Current Affairs Quiz - September 2026

Notes:
The Development and Welfare Board for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities (DWBDNC) organised “SAMAVESH UTSAV” at Bhim Hall, Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi. The event focused on inclusion, empowerment and progress of De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic (DNT) communities. Around 700 community members, leaders, artisans and beneficiaries participated in the event. The DWBDNC was constituted on 21 February 2019 by the Central Government to implement welfare and development programmes for DNT communities.

Notes:
The 6th World Nomad Games officially opened on 31 August 2026 at the new Bishkek Arena in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The Games are being held from 31 August to 6 September 2026. Around 3,000 athletes from 112 countries are participating in the event. Athletes are competing across 43 traditional sporting disciplines. Major traditional sports include Kok-boru, belt wrestling, horseback archery and falconry. The Games aim to showcase the traditional sports, culture and heritage of nomadic communities.

Notes:
The Sardar Patel National Unity Award 2026 will be announced on 31 October 2026, on the occasion of National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas). The award was instituted by the Government of India in 2019 through the Ministry of Home Affairs. It honours individuals who have made outstanding contributions towards promoting national unity and integrity. The award carries a medal and a certificate and does not include any monetary prize. The award is considered equivalent in status to the Padma Vibhushan. 31 October marks the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, popularly known as the “Iron Man of India.”

Notes:
Indian Railways has approved three projects worth a combined ₹675 crore to improve railway safety, signalling and freight movement. ₹170 crore has been sanctioned for deploying Kavach Version 4.0 across the remaining 712 Route Kilometres (Rkm) of Moradabad Division. Kavach is an indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system designed to prevent Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD), control train speed and reduce collision risks.

Notes:
The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) has recommended environmental clearance for SJVN (Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam) Limited’s 680 MW Attunli Hydroelectric Project. The Attunli Hydroelectric Project is a planned 680 MW run-of-river power project in Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh. The project will be constructed across the Tangon (Talo) River and will include an 85-metre concrete gravity dam.

Notes:
Recently, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) disbursed ₹5.68 crore under the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) mechanism arising from the utilisation of biological resources. The funds were distributed mainly to State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs), Union Territory Biodiversity Councils (UTBCs) and a national research institution. The disbursement primarily relates to Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus). The largest ABS component was for Okra, for which ₹3.51 crore was released to 32 SBBs and UTBCs. Gujarat received the highest State/UT allocation of ₹88.79 lakh, followed by West Bengal (₹78.08 lakh), Madhya Pradesh (₹64.90 lakh) and Odisha (₹59.01 lakh).

Notes:
Recently, a rare Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was spotted in Chandu village, Gurugram, Haryana, nearly seven years after its previous recorded sighting in the Delhi-NCR region. It is considered a rare passage migrant in India and does not occur regularly every year. The species breeds in the tundra regions of Russia and migrates towards Australia and New Zealand for wintering. The IUCN Red List status of the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata) is vulnerable.

Notes:
The 10th Edition of the Capt. (Late) N. Kenguruse, Mahavir Chakra Memorial Football Tournament 2026–27 will be held in Nagaland from 2 to 10 November 2026. The tournament is being organised under the aegis of Spear Corps and Headquarters Inspector General Assam Rifles (North). It is being conducted in collaboration with the Nagaland Football Association, with support from the Kohima District Football Association and Chümoukedima District Football Association.

Notes:
The 7th Status of Coral Reefs of the World Report was released by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), highlighting the increasing frequency of coral bleaching and shrinking recovery periods. Global hard coral cover has declined by about 9.5% compared with the 1980–2009 reference period. 87% of reefs experienced unprecedented heat stress in 2024, while 42.6% faced heat stress severe enough to risk widespread bleaching and mortality. Marine heatwaves, driven by climate change, have become the strongest global driver of coral-cover decline.
Major global bleaching events occurred in 1998–99, 2010–11, 2016–17 and 2023–24.

Notes:
The fifth edition of the nationwide ‘Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar’ campaign was launched in September 2026 to promote cleaner oceans and address marine litter. International Coastal Cleanup Day is observed globally on the third Saturday of September every year. The campaign focuses on ocean health restoration, coastal security and public awareness about marine pollution. It particularly highlights pollution from land-based plastic waste and discarded fishing gear.