22 September 2026: 50 Exam-Oriented UPSC CSE (Prelims & Mains) Current Affairs Snippets (The Hindu, The Indian Express, PIB…)

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1. India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement Enters into Force on 20 October 2026

India and New Zealand completed ratification of their Free Trade Agreement on 21 September 2026; the pact enters into force on 20 October 2026 (Vijaya Dashami).
The FTA was signed in New Delhi on 27 April 2026 after negotiations launched in March 2025 and concluded in about nine months (December 2025).
New Zealand’s Parliament passed implementing legislation on 16 September 2026; formal instruments were exchanged in Wellington.
New Zealand will give zero-duty access on 100% of tariff lines for Indian goods from day one, removing previous peak tariffs of up to 10%.
India will liberalise about 70% of tariff lines, covering 95% of current imports from New Zealand by value; about 30% of tariff lines remain outside commitments.
Sensitive Indian exclusions include dairy (milk, cream, cheese, yoghurt, whey, casein), onions, sugar, spices, edible oils, rubber and certain other agricultural items.
Apples, kiwifruit and mānuka honey from New Zealand enter under tariff-rate quotas and safeguards rather than unrestricted duty-free access.
New Zealand has committed to facilitate up to USD 20 billion of investment into India over 15 years in manufacturing, infrastructure, services and innovation.
The agreement includes an annual pathway of 5,000 temporary work visas for skilled Indian professionals.
India–New Zealand merchandise trade was about USD 1.3 billion in FY2024-25, up 49% from USD 873 million in FY2023-24; two-way total trade is cited at about NZ$3.95 billion.
The two sides have stated an aim to double bilateral trade over the next four to five years.

2. Index of Core Industries, August 2026 (Base Year 2022-23)

The Office of Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, compiles the Index of Core Industries (ICI) monthly.
A revised ICI series with base year 2022-23 replaced the 2011-12 series; the first release of the new series was in July 2026 for June 2026 data.
Provisional ICI for a reference month is released on the 20th of the following month, or the next working day.
The Index of Core Industries grew by 4.8% in August 2026 (Provisional Estimate) year-on-year compared with August 2025.
This is slightly less than the 5.0% growth recorded in July 2026 (Final Index).
The final index for July 2026 was revised from 121.2 (Provisional Estimate) to 120.8; the July year-on-year growth rate was revised from 5.4% to 5.0%.
Year-on-year growth in August 2026: Cement 12.5%, Electricity 11.6%, Iron Ore 5.5%, Steel 3.4%, Refinery Products 2.6%.
Coal, Natural Gas, Crude Oil and Fertilizers recorded negative growth in August 2026; reported contractions include Coal 3.8%, Crude Oil 3.6%, Natural Gas 4.9% and Fertilizers 12.4%.
Cumulative ICI growth during April–August 2026 was 4.3% (Provisional Estimate), compared with 2.4% in the corresponding period of the previous year.
The new series covers Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement, Electricity and Iron Ore; Electricity has the largest weight at 30.932%.

3. PM Mementos e-Auction 2026 and Gujarat’s Place in the Collection

The eighth edition of the PM Mementos e-Auction opened on 17 September 2026 and runs till 31 October 2026.
It lists 1,498 mementos presented to the Prime Minister on various occasions.
The National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, under the Ministry of Culture, coordinates documentation, exhibition and operations.
Proceeds are routed to the Namami Gange Programme.
The auction was launched in 2019 and has been held each year since; seven earlier editions generated about ₹52 crore.
The practice traces to the Prime Minister’s tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister, when gifts received were auctioned to fund the Kanya Kelvani campaign for girls’ education.
Mementos represent artistic traditions, traditional craftsmanship, cultural practices, spiritual traditions and sporting achievements.
West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Assam, Bihar and Odisha are among the States with larger representation in the 2026 collection.
This edition identifies 50 “Hero Objects”.
Highest base prices include a silver memento of Lord Ram from Karnataka (₹13.50 lakh), a silver replica of the Kakatiya Kala Thoranam (₹9 lakh), a framed Tree of Life Gond painting (₹7.50 lakh), Jagannath Parivar on a chariot (₹6 lakh) and a 99.99 fine gold-plated framed Radha Krishna artwork (₹5.40 lakh).
Other listed items include miniatures of INS Surat and INS Nilgiri, a model of HMS Victory, sports memorabilia and a zardozi artwork of the convention centre in Daman.

4. Ministry of Defence Contract for Auxiliary Power Units for T-72 and T-90 Tanks

The Ministry of Defence signed a ₹586-crore contract on 21 September 2026 in New Delhi to procure Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) for the Indian Army’s T-72 and T-90 tanks.
The vendor is Pune-based Accurate Industrial Controls Private Limited (AICPL).
An APU is an alternate source of electric power when the main engine is switched off.
It supplies the fire control system, firing circuit, gun stabilisation system and other ancillaries of the tank.
Without an APU, the main engine generally has to run to generate power when the vehicle is stationary.
The APUs are mounted externally on the rear or side of tanks and generally generate 10 to 12 kilowatts, with silent runtime of at least six hours.
The T-72 (Ajeya) and T-90 (Bhishma) form a major part of the Army’s armoured fleet.
The procurement is under the Make-II framework, which covers industry-led research and development.
The Ministry said the deal indigenises a critical sub-system of armoured platforms and translates domestic innovation into production and induction.
The contract is aligned with Aatmanirbharta in Defence and the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision.

5. DISHA 2.0: Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice

DISHA 2.0 is a Central Sector Scheme of the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice.
It continues the earlier DISHA scheme (2021–26), which had an outlay of ₹250 crore.
DISHA 2.0 runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031, co-terminus with the XVI Finance Commission cycle.
The approved outlay is ₹255 crore, funded entirely through 100% Gross Budgetary Support of the Government of India.
The scheme is linked to Access to Justice under the Preamble and Articles 14, 21 and 39A of the Constitution, and to Sustainable Development Goal 16.
It has four components: Tele-Law (Reaching the Unreached); Nyaya Bandhu (Pro Bono Legal Services); Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Programme (LLLAP); and VIDHI-Sanjeevani.
Tele-Law provides free pre-litigation legal advice through 2,50,000 Common Service Centres operated by Village Level Entrepreneurs at Gram Panchayat level, covering 784 districts in 36 States/UTs, including 112 Aspirational Districts and 500 Aspirational Blocks, via a mobile app, video/tele-conferencing and Toll-Free number 14454.
Nyaya Bandhu offers free legal assistance and court representation to persons eligible under Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
VIDHI (Vision for Integrated Delivery of Harmonized Legal Initiatives) Sanjeevani is a centralised digital dashboard; the AI-powered multilingual Nyaya Setu chatbot was launched on 29 March 2026.
DISHA 2.0 targets a cumulative outreach of 3 crore beneficiaries.
As on 31 May 2026, DISHA had reached over 2.37 crore beneficiaries, including 1.13 crore-plus Tele-Law advices, 10,681 Pro-Bono Advocates, 109 Pro-Bono Clubs and 1.24 crore-plus LLLAP beneficiaries.

6. Critical Minerals Security and India’s National Critical Mineral Mission

Critical minerals are those essential for economic development and national security whose supply can be disrupted by concentrated extraction or processing.
India has identified 30 critical minerals, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, rare earth elements (REE), titanium, molybdenum, vanadium, tungsten, potash and platinum-group elements.
The Union Cabinet approved the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) on 29 January 2025 for FY 2024-25 to FY 2030-31.
Government outlay is ₹16,300 crore, with expected public-sector investment of ₹18,000 crore.
NCMM covers exploration, mining, beneficiation, processing, recycling from end-of-life products and stockpiling.
Targets include 1,200 domestic exploration projects by 2030-31, acquisition of 50 overseas mining assets, self-sufficiency in processing at least five critical minerals, 1,000 patents, four regional mineral processing parks and three Centres of Excellence.
A National Critical Minerals Stockpile is to cover at least five minerals.
The Geological Survey of India took up 195 critical-mineral projects in 2024-25 and about 230 in 2025-26.
Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) acquires overseas assets; it has an exploration and development agreement with CAMYEN of Catamarca, Argentina, for five lithium brine blocks over 15,703 hectares.
IREL (India) Limited extracts and separates rare earths in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Odisha.
On 26 November 2025 the Cabinet approved a ₹7,280 crore scheme for sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets with 6,000 MTPA capacity.
On 3 September 2025 a ₹1,500 crore recycling incentive scheme was approved.
China tightened rare-earth magnet export controls in April 2025.

7. Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited and India’s Clean Energy Mandate

Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) is a Navratna Central Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
It was incorporated on 20 September 2011 as a Section 25 not-for-profit company under the Companies Act, 1956, to implement the National Solar Mission, and was converted into a commercial company under Section 3 of the Companies Act, 2013, in 2015.
SECI’s mandate now covers the renewable energy sector as a whole.
It is a designated Renewable Energy Implementing Agency for MNRE schemes and a Category-I power trading licensee under the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission.
SECI conducts tariff-based reverse bidding for grid-connected solar, wind, hybrid, Round-the-Clock and Firm and Dispatchable Renewable Energy projects.
As of 1 May 2025 it had awarded over 73.8 GW of renewable capacity: 45.9 GW solar, 16.4 GW wind and 11.5 GW hybrid.
At its 15th Foundation Day Stakeholders’ Meet in New Delhi on 21 September 2026, it was stated that over 41 GW of renewable generation capacity had been commissioned through third-party developers, Power Sale Agreements of over 67 GW had been signed with DISCOMs and consumers, and about ₹3.6 lakh crore of market investment had been enabled.
Own operational capacity stood at 122.7 MW as of 1 May 2025, with 425 MW under construction and a target of 10 GW of own projects awarded by 2030.
SECI is the designated implementing agency for green hydrogen and ammonia procurement, offshore wind leasing and utility-scale battery storage.
In 2026 it initiated a Contract-for-Difference pilot for peak renewable power.

8. NHAI Guidelines for Access-Controlled High-Speed National Highways

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Monday released comprehensive guidelines for planning and designing high-speed access-controlled National Highways, other than expressways.
Until now there were no separate standards and specifications for such highways apart from expressways.
The guidelines apply to all upcoming four-lane and six-lane Greenfield and Brownfield high-speed access-controlled National Highways.
They seek uniformity in Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), consistency in technical standards, stronger road safety and improved operational efficiency.
They are aligned with the Viksit Bharat 2047 roadmap that envisages 50,000 km of access-controlled High-Speed Corridors.
Lane configuration will be standardised on detailed traffic assessment.
Corridors with traffic up to 15,000 vehicles will have a four-lane highway and four-lane structures with a width of 60 metres.
Corridors with traffic between 15,000 and 25,000 vehicles will have a four-lane highway and six-lane structures with a width of 70 metres.
Highways with traffic between 25,000 and 40,000 vehicles will have a six-lane highway and six-lane structures with a width of 70 metres.
Special provisions require advance notification of exits and entries.
Interchanges with ramps will be provided at crossings with expressways, National Highways, State Highways and important arterial roads, and at roads serving ports, airports, Multi-Modal Logistics Parks, industrial areas and major tourist destinations.
A one-metre-high boundary wall along the outer edge is prescribed to prevent encroachments, unauthorised entry and stray cattle.

9. Sources and Methods for Compilation of National Accounts Statistics

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the publication Sources and Methods for Compilation of National Accounts Statistics on the methodology of the new National Accounts series with base year 2022-23.
The publication consolidates concepts, definitions, data sources, methodologies and compilation practices of the New Series, issued about seven months after that series was released.
The New Series, released in February 2026, replaced the 2011-12 base-year series and was updated in August with the latest Producer Price Index and Index of Industrial Production data.
National Accounts Statistics provide a consistent description of the macro-economy using data from the statistical system, following the United Nations System of National Accounts (UN-SNA).
Primary sources include by-products of public administration (land records, tax collection, regulation) and censuses and sample surveys of Central and State agencies.
Domestic product is estimated by production/income and expenditure approaches; methods include income, expenditure and value addition.
Direct estimates use annually available statistics; indirect estimates extrapolate benchmark survey-year figures with physical indicators and price indices.
The revised methodology expands corporate filings, limited liability partnership records and company-level data for the Non-Financial Private Corporate sector.
Household-sector estimation uses the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) and the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).
Private Final Consumption Expenditure follows the United Nations Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose (COICOP) 2018.
Quarterly accounts replace the earlier benchmarking method with the Proportional Denton approach and increase use of Goods and Services Tax and other administrative data.
Manufacturing uses double deflation; compilation is integrated with Supply and Use Tables.

10. Lakshya Zero Dumpsite: Remediation and Land Reclamation under Swachh Bharat Mission

Legacy dumpsites are lands used by Urban Local Bodies for unscientific disposal of municipal solid waste accumulated over years.
About 2,479 dumpsites with 1,000 tonnes or more of legacy waste have been identified, holding an estimated 25 crore metric tonnes across nearly 15,000 acres.
Cities generate nearly 1,62,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste a day; generation is projected at 165 million tonnes by 2030 and 436 million tonnes by 2050.
The Government of India launched the Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme (DRAP) in November 2025 to achieve “Lakshya: Zero Dumpsites” by October 2026.
Remediation is underway at 1,428 dumpsites; over 61–62% of legacy waste has been processed.
DRAP prioritises 214 high-impact sites in 200 Urban Local Bodies across 30 States and Union Territories, holding nearly 80% of remaining waste, or about 8.6 crore metric tonnes.
In 2025, 459 dumpsites in 438 cities in 26 States were fully remediated (183 lakh metric tonnes); cumulatively 1,138 dumpsites in 1,048 cities in 29 States, with 877 lakh metric tonnes remediated.
Central Financial Assistance is ₹550 per tonne of legacy waste; projects worth ₹6,700 crore have been approved for the 214 sites.
Biomining excavates, stabilises and screens waste into inert soil-like material, C&D waste, recyclables, biodegradable fraction and Refuse-Derived Fuel for roads, co-processing and energy.
Reclaimed land is prioritised for Solid Waste Management infrastructure or green cover; Delhi’s Bhalswa dumpsite example includes 25 acres remediated, of which 5 acres have bamboo plantation.

11. Doklam Standoff and ICBC Mumbai’s $185 Million Loan Freeze

In 2017, Indian and Chinese troops faced off at Doklam, at the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China.
In June 2017, the People’s Liberation Army occupied territory disputed with Bhutan and China attempted to build a road there; Indian troops responded.
The standoff lasted 73 days; both sides disengaged in August 2017 after diplomatic parleys.
More than 2,000 km away, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) operates its only India branch in Mumbai.
Internal ICBC records reviewed by The Indian Express as part of the China Capital investigation, led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, show the Mumbai branch suspended disbursement of 11 approved but undisbursed loans and bond investments totalling $185 million.
The branch report said it “proactively reduced its exposure to loan and investment risks” during the period of border crossings.
The freeze affected operating revenue by approximately $6.36 million.
The Mumbai branch met 57.7% of the target set by its head office in Beijing; the border situation was cited as a primary reason.
The branch also organised Chinese Communist Party members across departments to stay in constant touch with China’s embassy and consulate during the standoff.

12. India’s De-risking, Not Decoupling, from the United States and China

De-risking means reducing concentrated dependence and building alternative sources of supply; decoupling means cutting economic ties.
The G7 has stated that members are not decoupling from China but seeking to de-risk and diversify for economic resilience.
The United States has described its China policy as de-risking and diversification of supply chains rather than decoupling.
India has applied a similar approach to external dependencies in defence, energy, trade and manpower.
The United States Congress has voted for the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, 2026, authorising tariffs of up to 100% on goods from the five largest purchasers of Russian oil and gas: China, India, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan.
European allies were exempted on the ground that they are reducing consumption of Russian energy.
The United States ended India’s Generalised System of Preferences in 2017 and has raised tariffs on a range of Indian commodities and products.
India remains a large market for U.S. goods and services exports and a large importer of Chinese intermediate and capital goods used in electronics, electric vehicles and solar manufacturing.
India–China merchandise trade has been in the range of about $150 billion, with a large deficit and imports from China exceeding $130 billion in a recent fiscal year.
Officials have flagged tens of billions of dollars of critical imports for priority domestic substitution in EVs, solar, textiles and footwear.
Countries including China, Russia, India, Brazil, South Africa, Iran, the European Union, Japan and Southeast Asian states are described as seeking to de-risk from the United States; India also seeks to de-risk from China, without decoupling from either.

13. Ram Temple Donation Case: 105 CCTV Instances and Chargesheet Deadline

On 21 September 2026 the Supreme Court was told that a status report of the Uttar Pradesh Special Investigation Team (SIT) had identified 105 instances of unauthorised currency removal captured on CCTV in the Ram Temple donations case at Ayodhya.
An earlier preliminary SIT report had recorded about 70 suspected incidents on CCTV between 27 April and 5 June.
The Solicitor General, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, said the probe had been substantially concluded.
A chargesheet is to be filed before the court of the jurisdictional Additional Sessions Judge on or before 25 September 2026.
The 90-day statutory investigation period, counted from the first arrest, ends on 25 September; after that date the accused may become eligible for default bail if no chargesheet is filed.
The Supreme Court directed the magistrate to deal with the chargesheet in accordance with law and perused the SIT status report in a sealed cover.
The Court noted that the role of every person allegedly involved had been assessed; witness statements and other materials have been collected.
The First Information Report named eight persons and other unidentified individuals as accused.
A three-member SIT was formed on 13 June; a preliminary report went to the State government on 23 June.
The FIR was registered on 25 June; eight accused were arrested.
Police recovered cash from several accused; investigators examined CCTV footage, donation records and bank statements.
Further investigation under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, remains an option.

14. Nepal’s Climate Compensation Appeal after the August 2026 Himalayan Floods

Catastrophic flash floods struck Nepal’s Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river basins on 26 August 2026, after an ice, rock and soil mass failure in the high Himalaya, an event described as a “Himalayan Tsunami”.
The failure formed a temporary natural dam that breached on the morning of 26 August, sending water, ice, rock and debris downstream through Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and further districts.
Settlements, highways, bridges, border facilities and hydropower and transmission infrastructure were destroyed; preliminary assessments put hundreds of megawatts of hydropower capacity out of service.
Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported a death toll that rose through September into the hundreds and then above one thousand, with thousands listed as missing.
Kathmandu has appealed to the UN-backed Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) and called on developed countries for compensation and concessional climate finance.
Nepal has also pressed China and India for cooperation on preparedness, data sharing and resilience; it has said it is not seeking damages from any single country.
The Foreign Ministry has framed the demand as climate justice and financial liability rather than charity, citing the United States, China and India as major emitters.
Nepal contributes about 0.05% of annual fossil and industrial carbon dioxide emissions.
The FRLD start-up envelope is about $342 million against requests worth about $2.8 billion from 119 countries; Nepal’s Finance Ministry has estimated rebuilding at $4–5 billion.
Nepal is hosting a UN General Assembly side event on Himalayan climate risk on 24 September; the issue is to move to COP31 in Antalya in November.
India’s official COP stance remains climate equity, low per capita emissions, limited historical contribution relative to developed countries, and common but differentiated responsibilities.

15. Global Gender Gap Index 2026

The World Economic Forum released the Global Gender Gap Index 2026 on 16 September 2026; the index began in 2006.
It benchmarks 145 economies on four dimensions: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment.
A score of 100% would mean full parity; no economy has reached full parity.
Globally, 69.2% of the gender gap is closed, up 0.4 percentage points from the previous edition.
At the current pace, full global parity is estimated to be 120 years away.
Across dimensions, Educational Attainment stands at 96.9% and Health and Survival at 96.2%; Economic Participation and Opportunity is 61.7% and Political Empowerment 22.1%.
Iceland ranks first at 93% closed and is the only economy above 90%; Finland is second at 87.2% and Norway third at 85.7%.
Namibia is fourth; Australia entered the top 10 for the first time.
Chad ranks last (145th); Iran and Pakistan are in the bottom three.
India ranks 131st of 145, with 64.5% of its gap closed, below the global average; only 14 countries rank below India.
India’s overall parity has risen 4.3 percentage points since 2006, mainly from educational attainment.
India’s subindex scores include Educational Attainment 96.6%, Health and Survival 95.6%, Economic Participation and Opportunity 41.2%, labour-force participation parity 44.1%, and Political Empowerment 24.5% closed (67th).

16. Tata–Mistry Verdict and Tata Trusts’ Affirmative Voting Rights

Tata Trusts hold about 66% of Tata Sons; the Shapoorji Pallonji Group holds about 18.37%.
In 2016 the Tata Sons board removed its then executive chairman; the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal later directed reinstatement and curtailed certain Articles of Association.
In 2021 the Supreme Court set aside the NCLAT order, held that mere removal from the chairmanship was not by itself oppression or prejudice, and rejected restrictions on Tata Sons’ use of Article 75.
Article 75 allows Tata Sons to purchase a shareholder’s shares at fair market value; the Court said the provision had existed in one form or another for nearly a century.
Article 104B gives Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Sir Ratan Tata Trust, acting jointly, the right to nominate one-third of the Tata Sons board so long as the Trusts hold at least 40% of paid-up ordinary share capital, and to remove and replace those nominees.
Article 121 requires that matters to be decided by a majority of directors also receive the affirmative vote of a majority of directors appointed under Article 104B; in case of equality of votes the chairman of the meeting has a casting vote.
NCLAT had treated those affirmative rights as oppressive; the Supreme Court reversed that finding and held that Trust-nominated directors have duties to Trust beneficiaries as well as to the company.
The Court held that minority shareholders are not automatically entitled to proportionate board representation under the Companies Act or the existing Articles.
Tata Trusts now invoke Articles 104B and 121 against the 17 September 2026 board resolution to reappoint the executive chairman, saying one of two Trust nominees voted against it, so the AoA condition was not met and a casting vote could not cure that failure.

17. Summer Power Cuts in India: Peak Demand, Solar Timing and Storage

Summer power stress in India is driven by heat-related load, especially air-conditioning, and by a mismatch between midday solar generation and evening demand after sunset.
Grid Controller of India (Grid India) data for mid-April showed daily peak demand often occurring in daytime, while shortages were reported at night on most of those days; night-time shortage reached as high as 5.4 GW.
National peak demand has crossed 270 GW during heatwaves; Delhi recorded 8,748 MW.
Solar output falls in the evening while temperatures and cooling load remain high, forcing a steep ramp on the conventional fleet.
An Economic Advisory Council working paper recorded the summer evening ramp on the conventional fleet rising from about 36 GW in May 2023 to 74 GW in May 2026.
Installed energy storage has lagged renewable capacity: pumped storage is a little over 7 GW in operation and grid-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) a little over 1 GW in some 2026 tallies; earlier CEA-linked figures put storage under 5 GW at end-2024.
The Central Electricity Authority has advised co-located storage with solar and drafted standards for plants commissioned after 1 July 2027 to carry minimum storage and grid-forming inverters.
Flexibility tools cited include BESS, pumped hydro storage, time-of-day (ToD) tariffs, agricultural load shifting and operating selected coal units at a lower technical minimum (about 40%).
The Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules provide for ToD tariffs for specified commercial and industrial consumers.
During stress, the National Load Despatch Centre has pointed to Section 11 of the Electricity Act, 2003, to run imported-coal stations at higher utilisation.
Distribution-network overloads, not only generation shortage, have caused local summer outages in cities such as Mumbai.

18. Death of Namibian Cheetah Gaurav at Kuno National Park

A male cheetah known as Gaurav died at Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, around 4 p.m. on Monday, 21 September 2026, while under treatment.
Originally named Elton in Namibia, it was among eight cheetahs brought from Namibia to Kuno in September 2022 under Project Cheetah.
It arrived with another male later named Shaurya (originally Freddy); the pair was known as the “Rockstars” of Kuno.
Gaurav and Shaurya were released into the free-ranging area of Kuno on 22 March 2023.
Gaurav was a little over 10 years old at death.
It was rescued from the wild on 12 September 2026 after being observed as weak and dull.
Veterinary examination found marked weakness, visible muscle wasting and severe dehydration.
Systemic and supportive treatment was given; the animal was shifted to Palpur and kept in a Quarantine Boma for observation.
Treatment continued for about nine days; the exact cause of death will be established after post-mortem examination and analysis of samples.
After the death, Kuno National Park has 51 cheetahs, including 36 Indian-born animals; 16 are ranging freely in the wild.
Four cheetahs are housed at Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.
India’s total cheetah population stands at 55.
Project Cheetah began with the Namibia translocation in September 2022; further animals later arrived from South Africa and Botswana.

19. IIT Bombay Removes Dean after Student Death and Issues Apology

The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay removed a professor from the post of Dean (Administrative Affairs) with immediate effect.
The Director stated this in official communication after student protests following the death of a second-year BTech student of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering on 18 September 2026 on the Powai campus.
The professor continues as a faculty member and as Head of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering; the Faculty Forum said the person has not been dismissed from service.
Further action is to follow an investigation.
IIT Bombay apologised for statements in an earlier communication about the circumstances of the death, saying it was inappropriate to characterise events preceding the death before they were established by the investigative process.
The Institute said the details remain subject to investigation by the appropriate authorities.
Students had accused the Institute of putting out details without a proper inquiry.
On the evening of 20 September, after a late-night meeting, the Director signed an 18-point charter submitted by protesting students.
The charter seeks an independent investigation, a time-bound report, changes to disciplinary procedures, improved grievance redressal, stronger counselling and greater student participation in welfare matters.
The student’s family filed a complaint; an FIR names the professor and other officials, including under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act; the probe has been transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch.
IIT Bombay stated that reports that the Director had resigned are false.

20. U.S. 100% Tariff Authority and India’s Export-Market Diversification

The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, 2026 authorises tariffs of up to 100% on goods from countries among the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or natural gas that continue such purchases after enactment.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the measure around mid-September 2026; reports state it was sent for, or received, presidential signature.
The Ministry of External Affairs said India would take all necessary measures to protect its trade and economic interests and was monitoring developments.
Existing U.S. measures on Indian goods have included a 10% Section 301 tariff and sectoral duties such as 50% on steel and aluminium.
In 2025 the United States bought about $92 billion of Indian merchandise; its share of India’s merchandise exports was about 20.8%.
The European Union took about 17.6% of India’s merchandise exports in 2025 ($78.5 billion); the UAE 8.6%; the United Kingdom and Australia together less than 5%.
The United States and the EU together accounted for roughly 38% of India’s merchandise exports in 2025.
Recent Indian agreements include India–EFTA TEPA (in force 1 October 2025), India–Oman CEPA (1 June 2026) and India–UK CETA (15 July 2026).
India–EU FTA negotiations were concluded on 27 January 2026; the India–New Zealand FTA was signed on 27 April 2026 and is under ratification.
Under the UK CETA nearly 99% of Indian exports receive zero-duty access; Oman has offered duty-free access covering about 99% of Indian exports by value.
Commerce Ministry data still show the United States as India’s largest single merchandise export destination after a year of tariff shifts.

21. Ukrainian Drone Strikes on Moscow during Russian Parliamentary Elections

Ukraine fired waves of drones at Moscow and the surrounding region early on Sunday, the third and final day of Russia’s parliamentary elections.
Moscow’s Mayor said the attack was the largest on Moscow since the Kremlin launched its Ukraine offensive in 2022.
The Mayor said it involved some 1,600 drones, 450 of them aimed directly at the capital.
Officials said two people were killed and an oil refinery was set ablaze.
The dead were a 44-year-old woman and an elderly man, in two separate locations, according to the Moscow regional Governor.
A fire triggered by a drone crashing into a 21-storey building led to 400 people being evacuated.
The Mayor accused Ukraine of attempting to interfere with elections widely expected to result in another win for the ruling United Russia party.
Ukraine’s President said long-range responses had a significant impact in the Moscow region and that a key oil industry facility that sustains the war machine was hit.
The parliamentary vote is Russia’s first since the 2022 offensive; the President had urged participation as support for Moscow’s troops.
Russia’s electoral chief said there had been a wave of cyber-attacks targeting election infrastructure; the Central Election Commission chair did not say who was responsible.
A Russian strike in Ukraine’s Kyiv region late on Saturday killed at least four people, three of them children, Ukrainian authorities said, and damaged 31 sites including apartment buildings.
Russian strikes also targeted railways in central Ukraine on Sunday.

22. Dharamkot, the Hummus Trail and Tourism after Conscription

Dharamkot is a village about two to three kilometres uphill from McLeodganj in Himachal Pradesh, known among Israeli backpackers as Mini Israel.
Around 80,000 Israelis visit India annually, according to a 2022 paper in Anatolia, ‘Decoding the hummus trail of India: regaining the lost prudence’.
Last year a little over 1 lakh foreign tourists visited Himachal, including visitors from Europe, Canada, the United States and Israel, according to Himachal’s Tourism Department.
The Shvil Hummus (Hummus Trail) route in India and Nepal has cafés with Hebrew menus, Israeli music and food; it also spans Kasol, Old Manali, Rishikesh, Ladakh, Varanasi, Pushkar, South Goa, Gokarna, Hampi and Vattakanal.
In Dharamkot, courses include music, yoga, drawing, painting, charcoal painting, pencil sketching, and pottery workshops of five to 35 days.
The influx of Israeli travellers has been uneven for three years: a lull in 2023 after the 7 October Hamas-led attack that killed more than 1,200 people in southern Israel, and a further drop after the U.S.–Israel and Iran conflict began in February 2026.
Anatolia described the Hummus Trail as also notorious as the ‘Hashish Trail’ for cheap drugs.
In June 2026, taking suo motu action, the Himachal Pradesh High Court directed transfer of three senior officers, including the then Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police of Kullu district, in connection with an alleged nexus between officials and organisers of large rave parties in Kullu district.
A former Narcotics Control Bureau officer said cultivation of cannabis and opium in remote areas of Kullu and Mandi continues.
Dharamshala Municipal Corporation area includes police check posts in Dharamkot and neighbouring Bhagsunag.

23. Mahanadi Water Dispute: Chhattisgarh–Odisha and the Central Water Commission

The Chhattisgarh Chief Minister said on Sunday in Bhubaneswar that the Mahanadi water dispute with Odisha is likely to be resolved “very soon”.
The remark was made during a two-day visit to Odisha.
Both States have given consent to the Centre that they will accept whatever decision is taken by the Central Water Commission (CWC) on the Mahanadi issue.
The two Chief Ministers met in the city; the Odisha Chief Minister called the interaction fruitful and referred to strengthening cooperation.
The Chhattisgarh Chief Minister said both States have Bharatiya Janata Party governments and there is an NDA government at the Centre.
The Biju Janata Dal questioned whether Odisha’s interests were protected and said the statement that there was no longer a dispute was unacceptable.
Odisha approached the Union water resources ministry in 2016 over barrages in Chhattisgarh and downstream flow.
On 19 November 2016 Odisha filed a complaint under Section 3 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.
The Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal was constituted in 2018 after a suit in the Supreme Court.
On 30 July 2026 a meeting in New Delhi chaired by the Union Jal Shakti Minister involved both Chief Ministers, the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the CWC.
The Tribunal has monitored settlement talks; a hearing was adjourned to 28 September amid CWC-facilitated technical consultations.
Chhattisgarh has cited a majority share of the Mahanadi catchment within its territory, including a large share of the catchment up to Hirakud.

24. 3,200 MW Ultra-Supercritical Thermal Power Plant at Chapar, Assam

The Assam Chief Minister on Sunday laid the foundation stone of a 3,200 megawatt Ultra-Supercritical Thermal Power Plant at Chapar in Dhubri district.
The plant is a project of the Adani Group, handled by Adani Power Ltd.
The configuration on the foundation plaque is 4 × 800 MW.
The project cost is ₹48,000 crore.
It is described as the largest power plant in the northeastern region and one of the largest single investments in Assam.
The Chief Minister linked the project to confidence generated by the Advantage Assam Investor Summit 2.0 and said Assam is emerging as the region’s energy hub.
Expected State benefits cited include employment, economic activity, State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) revenue, and participation by local industries and enterprises.
Several families, mostly migrant Muslims, were evicted for the project.
The Adani Group said the Chapar plant is part of a ₹63,000-crore power investment in Assam, with commissioning in phases from December 2030.
The other projects in that package include two pumped storage plants with a combined capacity of 2,700 MW.
The thermal plant is intended to supply electricity to homes, businesses and industries.

25. India Semiconductor Mission: Everyday Chips and Second-Phase Outlay

The Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister said India wants semiconductor capabilities for everyday products, including cars, televisions and refrigerators, and for critical power infrastructure.
The government is seeking to move beyond chip assembly and testing to design, fabrication, equipment and materials.
Under the second phase of the semiconductor programme, the government has committed ₹1.27 lakh crore to expand the domestic ecosystem and attract global investments.
Investor interest valued at about ₹1 lakh crore has been received under the second phase of the semiconductor scheme.
The Minister said India should be designing and manufacturing chips for cars, power systems, televisions, refrigerators and other appliances within the next five years.
Many chips used in automobiles, scooters and motorcycles are already manufactured in the country; the aim is to have many of those chips designed and manufactured in India.
A similar capability is sought in the power sector for chips used in transmission lines, transformers and converters.
In consumer electronics, chips used in televisions, refrigerators and other household appliances are also to be designed and manufactured in India.
Crystal Matrix is setting up an LED display fabrication facility in India and has moved from a complexity level of 90 microns to 40 microns, with a research and development facility in India.

26. U.S. Justice Department ‘Grand Conspiracy’ Inquiry after the Lead Prosecutor’s Exit

The U.S. Justice Department is conducting an investigation known as the “grand conspiracy” case into alleged misconduct by former law-enforcement and intelligence officials concerning the Republican President.
The lead prosecutor left the position five months after taking it over, without charging a single case.
Justice Department officials are continuing with a flurry of subpoenas to former law-enforcement and intelligence officials, expected to yield grand jury testimony in the weeks ahead at the Fort Pierce, Florida, home court of a Trump-appointed federal judge.
The inquiry seeks to connect separate Federal Bureau of Investigation probes, including those related to Russian election interference and retention of classified documents at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
The lead prosecutor was appointed in April, shortly after the previous Attorney General was ousted.
By 10 September the prosecutor had left amid administration frustration with the pace of the probe.
A career national security prosecutor was removed from the investigative team after raising concerns about an investigation into a former Central Intelligence Agency Director.
A 2019 Justice Department special counsel report described wide-ranging Russian interference but found insufficient evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Russia and the Trump campaign.
Subsequent Inspector General and Justice Department inquiries identified errors by FBI agents but found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by senior law-enforcement officials and no proof of an anti-Trump conspiracy.
After controversy over handling of Jeffrey Epstein files, officials announced a new investigation and a directive from the then Attorney General to present evidence before a grand jury.
Subpoenas for records or testimony have gone to a broad array of former FBI and intelligence officials involved in the Russia case, including a former Director of National Intelligence and a former CIA Director summoned for 15 October.
A replacement for the departing lead prosecutor has not been announced; a team of prosecutors and agents remains at work.

27. German Automotive Industry Protests and Planned Job Cuts

German automotive workers held nationwide protests on Monday, calling for government and management action to protect jobs and factories.
IG Metall said protests would take place at over 280 sites across Germany; tens of thousands of people were expected to take part.
One demonstration was at Volkswagen’s commercial vehicles plant in Hanover; another gathering was at Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg factory, described as the largest in the world by floor area.
Banners included the slogan “Zukunft statt Kahlschlag” (future instead of slash-and-burn).
Growing Chinese competition, weak domestic demand and U.S. tariffs have placed the German car industry under pressure.
Volkswagen plans to cut 1,00,000 jobs by the end of the decade, described as the biggest restructuring in automotive history.
Mercedes-Benz and BMW are also downsizing.
Companies named in the union remarks include Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, Bosch, Mercedes and Porsche.
Factors cited by workers and union officials include a delayed start to the electric-vehicle transition and slow investment in software.
Others point to Chinese government support for domestic carmakers and resulting overcapacity in the global car industry.
The head of Volkswagen’s works council said Europe’s automotive industry will be remade, that long-established carmakers will fall by the wayside, and that others will have to merge.
The works council said a battle over how to share the burden of restructuring has already begun.

28. Amnesty International Report on M23 and Mineral Sites in Eastern Congo

Amnesty International on Monday accused March 23 Movement (M23) rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo of abuses and unlawful killings of miners and of trafficking critical minerals to neighbouring Rwanda, which it said could amount to war crimes.
M23, described as Rwanda-backed, controls dozens of artisanal mines in North Kivu and South Kivu, where tens of thousands of miners extract minerals used in electronics, including mobile phones.
Rwanda denies past accusations by United Nations experts, the United States and Congo’s government that it has profited from Congo’s minerals in exchange for support to the rebels.
Amnesty said it interviewed 26 people to document alleged crimes from January 2025 to March 2026, particularly at a coltan mine near Rubaya in North Kivu and a gold mine in Lomera in South Kivu.
Sixteen interviewees, including miners and civilians, said M23 rebels or security guards at rebel-controlled mines had tortured or mistreated them.
Amnesty said the documented abuses likely amounted to crimes under international law, including summary killings, arbitrary detention, forced labour and pillage.
The report detailed the killings of 18 artisanal miners at the Rubaya and Lomera mines: witnesses and family members reported that 10 were beaten to death, two were shot dead and six abducted miners were later found dead.
Amnesty said it found evidence that gold was trafficked from M23-controlled areas into Rwanda through smuggling routes.
M23 and Rwandan authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Rubaya mine is a major coltan site; a collapse in March killed at least 200 people, and a landslide in January left around 200 people dead.
The Lomera gold mine suffered a collapse last year.
Last year Congo produced more than half of the world’s tantalum, an ore derived from coltan; Rubaya pumped out about 15% of global production, according to Amnesty.
Congo also exported more than 28 tonnes of gold that year, the group said.

29. White House Credential Ban and Lawsuit by CNN, MS NOW and Politico

CNN, MS NOW and Politico announced on Monday that they will file a lawsuit after being banned from the White House.
The outlets said in a joint statement that they were filing suit after the U.S. President last week ordered them barred from the presidential complex.
The ban followed claims by the President that media critical of the administration is a “cancer” threatening national security.
The three organisations said the White House revoked their journalists’ credentials “without notice or process” because it “objected to our reporting.”
Their statement said: “This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes.”
The outlets described the ban as a major escalation in years-long pressure on U.S. media, especially on outlets that report critically on the President and the administration.
On social media the President wrote that the administration was not targeting “the Free Press” but was “instituting an assault on the fake news, something that has grown like Cancer.”
He described that reporting as “corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control,” and called it a “threat to our National Security” that “must be stopped, NOW!”
The dispute centres on access to the White House press facilities and the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, which protects freedom of the press.

30. Interim Trust for the Jaffna Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre

An interim governing body has been set up to run the India-built Jaffna Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province.
The Indian High Commission in Colombo said on Monday that a Trust was formally established on 18 September to administer and manage the centre.
The Trust will act as an interim governing body with administrative and financial autonomy for the Centre’s sustained operations.
It is described as a transitional mechanism to build institutional capacity and financial self-sustainability until handover to the Municipal Council of Jaffna.
The Trust Board comprises four ex-officio members: the Municipal Commissioner of Jaffna, the Mayor of Jaffna Municipal Council, a Minister of Northern Provincial Administration (or nominee), and the Secretary to Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs.
Five experts from Jaffna, from arts and culture, commerce, education, law, and science and technology, are also on the Board.
Senior officials, local body representatives, artistes and professionals form the interim body.
Originally named the Jaffna Cultural Centre, the facility is an 11-storeyed structure with an auditorium seating 600, a conference hall, an amphitheatre and a digital library.
The Prime Minister of India laid the foundation stone in 2015; India financed the project with a $12 million grant.
Construction was completed in early 2020.
The External Affairs Minister of India virtually inaugurated the building during a visit to Colombo in 2022; in 2023 the building was dedicated to the people of Jaffna.
Early last year a controversy arose over an attempt to change the name by leaving out the word ‘Jaffna’; Indian authorities then put up a signboard reading “Yazhpanam Thiruvalluvar Panpaattu Maiyam” (Jaffna Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre).

31. German State Elections: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin

State elections were held on Sunday in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and in Berlin.
Alternative for Germany (AfD) took first place in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) recorded what the Chancellor described as its worst regional election defeat in postwar Germany and missed the minimum threshold to enter that regional Parliament.
The Chancellor called the CDU result there a “disaster.”
AfD fell well short of a majority in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania but topped a State election for the second time; the party sees regional wins as building momentum towards national power.
In Berlin, the CDU also lost votes.
Die Linke won the most seats in Berlin and could take power in a coalition.
Die Linke campaigned to nationalise housing from corporate landlords and put a cap on rents.
The federal coalition partners are the CDU and the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD).
SPD leaders pledged to remain in the coalition and hinted that they wanted to reopen talks on social and economic reforms.
The AfD’s top State candidate for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania said on Monday that the Chancellor would not make it to the end of the year.
The Chancellor said he has no intention of quitting and that the government is determined to live up to historic responsibilities facing the country and the democratic future of Germany.

32. Rare-Earth Supply Risk and Alternative Aerospace Coatings

Rare-earth shortages are leading some suppliers of aerospace companies to revisit decades-old turbine coating formulas once considered obsolete.
U.S.–China tensions have disrupted supplies from China, the world’s dominant producer of critical minerals.
China has a near monopoly on rare earths and on materials such as yttrium, indium phosphide and tungsten.
These materials are used in aerospace and defence systems, including jet-engine coatings, turbine components and semiconductor chips.
The accompanying image places the flag of China next to the periodic-table elements gallium and germanium.
Producers of coatings for aerospace remain years away from replacing modern rare-earth-based materials or securing an adequate supply of rare earths in the United States.
Renewed interest in older alternatives reflects concern that supply disruptions and high prices could threaten key parts of the jet-engine supply chain.
The National Research Council (NRC), Canada’s primary agency for scientific and industrial research and development, said rare-earth shortages were behind industry interest in alternatives for thermal barrier coatings used in the hottest sections of jet engines.
The NRC and industry partners are evaluating whether zirconium dioxide and other non-rare-earth ceramic oxides can be comparable with modern rare-earth-based coatings.
Thermal barrier coatings protect turbine components operating at high temperature in jet engines.

33. Global Diesel Shortage, Inventories and Storage Leases

Wars in Iran and Ukraine have disrupted diesel supplies, stranding millions of barrels a day in the Middle East and Russia and draining inventories.
In the United States, retail diesel prices topped $6 a gallon this month for the first time.
Diesel fuels agriculture, manufacturing and heavy transportation.
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data show total U.S. diesel inventories declined to 107.9 million barrels by 11 September, the lowest for this time of year since records began in 1982.
The EIA forecasts U.S. distillate inventories below 100 million barrels in September and remaining below the five-year low through the end of 2026 and most of 2027.
Storage broker The Tank Tiger said diesel storage capacity available for leasing in North America and the Caribbean Islands rose to a four-year high of 13 million barrels for October, from 11 million barrels in June.
Storage tanks are typically leased for six months to a year; refiners and traders are declining to renew leases because little fuel is available to store.
The U.S. diesel crack spread—the premium of ultra-low sulfur diesel futures over U.S. crude oil futures—hit a record $118.62 a barrel on 14 September.
Stocks in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp storage, refining and trading hub were 16% below the five-year average in July, according to Insights Global.
In Singapore, total distillate inventory levels averaged about 8.2 million barrels over the past few weeks, similar to pre-Iran war levels but below the 2025 average of 9.6 million.
Moscow will extend diesel export restrictions until the end of October, Russian daily Vedomosti reported.
China has boosted diesel exports in recent months.

34. Tata Steel Port Talbot Electric Arc Furnace and Power-Supply Delay

Tata Steel is seeking a discussion with the United Kingdom government on timely implementation of the electric arc furnace (EAF) project at Port Talbot.
The remarks were made by Tata Steel’s Chief Executive on the sidelines of the 53rd National Management Convention organised by the All India Management Association (AIMA).
The company said there is no delay from Tata Steel in construction of the 3.2 million tonne project, being set up at an investment of 1.25 billion pounds.
The project is transitioning the Port Talbot plant from blast furnace to electric arc furnace.
It is being built with 500 million pounds of government support.
The project aims to reduce site-level carbon dioxide emissions by 90%, equivalent to 5 million tonnes annually.
In August, Tata Steel UK said it expected to secure access to electricity for the 3.2 million tonne EAF by 2029.
The electrical infrastructure is described as capable of powering the furnace by the end of 2027.
In May 2024, Tata Steel signed a connection offer with the Electricity System Operator (ESO).
The agreement involves National Grid building new electrical infrastructure.
The project is facing delays in securing power supply.
Asked whether Tata Steel has sought fresh funds from the U.K. government, the Chief Executive said it was too early to say but that there is a conversation regarding concerns.
The company said international steel markets are still struggling while India is witnessing rising demand.

35. Reserve Bank of India Special FCNR(B) Window and $133 Billion Inflows

The Reserve Bank of India opened a special window for Non-Resident Indians to park funds in Indian banks through Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) deposits, or FCNR(B).
The scheme was unveiled to support foreign-exchange inflows and contain pressure on the rupee.
At closure on 31 August the window had attracted around $133 billion in inflows.
An RBI update on 2 September showed banks had mobilised about $127 billion via dollar-denominated FCNR(B) deposits.
RBI data on 21 September showed FCNR(B) deposits accounted for the bulk of dollar-denominated capital inflows into Indian banks.
Overseas foreign currency borrowings and external commercial borrowings contributed $5.3 billion each.
Total inflow via these channels reached $143.6 billion as of 31 August.
The inflows provided banks with a stable source of medium-term foreign-currency funding when lenders were facing elevated credit-deposit ratios.
S&P cautioned that the inflow surge is unlikely to be repeated at the same scale in the future.

36. Critically Low Coal Stocks at Indian Thermal Power Plants

Nearly 40% of India’s coal-fired power plants are operating with critically low fuel stocks, government data showed on Monday.
The cause cited is a surge in power demand amid hotter-than-usual weather linked to El Niño.
Plants with critically low coal stocks are defined as those with less than 25% of the required inventory, or able to generate power for less than three days.
Their number rose to 74 as of 19 September from about 60 plants the previous week, according to daily-updated Central Electricity Authority data.
India’s peak power demand has been hovering between 230 gigawatts and 250 gigawatts in the past week.
Peak power demand hit an all-time high of 270.70 gigawatts in May.
Crisil analysts said the decline in plant stocks appears to be a temporary logistical issue rather than a structural supply constraint.
India’s coal and railway ministries said in early September they were increasing supplies after erratic monsoon rains had impacted shipments.
Renewable power generation rose about 21% between April and August; coal-fired power continued to meet round-the-clock demand, Crisil said.
Indian power producers’ coal imports in August rose to a 15-month high as heatwave demand rose while hydroelectric generation remained subdued.

37. UPI Tap-and-Pay, NPCI Limits and Two-Factor Authentication

Unified Payments Interface (UPI), launched a decade ago after demonetisation, accounts for about 85% of India’s electronic payment transactions.
The Reserve Bank of India Governor last week launched a ‘tap and pay’ facility for UPI in partnership with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
The facility was unveiled at Global Fintech Fest 2026 in Mumbai.
It enables payments through RuPay credit cards without one-time passwords (OTPs) or QR codes.
The feature uses the point-of-sale (PoS) terminal’s internet connectivity, so a transaction can be completed even when the customer’s mobile device has no internet access.
NPCI said the facility is currently available for transactions of up to ₹5,000; higher-value transactions require a PIN.
Scale of digital payments has been accompanied by fraud involving theft or inadvertent sharing of OTPs and other authentication credentials.
The RBI mandated two-factor authentication for UPI transactions from 1 April 2026, prompting payment companies to develop alternatives that combine security with ease of use.
Visa and Mastercard have introduced passkeys as an additional authentication mechanism.
Mastercard has showcased Consumer Device Cardholder Verification Method (CDCVM), which authenticates through a device’s biometric capabilities, including fingerprint or facial recognition, and has partnered with Google Pay.
Amazon Pay, which accounts for less than 1% of UPI transactions, has introduced a tap-and-pay facility for its partner merchants.

38. EPW Study on Parental Demand and Private Schools in Delhi-NCR

Economic and Political Weekly, Volume 61, Issue No. 34, dated 22 August 2026, published Ritika Arora-Kukreja’s article ‘Hindutva by Other Means: The Educational Market and the Politics of Demand’.
The study used in-depth interviews and focus-group methods with households with children, and interviews with school leaders across private schools in Delhi-NCR between April and September 2022.
The paper locates the shift from a Nehruvian model of state-provided, regulated education after Independence to market demand after the 1991 liberalisation reforms.
In Delhi, private-school enrolment at the primary and middle levels increased from around 30% in 2014-15 to over 46% in 2019-20.
The paper notes Bharatiya Janata Party-led governments during 1998–2004 and from 2014, and state power over curriculum and syllabus.
Examples cited of school-level accommodation of majority parental preference include objections to appointing a Muslim teacher, rules that non-vegetarian food should not be brought for lunch, holidays for Hindu festivals, and attempts to ban the hijab.
The author uses the terms “Hindu customer”, “depoliticisation of choices” and “hyper-accountability” for parental demands treated as consumer choices.
Two non-school incidents cited in the same discussion are withdrawal of a jewellery advertisement featuring a Bollywood actress during Raksha Bandhan and the transfer of a Muslim IPS officer in Bengal after use of an Islamic greeting on social media.
The paper contrasts this “bottom-up Hindutva” channel with literature that focuses mainly on the state and political organisations.

39. Gaganyaan Crew Module Parachute System

A spacecraft entering Earth’s atmosphere relies first on atmospheric drag; parachutes then provide additional deceleration for a gentle landing on land or in the sea.
The Gaganyaan crew-module recovery system uses redundant clusters of pilot, drogue and main parachutes.
The module has two drogue chutes and three main chutes deployed by mortar-ejected pilot chutes.
If one main parachute suffers an anomaly, the remaining two independent chains are designed to ensure a safe touchdown.
The pilot chute is a mini-parachute that pulls out the drogue or main chutes; the drogue is deployed early to stabilise the module and reduce speed; the main chute has a wider canopy for the final soft-landing phase.
Parachutes are generally deployed after the module has slowed below the speed of sound; the module moves at around 170 m/s in the lower atmosphere.
Multi-staging increases chute diameter in successive stages to keep opening shock within limits; a reefing cord restricts canopy spread until a timed cutter severs it.
After splashdown or soft-landing, pyro cutters or mechanical quick-release devices detach the parachute so wind does not drag or capsize the module.
Test platforms include a rail-track rocket sled at the Terminal Ballistic Research Lab, Chandigarh, helicopter or aircraft drops, and small rocket-powered test vehicles.
Materials cited include Kevlar for high-load suspension lines, risers and tapes; Nomex for heat-exposed areas; and nylon for canopy cloth because of elasticity and compressibility.
The Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra, under the Defence Research and Development Organisation, is the developing agency.

40. Supreme Court Judgment on Maharashtra Methanol Rules 18A and 18B

On 18 September the Supreme Court struck down Maharashtra rules requiring methanol sold to non-drug manufacturers to be denatured with a colourant and bitterant.
The Bench allowed writ petitions by methanol-based product manufacturers against mandatory additives under amendments to the Maharashtra Poisons Rules, 1972.
Methanol, or methyl alcohol, is used as an industrial raw material in formaldehyde, paraformaldehyde, paints, resins and other chemicals.
Maharashtra introduced Rules 18A and 18B in 2011 after a 1991 hooch tragedy in Mumbai in which around 93 people died after consuming spurious liquor containing methanol.
Rule 18A required verification of a purchaser’s Form A licence and mixing of colourant and bitterant before sale to a non-drug manufacturer; Rule 18B provided for confiscation of methanol possessed without a Form A licence.
The Court examined whether the rules violated Articles 14 and 19(1)(g) of the Constitution.
Applying the proportionality framework of K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017), it held that preventing loss of life from methanol-adulterated liquor was a legitimate aim, but the restrictions were neither suitable nor necessary.
The Court held that Rule 18A(1) lacked a reasonable and proximate nexus with preventing misuse in illicit liquor and imposed a disproportionate burden on legitimate industrial users.
Rule 18B was held to conflict with lawful possession under a Form B permit.
Guidelines included coordinated action by prohibition, excise, police, transport, industry and health departments; checks at State borders; dedicated sealed tankers; licensing review; return of unused stock; and more de-addiction centres.

41. Urdu in Schools and the Supreme Court on Official-Language Signboards

In June 2026, a group of approximately 10–15 men entered Bharat Chandra High School in Armoor, Nizamabad district, Telangana, and allegedly manhandled its 37-year-old Principal.
The incident was reported to arise from the perception that Urdu was being taught at the school; an English teacher was not responsible for teaching Urdu.
The school’s management board had decided to introduce Urdu as a second language after a request from parents of Muslim students, who constitute approximately 25% of the school’s strength.
In April 2025 the Supreme Court described Urdu as a fine expression of Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb and observed that “language belongs to a community, to a region, to people but not a religion.”
The Court upheld the use of Urdu on the signboard of a municipal council in Maharashtra and declined to interfere with the Bombay High Court’s ruling.
The High Court had found no legal prohibition under the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022, against the use of Urdu.
In 1837, Persian was replaced by English and other vernacular languages in various provinces of British India for administrative and judicial purposes; in north India the vernacular selected for official use was Urdu in the Perso-Arabic script.
In 1868, Babu Shiva Prasad published a memorandum on court characters concerning Urdu in the North-Western Provinces and Oudh; Madan Mohan Malviya’s Court Character and Primary Education in the North-Western Provinces and Oudh addressed the same official-language question.
Paul Brass wrote that Urdu in its original form was grammatically close to spoken Hindustani of north India, particularly Khari Boli of the Delhi area, with an infusion of Persian, Arabic and Turkish vocabulary.
Rakhshanda Jalil’s edited volume Whose Urdu Is It Anyway? compiles writings by non-Muslim literary figures including Gulzar, Ramanand Sagar, Rajinder Singh Bedi and Kishan Chander; Rahi Masoom Raza’s novel Aadha Gaon was originally written in Urdu.

42. FADA and Vahan Data on Electric and Alternative-Fuel Vehicle Registrations

Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) data for August 2026 described a “historic fuel crossover” in India’s shift from fossil-fuel vehicles to Electric Vehicles (EVs).
In the passenger vehicles category that mainly includes cars, the share of new vehicles in the alternative-fuels category (41.95%) overtook the share of petrol vehicles (40.85%).
FADA said alternative fuels included “CNG, hybrid and electric combined”.
Petrol and diesel still accounted for 83.5% of the roughly 82 lakh vehicles registered from January to March this year, down 11.5 percentage points from over 95% of 57 lakh vehicles in the same period in 2021.
EVs accounted for 10.6% of total registrations; chart data put the EV share of total registrations near 10.6% in a recent quarter.
Data accessed from the Vahan portal show the two-wheeler segment accounts for over 70% of all new vehicles registered.
The share of EVs in two-wheelers rose from 6.4% in 2025 to 9.1% in 2026 (till August); the petrol share of two-wheelers fell to the 90% mark.
Of roughly 9.8 lakh three-wheelers registered till August this year, 60.5% were EVs; petrol and diesel in three-wheeler registrations halved from nearly 30% in 2021 to less than 15% in 2026.
Three-wheelers account for only 4% of all vehicles sold.
In cars, the share of petrol and diesel vehicles fell from 86% in 2021 to 61.6% in 2026; growth under alternative fuels is more pronounced in CNG and LPG than in EVs.
The share of hybrid EVs has remained around eight per cent since 2023.

43. Malacca–Singapore Straits Regime and UNCLOS Transit Passage

The Strait of Malacca runs for some 800 kilometres between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, connecting the Andaman Sea to the Strait of Singapore.
The Strait of Singapore, some 105 km long, connects the Malacca Strait to the South China Sea.
At their narrowest points the Straits are well under 24 nautical miles wide.
In 1957 Indonesia declared that all waters surrounding, between and connecting the islands were Indonesian waters.
As the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was formulated, Indonesia insisted that territorial waters should extend 12 nautical miles from the outermost islands; Malaysia also announced a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea.
Once both states claimed 12-nautical-mile seas, the zones met in the middle, leaving no strip of high seas or exclusive economic zone between them.
In 1971 Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore jointly challenged the notion that the Straits were “international” like the high seas.
The three nations issued a 1971 joint statement proposing a coordinating body of the three states to administer the Straits.
UNCLOS adopted the United Kingdom-introduced concept of “transit passage” for straits connecting the high seas or EEZs: continuous and expeditious transit, including for warships, with no stopping or loitering.
In 2007 the three littoral states and the international community agreed a Cooperative Mechanism and an Aids to Navigation Fund, with voluntary contributions and no tolls on ships exercising transit passage.
Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore do not impose fees on ships exercising the right of transit passage.
In 1993 Iran, which has not ratified UNCLOS, passed a law requiring foreign warships to seek authorisation to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

44. Tamil Nadu $1.5 Trillion Economy Target: NITI Aayog Announcement and Growth Arithmetic

At the NITI Aayog meeting on 11 June 2026, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister announced the goal of transforming Tamil Nadu into a $1.5 trillion economy by 2035-36.
Tamil Nadu’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) was ₹35.29 lakh crore in 2025-26.
Reaching $1.5 trillion in 10 years would require the economy to rise to ₹172.56 lakh crore by 2035-36, a 4.9-fold increase, if the rupee appreciates 2% a year to ₹115.38 per dollar.
That path implies a nominal growth rate of 17.2% and, with 5% inflation, a real growth rate of 12.2% a year for 10 years.
Under 17.2% nominal growth, per capita income would rise from $4,808 in 2025-26 to $19,157 in 2035-36, against a World Bank-based developed-country per capita cut-off estimated at $16,383.
Tamil Nadu’s real growth exceeded 12% in three years: 13.96% in 2005-06, 15.21% in 2006-07 and 13.12% in 2010-11.
From 2005-06 to 2011-12, real growth at 2004-05 prices averaged 10.3% a year against an all-India 8.2%.
Average annual growth at 2011-12 prices declined to 6.98% from 2012-13 to 2018-19, against all-India 6.96%.
Growth improved to 9.1% from 2021-22 to 2025-26, against all-India 8.1%.
An earlier aspiration was a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
A table using 15% nominal growth and 5% inflation projects $1.5 trillion around 2037-38, with per capita income $15,850 in 2035-36 and $17,850 in 2036-37.
A 10% real-growth path is associated with an investment rate of 40% of GSDP if the Incremental Capital Output Ratio is 4.

45. U.S. On-Orbit Space-Control Weapons Disclosure and Outer Space Treaty Rules

On 14 September the U.S. Air Force Secretary, confirmed by the Space Force chief, said the United States has deployed “on-orbit space control weapons” to “defend against hostile adversary action”.
U.S. military doctrine by 2025 was considering offensive and defensive space control; doctrine defines “space control” as encompassing both offensive and defensive operations.
The U.S., Russia, China and India, among others, have been developing counter-space capabilities.
Satellite systems underpin communications, energy and financial networks; many commercial systems serve both civilian and military users.
The Outer Space Treaty does not ban weapons in orbit per se.
Article IV of the Treaty prohibits nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit.
Article III requires space activities to comply with international law.
The Liability Convention addresses damage caused by space objects but is described in the report as not straightforward to apply to autonomous, dual-use commercial orbital assets.
The United Nations Open-Ended Working Group on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space is the multilateral forum cited for discussion of an arms race in outer space.
Particulars of the deployed U.S. systems, including what constitutes “hostile action” and what the weapons can do, have not been specified in the disclosure.

46. Special Intensive Revision Appeals: Election Commission Affidavit and Delhi Draft Rolls

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is conducting a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls; the Supreme Court of India is hearing petitions challenging the SIR.
An ECI counter-affidavit filed in the Court stated that by early September 2026, out of more than 38 lakh appeals submitted to SIR appellate tribunals in West Bengal, just over 1,22,000 appeals had been disposed of, a disposal rate of 3.2%.
Of those decided, 1,13,943 electors were added back to the rolls, an inclusion rate of nearly 93%.
During the claims and corrections phase in the West Bengal SIR, judicial officers deployed for verification deemed 27 lakh of the 60 lakh electors flagged for “logical discrepancies” to be ineligible.
More than 22 lakh of those found ineligible have appealed.
Municipal elections in West Bengal are approaching.
In Phase 3 of the SIR, The Hindu’s analysis found that in 24 out of Delhi’s 70 constituencies the draft roll records fewer electors than those who voted in the February 2025 Assembly election.
In Delhi, mapping has put 13.79 lakh electors under notice, with a further 19.33 lakh flagged for “logical discrepancies”.
The SIR process requires electors to link themselves to rolls drawn in the early 2000s and places the onus of proving eligibility on the elector.
While hearing Bihar SIR petitions, the Court had intervened to stop eligible voters from being struck off.
The Court is hearing petitions on Delhi and West Bengal.

47. Leopardus tilcayo: New Tiger Cat Species from Bolivia’s Yungas

A diminutive wild cat from Bolivia’s cloud forest has been identified as a previously unknown species, the first living cat species formally named and described in more than a century.
Local communities call the cat Tilcayo; its scientific name is Leopardus tilcayo.
It belongs to the tiger cats found across much of South America and was recorded in Bolivia’s Yungas forest, a mountainous region of cloud-covered forest and high humidity.
It measures about 46 cm long and weighs around 1.4 kg, smaller than the average domestic cat.
Fur is light brown with irregularly shaped rosettes.
The description was published on 17 September in the journal Current Biology.
Researchers used genetic data from 38 cats sampled across several South American countries, including eight museum specimens, and found tiger cats to be five genetically distinct species.
Information on the new species is limited to two live individuals and a small number of camera-trap records.
One live cat is a 10-year-old male at Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary after being kept by a local family.
Remains of small rodents in scat suggest part of its diet; camera-trap evidence indicates it may be more active at night.
Genetic analysis suggested the Tilcayo lineage separated from other tiger cats about 1.4 million years ago.
The team also described a new tiger cat subspecies in Peru’s Yungas, Leopardus tigrinus antisuyo, named after Antisuyu of the Inca Empire.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List currently treats tiger cats as two “vulnerable” species with declining populations.

48. Candida auris Antifungal Resistance: Indian Clinical Isolates

Dermatophytosis is caused by dermatophytes; yeasts include Candida auris, a multidrug-resistant pathogen in intensive-care units that can enter the bloodstream.
PGIMER, Chandigarh, has stated a 30–40% mortality rate among those infected with C. auris.
The first report of C. auris was in Japan in 2009; it has become a menace in the last two decades.
About 20% of infections reported in hospitals are fungal; most hospitals in India lack infrastructure to identify fungal pathogens.
PGIMER began storing fungal pathogens about 25 years ago and holds a stock of 15,000 clinical fungal isolates from across India.
A study in Nature Communications characterised clinical isolates of C. auris found across India.
More than 90% of clinical isolates were resistant to common azole-based antifungals such as fluconazole; about 30% were resistant to another class, the echinocandins; some also responded poorly to polyenes.
Azoles and polyenes target ergosterol in the cell membrane; echinocandins such as caspofungin target the cell wall.
Extra copies of the Erg11 gene increase ergosterol production and reduce azole effect; mutations in the Fks1 gene allow resistance to echinocandins.
Fks1 mutations can enable C. auris to survive caspofungin doses up to 16 µg/ml; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tests have used a 2 µg/ml threshold.
High-dose caspofungin can trigger extra chitin production, an example of the Eagle effect named after U.S. pathologist Harry Eagle.
Researchers at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram, reported related genomic changes in Indian isolates.

49. Congress Statement on September 2025 GST Rate Cuts and Prices

The Indian National Congress said on Monday that the impact of Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate cuts on a range of commodities was being eroded by “galloping inflation”.
The GST rationalisation was announced in September 2025.
The Congress general secretary (communications), sharing a media report, said the September 2025 rationalisation had been “long overdue”.
The same statement said the GST rate cuts had been proclaimed to be game changers and that their impact on boosting consumption had been mixed.
The statement cited automobile sales as having benefited while apparel sales had not.
It said prices of several consumer goods had returned to nearly pre-GST-cut levels within a year without any significant increase in consumption.
The Congress linked the price movement to the broader state of the economy and questioned the narrative around India’s growth based on Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The statement said headline quarterly GDP numbers may give momentary elation while overlooking imperfections.
The remarks were posted on X by the Congress general secretary (communications).

50. NHAI Guidelines: One-Metre Walls on High-Speed National Highway Corridors

The Centre has prescribed a one-metre-high wall along the outer edge of high-speed corridors to prevent unauthorised access and entry of stray cattle.
The prescription appears in the first-ever guidelines that standardise design and development of such National Highways.
This is the first time the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has prescribed standardised technical and safety provisions for high-speed corridors.
The guidelines will apply to all upcoming four- to six-lane greenfield and brownfield high-speed access-controlled National Highways.
The length of operational access-controlled high-speed corridors is currently 3,052 km.
The Railways has fenced stretches to prevent cattle menace, including metal barrier fencing along the 623-km Mumbai–Ahmedabad train route.
NHAI guidelines recommend prohibiting openings in median walls on access-controlled highways.
Collapsible barriers at a distance of 5 km for emergency and maintenance vehicles can be allowed.
Modular concrete or plastic walls used to separate lanes of traffic and prevent head-on crashes, known as jersey barriers, are also allowed.
Where there are bridges, tunnels and overpasses, the NHAI says there should be a median wall with metal crash barriers on top.
Cattle on National Highways increase the risk of accidents and loss of lives.

22 September 2026: 50 Exam-Oriented UPSC CSE (Prelims & Mains) Current Affairs Snippets (The Hindu, The Indian Express, PIB…)

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