CURRENT AFFAIRS 14 September, 2026

CURRENT AFFAIRS 14 September, 2026

1. INDIA-RUSSIA TRADE TARGET SET AT $100 BILLION BY 2030 –

• India and Russia have set a bilateral trade target of 100 billion by 2030, with current trade at around 60 billion. The two countries are also pursuing a new Bilateral Investment Treaty and a bilateral investment target of $50 billion by 2030.

India-Russia Economic Partnership

• India and Russia discussed expanded industrial cooperation in New Delhi in September 2026 ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit. The agenda covered railways, the steel value chain, civil nuclear energy, critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, information technology, artificial intelligence, services, engineering, and auto components.

INNOPROM India 2026

• INNOPROM India 2026 was held in New Delhi around 10–11 September 2026. The exhibition brought together India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Russia’s Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov for discussions on industrial and trade cooperation.

Defence and Energy Cooperation

• India and Russia also discussed defence cooperation, including S-400 deliveries, BrahMos upgrades, and talks on joint production of Su-57 fighter jets. Energy cooperation covered oil and gas supplies, fertiliser procurement, and a possible second site for Russian-constructed nuclear power plants in India.

2. 22ND INDIA-US YUDH ABHYAS BEGINS IN TWO-THEATRE FORMAT –

• The 22nd edition of Yudh Abhyas, the annual India-US bilateral military exercise, is scheduled from 9 September to 28 September 2026. The exercise is being conducted in a two-theatre format across Bikaner in Rajasthan and Auli in Uttarakhand.

Yudh Abhyas and Bilateral Defence Cooperation

• Yudh Abhyas is a recurring military exercise between the Indian Army and the United States Army. The exercise is used for joint training in tactical drills, interoperability, and field operations in varied terrain.

Training Areas and Terrain Profile

• The Rajasthan phase is being held at the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges near Bikaner. The Uttarakhand phase is being conducted at Auli, a high-altitude location at about 2,500 metres and around 95 kilometres from the Line of Actual Control with China.

3. INDIA’S ARTIFICIAL SUN: NEW GYROTRON BOOSTS FUSION RESEARCH –

• India has achieved another milestone in its mission to utilize the nuclear fusion energy technology, similar to the process that keeps the sun burning and glowing. The installation of 82.6 GHz 400 kW gyrotron has been made on the SST-1 Tokamak machine at the Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), Gujarat. The installation will help in improving India’s capacity to heat and maintain plasma at extremely high temperatures for research purposes.

What Is India’s Artificial Sun?

• The artificial Sun of India is not actually an artificial Sun but nuclear fusion studies in India. SST-1 is an experimental nuclear fusion reactor in India designed to create conditions of nuclear fusion energy reactions.
• Nuclear fusion involves forcing together light atomic nuclei under extreme pressure and temperatures to generate huge amounts of energy in a reaction. Unlike the fission process where heavy atomic nuclei split to release energy, in fusion process light atomic nuclei are combined to release energy.

What Is SST-1?

• SST-1 or Steady State Superconducting Tokamak is a type of experimental tokamak designed for nuclear fusion studies in India. Magnetic fields are used to confine the very hot plasma in the donut-shaped chamber.
• It is important not only to produce very high temperatures but also maintain plasma stability and confinement for adequate periods of time.

4. SEMICON INDIA 2026 –

• SEMICON India 2026 is set to gather the global semiconductor ecosystem in New Delhi from September 17 to 19, 2026. The fifth edition of the event aims to enhance India’s semiconductor strengths, make new investments, forge global collaborations and create an entire value chain that involves chip design, manufacturing, packaging and systems along with skilled manpower.

What Is SEMICON India 2026?

• SEMICON India 2026 is a leading conference and exhibition for semiconductor and electronics industry co-hosted by India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) and SEMI.
• The event will host semiconductor firms, policymakers, investors, researchers, startups, academia and workforce development organizations. Discussions on manufacturing, technology, supply chains, innovation, investment and skills will take place through the event.

SEMICON India 2026: Date and Venue

• SEMICON India 2026 is set to be held from September 17 to 19, 2026, at Yashobhoomi (India International Convention and Expo Centre) in Dwarka, New Delhi.

5. WHOLESALE PRICE INFLATION HITS 9.92% IN AUGUST 2026 –

• According to the preliminary estimates released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the inflation measured through the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) in India increased to 9.92% in August 2026 from 9.78% in July. This inflation reading is calculated using the newly revised base year 2022-23. According to the readings, the price pressure intensified for many important wholesale commodity groups including food and fuels and power.

WPI Inflation August 2026: Key Highlights

• The All India WPI of all commodities increased to 110.8 in August from 110.0 in July.
• The year-on-year inflation rates for the three major groups are as follows,

MCQ QUIZ

Q1.  Which tennis player won the US Open 2026 women’s singles title ?

1. a) Aryna Sabalenka
2. b) Elena Rybakina
3. c) Coco Gauff
4. d) Iga Świątek

Q2.  Mocha (Mokha) Port, that was recently seen in the news, is located on the coast of which country ?

1. a) Djibouti
2. b) Oman
3. c) Yemen
4. d) Saudi Arabia

Q3.  Exercise Samudra Laksamana is a bilateral maritime exercise between India and which country ?

1. a) Egypt
2. b) Indonesia
3. c) Vietnam
4. d) Malaysia

Q4.  Consider the following statements regarding the Chabahar Port and India’s connectivity strategy:

1. The Chabahar Port bypasses Pakistan to provide India direct access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
2. India signed a 10-year long-term agreement with Iran in May 2024 to equip and operate the Chabahar Port terminal.
3. Chabahar Port lies entirely outside the scope of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) framework.

         Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

1. a) 1 and 2 only
2. b) 2 only
3. c) 2 and 3 only
4. d) 1, 2, and 3

Explanation-

• Statement 1 is correct: Chabahar Port, located on the southern coast of Iran in the Gulf of Oman, is of immense strategic significance to India. It allows India to bypass Pakistan for trade and transit access to Afghanistan and the wider Central Asian republics.
• Statement 2 is correct: India and Iran signed a historic 10-year long-term contract in May 2024 for the operation of the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Chabahar Port by India Ports Global Limited (IPGL).
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Chabahar Port acts as a crucial node/hub that complements and integrates well with the larger International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), enhancing connectivity between India, Iran, Central Asia, Russia, and Europe.

Q5.  With reference to recent developments in India–Iran relations and multilateral groupings, consider the following statements:

1. Iran joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as a full member in 2023 and became part of the BRICS grouping in 2024.
2. During the recent bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, both India and Iran emphasized ensuring freedom of navigation and commerce through the critical Strait of Hormuz.
3. United States sanctions on Iran have completely eliminated any potential for non-oil trade, such as the export of Indian basmati rice and pharmaceuticals to Iran.

         Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

1. a) 1 and 2 only
2. b) 1 and 3 only
3. c) 2 and 3 only
4. d) 1, 2, and 3

Explanation-

• Statement 1 is correct: Iran formally became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in July 2023 and officially joined BRICS as a full member in January 2024, expanding multilateral engagement avenues for New Delhi and Tehran.
• Statement 2 is correct: In high-level meetings (such as the recent discussions between PM Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ahead of the BRICS Summit 2026), India stressed the vital importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation and protecting seafarers and commerce through the Strait of Hormuz, which is a major bottleneck for global energy supplies.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: While U.S. sanctions have heavily constrained and complicated energy trade (oil and gas imports), non-oil trade continues. There remains active potential and ongoing trade for essential commodities like Indian basmati rice, tea, and pharmaceuticals, alongside imports of specific Iranian goods.

Answer Key