NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. QS Global MBA Rankings 2027: 3 IIMs In Top 100, 19 Indian B-Schools Feature: The QS Global MBA Rankings 2027 have been released, with MIT Sloan School of Management in the United States securing the top position globally. This year, 19 Indian business schools feature in the rankings, with three Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) making it to the global top 100. Five Indian institutions have entered the rankings for the first time. The top Indian entries include IIM Bangalore at 64th globally, followed by IIM Ahmedabad at 70th and IIM Calcutta at 95th. IIM Bangalore’s Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP) is the highest-ranked Indian programme in the QS Global MBA 2027 rankings. At 64th globally, IIM Bangalore’s EPGP also recorded the strongest employability performance among the three leading Indian programmes. IIM Bangalore ranked 29th globally for employability, while IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta ranked 35th and 39th, respectively, on the same indicator.
2. Karnataka Cabinet Approves Tulu as Second Administrative Language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi: The Karnataka Cabinet approved Tulu as the state’s second additional administrative language for Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts on 18 September 2026. The decision was announced after a Cabinet meeting in Mangaluru, and the government fixed an annual allocation of Rs 82 lakh for translation and training linked to administrative use of Tulu. Tulu is a Dravidian language with a recorded history of more than 2,000 years. It is spoken by about one crore people globally, with major usage in the undivided Dakshina Kannada and Udupi region of coastal Karnataka. The Cabinet note described Tulu as the “second additional administrative language” for the two districts. District administrations of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi will implement the decision in official work, including translation-related functions and staff training.
3. Odisha Plans 870-Acre Silicon Valley Hub in Cuttack: Odisha has announced an 870-acre “Odisha Silicon Valley” project at Naraj near Cuttack for semiconductor, electronics, and information technology industries. The plan was announced during SEMICON India 2026 in New Delhi, and the site lies close to the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar urban corridor and the Mahanadi River. Naraj is located near Cuttack in Odisha and has access to the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar urban corridor. The site also has multimodal connectivity to Paradip Port and Dhamra Port, along with links to national highways. The proposed hub is intended for semiconductor fabrication, electronics manufacturing, and IT projects. Semiconductor fabrication units require large quantities of water and power, and river-adjacent industrial locations are often preferred for such facilities.
4. PM Modi Distributes 51,000 Appointment Letters at 20th Rozgar Mela: Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed more than 51,000 appointment letters to newly appointed youth at the 20th Rozgar Mela on 19 September 2026. The letters were issued through video conferencing at 45 locations across India, and the recruits will join several Ministries and Departments of the Government of India. Rozgar Mela is a central government recruitment drive for appointment letters issued to selected candidates for posts in Union Government departments and organisations. The initiative covers appointments in ministries such as Revenue, Railways, Home Affairs, Health and Family Welfare, Financial Services, and Defence. The newly appointed candidates will serve in administrative, technical, and support roles across multiple Union Government establishments. The departments named in the event include Revenue, Railways, Home Affairs, Health and Family Welfare, Financial Services, and Defence.
5. Anthropic, Accenture Announce $2 Billion AI Model Evaluation Plan: Anthropic and Accenture announced a partnership on 18 September 2026 for the independent evaluation of frontier AI models. Each company has committed at least 1 billion over five years, taking the total investment to 2 billion for AI model evaluation capacity. AI model evaluation is the process of testing a model for safety, reliability, alignment, and operational behaviour. It includes red-teaming, which is a structured attempt to find failures, unsafe outputs, or security weaknesses in a system. The partnership supports embedded evaluation, a model in which independent evaluators work inside an AI company with access comparable to that of an employee. This arrangement is used to assess internal operations and verify safety commitments in advanced AI systems.
6. Rajnath Singh Calls for Integrated Civil-Military Aerospace Ecosystem: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called for an integrated civil-military aerospace ecosystem in Bengaluru on 18 September 2026. He linked the proposal with indigenous capability in aircraft design, avionics, propulsion, composite materials, flight control systems, manufacturing, and certification. An integrated aerospace ecosystem is a framework in which civil aviation and military aviation share industrial, technological, and manufacturing capabilities. In India, such an ecosystem involves public sector undertakings, private firms, research institutions, and certification agencies. Aircraft design is the process of planning the structure, aerodynamics, and systems of an aircraft. Avionics refers to electronic systems used in aircraft, including navigation, communication, and flight management. Propulsion covers engines and power systems, while composite materials are used in airframes and structural components for strength and weight reduction.
7. Hansraj Singh Verma Appointed India’s Next Ambassador to Cuba: Hansraj Singh Verma has been appointed as India’s next Ambassador to the Republic of Cuba. The Ministry of External Affairs announced the appointment on 18 September 2026, and he is expected to take up the assignment in Havana shortly. Hansraj Singh Verma is an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 2008 batch. Before this posting, he served as the Consul General of India at the Consulate General of India in Sao Paulo, Brazil. India and Cuba maintain diplomatic relations that date back to 1959, when India was among the first countries to recognise the new Cuban government. The Embassy of India in Havana handles India’s diplomatic presence in Cuba.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Maldives Repays $150 Million Loan to India: The Maldives repaid a 150 million loan to India on 17 September 2026. The repayment closed the final 50 million tranche of treasury bills originally subscribed by the State Bank of India in 2019. The facility consisted of treasury bills subscribed by the State Bank of India in 2019. The loan was extended six times, and each extension covered a period of one year. Foreign exchange reserves are external assets held by a country’s monetary authority and usually include foreign currency assets, gold, Special Drawing Rights, and reserve positions with the International Monetary Fund. India continues to extend financial support to the Maldives through an Rs 30 billion currency swap facility. India has also subscribed to $350 million worth of Maldivian treasury bonds, with validity until 2029 and 2030.
2. Warren Buffett Steps Down as Berkshire Hathaway Chairman: Warren Buffett, aged 96 years, stepped down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway on 18 September 2026. He assumed the role of chairman emeritus and remained a director on the company’s board after the transition. Berkshire Hathaway is a United States-based conglomerate with businesses in insurance, rail transport, energy, manufacturing, retail, and finance. Warren Buffett served as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway from 1970 and led its expansion into a company valued at about $1 trillion. Howard Buffett, aged 71 years, succeeded Warren Buffett as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. Howard Buffett has served on the Berkshire Hathaway board since 1993 and completed a 33-year association with the company before taking over the chairmanship.
3. Tata Electronics Signs MoUs at Semicon India 2026: Tata Electronics announced multiple Memoranda of Understanding at Semicon India 2026 on 17–18 September 2026 for semiconductor manufacturing, materials supply, infrastructure support, packaging, and workforce development. The partnerships are linked to Tata Electronics’ facilities at Dholera in Gujarat and Jagiroad in Assam, which are part of India’s expanding semiconductor ecosystem. Tata Electronics is developing a fab at Dholera and an assembly and testing facility at Jagiroad. The Dholera unit is associated with front-end wafer fabrication, while the Jagiroad unit is associated with back-end assembly, testing, and advanced packaging. Nexperia, a Europe-based semiconductor company, was named in collaboration plans for front-end wafer fabrication of MOSFETs at Dholera and assembly and testing of discrete semiconductor products at Jagiroad. MOSFET stands for Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor and is a basic semiconductor device used in electronic circuits.
4. British-Ghanaian rapper Sway DaSafo dies at 44: British-Ghanaian rapper Sway DaSafo, born Derek Andrew Safo, died at the age of 44 on 17 September 2026. He died at his home in Ghana, and the official cause of death has not been made public. He had been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010 and entered remission later that year. Sway DaSafo was a British-Ghanaian rapper known for work in hip-hop and for his association with the MOBO Awards. His debut album, This Is My Demo, completed 20 years in 2026. In 2005, Sway DaSafo became the first unsigned artist to win a MOBO Award for Best Hip-Hop Act. The MOBO Awards, or Music of Black Origin Awards, were established in 1996 in the United Kingdom.
5. Trump extends 100,000 H-1B visa fee until September 2027: The H-1B visa is a United States non-immigrant work visa for specialty occupations, and President Donald Trump extended a $100,000 fee on certain H-1B petitions until September 21, 2027. The fee was first imposed through a proclamation dated September 19, 2025, and the original expiry date was September 21, 2026. The H-1B category is used by United States employers to hire foreign professionals in specialty occupations that usually require theoretical or technical expertise. The visa is administered by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, which processes petitions under the immigration framework of the United States. A federal district court vacated the original $100,000 fee on June 8, 2026, and described it as an unlawful tax. The Court of Appeals for the First Circuit declined in July 2026 to block that ruling, and the fee is currently not enforceable because United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is barred from collecting it.
6. FCRA NGOs Halve as Foreign Contributions Rise: The number of active non-governmental organisations registered under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, or FCRA, fell from 29,022 in 2015 to 14,466 on 18 September 2026. Foreign contributions to FCRA-registered NGOs rose from ₹17,832 crore in 2015-16 to ₹22,974 crore in 2024-25. The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 regulates the acceptance and use of foreign contributions by individuals, associations and companies in India. The law places registration, prior permission, accounting and reporting requirements on entities that receive foreign funds. The government has cancelled the FCRA registration of 21,983 NGOs to date. Of these cancellations, 91.3% were linked to failure to file annual returns as of 18 September 2026. Annual returns are a statutory compliance requirement under the FCRA framework.
7. UN Appoints Luke Lindberg to Head World Food Programme: The United Nations appointed U.S. agriculture official Luke Lindberg as the new Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) on 18 September 2026. The appointment followed confirmation by the WFP Executive Board and a joint announcement by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General Qu Dongyu. The World Food Programme is the food-assistance arm of the United Nations and is headquartered in Rome, Italy. It is the world’s largest humanitarian organisation focused on hunger relief, food aid, and emergency logistics. The Executive Director is the chief administrative officer of the WFP and serves a five-year term. The post has been held by an American since the early 1990s, and Luke Lindberg became the youngest person to lead the agency.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Types of Fifth-Generation Fighter Jets: Fifth-generation fighter jets are the most advanced combat aircraft in service today. They combine stealth, sensor fusion, networked communications and high manoeuvrability to improve survivability, situational awareness and strike power in modern air warfare. These fighters are designed to operate across air superiority, ground attack and reconnaissance roles while remaining difficult to detect and track. For Prelims, the focus should be on their defining features, operational models and major development programmes. The first operational fifth-generation air-dominance fighter, introduced in 2005. It is known for stealth, supercruise and advanced integrated avionics. A multirole stealth fighter developed for air-to-air combat, air-to-ground strike and ISR missions. It entered service with the United States Marine Corps in 2015.
2. Cochin Shipyard Lays Keel for Next-Generation Missile Vessels: Cochin Shipyard Limited laid the keel for the first of six Next Generation Missile Vessels for the Indian Navy in Kochi on 18 September 2026. The keel-laying ceremony was performed by Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition at the Integrated Headquarters, Indian Navy. The Next Generation Missile Vessels are planned as high-speed naval platforms with a maximum speed of 33 knots and a crew complement of 80 personnel. The vessels are designed for offensive operations against enemy warships, merchantmen, and land targets, along with defensive roles in local naval operations and seaward defence.
SPORTS
1. Pawan Sehrawat Named India’s Male Flag-Bearer for Asian Games 2026: Pawan Sehrawat, an Indian kabaddi player, was named India’s male flag-bearer for the Asian Games 2026 opening ceremony in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on 19 September 2026. He replaced shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, while shooter Manu Bhaker remained the female flag-bearer for the Indian contingent. The Asian Games are a continental multi-sport event organised by the Olympic Council of Asia. The flag-bearer is the athlete chosen to carry the national flag during the opening ceremony, and countries often select athletes with major international medals or strong sporting records. Pawan Sehrawat was part of India’s gold-winning men’s kabaddi team at the previous Asian Games. Kabaddi has been a regular medal sport for India at the Asian Games, and the men’s team has won multiple gold medals in the event’s history.
2. AIFF Launches Inaugural U15 Women’s Youth League: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) will launch the inaugural U15 Women’s Youth League on 15 October 2026 at the Sporting Planet Sports Complex in Belagavi, Karnataka. The league will feature 16 teams from across India and will conclude with the final on 31 October 2026. The teams in the league include SESA Football Academy, HOPS FC, Roots FC, Krida Prabodhini Pune, Juba Sangha FC, Sethu FC, PFC Kerala, Project Mahadeva FC, MGM Ambush Club, DKR Football Academy, SAG Football Academy, Community FC India, Portais Sporting Club, RKM Football Academy, Mumbai Knights FC, and Belgaum United Football Academy.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Important Semiconductor Materials and Devices: Semiconductors are the core building blocks of modern electronics, controlling how devices switch, amplify and process signals. Their electrical behaviour can be engineered through doping and material choice, which is why they power everything from smartphones and servers to electric vehicles and grid systems. Semiconductors conduct electricity better than insulators but not as freely as conductors. Their usefulness comes from the band gap, the energy difference between the valence band and the conduction band, which can be manipulated for different applications. Semiconductor materials are broadly grouped into elemental and compound types. Each has distinct properties and is chosen according to speed, heat tolerance, voltage handling and cost.
2. List of Major Space Telescopes and Observatory Facilities : Space telescopes and observatory facilities are essential tools of modern astronomy. They help scientists study the universe across wavelengths that the human eye cannot see, from radio waves and infrared light to X-rays and gamma rays. These facilities reveal the structure of galaxies, black holes, stars, exoplanets and the early universe. Together, they show how international collaboration and advanced instrumentation have transformed cosmic exploration. Launched in 1990, Hubble works in low-Earth orbit and observes ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared light. Its 2.4-metre primary mirror has produced iconic images and major scientific results, including measurements related to the universe’s expansion. Launched in December 2021, JWST operates near the Sun-Earth L2 point in a halo orbit. Its 6.5-metre primary mirror is made of 18 hexagonal, gold-coated beryllium segments. It is designed mainly for infrared astronomy and is used to study the first galaxies, star and planet formation, and exoplanet atmospheres.
3. Scientists Discover DARE Cells That Survive Apoptosis: Scientists have identified a population of cells called DARE cells that begin programmed cell death, or apoptosis, but survive and help rebuild damaged tissue. The discovery was made at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and was published in Nature Communications on 18 September 2026. Apoptosis is a form of programmed cell death that removes damaged, infected, or unneeded cells in multicellular organisms. Caspases are protease enzymes that usually drive apoptosis, but the study found that they can also support cell survival in some cells. DARE stands for cells that initiate death but remain active enough to contribute to repair. In fruit fly larvae experiments, these cells multiplied and replenished nearly half of the damaged tissue within 48 hours.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Michael Kremer named World Bank chief economist, to take charge on Oct 1: Nobel laureate and University of Chicago professor Michael Kremer will take over as the World Bank Group’s chief economist on October 1, heading research for the institution and succeeding Indermit Gill, who retired last month. Michael Kremer was awarded the 2019 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences (Nobel Prize in economics) jointly with Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo “for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty”. He is the first chief economist to join with a Nobel; other Nobel laureates, including Joseph Stiglitz and Paul Romer, received the honour after serving as the bank’s chief economist.
2. Moody’s raises India FY27 growth forecast to 7% from 6%: India’s economy has proved more resilient to the shock from the Middle East conflict than Moody’s Ratings had expected, prompting the ratings agency to sharply raise its forecast for real GDP growth in 2026-27 to 7% from 6% previously. The upgrade, announced in Moody’s periodic review of India on 18 September, was driven by stronger private consumption, robust gross fixed capital formation, continued public infrastructure spending, signs of a revival in private investment and sustained strength in services.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Marathi Thriller Gondhal Is India’s Official Entry To Oscars 2027: Gondhal, a Marathi thriller, is India’s official entry to Oscars 2027, the Film Federation of India (FFI) announced on 18 September. The other films in the race included the Naga film Angh and the Tamil film Dorothy.
The movie, directed by Santosh Davakhar, will represent the country in the Best International Feature category at the 99th Academy Awards ceremony. The filmmaker won Silver Peacock Award at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2025.
2. 1965 war hero and Vir Chakra awardee Alfred Tyrone Cooke dies: Flight Lieutenant Alfred Tyrone Cooke, a Vir Chakra awardee of the Indian Air Force, died on 18 September 2026 at Base Hospital, New Delhi, at the age of 87. He was known for an air engagement during the 1965 Indo-Pak War over Kalaikunda in West Bengal, where he flew a Hawker Hunter against Pakistani Sabre jets. The Vir Chakra is India’s third-highest wartime gallantry award, after the Param Vir Chakra and the Maha Vir Chakra. Alfred Tyrone Cooke received the Vir Chakra on 7 September 1965 for courage and tactical skill during aerial combat. The 1965 Indo-Pak War was fought between India and Pakistan in September 1965. During the Kalaikunda air battle, Cooke engaged six Pakistani Sabre jets attacking the airfield and shot down one aircraft while damaging another.
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