16th September, 2026

1. India, Vietnam Agree to Observe 2027 as ‘Year of India-Vietnam Friendship’
2. Colombo Security Conclave Conducts Three-Day Table Top Exercise at in Visakhapatnam
3. AHF Junior Asia Cup 2026: India Men and Women Clinch Double Titles
4. Princess Astrid of Norway Passed Away at 94
5. Brendan Taylor Breaks Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI Career Record
6. Karnataka Declares September 15 Engineers’ Day, Allows ‘Er.’ Prefix
7. Sanjukta Parashar Becomes First Woman to Lead CRPF CoBRA
8. Gujarat Child Protection Policy 2026: Key Features Explained
9. Kishau Dam Project Clears 8-Year Hurdle as Six States Sign MoU
10. Vasundhara Doraswamy to Receive Excellence Award 2026
11. World’s Best Performing Banks 2026: HDFC Bank Ranks 3rd, Check Top 10 List
12. World Ozone Day 2026: Theme, History and Significance
13. EPFO on WhatsApp: Check What Services Members May Get
14. Global Chess League 2026 Final: Ganges Grandmasters Win Maiden Title
15. DFS Wins First Rajbhasha Kirti Prize for 2025-26
16. IAF Dronathon 2026 Begins at Pokhran to Test Drone Technologies
17. Seva Sankalp Abhiyan 2026: Objectives, Dates, Impact and Key Details
18. Emmys 2026: Full List of Winners and Key Highlights
19. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Seek Freedom From Westminster

National News

India and Vietnam to Observe Friendship Year 2027

• What: India and Vietnam agreed to observe next year as the “Year of India-Vietnam Friendship” to mark the 55th anniversary of their diplomatic relations during the 19th India-Vietnam Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) in New Delhi.
• Tell me more:
  • External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar and Vietnam’s Foreign Affairs Minister Le Hoai Trung reviewed the Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and agreed to strengthen financial, port and air connectivity while exploring cooperation in space exploration and nuclear energy.
  • The two nations agreed to pursue co-production of Indian defence equipment and improve market access for Indian pharmaceuticals, marine products, and agricultural goods.
  • Vietnam commended India’s leadership during the 18th BRICS Summit and participated as a partner country in the event under India’s chairship.

State News

Karnataka Declares Engineers’ Day Official State Event

• What: The Karnataka government approved observing September 15, the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Sir M Visvesvaraya, as an official state event named Engineers’ Day and permitted engineers to use the title “Er.” before their names.
• Tell me more:
  • The government permitted engineers in Karnataka to use the professional prefix “Er.” before their names, similar to the “Tr.” prefix allowed for teachers.

Gujarat Government Announces State Child Protection Policy 2026

• What: The Gujarat government announced the Gujarat State Child Protection Policy-2026 to ensure a safe, equal, and rights-based childhood for every child in the state by protecting them from violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect, and discrimination.
• Tell me more:
  • The policy requires institutions having direct contact with children to train employees on child rights, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Juvenile Justice Act.
  • The policy mandates a strict code of conduct, zero tolerance for child abuse, protection of vulnerable groups, and stronger safety measures across schools, healthcare, workplaces, and digital environments.

Six States Sign Pact for Kishau Dam Project

• What: Six states signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Government in New Delhi for the construction of the ₹15,624-crore Kishau Dam project on the Tons river.
• Tell me more:
  • Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand signed the agreement for the 660 megawatt (MW) multipurpose project.
  • Kishau Corporation Limited, a joint venture between Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, will implement the project along the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border.
  • The Central Government will bear 90% of the water component cost, while beneficiary states will fund the power component cost of Himachal Pradesh.

Delhi Government to Launch Month-Long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan

• What: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced that the Delhi government will launch ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’, a month-long public service campaign, from September 17 to October 17 to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday.
• Tell me more:
  • The initiative will feature development projects worth ₹13,820 crore that will be inaugurated or have foundation stones laid across various departments.
  • Yamuna river cleaning and rejuvenation initiatives account for projects valued at approximately ₹8,000 crore alongside ward-level cleanliness drives.
  • The Environment Department will execute a plantation target of 70 lakh saplings under the ‘Clean Delhi, Green Delhi’ campaign.
  • Key health initiatives include launching Delhi’s State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) platform, conducting blood donation camps, and running health check-ups for 25,000 senior citizens.
  • The government will hold three-day ‘Seva Setu Abhiyan’ camps in all 70 Assembly constituencies to assist eligible residents with registration for welfare schemes.

International News

Celtic Leaders Seek Independence Referendums

• What: Political leaders from Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland signed an agreement asking the UK Government to prepare for constitutional changes and allow people to decide their political future through self-determination.
• Tell me more:
  • These parties believe their nations should have a greater say in their constitutional futures and are seeking closer cooperation on the economy, energy, Europe and international affairs.
  • The agreement could strengthen cooperation among the three nations and give greater political momentum to their demands for independence and increased constitutional powers.
  • Scotland seeks another independence referendum, Wales’s Plaid Cymru supports independence but not an immediate referendum, while Northern Ireland’s Sinn Féin seeks reunification with Ireland through a referendum.

Banking and Economy

Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation Launches Official WhatsApp Channel

• What: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) launched an official WhatsApp channel to provide important updates and useful information directly to its members and pensioners.
• Tell me more:
  • EPFO launched a WhatsApp channel for information updates, not member services; it cannot provide PF balances or withdrawals, while a separate UPI withdrawal facility has completed testing.

Reports and Indices

HDFC Bank Ranks Third in Forbes Global Top Banks List 2026

• What: Forbes released its inaugural report on the Top Performing Banks in the World in 2026 in collaboration with market research firm Statista, featuring 500 banks across 89 nations.
• Tell me more:
  • Rankings were evaluated using data from standard accounting reports, desk research, bank submissions, and financial platforms like Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Capital IQ.
  • The methodology categorized banks into six asset-size tiers ranging from Tier 1 above $500 billion down to Tier 6 between $3 billion and $10 billion.
  • Final scores relied on four core parameters comprising profitability (30%), capital and funding resilience (25%), asset quality and efficiency (25%), and growth and earnings quality (20%).

Defence News

Colombo Security Conclave Concludes Maritime Security Exercise

• What: The three-day Table Top Exercise (TTX) conducted under the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) culminated on 11 September 2026 at the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) in Visakhapatnam.
• Tell me more:
  • The Colombo Security Conclave is a regional security grouping of Indian Ocean nations focused on maritime safety and addressing shared transnational challenges.

Sanjukta Parashar Becomes First Woman to Head CoBRA

• What: Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Sanjukta Parashar became the first woman officer to be appointed as Inspector General (IG) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jungle warfare commando unit, Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA).
• Tell me more:
  • Sanjukta Parashar is a 2006-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre who previously served in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and headed the Crime Investigation Department (CID) wing of Assam Police.
  • She earned the moniker ‘Iron Lady of Assam’ after leading a crackdown against the militant outfit National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) as Sonitpur Superintendent of Police (SP).
  • CoBRA commandos secure forest areas reclaimed from Naxals in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, while two battalions serve in Manipur; her appointment reflects CRPF’s push for women officers in combat roles.

Indian Air Force Launches Dronathon 2026 at Pokhran

• What: Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit inaugurated the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) first three-day Dronathon 2026 at Pokhran Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer.
• Tell me more:
  • The event brings together over 20 domestic defence companies, start-ups, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and public sector undertakings.
  • Participants are conducting live demonstrations of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), counter-UAS technologies, swarm systems, and electronic warfare capabilities.
  • Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit released the ‘IAF UAS Roadmap’ to help industry, academia, and research organisations align efforts with future military operational requirements.
  • The IAF also demonstrated “Vayu UTtaM”, an indigenously developed multi-mode Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) system that real-time tracked military and civil drones.

Awards

Dr Vasundhara Doraswamy Chosen for Prestigious National Dance Award

• What: Renowned Bharatanatyam exponent Dr Vasundhara Doraswamy will receive the Padmabhushan Guru Dr Saroja Vaidyanathan Excellence Award 2026 for her five-decade contribution to Indian classical dance.
• Tell me more:
  • Nataraj Music & Dance Academy (NMDA) will confer the award during the Vysakhi Nrithyotsav festival in Visakhapatnam on September 26 and 27.
  • Dr Doraswamy earned a doctorate after training under Pattabhi Jois to integrate Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga into Bharatanatyam.
  • She created acclaimed solo choreographies including Panchali, Ganga Lahari, and Sama Veda, performed at UNESCO’s World Peace Conference in Paris, and received Sangeet Natak Akademi, Shantala Awards, and honorary citizenship.
  • NMDA is an ISO 9001:2015-certified organization founded by BR Vikram Kumar and holds membership in the International Dance Council, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Department of Financial Services Wins Prestigious Rajbhasha Kirti Award

• What: The Department of Financial Services (DFS) secured the first prize under the Rajbhasha Kirti Awards for 2025-26 among ministries and departments with fewer than 300 personnel.
• Tell me more:
  • The award recognizes the department for outstanding implementation, effective use, and innovative achievements in Official Language Hindi during 2025-26.
  • Department of Official Language under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) organized the 6th All India Official Language Conference at City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) Exhibition Centre in Vashi, Navi Mumbai.
  • The conference provides a platform for discussions on developing Hindi as an official language, link language, and public language alongside technology, translation, and literature.

78th Emmy Awards

• The Primetime Emmy Awards honour outstanding American television programmes and professionals for excellence in prime-time programming and creative achievement.

Important Days

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer – September 16

• 2026 Theme: Global action for a cooler planet

Sports

India Achieves Golden Double at Asian Hockey Federation Junior Asia Cup 2026

• What: Both Indian men and women hockey teams won their respective Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Junior Asia Cup 2026 titles in Moqi, People’s Republic of China, and qualified for the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Junior World Cup.
• Tell me more:
  • The women’s team led by Khaidem Shileima Chanu defeated China 1-0 in the final to secure a third consecutive title under coach Tim White.
  • The men’s team captained by Anmol Ekka defeated the Republic of Korea 4-1 to win a sixth title under coach Frederic Soyez.
  • Sanika Chandrakant Mane was the joint-highest scorer in the women’s tournament with seven goals, while captain Anmol Ekka was the tournament’s top scorer with 17 goals.

Brendan Taylor Breaks Record for Longest ODI Career

• What: Zimbabwean wicketkeeper-batter Brendan Taylor surpassed Sachin Tendulkar to record the longest One Day International (ODI) career in men’s cricket after playing against Australia in Harare.
• Tell me more:
  • Brendan Taylor achieved an ODI career spanning 22 years and 148 days, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s previous record of 22 years and 91 days.
  • The International Cricket Council (ICC) previously banned Brendan Taylor for three and a half years after he delayed reporting a match-fixing approach in 2019.
  • Brendan Taylor returned from retirement in 2025 as Zimbabwe started preparing for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
  • Former Sri Lanka cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya holds the third spot on the list of longest ODI careers at 21 years and 184 days.

Ganges Grandmasters Win Fourth Global Chess League Title

• What: The Ganges Grandmasters defeated defending champions Alpine APL Pipers 4-2 in the final match in Bengaluru to lift the fourth season trophy of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League.
• Tell me more:
  • The winning team comprised Levon Aronian, Leinier Dominguez, Polina Shuvalova, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Stavroula Tsolakidou, and team captain Adhiban Baskaran.

Miscellaneous

Norwegian Princess Astrid Passes Away at Age 94

• What: Princess Astrid of Norway passed away at the age of 94 in Oslo, just two days after the funeral of her younger brother King Harald V.
• Tell me more:
  • Princess Astrid became Norway’s First Lady at 22 after her mother’s death in 1954, serving for 14 years and representing the Norwegian royal family during that period.

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