Current Affairs 18 September 2026

India and Pakistan Lodge Protests After Naval Collision in Arabian Sea

An Indian Navy warship and Pakistan Navy vessel PNS Hunain were involved in a collision in the North Arabian Sea on 15 September 2026. The incident occurred during a period of continued naval deployments by both countries in the Arabian Sea.

According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian warship was on a routine surveillance mission in international waters when PNS Hunain approached at high speed and manoeuvred in what India described as an unsafe and unprofessional manner, resulting in the collision.

India stated that the Pakistani vessel’s conduct was contrary to Article 10 of the India–Pakistan Agreement on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements, 1991. The same provision had figured in diplomatic protests following a similar 2011 incident involving PNS Babur and INS Godavari.

Pakistan–China Boundary Joint Commission

India has rejected the newly operationalised Pakistan–China Boundary Joint Commission, after its inaugural meeting was held in Islamabad on 16 September 2026. The issue is linked to the China–Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 2 March 1963. Under that agreement, Pakistan transferred control of approximately 5,180 sq. km in the Shaksgam Valley to China. India has never recognised the agreement and officially describes the transfer as illegal and invalid.

Hyderabad Liberation Day

The Government of India organised the 2026 Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations at Parade Ground, Secunderabad, Telangana, on 17 September 2026. Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan attended as the Chief Guest.

Hyderabad Liberation Day is observed on 17 September to commemorate the integration of the erstwhile Hyderabad State with the Indian Union in 1948 following Operation Polo. The operation was undertaken under the leadership of India’s first Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The last Nizam of Hyderabad during Operation Polo was Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII. He was the seventh and final Nizam of the princely State of Hyderabad.

The erstwhile Hyderabad State under the Nizam broadly included present-day Telangana, the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, and parts of the Kalyana Karnataka region. After India became independent in August 1947, Hyderabad remained outside the Indian Union until the events of September 1948 culminated in its integration.

Project Vasudha

The Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) has facilitated overseas employment opportunities for qualified nurses in Germany under Project Vasudha. The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Overseas Manpower Company Andhra Pradesh Limited (OMCAP) and Skill Bee Pvt. Ltd.

The first batch comprises three nurses from Aditya Nursing College, Kakinada. Before travelling to Germany, they underwent German language training in Rajahmundry/Rajahmahendravaram.

Project Vasudha is an initiative of the Government of Andhra Pradesh introduced in 2025 aimed at equipping students and skilled youth with foreign-language skills and international employability, helping them access overseas job opportunities.

EPFO Wage Ceiling Raised from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000

The Union Cabinet has approved an increase in the wage ceiling for mandatory coverage under the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 per month. The revised limit takes effect from 17 September 2026. The government estimates that the decision will bring more than 51 lakh additional employees under mandatory EPFO coverage.

Under the existing EPFO contribution structure, an employee generally contributes 12% of EPF wages to EPF, while 8.33% of the employer’s contribution is diverted to EPS. Employees themselves do not directly contribute to EPS.

Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2024

Veteran actor Anant Nag has been selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024, India’s highest honour in the field of cinema. The Government of India announced the award on the recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema over more than five decades. The award will be presented at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony on 22 September 2026 at Ekta Nagar (Kevadia), Gujarat.

Born on 4 September 1948 in Karnataka, Anant Nag began his film career with the Kannada film Sankalpa and entered Hindi cinema with Ankur. He has acted in more than 300 films across Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, and Marathi cinema. His notable work also includes the television series Malgudi Days. He was conferred the Padma Bhushan in 2025.

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award was instituted by the Government of India in 1969 in memory of Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke, who directed Raja Harishchandra (1913), India’s first full-length feature film. Devika Rani was the first recipient of the award. The honour carries a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus), a shawl, and ₹10 lakh.

India Ranks 131st in Global Gender Gap Index 2026

India retained the 131st position out of 145 economies in the Global Gender Gap Index 2026, released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on 16 September 2026. India closed 64.5% of its gender gap, slightly improving its score from the previous edition while its rank remained unchanged.

The Global Gender Gap Index, introduced by the WEF in 2006, measures gender parity across four dimensions: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. The 2026 report marks the 20th edition of the index. Globally, 69.2% of the gender gap has been closed, and at the current pace, full gender parity is estimated to be about 120 years away.

Iceland retained the top position with 93% gender parity, followed by Finland (2nd) and Norway (3rd). At the bottom, Chad ranked 145th, followed by Iran at 144th and Pakistan at 143rd.

Among India’s South Asian neighbours, Bangladesh ranked 79th, Nepal 120th, Sri Lanka 129th and Pakistan 143rd. Maldives ranked 119th and Bhutan 121st. Bangladesh remained the best-performing South Asian country.

Second Edition of India Electric Mobility Index

NITI Aayog launched the second edition of the India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) — IEMI 2025 on 16 September 2026 during a Workshop on State Electric Vehicle (EV) Policies. The Index evaluates the progress of India’s States and Union Territories in their transition towards electric mobility and supports evidence-based policymaking and competitive and cooperative federalism.

The IEMI was developed by NITI Aayog in collaboration with WRI India. The second edition assesses the performance of all 28 States and 8 Union Territories during January–December 2025 through 16 indicators grouped under three major themes.

The three themes are Transport Electrification Progress — 50% weightage, Charging Infrastructure Readiness — 30%, and EV Research and Innovation Status — 20%. For better comparison, States and UTs are grouped into three categories: Large States, Hilly and Northeastern States, and UTs and City States.

Delhi topped the overall IEMI 2025 with a score of 84, followed by Maharashtra (78), Karnataka (73), Chandigarh (71) and Goa (65). Among Large States, Maharashtra ranked first, while Manipur, with a score of 46, was the highest-ranked Hilly and Northeastern State. Karnataka recorded the country’s highest Charging Infrastructure Readiness score of 97.

For Andhra Pradesh, the Index recorded an overall score of 52, placing it in the Frontrunner category among Large States. Andhra Pradesh got 9th rank in overall IEMI 2025.

World Circular Economy Forum 2026 Held in Gandhinagar

The World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026 was held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, with the main forum taking place on 15–16 September 2026. It was the first WCEF hosted in South Asia and was organised under the theme “Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity.”

At the closing ceremony, the baton for WCEF 2027 was handed over to Columbia University in the United States, which will host the next edition. WCEF is a global initiative of Finland and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra. The first World Circular Economy Forum was held in Helsinki, Finland, in 2017.

World Ozone Day 2026

World Ozone Day, officially known as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, is observed every year on 16 September. The day commemorates the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer on 16 September 1987.

The theme of World Ozone Day 2026 was “Global Action for a Cooler Planet”, with special emphasis on celebrating 10 years of sustainable cooling under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. Adopted in 2016, the Kigali Amendment aims to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), potent greenhouse gases commonly used in cooling applications.

India has been a party to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol since 1992. India ratified the Kigali Amendment in September 2021, and it entered into force for India on 26 December 2021. India is scheduled to phase down HFC production and consumption in stages beginning in 2032, reaching an 85% reduction by 2047 against the prescribed baseline.

Q1. Who has been selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2024?
A. Mohanlal
B. Anant Nag
C. Mithun Chakraborty
D. Naseeruddin Shah

Q2. Who was the last Nizam of Hyderabad at the time of Operation Polo in 1948?
A. Mir Mahbub Ali Khan
B. Mir Osman Ali Khan
C. Salar Jung III
D. Mir Akbar Ali Khan

Q3. The World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026 was held in which city?
A. New Delhi
B. Tirupati
C. Gandhinagar
D. Visakhapatnam

Q4. What was the theme of World Ozone Day 2026?
A. Restore the Ozone for a Better Future
B. Global Action for a Cooler Planet
C. Protect Ozone, Protect Climate
D. Sustainable Cooling for All

Q5. Which State/Union Territory topped the second edition of the India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2025?
A. Maharashtra
B. Karnataka
C. Delhi
D. Chandigarh

Q6. What is the overall rank of Andhra Pradesh in the India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2025?
A. 7th
B. 8th
C. 9th
D. 10th

Q7. The Union Cabinet recently approved an increase in the monthly wage ceiling for mandatory EPFO coverage from ₹15,000 to:
A. ₹20,000
B. ₹21,000
C. ₹25,000
D. ₹30,000

Q8. The recent naval collision involving PNS Hunain and an Indian Navy warship led India to cite Article 10 of which bilateral agreement?
A. Indus Waters Treaty, 1960
B. Agreement on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements, 1991
C. Lahore Declaration, 1999
D. Agreement on Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations, 1988

Q9. The Shaksgam Valley, recently in the news, is associated with which of the following?
A. A territory transferred by Pakistan to China under the 1963 China–Pakistan Boundary Agreement
B. A disputed island in the Arabian Sea claimed by India and Pakistan
C. A mountain pass connecting Nepal and Tibet
D. A river valley forming part of the India–Myanmar boundary

Q10. What is India’s rank in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2026?
A. 119th
B. 125th
C. 129th
D. 131st

Q11. Which country ranked first in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2026?
A. Finland
B. Norway
C. Iceland
D. Sweden

Q12. Project Vasudha, an initiative of the Andhra Pradesh Government, is primarily aimed at:
A. Providing subsidised housing to migrant workers
B. Offering foreign-language training and overseas employment opportunities to youth
C. Promoting organic farming among tribal communities
D. Providing interest-free loans to women entrepreneurs