Daily Current Affairs and GK Updates (22nd September, 2026)

Important Days

1. World Rhino Day 2026

World Rhino Day: 22 September.
Theme 2026: “Keep the Five Alive.”
First announced by WWF-South Africa in 2010; international observance began in 2011.
Number of surviving rhino species: 5.
Estimated global rhino population: ~26,700.
Greater One-Horned Rhino: ~4,075; mainly found in India and Nepal.
Scientific name: Rhinoceros unicornis; IUCN Status: Vulnerable.
Major Indian stronghold: Assam, particularly Kaziranga National Park.

2. 11th Ayurveda Day 2026

11th Ayurveda Day: 23 September 2026.
Theme: “Ayurveda for a Healthier Tomorrow.”
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Ayush.
12,260 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (Ayush) functional against a target of 12,500.
India has 593 Ayurveda colleges.
AYURGYAN Scheme: Launched in 2021-22.
India has 46 Ayush Information Cells in 43 countries.
Union Budget 2026-27 allocated ₹4,408 crore to the Ministry of Ayush and announced 3 new All India Institutes of Ayurveda.
WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre: Jamnagar, Gujarat.

National News

3. President Amends Inter-State Council Order, 1990

President Droupadi Murmu amended the Inter-State Council Order, 1990.
Inter-State Council (Amendment) Order, 2026 issued on 9 September 2026.
Inter-State Council is constituted under Article 263 of the Constitution.
Governor can attend during President’s Rule under Article 356.
Delhi LG: Article 239AB.
Puducherry: Section 51, Government of Union Territories Act, 1963.
Jammu & Kashmir: Section 73, J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019.
Original Inter-State Council Order issued on 28 May 1990.

4. Digital Communications Commission Dissolved

Government dissolved the Digital Communications Commission (DCC) after nearly 37 years.
Parent department: Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
Established as Telecom Commission in April 1989.
Renamed DCC in October 2018 after the National Digital Communications Policy, 2018.
Cabinet approved dissolution on 16 September 2026.
Government resolution issued on 19 September 2026.
DCC’s final meeting: 3 September 2026.
Its functions will now move more directly through the Telecom Secretary.

5. 7th National Formulary of India 2026 Launched

7th National Formulary of India (NFI) launched on 21 September 2026.
Venue: Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.
Launched by Anupriya Patel.
Published by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC).
NFI promotes rational and safe use of medicines.
Previous 6th edition was launched in October 2021.
6th National Pharmacovigilance Week: 17–23 September 2026.
Theme: “Promoting Rational Use of Medicines through Pharmacovigilance: A Step Towards Safer Healthcare.”

Appointments News

6. Jayanti Prasad Gets Additional Charge as IBBI Chairperson

Jayanti Prasad given additional charge as Chairperson of IBBI.
Existing position: Whole-Time Member, IBBI.
Effective from: 13 September 2026.
Predecessor: Ravi Mital.
His current IBBI tenure ends on 20 November 2026.
IBBI: Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India.
IBBI is the key regulator under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016.

Banking & Economy News

7. RBI Issues Basel III Market Risk Directions 2026

RBI issued Commercial Banks – Minimum Capital Requirements for Market Risk Directions, 2026.
Effective from 1 April 2027.
Framework aligned with revised Basel III standards.
Method adopted: Simplified Standardised Approach (SSA).
Draft guidelines were issued on 17 February 2023.
Transition scalars have been applicable since 1 April 2024.
Trading book linked to Held for Trading (HFT) classification.
Revised treatment covers debt mutual funds, ETFs and Total Return Swaps (TRS).
BCBS: Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.

8. Sagarmala Finance to Issue India’s Maiden Blue Bond

Issuer: Sagarmala Finance Corporation.
India’s maiden blue bond issue scheduled for 28 September 2026.
Planned amount: ₹600 crore.
Greenshoe option: ₹500 crore.
Maturity: 10 years.
Rating: AA+ by ICRA and CARE.
Arranger: SBI Capital Markets.
Proceeds will finance maritime projects, greenfield ports and coastal roads.

9. ONGC Makes Gas Discovery in Mahanadi Offshore Basin

ONGC discovered gas in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin, Odisha.
Well: MN-DW18-1-H-D.
Discovery announced: 18 September 2026.
Target depth: 1,623 metres.
Gas-bearing interval: 1,441–1,452 metres.
Located approximately 43 km from the Konark coast.
It is ONGC’s first well-based discovery under the Samudra Manthan programme.
Samudra Manthan: ₹84,000-crore offshore exploration initiative launched in July 2026.

Business & Corporate News

10. Starbucks to Establish First India GCC in Chennai

Starbucks Coffee will establish its first Global Capability Centre (GCC) in India.
Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
MoU signed with Guidance Tamil Nadu.
Expected employment: Around 800 jobs in the first phase.
Starbucks CTO: Anand Varadarajan.
Indian retail partner: Tata Consumer Products.
The new GCC will operate separately from the Starbucks-Tata retail joint venture.

International News

11. India Co-Sponsors Inaugural P4M Summit

India co-sponsored the inaugural P4M Summit.
P4M: Partners for Multilateralism, International Law, Peace and Prosperity.
Held on 21 September 2026 in New York.
Held on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly.
India represented by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
Initial co-sponsors: Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, European Union, India and Kenya.
Jaishankar called for reformed multilateralism.
4F Crisis: Fuel, Food, Fertiliser and Finance.

12. India-New Zealand FTA to Take Effect

India-New Zealand FTA will take effect from 20 October 2026.
Agreement signed on 27 April 2026 in New Delhi.
Signed by Piyush Goyal and New Zealand’s Todd McClay.
New Zealand will provide duty-free access on 100% of tariff lines for Indian exports from the start.
India protected sensitive sectors including dairy, livestock, sugar and edible oils.
New Zealand indicated around USD 20 billion investment in India.
Mobility provision: 5,000 temporary employment visas for skilled Indians.
1,000 working-holiday visas annually for Indian youth.

13. India Endorses G20 Energy Abundance Ministerial Outcomes

India endorsed outcomes of the G20 Energy Abundance Ministerial held in Houston.
Four key areas: Household Energy Access, Infrastructure Permitting, Water Reuse and Critical Minerals.
LPG recognised as a transitional fuel for replacing traditional biomass.
Critical-mineral framework promotes diversified, secure and resilient supply chains.
Water reuse framework is voluntary.
Consensus outcomes are voluntary and non-binding.
Overall focus: Energy security, affordability and sustainability.

Defence News

14. Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026

Tarang Shakti 2026 is a multinational air exercise hosted by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Edition: Second.
Venue: Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
Expected dates: 26 September–12 October 2026.
First edition held in 2024.
Tarang Shakti 2024 was conducted at Sulur, Tamil Nadu and Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
Focus: Interoperability, tactical coordination and joint aerial operations.

15. India-Mongolia Exercise Nomadic Elephant 2026

18th edition of Exercise Nomadic Elephant began in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.
Bilateral military exercise between India and Mongolia.
Exercise continues till 3 October 2026.
Participation: 45 personnel each from the Indian Army and Mongolian Armed Forces.
Conducted alternately in India and Mongolia.
Previous edition: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (2025).
Focus: Counter-insurgency operations in semi-urban and mountainous terrain under UN mandate.

Science, Technology & Environment News

16. Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve Records 3,261 Flowering Plant Species

Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve: Kerala and Tamil Nadu, southern Western Ghats.
New checklist recorded 3,261 flowering plant species.
Recorded 1,139 genera and 190 families.
Endemic taxa: 1,018 (31.2%).
Steno-endemic taxa: 245.
Taxa shared with Sri Lanka: 347.
Most species-rich family: Fabaceae – 349 taxa.
New flowering plant: Osbeckia ulotricha.
Study conducted by JNTBGRI, Thiruvananthapuram and published in Plant Science Today.

17. ISRO-ESA Space Cooperation Extended Until 2032

ISRO and European Space Agency (ESA) extended their Cooperative Agreement until 8 January 2032.
Extension formalised on 10 September 2026 in Paris.
Original agreement came into force in January 2002.
Signed by ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan and ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher.
Key areas: Human and robotic exploration, space weather and sustainable outer-space activities.
ISRO established: 1969.
ESA established: 1975.

Sports News

18. India Wins Asian Games 2026 Women’s Cricket Gold

India won the Asian Games 2026 women’s cricket gold medal.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final.
Final held on 22 September 2026 at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin.
India: 216/3; Sri Lanka: 69 all out.
Smriti Mandhana: 79 runs.
Shafali Verma: 48 runs.
Richa Ghosh: 49* off 22 balls.
Captain: Harmanpreet Kaur.
147 runs became India’s largest victory margin by runs in Women’s T20Is.
It was India’s first gold medal at Asian Games 2026.
India also won women’s cricket gold at Hangzhou 2023.

19. Mark Wood Retires from International Cricket

England fast bowler Mark Wood retired from international cricket on 22 September 2026.
Age: 36 years.
International career: 11 years.
Tests: 38 matches, 119 wickets.
ODIs: 70 matches, 80 wickets.
T20Is: 38 matches, 54 wickets.
Total: 146 international matches, 253 wickets.
Member of England’s 2019 ODI World Cup-winning team.
Member of England’s 2022 T20 World Cup-winning team.
He will continue playing for Durham and in franchise cricket.