Daily Current Affairs (30/29 – Sep – 26)

Daily Current Affairs (30/29 – Sep – 26)

1. Smit Machchhar to Receive Vishisht Gujarat Garima Award for Courage During Flydubai Flight Incident –

• The Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has made an announcement about awarding the Vishisht Gujarat Garima Award to the captain of Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar for his heroic deed during a mid-air emergency situation on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Despite the fact that Smit Machchhar has been severely injured during this incident, he helped the plane land safely. As the Gujarat government states, this award acknowledges his bravery and dedication. It was reported that the government has offered him a reward of ₹25 lakh.

Who Is Smit Machchhar?

• Smit Machchhar is an Indian pilot working in Flydubai airlines. He came into fame because of the mid-air emergency situation with Flydubai flight FZ1073 that flew from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
• As the information goes, there was some altercation involving the co-pilot of the plane that took place in the cockpit. Machchhar was injured during this altercation, however, he managed to bring the plane down safely in Saudi Arabia.

2. India Manufacturing PMI Rises to 7-Month High at 55.1 in September 2026 –

• The manufacturing sector in India saw a pick-up in September 2026, as the HSBC India Manufacturing PMI rose to 55.1 from 52.8 in the previous month. The September number represents the highest improvement in manufacturing sector conditions in seven months. The growth in the sector was due to strong domestic demand, as well as export demand, driving up order books and production.

HSBC India Manufacturing PMI Up to 55.1

• The seasonally adjusted HSBC India Manufacturing PMI increased by over two points in September to 55.1. An index above 50 signifies expansion, while an index below 50 signifies contraction.
• This means that September witnessed continued expansion in India’s manufacturing sector, with the rate of expansion picking up from August. This also marks the end of three months of slowdown in growth for the manufacturing sector, Reuters reported in its survey results.

3. UPSC Completes 100 Years: From Public Service Commission in 1926 to Constitutional Body –

• The Union Public Service Commission will complete its 100th year in India on 1 October 2026, which will be a century of the establishment of the first Indian Public Service Commission in 1926. The organization started off as an advisory commission through the Government of India Act, 1919 structure and developed into the Federal Public Service Commission and finally became the UPSC after the implementation of the Constitution in 1950. Currently, the organization is a constitutional body with powers from Articles 315 to 323.

From the 1926 Public Service Commission to UPSC

• The beginning of the merit system for recruiting members of the civil service in India can be traced back to the ICS (Indian Civil Service) examination of 1855 that replaced nomination with open competitive selection process. The examinations used to take place in London, causing great difficulties for Indians to participate in them.
• Under the provisions of the Government of India Act of 1919, a Public Service Commission was to be established. A report was prepared by the Lee Commission, headed by Lord Lee, to establish a Public Service Commission in 1924. As a result, the first Public Service Commission was established on 1 October 1926, consisting of the Chairman Sir Ross Barker and Four Members.

4. PRAMAAN: India Issues First Certificates for Sustainable Forest Plantation and Bamboo Farming –

• PRAMAAN certificates have been presented by Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav under the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme (IFWCS), thereby signifying that the Indian certification scheme has moved from policy making stage to practical implementation at ground level. These certificates have been awarded to Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation (APFDC) in view of their plantations on 33,000 hectares of land as well as Govind Mohapatra who is a bamboo farmer of Odisha Bamboo Development Agency.

What is PRAMAAN?

• PRAMAAN is an acronym for Programme for Recognition and Accreditation of Sustainable Management Practices for Agroforestry and Natural Forestry Resources.
• It is the trade name for the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme (IFWCS), which was introduced by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in December 2023.
• The certification system certifies sustainable management practices and ensures a system whereby forest and tree products can be tracked to certified origins. According to IIFM, PRAMAAN is a tool that may help with responsible sourcing and meeting the requirements of international frameworks like the EUDR.

5. SpaceX Starship Reaches Orbit for First Time, Deploys 26 Starlink Satellites –

• SpaceX’s Starship made its debut in orbit during its 14th test flight on September 28, 2026, and this is a significant step towards the development of the fully reusable spacecraft. It was successful in placing itself in orbit and launched 26 satellites of the Starlink V3 constellation into orbit. Unfortunately, due to the malfunction of one of the engines during the flight, SpaceX had to cut short the mission, and the spacecraft came back down to Earth after around three hours.
• Starship Flight 14: Key Mission Details
• Mission: Starship Flight 14
• Launch Date: September 28, 2026
• Launch Site: Starbase, Texas, USA
• Vehicle: Starship + Super Heavy
• First Orbital Flight: Yes
• Planned Duration: Nearly 10 hours
• Planned Orbits: Approximately 6
• Actual Duration: About 3 hours
• Payload: 26 Starlink V3 satellites
• Planned Orbital: Altitude Approximately 275 km
• Return Region: Pacific Ocean near Hawaii
• Mission Status: Reached orbit; flight shortened

MCQ Quiz

Q1. Recently, India’s first PRAMAAN certificates were awarded under which of the following schemes ?

1. a) Green India Mission
2. b) National Bamboo Mission
3. c) Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme
4. d) Nagar Van Yojana

Q2. Who won the gold medal in the Women’s Trap individual event at the Asian Games on 29 September 2026 ?

1. a) Ashima Ahlawat
2. b) Manisha Keer
3. c) Neeru Dhanda
4. d) Esha Singh

Q3. Which section of the recently discussed Indian Ports Act, 2025 relates to the classification and notification of a ‘Mega Port’ ?

1. a) Section 63
2. b) Section 68
3. c) Section 73
4. d) Section 78

Q4. Consider the following statements regarding the Supreme Court Collegium system in India:

• The Supreme Court Collegium is a statutory body explicitly created by an amendment to the Constitution of India.
• It consists of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and the four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court.
• The recommendations of the Supreme Court Collegium regarding the appointment of judges are binding on the President after reconsideration once, if reiterated.

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 incorrect: The Collegium system has no statutory or constitutional basis in the original text of the Constitution or via any parliamentary statute. It is an innovation evolved through a series of Supreme Court judgments (known as the Judges Cases—specifically the Second Judges Case, 1993, and Third Judges Case, 1998). An attempt to give it a statutory status through the 99th Constitutional Amendment Act and the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2015 as unconstitutional and violative of the basic structure.
• Statement 2 is correct: The Supreme Court Collegium is indeed a five-member body comprising the incumbent Chief Justice of India (CJI) as its head and the four senior-most puisne judges of the Supreme Court.
• Statement 3 is correct: According to the legal precedents established by the Supreme Court, if the Collegium resubmits/reiterates a recommended name unanimously to the government/President after it is sent back for reconsideration, the executive is bound to make the appointment.

Q5. Consider the following statements regarding the ‘PRAHAAR’ National Counter-Terrorism Policy and Strategy:

• It is a proactive, intelligence-led framework released by the Ministry of Home Affairs that adopts a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
• Human Rights and the Rule of Law are formally incorporated as one of its core foundational pillars.
• The strategy exclusively focuses on central agencies and military responses, keeping local police stations outside its implementation purview.

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: Released by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), PRAHAAR serves as India’s comprehensive national counter-terrorism policy and strategy framework, emphasizing a unified whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
• Statement 2 is correct: The framework explicitly outlines seven key pillars, which formally elevate and integrate Human Rights & Rule of Law, alongside Prevention, Response, Aggregating Internal Capacities, Attenuating Conditions, Aligning International Efforts, and Recovery & Resilience.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Recent policy reviews and conferences emphasize decentralizing and ensuring the implementation of PRAHAAR down to the police-station level, positioning local police as crucial front-line actors rather than excluding them.