Monthly current affairs for September 2026

India has formally secured dialogue partner status in the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), a 6th-generation fighter jet project popularly known as “Tempest”.

Launched in 2022, the GCAP is a trilateral initiative between the UK, Italy, and Japan to collaborate on military and industrial objectives for 6th-generation combat air capabilities.

The Indian Army (IA) has signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) with the USA to procure 100 FGM-148 Javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) systems through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. The deal is valued at $93 million.

The agreement also establishes a framework for the potential future co-production of the missile systems in India. The FGM-148 Javelin is manufactured by the Javelin Joint Venture (JV), a partnership between USA-based RTX Corporation and Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Samtel HAL Display Systems Ltd (SHDS), a Joint Venture (JV) between Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Samtel Avionics, has inaugurated its new manufacturing facility in Gurugram, Haryana. It is the first public-private JV established within the Indian defence avionics sector.

The ISRO has successfully launched the “EOS-05” Earth Observation Satellite (EOS) onboard the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)-F17 from the Second Launch Pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota. It is to be noted that the EOS-05 is the first Indian imaging satellite deployed from a geosynchronous orbit.

It aims to strengthen domestic Earth observation and imaging capabilities. The GSLV-F17 is a 51.7 m tall 3-stage rocket with a total liftoff mass of 420.5 tonnes. The launch vehicle successfully injected the 2,367 kg satellite into a Sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (Sub-GTO).

The IISc Bengaluru, has established the Foundation for Quantum Computing Innovation (FQCI) to function as the Quantum Computing Thematic Hub (QC T-Hub) under the National Quantum Mission (NQM). It is to be noted that the NQM is implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

FQCI is tasked with developing skilled manpower and promoting entrepreneurship in quantum technologies through 5 specialized programmes: Quantum Computing (QC) Rise, QC Bridge, QC Leap, QC Accel, and QC Quest.

Roger Federer, a Swiss tennis professional, has been inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF).

Mary Carillo, a tennis journalist and broadcaster, was also inducted into the ITHF under the “Contributor Category” for her contributions to tennis media and storytelling. The induction is considered one of the most prestigious honours in the sport.

King Oyo Nyimba Iguru Rukidi IV, the 13th monarch of the ancient Tooro kingdom in Uganda, passed away at the age of 34.

He was recognized by the Guinness World Records (GWR) as the world’s youngest reigning monarch and had assumed his royal responsibilities at the age of 18.

National Space Day

Day - August 23

Theme 2026 - “Towards Viksit Bharat: Innovating, Collaborating and Aspiring to Global Space Leadership”.

Observed since - 2024

Commemorating - Successful landing of the Chandrayaan 3 mission in 2023

World Sanskrit Day

Day - August 28

Commemorating - Panini, the author of Ashtadhyayi, a foundational text on Sanskrit grammar

World Water Week

Day - Last week of August (August 23 to 27 in 2026)

Observed by - Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)

Observed since - 1991

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has constituted a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to conduct a comprehensive examination of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment (FCRA) Bill, 2026.

The committee, consisting of 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha, will be chaired by Sanjay Jaiswal (BJP MP).

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has inaugurated the state-of-the-art building of the National Test House (NTH) in Bengaluru to mark its 115th Foundation Day. NTH functions under the Department of Consumer Affairs of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (MoCAF&PD).

During the event, he also virtually commissioned various facilities and initiatives across the national NTH network. The “NTH Suvidha” mobile app was launched to streamline testing access for industry stakeholders and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dr Jitendra Singh has launched the 5th edition of the ‘Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar 2026’ (SSSS v5.0) in New Delhi. The week-long ocean conservation campaign is scheduled from 12 to 19 September 2026, and will culminate on International Coastal Cleanup Day on 17 September 2026.

As part of the 5th edition, the first-ever National Ocean Olympiad has been inaugurated. Digital platforms for the campaign include the official SSSS v5.0 website, an ocean conservation pledge platform, and the ‘SAGAR PRAHARI’ mobile application.

The campaign aims to increase awareness about marine pollution and sustainable use of ocean resources. It is to be noted that the SSSS initiative was originally established in 2022.

PhonePe has launched ‘UPI 123Pay’, a service enabling feature phone users to conduct UPI transactions without internet connectivity. The service uses a Short Message Service (SMS)-based system to ensure secure transactions even in low network coverage areas.

This initiative aims to promote financial inclusion by providing digital payment capabilities to the non-smartphone user demographic in India.

The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) has signed an MoU with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to collaborate on landscape conservation, sustainable development, and financing.

The agreement was formalized during the ‘International Workshop on Tiger Landscapes’ which was inaugurated by Union Minister Bhupender Yadav. The theme of the workshop was “Tiger Landscapes: Conservation, Bioeconomy and Ecotourism as Pillars for Livelihood and Income Generation”.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has signed an MoU with the Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology (TIET) in Punjab to conduct a research study to develop a “Predictive and Analytical Framework for Monthly Consumption Expenditures” in India.

The Odisha government has signed two strategic MoUs with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and CivicDataLab (CDL) in Bhubaneswar.

The partnership aims to strengthen the disaster risk management ecosystem of the state by leveraging data, technology, and innovation, and fostering institutional collaboration.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has signed an MoU with Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) to promote demand aggregation and the large-scale deployment of smart domestic Piped Natural Gas (PNG) meters.

The initiative aims to facilitate the implementation of advanced metering infrastructure across the City Gas Distribution (CGD) sector of India.

Ulle Madise, the Chancellor of Justice, has been elected as the President of Estonia for a 5-year term. She succeeds Alar Karis.

Turkiye has joined the Artemis Accords as the 71st signatory globally and the 7th nation from West Asia.

It is to be noted that the accords were jointly established by the NASA and the US Department of State in 2020. The initiative aims to promote the safe and peaceful exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.