Daily Current Affairs

Daily digests (5-8 items/day).

GS3 · Exports, MSMEs

No RCMC needed for export consignments up to ₹3 lakh (FTP 2023 amended)

On 16 September 2026 the DGFT amended Para 2.57 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023 so that a Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC) is not needed for export consignments with a Free-on-Board value of up to ₹3 lakh. Larger consignments still need it. The aim is to make it easier for MSMEs, artisans and first-time exporters to start.

16 Sep 2026
GS2 · IR

India rejects Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission

On 16 September 2026 the MEA rejected the so-called Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission as having no legal basis. It said there is no boundary between Pakistan and China, the whole of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of India, and India has never recognised the so-called China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963.

16 Sep 2026
GS3 · Air pollution governance

CAQM finds 16 of 22 industries non-compliant in Hapur (UP); 12 show-cause notices

On 15 September 2026, seven flying squads of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) inspected 22 industrial units in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh. Sixteen broke norms and statutory directions, and 12 show cause notices were issued. The UP Pollution Control Board sealed two units, one burning hazardous sludge in a wood-fired pit furnace.

16 Sep 2026
GS2 · Consumer protection, governance

CCPA fines Rapido ₹10 lakh for dark patterns in tipping prompts

On 15 September 2026 the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) imposed a ₹10 lakh penalty on the company that runs the Rapido ride-hailing app. It found two dark patterns, "confirm shaming" and "interface interference", in prompts that pushed riders to pay more before a ride was confirmed, and ordered the platform to stop them.

15 Sep 2026
GS3 · External sector

Exports up 15.55% in Apr–Aug 2026-27; electronics exports nearly double in August

India's total exports of goods and services in April to August 2026-27 are estimated at US$ 399.27 billion, 15.55 per cent more than a year earlier, the Commerce Ministry said on 15 September 2026. Merchandise exports grew 17.85 per cent. In August alone, electronic goods exports rose 89.82 per cent to US$ 5.55 billion.

15 Sep 2026
GS3 · Employment

PLFS August 2026: LFPR 55.6%, female LFPR 34.8%, unemployment 5.0%

The Periodic Labour Force Survey bulletin for August 2026, released on 15 September 2026, shows the labour force participation rate for people aged 15 and above rising to 55.6 per cent. Female participation was 34.8 per cent, up 1.1 points in a year. The unemployment rate held at 5.0 per cent, and rural unemployment fell to 4.1 per cent.

15 Sep 2026
GS3 · Banking, digital payments

UPI stays free for P2P and 96% of merchant payments; MDR only above ₹2,000

The Government clarified on 15 September 2026 that under the new UPI framework all person-to-person payments stay free, and so do merchant payments up to ₹2,000. A merchant discount rate (MDR) of 0.4 per cent applies only to merchant payments above ₹2,000, capped at ₹300. About 96 per cent of merchant transactions will not be affected.

15 Sep 2026
GS2/GS3 · India–US, defence

Yudh Abhyas 2026: 22nd India–US Army exercise opens at Auli and Mahajan

The 22nd edition of Yudh Abhyas, the joint exercise of the Indian and US Armies, opened on 15 September 2026 at the Auli Foreign Training Node in Uttarakhand. It runs at the same time at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan. About 600 personnel from each side are training for operations in mountainous and semi-mountainous terrain.

15 Sep 2026
GS3 · Infrastructure, urbanisation

Varuna Elevated Corridor: ₹10,998-crore, 43.2-km road project for Varanasi

The Varuna Elevated Corridor, approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2026, is a ₹10,998-crore, 43.218-km road along the Varuna river in Varanasi. It will link NH-31 with the Varanasi Ring Road. NHAI will build it, with a cable-stayed bridge. Travel time from NH-31 to Kashi Railway Station should fall from about 40 to 20 minutes.

15 Sep 2026
GS3 · Inflation

WPI inflation 9.92% and CPI inflation 4.82% in August 2026

On 14 September 2026 the Government released price data for August 2026. Wholesale (WPI) inflation was 9.92 per cent, with fuel and power up 22.93 per cent. Retail (CPI) inflation, on the new base year 2024, was 4.82 per cent, and food inflation 5.95 per cent. Rural retail inflation (5.23 per cent) was higher than urban (4.31 per cent).

14 Sep 2026