Weekly Current Affairs (September 2026 – Week 4) – Exam Revision Notes

New Arctic Security Agreement

The United States, Denmark and Greenland have reached a new security agreement that would allow Washington to expand its military presence in Greenland while preventing adversarial countries from establishing military bases there.

Greenland is increasingly strategically important because of its location between the Arctic and the North Atlantic. The United States already operates Pituffik Space Base, formerly called Thule Air Base, in north-western Greenland. The base supports missile warning, missile defence, space surveillance and satellite operations.

US Deployed ‘Space Control’ Weapons in Orbit

The United States has publicly acknowledged for the first time that it has deployed “space control” weapons in Earth orbit. On 14 September 2026, U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said that the U.S. Space Force has on-orbit systems capable of defending American forces against hostile actions in space.

Indonesia’s Nickel Supply Curbs

Indonesia, which accounts for more than 60% of global nickel production, has tried to curb oversupply by reducing mining quotas, strengthening environmental controls and adjusting ore prices. The measures followed Indonesia’s 2020 ban on nickel ore exports, which encouraged domestic processing capacity and helped the country become the world’s dominant nickel producer.

The International Nickel Study Group (INSG) revised its 2026 outlook in April, changing its earlier forecast of a 2,61,000-tonne surplus to a 32,000-tonne deficit, mainly due to lower expected Indonesian production.

OneSCD Global Partnership for Sickle Cell Care

India co-hosted the launch of OneSCD: A Global Partnership to Advance Equity and Transform Sickle Cell Care on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) in New York. It aims to strengthen global cooperation and promote equitable and accessible care for people living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).

Partners included the Government of Nigeria, WHO, UNICEF, Africa CDC, World Coalition on Sickle Cell Disease and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Karnataka Grants Additional Official Language Status to Tulu

The Karnataka Cabinet, at its meeting in Mangaluru on 18 September 2026, decided to grant Tulu additional official (administrative) language status in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. Tulu is also spoken in northern Kasaragod district of Kerala. The State will provide ₹82 lakh annually for translation, training and other language-use activities.

Starbucks to Set Up Global Capability Centre in Chennai

Starbucks has signed an MoU with the Tamil Nadu government to establish a Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Chennai, expected to create 800 high-value jobs in its first phase.

Tamil Nadu hosts more than 450 GCCs, about 10–15% of India’s GCC ecosystem, and is described as India’s third-largest GCC hub, after Karnataka and Telangana.

Supreme Court Strikes Down Maharashtra’s Methanol Denaturation Rules

The Supreme Court on 18 September 2026 struck down certain provisions of the Maharashtra Poisons Rules, 1972 relating to the sale and use of methanol. The rules required methanol sold to non-drug manufacturers to be mixed with colouring and bittering agents. The Court held these restrictions placed an excessive burden on legitimate industries and were not proportionate to the objective of preventing illicit liquor.

Maharashtra Women Farmers’ Empowerment Bill

In July 2026, Maharashtra passed the Women Farmers’ Empowerment Bill, becoming the first Indian State to give enforceable legal recognition to women as farmers irrespective of land ownership. It provides a Woman Farmer Certificate to women engaged in agriculture for at least one agricultural season a year.

It recognises landless cultivators, landless livestock rearers, agricultural labourers, plantation labourers and pastoralists. Women often work on family land without their names in land records, restricting access to schemes, credit, subsidies, technology and extension services. The Bill also provides a database of women farmers; linking certificates with Agri Stack and issuing Farmer IDs can integrate them into the digital agricultural ecosystem.

National Institute of Sowa Rigpa (NISR) – Leh; Ladakh

The National Institute of Sowa Rigpa (NISR) is a premier institution for education, research and promotion of Sowa Rigpa, the traditional system of medicine practised in the Himalayan region. It is located in Leh, Ladakh.

Gurajada Jayanti Declared a State Festival

The Andhra Pradesh Government has declared September 21, the birth anniversary of Telugu writer, playwright and social reformer Mahakavi Gurajada Venkata Appa Rao, as a State festival.

662-Year-Old Vijayanagara Inscription Found – Penukonda Hill

An ancient stone inscription discovered at the Sri Naga Lingeshwara Swamy Temple atop Penukonda Hill in Sri Sathya Sai district has revealed new information about the Vijayanagara Empire. The 662-year-old inscription dates to the reign of Bukka Raya I (1356–1377 CE). It states that the temple was commissioned by Anantharasu Chikka Odeyar, who served as the Prime Minister of the Vijayanagara Empire.

AP Cabinet Approves Four New Police Commissionerates

The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approved four new Police Commissionerates headquartered at Rajamahendravaram, Guntur, Tirupati and Kurnool, announced by I&PR Minister Kolusu Parthasarathy. The Cabinet also approved the Andhra Pradesh State Prosecution Service Rules, 2026 and a Social Media Influencers (SMI) Policy for identifying, verifying and empanelling credible influencers to disseminate information on government schemes.

Interarch Building Solutions to Invest ₹300 Crore

Noida-based Interarch Building Solutions Limited will invest around ₹300 crore in a phased manner to expand manufacturing at Athivaram Industrial Park, Ojili mandal, SPSR Nellore district. It announced the investment while inaugurating a new heavy structural steel manufacturing facility. The company has also entered into a joint venture with a Canadian company to manufacture products for export.

Chandavaram Buddhist Stupa

The Chandavaram Buddhist Stupa in Donakonda mandal of Prakasam district is set to be developed as an international tourist destination. Located on Singarakonda Hill near the Gundlakamma River, the ancient double-terraced stupa is described as the largest among the 150 Buddhist stupas discovered in Andhra Pradesh. The region flourished between the 2nd century BCE and 2nd century CE along an ancient route connecting Kashi and Kanchipuram.

India’s First Blue Bond

Sagarmala Finance Corporation, India’s first maritime lender, plans to issue India’s first blue bond on 28 September 2026. It plans to raise ₹600 crore through 10-year bonds, including a greenshoe option of ₹500 crore, as per the provisional term sheet. The issue introduces a specialised financing instrument for India’s maritime and blue-economy sectors.

Nidhi Companies

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has issued an advisory cautioning people to conduct proper background checks before investing in Nidhi Companies, particularly when unusually high returns are promised. A Nidhi Company is a mutual-benefit company regulated by the MCA under the Companies Act, 2013 and the Nidhi Rules, 2014. It can accept deposits and provide loans only to its members. Companies seeking Nidhi status must apply in Form NDH-4.

International Payment Systems

SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) is a Belgium-based global financial messaging network used by banks for cross-border payments. Growing use of financial sanctions and concerns over dependence on the U.S. dollar-based system have encouraged alternatives.

CIPS (Cross-Border Interbank Payment System), backed by the People’s Bank of China, was launched in 2015 to promote international use of the yuan (renminbi); it processed an average of 679.8 billion yuan per day in 2025, though its scale remains smaller than established systems. Russia developed SPFS (System for Transfer of Financial Messages) in 2014 amid Western sanctions; after Russian banks were excluded from SWIFT in 2022, SPFS became an important channel.

Project mBridge is a multi-CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency) platform for cross-border payments involving China, Hong Kong, Thailand, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. It developed the mBridge Ledger, a blockchain-based platform for direct peer-to-peer settlement using CBDCs without correspondent banks.

Methanol – CH₃OH

Methanol (CH₃OH) is a colourless, highly toxic and flammable liquid also known as methyl alcohol or wood alcohol. It is mainly an industrial raw material, used to produce formaldehyde, paints, solvents, plastics and other chemicals. It is not meant for human consumption — even small amounts can cause serious poisoning, blindness or death — and it can be misused in making illicit liquor.

Canal-Top Photovoltaics (CTPV)

Canal-top photovoltaics (CTPV) installs solar panels on elevated structures above irrigation and water-supply canals. Unlike floating solar, CTPV structures span the canal or run along its banks without obstructing water flow. It requires virtually no additional land — in Punjab, 20 MW of CTPV is estimated to have saved nearly 100 acres — and reduces evaporation losses.

IMEI Tampering – 15-Digit IMEI

The International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a unique 15-digit number identifying a mobile device on a telecom network. The first eight digits form the Type Allocation Code (TAC), identifying the device model; the GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications Association) oversees TAC allocation. A dual-SIM phone generally has two IMEI numbers.

The Government has highlighted IMEI tampering as a threat to telecom security and digital sovereignty. Removing or altering an IMEI, or knowingly possessing, producing or using hardware/software for such alteration, is unlawful.

Bio-Based Biodegradable Plastic

The Union Government launched the commercial use of bio-based biodegradable plastic based on Polylactic Acid (PLA). The initiative is being taken forward by Balrampur Chini Mills Limited (BCML) under the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment & Employment) framework.

SLINEX-26 – 13th Edition

The 13th edition of the Sri Lanka–India Bilateral Maritime Exercise (SLINEX-26) is being conducted at Visakhapatnam from 17 to 21 September 2026. It began with the Harbour Phase, followed by the Sea Phase, under the aegis of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Naval Command.

Exercise NOMADIC ELEPHANT 2026

The 18th edition of Exercise NOMADIC ELEPHANT, the annual India–Mongolia Joint Military Exercise, commenced on 21 September 2026 at the Foreign Training Node, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, and will continue until 3 October 2026. It is conducted alternately between India and Mongolia.

Exercise VARUNA

INS Trishul participated in the 24th edition of the bilateral maritime exercise VARUNA between the Indian Navy and the French Navy. The exercise aims at strengthening naval cooperation and interoperability and sharing operational experience in the maritime domain.

Make in India Completes 12 Years

Make in India was launched on 25 September 2014 to make India a global hub for manufacturing, design and innovation. It has expanded under Make in India 2.0 to cover 27 sectors — 15 manufacturing and 12 services. Supporting initiatives include PLI schemes, National Single Window System (NSWS), PM GatiShakti National Master Plan and India Industrial Land Bank.

As of June 2026, PLI schemes covering 14 sectors attracted ₹2.40 lakh crore in investment and generated ₹22.66 lakh crore+ in production and sales.

DDU-GKY 2.0

The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) was launched on 25 September 2014 under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission to provide placement-linked skill training to rural youth from poor households. The DDU-GKY 2.0 Guidelines were notified in May 2025, emphasising training quality, employment sustainability, placement retention and post-placement support.

Purnima Devi Barman Named Changemaker of the Year

Grassroots conservationist Purnima Devi Barman received the Changemaker of the Year award from BusinessLine for conserving the endangered greater adjutant stork, locally known as Hargila. Her efforts also helped village women become bird protectors and self-reliant entrepreneurs.

Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey 2025–26

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the findings of the Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey (DTES) 2025–26, conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) from July 2025 to June 2026 as part of the 80th round of the NSS. It covered 2,46,113 households across 24,778 First Stage Units (FSUs).

First Ever P4M Summit

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar co-chaired the first-ever Partners for Multilateralism, International Law, Peace & Prosperity (P4M) Summit at the UN headquarters in New York. India co-sponsored the summit, held on the margins of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. With the global order under stress from geopolitical tensions, competition and conflicts, stronger multilateralism is necessary to protect international cooperation.

14th East Asia Summit Economic Ministers’ Meeting

India participated in the 14th East Asia Summit Economic Ministers’ Meeting (EAS-EMM) and the 23rd ASEAN-India Economic Ministers Consultation in Manila, Philippines. Representatives from all 11 ASEAN member states participated along with EAS partners including India, Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States. Discussions covered economic developments and the trade and investment outlook for 2027.

World Rhino Day 2026

World Rhino Day is observed every year on 22 September to raise awareness about rhinoceros conservation. The 2026 theme is “Keep the Five Alive”, focusing on protecting the five surviving rhino species.

Assam is home to nearly 80% of the world’s rhino population; Kaziranga National Park is one of the most important habitats for the greater one-horned rhinoceros, which is mainly found in India and Nepal. The Prime Minister announced Project Rhino, providing financial and technical support to rhino-range States for protection, habitat management, genetic improvement and understanding population dynamics.

US Open 2026

The 2026 US Open, the year’s fourth and final Grand Slam, concluded at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, New York, held from 30 August to 13 September 2026.

Indian Women’s Cricket Team Wins Asian Games Gold

The Indian women’s cricket team won the gold medal in the women’s T20 event at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, defeating Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final at Nisshin on 22 September 2026. This was India’s second consecutive Asian Games gold.

Marathi Film ‘Gondhal’

The Marathi film Gondhal, written and directed by Santosh Davakhar, has been selected as India’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards (Oscars 2027). The Film Federation of India (FFI) selected it from 33 entries.

National Rozgar Mela

The National Rozgar Mela was launched on 22 October 2022 to facilitate recruitment to 10 lakh Central Government posts in a time-bound manner. The first edition distributed 75,000+ appointment letters at 50 centres. Recruitment is carried out through UPSC, SSC and Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs).

Recruits have joined the Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Posts, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Department of Financial Services and Ministry of Labour and Employment. The initiative follows a mission-mode approach to fill vacancies against sanctioned posts.

India Cine Hub (ICH)

The India Cine Hub (ICH) is a digital single-window portal that simplifies obtaining film-shooting permissions across India. It is managed by the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) and provides a common platform for film permits, film visas, co-production applications and shooting-location information, plus guidelines on aerial filming, animal filming, forests and filming at monuments.

Battle of Haifa

The Battle of Haifa was fought on 23 September 1918 during the final phase of the First World War. Indian cavalry units, including the Jodhpur, Mysore and Hyderabad Lancers, played a major role in the Allied capture of Haifa from primarily Ottoman forces, operating under British command. It is regarded as one of the notable cavalry actions involving Indian soldiers.

More than one million Indian soldiers served overseas in the war, and over 74,000 died. The battle is commemorated in Israel and associated with India-Israel diplomatic ties.