Daily Current Affairs - 18-09-2026

States’ News

Annapurna Scheme Provides ₹3,000 Monthly Assistance to Women in West Bengal

Under the Annapurna Scheme of the West Bengal Government, ₹3,000 per month was credited to the bank accounts of 1.58 crore women on September 17, 2026. The scheme was launched in June 2026, and its beneficiaries increased to 1.58 crore in September. A beneficiary assistance release event was held in Kolkata, West Bengal, on September 17, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated through video conference. Suvendu Adhikari, Chief Minister of West Bengal, announced that September 17 would be observed as Annapurna Day in the state. A list of 50 lakh women beneficiaries was also announced to be prepared under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in West Bengal.

Odisha Audit Finds Irregularities in Construction Workers’ Death Benefits

An audit of Odisha’s Nirman Shramik Welfare Scheme found that 2,487 construction workers were recorded as deceased and their nominees received death assistance, while the workers continued to obtain subsidised food grains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and the Odisha State Food Security Scheme. In 753 cases, beneficiaries were found to have completed Aadhaar biometric authentication to obtain ration even after being officially recorded as dead. Subsequently, death assistance amounting to ₹15.10 crore was paid to their nominees, indicating irregularities in the implementation and verification of welfare benefits.

Sports News

India Wins Both Matches in Round 2 of Chess Olympiad

At the Chess Olympiad held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on September 17, 2026, the Indian women’s team defeated Finland 3.5–0.5, while the Indian men’s team defeated Indonesia 2.5–1.5, giving both teams their second consecutive victories. Divya Deshmukh, the Women’s World Cup champion, Vantika Agrawal, Savitha Shri, and Bodhana Sivanandan contributed to India’s performance in the women’s section. In the men’s section, Arjun Erigaisi secured a win, while Vidit Gujrathi drew his game. In the third round, D. Gukesh, the reigning World Champion, was scheduled to play against Indonesia.

International News

US Congress Passes Bill Allowing 100% Tariff on Indian Goods

On September 17, 2026, the United States Congress passed a bill authorising US President Donald Trump to impose a 100% tariff on countries including India and China for importing crude oil from Russia. The bill, known as the Lindsey Graham Bill, had earlier been passed by the US Senate and was subsequently approved by the US House of Representatives. In the House vote, 262 members voted in favour and 159 members voted against the bill. Among those supporting it were 203 Republicans, 58 Democrats and 1 Independent, while 7 Republicans and 152 Democrats voted against it. The bill was sent to President Donald Trump for assent and would become law upon his signature. If enacted, it would authorise the President to impose sanctions on Russian leadership, Russia’s energy sector and vessels involved in indirect Russian crude oil trade, and impose a 100% tariff on countries importing Russian crude oil, including India and China, along with additional economic sanctions on Iran.

U.S. House Passes Russia Sanctions Bill with 100% Tariff Provision

The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation targeting Russia’s energy sector, individuals and the “shadow fleet” of tankers, authorising the U.S. President to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries purchasing Russian oil and gas. The Bill was passed by a 262–159 vote and is an amendment to the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The legislation was sent to U.S. President Donald Trump for signature and provides the President with authority to waive sanctions in the national interest. The Bill identifies the top five largest importers of Russian oil and gas by total volume during the preceding 12 months and targets countries that knowingly make new purchases after 30 days from the date of enactment. In July 2026, Russia accounted for more than 51% of India’s oil imports, the highest recorded share, with India importing 110.4 lakh tonnes of Russian oil, according to official data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Bill Targets Russian Energy Imports with Tariff Measures

The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation targeting Russian energy imports, with provisions for tariffs of up to 100% on certain countries purchasing Russian crude oil or natural gas. The Trump administration had announced an additional 25% tariff on India in July 2025, in addition to an existing 25% tariff, over purchases of Russian oil. The share of Russian crude in India’s oil imports reached a two-year low in December 2025, while India’s Russian oil imports reached an 11-month high in April 2026 amid pressure on energy markets. The U.S. Treasury temporarily paused sanctions on oil shipments that were already in transit before March 11, 2026, following supply disruptions after the February 28, 2026 conflict in West Asia. Potential tariff targets include the top five largest importers by volume of Russian-origin crude oil or natural gas during the 12 months preceding enactment, subject to new purchases made from 30 days after the law takes effect, as well as countries among the top five facilitating sanctions evasion. Countries that significantly reduce Russian natural gas imports or account for less than 15% of Russia’s total gas exports would be exempt. A proposed amendment to name the top 10 importers, including China, India, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Slovakia, the UAE and Kyrgyz Republic, was not included in the final version. The Bill, named after Senator Lindsey Graham, had earlier passed the U.S. Senate 86–11 on August 7, 2026.

National News

Uniform Civil Code to be Implemented in 21 NDA-Ruled States Before 2029

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on September 13, 2026, in Mumbai, that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would be implemented in all 21 states governed by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. The Uniform Civil Code proposes common personal laws relating to matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption, irrespective of religion. The UCC has already been introduced in some states, while its implementation in the remaining NDA-ruled states is proposed before 2029.

Supreme Court Grants Tamil Nadu Three Months on Navodaya School Land Identification

On September 17, 2026, the Supreme Court of India directed the Tamil Nadu Government to comply with its December 15, 2025 interim order to identify land for establishing Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya schools in every district of Tamil Nadu and granted an additional three months to hold discussions with the Central Government regarding the procedure for establishing the schools. The case was heard by a Supreme Court Bench comprising Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice Augustine George Masih. The matter originated from a petition filed by Kumari Maha Sabha before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, seeking Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya schools in every district of Tamil Nadu. On September 11, 2017, the Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu Government to grant permission for opening Navodaya schools, following which the state government filed an appeal before the Supreme Court in 2017. The Supreme Court adjourned the matter to December 14, 2026.

Supreme Court Advises CBSE to Consider Three-Language Policy from Class 6

On September 17, 2026, the Supreme Court of India advised the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to consider implementing the three-language policy from Class 6 from the next academic year. The CBSE had made the three-language scheme mandatory for Class 9 from July 1, in accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023. Under the scheme, students are required to select two Indian languages from the three-language framework, while a foreign language may be selected as the third language. The Supreme Court Bench comprised Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi. On September 16, 2026, CBSE constituted a committee to monitor implementation of the three-language policy from Classes 6 to 10. The committee is headed by Bhagwati Prasad Kalal, Director of the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, and includes NCERT Secretary Rajeev Kumar, CBSE Director (Education) Prachi M. Singh, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan Additional Commissioner (Education) Santana Mandal, and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti Deputy Commissioner Somveer Poonia. The committee will examine the availability of qualified language teachers, textbooks and digital learning platforms and recommend measures for implementation. The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing to September 23, 2026.

Economy News

MDR Charges Introduced for Select UPI Transactions

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced a new Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) structure for selected UPI transactions, effective from October 15. The charges apply to merchant UPI payments of ₹2,000 or more, covering about 2.5% of UPI transactions, while small merchants with monthly earnings below ₹1 lakh are exempt. Merchants in certain essential sectors will be charged a flat MDR instead of the 0.4% MDR applicable to other sectors, and capital market payments above ₹2,000 will have a separate MDR. The government has instructed banks to ensure that merchants do not pass the MDR charge on to customers. Based on earlier transaction trends, the MDR structure could generate up to ₹2,400 crore per month for the payments ecosystem, although sector-specific and reduced rates may lower the actual amount. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also been discussed as a potential source of funding for digital payments infrastructure through its annual surplus.

MDR on UPI Transactions to Support Domestic Payment Companies

The Department of Financial Services (DFS) stated that introducing Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on selected high-value UPI transactions would enable more domestic payment companies to operate in the UPI ecosystem. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced the MDR structure on September 15, 2026. The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) had raised concerns about the participation of American electronic payment service providers in the UPI ecosystem, including credit transactions, and about the NPCI rule limiting third-party UPI applications to a maximum 30% market share. The DFS clarified that the September 15, 2026 NPCI circular permits UPI credit transactions through RuPay credit cards, while the 30% market-share rule exists but its enforcement has not been possible due to market conditions. According to a previous analysis cited in the article, Walmart-owned PhonePe accounted for about 46% and Google Pay about 32% of the total UPI transaction volume in India. The DFS stated that MDR on selected high-value transactions could provide a self-sustaining revenue model for smaller domestic companies competing in the UPI ecosystem.

MDR Structure for Selected UPI Transactions

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) issued a circular on the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) applicable to selected UPI transactions from October 15, 2026. MDR applies to Person-to-Merchant (P2M) transactions above ₹2,000, while Person-to-Person (P2P) transactions and merchant payments up to ₹2,000 remain free. The Ministry of Finance, in its September 17, 2026 statement, directed banks to ensure that merchants do not pass MDR charges to customers and prohibited UPI apps and service providers from imposing platform or hidden charges. Large merchants receiving UPI payments above ₹2,000 will attract an MDR of 0.5%, capped at ₹300 for transactions of ₹5,000 and above, while capital-market payments such as those to mutual funds, stockbrokers and dealers will attract 0.02% MDR, capped at ₹1 per transaction. P2M transactions above ₹2,000 account for about 13% of UPI transaction volume and 20% of transaction value, while P2P transactions account for about 87% of volume and remain exempt. In August 2026, UPI processed ₹24.8 lakh crore, including ₹5.36 lakh crore through P2M transactions above ₹2,000. The theoretical maximum MDR collection is estimated at about ₹2,480 crore per month or ₹24,000 crore annually, before exemptions and caps. MDR revenue is proposed to be distributed among the payer bank (46%), merchant’s receiving bank (30%), UPI app/Third-Party Application Provider (TPAP) (20%), and Payment Service Provider (PSP) (4%). ICICI Bank has a payer-bank share of about 18.3%, while Yes Bank and Axis Bank account for about 35% and 8%, respectively, as receiving banks in the stated transaction data. PhonePe and Google Pay account for about 46% and 32% of UPI transaction volume, respectively. The government has also announced a dedicated fund to promote UPI adoption among small merchants, with funding equivalent to 3% of total MDR collections.