GIFT City ranks 37th in Global Financial Centres Index 40.
Dated: 21 September 2026
GIFT City rose nine places to rank 37th globally in the Global Financial Centres Index 40 released on September 17.
Key Highlights:
1. It improved from 46th place in the previous GFCI 39 edition.
2. GIFT City ranked 26th in the FinTech category, rising three places.
3. It entered the Asia-Pacific top 15 as the only Indian centre in that group.
4. The index assessed 115 centres using 144 factors and 39,531 assessments.
5. It was among 15 centres expected to gain major influence in the next two to three years.
Additional Information:
1. GIFT City in Gandhinagar is India’s first International Financial Services Centre.
2. GFCI is a biannual index assessing infrastructure, regulation, talent and access to finance.
CISF and IIT Kanpur partner for cyber and drone security.
Dated: 21 September 2026
CISF signed two MoUs with IIT Kanpur on September 14 to strengthen cyber security and anti-drone technology for critical infrastructure.
Key Highlights:
1. C3iHub will run a six-week residential cyber programme under a three-year framework.
2. Batches of 40 personnel will receive free training for aviation, power and nuclear sectors.
3. Training includes AI, machine learning, internet-connected devices and operational technology.
4. A Centre of Excellence will be established at MPRTC Behror, Rajasthan.
5. The five-year drone framework covers UAV operations, forensics, radio-frequency detection and high-altitude work.
Additional Information:
1. CISF was established in 1969 under the Home Ministry to guard critical infrastructure.
2. IIT Kanpur was established in 1959 and hosts the C3iHub cyber-physical security centre.
Sethuraman Panchanathan wins 2026 Arthur M. Bueche Award.
Dated: 21 September 2026
Indian-origin scientist Sethuraman Panchanathan was named the 2026 Arthur M. Bueche Award recipient by the US National Academy of Engineering on September 18.
Key Highlights:
1. He is the first Indian American to receive the award in its 40-year history.
2. He is also the first person from Arizona to receive it.
3. The award recognises his science and technology policy leadership and translational research.
4. As the 15th National Science Foundation Director, he created its first new directorate in over 30 years.
5. He leads Phoenix city’s quantum strategy and serves at Arizona State University.
Additional Information:
1. The award will be presented at the NAE Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, in October 2026.
2. He received India’s Padma Shri in 2025 and became an NAE member in 2024.
Uttar Pradesh approves ethanol plant at Chhata sugar mill.
Dated: 21 September 2026
The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved a new ethanol plant at the Chhata sugar mill in Mathura on September 15, reviving a site closed for 19 years.
Key Highlights:
1. The plant will produce 3.96 crore litres of ethanol annually and operate 11 months each year.
2. It will use sugarcane first, followed by maize and paddy after cane supplies end.
3. Annual sugarcane requirement is estimated at 45-50 lakh quintals.
4. The project will cost more than Rs.200 crore and use part of the available 96 acres.
5. The site is on a national highway and about 40 minutes from the upcoming Noida airport cargo terminal.
Additional Information:
1. Uttar Pradesh is India’s largest sugarcane producer, with Lucknow as its capital.
2. India’s Ethanol Blending Programme targeted 20% petrol blending by 2025-26.
Michael Kremer appointed World Bank Chief Economist.
Dated: 21 September 2026
The World Bank Group appointed Nobel laureate Michael Kremer as Chief Economist on September 17, with his tenure beginning October 1, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. He will lead the World Bank Group’s research division.
2. Kremer succeeds Indermit Gill in the role.
3. World Bank President Ajay Banga announced the appointment.
4. His work will focus on poverty reduction, health, education and clean-water access.
5. He is a University of Chicago professor and heads the Development Innovation Lab.
Additional Information:
1. Kremer shared the 2019 Economics Nobel with Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo.
2. The World Bank was established in 1944, is based in Washington, DC, and has five institutions.
India begins first soil carbon payments to farmers.
Dated: 21 September 2026
India began its first soil carbon payments worth Rs.2.9 crore to more than 2,500 small farmers in Punjab and Haryana on September 17.
Key Highlights:
1. The direct transfer was launched at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, by the DARE Secretary and ICAR Director General.
2. Payments came through Grow Indigo’s Aadi carbon programme launched in 2019 with ICAR guidance.
3. Credits used the Verra VM0042 methodology after verified soil-carbon gains and emission reductions.
4. The programme kept 2 lakh tonnes of crop residue from burning and avoided 1,000 tonnes of PM2.5.
5. The first issuance covered 30,000 acres and 50,000 carbon credits.
Additional Information:
1. ICAR was established on July 16, 1929 and is headquartered in New Delhi.
2. Regenerative practices include direct-seeded rice, reduced tillage and crop-residue management.
NIELIT-Infineon semiconductor Centre of Excellence opens in Ahmedabad.
Dated: 21 September 2026
The NIELIT-Infineon Centre of Excellence for Semiconductor Manufacturing was inaugurated in Ahmedabad on September 16.
Key Highlights:
1. NIELIT and German semiconductor company Infineon Technologies created the centre together.
2. Minister of State Jitin Prasada inaugurated it virtually.
3. It focuses on assembly, testing, marking and packaging in backend semiconductor manufacturing.
4. The centre trains diploma holders, engineers and technicians for industry.
5. Infineon supplied eight industry-grade bonding, moulding and shaping machines.
Additional Information:
1. NIELIT is an autonomous scientific society under the Electronics and Information Technology Ministry.
2. Infineon is Germany’s largest semiconductor manufacturer and among the global top ten.
Indian Defence Service of Engineers celebrates 77th Raising Day.
Dated: 21 September 2026
The Indian Defence Service of Engineers under the Military Engineer Services celebrated its 77th Raising Day in New Delhi on September 17.
Key Highlights:
1. The event theme was Ethics, Accountability and Excellence towards Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
2. Engineer-in-Chief Lt Gen Vikas Rohella addressed the session.
3. The Electronic Measurement Book was highlighted for transparency in public procurement.
4. IDSE functions through the Military Engineer Services under the Defence Ministry.
5. MES is one of India’s largest construction and maintenance agencies.
Additional Information:
1. MES was established in 1923 and is headquartered in New Delhi.
2. It provides engineering support to the Army, Navy, Air Force and DRDO.
TCS partners with DGCX to modernise derivatives infrastructure.
Dated: 21 September 2026
Tata Consultancy Services partnered with Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange on September 15 to modernise its market infrastructure through an integrated platform.
Key Highlights:
1. The project combines trading, clearing and surveillance capabilities.
2. TCS BaNCS will manage central-counterparty clearing.
3. Quartz for Surveillance will detect manipulation and market abnormalities.
4. The platform supports energy, currency, equity, bullion and precious-metal products.
5. It will allow later expansion into crypto and tokenised assets.
Additional Information:
1. TCS was established in 1968, is headquartered in Mumbai and belongs to the Tata Group.
2. DGCX was established in Dubai in 2005 as the region’s first derivatives exchange.
International Equal Pay Day observed on September 18.
Dated: 21 September 2026
International Equal Pay Day was observed worldwide on September 18, 2026 to promote equal pay for equal work and address unequal earnings.
Key Highlights:
1. The day raises awareness of the gender pay gap.
2. It supports policies that reduce the average difference in earnings between women and men.
3. Discriminatory recruitment and pay practices contribute to the gap.
4. Occupational segregation also limits women’s access to better-paid work.
5. Unequal access to leadership and higher-paying jobs remains a major factor.
Additional Information:
1. The United Nations was established on October 24, 1945.
2. The UN is headquartered in New York and works to end discrimination against women and girls.
Former Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Alla Nani passes away.
Dated: 21 September 2026
Former Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas, known as Alla Nani, died in Visakhapatnam on September 15.
Key Highlights:
1. He served as Deputy Chief Minister and Health and Family Welfare Minister under Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
2. He represented Eluru as an MLA in 2004, 2009 and 2019.
3. Alla Nani became a Legislative Council member in 2017.
4. He began in the Congress and joined YSR Congress in 2013.
5. After leaving YSR Congress in August 2024, he joined Telugu Desam Party in February 2025.
Additional Information:
1. Andhra Pradesh has a bicameral legislature of Assembly and Legislative Council.
2. Eluru is known for wool-pile carpets and lies near Kolleru Lake.
SEMICON India 2026 inaugurated in New Delhi.
Dated: 21 September 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the fifth SEMICON India 2026 in New Delhi on September 17, coinciding with Vishwakarma Diwas.
Key Highlights:
1. The government announced a $13.5 billion outlay for the second India Semiconductor Mission phase.
2. Commercial production began at two plants in Mohali and Surat.
3. The programme will focus on silicon photonics, AI infrastructure and fabless companies.
4. It targets semiconductor training for 1,00,000 engineering students.
5. About 70,000 students have already received chip-design training.
Additional Information:
1. India Semiconductor Mission works under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
2. The first SEMICON India summit was held in 2022.
India placed in severely restricted academic freedom category.
Dated: 21 September 2026
The Free to Think 2026 report placed India with Ukraine and Pakistan in the severely restricted category of academic freedom on September 16.
Key Highlights:
1. Scholars at Risk recorded 382 attacks on higher education across 59 countries in the reporting year.
2. India’s Academic Freedom Index score fell to 0.14 from 0.38 in 2022.
3. The severely restricted group also included Hong Kong, Indonesia and the West Bank.
4. Afghanistan, China, Iran, Russia, Turkiye and Gaza were completely restricted.
5. Academic freedom declined significantly in 50 of 179 countries over a decade.
Additional Information:
1. Scholars at Risk was established in 1999 and is headquartered in New York.
2. The Academic Freedom Index measures research, teaching, institutional autonomy and campus integrity.
IOA introduces Randhir Singh and Jaspal Rana trophies.
Dated: 21 September 2026
The Indian Olympic Association announced two trophies on September 15 to honour the best male and female athletes at the Asian Games.
Key Highlights:
1. The Raja Randhir Singh Trophy will go to the best male athlete.
2. The Jaspal Rana Trophy will recognise the best female athlete.
3. They were unveiled at the launch of Maverick Jaspal by S. Kannan and G. Rajaraman.
4. The awards will apply at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
5. Sahdev Yadav was named India’s Chef de Mission for the games.
Additional Information:
1. IOA was established in 1927, is headquartered in New Delhi and is led by P. T. Usha.
2. Randhir Singh served as IOA Secretary General for 25 years; Jaspal Rana is a celebrated shooter and coach.
Vice-President releases A Century of Service: The RSS.
Dated: 21 September 2026
Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan released A Century of Service: The RSS in 100 Acts of Seva in New Delhi on September 15.
Key Highlights:
1. Former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan authored the book.
2. Its theme is nation-building through character-building and Seva is Dharma.
3. It records 100 examples of social service during the organisation’s century-long history.
4. The book covers volunteer work during COVID-19 involving food, medicine and essential support.
5. It highlights service for workers, women, children and other marginalised groups.
Additional Information:
1. RSS was founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar on September 27, 1925.
2. The organisation is headquartered in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
India ranks 131st in Global Gender Gap Index 2026.
Dated: 21 September 2026
The World Economic Forum ranked India 131st among 145 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index 2026 with a 64.5% parity score.
Key Highlights:
1. Iceland ranked first, followed by Finland and Norway; Chad ranked last.
2. India scored 96.6% in education and 95.6% in health and survival.
3. It ranked 67th in political empowerment with 24.5% parity.
4. India recorded 41.2% parity in economic participation.
5. Globally, 69.2% of the gender gap has closed, while full parity is estimated 120 years away.
Additional Information:
1. WEF was established in 1971 and is headquartered in Cologny, Switzerland.
2. The index began in 2006 and measures economic, education, health and political parity.
ICAR-CMFRI discovers new conger eel species Ariosoma cmfriense.
Dated: 21 September 2026
ICAR-CMFRI scientists identified a new conger eel species, Ariosoma cmfriense, in the Arabian Sea on September 18.
Key Highlights:
1. The specimen was collected off Kollam, Kerala, at 300-metre depth in January 2026.
2. It was named after CMFRI to mark the institute’s 80th anniversary.
3. The species has 135 vertebrae and 127-130 lateral-line pores.
4. It has a plain pectoral fin, dark operculum patch and fine black speckling.
5. Research was conducted under the Earth Sciences Ministry’s Deep Ocean Mission.
Additional Information:
1. CMFRI was established in 1947 and is headquartered in Kochi.
2. The holotype is housed in CMFRI’s Marine Biodiversity Museum and the study appeared in Zootaxa.
Dileep Sanghani elected to ICA Global Board.
Dated: 21 September 2026
IFFCO Chairman Dileep Sanghani was elected an At-Large Director on the International Cooperative Alliance Global Board for the 2026-2030 term on September 15.
Key Highlights:
1. The election took place at the ICA General Assembly in Panama.
2. A total of 116 voters representing 66 countries participated.
3. Sixteen cooperative leaders from 16 countries joined the board.
4. Dr. Ariel Guarco was elected ICA President unopposed.
5. Harsh Sanghani joined the board as Youth Committee President.
Additional Information:
1. ICA was established in 1895 and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.
2. The next ICA General Assembly is scheduled before July 1, 2027.
Education Ministry launches primary teacher bridge course.
Dated: 21 September 2026
Education Minister Pralhad Joshi launched a six-month Certificate Bridge Course in Primary Teacher Education in New Delhi on September 16.
Key Highlights:
1. It is for serving Classes 1-5 teachers with B.Ed. degrees but without D.El.Ed. qualifications.
2. Eligible teachers were appointed between June 28, 2018 and August 11, 2023 under the NCTE notification.
3. NIOS will deliver it through open and distance learning.
4. It includes six theory courses, 10 online-contact days and 20 days of school experience.
5. Teaching is in Hindi and English, while examinations may be written in any of 22 scheduled languages.
Additional Information:
1. NCTE is a statutory body under the 1993 Act that maintains teacher-education standards.
2. NIOS was established in 1989 as an autonomous Education Ministry organisation.