering 33,000 hectares, and to Govind Mohapatra, a farmer associated with the Odisha Bamboo Development Agency (OBDA).

Union Minister Piyush Goyal has announced that the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will come into force on October 20, 2026, following the completion of ratification and domestic processes in both countries.

From the date of implementation, 100% of exports from India to New Zealand will receive duty-free access, benefiting key sectors such as textiles and apparel, leather and footwear, gems and jewellery, engineering goods, and processed foods.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal and Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the MD of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), have co-chaired the 14th meeting of the India-UAE High Level Joint Task Force on Investments (HLJTFI) in Mumbai. It is to be noted that the HLJTFI was established in 2013.

Additionally, the second India-Fiji Bilateral Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting was held in New Delhi, with both nations discussing various areas of mutual interest.

The central government has approved a one-time, interest-free loan of ₹50,000 per barn for the Flue-Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco growers in Andhra Pradesh. The assistance is provided under the “Interest-Free Working Capital Assistance Scheme” with a total financial outlay of ₹220 crore.

According to the “OECD Economic Outlook, Interim Report September 2026: Weathering Successive Shocks” released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of India for FY27 is revised upwards by 80 basis points (bps) to 7.1% from the earlier 6.3%.

The growth for FY28 is projected at 6.5%. The report also estimated the inflation of India for FY27 and FY28 at 4.7% and 4.2% respectively.

SBI Card has launched a digital facility on the YONO (You Only Need One) platform of SBI. It enables eligible customers to apply for the ‘Advantage SBI Card’, which is a FD-backed secured credit card, in about 10 minutes.

RBI has issued final directions titled ‘RBI (Commercial Banks - Minimum Capital Requirements for Market Risk) Directions, 2026’ outlining the minimum capital requirement for market risk under the Basel III framework for commercial banks. The new framework will come into effect on April 1, 2027.

Additionally, the RBI has eased KYC requirements for Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs), allowing them to submit original certified copies of specified documents certified by authorised authorities outside India. These directions came into force with immediate effect from September 18, 2026.

The Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) (IIT-BHU) has signed an MoU with the USA-based University of Michigan to strengthen research collaboration in electric mobility, focusing on electric vehicles (EVs) and sustainable mobility innovation.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has signed an MoU with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), an autonomous trust under the Ministry of Culture, for the preservation, documentation, digitalisation, research, and promotion of the diverse tribal cultural heritage of India.

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has signed an MoU with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation to develop and strengthen the Statistical Business Register.

The agreement facilitates a framework for sharing information from the Udyam Registration ecosystem.

According to the “Electrification Special Report 2026” released by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the electrification rate of India is projected to rise from 19% to 32% by 2035.

Accelerated electrification could reduce global energy import bills by over $400 billion by 2035. The electrification rate of Southeast Asia is projected to increase from 25% to 37% by 2035.

The 2nd Joint Defence Cooperation meeting between India and Ethiopia was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting focused on areas of mutual interest such as military training, joint exercises, medical cooperation, peacekeeping, and defence industries.

Union Minister Manohar Lal has led the Indian delegation at the G20 Energy Abundance Ministerial Meeting held in Houston, USA, under the USA G20 Presidency.

The meeting focused on three key pillars: Energy Security & Affordable Baseload, Permitting & Regulatory Efficiency, and Critical Minerals & Resilient Supply Chains.