Daily Current Affairs - 23-09-2026

Science and Technology News

T-Mobile and Reliance Jio Launch World’s First Full 5G International Roaming Service

On September 22, 2026, T-Mobile, a telecommunications company from the United States, and Reliance Jio, an Indian telecommunications company, signed an agreement to provide international roaming services using 5G Standalone (5G SA) technology without relying on the older 4G network. The service enables customers of both companies travelling abroad to access full 5G connectivity through 5G Standalone technology. The service was enabled with Reliance’s technology support and is described as the world’s first full 5G international roaming facility in the global telecommunications sector.

Economy News

Core Sector Growth Records 4.8% in August

The production growth of India’s eight core infrastructure sectors stood at 4.8% in August, compared with 5% in July 2026 and 6.2% in August 2025. The core sectors comprise coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement and electricity and account for over 40% of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). In August, cement production grew by 12.5%, electricity generation by 11.6%, iron ore production by 5.5%, steel production by 3.4%, and petroleum refinery products by 2.6%. Fertilizer production declined by 12.4%, marking the sixth consecutive month of decline, while natural gas, coal, and crude oil production declined by 4.9%, 3.8%, and 3.6%, respectively. The cumulative growth of the core sectors during April–August of the current financial year stood at 4.3%, compared with 2.4% during the corresponding period of the previous financial year

International News

India Co-Sponsors First Partners for Multilateralism Summit at UN

On 21 September 2026, during the high-level week of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, India co-sponsored and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar co-chaired the inaugural Partners for Multilateralism, International Law, Peace & Prosperity (P4M) Summit. The initiative was launched by Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, the European Union, India and Kenya to promote cooperation on peace, stability, inclusive and sustainable development, shared prosperity, human dignity and rights. On the sidelines of the UNGA, S. Jaishankar also held a meeting with Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, on 21 September 2026, during which India-France bilateral relations, international law, multilateralism, Ukraine and cooperation in defence, new technology and higher education were discussed.

Personalities, Awards and Events

Tarang Shakti 2026 International Air Exercise to Be Held in Rajasthan

The international air force exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 is scheduled to be held at Jodhpur Air Force Station, Rajasthan, from September 26 to October 12, 2026, with participation from seven countries—India, the United States, France, Germany, Australia, Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Indian Air Force (IAF) will deploy Rafale, Mirage-2000, Jaguar, Tejas, MiG-29 and Su-30MKI aircraft, while participating foreign air forces will operate aircraft including France’s Rafale, UAE’s F-16 and Bangladesh’s C-130J. The US F-35 fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft is participating in a military exercise in India for the first time; it had earlier participated in the Aero India 2025 air show. The exercise aims to strengthen operational coordination and cooperation among participating air forces and enhance India’s air-power capabilities. The first edition of Tarang Shakti was conducted in 2024 in two phases at Sulur, Tamil Nadu, and Jodhpur, Rajasthan, with aircraft from 11 countries participating.

Special Postal Stamp Released for Ilaiyaraaja in Australia

The Victoria State Government of Australia released a special postal stamp honouring Tamil musician Ilaiyaraaja for his 50-year musical journey at a felicitation event held at the Parliament of Victoria (Legislative Assembly) in Melbourne. The stamp was presented to Ilaiyaraaja by Enver Erdogan, Victoria’s Finance Minister. The event was coordinated by Mithun Rajan, General Secretary of the Australian Tamil Business Chamber (Victorian Chapter). Ilaiyaraaja is currently conducting music concerts in various cities of Australia as part of his tour.

72nd National Film Awards – Major Winners and Tamil Cinema Achievements

The 72nd National Film Awards were presented by President Droupadi Murmu at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, for films released in 2024. The ceremony marked a venue change from Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, where National Film Awards ceremonies had traditionally been held; the 17th National Film Awards ceremony in 1971 had earlier been held in Chennai. In Tamil cinema, G.V. Prakash Kumar received the Best Background Music award for Amaran, directed by Rajkumar Periasamy; Dhanush received the award for Best Tamil Film for Raayan, which he directed, and also received Best Actor (Special Mention) for Captain Miller; and Rajkumar Periasamy won the Best Director award for Amaran. Malayalam actor Mammootty received the Best Actor award for Bramayugam, marking his fourth National Film Award; his earlier awards were for Mathilukal and Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha in 1990, Vidheyan and Ponthan Mada in 1994, and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in 1999. Kartik Aaryan also shared the Best Actor award for Chandu Champion. Yami Gautam won Best Actress for Article 370, Sanjay Mishra won Best Supporting Actor for Bhakshak, and Rupali Varadkar and Sachana Namidass shared Best Supporting Actress for Mithya and Maharaja, respectively. Randeep Hooda won Best Debut Director for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, while Article 370 won Best Feature Film and Kalki 2898 AD won Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. Captain Miller won the award for Best Film Promoting Social Values. Shashwat Sachdev received the Best Music Direction award for Article 370 and Kalki 2898 AD, Sukumar and Yogesh Deshpande shared the Best Screenplay award for Pushpa 2 and Swargandharva Sudhir Phadke, Venky Atluri won Best Dialogue for Lucky Baskhar, Shehnad Jalal won Best Cinematography for Bramayugam, and Nitin Zihani Choudhary won Best Production Design for Kalki 2898 AD.

States’ News

9th India International Water Week 2026 Begins in New Delhi

The 9th India International Water Week (IIWW) 2026 was inaugurated at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on September 22, 2026, with Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan participating in the inaugural event. India accounts for about 18% of the world’s population, but has only around 4% of global water resources. The event focuses on key water-management issues, including water security, rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, conservation of polluted water bodies, interstate water management and river-linking projects. Major river-linking initiatives include the Ken–Betwa River Linking Project, Damanganga–Pinjal, and Par–Tapi–Narmada projects. The India International Water Week 2026 is being conducted from September 22 to 26, 2026, with participation from Union Ministers, water-resource experts and international experts.

Sports News

Mayilvaganan IPS Appointed Special Officer for Mission Olympic 2036

Mayilvaganan IPS has been appointed as the Special Officer for Mission Olympic 2036 and Joint Chief Executive Officer of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) to coordinate sports-sector planning in Tamil Nadu. The appointment is part of measures to provide special training to Tamil Nadu sportspersons for participation in the 2036 Olympic Games, for which India is pursuing the opportunity to host the event. He will function under the control of the Member Secretary of SDAT, as per the order issued by Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena. Before this appointment, Mayilvaganan served as Superintendent of Police in the CB-CID Special Branch and was subsequently placed on the waiting list.

India Women Win Asian Games Cricket Gold; Kamalini Awarded ₹75 Lakh

At the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, the Indian women’s cricket team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the women’s T20 final to win the gold medal, giving India its first gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games and its second consecutive Asian Games gold after the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. India scored 216/3 in 20 overs, the highest score by a women’s team in Asian Games cricket, with Smriti Mandhana scoring 79, Shafali Verma 48, and Richa Ghosh 49; Sri Lanka were bowled out for 69 in 15.4 overs. Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma, Shreyanka Patil and Sree Charani were among India’s leading wicket-takers. G. Kamalini, a wicketkeeper-batter from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, was part of the gold-medal-winning Indian squad, and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced a ₹75 lakh cash incentive for her achievement.

National News

Rajya Sabha Elections for 12 Seats on October 16, 2026

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that elections for 12 Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal will be held on October 16, 2026. In Uttar Pradesh, the terms of 10 Rajya Sabha members are ending, while the term of Naresh Bansal from Uttarakhand is also ending, resulting in elections for 11 seats in these two states. A by-election for one vacant Rajya Sabha seat in West Bengal will also be held on the same day. Polling will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and counting of votes will begin at 5 p.m., with results scheduled to be declared on the same day. The Rajya Sabha is a permanent House under Article 83(1) of the Constitution, with approximately one-third of its members retiring every two years; its members are elected by elected members of State Legislative Assemblies through proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote under Article 80(4).

Tamil Nadu News

Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme Extended to Classes 6–8 in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin launched the extension of the Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme to students of Classes 6 to 8 in government schools at Chennai Middle School, Thiruvanmiyur Kanchi Gramam, Chennai. The scheme was initially launched on September 15, 2022, for students of Classes 1 to 5 with the objective of providing nutritious breakfast and supporting school attendance. With the latest extension, 7,537 government and government-aided schools covering 15.30 lakh students of Classes 6–8 will additionally benefit. The scheme provides breakfast items including kichadi, pongal and sambar. With the expansion, the scheme will cover students from Classes 1 to 8 in 44,984 government and government-aided schools, benefiting 34.64 lakh students in October. An additional ₹724 crore has been earmarked for the expanded implementation. At the Chennai school where the scheme was launched, 199 students from Classes 1–5 were already covered, while 127 students from Classes 6–8 were newly brought under the scheme. The Chief Minister also inaugurated a new classroom block at the school and planted a sapling during the programme.