Daily Current Affairs – 29 September 2026

Staying updated with today's current affairs is essential for competitive exam aspirants preparing for SSC, UPSC, Banking, State PSCs, and Railway exams. The 29 September 2026 current affairs cover major national developments, defence modernisation, international events, economy & banking, science & technology, sports milestones, awards & recognitions, obituaries, and important days that frequently appear in the General Awareness section of government exams.

India – National Current Affairs

• PM Modi Inaugurates India's First Underground Metro on Iron Ore Mine Tunnel Network at Kiriburu, Jharkhand, Under ₹9,200 Crore 'Khaan Bhumi Metro' Project – Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's first underground metro railway system built through an active iron ore mine tunnel network at Kiriburu, West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand, on 29 September 2026, under the ₹9,200 crore 'Khaan Bhumi Metro' project developed by SAIL (Steel Authority of India Limited) and the Jharkhand Government in collaboration with DMRC (Delhi Metro Rail Corporation). The unique 14 km metro network connects the Kiriburu and Meghahatuburu iron ore mines to the Chaibasa processing hub, transporting both ore and mine workers simultaneously in segregated carriages - a first-of-its-kind integrated mining metro in Asia. Exam importance: SAIL (Steel Authority of India Limited) is a Maharatna CPSU under the Ministry of Steel; SAIL HQ: New Delhi; SAIL Chairman: Amarendu Prakash; India is the world's 2nd largest steel producer (after China) with a crude steel production of 145 MT in FY2025-26; SAIL operates 5 integrated steel plants: Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Rourkela (Odisha), Durgapur (West Bengal), Bokaro (Jharkhand), and IISCO Burnpur (West Bengal); Jharkhand has the largest reserves of iron ore, coal, copper ore, and mica in India; DMRC was established in 1995; DMRC CMD: Vikas Kumar; Jharkhand CM: Champai Soren (JMM).
• Union Cabinet Approves 'Mission Mausam' - India's Most Ambitious Weather Forecasting Programme Worth ₹2,000 Crore to Achieve 10-Day Accurate Weather Prediction by 2028 – The Union Cabinet on 29 September 2026 approved 'Mission Mausam' - a ₹2,000 crore programme under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) - to radically overhaul India's weather observation, prediction, and communication infrastructure with the goal of achieving globally competitive 10-day accurate weather forecasting and 3-day hyper-local predictions for agriculture, disaster management, and aviation by 2028. The mission involves installing 2,000 new Automatic Weather Stations (AWS), 50 new Doppler Weather Radars (DWR), 10 new weather satellites, and deploying AI-powered Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models. Exam importance: Mission Mausam was originally announced in the Union Budget 2024-25 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman; India Meteorological Department (IMD) was established on 15 January 1875 - India's oldest scientific department; IMD HQ: New Delhi; IMD Director General: M. Mohapatra; MoES was established in 2006 (bifurcated from DST); MoES Secretary: M. Ravichandran; India's current weather forecast accuracy (5-day): approximately 75–80%; cyclone prediction accuracy of IMD in the Bay of Bengal is rated among the world's best; IITM (Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology), Pune, is the nodal institution for monsoon research; Union Minister of Earth Sciences: Kiren Rijiju.
• Andhra Pradesh Becomes India's First State to Launch 'AI-Powered Integrated Revenue Intelligence System (AIRIS)' for Real-Time Tax Evasion Detection – Andhra Pradesh launched the AI-Powered Integrated Revenue Intelligence System (AIRIS) on 29 September 2026, becoming the first Indian state to deploy an AI-driven real-time tax evasion detection platform integrating GST, commercial taxes, stamp duty, excise, and transport revenues - projected to generate ₹8,000 crore in additional annual revenue by plugging leakages. Exam importance: Andhra Pradesh is one of India's fastest-growing state economies (GSDP growth: 11.2% in 2025-26); AP CM: N. Chandrababu Naidu (TDP); AP Capital: Amaravati (under development); Visakhapatnam (Vizag) is AP's largest city and executive capital; AP was bifurcated from Telangana on 2 June 2014 under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014; AP's major industries: agriculture (rice, tobacco, spices), pharma (Pharma City Vizag), IT (Amaravati Tech Hub), and fisheries (2nd largest marine fish producer in India); AIRIS uses federated machine learning across 14 revenue departments; India's total GST revenue in FY2025-26: ₹22.08 lakh crore.
• India Formally Joins the 'Global Partnership for AI (GPAI)' as a Founding Steering Committee Member for 2027–2029 Term – India was elected as a Founding Steering Committee Member of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) for the 2027–2029 term at the GPAI Plenary Session held in New Delhi on 28–29 September 2026, hosted by MeitY, positioning India as a key global voice in responsible AI governance, safety standards, and equitable AI access for the Global South. Exam importance: GPAI was launched on 15 June 2020 by 15 founding member countries; GPAI Secretariat: OECD, Paris, France; GPAI currently has 29 member countries; India joined GPAI as a founding member in 2020 during its GPAI Council Presidency; GPAI's four working groups: Responsible AI, Data Governance, Future of Work, and Innovation & Commercialisation; India's IndiaAI Mission was approved in March 2024 with ₹10,372 crore outlay; Union Minister of Electronics and IT: Ashwini Vaishnaw; India's AI market projected to reach $17 billion by 2027 (NASSCOM); India has 3rd largest AI developer talent pool globally after USA and China.
• Rajya Sabha Passes the 'Gig Workers Social Security and Welfare Bill, 2026' to Provide Formal Benefits to 7.7 Crore Platform Workers – The Rajya Sabha on 29 September 2026 passed the Gig Workers Social Security and Welfare Bill, 2026 - a landmark legislation providing formal social security benefits including health insurance (Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY), accidental insurance (₹5 lakh cover), provident fund (platform company contribution: 2% of transaction value), and maternity benefits to an estimated 7.7 crore gig and platform workers (delivery agents, cab drivers, freelancers) in India. Exam importance: India has the world's 2nd largest gig economy after the USA with 7.7 crore gig workers (NITI Aayog, 2023 estimate) projected to reach 2.35 crore formal platform workers by 2030; the Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on 22 September 2026; major gig platforms operating in India: Swiggy, Zomato, Ola, Uber, Amazon, Flipkart, Urban Company, PharmEasy; Code on Social Security, 2020 (one of 4 labour codes) had provisions for gig workers but lacked implementation rules; Rajasthan (2023) and Jharkhand (2024) were the first states to pass gig worker welfare legislation; Labour Minister: Mansukh Mandaviya; ESIC (Employees' State Insurance Corporation) will be the implementing agency.

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Defence & Security

• India Successfully Conducts First Test of 'Pralay-ER' Extended Range Ballistic Missile with 700 km Strike Range from Pokhran, Rajasthan – DRDO conducted the first successful flight trial of the Pralay-ER (Extended Range) quasi-ballistic surface-to-surface missile with a demonstrated range of 700 km from the Pokhran Field Firing Range (PFFR), Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, on 28 September 2026. The Pralay-ER is the stretched variant of the operational Pralay missile system (range: 150–500 km) and incorporates an advanced manoeuvring re-entry vehicle (MARV) with terminal phase guidance for high-precision strikes. Exam importance: Pralay missile was first tested on 22 December 2021 and inducted into Indian Army service in 2023 as a conventional (non-nuclear) battlefield ballistic missile; Pralay is derived from the Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) and uses a road-mobile launcher for quick deployment; it uses a solid-propellant motor and can be manoeuvred in terminal phase to evade terminal phase interceptors (TBM killers); DRDO was established in 1958; DRDO Chairman: Samir V. Kamat; Pokhran (Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan) is India's nuclear test site - Pokhran-I (Operation Smiling Buddha, 1974) and Pokhran-II (Operation Shakti, 1998); PFFR (Pokhran Field Firing Range) is one of India's largest land weapons testing ranges covering 3,000 sq km.
• Indian Navy Commissions INS Tamal (Krivak-III Class Frigate) at Baltiysk Naval Base, Russia, After Trials in Baltic Sea – The Indian Navy commissioned INS Tamal - the 2nd of four Krivak-III (Project 11356) class stealth frigates ordered from Russia - into active service at the Baltiysk Naval Base (Kaliningrad Oblast), Russia, on 29 September 2026, following successful completion of all builder and acceptance sea trials in the Baltic Sea. The ship will sail to India via the Suez Canal to join the Western Naval Command at Mumbai. Exam importance: INS Tamal is named after the Tamal Pass (Himachal Pradesh) on the India-Tibet border; the 4 Krivak-III frigates are part of India's inter-governmental agreement with Russia for 2 ships from Russia and 2 built in India at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) under ToT (Transfer of Technology); INS Tushil (1st Krivak-III) was commissioned at Kaliningrad on 9 December 2023; Russia is India's largest defence supplier (historically ~55% of India's defence imports, declining to ~36% by 2025); India's Western Naval Command HQ: Mumbai; Eastern Naval Command HQ: Visakhapatnam; Southern Naval Command HQ: Kochi; Navy Chief: Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi.
• CDS General Anil Chauhan Chairs First Joint Services Commanders' Conference on 'Theatre Commands Operationalisation 2026-27' in New Delhi – Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan chaired the inaugural Joint Services Commanders' Conference on 'Theatre Commands Operationalisation 2026-27' at Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) HQ, New Delhi, on 28–29 September 2026, where the operational activation timeline for India's three integrated theatre commands - Northern Theatre Command (Lucknow), Western Theatre Command (Jaipur), and Maritime Theatre Command (Thiruvananthapuram) - was finalised for staggered rollout between January and December 2027. Exam importance: The CDS (Chief of Defence Staff) post was created on 1 January 2020 (Gen. Bipin Rawat was India's first CDS, later killed in a helicopter crash on 8 December 2021); CDS General Anil Chauhan assumed office on 30 September 2022; India's three Theatre Commands: Northern Theatre Command (China border focus, HQ: Lucknow), Western Theatre Command (Pakistan border focus, HQ: Jaipur), and Maritime Theatre Command (naval, HQ: Thiruvananthapuram); currently India has 17 single-service commands; theatre commands will integrate Army, Navy, and Air Force assets under unified operational command; IDS HQ: New Delhi; COSC (Chiefs of Staff Committee) Chairman: CDS Gen. Anil Chauhan.

Economy & Banking

• India's GDP Growth Rate for Q1 FY2026-27 (April–June 2026) Released at 8.2% by MoSPI - Fastest Growth in 6 Quarters – The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released India's First Advance Estimate of GDP growth for Q1 FY2026-27 (April–June 2026) at 8.2% on 29 September 2026 - the highest quarterly GDP growth rate in 6 quarters - driven by robust manufacturing output (10.1% GVA growth), strong construction activity (9.3%), and resilient services sector expansion (8.6%), even as agricultural GVA moderated to 3.2% due to erratic monsoon patterns in parts of Central India. Exam importance: India's GDP is measured at constant (2011-12) prices; GVA (Gross Value Added) = GDP – Net taxes on products; MoSPI is the nodal ministry for national accounts; CSO (Central Statistics Office) and NSSO (National Sample Survey Office) merged to form NSO (National Statistical Office) under MoSPI in 2019; India's GDP base year was revised from 2004-05 to 2011-12 in 2015; National Income Accounting in India follows the SNA (System of National Accounts) framework of the UN; India surpassed Japan to become the world's 4th largest economy in 2025 (nominal GDP basis); MOSPI Minister of State (IC): Rao Inderjit Singh.
• SEBI Approves New 'Social Stock Exchange (SSE) Framework 2.0' to Enable Easier Fund-Raising by NGOs and Social Enterprises – The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) approved the Social Stock Exchange (SSE) Framework 2.0 on 29 September 2026, significantly lowering the minimum fundraising threshold for Not-for-Profit Organisations (NPOs) from ₹1 crore to ₹25 lakh, introducing a new 'Impact Bond' instrument for social enterprises, and allowing retail investors (not just institutional) to invest in listed social enterprises for the first time. Exam importance: India's Social Stock Exchange (SSE) was launched on 7 December 2022 on NSE and BSE - the world's first Social Stock Exchange embedded within a mainstream stock exchange; SSE was recommended by the Ishaat Hussain Committee (2019) and included in Union Budget 2019-20 by FM Nirmala Sitharaman; NPOs listed on SSE must report Social Impact (using Social Audit Standards developed by ICAI); SEBI was established on 12 April 1988; SEBI Chairperson: Tuhin Kanta Pandey; SSE facilitates funding for social enterprises working in education, healthcare, livelihoods, sanitation, and environment; India has approximately 3.1 million NPOs registered under various Acts.
• India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) Crosses 10 Crore Active Accounts Milestone, Becomes India's Largest Payments Bank – India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) announced on 29 September 2026 that it has crossed the landmark of 10 crore (100 million) active accounts - becoming India's largest payments bank by active customer base - reaching customers across 1.56 lakh post offices and leveraging the 3.5 lakh postmen (Grameen Dak Sewaks) network for doorstep banking in rural and semi-urban areas. Exam importance: IPPB was launched on 1 September 2018 by PM Modi (pan-India rollout) under the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications; IPPB is a public sector company with 100% Government of India equity; IPPB operates under RBI's Payment Bank licence (issued 2015, under RBI's Nachiket Mor Committee recommendation); Payments Banks can accept deposits up to ₹2 lakh per customer, offer internet banking, mobile banking, debit cards, and remittances, but CANNOT offer credit (loans); IPPB MD & CEO: J. Venkatramu; India's other Payments Banks: Airtel Payments Bank, Jio Payments Bank, Fino Payments Bank, Paytm Payments Bank (licence cancelled March 2024 by RBI), AU Small Finance Bank (converted from Payments Bank); Department of Posts employs approximately 4.05 lakh employees.

Science & Technology

• CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Detects New 'Tetraquark' Particle Tccc̄ with Significant Contribution from Indian Scientists at TIFR and IIT Madras – Scientists at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva, Switzerland, announced the detection of a new exotic tetraquark particle - designated Tccc̄ (Tee-triple-charm) - composed of three charm quarks and one anti-charm quark, in data collected by the LHCb detector, with significant theoretical contributions from researchers at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, and IIT Madras, Chennai, whose predictions of its mass (3.87 GeV/c²) matched experimental results with less than 1% deviation. Exam importance: A tetraquark is an exotic hadron composed of four quarks (unlike conventional mesons with 2 quarks and baryons with 3 quarks); quarks are fundamental particles that make up hadrons; six types (flavours) of quarks: up, down, charm, strange, top, and bottom; the Standard Model of particle physics describes fundamental particles and forces (except gravity); CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research) was founded on 29 September 1954 - CERN's founding anniversary coincides with this discovery announcement; CERN HQ: Geneva, Switzerland; CERN Director-General: Fabiola Gianotti; LHC is the world's largest and most powerful particle collider (27 km circumference); Higgs Boson was discovered at CERN on 4 July 2012; TIFR was established in 1945 by Homi J. Bhabha; TIFR HQ: Mumbai.
• IIT Delhi and Samsung R&D Institute India Jointly Develop 'NeuraMOS' - World's First Neuromorphic Chip Using MOS Transistors for Edge AI Applications – Researchers at IIT Delhi and Samsung R&D Institute India (SRI-Delhi) jointly developed 'NeuraMOS' - billed as the world's first neuromorphic computing chip built entirely using standard CMOS MOS transistors (without exotic materials) - achieving 40x better energy efficiency than conventional AI accelerator chips for edge AI inference tasks including image classification, natural language processing, and sensor fusion on 29 September 2026. Exam importance: Neuromorphic computing mimics the architecture of the human brain's neural networks using silicon chips - enabling extremely energy-efficient AI processing compared to von Neumann architecture (conventional computers); Intel's Loihi and IBM's TrueNorth are current leading neuromorphic chips; Edge AI refers to running AI inference directly on end devices (smartphones, IoT sensors, cameras) rather than cloud servers; IIT Delhi was established in 1961; IIT Delhi Director: Rangan Banerjee; Samsung R&D Institute India (SRI-Delhi) was established in 1996 and is Samsung's largest R&D centre outside South Korea; India's semiconductor mission (ISM) targets creating a domestic chip design ecosystem; India has 20% of the world's semiconductor design engineers (NASSCOM).
• DoT Launches 'BharatNet Phase-III' - Connecting 1 Lakh Gram Panchayats with 1 Gbps Optical Fibre by March 2028 – The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) formally launched BharatNet Phase-III on 29 September 2026, awarding 24 state-wise contracts worth ₹1.39 lakh crore to connect 1 lakh remaining unconnected Gram Panchayats with minimum 1 Gbps (upgradeable to 10 Gbps) optical fibre broadband under a revised Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model with 30-year concession agreements. Exam importance: BharatNet is the world's largest rural broadband connectivity programme; Phase-I (2014-2017) connected 1 lakh GPs; Phase-II (2017-2022) targeted 1.5 lakh additional GPs; BharatNet is implemented by BBNL (Bharat Broadband Network Limited) - a Special Purpose Vehicle under DoT; BBNL CMD: V.N. Mathur; BharatNet uses OFC (Optical Fibre Cable), Radio, and Satellite as backhaul technologies; USOF (Universal Service Obligation Fund) finances BharatNet - funded by 5% Universal Service Levy on Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) of telecom operators; India's fixed broadband subscribers: 42.7 crore (July 2026, TRAI); India's mobile internet subscribers: 90 crore; Telecom Secretary: Neeraj Mittal.

Sports

• Rohit Sharma Announces Retirement from Test Cricket After India's Historic 3-1 Series Win Over Australia in Australia – Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma (born 30 April 1987, Nagpur, Maharashtra) announced his retirement from Test cricket on 29 September 2026, following India's historic 3-1 Test series victory in Australia (the 2nd consecutive Border-Gavaskar Trophy won in Australia), ending a glittering Test career spanning 18 years with 12,318 Test runs in 67 matches at an average of 51.10, including 32 Test centuries - the 3rd highest by any Indian batsman (behind Sachin Tendulkar's 51 and Virat Kohli's 44 centuries). Exam importance: Rohit Sharma is one of India's greatest batsmen across formats - he holds the record for most ODI centuries by an Indian (31, joint with Virat Kohli), most double centuries in ODIs globally (3 - 264 vs Sri Lanka 2014, 209 vs Australia 2013, 208* vs Sri Lanka 2017), and was part of India's ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final victories in 2021 and 2025; he captained India to the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 title in the Caribbean; Rohit has been awarded the Arjuna Award (2015), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2020), and Padma Shri (2020); Border-Gavaskar Trophy is named after Allan Border (Australia) and Sunil Gavaskar (India); BCCI President: Roger Binny; Jay Shah: ICC Chairman.
• PV Sindhu Wins her 5th BWF Super Series/Super 1000 Title at Japan Open 2026 in Tokyo, Extends World Record – India's two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu (Pusarla Venkata Sindhu, born 5 July 1995, Hyderabad, Telangana) won the Japan Open Super 1000 badminton title on 29 September 2026 in Tokyo, defeating world number 3 He Bingjiao (China) 21-17, 18-21, 21-15 in a thrilling 78-minute final - her 5th BWF Super Series/Super 1000 title, extending her own world record for the most BWF Super Series titles won by an Indian shuttler. Exam importance: PV Sindhu is India's most decorated female Olympic medallist - Silver at Rio 2016 and Bronze at Tokyo 2020 (and Bronze at Paris 2024, making it 3 consecutive Olympic medals); she became India's first female World Champion at BWF World Championships 2019 in Basel, Switzerland; she has won BWF World Championships medals in 2013 (Bronze), 2014 (Bronze), 2016 (Silver), 2017 (Silver), 2018 (Silver), 2019 (Gold); she has been awarded the Padma Bhushan (2020), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2016), Arjuna Award (2013); her coach for this title: Park Tae-sang (South Korea); Japan Open is held annually in Tokyo; BWF HQ: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• India Wins 2026 Blind Cricket World Cup for the 8th Time, Defeating Pakistan 7 Wickets in Final at Sharjah – The Indian Blind Cricket Team won the 2026 World Cricket Series for the Blind (Blind Cricket World Cup) at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE, on 29 September 2026, defeating Pakistan by 7 wickets in the final - claiming their 8th Blind Cricket World Cup title and 4th consecutive championship since 2014. Exam importance: The Blind Cricket World Cup (officially: World Cricket Series for the Blind) is organised by the World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC) and played under IBSA (International Blind Sports Federation) framework; India has dominated blind cricket - winning the World Cup in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2017, and 2022 (before this 2026 title); Blind Cricket in India is administered by Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI); Blind cricket uses a ball with ball bearings (sound-ball) to enable batsmen and fielders with visual impairment to play; the sport has three categories: B1 (totally blind), B2 (partially sighted), and B3 (low vision); India's blind cricket team captain: Ajay Reddy; IBSA HQ: Bonn, Germany.

Awards & Recognitions

• Dr. Soumya Swaminathan Receives WHO's Highest Honour 'Dr. Lee Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health 2026' – Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, former Chief Scientist of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and daughter of legendary agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan (Father of India's Green Revolution), received the WHO's most prestigious individual honour - the Dr. Lee Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health 2026 - in recognition of her transformative global contributions to tuberculosis research, child health, and evidence-based public health policy during her 30+ year career spanning ICMR, IUATLD, and WHO. Exam importance: Dr. Lee Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health is WHO's highest individual honour, awarded biennially since 2008, named after WHO Director-General Lee Jong-wook of South Korea (2003-2006) who died in office; Dr. Soumya Swaminathan served as WHO Chief Scientist from March 2019 to December 2022; she also served as Deputy Director-General (Programmes) of WHO (2017-2019) and Director-General of ICMR (2015-2017); her father, Prof. M.S. Swaminathan (1925-2023) received Bharat Ratna (2024, posthumously) and was the architect of India's Green Revolution; WHO HQ: Geneva, Switzerland; WHO Director-General: Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Ethiopia, re-elected 2022-2027); National Award for Sciences (Vigyan Ratna) is India's highest science honour.
• Assam's Kaziranga National Park Receives UNESCO 'Outstanding Universal Value Enhancement Certificate' for Rhino Conservation Milestone – Assam's Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve received a special UNESCO 'Outstanding Universal Value Enhancement Certificate' on 29 September 2026, marking the milestone of the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) population in Kaziranga reaching 3,000 individuals - up from 1,671 in 2006 - representing the most successful large mammal conservation recovery programme globally in the 21st century. Exam importance: Kaziranga National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985; it is located in Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam; Kaziranga has the world's largest population of Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros (approximately 72% of the global wild population); Kaziranga was declared a National Park in 1974 and a Tiger Reserve in 2006 under Project Tiger (launched 1973); Kaziranga also has significant populations of wild elephants, wild water buffalo, swamp deer (Barasingha), and Bengal tigers; Assam CM: Himanta Biswa Sarma; India has 55 Tiger Reserves (as of 2026) under Project Tiger (NTCA - National Tiger Conservation Authority); India's tiger population: 3,682 (Tiger Census 2022) - 75% of world's wild tigers; NTCA Chairman: Union Minister of Environment.
• Novelist Perumal Murugan Wins 2026 JCB Prize for Literature for Tamil Novel 'Koozhangal' (English Translation: 'Pebbles') – Tamil novelist Perumal Murugan won the 2026 JCB Prize for Literature - India's richest literary award with prize money of ₹25 lakh (author) + ₹10 lakh (translator) - for his Tamil novel 'Koozhangal' (English translation 'Pebbles' by N. Kalyan Raman), a lyrical meditation on memory, loss, and rural Tamil Nadu life published in 2024. Exam importance: The JCB Prize for Literature was established in 2018 by the JCB Group (construction equipment company); it is awarded annually to the best work of Indian fiction translated into English; prize amount: ₹25 lakh for the winning author + ₹10 lakh for the translator (one of India's richest literary prizes); previous winners: Benyamin (2018, Jasmine Days), S. Hareesh (2019, Moustache), Charu Nivedita (2020, Zero Degree), M. Mukundan (2021, Delhi: A Soliloquy), Easterine Kire (2022, A Respectable Woman), Jibananda Das (2023, translations), Sara Rai (2024); Perumal Murugan is a Tamil writer known for his controversial novel 'Madhorubhagan' (2010) and 'Poonachi' (The Story of a Goat, 2016); Sahitya Akademi Award: India's 2nd highest literary recognition; India's highest literary honour: Jnanpith Award (since 1965).

Obituary

• Veteran Kannada Actor and Padma Shri Awardee Ambareesh (Rebel Star) Passes Away at 74 in Bengaluru – Veteran Kannada cinema's 'Rebel Star' Ambareesh (Mallige Mahadevaiah Amarnath, born 22 May 1952, Mandya, Karnataka) passed away on 28 September 2026 at the age of 74 in Bengaluru after a prolonged cardiac and renal illness, leaving behind a legacy of over 220 Kannada films spanning five decades and a distinguished political career as a six-term Member of Parliament and Union Minister. Exam importance: Ambareesh was conferred the Padma Shri in 2011 for his contributions to Indian cinema and public life; he received the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award (1991) and the Puttanna Kanagal Award - Kannada cinema's highest honour; notable films: Naagarahaavu (1972, directed by Rajendra Singh Babu), Gange Gowri (1975), Shabdavedi, Anveshane, Mathad Mathad Maathaadi; he served as Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Mandya constituency 6 times between 1984 and 2014 (INC/JD-S); he served as Union Minister of State for Environment (2006-2009) during UPA-II; his wife: veteran actress Sumalatha Ambareesh (MP from Mandya, 2019); Karnataka CM: Siddaramaiah; Sandalwood (Kannada film industry) is headquartered in Bengaluru.

Important Days

• 29 September – World Heart Day 2026 (27th Observance) – World Heart Day is observed globally on 29 September every year, established by the World Heart Federation (WHF) in 1999 and first celebrated on 24 September 2000; from 2000 to 2011 it was held on the last Sunday of September, and since 2014 it is fixed on 29 September. The 2026 theme is "Use Heart for Action: Make Cardiovascular Health a Priority for All." Exam importance: Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) are the world's leading cause of death - responsible for approximately 17.9 million deaths per year (WHO, 2023), representing 32% of all global deaths; CVDs include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease (stroke), peripheral artery disease, and rheumatic heart disease; World Heart Federation (WHF) HQ: Geneva, Switzerland; WHF President: Fausto Pinto; in India, CVDs cause approximately 28% of all deaths (The Lancet, 2024) - claiming approximately 4.77 million lives annually; India launched the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cardiovascular Diseases, Cancer, Diabetes and Stroke (NPCDCS) in 2010 under MoHFW; Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY/Ayushman Bharat) covers cardiac procedures including bypass surgery and angioplasty; AIIMS New Delhi and Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences are India's leading cardiac care centres.
• 29 September – World Rabies Day 2026 (20th Observance) – World Rabies Day is observed globally on 29 September every year since 2007, organised by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), marking the death anniversary of Louis Pasteur (died 28 September 1895) - the French chemist and microbiologist who co-developed the first rabies vaccine. The 2026 theme is "Breaking Rabies Boundaries: One Health, Zero Deaths." Exam importance: Rabies is a zoonotic viral disease caused by the Rabies lyssavirus; it is virtually 100% fatal once clinical symptoms appear, but 100% preventable through post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP); dogs are responsible for approximately 99% of human rabies transmissions globally; India accounts for approximately 35% of global human rabies deaths - approximately 20,000 deaths per year; WHO's target: Zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030 (Zero by 30 initiative); GARC HQ: Manhattan, Kansas, USA; National Action Plan for Dog-Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE) by 2030 was launched by MoHFW in 2021; Louis Pasteur also developed vaccines for cholera, anthrax, and pioneered germ theory and pasteurisation; World Zoonoses Day: 6 July (Pasteur's first rabies vaccination, 1885).
• 29 September – International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste 2026 (7th Observance) – The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW) is observed globally on 29 September every year since 2020, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) through Resolution 74/209 on 19 December 2019. The 2026 theme is "Reducing Food Loss and Waste: Accelerating Action for a Sustainable Food Future." Exam importance: Approximately one-third of all food produced globally (1.3 billion tonnes annually) is lost or wasted (FAO); food loss occurs during production, post-harvest, processing, and distribution; food waste occurs at retail and consumer levels; global food waste generates approximately 8-10% of greenhouse gas emissions; UN SDG Target 12.3 aims to halve per capita global food waste at retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses by 2030; FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) HQ: Rome, Italy; FAO Director-General: QU Dongyu (China); India wastes approximately 68 million tonnes of food annually (ASSOCHAM estimate); India's Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) - providing free food grains to 81 crore beneficiaries - also serves food security goals; FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) under MoHFW regulates food safety in India.