Daily Current Affairs 21 September 2026

• The President of India will confer the 72nd National Film Awards on 22 September 2026 at Ekta Nagar (formerly Kevadia), Gujarat.
• This marks a historic shift under the 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat' initiative to host the awards in different parts of the country outside New Delhi.
• The National Film Awards were instituted in 1954 (honouring films of 1953) following recommendations of the 1949 Film Enquiry Committee.
• In the first edition, the Marathi film 'Shyamchi Aai' won the President's Gold Medal for Best Feature Film, and 'Mahabalipuram' won Best Documentary.
• Best Actor and Actress awards were introduced in 1967-68, originally titled 'Bharat' and 'Urvashi', won by Uttam Kumar and Nargis respectively.
• The Dadasaheb Phalke Award was instituted in 1969, with Devika Rani as its inaugural recipient.
• In the 72nd edition, non-Schedule 8 languages were recognized, with Garhwali film 'Dholi' and Tulu film 'Imbu' bagging honors.
• The awards are currently organized by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), following the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) merger in 2022.

National Film Awards Structure & Milestones

Source: PIB release

• The 13th edition of the bilateral maritime exercise SLINEX-26 between India and Sri Lanka was conducted from 17 to 21 September 2026 at Visakhapatnam.
• The exercise comprised a Harbour Phase followed by an operational Sea Phase.
• Indian Navy was represented by indigenous anti-submarine warfare corvette INS Kavaratti and fleet tanker INS Jyoti.
• Sri Lanka Navy was represented by offshore patrol vessel SLNS Sindurala.
• The exercise operates under the operational command of the Eastern Naval Command headquartered at Visakhapatnam.
• Initiated in 2005, SLINEX has become a premier platform for enhancing maritime cooperation and interoperability between both navies.

Key Details of SLINEX-26

Source: PIB release

• Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan inaugurated the 9th India International Water Week (IIWW) 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
• The 5-day event is organized from 22 to 26 September 2026 by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• The central theme for IIWW-2026 is 'Climate Resilient Water Management' (जलवायु अनुकूल जल प्रबंधन).
• Netherlands and Germany participated as official Partner Countries for the conference.
• A total of 14 states and 6 central ministries/departments joined as official partners.
• The 2nd International WASH Conference 2026 is concurrently organized by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation from 22 to 24 September.

Overview of IIWW 2026

Source: PIB release

• The Indian shooting trio of Sonam Uttam Maskar, Elavenil Valarivan, and Vidarsa K Vinod clinched the Silver Medal at the Asian Games 2026.
• The medal was won in the Women's 10m Air Rifle team event.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the shooters for their outstanding teamwork and precision.
• Elavenil Valarivan is an acclaimed Indian rifle shooter and former world number one in 10m air rifle.

Source: PIB release

• The Department of Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice, organized a regional workshop under the DISHA 2.0 scheme in Goa.
• DISHA stands for Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice.
• The workshop was hosted at the India International University of Legal Education and Research, Goa.
• A key highlight was the showcase of top reels under the 'Nyaya Prabodh: Nyaya Ki Jagriti' campaign titled 'Know Your Rights in 90 Seconds'.
• The workshop featured interactive sessions with beneficiaries of Tele-Law, Nyaya Bandhu (pro bono legal services), and Vidhi-Sanjeevani.

DISHA Scheme Components

• Tele-Law: Connects citizens with panel lawyers through Common Services Centres (CSCs).
• Nyaya Bandhu: Mobile platform connecting pro bono advocates with marginalized beneficiaries.
• Nyaya Prabodh: Legal literacy and awareness initiative empowering citizens on legal rights.

Source: PIB release

• President Droupadi Murmu addressed the valedictory session of the two-day International Conference on 'Future of Environmental and Climate Dynamics' in New Delhi.
• The conference was organized by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in collaboration with UNEP and Asian Development Bank (ADB), with jurists from 17 nations.
• A souvenir publication titled 'Harit Nyayam', chronicling NGT's journey and achievements, was released and presented to the President.
• NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Supreme Court judge Justice B.V. Nagarathna addressed the conference.
• Union Minister Manohar Lal highlighted that India has reached ~55% installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources, achieving its 50% target five years ahead of schedule.

Source: PIB release

• The Indian Air Force's Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) performed its first-ever air show over Meerut, Uttar Pradesh on 19-20 September 2026.
• The air show was organized under the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' and witnessed by over one lakh spectators.
• The team flew nine Hawk Mk-132 aircraft, manufactured under licence in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• The aircraft were modified at the Base Repair Depot (BRD), Nashik, equipped with smoke generation systems to emit saffron, white, and green smoke.
• Formed in 1996, SKAT is Asia's only 9-aircraft aerobatic team and has performed over 800 air displays over its 30-year journey.

Source: PIB release

• The Central Silk Board (CSB) celebrated its 77th Foundation Day at the UAS-GKVK auditorium in Bengaluru.
• Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh stated that India's silk production increased from 26,000 MT in 2014 to 42,000 MT.
• The government has set a target of achieving 60,000 metric tonnes of silk production by 2030-31.
• India resolves to become the world's No. 1 silk producer by 2028-29, overcoming China's declining output.
• Karnataka retains the leading position in India's total raw silk production.
• The Minister called for instituting 'Best Silk Farmer' competitions at district, state, and national levels.

India Silk Sector Milestones

Source: PIB release