UPSC current affairs — 29 September 2026

The 8 exam-relevant stories for 29 September 2026.

  1. Indirectly mining affected people in Odisha get substantial DMF fund, CAG unearths (Governance)
    The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has revealed that substantial District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds in Odisha were spent on projects inadmissible under state rules, indirectly affecting mining-impacted populations.
  2. Cancer, kidney, AIDS drugs sold at up to 70 times procurement cost: Karnataka Health Minister (Governance)
    The Karnataka Health Minister has highlighted that critical drugs for cancer, kidney diseases, and AIDS are being sold at up to 70 times their procurement cost, calling for a national study to compare printed MRPs with actual acquisition costs.
  3. If neither a tax nor fee, what is this ‘expropriation’, SC asks govt. on UPI merchant discount rate (Economy)
    The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Union Government, RBI, and NPCI questioning the zero Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) policy on UPI transactions, asking if the practice amounts to 'expropriation' if it is neither a tax nor a fee.
  4. Himalayan floods highlight urgent need for regional disaster preparedness: Safi Ahsan Rizvi (Environment)
    Former NDMA advisor Safi Ahsan Rizvi has emphasized that recent Himalayan floods underscore an urgent necessity for regional disaster preparedness and risk analysis.
  5. States stumped as demography panel seeks religion-wise data on vehicles, schools, voters (Polity)
    A demography panel has caused concern among states by seeking 15 years of religion-wise data on births, vehicle registrations, school enrolments, property transactions, and district-wise details of religious structures and voter registrations.
  6. At 70%, India’s water reserves at 10-year low (Environment)
    India's water reserves in key reservoirs have plunged to 70% of their capacity, marking a 10-year low.
  7. In talks with US Congress delegation, Vikram Misri raises Russia, Iran sanctions Act (IR)
    Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri raised concerns regarding U.S. sanctions acts targeting Russia and Iran during discussions with a visiting U.S. Congress delegation.
  8. Citizenship not ECI’s job: Former Supreme Court judge Sudhanshu Dhulia (Polity)
    Former Supreme Court Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia has stated that determining or verifying citizenship is not the mandate or responsibility of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

All stories for 29 September 2026 · ← 28 September 2026 · 30 September 2026 →