Daily Current Affairs — 15 September 2026
· 14 min read · TS Police Hub (Anvil Edtech)
Today's digest covers International Relations (18th BRICS Summit), Science & Technology (Semicon India 2026), Economy & Industry, Government Schemes & States, Environment & Biodiversity, Polity & Judiciary, Internal Security & Trade, Awards & Honours, a Sports round-up, and Important Days & Personalities (National Engineers Day), followed by 8 practice questions.
1. International Relations
18th BRICS Summit Held in New Delhi under India's Chairship
Why in news: The 18th BRICS Summit was held on 12–13 September 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, hosted by India. With this, India has chaired BRICS four times so far — in 2012 (4th Summit, New Delhi), 2016 (8th, Goa), 2021 (13th, virtual, due to COVID-19) and 2026 (18th, New Delhi).
The 2026 theme was 'Building Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'. The India 2026 logo featured the lotus (India's national flower — a symbol of resilience and harmony) with a Namaste symbol at the centre. Leaders adopted the 'New Delhi Declaration'.
BRICS — the basics
- The name: The term 'BRIC' was coined by economist Jim O'Neill in 2001. The first BRIC summit was held in 2009 in Russia. South Africa joined at the 3rd Summit (2011, Sanya, China), making it BRICS.
- 11 members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia (Indonesia is the newest full member). Together they hold about 49.5% of world population, ~40% of world GDP and ~26% of world trade.
- BRICS Bank: The New Development Bank (NDB) is headquartered in Shanghai, China; its President is Dilma Rousseff (former President of Brazil).
Also in the news: India approved the export of electricity to flood-affected Nepal up to 31 December 2026, deepening India–Nepal energy cooperation.
2. Science & Technology
Semicon India 2026 — 5th Edition to be Held in New Delhi
Why in news: Semicon India 2026, the 5th edition of India's flagship semiconductor conference, will be held from 17 to 19 September 2026 at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre, New Delhi, and will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister.
Theme: 'Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem'. It is organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) together with SEMI (a global semiconductor industry association). About 300 companies and representatives from over 40 countries are expected. The first edition was held in 2022 at Bengaluru, Karnataka.
India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) & critical minerals
- ISM: Launched in December 2021 under MeitY with about Rs 76,000 crore (ISM 1.0). The government has approved about Rs 1.27 lakh crore for ISM 2.0. India's first semiconductor fabrication (fab) plant is being developed at Dholera, Gujarat.
- Critical minerals: Semiconductors and electronics need 'critical minerals'. Under the National Critical Minerals Mission, the Ministry of Mines has identified 30 minerals as critical for India, to cut import dependence.
3. Economy & Industry
Tata Steel Starts India's First Coke Oven Gas Injection Project
Why in news: In September 2026, Tata Steel started India's first Coke Oven Gas (COG) injection project at Blast Furnace-1 of its Meramandali plant in Odisha.
Coke Oven Gas is a by-product formed during coke-making in integrated steel plants; it is rich in hydrogen (over 55%). Injecting it directly into the blast furnace cuts the use of fossil fuel and reduces carbon emissions, supporting Tata Steel's goal of Net Zero emissions by 2045.
- Tata Steel: Founded in 1907 by Jamsetji Tata; headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- Why it matters: Steel-making is 'hard to abate' (hard to decarbonise). Using hydrogen-rich COG inside the furnace is a step toward green steel.
4. Government Schemes & States
Chhattisgarh Approves 'CM Startup' and 'NIPUN' Missions
Why in news: The Chhattisgarh Cabinet approved the Chief Minister's Startup Mission and the NIPUN Mission — together worth about Rs 500 crore, to run for five years — to boost startups, skilling and youth employment.
NIPUN stands for 'New Age Industry Preparedness through Upskilling of New Generation Youth'. Under the plan, Entrepreneurship Development Centres will be set up in 33 districts, along with 5 Centres of Excellence and 100 Emerging Technology Labs (focusing on areas like Artificial Intelligence).
What is a 'startup'?
- Definition (DPIIT): By the Government of India's definition (DPIIT, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry), a private company qualifies as a 'startup' for up to 10 years from incorporation, with annual turnover not exceeding Rs 100 crore.
- National Startup Day: 16 January — the Startup India scheme was launched on 16 January 2016. India has over 2.35 lakh recognised startups.
5. Environment & Biodiversity
New Plant Species 'Ophiopogon japonicus' Recorded in Arunachal Pradesh
Why in news: Researchers recorded the plant species Ophiopogon japonicus in India for the first time, from the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. Commonly it is called 'Mondo grass' (also 'dwarf lilyturf').
It was reported jointly by scientists of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun (Uttarakhand) and the Botanical Survey of India. Arunachal Pradesh lies in the Eastern Himalayas, a global biodiversity hotspot, which is why many new species are found there.
- Eastern Himalayas: In India, the Eastern Himalayas mainly cover Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and the Darjeeling region of West Bengal.
- Hydropower link: Arunachal Pradesh has declared 2025–2035 as its 'Decade of Hydropower', given its large hydro-energy potential (e.g. the Kameng project).
6. Polity & Judiciary
Supreme Court Launches 'Jan Suchna Seva'
Why in news: On 14 September 2026 (National Hindi Day), the Supreme Court of India launched 'Jan Suchna Seva', a public information service that explains selected important judgments and orders in a simple, easy-to-understand form — first in Hindi, and later in other Indian languages.
Aim: to make justice more inclusive and reduce the gap between the justice system and the people. It provides short 15–30 minute audio/video explainers for those who find long, complex legal documents hard to read.
- Supreme Court in the Constitution: The Supreme Court is covered under Part V, Articles 124–147. The current (53rd) Chief Justice of India is Justice Surya Kant.
- Hindi Day: 14 September marks the day in 1949 when the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi in the Devanagari script as the official language of the Union (Article 343). The Eighth Schedule now lists 22 languages.
7. Internal Security & Trade
'Operation Deep Manifest' — DRI Seizes Pakistan-origin Dry Dates
Why in news: Under 'Operation Deep Manifest', the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 362 metric tonnes of Pakistan-origin dry dates that were being routed into India through a third country (the UAE).
Background: after the Pahalgam terror attack (22 April 2025), India banned imports of Pakistan-origin goods (effective 2 May 2025) — including goods re-routed via a third country. The dry dates had moved from Karachi to the UAE and then towards India; DRI flagged them as a national-security concern and seized them.
8. Awards & Honours
Rajbhasha Awards 2025–26 Presented on Hindi Day
Why in news: On 14 September (Hindi Day), Union Home Minister Amit Shah presented the Rajbhasha awards for 2025–26. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) received the top 'Rajbhasha Utkrishta Samman', and the Department of Financial Services won the first 'Rajbhasha Kirti' award.
These awards recognise ministries and departments for excellent use of the official language (Hindi) in their administration. They were presented at the 6th All India Official Language Conference held in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- Which ministry?: The Rajbhasha (official language) awards are given by the Ministry of Home Affairs (Department of Official Language). DARPG is under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
9. Sports Round-up
US Open, Junior Hockey Asia Cup, Duleep Trophy, Women's Asia Cup & Asian Games 2026
- US Open 2026 (tennis): Men's singles: Alexander Zverev (Germany) beat Ben Shelton (USA). Women's singles: Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) beat Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus). The US Open is the last of the four Grand Slams in a calendar year, played on hard court in New York.
- Junior Hockey Asia Cup 2026: In China, India won both titles: the men's junior team beat South Korea 4–1 (India's 6th men's junior title) and the women's junior team beat China 1–0.
- Duleep Trophy 2026: East Zone won by beating South Zone in the final (Chennai). The Duleep Trophy is a domestic first-class (red-ball) tournament of the BCCI, started in 1961–62 and named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji.
- Women's Asia Cup 2026 (cricket): India beat Sri Lanka in the final at Dubai to win a record 8th title (10th edition, T20 format, organised by the Asian Cricket Council).
- 20th Asian Games 2026: To be hosted by Aichi–Nagoya, Japan, from 19 September to 4 October 2026. The governing body is the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), HQ Kuwait City. The first Asian Games were held in 1951 at New Delhi.
10. Important Days & Personalities
National Engineers Day (15 September) — Sir M. Visvesvaraya
Why in news: India observes National Engineers Day every year on 15 September, the birthday of the great civil engineer Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya (born 15 September 1861, in present-day Karnataka).
He served as the Diwan of Mysore and built many dams and irrigation works in Karnataka (e.g. the Krishna Raja Sagara dam). He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1955.
- 'Planned Economy for India' (1934): Visvesvaraya wrote the book 'Planned Economy for India' (1934), proposing a 10-year plan (the 'Visvesvaraya Plan') to shift India from agriculture toward industry and double the national income in 10 years — an early blueprint before the Five Year Plans.
- Later plans (order): Visvesvaraya Plan (1934) → Bombay Plan (1944–45, by 8 industrialists incl. Tata) → Gandhian Plan → People's Plan → Sarvodaya Plan.
Practice questions with answers
The 18th BRICS Summit (2026) was hosted by India in New Delhi. Counting this Summit, how many times has India chaired BRICS so far?
- Two times
- Three times
- Four times
- Five times
Answer: (C) Four times
Explanation: India has chaired BRICS four times: 2012 (4th Summit, New Delhi), 2016 (8th, Goa), 2021 (13th, virtual) and 2026 (18th, New Delhi). BRICS now has 11 members; the term 'BRIC' was coined by Jim O'Neill (2001), and the first summit was in 2009 (Russia).
With reference to Semicon India 2026, consider the following statements:
- It is the 5th edition and will be held in New Delhi.
- Its theme is 'Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem'.
- It is organised only by a private foreign company, with no Government of India involvement.
- 1 and 2 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (A) 1 and 2 only
Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Semicon India 2026 is the 5th edition (17–19 Sept, Yashobhoomi, New Delhi), themed 'Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem'. Statement 3 is wrong: it is organised by MeitY and the India Semiconductor Mission along with SEMI — so the Government of India is very much involved. The first edition was in 2022 (Bengaluru).
'Operation Deep Manifest', in the news, is associated with which agency and activity?
- ISRO — a satellite launch
- DRI — seizing Pakistan-origin dry dates re-routed via the UAE
- Indian Navy — an anti-piracy mission
- ISM — a new semiconductor fab
Answer: (B) DRI — seizing Pakistan-origin dry dates re-routed via the UAE
Explanation: Under 'Operation Deep Manifest', the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI, under the Ministry of Finance) seized 362 metric tonnes of Pakistan-origin dry dates re-routed through the UAE. India banned imports of Pakistan-origin goods (effective 2 May 2025) after the Pahalgam terror attack (22 April 2025).
The 'Jan Suchna Seva', launched on National Hindi Day 2026 to explain judgments simply, was started by which institution?
- The Supreme Court of India
- The Election Commission of India
- NITI Aayog
- The Ministry of Law and Justice
Answer: (A) The Supreme Court of India
Explanation: The Supreme Court of India launched 'Jan Suchna Seva' on 14 September 2026 (Hindi Day) — a public information service giving simple 15–30 minute audio/video explainers of important judgments, first in Hindi and later in other Indian languages. The Supreme Court is covered under Part V, Articles 124–147; the 53rd CJI is Justice Surya Kant.
The plant species Ophiopogon japonicus ('Mondo grass'), recorded in India for the first time, was found in which state?
- Kerala
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Rajasthan
- Gujarat
Answer: (B) Arunachal Pradesh
Explanation: It was recorded from the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh (in the Eastern Himalayas — a biodiversity hotspot), reported by scientists of the Wildlife Institute of India (Dehradun) and the Botanical Survey of India. In India the Eastern Himalayas mainly cover Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and the Darjeeling region of West Bengal.
Consider the following Assertion (A) and Reason (R):
Assertion (A): National Engineers Day is observed in India on 15 September every year.
Reason (R): 15 September is the birth anniversary of the eminent civil engineer Sir M. Visvesvaraya.
- Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
- Both A and R are true, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A
- A is true, but R is false
- A is false, but R is true
Answer: (A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
Explanation: Both are true and R correctly explains A. National Engineers Day (15 September) honours Sir M. Visvesvaraya, born on 15 September 1861 (present-day Karnataka), a great civil engineer and Bharat Ratna awardee (1955).
Who authored the book 'Planned Economy for India' (1934), which proposed a 10-year plan for India's development?
- Dadabhai Naoroji
- M. Visvesvaraya
- B. R. Ambedkar
- Jawaharlal Nehru
Answer: (B) M. Visvesvaraya
Explanation: Sir M. Visvesvaraya wrote 'Planned Economy for India' (1934), outlining the 'Visvesvaraya Plan' — a 10-year plan to move India from agriculture toward industry and double the national income in 10 years, an early blueprint before the Five Year Plans. (Dadabhai Naoroji is known for the 'Drain of Wealth' theory / 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India'.)
Match the 2026 sports title with its winner:
| List I | List II |
|---|
| A. Duleep Trophy 2026 (cricket) | 1. India |
| B. Women's Asia Cup 2026 (cricket) | 2. East Zone |
| C. Men's Junior Hockey Asia Cup 2026 | 3. Alexander Zverev |
| D. US Open 2026 men's singles (tennis) | 4. India |
- A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
- A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
- A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3
- A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2
Answer: (A) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
Explanation: East Zone won the Duleep Trophy 2026; India won the Women's Asia Cup 2026 (record 8th title, beating Sri Lanka) and the Men's Junior Hockey Asia Cup 2026 (beating South Korea 4–1); Alexander Zverev (Germany) won the US Open 2026 men's singles. Hence A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3.
తెలుగులో సారాంశం (Telugu summary)
డైలీ కరెంట్ అఫైర్స్ — 15 సెప్టెంబర్ 2026
నేటి డైజెస్ట్లో అంతర్జాతీయ సంబంధాలు (18వ BRICS శిఖరాగ్ర సదస్సు), సైన్స్ & టెక్నాలజీ (సెమికాన్ ఇండియా 2026), ఆర్థిక వ్యవస్థ & పరిశ్రమ, ప్రభుత్వ పథకాలు & రాష్ట్రాలు, పర్యావరణం & జీవవైవిధ్యం, రాజ్యాంగం & న్యాయవ్యవస్థ, అంతర్గత భద్రత & వాణిజ్యం, అవార్డులు & గౌరవాలు, క్రీడల రౌండ్-అప్, ముఖ్యమైన దినాలు & ప్రముఖులు (జాతీయ ఇంజనీర్ల దినోత్సవం) విభాగాలు, తర్వాత 8 ప్రాక్టీస్ ప్రశ్నలు ఉన్నాయి.
పూర్తి తెలుగు పాఠం కోసం పేజీలో భాష మార్చండి (English / తెలుగు).