Daily Current Affairs (DCA) 27&28 September, 2026

Context
NABARD launched RSVC-AMRIT, a digital platform for technology-led rural development, in collaboration with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA), Government of India.

RSVC-AMRIT

SVC-AMRIT is a digital platform developed by NABARD in collaboration with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA), Government of India, to promote rural innovation and technology transfer. It was launched on 15 August 2026 by Principal Scientific Adviser Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood.

• AMRIT = Accelerated Medium for Rural Innovations and Technologies.
• RSVC = RuTAGe Smart Village Centre

What It Does

• Connects rural needs → relevant innovations and technologies → implementation partners
• Aims to identify suitable technological solutions for challenges faced in rural areas
• Helps connect innovators and technology providers with rural development requirements
• Promotes the use of science, technology and innovation in rural development

Important Facts for Exams

• RSVC-AMRIT — NABARD’s digital platform for technology-led rural development, with the OPSA
• Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India: Ajay Kumar Sood
• The OPSA also anchors the BRICS BioDesign Programme and the Science and Technology Cluster initiative
• India Stack — the layered digital public infrastructure: identity (Aadhaar), payments (UPI) and data (DEPA/Account Aggregator)

• NABARD and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) signed an MoU to integrate IMD’s agro-meteorological data with DiCRA (Data in Climate Resilient Agriculture).
• DiCRA is an open-source digital platform supported by NABARD and UNDP.
• The platform will provide useful weather and climate information to farmers, financial institutions, policymakers and researchers.
• Better climate information can support decisions related to crop planning, agricultural risk management and rural finance.

• Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched PMGSY-4 in Ichhawar, Sehore district, Madhya Pradesh.
• The programme included the foundation stone for 36 roads approved under the scheme.
• Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) aims to provide all-weather road connectivity to eligible rural habitations.
• Rural roads improve access to markets, schools, healthcare and other essential services.

• The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying launched the Livestock Insurance Portal as part of the digital transformation of livestock insurance.
• The portal is aimed at making livestock-insurance processes more accessible and efficient.
• It is relevant to livestock farmers, who face financial losses from the death or loss of insured animals.
• Livestock insurance is an important tool for reducing the financial risk associated with animal husbandry.

• Dhanuka Agritech Ltd launched ‘Polin’, a fungicide for protecting rice/paddy crops against leaf blast and neck blast diseases.
• The product has been developed through a strategic technical collaboration with Japan’s Nippon Soda Co. Ltd. (NISSO).
• It has translaminar and systemic mobility, allowing the fungicide to move through plant tissues and protect unsprayed leaf areas and new plant growth.
• The recommended application mentioned is 100 ml per acre in 200 litres of water, with application at the first signs of infection during critical crop-growth stages.
• Its longer protection period can reduce the frequency of spraying, potentially lowering labour and chemical costs for rice farmers.

• NABARD inaugurated an Experience Centre at its Head Office in Mumbai.
• The centre showcases NABARD’s journey, major milestones, rural-development initiatives and success stories.
• Interactive exhibits allow visitors to explore NABARD-supported projects, schemes and interventions.
• Key themes include climate-resilient agriculture, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), rural infrastructure and digital financial inclusion.

Context
Amid the weaponisation of the US dollar and Western financial sanctions, BRICS and Global South nations are accelerating efforts to bypass the Belgium-based SWIFT messaging network.

What SWIFT Is

• Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication
• A standardised, secure messaging network used by financial institutions to transmit instructions and information, such as money transfers, via standardised SWIFT/BIC codes
• It is a messaging platform — not a settlement system or a bank
• Founded 1973, headquartered at La Hulpe, Belgium
• A member-owned cooperative under Belgian law, collectively supervised by the G10 central banks

Key Features

• Pure messaging architecture — transmits payment orders, letters of credit and securities instructions; the actual movement of money relies on correspondent banking accounts (Nostro/Vostro)
• Standardised protocol — 8- or 11-character Business Identifier Codes (BIC) and the ISO 20022 messaging framework
• Belgian and EU jurisdiction — obligating compliance with EU sanctions
• Security — end-to-end hardware encryption, dedicated secure lines and geographically distributed operations centres

The Alternatives

• CIPS (China) — launched 2015 to internationalise the yuan; enables cross-border RMB messaging, clearing and settlement across 120+ countries
• SPFS (Russia) — developed 2014 after Western sanctions; connects Russian banks with foreign institutions, including Iran’s SEPAM
• Project mBridge — a blockchain-based multi-CBDC platform developed by participating central banks, enabling direct cross-border settlement using CBDCs, bypassing SWIFT and correspondent banking

• The RBI net purchased $18.65 billion in foreign exchange in July 2026, the highest monthly purchase on record.
• This was sharply higher than the $561 million net purchase in June 2026 and slightly above the previous record of $18.63 billion in June 2021.
• The increase was linked to the RBI’s concessional swap facility for FCNR(B) deposits, external commercial borrowings and overseas foreign-currency borrowings.
• The facility attracted $40.82 billion of inflows by July-end, with banks routing the foreign currency back to the RBI through the swap window.

• NABARD and NaBFID signed an initial agreement to strengthen cooperation in financing rural infrastructure projects.
• Areas of cooperation include water infrastructure, sanitation, irrigation and post-harvest storage facilities.
• The partnership will support joint financing and knowledge sharing for projects having significant rural impact.
• NaBFID is a specialised development finance institution established to support long-term infrastructure financing.

• The Ministry of Tourism and ONDC are developing the National Digital Tourism Stack, a digital public infrastructure for India’s tourism sector.
• It aims to make tourism products and experiences discoverable, trustworthy and bookable through a shared digital ecosystem.
• The target is to bring 23,000 tourism experiences and homestays onto the platform by 2028.
• AI will be used at the front end, with the broader vision of “One ticket, One pass” to simplify travel and reduce paperwork.

• The West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026 was passed by the West Bengal Assembly in June 2026.
• Reports said the President returned the Bill for reconsideration after the Centre raised concerns about possible overlap with the NDPS Act, 1985 and the PITNDPS Act, 1988.
• The Bill deals with habitual offenders, organised crime and threats to public order, and includes provisions for preventive detention.
• There was subsequently a conflicting public statement from West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who said the Bill was still under consideration of the Union Home Ministry. Therefore, the procedural status should be treated with care.

• Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov backed India’s candidature for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council during the 81st UN General Assembly in September 2026.
• Russia also supported Brazil’s candidature and called for greater representation of Asia, Africa and Latin America in the UNSC.
• Lavrov opposed allocating additional permanent seats to Western countries, specifically mentioning Germany and Japan.
• Exam point: The present UNSC has 5 permanent members — China, France, Russia, the UK and the US — and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.

• Analogue paneer is an imitation product designed to resemble dairy paneer, where some or all milk components are replaced with vegetable oils, starches or plant proteins.
• Common ingredients may include vegetable fats, skimmed milk powder, soy proteins, caseinates, starches, emulsifiers and stabilisers.
• FSSAI has proposed restricting the use of the name “paneer” for non-dairy analogue products to prevent consumer confusion and misleading labelling.
• The issue is linked to food safety, food standards and transparent labelling.

• TRAI launched the Digital Connectivity Rating (DCR) Platform and mobile app to assess and rate indoor digital connectivity in properties.
• It covers residential, commercial and government properties and allows connectivity to become a measurable feature of a building.
• The system covers the process from property registration and signal testing to certification and public rating.
• Important: This news was already covered in the previous set, so do not repeat it in the consolidated current-affairs notes.

• Operation Drishti is an Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) humanitarian initiative providing advanced eye-care services in remote and border areas.
• During the 10th Mega Eye Surgical Camp, AFMS surgeons performed 220 sight-restoring surgeries at an underground surgical centre in Tangdhar, Kupwara, near the LoC.
• The initiative focuses on people who face geographical, financial and logistical barriers to specialised eye care.
• It is conducted by AFMS in coordination with the Indian Army’s Chinar Corps.

• Typhoon Dujuan affected Tokyo and eastern Japan, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds.
• Izu Oshima Island recorded 832 mm of rainfall in 48 hours, while parts of Tokyo also experienced record rainfall.
• It was a tropical cyclone in the Northwestern Pacific, with reported maximum sustained winds of around 130 km/h.
• The name Dujuan, contributed by China, refers to the azalea flower.

• Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya was an Indian political thinker, writer and leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
• He served as its General Secretary from 1951 to 1967 and became its President in December 1967.
• Integral Humanism emphasises balanced development of the body, mind, intellect and soul, along with harmony between society and nature.
• Antyodaya refers to the idea of ensuring that development reaches the poorest and most marginalised sections.

• India retained the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy at the 46th Chess Olympiad held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
• India finished as the best overall nation, with a silver medal in the Open section and bronze in the Women’s section.
• The trophy is awarded to the country with the best combined performance in the Open and Women’s competitions.

• INS Sahyadri and INS Kulish participated in the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Maritime Security Joint Cooperation Activity.
• The activity was held at Subic Bay, Philippines, and hosted by the Philippine Navy.
• It focused on cooperation and coordination in maritime security among participating countries.
• It strengthens India’s engagement with ASEAN and Indo-Pacific maritime-security mechanisms.

• World Tourism Day is observed every year on 27 September.
• The 2026 theme is “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.”
• The theme highlights the use of digital technology and AI to improve tourism experiences and services.
• It is particularly relevant to India’s National Digital Tourism Stack initiative.

• India secured 10th position at the 48th WorldSkills Competition, held in Shanghai, China, from 22–27 September 2026.
• India won 6 Silver Medals and 20 Medals for Excellence.
• India participated with its largest-ever contingent of 70 competitors across 63 skills.
• The Indian contingent was coordinated by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).

• As of 27 September 2026, India had won 30 medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
• The tally consisted of 4 Gold, 12 Silver and 14 Bronze medals, placing India 10th at that point.
• The men’s and women’s kabaddi teams won gold medals, while Sawan Barwal won silver in the men’s marathon.
• Other medals included silver for Tajinderpal Singh Toor and the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions team, along with bronze medals in squash and other events.

• Under Operation Drishti, Armed Forces Medical Services surgeons performed 220 sight-restoring surgeries at an underground surgical centre in Tangdhar, Kupwara, along the LoC.
• The initiative is led by the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) in coordination with the Indian Army’s Chinar Corps.
• It provides specialised eye care to people in remote and border areas who face geographical and financial barriers.
• The programme focuses on preventing avoidable blindness through advanced ophthalmic treatment.