Daily Current Affairs · Last published 27 September 2026
UPSC Prelims Current Affairs: 27 September 2026
Maharashtra declares drought in 265 talukas, TRAI launches a digital connectivity rating platform, and Jaishankar tells the UN India will defend itself against terrorism.
Maharashtra declares drought in 265 of 358 talukas amid an 18.8 percent rainfall deficit
The Maharashtra government declared drought in 265 of the state's 358 talukas, or 74 percent of the state, spread across 32 districts, according to a government resolution issued late on 26 September 2026. The state activated Trigger 1 under its Drought Management Code (2016, updated 2020), which is triggered by a rainfall deficit of more than 25 percent combined with a dry spell of at least 21 days. The state recorded an 18.8 percent rainfall deficit between June and 18 September, receiving 755.9 mm of rainfall against an average of 932.3 mm. Announced relief measures include crop loan restructuring, land revenue concessions and power bill concessions for larger agricultural pumps, though the specific financial assistance for crop losses will only be decided after ground level assessments are completed.
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY completes eight years with over 48.5 crore cards issued
The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana completed eight years on 23 September 2026, having been launched on the same date in 2018. As of 21 September 2026, more than 48.51 crore people held Ayushman cards, covering about 33 percent of India's population, and the scheme had funded around 13.25 crore hospital admissions worth close to Rs 2.03 lakh crore through a network of more than 38,000 empanelled hospitals. The scheme provides cashless hospitalisation cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year across 1,961 procedures, and has been extended to cover ASHA and Anganwadi workers as well as all senior citizens aged 70 and above.
TRAI launches Digital Connectivity Rating platform for rating properties on network quality
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India launched the Digital Connectivity Rating Platform and a companion mobile application on 25 September 2026. The platform implements the Rating of Properties for Digital Connectivity Regulations, 2024, as amended in May 2026, along with the Rating Manual 2026, and brings Property Managers, registered Digital Connectivity Rating Agencies and consumers onto a single digital interface. Property Managers can register a property and select a rating agency, agencies can conduct in building connectivity assessments through a dedicated field app, and consumers can search rated properties, view digitally signed certificates and verify them through a QR code.
India's forex reserves post their sharpest weekly fall since November 2024
According to the Reserve Bank of India's Weekly Statistical Supplement released on 25 September 2026, India's foreign exchange reserves fell by 14.88 billion dollars over the week ending 18 September 2026, to 765.90 billion dollars, the sharpest weekly decline since November 2024. Foreign currency assets, the largest component, fell by 14.82 billion dollars to 630.98 billion dollars, while gold reserves rose marginally by 68 million dollars to 111.29 billion dollars. Despite the weekly fall, reserves remained 74.79 billion dollars higher than their level at the end of March 2026.
Election Commission announces advance agendas and home visits by BLOs after SIR dissent row
The full Election Commission met on 26 September 2026 at Nirvachan Sadan and reiterated that all decisions on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls had been taken unanimously, days after reports that two Election Commissioners had formally objected to decisions issued in the Commission's name. The Commission announced that persons issued SIR notices for being unmapped or for logical discrepancies will generally no longer be called for a personal hearing, with Booth Level Officers instead visiting their homes to collect documents. Going forward, agendas for Commission meetings will be circulated in advance and minutes issued after each meeting, and officers' foreign trips will require the Commission's prior approval.
Jaishankar tells UNGA India will exercise its right to defend itself against terrorism
Addressing the General Debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly on 26 September 2026, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India would exercise its right to defend itself against terrorism and called for a strict zero tolerance approach, referring to a country he called a serial practitioner of terrorism that had misrepresented facts before the Assembly a day earlier. On West Asia, he said India believed a durable peace required a Two State solution and highlighted India's humanitarian assistance to Palestinians. He described the Global South as facing a four F crisis of food, fuel, fertiliser and finance security, and said India's development partnerships spanned 600 projects across 78 countries.
India launches National Digital Tourism Stack on World Tourism Day 2026
World Tourism Day 2026 is observed globally on 27 September, hosted this year in El Salvador, under the theme Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism. India's central celebration was held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, where Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat unveiled the National Digital Tourism Stack, an open digital public infrastructure initiative meant to make tourism offerings more discoverable and trustworthy, alongside Dekho Apna Desh 2.0 to promote lesser known destinations. According to Ministry of Tourism data, the sector contributed 5.22 percent to India's GDP and supported 8.46 crore jobs in 2023 to 2024.
Centre notifies Deendayal, JNPA, Paradip and Mundra as India's first mega ports
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways notified the ports of Deendayal at Kandla, Jawaharlal Nehru Port at Nhava Sheva, Paradip and the Adani Group operated Mundra Port as mega ports, after they met criteria notified under Section 73 of the Indian Ports Act, 2025. Of these, Deendayal, Jawaharlal Nehru Port and Paradip are among India's 12 major ports, while Mundra is a non-major port that also satisfied the mega port criteria. India has 12 major ports in total, including Mumbai, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Ennore, Tuticorin, Visakhapatnam and Kolkata, along with more than 200 non-major ports.