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Daily Current Affairs
16 & 17 September, 2026
1. India’s first Badri calf produced through OPU-IVF technology at Pantnagar was born from a surrogate of which breed?
A. Gir
B. Sahiwal
C. Tharparkar
D. Hariana
E. Red Sindhi
View Answer
Explanation: The calf was born on 11 September 2026 through a collaboration between ICAR-NDRI Karnal and GBPUAT Pantnagar, funded by the Uttarakhand Biotechnology Council, Haldi. Using a surrogate of a different breed lets a scarce indigenous breed be multiplied without depending on its own small female population.
2. Badri cattle, locally called Pahadi, hold which distinction?
A. The first cattle breed from Uttarakhand registered by ICAR’s NBAGR
B. The only Bos taurus breed native to the Indian Himalaya
C. The highest milk-yielding indigenous breed of India
D. The first Indian breed to receive a Geographical Indication tag
E. The state animal of Himachal Pradesh
View Answer
Explanation: Badri is a dual-purpose Bos indicus breed named after the Badrinath shrine and is the state animal of Uttarakhand. It is found in Garhwal and Kumaon districts such as Almora, Pauri Garhwal, Chamoli and Champawat, thriving on steep slopes and cold climates where exotic cattle fail. NBAGR at Karnal is the nodal body for breed registration.
3. Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana, which completed seven years on 12 September 2026, what is the assured monthly pension on attaining 60 years of age?
A. Rs 1,000
B. Rs 2,000
C. Rs 3,000
D. Rs 5,000
E. Rs 6,000
View Answer
Explanation: PM-KMY is a voluntary contributory scheme launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare with LIC as pension fund manager. The farmer contributes Rs 55 to Rs 200 a month depending on entry age, and the Centre makes an equal matching contribution to the pension fund.
4. Which of the following is the correct eligibility condition for enrolment under PM-KMY?
A. Any farmer aged 18 to 50 with landholding up to 5 hectares
B. Small and marginal farmers with cultivable landholding up to 2 hectares, aged 18 to 40
C. Landless agricultural labourers aged 21 to 45
D. All PM-KISAN beneficiaries irrespective of age
E. Farmers aged above 40 with landholding up to 1 hectare
View Answer
Explanation: The name must appear in State or UT land records as on 1 August 2019. On the pensioner’s death the spouse receives 50 per cent as family pension. Farmers may also opt to have contributions deducted directly from their PM-KISAN benefits, which removes the friction of separate monthly payments.
5. Operational guidelines were recently notified for the GOBARdhan scheme with an outlay of how much?
A. Rs 10,000 crore
B. Rs 15,731 crore
C. Rs 23,731 crore
D. Rs 32,731 crore
E. Rs 45,000 crore
View Answer
Explanation: GOBARdhan, or Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan, was launched in 2018 under the Ministry of Jal Shakti with the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation as nodal department, initially within Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen. The new guidelines assure full offtake of compressed biogas and introduce a pricing mechanism, addressing the investor risk that had held the sector back.
6. According to the 9th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry, India-ASEAN trade in goods reached what level in FY2025-26?
A. USD 78 billion
B. USD 98 billion
C. USD 112 billion
D. USD 128 billion
E. USD 160 billion
View Answer
Explanation: AIMMAF was held in New Delhi on 9 September 2026. The two sides reaffirmed cooperation on climate-resilient agriculture, low-emission rice, water productivity, AI-enabled digital agriculture, soil health and agroforestry, areas where ASEAN’s monsoon rice systems and India’s face similar climate stress.
7. Dryland Congress 2026, which concluded with the Delhi Declaration on Drylands, was organised by ICAR along with which institution?
A. IRRI
B. CIMMYT
C. ICRISAT
D. ICARDA
E. FAO
View Answer
Explanation: The theme was “Transforming Dryland Agriculture with South-South Cooperation” and the event marked 50 years of the ICAR-ICRISAT partnership. Drylands matter disproportionately for India because rainfed areas account for a large share of cultivated land and carry most of the country’s pulse and coarse cereal production.
8. Gujarat, where the Mangrove GIS Portal was launched, has restored how much mangrove area under MISHTI against its 2023-27 target of 29,250 hectares?
A. 12,450 hectares
B. 19,300 hectares
C. 24,100 hectares
D. 27,652 hectares
E. 31,500 hectares
View Answer
Explanation: Union Minister Bhupender Yadav launched the portal at Bhuj to support habitat monitoring, conservation planning and technology-based restoration. The Guneri Inland Mangrove ecosystem was highlighted as a community-led initiative. MISHTI stands for Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes.
9. The Pension Sakhi initiative to expand rural pension coverage involves an MoU between the Department of Rural Development and which body?
A. RBI
B. PFRDA
C. IRDAI
D. NABARD
E. LIC
View Answer
Explanation: The initiative rides on the women-led DAY-NRLM network, including BC Sakhis and community resource persons, to reach SHG members, Lakhpati Didis and other underserved groups. Digital dashboards and the LoKoS system will monitor outreach and enrolment, using an existing last-mile cadre rather than building a new one.
10. Under the Uttar Pradesh Mukhyamantri Krishak Samriddhi Yojana, concessional long-term loans to small and marginal farmers will be available up to what amount and at what interest rate?
A. Rs 3 lakh at 4 per cent
B. Rs 5 lakh at 7 per cent
C. Rs 6 lakh at 6 per cent
D. Rs 10 lakh at 8 per cent
E. Rs 2 lakh at 5 per cent
View Answer
Explanation: The loans will be routed through the Uttar Pradesh Sahkari Gram Vikas Bank, a long-term cooperative credit institution. Long-term credit supports capital formation on the farm, such as land development, wells and machinery, unlike short-term crop loans that only finance a single season’s inputs.
11. As per the 17th PLFS Monthly Bulletin released by the NSO, the unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above in August 2026 stood at:
A. 4.8 per cent
B. 5.0 per cent
C. 5.1 per cent
D. 5.4 per cent
E. 5.6 per cent
View Answer
Explanation: The rate declined from 5.1 per cent in July. The Labour Force Participation Rate rose from 55.4 to 55.6 per cent and the Worker Population Ratio from 52.5 to 52.8 per cent. A falling unemployment rate alongside a rising LFPR is the healthier combination, since it means more people entered the labour force and still found work.
12. Under the Merchant Discount Rate framework for UPI effective 15 October 2026, what is the rate on Person-to-Merchant transactions above Rs 2,000?
A. 0.02 per cent
B. 0.1 per cent
C. 0.4 per cent
D. 0.9 per cent
E. 1.5 per cent
View Answer
Explanation: MDR is capped at Rs 300 for transactions above Rs 75,000, with essential sectors such as railways, telecom, fuel, insurance, utility bills and agricultural inputs paying a flat Rs 5 above Rs 2,000, and capital market transactions 0.02 per cent. All P2P transfers, P2M up to Rs 2,000 and small merchants under P2PM up to Rs 1 lakh monthly receipts stay at zero, and 5 per cent of collections will fund UPI adoption among small merchants.
13. The Union Cabinet approved an increase in the EPFO monthly wage ceiling, effective 17 September 2026, from Rs 15,000 to:
A. Rs 18,000
B. Rs 21,000
C. Rs 25,000
D. Rs 30,000
E. Rs 35,000
View Answer
Explanation: More than 51 lakh additional employees are expected to come under mandatory coverage, at an estimated cost of about Rs 11,339 crore annually and roughly Rs 56,696 crore over five years. The change extends EPF, the Employees’ Pension Scheme and Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance to workers whose wages had outgrown the old threshold.
14. Which State or UT topped NITI Aayog’s India Electric Mobility Index 2025?
A. Maharashtra
B. Karnataka
C. Delhi
D. Chandigarh
E. Goa
View Answer
Explanation: Delhi scored 84, followed by Maharashtra at 78, Karnataka at 73, Chandigarh at 71 and Goa at 65. The index, built by NITI Aayog with WRI India across 36 States and UTs, weights Transport Electrification Progress at 50 per cent, Charging Infrastructure Readiness at 30 per cent and EV Research and Innovation at 20 per cent. Karnataka leads on charging readiness and Delhi on research and innovation.
