Daily Current Affairs- 21st September 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 21st September 2026

India’s FinTech Ecosystem 

In the News: The 7th edition of the Global FinTech Fest (GFF) 2026 was organised in Mumbai from 8–11 September 2026, highlighting India’s growing role in global digital finance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the event on September 8. The fest focused on emerging financial technologies, digital public infrastructure and inclusive finance.

Key Points:

• Theme of GFF 2026: The theme was "Potential to Impact: Agentic AI, Tokenisation, Quantum - Trusted, Connected, Global Systems for Inclusive Finance". It focused on the use of Agentic AI, tokenised financial assets and quantum technologies to develop secure and inclusive financial systems.
• Organising Institutions: GFF 2026 was principally organised by the Payments Council of India (PCI), National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Fintech Convergence Council (FCC). Major institutions supporting the event included RBI, SEBI, IFSCA, PFRDA, NITI Aayog and MeitY.
• India’s Digital Public Infrastructure: India’s FinTech ecosystem is supported by the JAM Trinity—Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile—along with UPI, DigiLocker and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). As of August 2026, around 59.15 crore Jan Dhan accounts had been opened, while Aadhaar enrolments had crossed 144 crore by March 2026.
• UPI Growth: The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a major pillar of India’s digital payment ecosystem. It recorded 24,509 million transactions in August 2026, while India continued expanding the international reach of UPI-based payment systems.
• FinTech Regulation: The Reserve Bank of India introduced its Regulatory Sandbox framework in 2019 and the framework for Self-Regulatory Organisation(s) in the FinTech sector in 2024. Cybersecurity, data protection, responsible innovation and consumer protection remain major themes in India’s expanding FinTech ecosystem.

Angh: Nagaland Film Wins Platform Prize at TIFF 2026

In the News: Nagaland-based film Angh, directed by filmmaker Theja Rio, won the prestigious Platform Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2026. The award gives the non-English-language film a pathway to eligibility for consideration in the 2027 Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film category.

Key Points:

• Film and Director: Angh is the feature directorial debut of Theja Rio, a filmmaker from Nagaland. It became the only Indian film selected for TIFF 2026’s Platform Competition, which featured 12 films and showcases distinctive directorial voices.
• Story and Setting: The film is set in 1960s Nagaland and follows an ageing Konyak village chief and his son as their traditional society undergoes cultural and religious transformation. It explores themes such as tradition, family, memory, identity and cultural change.
• Platform Prize: TIFF’s Platform programme is its major juried competitive section, designed to recognise filmmakers with bold and distinctive cinematic visions. Angh received a C$20,000 cash award and a trophy along with the Platform Prize.
• Oscar Eligibility: Beginning with the 2026 Platform Prize, a winning eligible non-English-language film receives a direct pathway to eligibility for consideration for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Thus, Angh entered the eligibility process for the 2027 Oscars.
• About TIFF: TIFF stands for Toronto International Film Festival and is held in Toronto, Canada. The Platform Prize is associated with films demonstrating distinctive directorial vision and is one of the notable competitive honours presented at the festival.

WWF Global Conservation Conference Inaugurated in Jaipur

In the News: Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav inaugurated the WWF Global Conservation Conference in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on 21 September 2026. Representatives from more than 100 countries participated, with discussions focusing on conservation, coexistence and the involvement of local communities.

Key Points:

• Conference and Organisation: The conference was organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), an international conservation organisation. The Jaipur conference brought together conservation experts and representatives from more than 100 countries to discuss global biodiversity and wildlife-conservation challenges.
• Conservation with Communities: A major theme of the conference was the need to involve local communities in conservation and human-wildlife coexistence. The discussions stressed landscape-level conservation and protection of grasslands, forests and wetlands rather than focusing only on individual species.
• Expansion of Protected Areas: According to figures cited at the conference, India’s number of protected areas increased from around 750 to more than 1,000 over the previous decade. Tiger reserves increased from 47 to 58, while elephant reserves rose from 30 to 33.
• Ramsar and Global Conventions: The number of India’s Ramsar Sites increased from 24 to 101 over the period cited at the conference. India is also a party to important environmental agreements including CITES, CMS, CBD and the Ramsar Convention.
• Rajasthan Conservation Initiatives: The conference highlighted Rajasthan’s Great Indian Bustard conservation-breeding programme and community-led protection of traditional sacred groves known as Orans. These efforts were cited as examples of species protection combined with community participation and land-restoration measures.

Savita Punia Becomes India’s Most-Capped Women’s Hockey Player

In the News: Veteran Indian goalkeeper Savita became the most-capped player in the history of Indian women’s hockey on 21 September 2026. She achieved the milestone during India’s Pool B match against Indonesia at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan, reaching 321 senior international appearances.

Key Points:

• Record Achievement: Savita registered her 321st senior international appearance against Indonesia, surpassing former Indian striker Vandana Katariya’s record of 320 caps. She had equalled Vandana’s record a day earlier during India’s 19–0 victory against Uzbekistan.
• Career Beginning: Savita made her senior international debut in 2009 and developed into one of India’s leading hockey goalkeepers. Known as the “Wall of India”, she represented the country at multiple Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and international hockey tournaments.
• Major Milestone: She completed her 300th international cap in February 2025 during an FIH Hockey Pro League match against the Netherlands. She became only the second Indian woman after Vandana Katariya, and the second Indian goalkeeper after P.R. Sreejesh, to reach 300 international appearances.
• Major Achievements: Savita was vice-captain of the Indian team that finished fourth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and captained India to bronze at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. She also led India to the inaugural FIH Nations Cup title in 2022.
• Awards and Recognition: Savita has been named FIH Goalkeeper of the Year three times and received the Arjuna Award in 2018 and Padma Shri in 2025. Hockey India announced a ₹10 lakh cash reward after she became India’s most-capped women’s hockey player.