Current Affairs - State

Gujarat will host the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony on September 22, 2026. The event is scheduled to take place at Ekta Nagar in Narmada district, near the iconic Statue of Unity, where President Droupadi Murmu will present the awards. The ceremony marks a significant departure from the long-standing tradition of holding the National Film Awards in New Delhi. A temporary venue featuring a German aluminum dome structure is being prepared for around 1,000 winners, dignitaries, and officials. The awards recognise films released during 2024, with major honours including Best Feature Film for Article 370 and Best Actress for Yami Gautam.

Tripura’s NPOP-certified ethnic rice was exported to Austria and the Netherlands with the support of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) on September 2, 2026. The shipment consisted of 18 metric tonnes of specialty rice varieties, including Aromatic Kali Khasa, Aromatic Harinarayan, Biron, and Maimi Hanga rice. The initiative is expected to help local farmers and producers achieve up to 40% higher price realisation compared with the domestic market. The export was supported by the Tripura State Organic Farming Development Agency and NABARD, helping connect Farmer Producer Companies with international markets.

Punjab launched the ‘Pehchaan’ portal on September 2, 2026, to enable the digital identification of unidentified and unclaimed bodies kept in government mortuaries. It became the first state in India to introduce a dedicated digital portal for this purpose. The system requires detailed records, including facial photographs, permanent marks, and physical descriptions, to be uploaded within 48 hours of postmortem. Built on the NIC-developed MedLEaPR software, the portal is integrated with CCTNS to cross-match missing-person records. It operates across all 23 districts and 346 government hospitals in Punjab, helping police and forensic agencies identify deceased persons more efficiently.

Mizoram launched the Mizoram Green Schools League on September 2, 2026, to promote hygiene, cleanliness, and environmental responsibility among school students. The initiative is jointly organised by the Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation and School Education departments under the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 framework. The competition is conducted at Block, District, and State levels, encouraging schools to adopt sustainable environmental practices. Cash prizes are also provided to participating schools as incentives. The initiative aims to make cleanliness a key indicator of school performance while integrating hygiene into the daily routines of children and adults.

Kerala is set to establish a Coconut Park with support from the Coconut Development Board to strengthen the state’s coconut industry. The project aims to promote modern processing, value addition, packaging, branding, and marketing of coconut-based products. It is also expected to encourage entrepreneurship, attract investments, and support export-oriented production of high-quality coconut products. The Kerala government plans to provide the necessary land and support for the initiative while engaging with exporters and industry stakeholders. Discussions will also focus on developing export-oriented value addition projects and business-to-business linkages, helping processed coconut products reach international markets.