APPOINTMENTS
Jayanti Prasad Assumes Additional Charge as IBBI Chairperson 2026
• Jayanti Prasad, a Whole Time Member of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), assumed additional charge as Chairperson on 13 September 2026.
• He will hold the additional charge until 20 November 2026 or until a full-time successor assumes office, whichever is earlier.
• The IBBI is a statutory regulator established under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016.
• IBBI regulates insolvency professionals, insolvency professional agencies and information utilities, and oversees the insolvency framework in India.
• Ravi Mital, a 1986-batch IAS officer, completed his tenure as IBBI Chairperson after attaining the prescribed age of 65 years.
• Ravi Mital had assumed office as IBBI Chairperson in February 2022 and was appointed for five years or until attaining 65 years, whichever was earlier.
• Jayanti Prasad belongs to the 1986-batch Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IA&AS) and joined IBBI as a Whole Time Member on 5 July 2022.
• The Government of India has initiated the process for appointing a full-time Chairperson, after which the temporary additional-charge arrangement will end.
Karan Yadav Appointed First CEO of Indian Super League 2026
• Karan Yadav was appointed the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Indian Super League (ISL) on 21 September 2026 under the league’s new club-led structure.
• Yadav previously served as Chief Commercial Officer at JSW Sports from April 2023 to September 2026.
• As CEO of the ISL League Office, he will oversee the league’s strategic, commercial and organisational direction.
• His responsibilities include coordination with ISL clubs and the All India Football Federation (AIFF), along with managing relationships with broadcasters and sponsors.
• The new club-led model gives greater emphasis to coordination between the League Office and clubs on commercial strategy, partnerships, broadcasting and fan engagement.
• Karan Yadav previously managed a profit-and-loss account exceeding ₹300 crore at JSW Sports, with experience in sports franchises, talent management and brand consulting.
• Yadav also co-founded TheHardTackle.com in 2010 and has nearly two decades of experience in sports, media and marketing.
• The CEO appointment is part of the ISL’s administrative framework aimed at supporting the league’s long-term growth, commercial development and organisational sustainability.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Black Robin Named New Zealand’s Bird of the Year 2026
• The black robin (karure) was named New Zealand’s Bird of the Year 2026 on 21 September 2026, winning the annual public vote organised by Forest & Bird.
• The black robin received more than 25,000 votes out of a record 105,000 votes cast in the 2026 competition.
• Its scientific name is Petroica traversi, and it is a small passerine bird belonging to the Petroicidae (Australasian robin) family.
• The black robin is endemic to the Chatham Islands, an archipelago located about 800 km east of mainland New Zealand.
• The species faced an extreme population decline, reaching only five birds in 1980, including a single breeding female known as Old Blue.
• Conservation measures, including predator control and habitat protection, helped the population recover to around 350 adult birds, although it remains classified as Threatened – Nationally Critical in New Zealand.
• The kākāpō, the world’s heaviest living parrot, finished second, while the kārearea (New Zealand falcon) finished third in the 2026 Bird of the Year competition.
• Forest & Bird, a major New Zealand conservation organisation, conducts the annual competition; in 2026, about 88% of the votes came from within New Zealand.
Italy Proposes School Restrictions – 2026
• Giorgia Meloni announced on 20 September 2026 a proposal to ban burqas and niqabs in Italian schools.
• The proposal also includes a limit on foreign students per classroom.
• Parents of some foreign students with integration difficulties may be required to learn Italian.
• Burqa covers the body and face, while niqab covers the face except the eyes.
• Italy currently has no specific national ban on burqas or niqabs in schools.
• The proposal will first go before the Council of Ministers and then Parliament.
• Foreign students represented around 11.6% of Italian school pupils in 2023–24.
• Meloni announced the proposal at the Fenix youth festival in Rome, organised by her Brothers of Italy party.
NATIONAL NEWS
DISHA 2.0 Regional Workshop on Access to Justice 2026
• The Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, will organise a regional workshop under DISHA 2.0 on 21 September 2026 in Goa.
• The workshop will be held at the University Auditorium of the India International University of Legal Education & Research (IIULER) and will focus on technology-enabled legal services and access to justice.
• DISHA stands for Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice and is implemented by the Department of Justice.
• DISHA 2.0 has four major components: Tele-Law, Nyaya Bandhu, Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Programme (LLLAP), and VIDHI-Sanjeevani.
• Tele-Law connects citizens with panel lawyers through Common Service Centres (CSCs) and digital platforms, mainly providing pre-litigation legal advice and consultation.
• The Goa workshop will bring together representatives from Central and State Governments, CSCs, Ministry of Rural Development, legal institutions and other justice-delivery stakeholders.
• Nyaya Prabodh: “Awakening to Justice – Know Your Rights in 90 Seconds” will feature the best reels and a slogan competition as part of the workshop activities.
• A related Tele-Law awareness workshop was held in Nuh, Haryana, on 16 September 2026, with 150 participants, including CSCs, Village Level Entrepreneurs, Panel Lawyers and Nyaya Sahayaks.
7th National Formulary of India 2026
• The 7th National Formulary of India (NFI) was launched on 21 September 2026 at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.
• Smt. Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilisers, unveiled the publication during the 6th National Pharmacovigilance Week Campaign.
• The National Formulary of India is a reference publication for healthcare professionals that provides standard information on medicines and promotes their rational and safe use.
• The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) publishes the NFI and functions as a statutory institution under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The 6th National Pharmacovigilance Week Campaign was observed from 17–23 September 2026 with the theme “Promoting Rational Use of Medicines through Pharmacovigilance: A Step Towards Safer Healthcare.”
• The campaign was coordinated by the National Coordination Centre–Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (NCC-PvPI) at the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Ghaziabad.
• The previous, 6th edition of NFI was launched in October 2021, while the IPC has been publishing updates to the NFI series since 2008.
• The updated NFI is intended for healthcare professionals, teachers and students and supports clinical practice, pharmacy education and rational medicine use.
STATE NEWS
Gwalior Telecom Manufacturing Zone – 2026
• Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh is set to host Asia’s first Telecom Manufacturing Zone (TMZ) with an estimated investment of ₹5,500 crore.
• The project has received investment proposals from 24 companies and is expected to generate more than 18,000 direct jobs.
• A Telecom Manufacturing Zone is an industrial cluster for manufacturing, testing and allied activities related to telecom equipment and technologies.
• The Gwalior TMZ will include a Common Testing Lab package worth around ₹500 crore, along with an incentive package developed by the Madhya Pradesh Government.
• The first phase requires around 170 acres, including over 90 acres in Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Counter Magnet City (SADA) and more than 70 acres in the IT Park area.
• The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Government of Madhya Pradesh signed an MoU in July 2026 for development of the TMZ.
• Investor roadshows held in Delhi and Mumbai in August 2026 generated combined investment commitments of approximately ₹5,500 crore.
• The zone will benefit from connectivity to the 120-km Agra–Gwalior High-Speed Corridor, major railway routes and a redeveloped airport, while additional land is being identified due to high investor interest.
Delhi Town Hall to be Redeveloped as Global Heritage Centre
• Delhi’s 160-year-old Town Hall complex in Chandni Chowk will be redeveloped as a Global Heritage Centre under an MoU signed on 20 September 2026.
• The Grade-I heritage complex includes the historic Press Building and an adjoining park spread over approximately 12,180 square metres.
• The Town Hall was constructed between 1860 and 1866 and served as the headquarters of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) until 2010.
• The MoU was signed between the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
• Ownership of the complex will remain with the MCD, while the initial MoU will remain valid for 30 years, with a provision for another 30-year extension by mutual consent.
• The proposed Global Heritage Centre will include a museum and facilities for cultural and tourism activities, while retaining the historic character of the complex.
• The redevelopment will follow the principle of adaptive reuse, which allows historic buildings to be given new functions while preserving their architectural and heritage features.
• DTTDC will conduct surveys, structural assessments and prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR), while a Joint Working Group will monitor the project’s progress.
DEFENCE
Nomadic Elephant 2026 – India–Mongolia Joint Military Exercise
• The 18th edition of Exercise Nomadic Elephant 2026 began on 21 September 2026 at the Foreign Training Node, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.
• The exercise will continue until 3 October 2026 and involves 45 personnel each from the Indian Army and Mongolian Armed Forces.
• Nomadic Elephant is an annual bilateral, platoon-level military exercise between India and Mongolia.
• The exercise focuses on Counter-Insurgency Operations in semi-urban and mountainous terrain under a United Nations mandate.
• Training includes Cordon and Search Operations, Room Intervention Drills and Special Heliborne Operations.
• The 2026 edition also covers cyber security, drone employment and counter-drone systems, reflecting emerging requirements in modern military operations.
• The 17th edition of Nomadic Elephant was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in May–June 2025.
• The exercise is aimed at improving interoperability, operational coordination and exchange of military practices between the Indian Army and Mongolian Armed Forces.
SPORTS
Savita Punia Becomes Most-Capped Indian Women’s Hockey Player
• Savita Punia became the most-capped player in the history of Indian women’s hockey on 21 September 2026 during India’s Pool B match against Indonesia at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
• She surpassed the previous record of 320 senior international appearances, held by former Indian striker Vandana Katariya.
• Savita Punia made her senior international debut in 2009 and equalled Katariya’s record of 320 caps on 20 September 2026 against Uzbekistan.
• She reached her 300th international appearance in February 2025 during an FIH Hockey Pro League match against the Netherlands.
• Vandana Katariya, who retired in April 2025, finished her international career with 320 caps and 158 goals for India.
• Savita Punia is a goalkeeper and is popularly known as “The Wall of India” for her performances in international hockey.
• Hockey India announced a cash reward of ₹10 lakh for Savita Punia after she became India’s most-capped women’s hockey player.
• A cap represents an appearance in an official senior international match; Savita’s record includes recognised competitions such as the Asian Games and FIH Hockey Pro League.
SUMMIT AND CONFERENCES
WWF Global Conservation Conference 2026
• The WWF Global Conservation Conference was inaugurated in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on 21 September 2026 by Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav.
• The conference brought together representatives from more than 100 countries to discuss global conservation and environmental priorities.
• The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organisation founded in 1961, working on wildlife conservation, habitat protection, climate action and sustainable resource use.
• India has expanded its protected areas from around 750 to more than 1,000 over the last decade as part of its conservation efforts.
• During the same period, India’s tiger reserves increased from 47 to 58, while elephant reserves increased from 30 to 33.
• India’s Ramsar sites increased from 24 to 101; these are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention, 1971.
• India’s cheetah reintroduction programme seeks to establish the species in suitable protected landscapes following its local extinction in the 20th century.
• India’s conservation framework includes the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972; Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980; Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, along with Articles 48A and 51A(g) of the Constitution.
9th India International Water Week 2026
• The 9th India International Water Week (IIWW) 2026 will be inaugurated by Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan on 22 September 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
• The five-day event will be held from 22–26 September 2026 with the theme “Climate Resilient Water Management”.
• IIWW is an international conference focused on water policy, technology exchange and stakeholder engagement and is organised by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• Union Minister C. R. Patil, along with Ministers of State V. Somanna and Raj Bhushan Choudhary, will participate in the inaugural programme.
• The Netherlands and Germany will participate as Partner Countries, while 14 Indian States will participate as Partner States.
• An international exhibition on water management technologies and solutions will be organised from 22–25 September 2026 alongside IIWW.
• The Second International WASH Conference 2026 will also be held from 22–24 September 2026 as part of IIWW 2026; WASH stands for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.
• The conference will address climate-resilient water management, including challenges related to rainfall variability, droughts, floods, groundwater, sanitation and urban water stress.
