UPSC Current Affairs Quiz: 16 September 2026

The correct answer is Rs 25,000. The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, cleared the Labour Ministry's proposal on 16 September 2026 to lift the wage ceiling for compulsory EPFO membership from Rs 15,000 a month to Rs 25,000 a month. Option A is wrong because Rs 21,000 is the threshold associated with other labour welfare rules and was never the figure approved here. Option C is wrong because Rs 30,000 goes beyond what the Cabinet sanctioned; no such ceiling was announced by the ministry. Option D is wrong because Rs 18,000 was never in the picture at all, and the old ceiling that has now been replaced stood at Rs 15,000, not at that amount. Aspirants should hold on to the pair of figures together, the old Rs 15,000 and the new Rs 25,000, because question papers usually test the jump rather than either number on its own. The change is expected to bring more than 51 lakh additional employees into the statutory social security net.

The correct answer is Anant Nag. The Government of India announced on 16 September 2026, acting on the recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee, that the veteran actor would receive the country's highest cinema honour for the year 2024. The citation recognises a screen career running beyond five decades and more than 300 films in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil and Marathi. Options A, C and D name other distinguished figures of Indian cinema, and each has been honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in a different year, which is exactly why they work as distractors here. None of them is the recipient for 2024. Aspirants should pair the year with the name, because papers often ask for the award year rather than simply for the latest winner. Note also that the honour is announced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The correct answer is the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, commonly written as UAPA. The Ministry of Home Affairs used this law on 16 September 2026 to declare the Shahzad Bhatti Network a terrorist organisation, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the step. Option A is wrong because the National Security Act provides for preventive detention of individuals and does not list organisations as terrorist bodies. Option C is wrong because the Prevention of Money Laundering Act deals with the proceeds of crime and the attachment of assets, not with designating organisations. Option D is wrong because the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act concerns the powers of the armed forces in areas notified as disturbed and has no bearing on such a declaration. The UAPA is the statute under which the central government maintains its schedule of terrorist organisations, so aspirants should attach this law firmly to any question about banning or listing such a group.

The correct answer is the ninth edition. Ashok Kumar Lahiri, Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, released it in New Delhi along with the chief executive officer and other senior officials of the institution, and the edition covers the first quarter of FY27, that is April to June 2026. Options A, B and D are wrong because they name editions that either came earlier in the series or have not yet appeared, and edition numbers are among the most frequently tested details in questions on government reports. Candidates should also carry the headline numbers from this issue: India's total merchandise and services trade of $506.9 billion in the quarter, growth of 15.5 per cent over a year earlier, and global goods trade of $13.7 trillion in the first half of calendar 2026 with growth of 12.5 per cent.

The correct answer is Global Action for a Cooler Planet. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change organised the national celebration of the 32nd World Ozone Day in Mumbai on 16 September 2026 under this theme, with Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh presiding and Maharashtra's Environment Minister Pankaja Munde also present. Options B, C and D are wrong because, although each sounds plausible for an environmental observance, none was the theme announced for this edition. Themes of international days are a standard question type, so aspirants should tie the theme to the edition number and to the year. Remember alongside it that the Net Zero Portal and the NAPCC Dashboard were launched at the same function, and that 248 Industrial Training Institutes were adopted by 12 refrigeration and air-conditioning manufacturers.

The correct answer is Gandhinagar in Gujarat. The forum, written in short as WCEF2026, ran for two days and concluded there on 16 September 2026, bringing together around 2,700 delegates and 260 speakers from more than 60 countries, including governments, international organisations, industry, start-ups, academia and civil society. Option C is the most tempting distractor because SITRA, the Finnish innovation fund associated with the forum series, is based in Finland and a Finnish cabinet minister attended the closing session, but the host city this year was in India. Option A is wrong because New Delhi, though the usual venue for large national events, did not host this forum. Option D is wrong because Mumbai hosted a different environment event on the same day, the national World Ozone Day celebration, which makes it an easy confusion to fall into.

The correct answer is 5,578 metres. The team of 20 NCC girl cadets crossed the Parang La Pass at this height during the All India Girls High Altitude Long Trek. The pass connects the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh with the Changthang region of Ladakh, which is why the route began at Kibber in Himachal Pradesh and ended at Karzok in Ladakh. Options A, C and D give heights that are close enough to look convincing but do not match the figure in the record, and questions on expeditions very often turn on the exact altitude of the pass or peak involved. Along with the height, aspirants should hold the distance of about 250 kilometres and the duration of 30 days, because these three numbers together summarise the expedition.

The correct answer is 30 lakh. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises stated that this many beneficiaries have been registered under the scheme after clearing a three-stage verification process, which means the registration target set for the scheme has been met within three years of its launch. Options A, B and D give figures that are either short of the achievement or beyond it, and questions on flagship schemes very often turn on the cumulative beneficiary count. Aspirants should carry the supporting numbers too: about 24.50 lakh Vishwakarmas have received basic skill training, 6.18 lakh have received loans totalling Rs 5,297 crore at a concessional 5 per cent a year, and 18.15 lakh modern toolkits have been delivered through India Post.

The correct answer is 17 September 2026. Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, the Union Minister of Labour and Employment and also of Youth Affairs and Sports, told a press briefing that the higher ceiling would come into force on that day, which is observed as Vishwakarma Jayanti and as Sewa Divas. Option D is the trap here: 16 September 2026 is the day the Union Cabinet approved the proposal, not the day the ceiling becomes operative, and candidates who confuse approval with effect will pick it. Option A is wrong because no October start date was announced for this measure. Option C is wrong because the government did not push the change to the beginning of a financial year; it deliberately chose a date of symbolic value to artisans and workers. Remember the pair cleanly: approval on 16 September 2026 and effect from 17 September 2026.

The correct answer is Kevadia in Gujarat. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated that Anant Nag would be handed the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024 at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony, and that the ceremony was fixed for 22 September 2026 at Kevadia. Option A is wrong because Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi has hosted National Film Awards ceremonies in earlier years, which makes it a natural but incorrect guess for this edition. Option D is wrong for the same reason: Bharat Mandapam hosts many national events but was not the venue chosen here. Option C is wrong because Mumbai, despite being the centre of the film industry, was not selected. Candidates should tie three things together for this story, the edition number of 72, the date of 22 September 2026 and the venue of Kevadia.

The correct answer is the Union Home Minister. Amit Shah, who is Union Home Minister and also Minister of Cooperation, announced that the Ministry of Home Affairs had declared the Shahzad Bhatti Network a terrorist organisation under the UAPA. Option A is wrong because the Defence Ministry deals with the armed forces and does not issue notifications under this law. Option C is wrong because the Law Ministry handles legislative drafting and legal affairs rather than the listing of terrorist organisations. Option D is wrong because the External Affairs Ministry conducts foreign relations and has no role in a domestic notification of this kind. Candidates should note that the designation power under the UAPA rests with the central government and is exercised through the Ministry of Home Affairs, which makes the Home Minister the natural announcing authority in every such case.

The correct answer is India's metals and ores trade. The edition treats this as a strategically important sector for manufacturing, infrastructure, the energy transition and advanced industries, and it examines both export competitiveness and rising import dependence. Metals exports stood at $34.8 billion in 2025, with iron and steel, articles of iron and steel and aluminium together accounting for about 78 per cent of the total. Imports of metals and ores rose from $32.2 billion in 2015 to $60.5 billion in 2025, driven by copper, lithium, cobalt and nickel. Options A, C and D name sectors that matter to India's trade but are not the declared theme of this issue. The report also flags reforms under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act of 1957 and the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

The correct answer is the Net Zero Portal and the NAPCC Dashboard. Union Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh launched both in Mumbai on the occasion of World Ozone Day. The Net Zero Portal is a centralised platform on which Indian entities across sectors can voluntarily register and disclose their net zero commitments, report greenhouse gas emissions and set out pathways covering clean energy, energy efficiency and carbon removals. The NAPCC Dashboard offers a consolidated digital view of implementation across the national missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. Options B, C and D name platforms that do not correspond to this launch. Mission LiFE was indeed mentioned in the minister's address as a framework for everyday environmental action, but no dashboard by that name was launched here, which is what makes option C a careful trap.

The correct answer is Columbia University in the United States. At the closing ceremony in Gandhinagar, Kristo Lehtonen, Director of International Programmes at SITRA, handed over the baton for organising the next edition of the forum to Columbia University. Option B is wrong despite Finland's close association with the forum series and the presence of Finnish Cabinet Minister Sari Multala at the closing session. Option C is wrong because India hosted the current edition and the handover moved the forum out of the country for the following year. Option D is wrong because no Japanese institution was named. Handover announcements of this kind are frequently asked in examinations, so aspirants should note both the outgoing host country and the incoming host together, that is India in 2026 and Columbia University in 2027.

The correct answer is Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, who flagged the trek off from New Delhi on 18 August 2026. Option A is the main trap, because Director General NCC Lieutenant General Virendra Vats did take part in the ceremonies, but he flagged the team in at Karzok in Ladakh at the end of the expedition rather than flagging it off at the start. Option D is wrong for a similar reason: Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Dipti Mohil Chawla was present at the flag-in, not at the flag-off. Option C is wrong because the Chief of the Army Staff had no announced role in this expedition. Candidates should separate the two ceremonies clearly, the flag-off on 18 August 2026 and the flag-in on 16 September 2026.

The correct answer is 17 September 2023. The Prime Minister launched the scheme on that day to give end-to-end support to traditional artisans and craftspeople engaged in 18 identified trades, which is why its third anniversary falls on 17 September 2026 and is being celebrated at the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium in Kolkata. Option C is the sharpest trap, since it keeps the same day and month but shifts the year backwards, and a candidate who has memorised only the date will fall for it. Option B is wrong because no such launch took place on Independence Day. Option D is wrong because 2 October is associated with other national programmes rather than with this scheme. The package includes certificates and identity cards, skill upgradation, a toolkit incentive, credit support, incentives for digital transactions and marketing support.

The correct answer is the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation works under this ministry, so the proposal to widen compulsory coverage came from it and was then placed before the Union Cabinet. Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, who heads the ministry, announced the details afterwards. Option A is wrong because the Finance Ministry handles taxation, budgets and financial sector regulation, not the provident fund statute. Option C is wrong because the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment runs welfare schemes for specific social groups and has no role in provident fund coverage. Option D is wrong because the Ministry of Corporate Affairs administers company law, not worker social security. The step widens access to provident fund savings, pension cover under the Employees' Pension Scheme and insurance cover under the Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme.

The correct answer is that he made his acting debut in the Kannada feature Sankalp. Option A is the closest trap, because Ankur was indeed his debut, but specifically his Hindi debut, not the first film of his career. Option C is wrong because his work spans Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil and Marathi cinema, taking in more than 300 films, besides the television series Malgudi Days for which he is widely remembered. Option D is wrong because he did hold elected office in Karnataka: he was a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council from 1988 to 1994 and then a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1994 to 1999, serving as Minister of State for Bangalore City Development in that period. His other honours include five Filmfare Awards, five Karnataka State Best Actor Awards and the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award.

The correct answer is counterfeiting of Indian currency notes. That charge was not part of the grounds cited when the Ministry of Home Affairs declared the network a terrorist organisation, which is what makes it the odd one out in this list. Option A is wrong as an answer because cross-border smuggling of arms and explosives was expressly cited, along with narcotics. Option C is wrong because the government stated that the group drew young people and petty criminals into terrorism, which was one of the principal reasons given for the action. Option D is wrong because the syndicate was also accused of publishing hateful digital content that targeted the democratic structure of the country and the fabric of communal harmony. Reading the grounds carefully matters, because negative questions of this type are common in examinations.

The correct answer is fourth. India's exports of digitally delivered services rose from $277 billion in 2024 to $317 billion in 2025, a gain of about 15 per cent in a single year, and that growth lifted the country from the fifth position to the fourth among global exporters of such services. Only the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland now rank ahead of India. Option D is the classic trap, because fifth is exactly where India stood before this improvement, and a candidate reading quickly can easily retain the old rank. Options A and B are wrong because the three countries named above remain above India, so neither second nor third position has been reached. Pair the old rank with the new one when you revise, since questions are often framed around the change itself.

The correct answer is 248. The announcement was made at the World Ozone Day function in Mumbai, where 12 refrigeration and air-conditioning manufacturers agreed to adopt that many Industrial Training Institutes. The arrangement rests on a four-party memorandum of agreement signed by the manufacturers, the Ozone Cell, the Regional Directorate of the Directorate General of Training and the State Directorate. Its purpose is to strengthen the training infrastructure for the next generation of technicians and to align classroom learning with prevailing industry standards. Options A, B and D are close-sounding figures designed to test whether the exact number has been memorised. The wider context is that safe handling of refrigerants by certified technicians is central to India's obligations under the Montreal Protocol and to the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances.

The correct answer is 135. Additional Secretary and Central Pollution Control Board Chairman Amandeep Garg told the closing session that the exhibition held concurrently with the forum featured that many national and international exhibitors, offering a view of how circular solutions are being put into practice on the ground. He also said the forum itself comprised four plenary sessions and 16 parallel sessions covering financial, technical, social and economic aspects of the circular economy, with employment, inclusivity, gender equity and financing among the subjects discussed. Options A, B and D are near figures placed to test precise recall. A further detail worth carrying is that 80 accelerator sessions were planned for 17 and 18 September 2026 to take the ideas of the forum towards practical pathways.

The correct answer is Changthang. The Parang La Pass, standing at 5,578 metres, links the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh with the Changthang region of Ladakh, and the trek accordingly ran from Kibber in Himachal Pradesh to Karzok in Ladakh. Options A, C and D name other well known areas of Ladakh and the surrounding mountains, so each is a plausible guess for a candidate who remembers the pass but not the regions it joins. The route passed through glaciers, snowfields and river valleys, and the team was accompanied by officers, instructors, medical staff and support personnel. The purpose of the expedition was to encourage young women to take up adventure activities, to expose them to demanding high altitude conditions and to strengthen national integration by bringing cadets from different states together.

The correct answer is the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, usually written as MSME. Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi heads it, and Shobha Karandlaje is Minister of State. Option A is the trap that catches most candidates, because the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship does have a defined role here: it imparts the basic skill training that about 24.50 lakh Vishwakarmas have received. Running a component, however, is not the same as owning the scheme. Option C is wrong because the Ministry of Textiles handles handloom and handicraft programmes of its own but not this one. Option D is wrong because rural livelihood missions sit elsewhere. Note also that West Bengal joined the scheme in May 2026 and 3,000 beneficiaries there have already completed registration.