Daily Current Affairs- 27th September 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 27th September 2026

Election Commission’s nine new decisions

In the News: The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced nine administrative and procedural decisions after a meeting on September 26, 2026. The measures address issues relating to Commission meetings, electoral-roll IT systems, official travel and directions to officers. However, some questions concerning Form 6 and electoral-roll appeals remain unaffected by the new decisions.

Key Points:

• Commission Meetings: Agendas for meetings of the Election Commission will now be circulated before each meeting, while formal minutes will be issued afterwards. This establishes a documented procedure for deliberations involving the Chief Election Commissioner and the two Election Commissioners.
• ECINet Review: The Commission decided that ECINet, its integrated digital platform for election-related services, will be reviewed by a committee headed by a senior Deputy Election Commissioner. The committee will also include an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT.
• New IT Systems: New IT modules and portals relating to election administration will first be examined by a committee of officers before being placed before the full Commission. Field election officials will also be provided greater system flexibility where operationally required.
• Administrative Decisions: Foreign visits by Election Commission officers will require the Commission's approval. The ECI also stated that directions issued by Election Commissioners to officers should be complied with according to the prescribed institutional process.
• What Remains Unchanged: The announcement did not specifically resolve questions concerning the additional parental-information field in the online Form 6, nor did it clarify the authorisation of certain electoral-roll appeals in West Bengal. The extra parental question in the online Form 6 on ECINet has been removed. It also does not address who authorised appeals in West Bengal against voters whose inclusion had been ordered by judicial officers. Form 6 is prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules for inclusion of names in electoral rolls.

Tamil Nadu government withdraws G.O. exempting Public (Law and Order) Department from RTI Act

In the News: The Tamil Nadu government revoked G.O. Ms. No. 57, dated September 21, which had exempted the Public (Law and Order) Department from most provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005. The earlier notification had treated the department as an intelligence and security organisation under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act.

Key Points:

• Government Order Revoked: G.O. Ms. No. 57 had been issued by the Human Resources Management Department on September 21, 2026. The Tamil Nadu government formally revoked the order on September 27 after the notification became publicly known.
• Section 24(4) of RTI Act: Section 24(4) empowers a State Government to notify intelligence and security organisations established by it as exempt from the RTI Act. Such notifications must be published in the Official Gazette and laid before the State Legislature.
• Important Exception: Even organisations exempted under Section 24 cannot exclude information concerning allegations of corruption or human-rights violations. For human-rights cases, disclosure requires approval of the State Information Commission and must ordinarily be provided within 45 days.
• Role of the Department: The Public (Law and Order) Department deals with matters including police action, custodial deaths, police firing, preventive detention and references involving human-rights issues. This gave the exemption particular relevance to public-access and accountability provisions under the RTI framework
• About RTI Act: The Right to Information Act was enacted in 2005 to establish a statutory mechanism through which citizens can obtain information held by public authorities. It also created the Central Information Commission and State Information Commissions as appellate institutions.

Portugal, Mauritius back India’s bid for permanent UN Security Council seat

In the News: Portugal and Mauritius expressed support for India's candidature for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council during the general debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Portugal called for a more representative Council with permanent seats for India, Brazil and Africa, while Mauritius reiterated its support for India in recognition of its constructive role in global affairs.

Key Points:

• Portugal's Support: Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro called for reform of the Security Council to make it more representative of present-day realities. He advocated permanent seats for India, Brazil and Africa.
• Mauritius' Position: Mauritian Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful reiterated Mauritius' support for India's candidature for a permanent seat, commensurate with its constructive role in global affairs. Mauritius also supports the positions of the G4 and L.69 groups on Council reform, and backs the Common African Position, which seeks at least two permanent and five non-permanent seats for Africa.
• Current UNSC Structure: The Security Council has 15 members. Five are permanent members with veto power: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The other 10 are non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.
• G4 Grouping: India, Brazil, Germany and Japan form the G4, which advocates reform and expansion of the Security Council, including in the permanent category. In the same debate, the Marshall Islands endorsed permanent membership for all G4 members. India is also part of the L.69 group of developing countries working towards comprehensive UNSC reform.
• Procedure for UNSC Reform: Changing the composition of the Security Council requires an amendment to the UN Charter under Article 108. The amendment must be adopted by two-thirds of all members of the General Assembly. It must then be ratified by two-thirds of UN member states, including all five permanent members.

1,400 New Words and Definitions Added to Merriam-Webster.com

In the News: Merriam-Webster announced on September 15, 2026 that it had added about 1,400 new words and definitions to its online dictionary. The additions include terms drawn from technology, social media, music, popular culture and changing patterns of everyday communication.

Key Points:

• Major Dictionary Update: The 1,400 additions represent one of Merriam-Webster's periodic updates to document changes in contemporary English. The organisation stated that entries are added when evidence shows that their usage has become sufficiently widespread and established.
• Notable New Entries: Among the newly recognised terms are “vibe coding”, “yacht rock”, “parasocial”, “Mandela effect”, “looksmaxxing”, “Rickroll” and “meme coin”. The entries reflect the growing influence of digital culture and technology on language.
• Criteria for Inclusion: Merriam-Webster does not add a word merely because it becomes temporarily popular. Lexicographers examine evidence of frequent, widespread and meaningful use and analyse examples of how the term is used in context.
• Vibe Coding: The term is associated with software development in which a person relies heavily on artificial intelligence tools to generate code from natural-language instructions. Its inclusion reflects the impact of generative AI on technological vocabulary.
• Merriam-Webster: Merriam-Webster is a major American dictionary publisher headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. Its lexicographical work traces its roots to Noah Webster's dictionaries, while the Merriam company acquired rights to Webster's dictionary legacy in the 19th century.

Virat Kohli becomes only the second after Tendulkar to reach 15,000 ODI runs

In the News: Virat Kohli became only the second batter in men's One Day International cricket to cross 15,000 runs. He achieved the milestone against the West Indies in the first ODI at the Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram, on September 27, 2026, joining Sachin Tendulkar in the exclusive club.

Key Points:

• 15,000-Run Milestone: Kohli crossed 15,000 ODI runs with a boundary during India's chase against the West Indies. According to the ICC, he became both the second batter to reach the mark and the fastest to achieve 15,000 men's ODI runs.
• Sachin Tendulkar’s Record: Tendulkar remains the highest run-scorer in ODI history with 18,426 runs from 463 matches. He was the first batter to cross the 15,000-run milestone and remains the benchmark for total career runs in the format.
• Kohli’s ODI Records: Kohli had already been the fastest batter to reach the milestones of 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, 11,000, 12,000, 13,000 and 14,000 ODI runs. The 15,000-run mark extended this sequence of batting records.
• Century in the Match: Kohli also scored a century against the West Indies in the same match. The innings produced his 55th ODI hundred and took his overall international-century tally to 86.
• All-Time ODI Run Scorers: After Tendulkar and Kohli, Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara is third among the leading ODI run-scorers with 14,234 runs. Kohli's milestone therefore made him only the second player in ODI history to cross the 15,000-run threshold.