UPSC current affairs — 22 September 2026

The 8 exam-relevant stories for 22 September 2026.

  1. India-New Zealand FTA ratified, to come into effect on October 20 (Economy)
    The India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement has been ratified to double bilateral trade, with New Zealand removing all tariffs on Indian goods while India reduces or removes tariffs on 95% of imports while protecting its sensitive dairy and agriculture sectors.
  2. New checklist by Keralam research team records 3,261 flowering plant species in Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve (Environment)
    A research team from the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute has compiled a checklist of 3,261 flowering plant species in the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, reaffirming the global significance of the Western Ghats as a biodiversity hotspot.
  3. Presumed ineligible: on the Election Commission of India’s SIR process (Governance)
    The Election Commission of India is facing calls to reform its 'SIR' process and end its current methodology of deleting voters from the rolls first and verifying their eligibility later.
  4. ‘Preventive detention can’t replace criminal law’: High Court quashes PSA against Srinagar man (Polity)
    The High Court has quashed a Public Safety Act (PSA) detention order against a Srinagar man, ruling that preventive detention measures cannot be used as a substitute for ordinary criminal law.
  5. ‘Partners for Multilateralism’: India to attend new non-superpower grouping’s inaugural session at UN (IR)
    India is set to attend the inaugural session of 'Partners for Multilateralism', a new non-superpower forum launched by the EU, Brazil, Canada, and Kenya to advocate for United Nations reform and collective action.
  6. The paradox of self-reliance: India-China trade dynamics (Economy)
    Data indicates that while India is actively expanding its domestic manufacturing capabilities, this growth remains deeply embedded in and dependent on China-centric import supply chains.
  7. Government dissolves 37-year-old Digital Communications Commission (Governance)
    The Government of India has issued an official notification dissolving the 37-year-old Digital Communications Commission with immediate effect.
  8. Groundwater crisis in Punjab is widening social and economic divide, finds study (Environment)
    A new study reveals that Punjab has the nation's highest percentage of over-exploited groundwater blocks at 76.47% due to heavy reliance on water-intensive wheat and rice cultivation, which is widening socio-economic divides as costs rise for deeper wells.

All stories for 22 September 2026 · ← 21 September 2026 · 23 September 2026 →