Daily Current Affairs · Last published 28 September 2026
UPSC Prelims Current Affairs: 28 September 2026
Bank unions defer a nationwide strike, the Election Commission extends Delhi's SIR timeline, and India marks a decade since the 2016 surgical strikes.
Bank unions defer three day nationwide strike after late night talks with IBA
The United Forum of Bank Unions deferred its proposed three day nationwide strike, scheduled for 28 to 30 September, after a late night meeting with the Indian Banks' Association on 27 September 2026. The strike had been called primarily to press for a five day banking week, since banks currently work on all Saturdays except the second and fourth of each month. Under the understanding reached, a high level committee of the IBA and UFBU will be formed to examine the five day week demand, while discussions will also begin on the performance linked incentive scheme for Scale IV and above officers and other issues pending since a March 2024 meeting. Bank branches will therefore function normally through the half yearly closing period from 28 to 30 September, though the underlying demands remain unresolved.
Election Commission extends Delhi SIR claims and objections deadline to 30 October
The Election Commission of India revised the schedule for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision in Delhi, with the Chief Electoral Officer announcing that the last date to file claims and objections will now be 30 October 2026. The notice and disposal phase for claims and objections will continue until 30 November, with the final electoral roll to be published on 4 December. The Delhi CEO said more than 2.98 lakh hearings had been conducted so far for notices issued over unmapped entries and logical discrepancies, and that fresh camps for enrolling young electors through Form 6 would be held at colleges and universities on 29 and 30 September.
India marks 10th anniversary of 2016 surgical strikes across the Line of Control
India marked the 10th anniversary of the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army on the night of 28 to 29 September 2016, when troops struck terrorist launch pads across the Line of Control in Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The operation was a direct response to the Uri army camp attack earlier that month, in which 19 Indian soldiers were killed. In his Mann Ki Baat address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the strikes as a historic milestone and said the resolve shown in 2016 laid the groundwork for subsequent actions, including the 2019 Balakot airstrike and Operation Sindoor in 2025.
Sitharaman attends 11th AIIB Annual Meeting in Doha during Qatar visit
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman undertook an official visit to Qatar from 27 to 29 September 2026, during which she attended the 11th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in Doha on 28 September. India is the second largest shareholder of the AIIB, and Sitharaman attended the meeting as India's governor to the bank. Besides the annual meeting, she held bilateral talks with the AIIB President and her counterparts from Jordan, Switzerland, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Nepal, and was expected to call on the Qatari leadership and engage with Qatari business leaders and investors.
Centre launches Livestock Insurance Portal for streamlined policy and claims processing
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, launched the Livestock Insurance Portal in New Delhi on 28 September 2026. Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh inaugurated the portal, which provides a single integrated digital platform for issuing policies, processing claims, and monitoring and reporting under the Livestock Insurance Scheme. The Ministry said the portal would be available in eleven regional languages besides Hindi and English, so that livestock farmers can access information and services in languages familiar to them.
Tamil Nadu launches Thaimaaman Thanga Mothiram gold ring scheme for newborns
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay launched the Thaimaaman Thanga Mothiram Thittam, or Maternal Uncle Gold Ring Scheme, on 28 September 2026, under which eligible newborns delivered at government hospitals receive a one gram, twenty two carat gold ring bearing a unique serial number in tamper proof packaging. The scheme covers babies born in government hospitals from 22 June 2026 onward, and the state has allocated about Rs 755.83 crore annually for it, with the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation procuring and supplying the rings. The first phase covers 1.28 lakh rings, though the rollout has been withheld in Chengalpattu and Tiruppur districts because bye elections are scheduled there on 6 October.
CSIR launches popular science magazines in five Indian languages on its 85th Foundation Day
On the occasion of CSIR's 85th Foundation Day, Union Minister Jitendra Singh launched five new popular science magazines, in Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali and Assamese, published by the CSIR National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR). The magazines build on CSIR-NIScPR's existing flagship titles, Science Reporter in English, Vigyan Pragati in Hindi and Science ki Duniya in Urdu. A distinctive feature is the use of AI to produce a first draft translation of selected content from these existing magazines, which is then reviewed, proofread, fact checked and editorially refined by human experts before publication, alongside original articles written directly in each regional language.
World Rabies Day: experts say India may struggle to meet its 2030 elimination target
World Rabies Day was observed on 28 September, the global campaign day for eliminating dog mediated rabies. Citing public health experts, Indian media reported that India may struggle to meet its own 2030 target under the National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination, even though Chile and Bhutan have already shown that dog mediated human rabies can be eliminated as a public health threat. Experts pointed to India's high dog bite burden, uneven implementation of dog vaccination and population management programmes, and gaps in surveillance as the main obstacles, and said achieving the target would need sustained district level planning rather than one off campaigns.