WEEK 2: September 8–15, 2026
Current Affairs & GK for Competitive Exam Aspirants
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September 2026 — Important Days (September 8–15)
- September 8 — International Literacy Day; World Physiotherapy Day
- September 9 — Himalaya Diwas; World EV Day
- September 10 — World Suicide Prevention Day
- September 11 — National Forest Martyrs Day
- September 12 — World First Aid Day (second Saturday of September)
- September 14 — Hindi Diwas
- September 15 — Engineers’ Day (India); International Day of Democracy
| Exam Tip: Hindi Diwas marks the Constituent Assembly’s adoption of Hindi in Devanagari script as an official language of the Union on September 14, 1949 (Articles 343–351). National Forest Martyrs Day recalls the Khejarli sacrifice of 1730, led by Amrita Devi Bishnoi. Engineers’ Day marks the birth anniversary of Sir M. Visvesvaraya (born 1861; Bharat Ratna 1955). |
WEEK 2: September 8–15, 2026
The second week of September 2026 was dominated by India’s hosting of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi and the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration. It also saw a new UPI merchant-charge framework, fresh inflation data, a railway electrification milestone, and India’s record eighth Women’s Asia Cup title. Here are the most important GK topics for the week.
- India Hosts 18th BRICS Summit; ‘New Delhi Declaration’ Adopted [International Relations]
India hosted the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on September 12–13, 2026, under the theme ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’. Leaders of the 11-member grouping unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration, a 140-point document covering reform of global institutions, trade, AI governance, climate, health and counter-terrorism, including condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack. China will host the 2027 summit.
| Exam Tip: BRICS has 11 members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The first summit was held in Yekaterinburg (2009). India earlier hosted in 2012, 2016 (Goa) and 2021 (virtual). The New Development Bank is headquartered in Shanghai. |
- NPCI Notifies MDR on Large UPI Merchant Payments from October 15 [Banking Awareness]
On September 15, 2026, NPCI issued a framework prescribing a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) of 0.4% on selected UPI person-to-merchant transactions above Rs 2,000, capped at Rs 300, with effect from October 15, 2026. Specified categories such as railways, telecom, insurance and fuel attract a flat Rs 5 charge, while transactions up to Rs 2,000 remain free.
| Exam Tip: MDR is the fee a merchant pays to the bank/payment provider for accepting digital payments. Since January 2020, UPI and RuPay debit-card transactions had carried zero MDR. NPCI is a not-for-profit company promoted by RBI and IBA (2008). High-probability for IBPS, SBI and RBI exams. |
- Retail Inflation at 4.82% and WPI Inflation at 9.92% in August 2026 [Economy]
India’s CPI-based retail inflation rose to 4.82% in August 2026, above RBI’s 4% target, while WPI-based wholesale inflation rose sharply to 9.92%, according to data released in September. The gap indicates strong cost pressures at the producer level.
| Exam Tip: CPI data is released by the NSO (MoSPI); WPI is released by the Office of the Economic Adviser, DPIIT (Ministry of Commerce). RBI’s inflation target is 4% with a tolerance band of ±2% under the flexible inflation-targeting framework (Section 45ZA of the RBI Act). |
- Southern Railway Achieves 100% Electrification [Economy / Infrastructure]
On September 12, 2026, Southern Railway announced 100% electrification of its 5,068 route-kilometre broad-gauge network covering its divisions in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, supporting Indian Railways’ goal of becoming a net-zero carbon emitter.
| Exam Tip: India’s first electric train ran between Bombay VT and Kurla on February 3, 1925. Indian Railways targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. Southern Railway is headquartered in Chennai and is one of the oldest zones (formed 1951). |
- India Wins Record Eighth Women’s Asia Cup Title [Sports]
On September 13, 2026, India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in Dubai to win a record-extending eighth Women’s Asia Cup cricket title under captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Shafali Verma was named Player of the Match and Player of the Series. In the same week, India’s junior hockey teams completed a golden double at the AHF Junior Asia Cup in Moqi, China.
| Exam Tip: India is the most successful side in the Women’s Asia Cup, first held in 2004. Also note the US Open 2026 results: Elena Rybakina (women’s singles) and Alexander Zverev (men’s singles, his first US Open title), and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy–Chirag Shetty winning the China Masters. |
- Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana Completes Six Years [Economy / Agriculture]
On September 10, 2026, the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) completed six years. Launched in 2020 with an outlay of Rs 20,050 crore, the scheme promotes sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, infrastructure, employment and fishermen’s welfare.
| Exam Tip: PMMSY is implemented by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. India is the world’s second-largest fish producer and a leading aquaculture nation. National Fish Farmers’ Day is July 10. |
- 22nd India–US ‘Yudh Abhyas’ Begins in Two-Theatre Format [Defence]
The 22nd edition of the India–US Army exercise Yudh Abhyas began in a two-theatre format at Auli (Uttarakhand) and Mahajan (Rajasthan), with troops training in high-altitude and desert conditions. The 4th India–Malaysia maritime exercise Samudra Laksamana was also held at Lumut, Malaysia.
| Exam Tip: Yudh Abhyas has been held annually since 2004. Other India–US exercises: Malabar (navy, multilateral with Japan and Australia), Cope India (air force) and Vajra Prahar (special forces). A table of exercises is essential for CDS, NDA and SSC. |
Karnataka Declares Engineers’ Day and Allows ‘Er.’ Prefix [State Affairs]
On September 15, 2026, Karnataka allowed qualified engineers to use the prefix ‘Er.’ before their names and declared September 15 as Engineers’ Day in the state, honouring Sir M. Visvesvaraya, the engineer-statesman from Karnataka.
| Exam Tip: Sir M. Visvesvaraya designed the Krishna Raja Sagara dam, served as Diwan of Mysore (1912–1918) and received the Bharat Ratna in 1955. His birth anniversary, September 15, is observed as Engineers’ Day in India, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. |
- Lucknow Tops Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2026 City Rankings [Environment / Governance]
Lucknow topped the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2026 city rankings, which assess cities’ performance in improving air quality under the National Clean Air Programme.
| Exam Tip: Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan is conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board under MoEFCC. The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched in 2019 and covers 130 cities, mostly non-attainment cities. The International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies is September 7. |
- Metropolitan Stock Exchange Facilitates India’s First Tokenised Corporate-Bond Deal [Economy / Capital Markets]
On September 15, 2026, the Metropolitan Stock Exchange facilitated India’s first tokenised corporate-bond transaction under the emerging digital-securities framework. Tokenisation represents ownership through secure digital tokens on distributed-ledger technology, aiming to improve settlement efficiency and transparency.
| Exam Tip: India’s stock exchanges regulated by SEBI include BSE (1875, Asia’s oldest), NSE (1992) and the Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India (MSE). Link tokenisation with RBI’s Digital Rupee (e₹) pilots launched in 2022. |
Quick Revision — MCQ Practice
Q1. Where was the 26th SCO Summit held, and which anniversary did it mark?
Ans: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (August 31 – September 1, 2026); 25 years of the SCO
Q2. What was India’s GDP growth in the April–June quarter of 2026-27?
Ans: 7.8%
Q3. What were gross GST collections in August 2026?
Ans: About Rs 1.99 lakh crore, up 14.8%
Q4. Which Assam site was added to UNESCO’s Tentative List in September 2026?
Ans: The Rangpur–Sivasagar Historical Ensemble of the Ahom kingdom
Q5. Which agency upgraded India’s sovereign rating to ‘A-‘ with a stable outlook?
Ans: Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR)
Q6. Where and when was the 18th BRICS Summit held?
Ans: Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, September 12–13, 2026
Q7. Which country will host the BRICS Summit in 2027?
Ans: China
Q8. What MDR did NPCI prescribe on selected UPI merchant payments above Rs 2,000?
Ans: 0.4%, capped at Rs 300, effective October 15, 2026
Q9. By how many runs did India beat Sri Lanka in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final?
Ans: 72 runs, winning a record eighth title
Q10. What is the route length of Southern Railway’s fully electrified network?
Ans: 5,068 route kilometres
Q11. Where is the 22nd edition of Yudh Abhyas being conducted?
Ans: Auli (Uttarakhand) and Mahajan (Rajasthan)
Q12. Which date is observed as Hindi Diwas, and why?
Ans: September 14 — Hindi in Devanagari was adopted as an official language of the Union on this date in 1949
Note: All content is curated for educational purposes from publicly available reports. Aspirants are advised to cross-verify facts with PIB, official ministry releases, and standard reference books before the examination.