- On 12 September 2026, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PM-KMY) completed seven years. Launched in 2019, it is a voluntary contributory pension scheme for small and marginal farmers aged 18–40 with landholdings up to two hectares. Farmers contribute ₹55–₹200 monthly, matched by the Central Government, and receive an assured pension of ₹3,000 per month after age 60. LIC manages the pension fund; around 24.96 lakh farmers had enrolled by February 2026.
- In September 2026, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav launched the Mangrove Geographic Information System Portal at a mangrove-conservation workshop in Bhuj, Kachchh, Gujarat. The portal supports habitat monitoring, conservation planning and technology-based restoration. He also released the Mangroves Atlas of Gujarat and a coffee-table book. Under the MISHTI initiative, Gujarat had restored 27,652 hectares against its 2023–27 target of 29,250 hectares.
- On 15 September 2026, Gujarat notified the Gujarat Child Protection Policy 2026 to ensure a safe, dignified and rights-based childhood. It covers protection from violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect, discrimination and online risks. Institutions working with children must conduct police verification of staff and report suspected abuse. The policy promotes child-safe schools, healthcare facilities, workplaces, public spaces and digital environments, with the Social Justice and Empowerment Department serving as the nodal authority.
- On 9 September 2026, the Centre proposed a new Article 371(K) to provide Ladakh with region-specific constitutional safeguards for its land, culture, identity and governance. The proposal may create a directly elected Union Territory-level body with powers over specified subjects, but its final draft and powers remain undecided. Unlike the Sixth Schedule under Article 244, which establishes autonomous district councils in four northeastern states, Article 371(K) would be designed specifically for Ladakh.
- On 15 September 2026, an exam-oriented geography feature identified West Bengal as the only Indian state sharing international borders with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. West Bengal also borders the Indian states of Sikkim, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha. The narrow Siliguri Corridor, commonly called the Chicken’s Neck, links mainland India with the northeastern states and gives West Bengal major strategic importance.
- On 14–15 September 2026, the Department of Financial Services received first prize under the Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar 2025–26 in the category for ministries and departments with fewer than 300 personnel. The honour recognised its effective and innovative use of Hindi in official work. Additional Secretary Hari Har Mishra accepted the award from Home Minister Amit Shah during the sixth All India Official Language Conference at Vashi, Navi Mumbai.
- On 16 September 2026, Bharatanatyam exponent, choreographer and researcher Dr Vasundhara Doraswamy was selected for the Padmabhushan Guru Dr Saroja Vaidyanathan Excellence Award 2026. The Nataraj Music & Dance Academy will present the honour during the Vysakhi Nrithyotsav in Visakhapatnam on 26–27 September. Based in Mysuru, she is known for over five decades of work in Bharatanatyam
- In September 2026, India and Vietnam agreed to observe 2027 as the Year of India–Vietnam Friendship, marking 55 years of diplomatic relations. The decision was taken during the 19th Joint Commission Meeting in New Delhi, co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung. Both sides agreed to expand defence co-production, trade, investment, connectivity, space, nuclear energy and heritage cooperation, while working toward US$25 billion in bilateral trade by 2030.
- On 15 September 2026, an exam-oriented report identified Kazakhstan as the world’s largest uranium producer. It has held the top position since 2009 and produced about 23,270 tonnes in 2024, roughly 39% of global output. Kazakhstan mainly uses in-situ recovery, in which a solution is injected underground to dissolve uranium and pump it to the surface. The country’s large reserves and low-cost mining capacity make it crucial to the global nuclear-energy supply chain.
- On 16 September 2026, Forbes and Statista’s World’s Best-Performing Banks 2026 ranking placed HDFC Bank third globally, making it the only Indian bank in the top ten. Singapore’s OCBC ranked first and DBS second. The assessment considered performance, resilience, asset quality, efficiency, growth and earnings quality. China Merchants Bank and JPMorgan Chase occupied fourth and fifth positions respectively.
- On 15 September 2026, the National Statistics Office released August 2026 Periodic Labour Force Survey data showing India’s Labour Force Participation Rate for persons aged 15 and above at 55.6%, up from 55.4% in July. Rural LFPR rose to 58.2%, while urban LFPR remained 50.4%. The Worker Population Ratio increased to 52.8%, and the overall unemployment rate declined slightly from 5.1% to 5.0%.
- In September 2026, Indian archer Dhiraj Bommadevara won the men’s individual recurve title at the Archery World Cup Final in Saltillo, Mexico. He defeated Japan’s Junya Nakanishi 6–5, winning the shoot-off 10–9. Dhiraj became the first Indian man to win an individual World Cup Final title and the second Indian overall after Dola Banerjee, who won the women’s recurve title in Dubai in 2007.
- In the Global Chess League 2026 final, the Ganges Grandmasters defeated the Alpine Pipers to win their maiden title. The first match ended 3–3, before the Grandmasters won the second match 4–2. A key result came when Ian Nepomniachtchi, playing with black pieces, defeated world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen. Nepomniachtchi was named Player of the Match, while Stavroula Tsolakidou received the Player of the Tournament award.
- In September 2026, the West Bengal government approved DRDO’s proposal to establish a weapon and missile-testing range at Junput in Purba Medinipur district, around 70 km northeast of Chandipur. The facility will support trials of ballistic and cruise missiles, air-defence weapons and ballistic-missile-defence systems. It will become DRDO’s third major missile-testing hub and reduce pressure on the existing Integrated Test Range facilities at Chandipur and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.
- The Indian Air Force conducted its first Dronathon 2026 from 14 to 16 September 2026 at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. More than 20 defence companies, startups, MSMEs and public-sector units demonstrated surveillance drones, autonomous systems, swarm technologies, electronic-warfare solutions and counter-drone systems under realistic conditions. The IAF also showcased Vayu UTtaM, an indigenous unmanned-traffic-management system, and released its UAS roadmap to guide industry development.
- In September 2026, a Zoological Survey of India-led team reported a new subterranean amphibian species, Gegeneophis chandgadi, from Buzawade in Chandgad, Kolhapur district, Maharashtra. The legless, worm-like caecilian was named after the local Chandgadi dialect. Scientists confirmed it through molecular and morphological studies. The discovery raised the number of Indian Gegeneophis species to 12, of which 11 are endemic to the Western Ghats.
- The 9th ASEAN–India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry was held in New Delhi on 9 September 2026. It was co-chaired by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Philippine Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, representing the ASEAN chair. Participants prioritised climate-resilient agriculture, low-emission rice, AI-enabled farming, soil health, food safety, agroforestry and sustainable forest management. They also agreed to hold the tenth meeting in 2028.
MoUs Signed:
- On 15 September 2026, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi signed an MoU to advance the long-delayed Kishau Multipurpose Project on the Tons River along the Himachal–Uttarakhand border. The approximately ₹15,000-crore national project will have 422 MW capacity and supply water for drinking, industry and irrigation. The Centre will bear 90% of the water-component cost, while beneficiary states will share the remaining obligations.
- World Ozone Day, officially the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, was observed on 16 September 2026 under the theme Global Action for a Cooler Planet. The observance marked ten years of sustainable cooling under the Kigali Amendment. It commemorates the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987 and promotes ozone protection, the phase-down of powerful greenhouse gases and access to energy-efficient, climate-friendly cooling.
Questions:
Q1. Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PM-KMY), what monthly pension does an eligible farmer receive after turning 60?
a) ₹1,000
b) ₹2,000
c) ₹3,000
d) ₹5,000
Answer: c) PM-KMY is a voluntary contributory pension scheme for small and marginal farmers aged 18–40 with landholdings of up to two hectares. Farmers contribute ₹55–₹200 per month, and the Central Government matches their contribution. The assured pension is ₹3,000 per month after age 60.
Q2. Which Indian bank ranked third globally in Forbes and Statista’s World’s Best-Performing Banks 2026 ranking?
a) ICICI Bank
b) HDFC Bank
c) State Bank of India
d) Axis Bank
Answer: b) HDFC Bank ranked third globally and was the only Indian bank in the top ten. Singapore’s OCBC ranked first, followed by DBS in second place.
