Current Affairs Questions with Answers

In the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2026, New York ranked first, London second, and Paris third among 1,000 cities, while Delhi was the highest-ranked Indian city at the 268th position. The cities were evaluated based on economy, human capital, quality of life, environment, and governance.

The Central Government has extended AFSPA for six months—from October 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027—in certain areas of Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh, while excluding 13 police station areas across five districts of Manipur from its ambit. Under Section 3 of AFSPA, an area is declared a ‘disturbed area,’ and Section 4 grants special powers to the armed forces, making the Act significant in the context of internal security and human rights.

On September 25, 2026, the Central Government appointed Mandeep K. Bhandari, a 2001-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, as the new Chairman of CBSE; he has been granted the rank and pay scale of Additional Secretary. CBSE handles significant tasks related to board examinations, school affiliation, curriculum development, and teacher training, alongside NEP 2020 implementation, digital evaluation, and examination reforms.

On September 26, 2026, India won a total of 7 medals—comprising 2 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze—at the Asian Games, bringing its total medal tally to 30. In addition to gold medals in men's and women's kabaddi, Sawan Barwal, Tajinderpal Singh Toor, and the women's 50m rifle 3P team won silver medals.

World Environmental Health Day is observed annually on September 26 to raise awareness about the relationship between human health and the environment and to promote a clean and sustainable environment. This day is associated with the IFEH and focuses on issues such as air and water pollution, sanitation, waste management, food safety, and climate change; significant initiatives in India include the Swachh Bharat Mission, Jal Jeevan Mission, and NCAP.

Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam has been appointed as the next High Commissioner to India, and India has granted formal *agrément* for his appointment. Siam, an officer of the 1995 batch, has previously served as an ambassador to the US, while the current High Commissioner, M. Riaz Hamidullah, will assume the role of Permanent Representative to the United Nations office in Geneva.

A team led by Indian researchers studied an ultracompact double-white-dwarf binary named eRASSU J0608, which has an orbital period of approximately 6.24 minutes and exhibits X-ray emission due to direct-impact accretion. Its orbital period is decreasing due to gravitational radiation, and this system—with a chirp mass of approximately 0.43 solar masses—could become a potential verification source for the future LISA mission.

The Delhi government launched the ‘Delhi PM Surya Ghar’ portal on September 21, 2026, under which eligible families can receive assistance of up to ₹1.56 lakh through the combined subsidy from the Central and Delhi governments. The total outlay for the PM Surya Ghar scheme is ₹75,021 crore, and it aims to promote clean energy, energy security, and sustainable development by installing rooftop solar systems in 1 crore households.

The Delhi Cabinet approved the DURGA scheme for women and transgender individuals on September 23, 2026, with 1,300 pink e-autos to be provided in the first phase. The scheme aims to promote self-employment, women's safety, last-mile connectivity, and clean urban transport, and will also incorporate EV charging facilities at 70 DMRC metro stations.

The Madhya Pradesh government has announced the National Lata Mangeshkar Award 2026 for music director Shantanu Moitra in recognition of his contributions to the field of music; the award includes a tax-free cash prize of ₹5 lakh and a citation. The award will be presented in Indore on September 28, 2026; Moitra previously received a National Film Award in 2014 for *Na Bangaru Talli*, and the Lata Mangeshkar Award was instituted in 1984.

Lalrithangi from Mizoram has been selected for the FAO’s ‘100 Women Heroes’ initiative for her contributions to agri-food systems and rural development. A former teacher, Lalrithangi earned an income of over ₹10 lakh from strawberry farming in 2025, and this honor is associated with the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026.

India won medals in Wushu, Rowing, Shooting, and Athletics at the 20th Asian Games 2026 held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Roshibina Devi won silver in Wushu; Satnam Singh-Salman Khan and Parinaz Dhaliwal-Anantjeet Singh Naruka won bronze; while Seema and the mixed 4×400m relay team won bronze and silver medals, respectively.

World Pharmacists Day is observed annually on 25 September, aiming to promote the contribution of pharmacists to healthcare services and the safe and rational use of medicines. The theme for 2026 is "Pharmacists: Meeting Global Health Needs," focusing on the role of pharmacists in addressing global health requirements.

On 22 September 2026, the Andhra Pradesh Police launched the CDMP and SafeStay AP digital platforms in Guntur for crime prevention and surveillance, utilizing AI, drones, and data-driven policing. CDMP centralizes live drone feeds and AI analysis, while SafeStay AP strengthens security and police coordination through occupancy information from hotels and PGs.

In the WEF's 'Chief Economists’ Outlook' (September 2026), India's economic growth was viewed as robust, with the GDP growth projection for 2026-27 set at 6.7%, primarily driven by strong domestic demand. However, high energy prices, geopolitical tensions, and economic fragmentation remain key risks, with 97% of economists identifying geopolitical conflicts as a major source of global uncertainty.

Ayushman Bharat–PM-JAY was launched from Ranchi in September 2018, providing eligible families with a cashless and paperless health cover of up to ₹5 lakh per year. The scheme encompasses over 60 crore people, more than 48.54 crore Ayushman cards, and over 38,000 empanelled hospitals; senior citizens aged above 70 years have also been brought under its ambit.

The RBI has amended the rules regarding the classification and valuation of InvIT and REIT units within the investment portfolios of AIFIs. RBI's rules for 'listed securities' will apply to listed units. Unlisted units will be valued based on their respective NAVs; however, if the NAV is unavailable or prescribed conditions are not met, the unit's value will be considered ₹1.

Six novels have been shortlisted from 163 books for the 2026 Booker Prize, including works by former winners Marlon James and Douglas Stuart, as well as Rebecca Perry, who has been shortlisted for the first time. The Chair of the 2026 judging panel is historian Mary Beard; the winner will receive £50,000, and each shortlisted author will receive a prize of £2,500.

Rajat Sharma was unanimously re-elected as the President of NBDA for 2026-27; the NBDA comprises India's TV and digital broadcasters of news and current affairs. At the 19th AGM, Jayant Mammen Mathew of MM TV was inducted into the board, while Rachna Barman and Kshipra Jatana were appointed as permanent directors.

At the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026, Mirabai Chanu won a silver medal in the women's 49 kg category by lifting a total weight of 198 kg, thereby ending India's 28-year medal drought in weightlifting at the Asian Games. Prior to this, Karnam Malleswari had won silver in 1998; meanwhile, Jai Meena secured India's first Asian Games medal in soft tennis.