International Literacy Day 2026 marks its 60th anniversary.
Dated: 12 September 2026
International Literacy Day was observed on September 8, 2026 with its global event in Chiapas, Mexico, marking 60 years since UNESCO proclaimed the observance.
Key Highlights:
1. The 2026 theme was Literacy for people, the planet and prosperity.
2. Global literacy has reached about 88%, yet 739 million youth and adults still lack basic literacy skills.
3. Four in every 10 children remain below the minimum reading level.
4. The event also recognised recipients of UNESCO’s international literacy prizes.
5. UNESCO proclaimed the day at its 14th General Conference in 1966 and it was first observed on September 8, 1967.
Additional Information:
1. Literacy is recognised as a fundamental human right and a basis for lifelong learning.
2. UNESCO was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Paris, France.
DRDO seeks industry partner for SHIELD anti-drone microwave system.
Dated: 12 September 2026
DRDO issued a request for proposals on September 10, 2026 to develop SHIELD, a high-power microwave system designed to disable hostile drones electronically.
Key Highlights:
1. SHIELD expands to S-band High-Power Microwave Integrated Evaluation System for Lethality and Damage.
2. The project is offered through the Technology Development Fund to Indian industries, MSMEs and start-ups.
3. It will provide soft-kill capability by disrupting drone circuits, communication, sensors and navigation without a kinetic interceptor.
4. The programme will establish validation benchmarks and create opportunities in shielding, grounding and specialised connectors.
5. Tonbo Imaging is developing a naval microwave system under ADITI 3.0, while a BEL prototype is expected to enter trials.
Additional Information:
1. DRDO is a Defence Ministry research organisation headquartered in New Delhi.
2. The Technology Development Fund supports indigenous development of defence systems, components and technologies.
NIELIT Digital University integrates Saylor University courses.
Dated: 12 September 2026
NIELIT Digital University integrated more than 160 free learning resources from the United States-based Saylor University on September 10, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The resources cover artificial intelligence, data science, cyber security and programming for learners preparing for the global digital economy.
2. NIELIT also signed agreements with 8 partners for industry certification, internships and employability support.
3. Partners include CII, NASSCOM, Pearson India and STEMLORE.
4. The initiative expands flexible, self-paced and affordable technology education through the university platform.
5. NIELIT functions as an autonomous scientific society under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Additional Information:
1. NIELIT is a deemed-to-be university under UGC Regulations 2023, has its main campus at Ropar and 11 constituent campuses.
2. Saylor University is a United States-based institution known for free, self-paced online courses.
India finishes 4th at Pickleball World Cup with 41 medals.
Dated: 12 September 2026
India finished fourth among 82 countries at the Pickleball World Cup in Da Nang, Vietnam, which concluded on September 9, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The 48-member Indian contingent won 41 medals: 7 gold, 17 silver and 17 bronze, improving from seventh place previously.
2. Purvansh Patel won under-18 singles gold, while Bhushan Akut earned three golds in the 60-plus categories.
3. Fayrouz Zaidi and Vivek Reddy won 40-plus singles gold medals.
4. India placed fourth in the junior team event, reached the open-team quarterfinals and the senior team round of 16.
5. Harsh Mehta won bronze in Open Pro men’s doubles; Indian athletes competed across kids, juniors, open, seniors and masters groups.
Additional Information:
1. Pickleball combines features of tennis, badminton and table tennis and is played on a badminton-sized court.
2. Vietnam’s capital is Hanoi and its currency is the dong.
RBI allows ICICI Prudential AMC to acquire up to 9.95% in 4 banks.
Dated: 12 September 2026
RBI allowed ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company to acquire up to 9.95% of the paid-up share capital or voting rights in four banks through approval letters dated September 8, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The approval covers Kotak Mahindra Bank, CSB Bank, DCB Bank and AU Small Finance Bank.
2. The acquisition must be completed within 1 year, failing which the approval will lapse.
3. The limit applies separately to paid-up share capital or voting rights in each bank.
4. ICICI Prudential AMC is the mutual-fund joint venture of ICICI Bank and Prudential Plc of the United Kingdom.
5. The approval is governed by RBI rules for major shareholding in banking companies.
Additional Information:
1. RBI began operations on April 1, 1935 under the RBI Act, 1934, was nationalised on January 1, 1949 and is headquartered in Mumbai.
2. Section 12B of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 requires prior RBI approval for major holdings of 5% or more in a banking company.
CCEA approves 5 southern railway projects worth Rs.10,021 crore.
Dated: 12 September 2026
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved five railway multitracking projects worth Rs.10,021 crore across four southern states on September 9, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The projects will add about 540 km in 17 districts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana.
2. Sections include Arakkonam-Renigunta, Whitefield-Bangarapet, Hosur-Omalur, Salem-Karur-Dindigul and Secunderabad-Ghatkesar-Kazipet.
3. Completion is planned by 2029-30 and the routes will add nearly 47 MTPA freight capacity.
4. They will improve movement of iron, steel, coal and foodgrains under integrated PM Gati Shakti planning.
5. The works may save about 8 crore litres of imported oil and reduce 42 crore kg of carbon dioxide, equivalent to planting 2 crore trees.
Additional Information:
1. Indian Railways began its first passenger service on April 16, 1853 and was nationalised in 1951.
2. PM Gati Shakti has seven engines: railways, roads, ports, waterways, airports, mass transport and logistics infrastructure.
Saitual becomes Mizoram’s first Surakshit district for HIV control.
Dated: 12 September 2026
Saitual became the first and only district in Mizoram to receive Surakshit status for progress against HIV, the state government announced on September 9, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The milestone followed the Mizoram AIDS Sangharshee campaign launched in February 2026 to break HIV transmission.
2. The campaign follows the 95-95-95 approach: 95% know their status, 95% of diagnosed people receive treatment and 95% on treatment achieve viral suppression.
3. Districts are classified as Sangharshee, Saksham, Surakshit and Surakshit Plus according to progress.
4. Surakshit requires meeting all three 95 targets; Surakshit Plus also requires zero mother-to-child transmission.
5. Deputy Commissioners conduct monthly reviews, and the August 2026 assessment placed Saitual at the milestone.
Additional Information:
1. National AIDS Control Organisation was established in 1992 under the Health Ministry in New Delhi.
2. UNAIDS was created in 1994 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
Uttarakhand launches Mukhyamantri Yuva Bhavishya Nirman Yojana.
Dated: 12 September 2026
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the Mukhyamantri Yuva Bhavishya Nirman Yojana in Dehradun on September 7, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The scheme provides free online coaching, expert guidance and study material to university, government-college and aided-college students.
2. It particularly supports learners in remote and hilly areas.
3. Covered examinations include UPSC, State PSC, CDS, CAT, MAT, GATE, NET, CSIR-NET, banking, railways and SSC.
4. The Chief Minister also released the August social-pension instalment of Rs.147.05 crore to 9,91,914 beneficiaries through a one-click transfer.
5. The Social Welfare Department administers the pension support.
Additional Information:
1. Uttarakhand was formed on November 9, 2000 as India’s 27th state and has Dehradun as its capital.
2. The state borders Tibet in China and Nepal and contains extensive Himalayan terrain.
India introduces 11 new skills at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.
Dated: 12 September 2026
India will compete in 11 newly added skill categories at the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, China, from September 22 to 27, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. New categories include drones, software testing, optoelectronics, industrial mechanics, aircraft maintenance, dental prosthetics, landscape gardening and intelligent security technology.
2. The Skill Development Ministry is leading the effort, while NSDC has prepared the competitors.
3. Nearly 70 Indian competitors will participate in 63 of the 64 skills.
4. Shoppers Stop, Croma, Titan and Reliance Trends are among industry partners supporting preparation.
5. India improved from 29th place in WorldSkills 2015 to 13th in 2024; it ranked 8th at WorldSkills Asia 2025 and won 5 medals at Taipei Capital Cup 2026.
Additional Information:
1. The Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry was formed in 2014.
2. NSDC was established in 2008 as a public-private partnership and is headquartered in New Delhi.
GalaxEye secures US patent for OptoSAR imaging technology.
Dated: 12 September 2026
Bengaluru-based GalaxEye became the first Indian start-up to secure a United States patent for satellite-imaging technology after receiving protection for its OptoSAR system on September 8, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. OptoSAR synchronises optical and synthetic-aperture radar sensors to collect data at the same place and time.
2. It combines rich spectral detail with all-weather, day-and-night radar observation.
3. The patent covers the system architecture and alignment method; the company already holds an Indian patent.
4. GalaxEye plans a constellation of 30 satellites over 5 years.
5. Applications include national security, agriculture, infrastructure, maritime monitoring and disaster response.
Additional Information:
1. Mission Drishti, linked to the company’s imaging programme, was announced on May 3, 2026.
2. ISRO was established in 1969 and is headquartered in Bengaluru.
Asha Forever tribute song released for Asha Bhosle.
Dated: 12 September 2026
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis released A.R. Rahman’s tribute song Asha Forever in Mumbai on September 9, 2026 to mark singer Asha Bhosle’s birth anniversary.
Key Highlights:
1. A.R. Rahman composed the song to celebrate Asha Bhosle’s musical journey spanning more than 90 years.
2. The tribute recognises her contribution across several decades and many Indian languages.
3. Asha Bhosle was born on September 8, 1933 in Sangli, Maharashtra.
4. Her honours include the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2000, Padma Vibhushan in 2008 and Maharashtra Bhushan in 2021.
5. The launch brought together Maharashtra’s leadership and the Indian music community.
Additional Information:
1. A.R. Rahman won 2 Academy Awards in 2009 for Slumdog Millionaire.
2. He received the Padma Shri in 2000 and Padma Bhushan in 2010.
GRSE launches India’s first advanced indigenous Ocean Research Vessel.
Dated: 12 September 2026
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers launched ORV Sagar Manthan, India’s first advanced indigenous Ocean Research Vessel, at Rishi Bankim Chandra Shipyard in Kolkata on September 9, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The nearly Rs.840 crore vessel is being built for the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research under the Deep Ocean Mission.
2. It will carry remotely operated and autonomous underwater vehicles, dynamic positioning, multibeam bathymetry and multichannel seismic systems.
3. The vessel is designed for Southern Ocean research, has a 30-year service life and dual certification from the Indian Register of Shipping and American Bureau of Shipping.
4. Delivery and commissioning are planned in 2028.
5. It will replace the 43-year-old ORV Sagar Kanya, acquired from Germany in 1983.
Additional Information:
1. NCPOR, formed in 1998 at Vasco da Gama in Goa, manages India’s Antarctic stations Maitri and Bharati and Arctic station Himadri.
2. Kolkata-based GRSE was founded in 1884 and became the first Indian shipyard to export a warship by delivering CGS Barracuda to Mauritius.
India observes Govind Ballabh Pant’s 139th birth anniversary.
Dated: 12 September 2026
India observed the 139th birth anniversary of freedom fighter and statesman Govind Ballabh Pant on September 10, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. Pant became the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh after Independence in 1947, when the state also included present-day Uttarakhand.
2. He had served as Premier of the United Provinces from 1937.
3. He became Union Home Minister in 1954.
4. As a lawyer, he defended revolutionaries in the 1925 Kakori case and later supported the Quit India Movement.
5. His public work included land reforms, economic development and the promotion of Hindi as an official language.
Additional Information:
1. Pant is remembered for governance, institution building and his role in the freedom struggle.
2. He was a prominent national leader whose political career linked the United Provinces, Uttar Pradesh and the Union government.
9th Rashtriya Poshan Maah begins in Varanasi.
Dated: 12 September 2026
The Women and Child Development Ministry launched the 9th Rashtriya Poshan Maah at Rudraksh International Cooperation and Convention Centre in Varanasi on September 9, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The month-long campaign runs from September 9 to October 8 under the theme Hamari Anganwadi, Hamari Jimmedari, with focus on dietary diversity and protein intake.
2. About 14 lakh Anganwadi centres serve 7.5 crore children, 1.10 crore pregnant and lactating women and 16 lakh adolescent girls.
3. The government is upgrading 2 lakh Saksham Anganwadis, including 24,000 in Uttar Pradesh, and has provided smartphones to workers.
4. PM Matru Vandana Yojana completed 10 years after transferring over Rs.21,000 crore directly to 4.65 crore mothers.
5. Poshan Abhiyaan, launched in 2018, has generated about 150 crore public-participation activities and supports the Suposhit Bharat 2047 goal.
Additional Information:
1. Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi heads the ministry in New Delhi.
2. PMMVY provides maternity benefits through direct bank transfer, while Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 combine nutrition services.
Jindal Stainless signs ferritic-steel technology agreement with JFE Steel.
Dated: 12 September 2026
Jindal Stainless signed a technical agreement with Japan’s JFE Steel on September 7, 2026 to improve the quality and production processes of ferritic stainless steel.
Key Highlights:
1. The collaboration will transfer technical knowledge on product quality and manufacturing efficiency.
2. Ferritic stainless steel offers corrosion resistance, durability and cost efficiency.
3. Major applications include automobiles, railway coaches, machinery, construction and kitchen products.
4. The agreement is expected to strengthen specialised steel capability and manufacturing competitiveness in India.
5. Jindal Stainless is led by Managing Director Abhyuday Jindal.
Additional Information:
1. Jindal Stainless is a New Delhi-based major stainless-steel manufacturer.
2. JFE Steel is an integrated steel producer headquartered in Tokyo, Japan; Japan’s currency is the yen.
NALCO licenses EGA technology for Angul smelter expansion.
Dated: 12 September 2026
NALCO signed a technology-licensing agreement with Emirates Global Aluminium on September 7, 2026 for the brownfield expansion of its aluminium smelter at Angul, Odisha.
Key Highlights:
1. EGA will provide its DX+ Ultra technology along with technical know-how, designs and operating information.
2. The technology is intended to improve productivity, energy efficiency and operating performance.
3. The project will add 0.5 MTPA capacity and take the Angul smelter’s total capacity to about 1 MTPA.
4. NALCO expects the arrangement to optimise capital and operating expenditure.
5. The agreement was signed in the presence of NALCO CMD Brijendra Pratap Singh and EGA CEO Abdulnasser Bin Kalban.
Additional Information:
1. NALCO was established in 1981, is headquartered in Bhubaneswar and holds Navratna status.
2. EGA was formed by merging DUBAL and EMAL and is the United Arab Emirates’ largest industrial company outside oil and gas.
PM Modi inaugurates Global Fintech Fest 2026 in Mumbai.
Dated: 12 September 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Global Fintech Fest 2026 in Mumbai on September 8, 2026 and outlined India’s next phase of technology-led financial inclusion.
Key Highlights:
1. He noted 7.8% GDP growth in April-June 2026 and India’s first sovereign-rating upgrade to A- by a Japanese agency in 30 years.
2. UPI crossed 24 billion transactions in August 2026, operates in 11 countries and is being linked with domestic systems such as Singapore’s.
3. PM SVANidhi has been extended to 2030 to continue collateral-free support for street vendors.
4. Priorities include agentic artificial intelligence, tokenisation, quantum technology and an indigenous Financial Technology Consumer Protection Index.
5. The sector was urged to expand from payments into credit, insurance, pensions and investments for unbanked and gig workers.
Additional Information:
1. UPI was launched in 2016 by NPCI and operates under RBI regulation.
2. NPCI was established in 2008 in Mumbai as an RBI and Indian Banks’ Association initiative under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
Karim Maredia selected for Borlaug CAST Communication Award.
Dated: 12 September 2026
Gujarat-born agricultural scientist Karim Maredia was selected for the Borlaug CAST Communication Award on September 8, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The award recognises excellence in communicating agricultural, environmental and food-science information to the public.
2. Maredia grew up as the son of a dairy farmer in rural Gujarat.
3. His work has focused on international agricultural development, technology transfer and capacity building.
4. The selection recognises his ability to connect scientific research with farmers, institutions and communities.
5. The award is named after agricultural scientist Norman Borlaug, a central figure in the Green Revolution.
Additional Information:
1. The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology was established in 1972 and is based in Ames, Iowa, United States.
2. Norman Borlaug received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his contribution to world food security.
Niyo receives IFSCA payment-service licence for GIFT City.
Dated: 12 September 2026
Financial-technology company Niyo received a Payment Service Provider licence from IFSCA on September 10, 2026 to operate from GIFT City in Gandhinagar.
Key Highlights:
1. The regulated base enables Niyo to expand beyond travel foreign-exchange services into international education, employment and wider cross-border payments.
2. Its services target Indians requiring global financial access.
3. The company plans a hybrid model combining digital services with physical branches.
4. The licence places its international-payment activities within the GIFT International Financial Services Centre framework.
5. Niyo was founded in 2015 in Bengaluru by Vinay Bagri and Virender Bisht.
Additional Information:
1. GIFT City in Gandhinagar hosts India’s first operational International Financial Services Centre.
2. IFSCA is the unified regulator created under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019.
India and Morocco hold first Joint Defence Committee meeting.
Dated: 12 September 2026
India and Morocco held their first Joint Defence Committee meeting in New Delhi during a bilateral visit from September 7 to 10, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The meeting was co-chaired by India’s Joint Secretary Amitabh Prasad and Morocco’s Brigadier General Abdellah Athmani.
2. Both sides discussed peacekeeping, cyber security, military medicine, joint training, exercises and military education.
3. The Moroccan delegation visited DPSU Bhawan and met Indian defence industries.
4. Talks covered co-production, joint ventures, technology cooperation and maintenance, repair and sustainment support.
5. The mechanism follows the bilateral defence memorandum signed in September 2025 and comes ahead of 70 years of diplomatic relations in 2027.
Additional Information:
1. Morocco is a North African country with Rabat as its capital and the Moroccan dirham as its currency.
2. India’s Defence Ministry is headquartered in New Delhi and oversees organisations including DRDO and Integrated Defence Staff.
CCEA approves 3 railway multitracking projects worth Rs.10,783 crore.
Dated: 12 September 2026
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved three railway multitracking projects costing Rs.10,783 crore on September 9, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The projects will add 656 km across 14 districts of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
2. They cover the Kharagpur-Jharsuguda-Bagdehi fourth line, Katni-Pendra Road fourth line and Bilaspur-Uslapur-Pendra Road third line.
3. The routes will add 27 MTPA freight capacity for coal, cement, iron and steel and are targeted for completion in FY 2030.
4. They may save nearly 12 crore litres of imported oil and cut about 62 crore kg of carbon dioxide, comparable to planting 2.48 crore trees.
5. Planned under PM Gati Shakti, they will improve access for about 4,790 villages and destinations including Shri Khetra Jagannath Temple and Bandhavgarh.
Additional Information:
1. Indian Railways began passenger service from Bori Bunder to Thane in 1853; the Railway Ministry was created in 1905 and is based at Rail Bhavan, New Delhi.
2. PM Gati Shakti, launched in October 2021, coordinates infrastructure planning across 16 ministries.