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13 September 2026 Current Affairs: Headlines, GK & MCQs

8 updates· 24 MCQsLast updated

The current affairs for 13 September 2026 cover 8 stories and 24 practice questions. The edition covers Sports, Summits & Conferences, International, Economy, Science & Technology, Environment, Defence. Every fact is drawn from an official government release, and each article cites the release it came from. Candidates preparing for SSC, Banking, UPSC, Railway and State exams can use the one-liners below for a quick revision of the day.

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Top Headlines

  1. Indian Junior Hockey Teams Win Both Asia Cup Titles
  2. Dryland Congress 2026 Adopts Delhi Declaration on Drylands
  3. BRICS Backs Expert Working Group on Traditional Medicine
  4. Railway Freight Loading Grows 5.4 Per Cent in August 2026
  5. India Is World's Largest Vaccine Producer by Volume: Minister
  6. India to Host World Circular Economy Forum 2026 at Gandhinagar
  7. Gujarat Action Plan for Great Indian Bustard Released at Bhuj
  8. INS Sudarshini Sails from Livorno in Italy under Lokayan 2026

One-liner Current Affairs

  • The Indian Junior Men's Hockey Team won the Asia Cup by beating its opponents 4-1 in the final.
  • The Indian Junior Women's Hockey Team retained the Asia Cup after an unbeaten campaign.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated both teams in posts on X on 13 September 2026.
  • The three-day Dryland Congress 2026 ended in New Delhi on 13 September 2026 with the Delhi Declaration on Drylands, known in short as 3D.
  • The theme of the Congress was Transforming Dryland Agriculture with South-South Cooperation.
  • The closing day coincided with the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation.
  • The New Delhi Declaration of the 18th BRICS Summit welcomed a proposed BRICS Expert Working Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM).
  • The proposed working group will function under the BRICS Health Track as a platform for dialogue and exchange among member states.
  • A BRICS meeting on TCIM held at Chandigarh on 21 July 2026 under India's Chairship agreed on the Terms of Reference for the group.
  • Indian Railways loaded 137.9 million tonnes of freight in August 2026 against 130.9 million tonnes in August 2025, a growth of 5.4 per cent.
  • Freight revenue in August 2026 rose 6.27 per cent over August 2025, with iron ore loading up 12.1 per cent and clinker up 10.4 per cent.
  • Five new Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals were commissioned, taking the total to 149 as on 31 August 2026.
  • Dr Jitendra Singh said India is the world's largest vaccine producer and global supplier by volume, speaking at a CEPI Board and Investors Council reception in New Delhi.
  • India supplies vaccines to more than 100 countries, accounts for nearly 60 per cent of global vaccine production and meets over 65 per cent of the WHO's routine immunisation needs.
  • India will host the World Circular Economy Forum 2026 at Gandhinagar in Gujarat from 15 to 18 September 2026, the first such forum in South Asia.
  • The theme is Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity.
  • Bhupender Yadav released the Gujarat Action Plan for GIB Conservation at Bhuj on 13 September 2026, prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India with the Gujarat Forest Department.
  • The plan seeks a minimum viable population of over 30 Great Indian Bustards and 200 to 500 sq km of safe contiguous habitat, with immediate focus on the Lala-Rawa landscape.
  • INS Sudarshini, a sail training ship of the Indian Navy, set sail from Livorno in Italy on 12 September 2026 after completing a port call.
  • The ship is on the Lokayan 2026 expedition and carries forward the MAHASAGAR vision.

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Today's MCQs

Q2.SportsMedium

What did the Indian Junior Women's Hockey Team achieve at the Asia Cup?

  1. A.It won the Asia Cup for the first time
  2. B.It retained the Asia Cup with an unbeaten campaign
  3. C.It finished as the runner-up
  4. D.It shared the trophy after a drawn final
Show answer
Correct answer: B. It retained the Asia Cup with an unbeaten campaign

The Prime Minister's message says that the Junior Women's Hockey Team retained the Asia Cup after a superb campaign in which it did not lose a match.

Q3.SportsEasy

Who congratulated both Indian junior hockey teams on their Asia Cup titles, and on which platform?

  1. A.The President of India, in a letter
  2. B.The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on X
  3. C.The Sports Minister, at a press conference
  4. D.The Vice-President, in a televised address
Show answer
Correct answer: B. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on X

Both releases are from the Prime Minister's Office and both record messages posted on X on 13 September 2026. In the first message the Prime Minister congratulated the Junior Men's Hockey Team on winning the Asia Cup with an emphatic result in the final.

Q4.Summits & ConferencesEasy

Which declaration was adopted at the closing plenary of the Dryland Congress 2026?

  1. A.The New Delhi Declaration on Food Security
  2. B.The Delhi Declaration on Drylands
  3. C.The Global South Charter on Agriculture
  4. D.The Bharat Declaration on Arid Farming
Show answer
Correct answer: B. The Delhi Declaration on Drylands

The three-day Congress ended in New Delhi and its closing plenary endorsed this document, which is written in short as 3D. Participating governments, institutions, partners and delegates backed it.

Q5.Summits & ConferencesMedium

How many nominations did the first edition of the ISSCA Global Awards receive, and from how many countries?

  1. A.120 nominations from 24 countries
  2. B.170 nominations from 34 countries
  3. C.210 nominations from 44 countries
  4. D.150 nominations from 30 countries
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 170 nominations from 34 countries

The ISSCA Global Awards are an annual flagship initiative that recognises proven agricultural innovations from institutions across the Global South, chosen for their potential to be scaled up and adapted across countries.

Q6.Summits & ConferencesMedium

The closing day of the Dryland Congress 2026 coincided with which observance?

  1. A.World Food Day
  2. B.World Soil Day
  3. C.United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation
  4. D.World Day to Combat Desertification
Show answer
Correct answer: C. United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation

The final day of the Congress opened with a commemoration ceremony for this day. Messages were read from the Secretary-General of the United Nations, from the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization and from Ms Dima Al-Khatib, Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation.

Q7.InternationalMedium

The proposed BRICS Expert Working Group on TCIM will function under which track?

  1. A.The BRICS Science and Technology Track
  2. B.The BRICS Health Track
  3. C.The BRICS Finance Track
  4. D.The BRICS Sherpa Track
Show answer
Correct answer: B. The BRICS Health Track

A key outcome of the New Delhi Declaration adopted at the 18th BRICS Summit is the welcome given to the proposed establishment of an Expert Working Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine under this track.

Q8.InternationalHard

Where was the BRICS meeting on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine held that agreed the Terms of Reference for the proposed Expert Working Group?

  1. A.New Delhi, on 13 September 2026
  2. B.Chandigarh, on 21 July 2026
  3. C.Goa, on 21 June 2026
  4. D.Bengaluru, on 12 August 2026
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Chandigarh, on 21 July 2026

The release records that the development in the New Delhi Declaration follows the BRICS meeting on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine held in that city under India's BRICS Chairship.

Q9.InternationalMedium

Which WHO document is cited as the wider backdrop to the BRICS decision on traditional medicine?

  1. A.The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034
  2. B.The WHO Health Systems Charter 2030
  3. C.The WHO Herbal Pharmacopoeia Code 2024
  4. D.The WHO Universal Coverage Action Plan 2040
Show answer
Correct answer: A. The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034

The release says that international attention to the role of traditional medicine in health systems is growing, and that this strategy places emphasis on strengthening the evidence base, on ensuring safety and quality, and on supporting the appropriate integration of traditional medicine into health systems.

Q10.EconomyMedium

How much freight did Indian Railways load in August 2026?

  1. A.130.9 million tonnes
  2. B.137.9 million tonnes
  3. C.147.9 million tonnes
  4. D.127.3 million tonnes
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 137.9 million tonnes

Indian Railways loaded that quantity during August 2026 and recorded a year-on-year growth of 5.4 per cent. Freight revenue in the same month rose by 6.27 per cent over the corresponding month of the previous year, which shows that the freight business strengthened in value as well as in volume.

Q13.Science & TechnologyEasy

What does CEPI stand for?

  1. A.Council for Epidemic Prevention in India
  2. B.Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations
  3. C.Centre for Emerging Pathogen Investigation
  4. D.Commission for Epidemic Policy and Immunisation
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations

Its Board and Investors Council met in New Delhi, and the Department of Biotechnology and CEPI jointly hosted a high-level evening reception at the India International Centre.

Q14.Science & TechnologyMedium

What was the size of India's bioeconomy in 2025, according to the release?

  1. A.USD 165.3 billion
  2. B.USD 185.7 billion
  3. C.USD 195.3 billion
  4. D.USD 215.9 billion
Show answer
Correct answer: C. USD 195.3 billion

India's bioeconomy reached that size in 2025 and recorded eighteen per cent growth over the previous year. The country's biotech startup ecosystem expanded to 11,855 startups, of which 1,780 were added in that single year, and the biopharma sector accounts for nearly thirty per cent of the bioeconomy.

Q17.EnvironmentMedium

What is the theme of the World Circular Economy Forum 2026?

  1. A.Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity
  2. B.Waste to Wealth for a Green Tomorrow
  3. C.Reuse, Recycle, Rebuild
  4. D.Circularity for Climate Resilience
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity

The forum at Gandhinagar is being organised under this theme, and its objective is to showcase India's initiatives for promoting circularity and to strengthen international cooperation.

Q18.EnvironmentMedium

How many stakeholders and countries are expected at the World Circular Economy Forum 2026?

  1. A.Over 1,000 stakeholders from more than 45 countries
  2. B.Over 2,000 stakeholders from more than 65 countries
  3. C.Over 3,000 stakeholders from more than 85 countries
  4. D.Over 1,500 stakeholders from more than 55 countries
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Over 2,000 stakeholders from more than 65 countries

Those taking part include business leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, policymakers, academicians and changemakers. An international expo alongside the forum will feature more than 125 national and international exhibitors showing practical circular solutions developed by startups and investment-ready innovations.

Q20.EnvironmentMedium

Which institution prepared the Gujarat Action Plan for Great Indian Bustard Conservation?

  1. A.The Zoological Survey of India
  2. B.The National Tiger Conservation Authority
  3. C.The Wildlife Institute of India, with the Gujarat Forest Department
  4. D.The Forest Survey of India
Show answer
Correct answer: C. The Wildlife Institute of India, with the Gujarat Forest Department

The Union Minister released the plan at Bhuj and described it as a science-based roadmap. It aims to establish a minimum viable population of more than thirty birds and to secure between two hundred and five hundred square kilometres of safe and connected habitat.

Q21.EnvironmentHard

Nearly what share of India's land area is covered by grasslands, as stated at the review meeting?

  1. A.Nearly 14 per cent
  2. B.Nearly 18 per cent
  3. C.Nearly 24 per cent
  4. D.Nearly 32 per cent
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Nearly 24 per cent

The Union Environment Minister underlined the ecological importance of grasslands and said that although they cover close to this share of the country's land area, they remain among the most degraded and least conserved ecosystems in India.

Q23.DefenceMedium

What is the full form of MAHASAGAR, the vision carried forward by INS Sudarshini?

  1. A.Maritime Alliance for Security and Growth Across Regions
  2. B.Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions
  3. C.Maritime Advancement for Shared Growth and Regional Harmony
  4. D.Mutual Assistance for Safety and Growth in All Regions
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions

The release states this expansion while describing how INS Sudarshini carries forward the spirit of maritime partnership as she continues her voyage under the Lokayan 2026 expedition.

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