CURRENT AFFAIRS INDIA
Tata Sons Leadership Rift: Tata Trusts labeled the reappointment of N. Chandrasekaran as chairman illegal.
Chandrasekaran and the Noel Tata-led Tata Trusts, which owns 66% of the holding company, have clashed over issues including a potential listing of Tata Sons, defying the family charity that controls the salt-to-software conglomerate and laying bare a schism within the 158-year-old group. Air India’s mounting losses and a planned exit by a minority shareholder added to their woes.
Assembly Build-Up in Punjab: Major political parties, including the AAP, Congress, SAD, and BJP – have aggressively escalated their campaign agendas ahead of the upcoming legislative assembly elections.
Southern Alliance Shifts: Political friction is intensifying in the south as regional heavyweight DMK explores building a non-Congress front ahead of future national campaigns. The shift comes amid the rapid electoral ascent of the actor-turned-politician Vijay’s TVK party.
DUSU Campus Elections: Polling officially kicked off for the high-stakes Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections. Over 20 student leaders are actively battling for central panel posts, positioning the campus as a major battleground between the BJP-affiliated ABVP and the Congress-backed NSUI.
Monster of Nithari: Surinder Koli, once labeled the “Monster of Nithari,” died by suicide in Haridwar in September 2026 after being acquitted of the 2006 Nithari serial murder charges. Between 2005 and 2006, the gruesome abduction, rape, and murder of multiple children and young women came to light when skeletal remains were discovered in a drain behind a bungalow in Nithari, Noida. The accused, Moninder Singh Pandher owned the house, and Surinder Koli worked as his domestic helper. The location was widely dubbed the “house of horrors”.
Project Cheetah Milestone: Project Cheetah completed four years, with India’s total cheetah population reaching 52 big cats. It was initiated on September 17, 2022, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first batch of wild cheetahs from Namibia into Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. The cheetah had been declared extinct in the country in 1952.
Modi’s 76th Birthday & NDA Unity: Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned 76 on September 17, triggering massive public rallies across the country. A high-profile display of unity took place in Varanasi, serving as a platform to solidify the ruling coalition’s consensus.
RUPP Crackdown: The Association for Democratic Reforms and tax authorities have widened their ongoing scrutiny into Registered Unrecognized Political Parties (RUPPs) following massive, untraceable campaign donations. These “letter pad parties” are suspected of engaging in massive tax evasion, money laundering, and financial fraud.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
An Aztec document goes on display in Mexico: A centuries-old document telling the story of the Aztec civilisation and its fall after the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in pictograms is going on display in Mexico for the first time in 186 years. It is thought to have been drawn in the 16th Century – a few years after the arrival of the conquistadors in what is now Mexico – and is widely considered one of the most valuable and insightful tellings of the history of the Aztecs.
Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab Choke Points: The ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran continues to severely disrupt maritime traffic. The IRGC (The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also known as Sepah), reported hitting a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, while fighting involving the Houthis near Yemen’s Bab al-Mandab strait has displaced over 100,000 people and forced naval deployments by Italy.
Saudi Arms Deal: The US administration moved forward with a controversial $24.3 billion sale of advanced fighter jets to Saudi Arabia amid regional volatility.
UN General Assembly Preparations: Ahead of high-level meetings in New York, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned of deep global uncertainty, highlighting runaway artificial intelligence, the climate crisis, and deepening inequalities as core existential threats. He urged governments to embrace international cooperation to address global threats.
Saudis and Houthis exchange strikes: Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis exchanged fresh strikes across their border on Thursday and Yemenis took to boats in the Red Sea to escape fighting. The spreading Middle East war created new threats to global oil supplies.
Three dead and eight injured in Philippines school shooting: A 16-year-old gunman has shot two students dead and injured eight others at a Philippine high school, before reportedly killing himself. The two deceased victims were 14-year-old pupils at a school in Banga in the southern province of Mindanao. Four of the injured were in critical condition.
Canada welcomes EU proposal to become ‘associate member’: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has welcomed the European Union’s ambition for Canada to become its first “associate member”, calling for closer cooperation on defence, critical minerals and energy security.
Carney told the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday that Canada and Europe were “stronger together” in the face of “geopolitical rupture”.
Money Matters
UPI Transaction Charges:
(Effective October 15, 2026)The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced a revised Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) framework for select person-to-merchant (P2M) UPI payments above ₹2,000. This fee is paid by the business receiving the funds, not by the buyer. The government and NPCI have prohibited merchants from passing this fee on to customers, and UPI apps cannot charge hidden platform fees.
A proposed 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions above ₹2,000 faces pushback from retailers concerned about thin profit margins.
India Trade Deficit: India’s overall trade deficit (goods and services combined) narrowed to $9.41 billion in August 2026, from $11.62 billion in August 2025, driven by a faster surge in exports compared to imports.
Total Imports grew 18.7% to $92.09 billion.
EPFO Wage Ceiling: The Centre hiked the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) wage ceiling to ₹25,000 a month after 12 years from ₹15,000 a month. Employees earning between ₹15,000 and ₹25,000 per month are now automatically covered by statutory social security.
Agriculture Concerns: India’s rice production is facing its sharpest decline in nearly 20 years, dropping by an estimated 10 million metric tons (about 6.5%) due to below-normal rainfall and dry spells during the crop’s maturation period.
Domestic and international export prices are rising, making Indian rice costlier at a time when other major exporters like Thailand and Vietnam are also seeing price increases.
Global Central Banks: The Russian Central Bank held its key interest rate steady at 14% amid rising price pressures, while global markets braced for potential US Federal Reserve rate decisions.
The U.S. Treasury Department targeted Russia’s second-largest financial institution, the VTB bank, with fresh sanctions, identifying it as a financial node for Iran and warning international and Chinese institutions against handling transactions with its Shanghai branch.
As U.S. readies 100% tariffs, Russia provided more than half of India’s oil imports in July.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a Bill on September 16, 2026, that seeks to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the top-5 countries absorbing the largest shares of Russia’s oil.
New Delhi summit boosts India-EAEU FTA negotiations: India and the Eurasian Economic Union are advancing free trade agreement talks. Negotiations picked up momentum last week and will continue in November. This agreement aims to expand market access for Indian exporters significantly. It will also support diversification into new sectors and geographies. The pact is expected to unlock untapped trade potential and boost investments.
Gold and Silver: Gold and silver prices retreated as oil surged past key thresholds, fuelling inflation and US Federal Reserve rate-hike concerns.
This slight decline in gold prices was primarily driven by surging oil prices, raising inflation worries among traders. With an 86% probability of a US interest rate hike on the horizon, consumer prices saw a notable rise in August, further solidifying expectations of increased rates. As higher interest rates typically reduce gold’s allure, other precious metals also faced downturns on Monday.
ENJOYABLE ENTERTAINMENT
1 GLOBAL FILM FESTIVAL NOIDA OPENED
19th Global Film Festival Noida opened on Sep 16 at Noida Film City. 3-day festival till Sep 18. Filmmakers, actors, producers from 100 countries participating. Chairman Dr Sandeep Marwah said cinema is strongest bridge between nations. Screenings, workshops, masterclasses happening.
2 OTT BIG RELEASES THIS WEEK
Sep 16 –
– Reacher Season 4 final episode on Amazon Prime Video
– Neagley spinoff starring Maria Sten premieres on Amazon Prime
– Waiting Hai with Divyenndu and Bhuvan Arora on Amazon MX – railway ticketing scam thriller
Sep 17 –
– Stranger Things Tales From 85 Season 2 on Netflix – Hawkins Investigators Club new ghost terror
– Slow Horses Season 6 on Apple TV – Emmy nominated spy thriller back
– Lust Stories 3 – Indian anthology returns
Sep 18 –
– Best of the Best dance film on Netflix – Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Bollywood fusion dance at UCLA
– Apollo Has Fallen new season on Lionsgate Play
– Zakir Khan comedy special Papa Yaar on Netflix
– Vettuvam glimpse – Pa Ranjith first Pan India film glimpse out Sep 18 at 12 PM – Mallakhamba poster viral
3 TIFF 2026 – INDIAN FILM SHINES
Richie Mehta’s Phoolan based on Phoolan Devi autobiography screened Sep 16 at Toronto International Film Festival 6 PM at Princess of Wales Theatre. Got standing ovation. Stars Sneha Kumari as 17 year old Phoolan. Focus on 48 hour siege. Produced by Namah Pictures and Prime Video.
4 BIGG BOSS 20 DRAMA
Bigg Boss 20 captaincy task – Yung DSA rapper cries over Mahhi Vij changed behaviour. Episode airs Sep 17. Aamrapali Dubey and Mahhi Vij clash over kitchen duties. Show airs 9 PM JioHotstar, 10:30 PM Colors TV.
5 SAD NEWS
Veteran Nigerian actor Olu Jacobs died Sep 16 at age 84. Family announced on social media. Known as The Lion of Lufodo.
WORD OF THE WEEK
Pan India Film – Film made for all Indian languages audience, not just one state. Vettuvam is Pa Ranjith first Pan India attempt.
DID YOU KNOW
1 Global Film Festival Noida started 19 years ago and now attracts 100 countries
2 Stranger Things animated spinoff Tales From 85 is set in 1985 Hawkins
Teen Takeaway
OTT is now bigger than theatre for weekly entertainment – 10 new shows in 5 days across Netflix, Prime, Apple, ZEE5.
WEEKLY WATCH- HANUMAN ANSH
Release: 11 Sep 2026 | Language: Hindi / English | Runtime: 2h 30m
Director: Vishal Chaturvedi
RATING: 3.5 / 5 stars
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
Not a superhero film – it’s a spiritual biopic of Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaj-ji). Story starts with young boy Lakshminarayan in a small village in UP who is drawn to questions about life, death and suffering. He leaves home, travels across North India, meets saints, devotees and common people whose lives are touched by his presence. Journey leads to how he becomes Neem Karoli Baba – the saint whose ashram at Kainchi Dham is visited by millions including Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg.
The film honors his teachings of unconditional love and Hanuman bhakti. Tagline is Jai Gurudev.
WHAT WORKS:
– Honest, simple storytelling – no big VFX, focuses on journey
– Lead actor performance praised as sincere and powerful
– Music complements spiritual mood
– 72.2K reviews on BookMyShow – Top tags #Inspiring (50,028), #AwesomeStory, #SuperDirection, #GreatActing, #Wellmade
– Devotees loved it – comments like “Must watch, goosebumps, Jai Shree Ram”
WHAT DOESN’T WORK:
– Slow pace for viewers expecting action like Hanuman or Adipurush
– Limited theatrical release, not in all cities
– DNA review said “moves you, leaves you impressed, not with filmmaking, but with journey of Baba – humble but honest attempt”
VERDICT:
If you are spiritual, follower of Neem Karoli Baba, or like devotional drama about faith, hope, self-discovery – go watch in theatre with family. If you want superhero action, this is not that film.
Best for: Family audience, devotees, 12+ age group, those who visited Kainchi Dham.
BookMyShow Rating: 9.8/10 from audience (very high due to devotee audience)
Rotten Tomatoes Critics: 3.5/5
Word of the Week
Biopic – Biographical picture, film based on real person’s life
Teen Takeaway
Not every Hanuman film is action. Hanuman Ansh shows how one person’s kindness and faith can inspire world leaders even decades later.
SUPERB SCIENCES
How does a referee’s whistle suddenly stop 22 players when 100,000 spectators are screaming in a football stadium?
Here is the thriller behind it. Think of a World Cup football game. 100,000 fans. Ear-splitting cheers. 22 players are running at lightning speed in the middle of the field. At that moment, *a player commits a foul*. The referee blows the small whistle in his mouth. *The next second* – the sound cuts through all the cheers and makes all 22 people stand like statues. *How is this possible?* What is behind this *is not an ordinary whistle*, but a miracle of *cutting-edge science*. The whistles we used to buy when we were kids have a small iron ball rolling inside and making a noise. But *the whistles used by FIFA referees* do not have a ball. The whistle they use is called the *Pea-less Whistle*. When air enters and collides with the three Acoustic Chambers inside the whistle, *harmonics sound is created at three different frequencies*. That is why even if millions of people scream, it still reaches the players’ ears sharply. *This whistle, manufactured by the Molten VALKEEN company in Japan*, is made of *titanium*. Water does not enter inside. Even if it rains, the sound does not change. There are even fans called *directional fins on the sides to push the whistle sound towards the players*. Do you know what is more interesting than this? Referees have a special training *for blowing whistles*. It is called the *’Tonguing Technique’*. For a normal foul – *a soft*, *moderate whistle*. For a penalty, *a loud, long whistle*. For *a red card*, a *violent whistle* that makes the air explode! Players can understand the referee’s mood by the sound of the whistle There is a great science behind even the ordinary things we see every day. The fun is in finding it!
SPORTS SCOREBOARD
UEFA defends policy after rejecting Ireland’s request not to play Israel. UEFA responds after Ireland’s football association says its request to avoid future pairings with Israel was rejected.
UEFA has said that decisions on whether national teams should be kept apart in competition draws are made on a case-by-case basis and guided primarily by security considerations, after the Republic of Ireland’s football association said its request to avoid future pairings with Israel had been rejected.
Football Association of Ireland chief executive David Courell said on Friday that it had asked UEFA if the Republic of Ireland and Israel could be separated in future draws after being paired in February’s Nations League draw.
Asian Games 2026: Top athletes and storylines to look out for-From Olympic champions to teen sensations, several athletes are looking to make their mark at the continental event.
Asia’s biggest sport stars will descend on Japan this week to battle it out for continental glory as the Asian Games get under way. Aichi-Nagoya 2026 will see several athletes eyeing first-time podium finishes while others look to defend their crown.This year’s edition will see six sports make their debut, while in some sports, a gold medal will double as automatic qualification for the LA 2028 Olympics.Tennis’s newest sweetheart will be the favourite for gold in women’s singles. The 21-year-old Filipino star is coming off a career-high season that saw her first WTA 1000 title last month and a third-round finish at the US Open.
Eala will compete at the Singapore Open just before the games, but will skip the concurrent Beijing Open – regardless of whether the WTA decide to punish her – since a gold medal at the Asian Games serves as automatic qualification for the LA 2028 Olympics.Defending champion Zheng Qinwen and former world number one Naomi Osaka will not be competing in Japan, leaving it wide open for Eala to claim gold and upgrade from the bronze she won in 2022.
Rumesh Pathirage, Sri Lanka — javelin
The javelin phenom has been collecting gold medals like Pokemon cards this year, and another one at the Asian Games will add to his Diamond League, Commonwealth, and Ultimate Champion crowns. But gold is not the biggest prize for the 23-year-old, although it is almost guaranteed after his nearest contender, India’s Neeraj Chopra, withdrew with injury. Pathirage is eyeing the Asian record of 92.97m set by Arshad Nadeem at the Paris 2024 Olympics, which he is poised to break after becoming the only thrower this season to breach 92m twice. Pakistan’s Nadeem, on the other hand, is far from fit and will be lucky to end his season with a medal after a string of subpar throws.
Haruka Kitaguchi, Japan — javelin
Home favourite Kitaguchi is eyeing gold in the women’s javelin after being crowned Ultimate Champion in Budapest last week. Her 68.92m throw landed her a new national record and is tied for 10th-best in the world and second-best this season.Surprisingly, the 28-year-old is making her Asian Games debut and will look to add continental gold in front of the home crowd after floundering at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, India — cricket
As India look to defend their men’s cricket crown, all eyes are on 15-year-old Sooryavanshi to produce another phenomenal result on the pitch. The left-handed top-order batter has already made headlines for being a generational talent, having broken records as the highest scorer in this year’s Indian Premier League and become India’s youngest men’s player.
Pan Zhanle, China — swimming
The Olympic champion returns to the stomping grounds where he first went sub-47 seconds in the men’s 100m freestyle – and became the first Asian male to do so – to break his own Asian record.
HEAL THE WORLD
British pop star Ed Sheeran has made his first comments on the controversy that plunged his North America Loop Tour into turmoil, saying that the situation in Gaza is “catastrophic”, “unjustifiable” and “disproportionate”. Sheeran made the remarks as he opened his show at the Lincoln Financial Field stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his tour resumed on Saturday night.
The pop singer has faced a wave of criticism after his opening act, American rapper Macklemore, was dropped from the lineup over his pro-Palestine comments at a concert in New Jersey earlier this month.
Macklemore’s comments drew backlash from owners of stadiums hosting Sheeran’s future tour dates. Sheeran has denied being behind the decision, blaming the tour promoter. All of Sheeran’s four supporting acts, including American singer Billie Eilish’s brother and musical collaborator, Finneas, walked out on Sheeran, issuing public statements citing their support for Palestinians.
Finneas and his sister have been outspoken about their support for Palestine before. “Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” he said on Instagram last Tuesday, adding: “I stand with Palestine and its people.”
