Daily Current Affairs — 27 September 2026
· 20 min read · TS Police Hub (Anvil Edtech)
India signs the UN Convention against Cybercrime and co-launches a Group of Friends on the safety of shipping and seafarers with Liberia; the US and Bangladesh sign a civil-nuclear MoU; the Centre notifies India's first four mega ports and lays the foundation of the first port-based e-methanol plant at Kandla; the CJI opens the country's first Victim Rights Centre in Patna; Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 begins at Jodhpur; a new Begonia species from Arunachal and Typhoon Dujuan in Japan; India's kabaddi golden double at the Asian Games; Hyderabad unveils a statue of Dr Manmohan Singh; Dhiraj Bommadevara's Asian Games record; and World Tourism Day.
1. International Relations
India Signs the UN Convention against Cybercrime
Why in news: On 25 September 2026, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar signed the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime at the UN Headquarters in New York, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA-81).
Cybercrime does not respect borders — the criminal, the victim and the evidence are often in different countries. This convention is the first comprehensive global treaty made under the UN framework to fight cybercrime. It helps countries prevent and punish crimes committed through computer systems and share electronic evidence for serious crimes.
Key facts to remember
- Adopted: By the UN General Assembly on 24 December 2024.
- Opened for signature: At a ceremony in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 25 October 2025 — so it is also called the 'Hanoi Convention'. It stays open for signature at UN Headquarters, New York, until 31 December 2026.
- Entry into force: It will enter into force 90 days after the 40th country ratifies it. It is NOT yet in force — about 90 countries have signed, but only a few have ratified so far.
- Signing vs ratifying: Signing shows a country's intention to join; ratification is the formal act by which it agrees to be legally bound. A treaty binds a country only after ratification.
India and Liberia Launch a Group of Friends for Safe Shipping and Seafarers
Why in news: On 25 September 2026, India and Liberia launched the 'Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers' in New York, during the high-level week of UNGA-81. India and Liberia are its co-chairs, and about 25 countries took part in its first meeting.
In recent months, merchant ships and their crews have been attacked on key sea routes such as the Red Sea (near the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait) and around the Strait of Hormuz. The group will work within the frameworks of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to protect seafarers — the sailors, officers and captains who run the world's ships.
Why India and Liberia?
- India: One of the world's largest suppliers of seafarers — lakhs of Indians work on ships under many flags.
- Liberia: Has the world's largest ship registry (flag state) by tonnage. A ship registry officially registers merchant ships under a country's flag and checks that they follow legal and safety standards.
- Liberia — basics: West African country; capital Monrovia; currency Liberian dollar.
US and Bangladesh Sign a Civil Nuclear Cooperation Pact
Why in news: On 26 September 2026, Bangladesh and the United States signed an agreement in New York to expand cooperation in the peaceful (civilian) uses of nuclear energy.
The pact records that all civil nuclear work must follow the highest standards of nuclear safety, security, safeguards and non-proliferation. It will help Bangladesh bring nuclear power into its national grid safely — especially its first nuclear power plant at Rooppur, which is being built with the help of Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom.
2. Economy & Infrastructure
India's First Four 'Mega Ports' Notified
Why in news: On 25 September 2026, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways notified Deendayal (Kandla), Jawaharlal Nehru (Nhava Sheva), Paradip and Mundra as India's first 'mega ports' under Section 73 of the Indian Ports Act, 2025.
What makes a port a 'mega port'?
A port qualifies if, in the previous financial year, it handled either 150 million metric tonnes (MMT) of cargo (a bulk port) or 7.5 million TEUs (a container port). A TEU — twenty-foot equivalent unit — is the standard size of one shipping container. Once declared, the status lasts five years even if traffic dips, and is then reviewed.
| Mega port | State | Ownership |
|---|
| Deendayal Port (Kandla) | Gujarat | Government (major port) |
| Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Nhava Sheva) | Maharashtra | Government (major port) |
| Paradip Port | Odisha | Government (major port) |
| Mundra Port | Gujarat | Private — Adani Ports and SEZ (the only private one) |
India's First Port-Based E-Methanol Plant at Kandla
Why in news: On 26 September 2026, the foundation stone of India's first port-based e-methanol plant was laid at the Deendayal Port Authority, Kandla (Gujarat), by Union Ports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
E-methanol (electro-methanol) is a low-carbon liquid fuel made from renewable electricity, water and biogenic carbon dioxide. It will be supplied to ships as a cleaner 'green fuel', helping shipping cut its emissions.
- Capacity & cost: 150 tonnes per day; investment of ₹2,300 crore.
- Partners: A joint initiative of Deendayal Port Authority and Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd (Namrup, Assam).
- Two phases: Phase I — 50 tonnes per day (₹1,200 crore); Phase II — another 100 tonnes per day (₹1,100 crore).
3. Polity & Judiciary
CJI Opens the Country's First Victim Rights Centre in Patna
Why in news: On 26 September 2026, Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant inaugurated the country's first Victim Rights Centre at the campus of the Bihar State Legal Services Authority (BSLSA) in Patna. He also launched a Transgender Helpline on the same day.
Victims of crime often do not know their legal rights and suffer emotionally after the crime. The centre works as a single window: under one roof it gives free legal aid, psychological support and counselling, and helps victims at every stage of their case. It is a one-year pilot project under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
Link to the Constitution
- Article 39A: A Directive Principle of State Policy (Part IV) — equal justice and free legal aid, so that no citizen is denied justice because of poverty or other disability.
- 42nd Amendment, 1976: Added Article 39A to the Constitution. This amendment is called the 'Mini Constitution'.
- NALSA: The National Legal Services Authority, set up under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, leads free legal aid in India; each State has a State Legal Services Authority (SLSA).
4. Defence & Security
Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 Begins at Jodhpur
Why in news: The second edition of Tarang Shakti, the Indian Air Force's multinational air exercise, began at Air Force Station Jodhpur (Rajasthan) and runs from 26 September to 12 October 2026, with the theme 'Power in Partnership'. Its flying (operational) phase started on 28 September.
- Foreign air forces: Seven — Australia, the United States, the UAE, France, Germany, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — plus 32 observer countries.
- Highlight: The US F-35 fifth-generation stealth fighter is taking part in an Indian military exercise for the first time.
- First edition: Held in 2024 — the IAF's first-ever multinational air exercise hosted in India.
5. Environment, Biodiversity & Disasters
Begonia neelamorum — a New Plant Species from Arunachal Pradesh
Why in news: Researchers have described a new flowering plant, Begonia neelamorum, from the Keyi Panyor district of Arunachal Pradesh. The findings were published in the international journal Taiwania.
- Where it grows: On steep, moist rock walls along the Keyi River at about 1,000 metres; a small tuberous plant with a single light-green leaf and white flowers.
- Name: Named after the Neelam clan of the Nyishi community, who helped the researchers. It raises the number of Begonia species recorded from Northeast India to 54.
Typhoon Dujuan Lashes the Tokyo Region
Why in news: Typhoon Dujuan brought torrential rain to the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Kanto region of eastern Japan around 21–22 September 2026, causing landslides, floods, deaths, power cuts and large-scale flight and bullet-train cancellations.
The name 'Dujuan' (meaning azalea, a flower) was contributed by China to the list of names used for storms in the western North Pacific.
| Name of the tropical storm | Region |
|---|
| Cyclone | Indian Ocean (Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea) |
| Typhoon | Western Pacific (China, Japan, Philippines) |
| Hurricane | Atlantic and Eastern Pacific (USA, Mexico, Caribbean) |
| Willy-willy | North-western Australia |
6. Sports
Asian Games 2026: India's Kabaddi Golden Double
Why in news: On 26 September 2026, both Indian kabaddi teams beat Iran in the finals at the Tokai Citizen Gymnasium, Aichi-Nagoya (Japan), and won gold at the 20th Asian Games.
- Women: Beat Iran 37–34 and successfully defended their title. Captain: Pushpa Rana.
- Men: Beat Iran 40–34 after a second-half comeback for a record ninth Asian Games gold. Captain: Sunil Kumar.
- Record: India now has 13 Asian Games kabaddi titles — 9 men's and 4 women's. The only men's final India did not win was 2018 (Jakarta–Palembang), won by Iran. Women's kabaddi was first held at Guangzhou 2010.
7. Important Days
World Tourism Day — 27 September
Why in news: World Tourism Day is observed every year on 27 September. The 2026 theme is 'Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism', and El Salvador is the official host.
- Organiser: UN Tourism (formerly the UN World Tourism Organization, UNWTO), headquartered in Madrid, Spain.
- First observed: 1980. The date marks the adoption of the UNWTO Statutes on 27 September 1970.
- India link: India rose to 31st (from 39th) in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026 (Japan 1st) — covered in yesterday's digest.
8. Telangana & Andhra Pradesh Focus
Statue of Dr Manmohan Singh Unveiled in Hyderabad
Why in news: On 26 September 2026, his birth anniversary, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy unveiled a statue of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at Wipro Circle in Hyderabad's Financial District. The order creating Telangana was displayed alongside it, and the Chief Minister urged the Centre to confer the Bharat Ratna on him.
- Telangana link: Telangana was formed during his tenure as Prime Minister, through the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014; the State came into existence on 2 June 2014.
- Career: Born 26 September 1932; Prime Minister 2004–2014; as Finance Minister he led the 1991 economic reforms (liberalisation) under PM P.V. Narasimha Rao; Padma Vibhushan 1987.
- Laws of that decade: Right to Information Act (2005), MGNREGA (2005) and the Right to Education Act (2009).
Dhiraj Bommadevara Sets an Asian Games Archery Record
Why in news: Archer Dhiraj Bommadevara, from Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), topped the men's recurve qualification at the 2026 Asian Games with 698 out of 720 — a new Asian Games record and a national record. It beat the previous Games record of 690 held by Korea's Lee Woo-seok and made him the top seed.
9. Quick Revision — One-Liners
Practice questions with answers
With reference to the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, consider the following statements:
- It was adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2024.
- It enters into force 90 days after the 40th ratification.
- India is also a party to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime.
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (A) 1 and 2 only
Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are correct: the convention was adopted on 24 December 2024 and enters into force 90 days after the 40th ratification (it is not yet in force). Statement 3 is wrong — the Budapest Convention (2001) is a Council of Europe treaty that India has not joined. India signed the UN convention on 25 September 2026 in New York.
India co-chairs the 'Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers' with Liberia. Why is Liberia significant in shipping?
- It has the world's busiest container port
- It supplies the largest number of seafarers
- It has the world's largest ship registry by tonnage
- It hosts the headquarters of the IMO
Answer: (C) It has the world's largest ship registry by tonnage
Explanation: Liberia (capital Monrovia, West Africa) runs the world's largest ship registry (flag state) by tonnage, while India is one of the largest suppliers of seafarers — which is why the two co-chair the group, launched in New York on 25 September 2026. The IMO is headquartered in London.
Match the mega port with its State:
| List I | List II |
|---|
| A. Deendayal (Kandla) | 1. Odisha |
| B. Jawaharlal Nehru (Nhava Sheva) | 2. Tamil Nadu |
| C. Paradip | 3. Gujarat |
| D. V.O. Chidambaranar (Thoothukudi) | 4. Maharashtra |
- A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2
- A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2
- A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1
- A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2
Answer: (D) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2
Explanation: Deendayal (Kandla) — Gujarat; Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Nhava Sheva) — Maharashtra; Paradip — Odisha; V.O. Chidambaranar (Thoothukudi) — Tamil Nadu. Hence A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2. Deendayal, JNPA and Paradip, with the private Mundra port (Gujarat), were notified as India's first mega ports on 25 September 2026.
Under the Indian Ports Act, 2025, a container port qualifies as a 'mega port' if its annual traffic is at least:
- 5 million TEU
- 7.5 million TEU
- 10 million TEU
- 15 million TEU
Answer: (B) 7.5 million TEU
Explanation: A container port needs 7.5 million TEU a year; a bulk port needs 150 million metric tonnes of cargo. TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) is the standard size of one shipping container. The status lasts five years and is then reviewed.
India's first port-based e-methanol plant, whose foundation stone was laid on 26 September 2026, is coming up at:
- Paradip Port, Odisha
- V.O. Chidambaranar Port, Tamil Nadu
- Deendayal Port, Kandla, Gujarat
- Visakhapatnam Port, Andhra Pradesh
Answer: (C) Deendayal Port, Kandla, Gujarat
Explanation: The 150-tonnes-per-day, ₹2,300-crore plant is a joint initiative of Deendayal Port Authority (Kandla, Gujarat) and Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd. E-methanol is made from renewable power, water and biogenic CO2 and will be supplied to ships as a green fuel.
Consider the Assertion (A) and Reason (R):
Assertion (A): The Victim Rights Centre opened in Patna provides free legal aid to victims of crime.
Reason (R): Article 39A, a Fundamental Right, guarantees free legal aid to every citizen.
- Both A and R are true, and R explains A
- Both A and R are true, but R does not explain A
- A is true, R is false
- A is false, R is true
Answer: (C) A is true, R is false
Explanation: A is true: the centre, inaugurated by CJI Surya Kant at the Bihar State Legal Services Authority, offers legal aid, psychological support and counselling. R is false: Article 39A is a Directive Principle of State Policy (Part IV), not a Fundamental Right; it was added by the 42nd Amendment, 1976.
With reference to Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026, consider the following statements:
- It is being held at Air Force Station Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
- It is the first edition of the exercise.
- The US F-35 fighter is taking part in an Indian military exercise for the first time.
- 1 and 2 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (B) 1 and 3 only
Explanation: Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Statement 2 is wrong — the first edition was held in 2024; 2026 is the second. It runs from 26 September to 12 October 2026 with seven foreign air forces (Australia, USA, UAE, France, Germany, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh) and 32 observer countries.
The new plant species Begonia neelamorum was recently discovered in which State?
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Sikkim
- Meghalaya
- Kerala
Answer: (A) Arunachal Pradesh
Explanation: Begonia neelamorum was found on moist rock walls along the Keyi River in the Keyi Panyor district of Arunachal Pradesh and published in the journal Taiwania. It is named after the Neelam clan of the Nyishi community, and takes the number of Begonia species in Northeast India to 54.
At the 2026 Asian Games, India won gold in both men's and women's kabaddi by defeating which country in the finals?
- Japan
- South Korea
- Chinese Taipei
- Iran
Answer: (D) Iran
Explanation: Both finals were against Iran at the Tokai Citizen Gymnasium, Aichi-Nagoya, on 26 September 2026 — the women won 37–34 (captain Pushpa Rana) and the men 40–34 (captain Sunil Kumar). India now has 13 Asian Games kabaddi titles (9 men's, 4 women's).
Which organisation leads the observance of World Tourism Day on 27 September every year?
- World Economic Forum
- UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO)
- UNESCO
- World Travel & Tourism Council
Answer: (B) UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO)
Explanation: World Tourism Day has been observed since 1980 by UN Tourism (formerly the UN World Tourism Organization), headquartered in Madrid. The date marks the adoption of the UNWTO Statutes on 27 September 1970. The 2026 theme is 'Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism'. (The WEF publishes the Travel & Tourism Development Index, in which India is 31st in 2026.)