Current affairs — 17 September 2026

Prelims pointers

• SGB 2019-20 Series IV was issued on 17 September 2019 under a Government of India notification dated 30 May 2019.
• Premature redemption may be permitted after the fifth year from issue on a date when interest is payable.
• The next premature-redemption due date for this tranche is 17 September 2026.
• The redemption price is based on the simple average of IBJA-published closing prices of gold of 999 purity for the previous three business days.
• RBI fixed the premature-redemption price at ₹15,173 per unit using closing prices for 11, 15 and 16 September 2026.

Prelims pointers

• The government-security conversion or switch auction has an aggregate notified face value of ₹30,000 crore.
• Eight source securities maturing from 2027 to 2030 are paired with five destination securities maturing from 2034 to 2060.
• Participants must bid through RBI's e-Kuber Switch Transaction module; the minimum bid is ₹10,000 and thereafter in multiples of ₹10,000.
• The auction is multiple-price based, and successful bids are accepted at their respective quoted source- and destination-security prices.
• Bids are scheduled for 10:30-11:30 a.m. on 21 September 2026, with results that day and T+1 settlement on 22 September.

Prelims pointers

• The Allahabad High Court freed a man confined after his conversion and relationship with a Muslim woman.
• The report says the Allahabad High Court cited Articles 21 and 25 in the matter.
• Ayush Malik submitted to the Court that he had voluntarily embraced Islam.
• Malik said that his voluntary conversion took place in 2014 and that he accepted Ms. Qureshi as his partner.
• The Court observed that such choices cannot be curtailed merely because they oppose family members’ wishes.

Prelims pointers

• For a night-flying insect, the brightest part of the natural environment is usually the sky, including the moon and stars.
• Many insects keep their backs toward the brightest surroundings, an orientation that normally helps them stay upright.
• A 2024 study reconstructed insect flight paths around artificial lights in three dimensions.
• Near lamps, insects repeatedly turned their backs toward the light and could circle, stall, climb steeply, flip or crash.
• The observed behaviour does not require the older explanation that moths mistake nearby lamps for distant celestial navigation cues.

Prelims pointers

• The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, enacted in 2016, provides a time-bound process for resolving insolvency and maximising distressed-asset value.
• In a corporate insolvency resolution process, the Committee of Creditors takes the principal commercial decisions and the NCLT approves the resolution plan.
• Section 29A of the IBC bars specified persons from submitting resolution plans, including in cases involving possible promoter re-entry.
• The ED flagged inflated related-party claims, manipulated creditor committees, asset stripping, undervaluation and artificially large haircuts for scrutiny.
• An IBC irregularity is not automatically money laundering; PMLA action requires a link among an underlying offence, proceeds of crime and laundering.

Prelims pointers

• Commodity-vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz fell to three on September 16, 2026, from 12 a day earlier.
• The ten-day average for Hormuz traffic was about 17 vessels, well above the three recorded in the preliminary data.
• The traffic figures exclude vessels that may have crossed with their Automatic Identification System transponders switched off.
• Kpler recorded an empty Supramax bulk ship and an empty petroleum-product tanker entering, while a Panamax tanker exited.
• Bab el-Mandeb crossings fell to 21 on September 16 from 24 a day earlier as conflict raised risks to global oil supplies.

Prelims pointers

• All nine of Sikkim's urban local bodies are ODF+ certified, and Sikkim is described as India's first ODF Plus model State.
• Only 40% of Gangtok's Census 2011 population of 100,286 is connected to a piped sewerage network.
• The cited NITI Aayog report says India treats only 28% of the 72,368 million litres of urban used water generated daily.
• The Draft Liquid Waste Management Rules 2024 mandate recycling at least 20% of treated water, rising to 40% for industrial use.
• Among 394 registered sanitation workers, 33% have PPE kits under NAMASTE and 21.3% possess PM-JAY health-insurance cards.

Prelims pointers

• The Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act authorises U.S. presidential tariffs of up to 100% on specified purchasers of Russian oil and gas.
• Potential targets must be among the five largest importers by volume over the 12 months preceding enactment and make new Russian crude purchases after 30 days.
• A country may be exempt if it significantly reduces Russian gas imports or if its imports are below 15% of Russia's total gas exports.
• The MEA said India would pursue energy security for 1.4 billion people through diversified sourcing and evolving market dynamics.
• India's Russian oil purchases reached a 38-month low in December 2025 and then an 11-month high in April 2026.

Prelims pointers

• E20 petrol consists of 80% motor gasoline and 20% anhydrous ethanol.
• Public-sector oil marketing companies began selling E20 at selected outlets on February 6, 2023.
• A Lok Sabha reply citing an ARAI–SIAM–IOCL study put E20 fuel-economy loss at 2% to 6% by vehicle category and vintage.
• The article cited an estimate of ₹88,234 crore in additional consumer spending over three years due to mileage loss.
• Its calculation found emissions rising at 4% to 6% mileage loss and falling only when the loss was below 4%.

Prelims pointers

• The re-issue covers 7.06% GS 2041 for ₹17,000 crore and 7.43% GS 2076 for ₹11,000 crore.
• The combined notified amount for the two Government securities is ₹28,000 crore.
• Each Primary Dealer's MUC is ₹405 crore for the 2041 security and ₹262 crore for the 2076 security.
• The Additional Competitive Underwriting auction follows a multiple price-based method.
• Primary Dealers submit ACU bids through E-Kuber from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on 18 September 2026.

Prelims pointers

• The U.S. House passed the Russia sanctions legislation on September 16, 2026 by a vote of 262-159.
• The Bill authorises presidential tariffs of up to 100% on qualifying purchasers of Russian-origin oil or natural gas.
• Potential targets include the five largest importers by volume over the preceding 12 months that make new Russian crude purchases after 30 days.
• Countries significantly reducing Russian gas imports, or importing less than 15% of Russia's total gas exports, would be exempt.
• The legislation gives the U.S. President authority to waive the sanctions in the national interest.

Prelims pointers

• DFS said MDR on selected high-value UPI transactions would support a self-sustaining revenue model for smaller companies.
• NPCI’s September 15, 2026 circular retained RuPay as the only credit card allowed for credit transactions on UPI.
• NPCI had mandated a maximum 30% market share for third-party application providers in November 2020.
• DFS said the 30% cap could not be implemented because non-leading firms lacked a self-sustaining revenue model.
• The article reported UPI transaction-volume shares of about 46% for PhonePe and 32% for Google Pay.

Prelims pointers

• The EU-backed Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague sentenced former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci to 25 years in prison.
• The Kosovo Liberation Army was an ethnic Albanian militant force formed in the early 1990s to pursue Kosovo's independence.
• The 1998-99 Kosovo war displaced thousands and killed nearly 13,000 people, mostly ethnic Albanians, before NATO intervention ended hostilities.
• Kosovo declared independence in 2008, but Serbia and India do not recognise it, and Kosovo is not a UN member state.
• The Kosovo Specialist Chambers was constituted in 2016 after the 2010 Marty report raised allegations of KLA detention and abuse.

Prelims pointers

• The RBI cancelled Certificates of Registration belonging to five companies.
• The cancellations were made under Section 45-IA(6) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
• The five cancellation orders were dated from 3 August to 31 August 2026.
• Four affected companies have registered offices in Maharashtra, while Dar’s Financial Services is registered in West Bengal.
• After cancellation, the companies cannot conduct NBFI business as defined in Section 45-I(a) of the RBI Act.

Prelims pointers

• India imported 110.4 lakh tonnes of Russian oil in July 2026, nearly 52% of its total oil imports that month.
• Russia’s share was an all-time high and had risen from a little under 50% in June.
• Russian oil volume was 26% above June and nearly 55% above July 2025.
• India spent $7.3 billion on Russian oil in July 2026, compared with $3.6 billion a year earlier.
• The U.S. House bill seeks tariffs up to 100% on the five largest absorbers of Russia’s oil exports.

Prelims pointers

• India imported 19 MMT of crude oil in August for $11.7 billion, versus 19.6 MMT for $9.9 billion a year earlier.
• Crude import volume fell 3% year on year, while the crude import bill rose about 18.2%.
• India’s crude basket averaged $90.19 per barrel, compared with $82.04 in July and $69.11 a year earlier.
• The net oil-and-gas import bill stayed unchanged at $9.3 billion as petroleum-product export earnings rose about 43%.
• LNG imports rose 0.1% to 2,915 MMSCM, while spending on them remained $1.2 billion.

Prelims pointers

• NPCI proposed a flat ₹5 MDR for transactions above ₹2,000 from October 15 in specified merchant categories.
• A commercial LPG refill weighs 19 kg and costs nearly ₹3,000, placing its payment above the stated threshold.
• Domestic LPG refills weigh 14.2 kg and cost less than ₹1,000 each.
• Distributors fear aggregated UPI remittances by delivery workers may cross ₹2,000 and attract MDR.
• NPCI contrasted the flat ₹5 fee with a 0.4% variable rate for specified sectors such as fuel.

Prelims pointers

• Telangana’s State Climate Centre for Cities was established under CITIIS Programme 2.0.
• CITIIS expands to City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain.
• The centre is Telangana’s nodal platform for urban climate knowledge, data management and municipal technical support.
• Its mandate includes emissions assessment, climate-risk studies, vulnerability studies and climate action plans.
• The Urban Climate Atlas integrates spatial data on risks, vulnerabilities, emissions and urban services.

Prelims pointers

• Kerala panchayats estimated unpaid MGNREGS material costs from the previous financial year at more than ₹500 crore.
• VB–G RAM G stands for Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin).
• The article states that VB–G RAM G came into force nationwide on July 1 and replaced MGNREGS.
• Under the new arrangement, States bear 40% of the normative allocation fixed by the Union government.
• States bear the full cost of working days beyond the normative allocation; Kerala’s added burden was estimated at ₹3,500 crore.

Prelims pointers

• CAG Report No. 31 of 2026 examined passenger amenities and sanitation at railway stations.
• Bio-toilets were deficient or non-functional at 491 of the 512 stations inspected.
• The 2024-25 audit found inadequate drinking-water taps at 188 stations, including four with none.
• Of 291 platforms inspected across 97 stations, 172 were not high-level; 1,558 network-wide remained at rail-level.
• At 130 stations no information about complaint registers was displayed, and 22% of surveyed passengers were unaware of them.

Prelims pointers

• India's bioeconomy was valued at $195.3 billion in 2025 according to the article.
• About 12,000 of India's more than 2,40,000 start-ups are in biotechnology, and roughly 30% of biotech start-ups focus on healthcare.
• Genomics and next-generation sequencing are used for disease diagnosis and cancer profiling, while CRISPR supports work on inherited disorders and oncology.
• Synthetic biology can design biological systems or microbes for medicines, enzymes, vaccines, biofuels, biomaterials and specialty chemicals.
• The 2024 BioE3 Policy prioritises precision biotherapeutics, bio-based APIs and enzymes, functional foods and Bio-AI-enabled biomanufacturing.

Prelims pointers

• The 16th round offers 25 coal blocks, comprising 21 fully explored and four partially explored mines.
• The offered blocks are spread across nine coal-bearing States, from Arunachal Pradesh to West Bengal.
• Six mines are offered under the CMSP Act and 19 under the MMDR Act.
• The commercial mining framework has no end-use restrictions and permits 100% FDI through the automatic route.
• The six mines with new CMDPAs hold about 1,504 million tonnes of geological reserves and 11.62 MTPA of combined Peak Rated Capacity.

Prelims pointers

• Special Campaign 6 is being undertaken by the Department of Posts under the Ministry of Communications.
• Its preparatory phase runs from 15 to 30 September 2026 and implementation from 2 to 31 October 2026.
• Postal Circles must use the prescribed producer, recycler or refurbisher mechanism for obsolete electronic and IT equipment.
• Scientific disposal is to follow the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 and their amendments.
• Special Campaign 5.0 included 6,000 Dak Chaupals and cleaning of 1,30,000 campaign sites.

Prelims pointers

• The India-New Zealand FTA was signed in New Delhi on 27 April 2026.
• New Zealand's Parliament passed legislation to give effect to the agreement on 16 September 2026.
• From entry into force, 100% of Indian exports will receive duty-free access to New Zealand.
• The agreement provides for facilitating USD 20 billion of investment into India.
• The FTA creates opportunities in services and in professional, student and youth mobility.

Prelims pointers

• All seven BIMSTEC member states participated in the third traditional-medicine conference and second Nodal Group meeting in Goa.
• The conference covered traditional-medicine knowledge, genetic resources and intellectual property rights.
• Four cooperation areas were agreed: policy and institutions; standards and trade; documentation and capacity building; and implementation mechanisms.
• All member states unanimously agreed to support one another on intellectual property, genetic resources and traditional-medicine knowledge.
• The ‘Goa Conclusions’ were described as a foundation for future BIMSTEC cooperation.

Prelims pointers

• SEMICON India began in 2022, and the 2026 event inaugurated in New Delhi was its fifth edition.
• Commercial semiconductor production was reported to have started at two new plants in Mohali and Surat.
• The second phase of the Semiconductor Mission was announced with a value of $13.5 billion.
• The address referred to twelve approved semiconductor projects and an expanding demand pipeline.
• India targets training one lakh engineering students in chip design, of whom 70,000 were reported already trained.

Prelims pointers

• The Aadi farmer-carbon programme was launched in 2019 by Grow Indigo with technical guidance from ICAR.
• Payments were initiated through DBT for 2,550 farmers in Punjab and Haryana.
• Credits followed measurement and independent verification of greenhouse-gas reductions and increased soil carbon.
• The first issuance covered about 30,000 acres and more than 50,000 carbon credits.
• Farmers could choose an assured upfront payment or 75% of net carbon revenue after the credits were sold.

Prelims pointers

• The Coal Ministry launched the 16th round of commercial coal-mine auctions on September 17, 2026.
• The round offers 25 coal blocks, of which 21 are fully explored and four are partially explored.
• The offered blocks span nine coal-bearing States, including Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana.
• India's commercial coal-mining framework has auctioned 147 mines according to the report.
• The auctioned mines are projected to yield over ₹47,500 crore in revenue and require more than ₹55,000 crore in capital investment.

Prelims pointers

• Houthi media said Saudi strikes on September 17, 2026 targeted three telecommunications towers and killed one person.
• Almasirah television located the towers in Taiz province and said strikes in Abs killed one civilian and injured another.
• The Houthis had seized strategic Red Sea coastal areas overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
• A fragile truce dating from 2022 broke down in July 2026 after an Iranian plane arrived in Sanaa.
• The Houthis later announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and began attacking its ships and territory.

Prelims pointers

• The Boundary Joint Commission’s inaugural meeting was held in Islamabad on September 17, 2026.
• The commission is based on the Pakistan-China Agreement on the Boundary Management System of 2013.
• India said the commission lacked legal basis to decide arrangements involving Indian territory under illegal occupation.
• India maintains that Pakistan’s transfer of territory including Shaksgam Valley to China in 1963 was illegal and unacceptable.
• India opposes the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor because part of it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Prelims pointers

• The Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act 2026 authorises sanctions on Russia and steep tariffs on leading trading partners.
• China said unilateral sanctions lacking a basis in international law and a UN Security Council mandate amounted to long-arm jurisdiction.
• The bill passed the U.S. House by 262 votes to 159 on September 16, 2026 after Senate approval the previous month.
• Beijing and Washington were discussing reciprocal tariff reductions covering $30 billion of products from each side.
• China’s Russian oil-and-gas imports were reported at $64 billion in the previous year and over $70 billion in January-August 2026.

Prelims pointers

• The RBI's OMO sale auction has an aggregate notified amount of ₹25,000 crore and no security-wise notified amount.
• Six Government of India securities maturing from 2027 through 2032 are offered for sale.
• Electronic bids must be submitted through E-Kuber between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on 21 September 2026.
• Physical bids are permitted only if the electronic system fails.
• Results are due on 21 September, while successful participants must provide funds by noon on 22 September 2026.

Prelims pointers

• Ursula von der Leyen proposed that Canada could become the 27-member EU’s first “associate member.”
• EU treaties do not provide for the proposed associate status, and member states must approve partnerships with non-EU countries.
• Canada and the EU already have CETA, a free-trade agreement that abolished almost all tariffs.
• EU-Canada trade in goods and services had risen by more than 80% since 2016.
• In 2026, Canada became the first non-EU country to join a flagship EU defence-loan programme.