CURRENT AFFAIRS 27-28 September, 2026

CURRENT AFFAIRS 27-28 September, 2026

1. EXERCISE TARANG SHAKTI 2026 BEGINS AT JODHPUR WITH SEVEN FOREIGN AIR FORCES –

• Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 has been started by the Indian Air Force in operational mode at Air Force Station Jodhpur, in the state of Rajasthan. The multi-national air exercise will take place from 26th September to 12th October, 2026 under the theme “Power in Partnership.”
• The exercise involves the Indian Air Force and air forces of seven foreign friendly nations. This is the second time that this exercise is taking place after the first ever exercise named Tarang Shakti was held in 2024.

The list of foreign aircraft that are participating in the exercise includes,

• F-35 Lightning II
• Rafale
• F-16
• A400M
• MRTT
• C-130
• C-130J
• KC-30A

2. ASIAN GAMES 2026 SQUASH: ANAHAT SINGH AND ABHAY SINGH WIN SILVER –

• Two Indian silver medals were won in squash singles in the Asian Games 2026 held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, where Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh lost in their respective finals to the Malaysian defending champions in the women’s and men’s categories.
• Anahat lost 3-0 to Sivasangari Subramaniam, whereas Abhay lost against Ng Eain Yow. Winning these games also meant the Malaysians earned a chance to get LA 2028 Olympic quota places, provided they meet the eligibility criteria.

Anahat Singh Makes History in Women’s Squash

• At the Asian Games, Anahat Singh, who is an 18-year-old, created history when she became the first Indian woman to win a silver medal in singles squash. She lost the finals to Sivasangari 11-4, 11-4, 11-7.

Abhay Singh Also Bags Silver

• Indian Abhay Singh also ended up with a silver medal when he lost to Malaysia’s defending champion Ng Eain Yow in the men’s singles final.
• Ng won the match against Abhay 11-9, 11-5, 11-5. While Abhay was neck-to-neck in the first game, he couldn’t keep up with the pace in the latter two games.

3. INDIA’S FIRST LNG-POWERED TRAIN FLAGGED OFF FROM SABARMATI –

• India’s first LNG-powered train flagged off from Sabarmati Railway Station in the Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on September 27th 2026, by Respecatble Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah. This venture seeks to utilize LNG as an alternative fuel source in the operations of railways through the adoption of a dual-fuel LNG-diesel model. As per the government, the idea behind this project is to reduce diesel consumption, save on fuel costs, and facilitate cleaner railway operations.

How Dual-Fuel LNG-Diesel Train Operates

• This train is not fueled by LNG alone. The Driving Power Cars (DPCs) in this train have been modified to run on both LNG and diesel.
• In essence, the process enables the engine to alternate fuel usage based on availability. LNG can substitute diesel usage by up to 40%, while the dual-fuel setup ensures that the train runs even in cases of unavailability of LNG. The modified system still maintains the capacity of the conventional diesel engine.

4. CENTRE NOTIFIES KANDLA, JNPA, PARADIP AND MUNDRA AS MEGA PORTS –

• According to the Indian Ports Act, 2025, four ports have been declared as mega ports in India by government. This was done by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways by way of notification dated September 25, 2026. The four mega ports include Deendayal Port (Kandla), Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Nhava Sheva), Paradip Port and Mundra Port. The declaration has been made in accordance with the standards notified under Section 73 of the Act. It should be noted that mega-port is just another classification and not a type of port.

5. OXFORD GLOBAL CITIES INDEX 2026: DELHI RANKS 268TH AMONG 1,000 CITIES –

• In the 2026 Oxford Economics Global Cities Index ranking of the world’s 1,000 largest cities across five categories – Economics, Human Capital, Quality of Life, Environment and Governance, Delhi is ranked 268th and becomes the best-ranked Indian city in the 2026 index.
• Bengaluru comes second with 311th rank and Mumbai with 330th rank. In terms of global rankings, New York leads in first place followed by London and Paris.

MCQ QUIZ

Q1.  Mission Pégase 26, recently in the news, is conducted by the Air Force of which country ?

1. a) France
2. b) Russia
3. c) Germany
4. d) Israel

Q2.  Which country won gold medals in both the men’s and women’s Kabaddi events at the Asian Games 2026 ?

1. a) South Korea
2. b) Japan
3. c) China
4. d) India

Q3.  Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet won which medal in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event at the 2026 Asian Games ?

1. a) Gold
2. b) Silver
3. c) Bronze
4. d) None of the above

Q4.  Consider the following statements regarding the classification of tropical weather systems by the India Meteorological Department (IMD):

1. A Depression is associated with a maximum sustained surface wind speed of 31–50 km/h.
2. A Deep Depression features a maximum sustained surface wind speed of 51–61 km/h.
3. A system is formally designated as a Cyclonic Storm only when its wind speed crosses 88 km/h.

         Which of the statements given above 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: According to IMD criteria, a standard Depression has a maximum sustained surface wind speed ranging between 31–50 km/h.
• Statement 2 is correct: A Deep Depression is classified when maximum sustained wind speeds step up to 51–61 km/h.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: A system becomes a formally classified Cyclonic Storm as soon as it reaches a wind speed threshold of 62–88 km/h (not 88 km/h minimum). Because the recent Bay of Bengal system stayed within the 51–61 km/h range, it remained a deep depression.

Q5.  Consider the following statements regarding the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958:

1. Under Section 3 of the Act, both the Governor of a State and the Central Government possess concurrent powers to officially declare an area as a “disturbed area.”
2. The Act explicitly defines the term “disturbed area” within its main textual definitions.
3. The legal protection granted to armed forces personnel acting under this Act bars any prosecution or legal suit against them without the prior sanction of the Central Government.

         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: According to Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, power is vested in the Central Government or the Governor of the State or administrator of the Union Territory to declare the whole or part of the State/UT as a disturbed area.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The Act itself does not explicitly define the term “disturbed area.” Instead, the expression has been judicially interpreted (such as by the Supreme Court in landmark judgments) as an area where peace and tranquility are absent, making the use of extraordinary armed forces necessary.
• Statement 3 is correct: Section 6 of the Act provides immunity/protection to persons acting in good faith in exercise of powers conferred under AFSPA, stating that no prosecution, suit, or other legal proceeding shall be instituted against any person except with the previous sanction of the Central Government.

Answer Key