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Daily DigestArchive
Current Affairs — Thursday, 24 September 2026
34 items
Tamil Nadu
- CM Vijay raises health insurance coverage from ₹5 lakh to ₹25 lakh
— Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced a five-fold increase in health insurance coverage under the state's flagship scheme, a major welfare expansion by the TVK government. (GS Paper II — State welfare schemes, health policy) - TN Government to extend Free Breakfast Scheme to Middle School Students
— The scheme, originally launched under the previous Stalin government for primary students, will now cover middle school children, expanding its beneficiary base. (GS Paper II — Social welfare, education policy) - VB-GRAMG sparks political storm; Vijay government under scrutiny
— The VB-GRAMG controversy has put the Vijay administration in a difficult position amid opposition pressure. (GS Paper II — State governance) - Tamil Nadu maintains two-language policy; PM SHRI scheme decision pending
— The Vijay government has confirmed continuation of the two-language policy and is yet to decide on accepting the Centre's PM SHRI three-language scheme; MDMK's Vaiko urged CM Vijay to reject it as "Hindi imposition." (GS Paper II — Language policy, Centre-State relations) - NLCIL signs MoU with C-DAC to explore green digital infrastructure
— NLC India Limited partnered with Centre for Development of Advanced Computing to advance sustainable and energy-efficient digital infrastructure. (GS Paper III — PSUs, technology, energy) - TN Minister V.K. Rajeev inaugurates The Hindu Sustainability Summit 2026 in Chennai
— The minister stressed sustainability must move from awareness to measurable, practical outcomes; CPCL MD highlighted compressed bio-gas and sustainable aviation fuel as key investment areas. (GS Paper III — Environment, energy transition)
India — National
- Opposition demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar's removal over Election Commissioners' dissent
— Two of three Election Commissioners formally dissented at least 14 times over 10 months on issues including centralisation of electoral roll database, changes to Form 6, and voter deletions in West Bengal and Goa. (GS Paper II — Constitutional bodies, Election Commission, Article 324) - SC refrains from fixing time limit for Speaker Om Birla in TMC rebel MP disqualification
— The Supreme Court recorded rebels' request for four weeks to file replies in the anti-defection disqualification proceedings. (GS Paper II — Tenth Schedule, disqualification, Speaker's role) - Arunachal Pradesh Cabinet approves panel for survey of Siang Mega Dam
— The state cabinet cleared a committee to conduct a survey for the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, estimated to generate 11,000 MW of electricity, amid local opposition. (GS Paper I/III — River systems, hydropower, North-East India) - J&K observes holiday on Maharaja Hari Singh's birthday
— Jammu & Kashmir marked the birth anniversary of Dogra ruler Hari Singh, who signed the Instrument of Accession in October 1947; BJP held special functions across the UT. (GS Paper I — Modern history, J&K accession) - Sagar hooch tragedy: 39 arrested, two key accused held after encounter
— Police apprehended Ashish Sahu and another accused in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, taking the total arrests to 39 in connection with the hooch tragedy. (GS Paper II — Law and order, state administration) - UP CM Yogi launches Bharat Taxi and Mukhyamantri Krishak Samriddhi Yojana
— Taxi drivers registering on Bharat Taxi receive zero-commission operations and ₹5 lakh social security cover; the Krishak Samriddhi scheme targets farmer welfare in Uttar Pradesh. (GS Paper II — State schemes, gig economy welfare) - Red warning issued for 4 Odisha districts as deep depression threatens
— IMD issued heavy rainfall red alerts for Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Koraput and Malkangiri; NDRF teams deployed. (GS Paper I — Disaster management, meteorology)
Economy & Finance
- India–EU FTA to be signed on December 16
— PM Modi is scheduled to sign the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union in Belgium as part of a December tour that also includes Canada and the US for separate trade deals. (GS Paper II/III — International trade, bilateral relations) - India–New Zealand FTA ratified, comes into effect October 20
— New Zealand will remove tariffs on all Indian goods; India will reduce or eliminate tariffs on 95% of NZ imports, with dairy and sensitive agriculture sectors protected. (GS Paper III — Trade policy, FTAs) - OECD upgrades India's growth forecast to 7.1% for 2026–27
— The OECD upgrade follows similar upward revisions by Moody's, S&P Global, and Fitch Ratings within the past week, reflecting broad global confidence in India's economic trajectory. (GS Paper III — GDP, international economic organisations) - OMCs incur ₹530 crore daily losses on retail fuels: ICRA
— Oil Marketing Companies are losing ₹8/litre on petrol, ₹9/litre on diesel, and ₹300 per LPG cylinder, according to ICRA's latest assessment. (GS Paper III — Petroleum sector, subsidies, pricing policy) - Cabinet approves eight multitracking railway projects to decongest lines
— The Union Cabinet cleared multiple rail multitracking projects aimed at easing congestion on key freight and passenger corridors. (GS Paper III — Infrastructure, Railways) - Industrial production rises 6.7% in July, sustaining strong FY27 start
— The Index of Industrial Production growth signals continued manufacturing momentum at the start of the financial year. (GS Paper III — IIP, economic indicators)
Science & Technology
- India's canal network proposed as land-free solar power corridor
— Experts highlighted canal-top photovoltaics (similar to floating solar) as a land-scarce-India solution that avoids additional land acquisition for large-scale solar deployment. (GS Paper III — Renewable energy, solar policy) - AI experts warn against 'apocalyptic' rhetoric on AI risks
— Turing Award winner Yoshua Bengio cautioned at a global forum that policymakers must distinguish between scientifically established AI risks and speculative extrapolation. (GS Paper III — Artificial Intelligence, technology governance) - UK to launch No. III Space Effects Squadron — first military space unit
— The UK announced its first dedicated military space squadron to disrupt, degrade, and deny enemy activity targeting British satellites — relevant for India's evolving space security policy context. (GS Paper III — Space, defence technology)
Environment
- State of India's Environment 2026 Report highlights rising climate risks, wildlife conflicts, and pollution monitoring gaps
— Released by CSE/Down to Earth, the report flags accelerating climate vulnerabilities, increasing human-wildlife conflicts, and inadequate pollution tracking infrastructure across India. (GS Paper III — Environment, biodiversity, pollution) - CM Fadnavis visits drought-prone Maharashtra regions; subcommittee formed
— A subcommittee under Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule was constituted to address the drought crisis in Maharashtra. (GS Paper I/III — Drought management, disaster response)
Sports
- Mirabai Chanu wins silver at Asian Games 2026 (Aichi-Nagoya)
— The two-time World champion won the silver medal in weightlifting; North Korea's Gum completed a hat-trick of Asian Games titles with a 215 kg total, setting world records in snatch, clean and jerk, and total. (GS Paper IV / Current Affairs — Asian Games, Indian sports achievers) - Roshibina Devi wins second Asian Games silver in wushu
— The Manipuri athlete claimed her second Asian Games silver (first: Hangzhou 2023) and her third Asian Games medal overall, having won bronze at Jakarta-Palembang 2018. (GS Paper IV — Asian Games, North-East Indian athletes) - CM Vijay congratulates Tamil Nadu badminton team on Asian Games bronze
— The TN badminton contingent claimed a bronze medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026. (Sports — State achievement)
Appointments & Awards
- Justice M. Fathima Beevi, first woman judge of the Supreme Court of India, passes away
— Justice Fathima Beevi, a historic trailblazer appointed to the Supreme Court in 1989, passed away; she later served as Governor of Tamil Nadu (1997–2001). (GS Paper II — Judiciary, constitutional history, firsts) - Padma Vibhushan announced for Justice K.T. Thomas
— The retired Supreme Court judge, known for independent judgments including on the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, is to receive India's second-highest civilian honour. (GS Paper II — Padma Awards, judiciary) - Padma awardee Justice J.S. Khehar profiled
— Former CJI J.S. Khehar, honoured with a Padma award, is noted for landmark rulings that frequently went against government positions. (GS Paper II — Judiciary, constitutional law) - Justice Manikumar appointed as new SHRC Chairman
— Justice Manikumar has been named Chairman of the State Human Rights Commission. (GS Paper II — Human rights institutions, appointments)
International
- Xi Jinping arrives in Washington for state visit; Trump offers rare planeside welcome
— President Trump greeted President Xi at Joint Base Andrews — an unusual diplomatic gesture — signalling high-level US–China engagement; the visit is expected to address trade and geopolitical tensions. (GS Paper II — India's neighbourhood, US-China relations, foreign policy) - Zelenskyy urges UN General Assembly to choke Russia's revenues
— Ukraine's President called on world leaders to limit trade with Russia, framing it as directly prolonging the war; India's position on Russia trade remains under international attention. (GS Paper II — UN, Russia-Ukraine conflict, India's foreign policy) - EAM Jaishankar flags India's concerns over Russia sanctions to US Secretary Marco Rubio
— In bilateral talks on the sidelines of UNGA, Jaishankar raised India's reservations about secondary sanctions impacting India–Russia trade and energy ties. (GS Paper II — Foreign policy, India-US relations, energy diplomacy)
- Quick Revision:
- 🏋️ Mirabai Chanu won silver in weightlifting at Asian Games 2026 (Aichi-Nagoya); Roshibina Devi claimed her third Asian Games medal (second silver) in wushu — a Manipuri athlete
- ⚖️ Justice M. Fathima Beevi — first woman judge of the Supreme Court of India (appointed 1989), also former Governor of Tamil Nadu — passed away on 24 September 2026
- 📈 OECD upgraded India's growth forecast to 7.1% for 2026–27; India–New Zealand FTA takes effect 20 October 2026, with NZ removing 100% tariffs on Indian goods