Daily Current Affairs- 15th September 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 15th September 2026

Government Bars Charges on UPI, RuPay Payments

In the New: The Ministry of Finance notified that banks and payment-system providers cannot impose direct or indirect charges on RuPay-powered debit-card transactions or UPI transactions up to ₹2,000. The notification was issued under Section 10A of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. Person-to-person UPI transfers continue to remain free irrespective of the amount.

Key Points:

• Legal Basis: The notification, S.O. 5067(E), was issued by the Department of Financial Services under Section 10A of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. It specifies RuPay debit cards and UPI transactions up to ₹2,000 as protected electronic payment modes on which users cannot be charged.
• UPI Transaction Rules: All person-to-person UPI transactions remain free regardless of their value. Merchant payments up to ₹2,000 and transactions covered by the zero-MDR framework for small merchants also remain free, leaving about 96% of person-to-merchant UPI transactions unaffected.
• Merchant Discount Rate: MDR is the fee paid by a merchant for processing a digital payment and is shared among payment ecosystem participants such as banks and payment application providers. The government clarified that MDR is neither a tax nor a charge collected by the government or NPCI.
• UPI and RuPay: Unified Payments Interface is operated by the National Payments Corporation of India, while RuPay is India's domestic card-payment network. Both form major components of India's digital public payment infrastructure and are designed to reduce dependence on cash-based transactions.

IAEA Blocks Mohammad Eslami From Vienna Conference

In the News: Iran's nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami was prevented from attending the IAEA General Conference in Vienna in September 2026 because of restrictions arising from restored UN sanctions. Austria sought a travel exemption for Eslami, but the request did not receive approval after the United States objected. Iran criticised the decision, while the US defended its objection in the context of concerns over Iran's nuclear programme.

Key Points:

• Mohammad Eslami: Eslami is the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. His name was restored to the UN sanctions list when earlier Security Council sanctions on Iran were re-applied in September 2025 under the mechanism provided by Resolution 2231.
• IAEA: The International Atomic Energy Agency was established in 1957 and is headquartered in Vienna, Austria. It promotes peaceful uses of nuclear technology while applying safeguards intended to verify that nuclear material is not diverted to prohibited military purposes.
• UN Resolution 2231: The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2231 in 2015 to endorse the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action concerning Iran's nuclear programme. In September 2025, provisions of several earlier Iran-related Security Council resolutions were re-applied following the procedure contained in Resolution 2231.
• JCPOA Background: The 2015 nuclear agreement involved Iran and the P5+1, comprising China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany, together with the European Union. It placed restrictions and monitoring requirements on Iran's nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.

The danger of rising US govt bond yields

In the News: US Treasury yields have risen sharply, with the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield moving above 5% in September 2026 amid inflation concerns, higher oil prices, government borrowing and a broad bond-market sell-off. Rising Treasury yields matter globally because US government securities serve as a benchmark for borrowing costs and financial asset valuations around the world.

Key Points:

• Bond Price-Yield Relationship: Bond prices and bond yields move in opposite directions. When investors sell existing government bonds, their prices fall and their yields rise, increasing the return required by investors to hold government debt.
• Benchmark Treasury Yield: The yield on the 10-year US Treasury note is one of the world's most closely watched interest-rate benchmarks. It influences mortgage rates, corporate borrowing costs, asset valuations and lending conditions across the US economy.
• Impact on Government Finances: Higher Treasury yields increase the cost at which the US government must issue and refinance debt. Sustained increases can raise federal interest payments and reduce fiscal space available for other government expenditure.
• Global Spillover: Higher US yields can attract international capital towards dollar-denominated assets and support a stronger US dollar. This can place pressure on emerging-market currencies, increase external borrowing costs and tighten financial conditions outside the United States.

Emmys 2026: Full List of Winners and Key Highlights

In the News: The 78th Emmy Awards were held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with the principal ceremony taking place on September 14, 2026. Widow's Bay dominated the awards with 14 Emmys across the three ceremonies, while The Pitt won Outstanding Drama Series. Matthew Rhys created history by winning two lead-acting Emmys in the same year.

Key Points:

• Major Series Winners: Widow's Bay won Outstanding Comedy Series and finished with a record 14 Emmys, including six during the main telecast. The Pitt won Outstanding Drama Series, while DTF St. Louis received the Emmy for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.
• Matthew Rhys' Record: Matthew Rhys won Lead Actor awards for Widow's Bay in comedy and The Beast in Me in the limited-series category. He became the first performer to win two lead-performance Emmys in the same year and has now won lead acting awards across drama, comedy and limited-series categories.
• Individual Honours: Rhea Seehorn won Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Pluribus, while Noah Wyle won Lead Actor in a Drama Series for The Pitt. Jean Smart and Allison Janney reached eight acting Emmy wins each, joining the record held by Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
• Special Recognition: Michael J. Fox received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his work supporting Parkinson's disease research through the Michael J. Fox Foundation. The award was established in 2002 to recognise humanitarian contributions by individuals in the media industry.

Global Chess League 2026 Final

In the News: Ganges Grandmasters won their maiden Global Chess League title by defeating defending champions Alpine APL Pipers in the Season 4 final in Bengaluru on September 13, 2026. The two-leg final ended 7-5 in favour of the Grandmasters after the first leg finished 3-3. Ian Nepomniachtchi's victory over Magnus Carlsen was one of the decisive results.

Key Points:

• Champions and Runners-up: Ganges Grandmasters secured their first Global Chess League title, defeating Alpine APL Pipers in the final. FYERS American Gambits finished third after defeating CheQ Mumba Masters in the third-place play-off.
• Key Final Result: Ian Nepomniachtchi defeated world number one Magnus Carlsen on the Icon board during the decisive second leg. Stavroula Tsolakidou's victory against Koneru Humpy further strengthened the Grandmasters' winning position.
• About the League: The Global Chess League is a joint initiative of Tech Mahindra and the International Chess Federation, FIDE. It uses a franchise-based team format that brings male and female chess players together in the same teams and competitive matches.
• FIDE: Fédération Internationale des Échecs, commonly known as FIDE, is the international governing body for chess. It was founded in Paris in 1924 and is responsible for international chess regulations, ratings and major world championship events.

Dhiraj Bommadevara Becomes First Indian Man to Win Archery World Cup Final

In the News: Dhiraj Bommadevara won the men's recurve title at the 2026 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in Saltillo, Mexico, becoming the first Indian man to win the season-ending recurve crown. He defeated Japan's Junya Nakanishi in the final after a closely fought contest. The victory made him only the second Indian recurve archer overall to become a World Cup champion.

Key Points:

• Historic Achievement: Bommadevara became India's first men's recurve World Cup Final champion. Before him, Dola Banerjee had become India's first recurve World Cup champion by winning the women's title at Dubai in 2007.
• Road to the Final: Bommadevara qualified for the Saltillo World Cup Final after winning his maiden individual World Cup gold at the Antalya stage in 2026. He had also won the 2025 Asian Archery Championships, making the Saltillo title his third major gold in a year.
• Final Opponent and Venue: The final was held at Saltillo in Mexico, where Bommadevara faced Japan's Junya Nakanishi for the title. He recovered after trailing during the match and eventually secured the championship through the deciding phase of the contest.
• Recurve Archery: In recurve competition, archers use the bow style featured at the Olympic Games. International archery is governed by World Archery, which conducts the annual Archery World Cup circuit culminating in the World Cup Final.