20 September 2026 Current Affairs: SLINEX-26, Asian Games 2026

SLINEX is the bilateral maritime exercise between the navies of India and Sri Lanka, and the Ministry of Defence has described SLINEX-26 as its 13th edition, held at Visakhapatnam from 17 to 21 September 2026.

The Ministry of Defence lists two Indian ships in SLINEX-26: INS Kavaratti, an indigenous Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette, and INS Jyoti, the Fleet Tanker.

The Ministry of Defence says SLINEX was conceptualised in 2005 and has since grown into an important forum through which the two navies work on maritime cooperation.

The PIB backgrounder on the 72nd National Film Awards lists the Hindi film Article 370, directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale, as the Best Feature Film.

The Government of India announced on 16 September 2026 that the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024 will be conferred on Anant Nag, a veteran of Kannada cinema.

According to PIB, the President of India will present the 72nd National Film Awards on 22 September 2026 at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat, a town formerly known as Kevadia.

The PIB backgrounder records that the Dadasaheb Phalke Award was instituted in 1969 and first presented to Devika Rani. The award commemorates Dadasaheb Phalke, who directed Raja Harishchandra in 1913, India's first full-length feature film, and who is honoured as the Father of Indian Cinema.

On 20 September 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Sonam Uttam Maskar, Elavenil Valarivan and Vidarsa K Vinod on winning the silver medal in the women's 10m air rifle event at the Asian Games 2026, and credited the result to hard work and teamwork.

In his message on X, the Prime Minister congratulated Elavenil Valarivan on the silver in the women's 10m air rifle individual event and noted that it was her second medal of the day, which made it even more special.

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, speaking in the city on 20 September 2026, said the Asian Games had begun in Nagoya, Japan, and that India had a contingent of more than 500 young athletes there.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports said Dr Mansukh Mandaviya led the 91st edition of Sundays on Cycle at Meijō Park in Nagoya, Japan, on 20 September 2026, bringing the Indian diaspora together to cheer for the Indian contingent at the Asian Games.

The Ministry of Defence says the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team flies nine distinctive red-and-white Hawk Mk132 aircraft, licence-manufactured in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

According to the Ministry of Defence, SKAT was established in 1996 and holds the distinction of being the only nine-aircraft aerobatic team in Asia.

The Ministry of Defence describes the smoke pods as a significant indigenous modification to the Hawk Mk132, developed in India at the Indian Air Force's Base Repair Depot, Nashik.

Speaking at the Central Silk Board's 77th Foundation Day in Bengaluru on 20 September 2026, the minister said India's silk production had grown from 26,000 metric tonnes in 2014 to 42,000 metric tonnes today.

Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh said a resolve has been made to take India to the No. 1 rank in global silk production by 2028-29.

Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh and Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje inaugurated the 77th Foundation Day programme of the Central Silk Board, together with an exhibition of silk products and technologies, at the UAS-GKVK auditorium in Bengaluru on 20 September 2026.

Speaking at the Central Silk Board's 77th Foundation Day in Bengaluru, Shobha Karandlaje said Karnataka occupies the leading position in the country's total silk production.

At the valedictory session in New Delhi on 20 September 2026, Union Minister Manohar Lal released the NGT's souvenir titled Harit Nyayam and presented its first copy to the President of India.

Speaking at the valedictory session of the National Green Tribunal's conference, Manohar Lal, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and Power, said non-fossil sources account for nearly 55 per cent of India's installed generation capacity.

The release identifies him as the Chairperson of the NGT. In his valedictory address he said the two days of discussion had shown the need to move beyond identifying environmental problems to building laws, institutions and partnerships able to respond to them, and that climate action must be inclusive and…

In her address the President said India has done commendable work in fostering environmental awareness by engaging common citizens, especially the youth, and that the Government's Mission LiFE initiative has shown that meaningful strides towards ecological restoration can be made through public participation and community ownership.

The Ministry of Communications said Asia's first Telecom Manufacturing Zone will be established in Gwalior, and Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia inspected the identified site at the Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Counter Magnet City (SADA) on 20 September 2026.

The Ministry of Communications said the proposed TMZ will be established with an investment of approximately ₹5,500 crore, and that 24 companies have initiated the application process to set up units there.

According to the Ministry of Communications, more than 90 acres in SADA and more than 70 acres in the IT Park, approximately 170 acres in all, have been identified for the proposed Telecom Manufacturing Zone.

The PIB backgrounder of 20 September 2026 gives this as the theme of Swachhata Hi Seva 2026, which began on 17 September.

The backgrounder explains that ODF Plus villages are classified into three progressive stages. Aspiring villages manage either solid or liquid waste.

According to the PIB backgrounder, India had attained 5.69 lakh ODF Plus villages as of 17 September 2026. An ODF Plus village sustains its Open Defecation Free status, manages solid and liquid waste and maintains visual cleanliness.

The PIB backgrounder says Swachhata Hi Seva was launched in 2017 as an annual campaign that brings government institutions, local bodies, organisations and citizens together around a shared responsibility for cleanliness.