Current Affairs - September 26, 2026 Current Affairs

The European Space Agency (ESA) signed an agreement with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to expand their existing space cooperation to include human and robotic exploration. The agreement was signed in Paris in September 2026, during the International Space Summit. The existing Cooperative Agreement was extended for five years and will remain valid until January 8, 2032. The expanded cooperation also covers space weather and the sustainability of outer space activities. The exchange of letters was conducted by ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan and ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher. The ISRO-ESA partnership originally began in January 2002.

Mandeep K Bhandari was appointed as the new Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet in September 2026. He is a 2001-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer belonging to the AGMUT cadre. He was appointed to the CBSE Chairperson post in the rank and pay of an Additional Secretary to the Union Government. The appointment followed several administrative changes within CBSE during 2026. CBSE is a national-level educational institution responsible for school examinations, school affiliations, curriculum development, teacher training, and other academic functions in India and abroad.

Sawan Barwal won the silver medal in the men’s marathon at the 2026 Asian Games with a national-record time of 2:11:37. He finished behind Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita, who won gold in 2:10:49. Barwal improved his own national record by 21 seconds; he had previously clocked 2:11:58 at the Rotterdam Marathon in April 2026. That earlier performance had broken Shivnath Singh’s 48-year-old national record of 2:12:00. Barwal’s new mark in Nagoya was therefore his second national record of the year. His silver also ended India’s 44-year wait for an Asian Games marathon medal.

S Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister, signed the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime on September 25, 2026. The convention aims to strengthen international cooperation in preventing and combating cybercrime and facilitate the exchange of electronic evidence related to serious crimes. It provides a common framework for areas such as international cooperation, investigations, extradition, and recovery of crime proceeds. The convention was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 24, 2024. Its provisions will enter into force 90 days after the deposit of the 40th instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval, or accession.

Mastercard exited Pine Labs by selling its entire 4.31% stake for ₹933.57 crore through open market transactions on September 22, 2026. The transaction was executed through block deals on the BSE, involving the sale of 4.97 crore equity shares at ₹187.75 per share. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance was the largest institutional buyer, acquiring a 0.8% stake, while Societe Generale and Citigroup Global Markets Singapore also purchased significant stakes. Pine Labs is an Indian merchant commerce platform headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, and was established in 1998. Mastercard is a global payment technology corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York.

India won the women’s kabaddi gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 by defeating Iran in the final. The Indian team secured a 37-34 victory in the gold medal match held in Tokai, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. This triumph marked India’s fourth gold medal in women’s kabaddi at the Asian Games. India had previously won gold in 2010, 2014, and 2022, while earning silver in 2018. The 2026 victory also allowed India to successfully defend its women’s kabaddi title and maintain its strong record in the Asian Games.

India won the men’s kabaddi gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, defeating Iran 40-34 in the final on September 26. The victory allowed India to retain its men’s kabaddi title after its gold-medal success at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games. India has a strong record in men’s kabaddi at the Asian Games, winning gold medals across multiple editions since the sport became a medal event in 1990. Iran has been one of India’s major rivals, including its gold-medal victory over India in 2018. The 2026 triumph added another gold to India’s Asian Games kabaddi record.

Delhi secured the 268th rank among the 1,000 cities assessed in the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2026, making it the highest-ranked Indian city in the index. Bengaluru ranked 311th, while Mumbai stood at 330th. Delhi performed particularly strongly in the Human Capital category, where it ranked 13th, and secured 116th in Economics. However, its rankings were lower in Quality of Life, Environment and Governance, at 781st, 915th and 415th respectively. The index evaluates cities across five dimensions: Economics, Human Capital, Quality of Life, Environment and Governance. New York topped the global rankings.

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) was established on September 26, 1942, as an autonomous body dedicated to advancing scientific and industrial research in India. CSIR was formed as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. Over the years, it has developed into a nationwide research and development network with 37 national laboratories covering areas such as aerospace, chemical sciences, biotechnology, environmental science, ocean science, healthcare, materials and engineering. CSIR’s headquarters is located at Anusandhan Bhavan, New Delhi. September 26 is observed as CSIR Foundation Day, commemorating its establishment in 1942.

Maharashtra declared drought in 265 out of its 358 talukas during the 2026 Kharif season due to insufficient monsoon rainfall. The declaration was made under Trigger-1 criteria of the Drought Management Code, 2016, based on rainfall, agriculture, vegetation and water-related indicators. The state government also announced a 12-point relief package for affected farmers, agricultural workers and rural households. Measures include revenue exemption, rescheduling of agricultural loans, a moratorium on loan recovery, concessions on electricity charges, drinking-water tankers, fodder arrangements and water conservation projects. District Collectors were also directed to conduct panchnamas to assess crop losses.