Today's 5 stories
Polity and governanceThe Hindu, Page 1Must read
Opposition leaders renewed their demand that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign, and asked the Supreme Court to act, after the Indian Express reported on 23 September that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally recorded objections 14 times in 10 months. Their objections related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, including being kept out of decisions and the addition and deletion of voters' names.
Prelims facts
- Under Article 324(5), the Chief Election Commissioner can be removed only in the same manner and on the same grounds as a Supreme Court judge.
- Other Election Commissioners can be removed only on the recommendation of the Chief Election Commissioner.
- The CEC and Other ECs Act, 2023 set up a selection committee of the PM, the Leader of Opposition and a Union Cabinet Minister, replacing the CJI who had been added by the Anoop Baranwal judgment (2023).
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EconomyThe Hindu, Page 17Must read
Make in India, launched on 25 September 2014, completed 12 years with assessments showing output gains but no structural shift. Under the revised national accounts series, manufacturing gross value added grew at a compound annual rate of about 10.9% between 2022-23 and 2025-26, and the manufacturing index of industrial production grew 7.0% in April to July 2026 over a year earlier.
Prelims facts
- Make in India was launched on 25 September 2014 to make India a global manufacturing hub.
- Supporting measures include PLI schemes, PM GatiShakti, the National Single Window System and FDI liberalisation.
- The original target was a 25% share of manufacturing in GDP; the share has stayed close to its 2014 level.
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International relationsThe Hindu, Page 11Must read
The Hindu's debate page asks whether permanent membership and the veto of the UN Security Council should be abolished, as UN reform returns to the agenda during the General Assembly's high-level week.
Prelims facts
- Under Article 27(3) of the UN Charter, substantive UNSC decisions need nine votes including the concurring votes of the five permanent members.
- UNGA resolution 76/262 (2022) requires the General Assembly to meet within 10 working days after a veto is cast.
- India is part of the G4 (with Brazil, Germany and Japan), which seeks permanent seats; reform talks run through the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN).
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EconomyThe Hindu, Page 12
An explainer in The Hindu looks at the alternatives to SWIFT, the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication. SWIFT is a Belgium-based cooperative founded in 1973 that connects over 11,000 financial institutions in more than 200 countries. It is a messaging network, not a bank: it carries payment instructions between banks but does not move money itself. Because access is effectively controlled under EU and US sanctions regimes, disconnection from SWIFT, as happened to Iranian and many Russian banks, can cut a country off from much of global finance.
Prelims facts
- SWIFT is a Belgium-based cooperative founded in 1973 that sends payment messages; it does not move money itself.
- China launched CIPS in 2015 and Russia launched SPFS in 2014 after Western sanctions over Crimea.
- The RBI allowed Special Rupee Vostro Accounts in 2022 to settle trade in rupees.
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Polity and governanceThe Hindu, Page 1
The Hindu reports that Chhattisgarh's new anti-conversion law has taken effect, and that some churches have put up notices telling non-Christians they enter at their own risk. The Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026 was passed by the Assembly by voice vote on 19 March, in the absence of the Congress, and received Governor Ramen Deka's assent in April. It replaces a 1968 law inherited from Madhya Pradesh and has five chapters and 31 sections.
Prelims facts
- Article 25 guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to profess, practise and propagate religion, subject to public order, morality and health.
- In Rev. Stainislaus v. State of Madhya Pradesh (1977), the Supreme Court held that the right to propagate does not include a right to convert another person.
- Odisha (1967) and Madhya Pradesh (1968) passed the earliest State anti-conversion laws.
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Every other article worth knowing
The Hindu
Opaque funding of political parties, including registered unrecognised parties
The Hindu, Page 10OpinionGS2Prelims
The author examines the opacity of political funding, especially of Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs). The ECI delisted 334 of 2,854 RUPPs, and only 739 of 2,764 RUPPs filed financial records for FY2022-23. Tax exemptions to parties cost about Rs 11,813 crore over ten years. The author recommends Supreme Court-monitored probes into electoral bonds and shell RUPPs, and urges the ECI to use Article 324 to mandate CAG audits and spending limits.
Prelims facts
- RUPPs remain eligible for contributions under Section 29B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and for tax benefits under Section 13A of the Income-tax Act.
- The Association for Democratic Reforms documented a 223% rise in RUPP income in FY2022-23.
- The Central Information Commission's 2013 direction to bring parties under the RTI Act has not been enforced.
Mains angle
Electoral reforms: the article links party funding opacity, weak ECI powers to deregister parties and resistance to RTI, making a case for audits and transparency.
Source summary
The case for a national protocol on police release of photographs of accused persons
The Hindu, Page 10OpinionGS2Prelims
The Supreme Court is hearing a PIL on the absence of a national media protocol on police releasing photographs of accused persons, who are often shown on social media before being produced before a magistrate. No law explicitly permits or bars the practice, raising concerns under Article 21 and the presumption of innocence. The author argues a national protocol should separate legitimate investigative disclosure from prejudicial publicity.
Prelims facts
- Section 84 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 governs court proclamation of absconders but does not cover investigation-stage photographs.
- The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 covers recording of measurements and photographs but not their public circulation.
- The Bureau of Police Research and Development prepared a draft media briefing manual in July 2024.
Mains angle
Police reforms and rights of the accused: the Rajasthan High Court called such publicity 'institutional humiliation', and the issue pits investigative needs against dignity and fair trial under Article 21.
Source summary
US, Denmark and Greenland sign a security agreement expanding the US military presence
The Hindu, Page 10EditorialGS2Prelims
A security agreement signed on September 22, 2026 by the U.S., Denmark and Greenland allows new U.S. facilities at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig and modernisation of Pituffik Space Base. It bars non-NATO countries from setting up military installations, particularly in rare earth-rich zones, and guarantees indefinite U.S. access. The Arctic's value is rising as melting ice opens shipping routes and competition with China and Russia grows.
Prelims facts
- Pituffik Space Base in Greenland is the U.S. Defense Department's northernmost installation, used for missile warning and surveillance.
- The new agreement builds on the 1951 U.S.-Denmark security framework.
- Rare earths are a group of 17 metallic elements, and Greenland has substantial deposits.
Mains angle
Arctic geopolitics: climate-driven opening of sea routes and critical mineral deposits are drawing great-power military competition into the Arctic.
Source summary
Election Commission expands its 'logical discrepancy' list from four to eleven categories in the SIR
The Hindu, Page 15GS2Prelims
During the Special Intensive Revision, the Election Commission expanded its 'logical discrepancy list' from four to eleven categories, and discrepancy notices went to 1.36 crore voters in West Bengal and 19.33 lakh in Delhi. A centralised AI system on ERONet uses 'progeny mapping' to flag anomalies such as a parent-voter age gap under 15 years. Activists say the ECI withholds the software's parameters as 'trade secrets'.
Prelims facts
- The ECI's logical discrepancy list in the Special Intensive Revision grew from four to eleven categories.
- ERONet (Electoral Registration Officers' Network) is the centralised software system through which discrepancies are flagged.
- Flags include an age gap of under 15 years between a voter and parent, or more than six siblings per parent.
Mains angle
Electoral integrity and transparency: opaque algorithmic flagging in roll revision raises due process concerns for voters who cannot see why they were flagged.
Source summary
Digi Yatra to pilot facial recognition boarding for international flights from October
The Hindu, Page 16GS3Prelims
Digi Yatra, India's facial recognition-based airport access system, will run an October to December pilot for international departures at Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi and Mumbai airports, using e-passport based enrolment with a selfie. It covers entry points and security checks, with immigration excluded. Interoperability with the EU Digital Identity framework is being pursued through the APTITUDE consortium, in line with IATA's One ID initiative.
Prelims facts
- Digi Yatra operates at 39 airports and is set to reach 64 by March 2027.
- The international pilot runs at Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi and Mumbai airports, with immigration excluded.
- IATA's One ID initiative aims at contactless air travel.
Mains angle
Digital public infrastructure: biometric travel credentials promise convenience and cross-border interoperability but raise data protection and consent questions.
Source summary
Pakistan carries out air strikes on 10 sites in Afghanistan, citing drone attacks
The Hindu, Page 18GS2Prelims
Pakistan carried out air strikes on 10 sites in Afghanistan that it said were used for drone attacks on Pakistan, hitting southern and eastern provinces including Kandahar, Paktia and Khost. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid reported four civilian casualties and the Taliban promised an 'appropriate response'. The escalation threatens mediation efforts and highlights disputes over militant sanctuaries along the Durand Line.
Prelims facts
- Pakistan's strikes hit the Afghan provinces of Kandahar, Paktia and Khost, among others.
- Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced the strikes as a response to cross-border aggression.
Mains angle
India's neighbourhood: escalating Pakistan-Afghanistan hostility affects regional stability and India's engagement with Afghanistan.
Source summary
Iran threatens to widen the war to the Indian Ocean, naming Diego Garcia
The Hindu, Page 18GS2GS3Prelims
Yahya Rahim Safavi, an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, warned the war could spread to the Indian Ocean if the U.S. attacks again, the first such explicit reference by an adviser to Iran's leadership. The threat targeted the U.S.-British base at Diego Garcia, about 4,000 km from Iran. The conflict has already spread from the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea, where Yemen's Houthis control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Prelims facts
- Diego Garcia is a coral atoll in the central Indian Ocean hosting a joint U.S.-British military base.
- The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, between Yemen and Djibouti/Eritrea, links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
- The U.S. Treasury set a September 23 deadline requiring global firms to cease Iranian airline operations.
Mains angle
Maritime security: a war reaching the Indian Ocean would threaten shipping lanes and energy flows central to India's trade and security.
Source summary
The Indian Express
Trump hosts Xi at the White House; US-China trade truce extended to January 10
Indian Express, Page 2GS2Prelims
US President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House for a state summit covering AI, trade, Taiwan and the war with Iran. Xi urged prudence on Taiwan and opposition to "Taiwan independence", and China backed the US and Iran returning to a June deal to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz. A trade truce pausing mutual tariffs was extended until January 10.
Prelims facts
- The US-China trade truce extension was negotiated by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.
- The summit was Xi Jinping's first visit to Washington in over a decade and his second meeting with Trump this year.
- Xi invoked the Thucydides trap, the idea that conflict is likely when a rising power threatens to displace an established one, to argue for regular military dialogue.
Mains angle
US-China relations and great-power competition: the summit shows both sides seeking stability on trade, Taiwan and AI, with implications for India's strategic calculus and energy security via the Strait of Hormuz.
Source summary
AI company heads warn the UN Security Council of risks to humanity and seek global rules
Indian Express, Page 2GS2GS3Prelims
Dario Amodei of Anthropic and Sam Altman of OpenAI told the UN Security Council that uncontrolled AI poses risks to humanity and called for global governance to stop excessive concentration of power, international standards for testing, and safeguards against misuse such as biological weapons. The UK said it would prioritise AI governance during its G20 presidency, while the US opposed new global governance bodies.
Prelims facts
- British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the UK would prioritise AI control during its G20 presidency.
- China's UN Ambassador Fu Cong stressed national sovereignty in choosing AI technologies.
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had earlier warned about autonomous weapons, or "killer robots".
Mains angle
Global governance of emerging technology: the session shows the split between calls for binding international AI rules and positions stressing innovation (US) or national sovereignty (China).
Source summary
Japan asks the UN to delete the 'enemy state' clauses from the UN Charter
Indian Express, Page 4ExplainedGS2Prelims
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged the UN General Assembly to remove the 'enemy state' references from the 1945 UN Charter, which were aimed at the defeated Axis Powers. The General Assembly called the clauses obsolete in 1995 and adopted a resolution for their deletion in 2005, but removal needs the approval of all five permanent members, which has not come. China and Russia have recently used the label against Japan.
Prelims facts
- Article 53 of the UN Charter defines an 'enemy state' as any state that was an enemy of a signatory during the Second World War.
- Article 107 of the UN Charter gave the Allied Powers the right to act against 'enemy states' without prior UN Security Council approval.
- Russia has invoked the clauses in its territorial dispute with Japan over the southern Kuril Islands.
Source summary
What it would take for India's economy to triple in a decade
Indian Express, Page 4ExplainedGS3Prelims
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has projected that India's economy, now about $4.2 trillion, could triple to about $12.5 trillion by 2036. The article notes this needs 11.6% annual growth in dollar terms against a 6.2% CAGR from 2014 to 2026, and about 14.7% nominal rupee growth against a 10% CAGR from 2014 to 2025. Tripling in rupee terms looks more realistic, but currency depreciation makes dollar targets harder.
Prelims facts
- India's GDP is about $4.2 trillion; tripling to $12.5 trillion by 2036 would need 11.6% annual growth in dollar terms.
- India's dollar GDP grew at a 6.2% CAGR from 2014 to 2026, and nominal rupee GDP at a 10% CAGR from 2014 to 2025.
- Earlier targets were a $5 trillion economy by 2025 and a $35 trillion economy by 2047 for Viksit Bharat.
Mains angle
Growth and development: the gap between nominal rupee growth and dollar growth shows how exchange rate depreciation affects headline GDP targets that foreign investors track.
Source summary
India raises concerns over a new US law allowing tariffs of up to 100% on buyers of Russian energy
Indian Express, Page 5GS2GS3Prelims
The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, signed by President Trump on September 18, allows tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian energy, including India and China. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar conveyed India's concerns to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said the US can help partners with energy security. India is likely to seek a presidential waiver, since Russian oil was over 50% of its crude imports in July 2026.
Prelims facts
- The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 was signed on September 18, 2026 and extends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 until 2031.
- India imports 88 to 90% of its crude oil needs, and Russia supplied over 50% of India's crude imports in July 2026.
- The US was India's sixth-largest crude supplier in the first eight months of 2026.
Source summary
Centre asks the Supreme Court to apply its OBC creamy layer verdict only prospectively
Indian Express, Page 12GS2Prelims
The Centre has asked the Supreme Court, invoking Article 142, to apply its March 11, 2026 judgment in Union of India v. Rohith Nathan prospectively and to give two or more years to implement it. The ruling held that OBC creamy layer status cannot rest on parental income alone and that treating PSU and private employees differently from government employees is discriminatory. The Centre warned retrospective application could force reallocation of Civil Services Examination services since 2012. The Court has reserved its order.
Prelims facts
- In Union of India v. Rohith Nathan (March 11, 2026), the Supreme Court held that OBC creamy layer status cannot be determined solely by parental income.
- The OBC creamy layer concept followed the Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992) judgment.
- Article 142 empowers the Supreme Court to pass orders for 'complete justice'.
Mains angle
Reservation policy: the plea shows the tension between correcting an unequal creamy layer test across government, PSU and private employees and protecting settled appointments and admissions.
Source summary
Electoral roll revision risks mass disenfranchisement and should be rethought, an opinion piece argues
Indian Express, Page 14OpinionGS2
The author argues the Election Commission's SIR of electoral rolls threatens mass disenfranchisement. Two Election Commissioners lodged 14 written objections against CEC Gyanesh Kumar. In Delhi over 80 lakh voters are under scrutiny and about 47.5 lakh marked for deletion, and rolls in 17 States and UTs have shrunk by over 15%. RTI data from West Bengal showed 91% of 82,000 adjudicated deletion cases were wrongly marked and later reinstated.
Prelims facts
- Two Election Commissioners lodged 14 written objections against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- RTI disclosures in West Bengal showed 91% of 82,000 adjudicated deletion cases were wrongly marked and later restored.
Source summary
Student suicides at IITs: the case for diverse faculty and accessible complaint systems
Indian Express, Page 15OpinionGS1GS2
After a student suicide at IIT-Bombay, the author notes that over 170 students have died by suicide in IITs in the last decade, a significant number from SC and ST communities. An interim report of the Supreme Court-appointed task force led by Justice Ravindra Bhat found complaint mechanisms hard to access and a 'social mismatch' between students and teachers. The author argues a more diverse faculty would build belonging and that marks should not define a student's worth.
Prelims facts
- The Supreme Court-appointed task force on student suicides is led by Justice Ravindra Bhat.
- More than 65% of faculty in IITs, NITs and private institutions are from non-SC, ST and OBC communities, the article states.
Mains angle
Education and social justice: the author links distress among marginalised students to institutional culture, faculty diversity and grievance redress, not only individual mental health.
Source summary
Campus deaths and caste bias: why counselling alone is not enough, an opinion piece argues
Indian Express, Page 15OpinionGS1GS2
The death of a second-year IIT Bombay student, whose parents alleged caste-based torture, led to an investigation under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the suspension of the institute's dean pending inquiry. NIT Kurukshetra recorded four student deaths linked to debt, family discord and academic strain. The author argues that treating all such deaths as mental health issues hides structural caste discrimination, which needs independent accountability.
Prelims facts
- The IIT Bombay case is being investigated under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
- The author uses Social Identity Theory and the Diathesis-Stress Model to explain how caste-based stereotyping amplifies stress.
Source summary
0.4% merchant fee on UPI payments above Rs 2,000 from October 15
Indian Express, Page 16GS3Prelims
NPCI has introduced a 0.4% merchant discount rate (MDR) on person-to-merchant UPI payments above Rs 2,000, effective October 15, to fund investment in the UPI ecosystem. Government sources called fears of a shift to cash misplaced: the fee covers only 4% of such transactions, though they make up two-thirds of value. Person-to-person UPI and RuPay debit cards stay exempt. The GST Council will consider 18% GST on UPI MDR.
Prelims facts
- A 0.4% MDR applies to person-to-merchant UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 from October 15, introduced by NPCI.
- Person-to-person UPI payments and RuPay debit card transactions remain exempt from MDR.
- About 75% of Indian merchants accepting digital payments have never processed a UPI transaction above Rs 2,000.
Mains angle
Digital payments: the fee reflects the argument that free UPI is unsustainable for banks and payment firms, weighed against the risk of merchants passing costs to consumers.
Source summary
Press Information Bureau
Raman Research Institute measures a quantum measure above one for the first time
PIBGovernment releaseGS3Prelims
Researchers at the Raman Research Institute (RRI), an institute under the Department of Science and Technology, made the first experimental measurement of a quantum measure exceeding one, at about 1.17, above the classical probability ceiling of one. The result tests Quantum Measure Theory, which describes quantum systems through possible histories, in the laboratory. It could aid quantum measurement and computing.
Prelims facts
- The Raman Research Institute, under the Department of Science and Technology, measured a quantum measure of about 1.17.
- A quantum measure can exceed one because of interference between different quantum histories or photon paths.
- The team used an 'event-filter' based on photon polarisation to isolate specific photon routes.
Mains angle
Indian science and quantum technology: the result turns a theoretical idea into a measurable quantity, supporting foundational research for quantum technologies.
Source summary
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana 2.0: placement-linked skilling for rural youth
PIBGovernment releaseGS2GS3Prelims
DDU-GKY, launched on September 25, 2014 under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission, has trained over 18.47 lakh candidates and placed over 12.43 lakh across 800+ job roles. DDU-GKY 2.0 guidelines were notified in May 2025, and the scheme has a Union Budget 2026-27 allocation of Rs 750 crore. Version 2.0 extends the minimum placement duration to six months with 12 months of post-placement tracking, and targets rural youth aged 15 to 35 from poor households.
Prelims facts
- DDU-GKY mandates 50% coverage for SC/ST, 33% for women and 5% for persons with disabilities.
- Roshni is the DDU-GKY component for Left-Wing Extremism-affected areas, and Himayat for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
- Rural Self-Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) have trained 63.47 lakh candidates.
Source summary
India presents progress on universal health coverage, hepatitis and sickle cell at UNGA81
PIBGovernment releaseGS2Prelims
At UNGA81, India highlighted over 1.8 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs for primary care, financial protection through AB-PMJAY, a target to eliminate Hepatitis B and C as public health threats by 2030 under the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme, and the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission. India co-hosted OneSCD at UNGA81 on sickle cell equity, and cited over 497 million e-Sanjeevani teleconsultations.
Prelims facts
- The National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission, launched in 2023, aims to eliminate the disease by 2047.
- The sickle cell mission has screened 7.29 crore people and confirmed 2.5 lakh cases.
- India aims to eliminate Hepatitis B and C as public health threats by 2030 under the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme.
Source summary
India and the Netherlands sign MoUs on the Kalpasar Project at India International Water Week
PIBGovernment releaseGS2GS3Prelims
At the 9th India International Water Week at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, India and the Netherlands advanced their Strategic Partnership on Water. Two tripartite MoUs were signed among the Central Water Commission, Gujarat's Kalpasar Department, and the Dutch institutions Deltares and TU Delft for the Kalpasar Project, which aims to create a freshwater reservoir in the Gulf of Khambhat.
Prelims facts
- The Kalpasar Project in Gujarat plans a freshwater reservoir in the Gulf of Khambhat fed by the Sabarmati, Mahi and Dhadhar rivers, with supplementary Narmada water.
- The 9th India International Water Week was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
- The partnership builds on a Letter of Intent signed in May 2026 during PM Modi's visit to the Netherlands.
Mains angle
Water security and diplomacy: Dutch expertise in dykes, sluices and hydraulic modelling, which the release compares to the Afsluitdijk, supports large coastal water storage projects.
Source summary