28 September 2026 | English | FREE Current Affairs PDF

Today’s Highlight: The OECD has raised India’s FY27 GDP growth forecast by 80 basis points to 7.1%, following strong Q1 growth of 7.8%. Banking aspirants should remember this figure along with the forecasts of Fitch, S&P and Moody’s, as growth projections are a frequent exam topic.

News in One Liner – 26, 27 & 28 September 2026

PIB News

MoD Signs ₹811 Crore Deal with BDL for 160 SAT-SAAW Weapons

The Ministry of Defence signed a ₹810.79 crore contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for 160 Satellite Smart Anti-Airfield Weapons (SAT-SAAW) for the Indian Air Force. SAT-SAAW is an indigenous long-range precision-guided glide weapon that can disable enemy runways, taxiways and radars from a standoff range. The deal falls under the “Buy (Indian-IDDM)” category, with deliveries due between 2028 and 2029.

FM Sitharaman Opens BRICS Heads of Tax Authorities Meet in Delhi

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the BRICS Heads of Tax Authorities Meeting in New Delhi as part of India’s BRICS Chairship. The meeting focused on using data and digital infrastructure to build transparent and resilient tax systems. She also stressed a united BRICS view in the UN Framework Convention talks on International Tax Cooperation.

KAVACH 4.0 Commissioned for the First Time on South Central Railway

Indian Railways commissioned KAVACH 4.0, its upgraded indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, for the first time over 108 route km on the Malkajgiri–Kamareddi section of South Central Railway. The new version offers higher location accuracy, direct Electronic Interlocking interfaces and a station-to-station link via Optical Fibre Cable. KAVACH automatically applies brakes if the loco pilot fails to control speed, helping prevent collisions.

MoSPI Survey: Pilgrimage Leads Domestic Overnight Trips at 48%

The NSSO under MoSPI released the Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey (July 2025–June 2026). Pilgrimage and religious travel made up the largest share (48%) of overnight trips. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest share of visitor-trips (15.7%), followed by Tamil Nadu (13.4%) and Rajasthan (8.0%).

MY Bharat Platform Crosses 3 Crore Registered Youth

Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat), the national youth platform of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, crossed 3 crore registered users. It was launched by PM Narendra Modi on October 31, 2023 (National Unity Day). The platform connects young people with volunteering, experiential learning and leadership programmes.

Ministry of Cooperation Launches ‘Bharat Taxi’ in Uttar Pradesh

The Union Ministry of Cooperation launched ‘Bharat Taxi’, a cooperative-run digital cab service, in Uttar Pradesh. It is a driver-owned alternative to private ride-hailing apps and works on a zero-commission model. Drivers also get social security cover, subsidised fuel or charging access and healthcare benefits.

TDB Approves ₹285 Crore for Ubifly’s e200X Air Mobility Aircraft

The Technology Development Board (TDB) under DST approved ₹285 crore for Chennai-based Ubifly Technologies (The ePlane Company) from the ₹1 lakh crore RDI Fund. The support will help take its e200X, a 3-seater zero-emission electric air mobility aircraft, from TRL-6 to TRL-9 for commercial use. The total project cost is ₹570 crore.

PM Modi Hails Men’s Skeet Team Bronze at Asian Games

PM Narendra Modi congratulated Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Bhavtegh Singh Gill and Mairaj Ahmad Khan for winning bronze in the Men’s Skeet Team event at the Asian Games. Skeet is an Olympic clay-target shooting discipline. Shooting in India is governed by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), founded in 1951.

Industry News

Government Cuts Customs Duty on Edible Oils Ahead of Festive Season

The Finance Ministry cut basic customs duty (BCD) on crude and refined edible oils to ease cooking oil prices before the festive season. Duty on refined palm and soybean oil was cut from 32.5% to 27.5%, while duty on crude palm and soybean oil was halved from 10% to 5%. Duty on crude sunflower oil was removed completely.

OECD Raises India’s FY27 GDP Growth Forecast to 7.1%

The OECD raised India’s FY2026–27 GDP growth forecast by 80 basis points to 7.1% in its September Interim Economic Outlook, up from 6.3% in June. The upgrade follows strong Q1 GDP growth of 7.8%. The OECD is headquartered in Paris and has 38 members; India is a non-member partner economy.

Centre Sets 71.95 Million Tonne Paddy Procurement Target for KMS 2026–27

The Centre set a paddy procurement target of 71.95 million tonnes for Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2026–27, almost unchanged from last season. Punjab, Haryana, Telangana and Chhattisgarh remain the top contributors to the central pool. KMS runs from October 1 to September 30 of the following year.

Financial News

Finance Ministry Sets Strict Conditions for Capital to 3 PSU General Insurers

The Finance Ministry attached strict performance conditions to further capital support for three state-owned general insurers: National Insurance, Oriental Insurance and United India Insurance. They must overhaul risk underwriting, drop loss-making portfolios and adopt performance-linked talent management. The aim is to cut underwriting losses and improve solvency ratios.

IRDAI Proposes Lower Expense Limits and Commission Caps for Insurers

IRDAI proposed a phased cut in Expenses of Management (EoM) limits, lower regulatory fees and new commission caps to improve policyholder returns and curb mis-selling. Life insurers must bring EoM down to 15% of GDPI in two years and 12.5% in five years, while the general insurers’ limit falls from 30% to 20% over five years. IRDAI also proposed cutting the regulatory fee from 0.05% to 0.04% of premium and banning compulsory bundling of insurance with loans.

National & State News

Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY Completes 8 Years, Covers 60 Crore People

Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, launched on September 23, 2018, completed eight years as the world’s largest government-funded health assurance scheme. It gives ₹5 lakh annual health cover per family and covers over 60 crore people, with more than 48.5 crore Ayushman cards generated. The scheme is implemented by the National Health Authority (NHA).

FSSAI Proposes Single-Phase Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling

FSSAI told the Supreme Court it will roll out Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling (FoPL) in a single phase instead of two. Packaged foods crossing limits for even one nutrient of concern (added sugar, added fat or salt) will carry a red hexagon warning on the front. Food businesses will get a 365-day transition window.

Delhi Approves ‘Durga Scheme’ for 1,300 Pink E-Autos

The Delhi Cabinet approved the ‘Durga Scheme’ to give 1,300 Pink electric auto-rickshaw permits only to women and transgender drivers. Beneficiaries will get purchase subsidies and low-interest loans to reduce upfront costs. The scheme also aims to improve last-mile travel safety for women commuters.

Odisha HLCA Approves ₹2.47 Lakh Crore Investment in 27 Projects

Odisha’s High-Level Clearance Authority (HLCA), chaired by CM Mohan Charan Majhi, approved 27 industrial projects worth ₹2.47 lakh crore across 15 districts. The projects are expected to create over 50,000 jobs. IT and data centres formed the largest segment, led by a ₹1.05 lakh crore data centre park in Khordha.

Appointments and Resignation

SC Collegium Clears 12 Additional Judges as Permanent in Four HCs

The Supreme Court Collegium headed by CJI Surya Kant approved making 12 Additional Judges permanent in the Andhra Pradesh (5), Kerala (5), Uttarakhand (1) and Gauhati (1) High Courts. Permanent High Court judges are appointed under Article 217, while Additional Judges are appointed under Article 224. High Court judges retire at 62 years.

Science & Technology

IIT Delhi Develops India’s First Indigenous Micro-GPU

Researchers at IIT Delhi designed and demonstrated India’s first indigenous micro-GPU architecture for low-cost embedded devices. It was built in Register Transfer Language (RTL) and shown on a Xilinx Spartan-7 FPGA platform. The team plans an 8-to-16 core processor and a silicon version on a 65nm ASIC process node.

Ranking and Reports

IEA: India’s Electrification Rate Could Reach 32% by 2035

The International Energy Agency (IEA) said India’s electrification rate could rise from 19% today to 32% by 2035, driven mainly by electric mobility. Faster electrification could cut India’s fossil fuel import bill by an amount equal to nearly 30% of its 2025 bill. The IEA is headquartered in Paris, and India is an Associate Member.

UN WASH Report: 5 Crore Indian Children Lack School Sanitation

A UNICEF/WHO Joint Monitoring Programme report found that 5 crore (50 million) school children in India lacked basic sanitation services in 2025, the highest national share globally. About 1.2 crore children still lacked basic drinking water in schools. The report tracks progress on SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).

Sports News

Indian Men’s Badminton Team Wins Bronze at 20th Asian Games

The Indian men’s badminton team won bronze at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, after losing 3-1 to China in the semifinal. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won India’s only point by beating world champions Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang. India had won silver in this event at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.

Roshibina Devi Wins Wushu Silver, Her Third Asian Games Medal

Manipur’s Naorem Roshibina Devi won silver in the women’s Sanda 60kg wushu event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, losing to China’s Zhang Xiaoyu in the final. It is her third straight Asian Games medal after bronze in 2018 and silver in 2023. She received the Arjuna Award in 2023.

Important Days

World Maritime Day 2026 Observed on September 24

World Maritime Day was observed on September 24, 2026 (the last Thursday of September) under the IMO theme “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence”. For the first time, a single theme will be kept for two years in a row (2026 and 2027). The IMO is a UN agency headquartered in London.