Daily Current Affairs - 29-09-2026

National News

Tamil Nadu Memorabilia in the 8th e-Auction of PM’s Gifts

In the 8th edition of the e-auction of memorabilia presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 31 items representing Tamil Nadu's spirituality, art, craftsmanship, heritage and sporting achievements have been listed. The auction began on September 17 and runs until October 2. The Tamil Nadu items include a Thiruvalluvar chariot (Ther), a Nataraja statue (bronze/gold-plated), a Punitha Padha Kavasam (holy footprint plate) linked to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Kanniyakumari, a Thanjavur-style veena, a Thanjavur painting of Lord Murugan, a memento from the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, and zari-work angavastrams (shawls). Sports items from Tamil Nadu's medal winners at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, including para-badminton rackets, are also part of the auction. Gifts received by the Prime Minister in India and abroad are auctioned, and the proceeds go to the Namami Gange scheme, the Ganga river cleaning programme.

187th State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) Meeting in Chennai

The 187th State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) meeting was held in Chennai under the chairmanship of T. Dhanaraj, Executive Director of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) and Chairman of Tamil Nadu SLBC. The meeting reviewed banking performance, credit disbursement, and financial inclusion up to June. Key participants included M.A. Siddique, Additional Chief Secretary of the Finance Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, Y. Jayakumar, Regional Director of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), S. Manoj, Chief General Manager of NABARD, and K. Velayutham, SLBC Convenor. During the meeting, officials emphasized increasing credit flow towards sectors such as Kisan Credit Card (KCC), dairy farming, agricultural infrastructure, food processing, and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) model projects to encourage new entrepreneurs.

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Passes Statehood Resolution

The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, a Union Territory Assembly, passed a resolution demanding the immediate restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, moved by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The resolution referred to earlier resolutions passed on June 26, 2000 and November 6, 2024. BJP MLAs staged a protest and walked out without participating in the voting. Amendments proposed by National Conference MLAs and eight other members seeking references to the special status and additional autonomy existing before August 9, 1953, were subsequently withdrawn. After the walkout, Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather put the resolution to a voice vote, through which it was passed.

Supreme Court Directs CBSE to Exempt Classes 6–9 from Three-Language Policy

The Supreme Court directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to exempt students of Classes 6 to 9 from the implementation of the three-language policy for the current academic year. The policy, based on the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023, requires students of Classes 6 to 9 to study three languages, including two Indian languages. The CBSE had issued a circular on May 15, following an earlier circular dated April 9, which stated that the system would continue until the 2029–30 academic year. Petitions challenging the immediate implementation of the policy were filed before the Supreme Court. A bench headed by Justice Surya Kant directed the CBSE to extend the exemption to students of Classes 6, 7, 8 and 9 for the current year.

Delimitation and Tamil Nadu’s Lok Sabha Representation

Under Article 81 of the Constitution of India, the allocation of Lok Sabha seats is linked to population as determined by the census framework. Delimitation involves determining the number and boundaries of constituencies, with the Delimitation Commission playing a key role in the process. Tamil Nadu currently has 39 Lok Sabha seats, accounting for 7.18% of the 543-member Lok Sabha. Under the 50% increase model discussed in connection with the proposed delimitation framework, Tamil Nadu’s seats would increase from 39 to 59, while the total strength of the Lok Sabha would rise from 543 to 816; Tamil Nadu’s share would be approximately 7.23%. The five southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana currently have 129 seats, or about 23.76% of the Lok Sabha, which would rise to 195 seats, or about 23.87%, under the proposed model. The issue of delimitation has been linked historically to the freezing of the allocation of Lok Sabha seats following constitutional amendments in 1976 and 2001. The 2026 delimitation-related legislative proposals included the Delimitation Bill, 2026 and the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026.

Sports News

Asian Games 2026: Indian Athletes Win Silver and Bronze Medals

At the 20th Asian Games – Aichi-Nagoya 2026, Esha Singh won silver in the women’s 25 m pistol, while Kulveer Singh won silver in the men’s 1,500 m with a personal best of 3:36.72, and Murali Sreeshankar won silver in the men’s long jump with 8.07 m. In the men’s javelin throw, Yashveer Singh won silver with 85.72 m and Rohit Yadav won bronze with 84.35 m. Tamil Nadu’s Vidya Ramraj won bronze in the women’s 400 m hurdles with a personal best of 54.75 seconds, breaking the 42-year-old national record of 55.42 seconds set by P.T. Usha at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan finished seventh in the men’s 400 m hurdles with 49.95 seconds. In boxing, Lovlina Borgohain, Priya and Kapil advanced to the semi-finals, assuring medals, taking India’s assured boxing-medal tally to six; Lovlina defeated Seong Su-yeon of South Korea 5–0 in the women’s 75 kg quarter-final. Pinki Balhara won bronze in the women’s 78 kg Kurash event. In squash, the Indian men’s and women’s teams advanced to the quarter-finals. In archery, defending champion Jyothi Surekha Vennam was eliminated in the compound women’s individual event after losing 146–150 to a 14-year-old South Korean archer. In cricket, India advanced to the semi-finals after its men’s quarter-final was abandoned due to rain without a ball being bowled. In sepaktakraw, the Indian women’s team was eliminated after losing 1–2 to Japan. In volleyball, the Indian men’s team defeated Hong Kong 3–0 in its second group match and was scheduled to play Qatar next. In hockey, India won its final group match 10–0, with goals from Abhishek, Jugraj Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Sanjay and Mandeep Singh. As of September 28, 2026, India stood 12th in the medal table with 4 gold, 20 silver and 21 bronze medals, totalling 45 medals.

Personalities, Awards and Events

Tamil Nadu Government Invites Applications for 22 Disability Awards

The Tamil Nadu Government has invited applications for 22 awards to be presented on December 3 on the occasion of the World Day of Persons with Disabilities. The awards recognise persons with disabilities, individuals who provide special services to them, and institutions, covering categories including best employee or self-employed person, best teachers for visually impaired and hearing-impaired persons, best teacher for persons with intellectual disabilities, best social worker, best charitable organisation serving persons with disabilities, best institution employing persons with disabilities, best teachers working in early-stage training centres, best driver and conductor serving persons with disabilities, and best government and private establishments providing barrier-free infrastructure in public buildings. Each award carries a cash prize of ₹10 lakh and a certificate. Applications must be submitted online by October 22 through www.awards.tn.gov.in, and applications not submitted online will not be accepted.

Tamil Nadu News

Tamil Nadu Considers T-Shirts for Government School Uniforms

The Tamil Nadu Government announced during the Legislative Assembly demand for grants that sports attire, including T-shirts and track pants, would be provided along with the regular uniforms to government school students. School Education Minister Rajmohan stated in Chennai that multi-phase studies and consultations are being conducted on replacing traditional shirts with T-shirts as part of the regular school uniform, with the proposal aimed at addressing difficulties caused by damaged shirt buttons and providing greater convenience for students to wear the uniform at home as well as at school.

Renovated Gandhi Memorial Museum Inaugurated in Madurai

The Gandhi Memorial Museum in Madurai was renovated at a cost of ₹10.25 crore with facilities including an audio-visual show hall, AV theatres, and digital screens. The museum is located on a 13-acre site within the former summer palace of Rani Mangammal, built in 1670. The site was handed over by the Government of Tamil Nadu to the All India Gandhi Smarak Nidhi in 1955, and the museum was inaugurated on 14 April 1959 by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. It is regarded as the first of seven Gandhi memorial museums established in India. Mahatma Gandhi adopted his loincloth (half-dress) during his visit to Madurai in 1921, while the temple-entry movement gained momentum following his visit in 1934.

‘Thaimaman Gold Ring’ Scheme Launched in Tamil Nadu

The ‘Thaimaman Gold Ring’ Scheme was launched at Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital to provide a 1-gram gold ring to every child born in government hospitals across Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu Government allocated ₹755.83 crore for the scheme, which covers children born from June 22, 2026. In the first phase, 1.28 lakh gold rings were procured, while a Government Order was issued for the purchase of 4.42 lakh rings in total. Following the launch, distribution began in government hospitals across Tamil Nadu, with rings being provided to 1.07 lakh children born from June 22, 2026, up to 7 a.m. The scheme was launched by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay at Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital, and Health Minister Arunraj presided over the function. The scheme was initially announced to cover children born in government hospitals and Primary Health Centres (PHCs).

States’ News

Mysuru Dasara Festival and Jamboo Savari

The Mysuru Dasara Festival is scheduled to be held from October 11 to October 21 in Mysuru, Karnataka. The festival concludes with the traditional Jamboo Savari, an elephant procession, on the final day, for which rehearsals were conducted in Mysuru city.