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Daily DigestArchive
Current Affairs — Tuesday, 29 September 2026
35 items
Tamil Nadu
- CM Vijay launches Thaimaaman Thanga Mothiram Thittam
— Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay launched the scheme at Madurai, gifting a one-gram gold ring to all newborns delivered in Tamil Nadu government hospitals on or after June 22, 2026 (CM's birthday); the scheme was a key TVK poll promise. (State welfare scheme; exam angle: flagship scheme name, beneficiary criteria) - Tamil Nadu to extend Free Breakfast Scheme to Middle School students
— The TVK government announced expansion of the free breakfast programme beyond primary schools to cover middle school students across Tamil Nadu. (Education welfare; exam angle: scheme expansion, beneficiary level) - Madras HC rejects election petition against Tirupattur TVK MLA
— Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan rejected the petition filed by former DMK Minister K.R. Periakaruppan challenging TVK MLA R. Seenivasa Sethupathy's victory won by a single vote. (Judicial; exam angle: election law, Madras HC jurisdiction) - Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi claims only Governor can grant sanction in ₹100-crore fraud case
— Former minister argued before Madras HC that sanction granted by the Public Department Secretary on June 23, 2026 was invalid and the FIR must be quashed. (Constitutional law; exam angle: Article 311, Governor's sanction powers) - Tamil Nadu reaffirms two-language policy; rejects PM SHRI three-language scheme
— A state minister confirmed no change in TN's two-language policy; MDMK chief Vaiko urged CM Vijay to reject the Centre's three-language PM SHRI scheme, calling it Hindi imposition. (Language policy; exam angle: Official Languages Act, state autonomy) - CM Vijay announces ₹30 lakh for Asian Games athlete
— The Tamil Nadu government announced financial recognition of ₹30 lakh for a Tamil Nadu athlete who won a medal at the 2026 Asian Games. (Sports welfare; exam angle: state government athlete incentive policy)
India — National
- Supreme Court asks Centre to consider exempting Class 6 students from CBSE three-language policy
— The apex court noted that current batches in Classes 7, 8, and 9 would not face board exams in the third language when they reach Class 10, and sought the Centre's response. (Education policy; exam angle: SC intervention, CBSE three-language formula) - Amit Shah to chair meeting to resolve Mahanadi water-sharing dispute
— Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a meeting to find a resolution to the inter-state river water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh over the Mahanadi. (Federal dispute; exam angle: Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, MHA role) - Amit Shah calls for 10-year PRAHAAR on terror
— The Home Minister advocated for a decade-long sustained offensive against terrorism, underlining national security priorities. (Internal security; exam angle: counter-terror policy, MHA) - 10 years of surgical strikes: Enhanced focus on Jammu with more ground and aerial surveillance
— A decade after the 2016 surgical strikes, India has significantly upgraded intelligence and surveillance infrastructure in Jammu. (Defence; exam angle: surgical strikes 2016, national security milestone) - India sends senior MEA official to Pakistan for SCO coordinators meet
— India participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation coordinators' meeting in Pakistan, signalling continued diplomatic engagement within multilateral frameworks. (Foreign policy; exam angle: SCO, India-Pakistan diplomatic channel) - CAG unearths misuse of DMF funds in Odisha; inadmissible projects executed
— The Comptroller and Auditor General found that District Mineral Foundation funds were used for projects inadmissible under Odisha DMF rules, including for people only indirectly affected by mining. (Audit/Governance; exam angle: DMF, CAG role, MMDR Act) - Cabinet approves eight multitracking railway projects
— The Union Cabinet approved eight rail multitracking projects aimed at decongesting busy railway lines across India. (Infrastructure; exam angle: Railway Ministry, capacity augmentation)
Economy & Finance
- India's IIP grows 8% in August 2026, driven by manufacturing
— Index of Industrial Production rose 8% year-on-year in August, released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation; last higher growth was 8.8% in June 2026. (Economy; exam angle: IIP, MoSPI, manufacturing sector) - Finance Minister says over 10% GDP growth is achievable for India
— FM Nirmala Sitharaman stated that double-digit growth is possible by scaling startups and leveraging technological innovation, and urged corporates to look beyond urban elites. (Economy; exam angle: GDP target, Finance Ministry) - SC questions Centre on UPI Merchant Discount Rate — 'neither tax nor fee'
— The Supreme Court refused interim stay but issued notice to the Union of India, RBI, and NPCI on the legal nature of MDR collections; the government is working with banks to ensure MDR is not passed on to merchants. (Financial regulation; exam angle: UPI, MDR, NPCI, RBI) - UAE signals additional $25 billion investment in India; bilateral trade target set at $200 billion by 2032
— Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal announced UAE's intent to invest in India's ports, energy and space sectors; bilateral trade currently stands at ~$100 billion. (Trade; exam angle: India-UAE bilateral trade, investment sectors) - Inflation rises in August 2026; RBI October meeting in focus
— Rising inflation data has increased market attention on the Reserve Bank of India's upcoming October Monetary Policy Committee meeting for potential rate decisions. (Monetary policy; exam angle: RBI MPC, inflation targeting, repo rate)
Science & Technology
- SpaceX Starship successfully reaches orbit for first time on 14th test flight
— The 120-metre-tall Starship megarocket achieved orbital insertion for the first time, a major milestone in reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle development. (Space tech; exam angle: SpaceX Starship, orbital launch milestone) - Bats originated in Europe 65 million years ago, scientists find
— New research shows bats first evolved in Europe; their disease resistance and longevity could inspire bat-inspired approaches to improve human health. (Science; exam angle: evolutionary biology, biodiversity significance) - Haryana's tele-ECG project brings heart screening to primary health centres
— A government-startup partnership has deployed tele-ECG technology at PHCs and CHCs across Haryana, enabling early cardiac screening at the grassroots. (Health tech; exam angle: digital health, primary healthcare, startup-government collaboration) - Brain-mapping study finds storytelling and scaffolding improve student learning outcomes
— Scientists found higher neural synchrony during social learning experiences, showing when and how learning happens most effectively in school children. (Education science; exam angle: neuroscience, learning pedagogy)
Environment
- State of India's Environment 2026 Report highlights rising climate risks, wildlife conflicts, and pollution monitoring gaps
— The CSE-DTE report flagged increasing climate vulnerabilities, human-wildlife conflict, and insufficient pollution monitoring infrastructure across India. (Environment; exam angle: CSE report, climate risk, wildlife conflict policy) - COP31 hosts Australia and Türkiye face pressure over fossil fuel language
— Both co-host nations are under pressure to include explicit fossil fuel phase-out language in COP31 agenda; Vedanta simultaneously seeks revival of Niyamgiri bauxite mining in Odisha. (Environment-Economy; exam angle: COP31, fossil fuels, Niyamgiri PVTG Gram Sabha precedent)
Sports
- India at Asian Games 2026: 4 gold, 18 silver, 20 bronze after Day 10
— India stands 12th in the medal tally with 42 total medals at the 2026 Asian Games after a packed Day 10 schedule. (Sports; exam angle: Asian Games 2026, India medal tally) - Kazakh race walker's gold stripped at Asian Games for footwear breach; Chinese athlete Danzengquzong upgraded to gold
— Ma Li (China) earned silver and Japan's Yukiko Umeno took bronze after the reallocation. (Sports rules; exam angle: Asian Games rule enforcement, race walking) - India chess: 19-year-old Chennai WGM wins gold with 9/10 points; women's team takes bronze at Chess Olympiad
— The young Chennai grandmaster's unbeaten run powered India women to a bronze medal at the Chess Olympiad. (Sports achievement; exam angle: Chess Olympiad, Indian women's chess) - Greece defeat Germany 1-0 in Jürgen Klopp's home debut loss
— First-ever Greek victory in 11 matches against Germany; Greece lead their UEFA Nations League group with 6 points. (International sports; exam angle: football, UEFA Nations League)
Appointments & Awards
- Justice M. Fathima Beevi, first woman judge of the Supreme Court of India, passes away
— Justice Fathima Beevi was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1989, making history as the first woman and first Muslim to serve on the apex court bench. (Constitutional history; exam angle: Supreme Court firsts, landmark appointments) - Padma Vibhushan announced for Justice K.T. Thomas
— The retired Supreme Court judge, known for independent judgements including on the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, is to receive India's second-highest civilian honour. (Awards; exam angle: Padma Vibhushan, Supreme Court judiciary) - Padma awardee Justice J.S. Khehar honoured
— The former Chief Justice of India, known for judgements often contradicting government positions, receives Padma recognition. (Awards; exam angle: Padma awards, CJI history) - Justice Manikumar appointed as new SHRC Chairman
— Justice Manikumar has been appointed as Chairman of the State Human Rights Commission. (Appointments; exam angle: SHRC, Human Rights Commission structure)
International
- FBI places gangster Goldy Brar on 10 Most Wanted list with $1 million reward
— The US Federal Bureau of Investigation listed Canada-based Indian gangster Satinderjit Singh 'Goldy' Brar among its 10 Most Wanted Fugitives; he is considered armed and dangerous. (India-US security; exam angle: transnational crime, India-US law enforcement cooperation) - US and Iran engage separately with mediators in fresh bid to end conflict
— Iran's seven-day peace plan proposes end to hostilities, unfreezing of assets, lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil; separate US-Iran backchannel talks continue. (Geopolitics; exam angle: Iran nuclear/sanctions diplomacy, Middle East conflict) - Himalayan floods highlight need for regional disaster preparedness: NDMA expert
— Former NDMA advisor Safi Ahsan Rizvi called for enhanced regional cooperation for disaster risk reduction in the Himalayan belt, citing recent devastating floods. (Disaster management; exam angle: NDMA, Himalayan ecology, SAARC disaster frameworks)
- Quick Revision:
- 🏅 Justice M. Fathima Beevi — first woman judge of the Supreme Court of India (appointed 1989) — passed away on 29 September 2026
- 🥇 India's Asian Games 2026 medal tally after Day 10: 4 Gold, 18 Silver, 20 Bronze (12th position overall)
- 💍 Tamil Nadu's Thaimaaman Thanga Mothiram Thittam — 1-gram gold ring gifted to all newborns in government hospitals from June 22, 2026 onwards (TVK flagship scheme launched by CM Vijay at Madurai)