UPSC Civil Services Current Affairs Quiz: 21 September 2026

On 21 September 2026, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and New Zealand's Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay announced that the agreement would come into force on that day, which is Dussehra–Vijayadashami.

Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar 5.0 was conducted from 12 to 19 September 2026, and its coastal clean-up covered 231 locations across 13 States/UTs.

The money raised by the PM Mementos e-Auction supports Namami Gange, the national mission dedicated to the conservation, rejuvenation and protection of the River Ganga and its ecosystem.

At the seminar in New Delhi, the Union Ministers launched this paper, which outlines a strategic framework for strengthening critical mineral recycling in India.

At its virtual conference on 21 September 2026, the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation briefed States on the two pathways of the Nal Jal Mitra programme: a 510-hour Short-Term Training course for new entrants, and a 120-hour Recognition of Prior Learning pathway for people who already work on rural…

I-STEM, the Indian Science Technology and Engineering facilities Map, was conceived and supported by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser and launched by the Prime Minister in January 2020.

The agreement includes New Zealand's commitment to facilitate investment of this amount into India, and the Commerce Ministry says it is expected to benefit Indian agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure and start-ups.

'Vigyan Ki Baat' is a monthly lecture series launched by DST to showcase the work of India's autonomous scientific institutions and take their achievements to a wider audience.

The Ministry of Culture organises the PM Mementos e-Auction through NGMA, and the auction gives citizens, collectors, institutions and art enthusiasts a chance to acquire mementos presented to the Prime Minister on various occasions.

The day-long National Seminar on "India's Critical Minerals Recycling Ecosystem and Circular Economy" was organised by the Ministry of Mines in collaboration with MRAI, an industry body of recyclers.

Sujalam Shakti aims to create a trained workforce of village women for water quality surveillance, testing and basic disinfection, and to strengthen women's role in rural water governance.

The PSA's Office conceived and supports I-STEM, and it was this office that convened the first State Governments Nodal Officers Meeting for the portal on 21 September 2026.

The agreement sets aside a dedicated quota of 5,000 Temporary Employment Entry visas for skilled Indian professionals, giving them a clear route to work in New Zealand.

During Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar 5.0, held from 12 to 19 September 2026, 15 lakh people took the Ocean Conservation Pledge, a commitment to keep the sea and the coast free of litter.

The Ministry of Culture's note on the auction describes a framed Pithora painting associated with these communities of central Gujarat, featuring horses, deities and motifs that represent the beliefs behind the art. Pithora paintings are traditionally made on the walls of homes as a ritual offering, and the horse is…

When used lithium-ion batteries are collected, dismantled and shredded, the result is a dark powder called black mass. It contains valuable metals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese, along with graphite, which can be extracted by further processing.

DDWS, which is part of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, organised the conference on 21 September 2026 as a follow-up to its Departmental Summit of 1 to 2 September 2026.

The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser says I-STEM now lists more than 31,000 scientific instruments across nearly 4,000 institutions, and has over 65,000 registered users.

To safeguard farmers, India has excluded sensitive products from tariff concessions: dairy, animal meat except sheep meat, key agricultural commodities, sugar and edible oils.