🗞️ Why in News Beyond the deep dives on the Supreme Court’s re-arrest ruling, the EIA amendment for ports, MoSPI’s GDP Sources and Methods, the Vande Mataram challenge, the RBI’s market-risk rules, RAPP-8 and India at UNGA-81, the 22 September 2026 roundup covers the start of the monsoon’s withdrawal, the India-New Zealand FTA’s entry-into-force date, the next phase of UDAN, the 72nd National Film Awards, Project Cheetah, and India’s joint exercises with Mongolia and Japan.

Southwest Monsoon Begins Withdrawal; Season 15 Per Cent Short

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the southwest monsoon began withdrawing from parts of west Rajasthan on 19 September 2026, two days after the normal date of 17 September. The line of withdrawal passed through Ramgarh, Mohangarh, Phalodi and Khajuwala, with further retreat expected over more of Rajasthan, Punjab and Kutch-Saurashtra.

The season so far. Country-wide rainfall up to 19 September was 15 per cent below normal, at 695.6 mm. Rainfall was below normal in June, August and September, and only about 1 per cent above normal in July. The worst-hit States include Meghalaya (-59%), Andhra Pradesh (-43%), Arunachal Pradesh (-41%) and Bihar (-36%). A deep depression over the west-central Bay of Bengal was expected to cross the north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coast between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur on the night of 23 September. The deficit builds on the El Nino conditions covered in our earlier report on the monsoon deficit.

How withdrawal is declared. IMD looks for a cessation of rainfall for five consecutive days, the establishment of an anticyclone in the lower troposphere and a marked fall in moisture. The normal withdrawal dates were revised in 2020, which moved west Rajasthan’s date later, to 17 September.

📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia

  • Monsoon withdrawal began from parts of west Rajasthan on 19 September 2026; the normal date is 17 September.
  • All-India rainfall to 19 September: 15 per cent below normal, at 695.6 mm.
  • Worst-hit: Meghalaya -59%, Andhra Pradesh -43%, Arunachal -41%, Bihar -36%.
  • IMD’s withdrawal test: 5 dry days, a lower-level anticyclone, and falling moisture.
  • A season below 90 per cent of the long period average is “deficient” in IMD’s all-India classification.
  • The 2020 revision moved west Rajasthan’s normal withdrawal date from 1 September to 17 September.

India-New Zealand FTA to Enter into Force on 20 October 2026

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and New Zealand’s Trade Minister Todd McClay announced on 21 September 2026 that the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement will enter into force on 20 October 2026, which falls on Vijayadashami. New Zealand’s Parliament passed the implementing legislation on 16 September. As background, the agreement was signed on 27 April 2026 at Bharat Mandapam (see our report on the signing).

Provision Detail
India’s exports Every tariff line covering 100 per cent of India’s exports to New Zealand becomes duty-free; NZ peak tariffs of up to 10 per cent go
India’s sensitive list Dairy, animal meat (except sheep), key agricultural commodities, sugar and edible oils excluded from concessions
Calibrated access Apples, kiwifruit and Manuka honey through tariff rate quotas with a minimum import price and seasonal windows
Investment New Zealand’s commitment to facilitate USD 20 billion of investment in India
Mobility 5,000 Temporary Employment Entry visas and 1,000 Working Holiday visas a year; post-study work up to 3 years (STEM) and 4 years (doctoral)
Regulatory NZ to accept inspection approvals of the US FDA, EMA, UK MHRA and Health Canada for Indian pharmaceuticals

📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia

  • The India-New Zealand FTA enters into force on 20 October 2026; it was signed on 27 April 2026.
  • India keeps dairy, sugar and edible oils outside tariff concessions.
  • Apples, kiwifruit and Manuka honey get access through tariff rate quotas with a minimum import price.
  • New Zealand commits to facilitate USD 20 billion of investment in India.
  • The FTA offers 5,000 Temporary Employment Entry visas and 1,000 Working Holiday visas a year.

Modified UDAN: 21 MoUs with States and UTs

The Ministry of Civil Aviation on 22 September 2026 signed 21 memoranda of understanding with States, Union Territories and the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the implementing agency, for the next phase of UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik). It also launched a Challenge Mode Portal through which States and UTs can nominate airstrips and helipads for development, and released the scheme document for the next route-bidding round. The next phase targets 120 new destinations and 4 crore more passengers over ten years. Since its launch in 2016, UDAN has operationalised 687 routes and 95 aerodromes, carrying about 1.71 crore passengers. As background, the Modified UDAN was inaugurated by the Prime Minister at Jodhpur on 4 July 2026 (see our explainer on Modified UDAN).

📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia

  • 21 MoUs were signed on 22 September 2026 for the next phase of UDAN; AAI is the implementing agency.
  • Targets: 120 new destinations and 4 crore more passengers over 10 years.
  • Since 2016: 687 routes and 95 aerodromes operationalised; about 1.71 crore passengers.
  • UDAN was launched under the National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016.

72nd National Film Awards; Dadasaheb Phalke Award to Anant Nag

President Droupadi Murmu presented the 72nd National Film Awards at Ekta Nagar, Kevadia (Gujarat), near the Statue of Unity, on 22 September 2026, and conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024 on veteran actor Anant Nag, known for his work in Kannada cinema. The President urged that women be included on every regional jury, and that celebrities not endorse products harmful to health.

📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia

  • The 72nd National Film Awards were presented at Ekta Nagar, Kevadia, Gujarat, on 22 September 2026.
  • Anant Nag received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024.
  • The Phalke Award was instituted in 1969; its first recipient was Devika Rani.
  • The Phalke Award for 2023 went to Mohanlal.

Project Cheetah: Gaurav Dies at Kuno as Count Reaches 55

Gaurav, one of the first eight cheetahs brought from Namibia under Project Cheetah in September 2022, died at Kuno National Park on 21 September 2026 after severe weakness and dehydration; he had been taken out of the wild for treatment on 12 September. Days earlier, KGP12, an India-born female, gave birth to four cubs. India’s cheetah population now stands at 55, of which 51 are at Kuno, including 36 born in India. The update follows the four-year review covered in our 16 September article, which counted 52.

📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia

  • Cheetah Gaurav, from the first Namibian batch of September 2022, died at Kuno on 21 September 2026.
  • India-born female KGP12 gave birth to four cubs in September 2026.
  • India’s cheetah count is 55; 51 are at Kuno, of whom 36 were born in India.
  • The second cheetah site is Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh.

Seventh National Formulary of India and the Biovigilance Programme

During the 6th National Pharmacovigilance Week (17 to 23 September 2026, theme “Promoting Rational Use of Medicines through Pharmacovigilance: A Step Towards Safer Healthcare”), the Union Health Ministry released the 7th edition of the National Formulary of India (NFI 2026) and announced government approval of the Biovigilance Programme of India, alongside the ADR-PvPI 2.0 mobile app for reporting adverse drug reactions. NFI 2026 has 34 chapters, 20 appendices and 653 drugs, including 42 fixed-dose combinations and 30 immunologicals, aligned with the National List of Essential Medicines. India now ranks 8th in contributions to the WHO patient-safety database, up from 123rd in 2009-14.

📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia

  • NFI 2026, the 7th edition, has 653 drugs in 34 chapters, with 42 fixed-dose combinations.
  • The NFI is published by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission.
  • The Biovigilance Programme of India extends safety monitoring to transplant procedures.
  • Pharmacovigilance covers medicines; materiovigilance covers medical devices.
  • India ranks 8th in contributions to the WHO patient-safety database.

Nomadic Elephant 2026 and Veer Guardian 2026

Nomadic Elephant, the 18th edition of the India-Mongolia joint military exercise, began on 21 September 2026 at the Foreign Training Node, Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand), and runs to 3 October. The annual platoon-level exercise, held alternately in the two countries, has 45 personnel from each side and focuses on counter-insurgency in semi-urban and mountainous terrain under a UN mandate. The previous edition was held at Ulaanbaatar in May-June 2025.

Veer Guardian 2026, the bilateral air exercise between the Indian Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), concluded at Air Force Station Jodhpur on 22 September 2026 after 14 days. The IAF flew Su-30 MKI, Rafale and Tejas; the JASDF flew the F-2A.

📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia

  • Nomadic Elephant (India-Mongolia), 18th edition: Pithoragarh, 21 September to 3 October 2026.
  • Nomadic Elephant trains for counter-insurgency under a UN mandate; 45 personnel per side.
  • Veer Guardian 2026 (IAF-JASDF) concluded at Jodhpur on 22 September 2026.
  • JASDF flew the F-2A; the IAF flew Su-30 MKI, Rafale and Tejas.

NIRMaL Sagar Pilot for Marine Litter at Visakhapatnam

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, with Andhra University and Vignana Bharati, launched the pilot of NIRMaL Sagar (National Initiative for Remediation of Marine Litter) at Visakhapatnam on 19 September 2026, the concluding day of the Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar 5.0 campaign and International Coastal Cleanup Day. The programme combines ocean modelling, satellite remote sensing and AI and machine learning to identify marine-litter hotspots, track the movement of plastic and support targeted clean-up.

📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia

  • NIRMaL Sagar is the National Initiative for Remediation of Marine Litter, run by INCOIS.
  • Its pilot was launched at Visakhapatnam on 19 September 2026.
  • INCOIS is in Hyderabad, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
  • International Coastal Cleanup Day falls on the third Saturday of September.

TRAI Mandates Voice-and-SMS-Only Recharge Vouchers

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 22 September 2026 released the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, requiring operators to offer special tariff vouchers exclusively for voice and SMS, at a suitably reduced tariff, including shorter validities. TRAI found that since the 2024 amendment, operators had offered only a few such vouchers, mostly of long validity, leaving low-income users who do not need data without affordable short-duration options. As background, the draft was issued on 7 April 2026 and drew 1,132 responses.

📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia

  • TRAI released the Telecom Consumer Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026 on 22 September 2026.
  • Operators must offer voice-and-SMS-only special tariff vouchers at reduced tariffs.
  • TRAI is a statutory body under the TRAI Act, 1997.

International Day of Peace and World Rhino Day

International Day of Peace, 21 September. The UN theme for 2026 is “Invest in Peace, For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day”. The day was established by the UN General Assembly in 1981, and fixed on 21 September from 2002, as a day of ceasefire and non-violence.

World Rhino Day, 22 September. India is home to the greater one-horned rhinoceros, listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. India holds about 80 per cent of the world’s greater one-horned rhinos, most of them in Assam, and Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, alone holds about two-thirds.

📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia

  • The International Day of Peace is on 21 September; established in 1981, fixed to 21 September from 2002.
  • The greater one-horned rhinoceros is Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
  • India holds about 80 per cent of the world’s greater one-horned rhinos, most of them in Assam.
  • Kaziranga National Park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

Also in the News

US Russia sanctions law (signed 18 September 2026). US President Donald Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on 18 September, two days after the House of Representatives passed it. The law provides for tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the five largest purchasers of Russian oil and natural gas, a group that would include China and India, the largest buyers of Russian crude, and on countries found to have helped Russia evade oil sanctions; it also sanctions Russian leaders, banks and financial institutions, and extends sanctions on Iran’s energy and weapons sectors.

EPFO wage ceiling raised to 25,000 rupees (effective 17 September 2026). The wage ceiling for mandatory coverage under the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) was raised from 15,000 to 25,000 rupees a month, effective 17 September 2026. More employees now come within the social security net for Provident Fund, pension and insurance; the previous revision, from 6,500 rupees, took effect in 2014.

Global Gender Gap Index 2026 (released 16 September 2026). India ranked 131st of 145 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2026, unchanged from the previous edition, with a parity score of 64.5 per cent. India’s educational attainment parity is 96.6 per cent, but economic participation is only 41.2 per cent. Iceland topped the index, followed by Finland and Norway.

RBI survey of software exports (released 18 September 2026). India’s software services exports rose 8.2 per cent to USD 221.4 billion in 2025-26, according to the RBI’s annual survey. The United States took 54.1 per cent, Europe 31.8 per cent, and 91.7 per cent of exports were delivered off-site. Including sales through foreign affiliates, the total was USD 239.3 billion.

📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia

Prelims, statement-ready facts:

  • Monsoon withdrawal began from west Rajasthan on 19 September 2026; rainfall to date 15 per cent below normal.
  • The India-New Zealand FTA enters into force on 20 October 2026; signed 27 April 2026.
  • 21 MoUs for Modified UDAN signed on 22 September 2026; AAI is the implementing agency.
  • Anant Nag received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024 at the 72nd National Film Awards.
  • India’s cheetah count is 55; Gaurav, of the first Namibian batch, died at Kuno on 21 September 2026.
  • NFI 2026 (7th edition) lists 653 drugs; the Biovigilance Programme of India was approved.
  • Nomadic Elephant is with Mongolia; Veer Guardian is with Japan’s air force.
  • The EPFO wage ceiling is now 25,000 rupees a month, effective 17 September 2026.
  • India ranked 131st of 145 in the Global Gender Gap Index 2026.
  • Software services exports: USD 221.4 billion in 2025-26; US share 54.1 per cent.

Prelims, the traps:

  • Withdrawal starts in the north-west (west Rajasthan), not in Kerala, where the monsoon begins.
  • The FTA is signed (April) and enters into force (October): two different dates.
  • Veer Guardian is an air exercise with Japan; Nomadic Elephant is an army exercise with Mongolia.
  • Materiovigilance is for medical devices; biovigilance extends to transplants.

Mains, arguments and keywords:

  • A deficient monsoon with a late withdrawal stresses rabi sowing, reservoirs and rural incomes.
  • The NZ FTA shows India’s template: full market access abroad, sensitive farm lines protected at home.
  • Regional air connectivity through Centre-State partnership and Challenge Mode.
  • Keywords: monsoon withdrawal, LPA, FTA, TRQ, UDAN, AAI, Phalke Award, Project Cheetah, pharmacovigilance.

Interview, be ready for:

  • “Why did India exclude dairy from the New Zealand FTA?” Dairy supports millions of small producers, and New Zealand is a major dairy exporter.
  • “Is Project Cheetah succeeding?” Numbers are rising with India-born cubs, but adult deaths and cub mortality show the habitat and management challenges remain.

Source: Current Affairs Today, September 22, 2026, Complete News Roundup — Ujiyari.com | Free UPSC & State PCS Current Affairs