Daily Current Affairs - 17 September 2026

Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag has been conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2024; the award will be presented at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony on 22 September 2026 in Kevadia, Gujarat. The award, instituted in 1969 and first given to Devika Rani, comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl and ₹10 lakh.

India beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in the second T20I in Delhi; Sanju Samson scored 57 and Nitish Kumar Reddy took 3/24 as India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

The Union Cabinet approved enhancement of the EPFO wage ceiling from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 per month with effect from 17 September 2026, expected to bring over 51 lakh additional employees under mandatory EPFO coverage.

PM Vishwakarma scheme completed three years with 30 lakh artisans registered; launched on 17 September 2023 with an outlay of ₹13,000 crore for 2023-24 to 2027-28, it covers 18 traditional trades.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate SEMICON India 2026 on 17 September 2026 at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi; the three-day event theme is 'Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem', with over 600 companies and representatives from 52 countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a Semiconductor Roundtable at Seva Teerth on 16 September 2026, highlighting the target of training one crore people in AI and urging industry participation in ISM 2.0.

Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 theme is 'Swachhata Mein Sahbhag; Swachh Bharat, Viksit Bharat'; the campaign runs from 17 September to 2 October 2026, and over 12 crore toilets have been constructed under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched the 8th edition of the PM Mementos e-Auction with 1,498 mementos; proceeds will support the Namami Gange Programme and the auction starts on 17 September 2026.

The Ministry of Coal will launch the 16th round of Commercial Coal Mine Auctions on 17 September 2026 in New Delhi; 147 coal mines have been auctioned across 15 rounds since commercial coal mining was launched in 2020.

PMAY-U, launched in June 2015 and extended until 30 September 2026, has sanctioned 1.25 crore houses and delivered over 1 crore houses as of 9 August 2026; PMAY-U 2.0 was launched in September 2024 with assistance up to ₹2.50 lakh per unit.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PM-KMY), launched on 12 September 2019, completed seven years in September 2026; it assures a minimum monthly pension of ₹3,000, with 24,96,252 farmers enrolled by 6 February 2026.

Under the PM-YASASVI scheme, ₹15,555.53 crore has been released from 2014-15 to 2025-26, supporting more than 1069 lakh OBC, EBC and DNT students through scholarships, hostels and top-class education.

Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana has over 20,000 Janaushadhi Kendras; as of August 2026, its product basket includes 2,110 medicines and 315 surgicals, with sales of ₹7,873.85 crore in the last five financial years leading to savings of about ₹37,200 crore for citizens.

Union Minister C R Patil launched Swachh Seva Aankalan, an annual Gram Panchayat-level digital self-assessment framework under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) 2.0, on 15 September 2026.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh launched the Web Portal for Special Campaign 6.0; the Swachhata campaign has earned ₹5,000 crore from scrap disposal, freed 1,000 lakh square feet of office space and cleared about 2 crore files over five years.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade amended Para 2.57 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 to exempt RCMC or Certificate of Registration for export consignments with FOB value up to ₹3 lakh.

An NIA Special Court in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh sentenced all 10 convicts in the Jhiram Valley Maoist attack case to death on 16 September 2026; the 25 May 2013 attack killed 27 people in Bastar district.

The Ministry of Home Affairs declared the Shahzad Bhatti Network a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on 16 September 2026.

India summoned Pakistan's Charge d'Affaires over a naval collision, saying it violated Article 10 of the India-Pakistan Agreement on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements of April 1991.

The 22nd edition of the India-US joint military exercise 'Yudh Abhyas' began on 16 September 2026 at Auli, Uttarakhand and Mahajan Field Firing Range, Rajasthan, with 600 personnel from each side.

Twenty NCC girl cadets completed the All India Girls High Altitude Long Trek 'Aparajita-Parang La 2026', crossing the 5,578-metre Parang La Pass and covering about 250 km over 30 days from Kibber to Karzok.

The 43rd Indian Coast Guard Commanders' Conference will be held at Coast Guard Headquarters, New Delhi from 17 to 19 September 2026; Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth will address the opening session.

Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth is on an official visit to Russia from 16 to 18 September 2026 to strengthen India-Russia defence partnership.

Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved transfer of 26 hectares of land in Milkipur tehsil of Ayodhya to the Union Home Ministry for setting up a Regional Centre of the National Security Guard (NSG).

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized 231.8 kg of suspected methamphetamine tablets and arrested three persons in coordinated operations in Assam and Tripura on 15 September 2026, calling it one of the biggest methamphetamine seizures in the North-East.

Tripura Police seized 5 lakh yaba tablets worth ₹40 crore in a major operation under Panisagar Police Station in North Tripura.

India condemned the drone attack near Makkah in Saudi Arabia; Saudi air defence intercepted and destroyed a Houthi-launched drone before it entered prohibited airspace around Makkah.

IPS officer Sanjukta Parashar became the first woman Inspector General of CRPF's CoBRA jungle warfare commando unit.

Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan will be the Chief Guest at Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations at Secunderabad Parade Ground on 17 September 2026.

The Central Board of Film Certification was reconstituted with 18 members for a term of three years by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on 16 September 2026.

The 18th BRICS Summit was held in New Delhi; Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held bilateral talks on its sidelines.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Bhutan and laid the foundation stone for the 500 kW Lunana Hydropower Project in Gasa; he also inaugurated the 65-bed Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Mother & Child Hospital in Mongar and the 80-metre Jaganathan Bridge in Samdrup Jongkhar built by Project Dantak.

New Zealand's Parliament approved the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement by a 93-29 vote; the agreement provides 100% duty-free access for Indian exports and includes a USD 20 billion New Zealand investment commitment over 15 years.

The 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference is being held in Cape Town, South Africa from 12 to 19 September 2026; the Indian delegation included Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh.

The World Circular Economy Forum 2026 concluded in Gandhinagar, Gujarat with around 2,700 delegates and 260 speakers from over 60 countries; Columbia University, USA will host WCEF 2027.

The Third BIMSTEC Conference on Traditional Medicine Knowledge, Genetic Resources and Intellectual Property Rights began in Goa on 16 September 2026, organised by the Ministry of Ayush with AIIA Goa as the nodal institute.

Union Power Minister Manohar Lal participated in the G20 Energy Abundance Working Group meetings in Houston and said India has achieved 552 GW of installed capacity with non-fossil sources accounting for more than 50% of the energy mix.

India will be the Official Partner Country at Gulfood 2027 for the second consecutive year; Gulfood 2027 is scheduled from 15 to 19 March 2027 in the UAE.

India rejected the operationalisation of the Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission, with MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterating that India has never recognised the China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963.

Nearly 4.7 million litres of diesel arrived at Parbatipur Receiving Terminal Depot in Dinajpur from India through the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline as its 72nd consignment; the Bangladesh section is 126.57 km long.

West Bengal government will sign a tripartite MoU under the UDAN scheme on 23 September 2026 for four airports at Chharra, Balurghat, Hasimara and Kalaikunda, in the presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister K. R. Naidu and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

NITI Aayog released the 9th edition of Trade Watch Quarterly; India's total trade reached $506.9 billion in Q1 FY27 with 15.5% YoY growth, and India became the fourth-largest Digitally Delivered Services exporter with $317 billion in 2025.

NITI Aayog launched the second edition of the India Electric Mobility Index; Delhi was ranked the top performer, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chandigarh and Goa followed, and 29 of 36 states/UTs have notified EV policies.

India observed the 32nd World Ozone Day on 16 September 2026 with the theme 'Global Action for a Cooler Planet'; MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh launched India's Net Zero Portal and the NAPCC Dashboard; 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

India's cheetah population rose to 52, including 32 cheetahs born in India; 49 cheetahs are in Kuno National Park and 3 in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, according to the four-year status review.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said AlphaGenome Atlas mapped all 9 billion possible single-letter genetic changes across the human genome; Google also introduced WeatherNext 3, which delivers 50% more accurate precipitation forecasts a day or more ahead.

Around 49.67 lakh people in 15 districts of Bihar have been affected by floods; Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited the state to assess crop damage and review relief operations.

The RBI introduced a Merchant Discount Rate framework for UPI: 0.4% on P2M transactions above ₹2,000, capped at ₹300 per transaction for ₹75,000 and above; essential sectors pay ₹5, and transactions below ₹2,000 remain free. P2P UPI transactions remain free irrespective of amount; effective 15 October 2026.

Bureau of Indian Standards raised hallmarking charges for gold articles from ₹45 to ₹75 per article with effect from 16 September 2026; silver hallmarking charges remain unchanged at ₹35 per article.

IMF Deputy Managing Director Nigel Clarke said India has the potential to power the next wave of global growth and described India as the world's fastest-growing major economy; he met RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra and NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Ashok Kumar Lahiri.

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci was sentenced to 25 years in prison for war crimes by the Kosovo war crimes tribunal; he was convicted for the murder of 96 people and torture of 303 people.

The 32nd All India Conference of State Election Commissioners began in Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh on 16 September 2026 and was inaugurated by Governor Ramen Deka.

The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment extended its MoU with The Art of Living under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan; the Ministry has MoUs with 12 spiritual organisations for drug demand reduction.

Delhi Government decided to double the fixed monthly incentive for ASHA workers from ₹3,000 to ₹6,000 and to build hostels for 10,000 college and university students, in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in Strasbourg that the European Union is opening the door for Canada to become its first associate member.