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PIB News

Latest Stories

23 stories from this issue. Tap “Read full summary” for 6–7 key points on any story.

History

a

Rani Rashmani (1793–1861)

  1. Built the Dakshineswar Kali Temple
  2. backed social reforms
  3. defied British taxes on Ganga fishing — courage, compassion, conviction.
b

bharatrajya.com

  1. Highlighted in Mann Ki Baat: a portal to discover who ruled which part of India and when.

Geography

a

Cruise Bharat Mission

  1. Sea cruise passengers up 300% (1.08L → 4.62L)
  2. 32 national waterways operational
  3. terminals at Visakhapatnam, Mumbai, Chennai.
b

Rail & road push

  1. 4 railway multi-tracking projects (₹9,450 cr) across 4 states
  2. NH-22 four-laning in Bihar (₹3,590.73 cr).

Economy

a

UPI Turns 10 — cover story

  1. Transactions leapt from 2 cr to 24,162 cr in a decade
  2. 55.5 cr users, 741 banks, 85% of India's digital payments.
b

GDP grows 7.8% in Q1

  1. April–June 2026-27 growth beat RBI's 7% projection
  2. nominal GDP up 10.3%
  3. real GVA up 8.2%.
c

ET World Leaders Forum

  1. 'Reforms are not a compulsion, but a commitment'
  2. PLI drew ₹2.5 lakh cr investment and 14 lakh jobs.
d

PM Fasal Bima Yojana

  1. ₹100 premium fetched ₹50,600 compensation for Assam farmer Anwar Hussain
  2. ₹2.06 lakh cr claims paid since 2016.
e

PM SVANidhi

  1. 46% of beneficiaries are women — around 35 lakh women expanding their businesses.

Polity

a

53rd PRAGATI meeting

  1. PM reviewed 6 infrastructure projects across 9 states
  2. ~₹86 lakh crore of projects reviewed across 53 PRAGATI meetings.
b

Union Cabinet decisions

  1. Approved 4 railway multi-tracking projects (₹9,450 cr) and NH-22 four-laning in Bihar (₹3,590.73 cr).
c

Mann Ki Baat — 137th episode

  1. Drug-Free Youth mission, bharatrajya.com history portal, and 35 lakh women SVANidhi beneficiaries.
d

Ayushman Bharat

  1. 47.26 cr+ cards issued
  2. 11.35 cr hospital admissions
  3. budget raised to ₹9,500 cr
  4. ASHA and Anganwadi families included.
e

Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2026

  1. 9th edition began September 9 in Varanasi
  2. five priorities from dietary diversity to early childhood care.
f

Sanchar Saathi

  1. 77,692 lost or stolen phones recovered in July 2026 alone via the citizen-centric portal and app.
g

26th SCO Summit, Bishkek

  1. India's pitch for the SCO's next 25 years: Security, Connectivity, Opportunity
  2. Bishkek Declaration adopted.
h

Uzbekistan visit

  1. Ties elevated to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
  2. PM received the Oliy Darajali Do'stlik Order
  3. $1M for Aral Sea plantation.

Science & Tech

a

Space startups

  1. PM interacted with CEOs of 20 space startups at Seva Teerth
  2. India's cost-competitive launch edge.
b

Mission ShaktiSAT

  1. 12,000 girls across 108 countries learning satellite technology — highlighted in Mann Ki Baat.
c

UPI's tech stack

  1. Built on the JAM Trinity: 59 cr+ Jan Dhan accounts, 145 cr Aadhaar numbers, 120 cr+ mobile users.

Environment

a

World Bamboo Day — Sep 18

  1. India has 13.96M ha under bamboo (136 species)
  2. 2017 legal reform declassified bamboo as a tree
  3. National Bamboo Mission in 24 states/UTs.
b

Parivartan scheme

  1. Replacing 2 lakh polluting BS-IV or older trucks/buses in Delhi-NCR with BS-VI or electric vehicles.
c

Amarnath Yatra cleanliness

  1. Over 400 metric tonnes of waste collected and processed during the 2026 pilgrimage.

PIB QuickCards

5-point summary of every PIB release.

Thematic Capsules

PIB grouped by subject themes.

Decode PIB

Jargon-free explainers of schemes & data.

Mains Answer Blocks

Ready-made intro–body–conclusion blocks.

Prelims Booster

One MCQ a day with instant feedback.

Daily News

28 September 2026

Open Daily News
01

UPI turns 10: the world's largest real-time payment system

Ten years after its public launch on 25 August 2016, UPI has become the world's largest real-time payment system. Annual transactions exploded from 2 crore in FY 2016-17 to over 24,162 crore in FY 2025-26, worth Rs.314.23 lakh crore. With 55.5 crore users, 741 linked banks and acceptance in a dozen-plus countries — from Singapore's PayNow to the Eiffel Tower — UPI now powers 85% of India's digital payments and nearly half of all global real-time transactions.

02

GDP grows 7.8% in Q1, beating RBI's estimate

India's economy grew 7.8% in the April–June quarter of FY 2026-27, surpassing the RBI's 7% projection. Nominal GDP is projected to grow 10.3% with real GVA up 8.2%, attributed to reforms, efficient economic management and the hard work of India's people.

03

Cabinet approves 4 rail multi-tracking projects and Bihar highway upgrade

The Union Cabinet approved four railway multi-tracking projects costing Rs.9,450 crore across West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, adding about 410 km to the rail network. It also approved four-laning the Muzaffarpur–Sitamarhi–Sonbarsa section of NH-22 in Bihar at Rs.3,590.73 crore — called a lifeline for Bihar.

Current Affairs

Today in PIB

Five stories from the Sep 16–30, 2026 issue, simplified for revision.

Ten years after its public launch on 25 August 2016, UPI has become the world's largest real-time payment system. Annual transactions exploded from 2 crore in FY 2016-17 to over 24,162 crore in FY 2025-26, worth Rs.314.23 lakh crore. With 55.5 crore users, 741 linked banks and acceptance in a dozen-plus countries — from Singapore's PayNow to the Eiffel Tower — UPI now powers 85% of India's digital payments and nearly half of all global real-time transactions.

Daily Practice

Question of the Day

With reference to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), consider the following statements: 1. It was launched for the general public by the National Payments Corporation of India in August 2016. 2. Person-to-Merchant (P2M) payments account for nearly two-thirds of total UPI transactions. 3. Following the 2026 amendment to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, banks are empowered to levy service charges on UPI transactions made by all consumers. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Value Addition

Beyond the News

Linkages, data, cases and quotes — ready for answers.

PIB → PYQ Linkage

  • UPI's 12,000× decade of growth

    Prelims loves Digital Public Infrastructure — JAM trinity, NPCI, and payment-system facts recur in Economy papers.

  • Q1 GDP at 7.8%, nominal 10.3%

    Growth-accounting questions test GVA vs GDP and base-effect reading — straight from Economy PYQs.

  • 2017 bamboo legal reform

    Bamboo is a grass, not a tree — the reclassification is classic Environment-prelims material.

  • 26th SCO Summit, Bishkek

    IR questions probe SCO membership, summits and India's S-C-O (Security, Connectivity, Opportunity) pitch.

Data & Reports

24,162 cr

UPI transactions, FY 2025-26

₹314.23 lakh cr

UPI transaction value, FY 2025-26

55.5 cr

Registered UPI users (Jun 2026)

85%

UPI share of India's digital payments

7.8%

GDP growth, Q1 FY27

47.26 cr+

Ayushman cards issued

₹2.06 lakh cr

PMFBY claims paid since 2016

77,692

Phones recovered via Sanchar Saathi (Jul 2026)

55×

Defence exports growth since 2014

13.96M ha

Bamboo coverage in India

Case Study Bank

  • Cycle Chachi

    Rajkumari Devi, known as 'Cycle Chachi', sells pickles on her bicycle in Muzaffarpur. Earlier, customers paid Rs.40-50 less claiming they lacked exact change and often forgot the balance, leaving her with no profit. Since accepting UPI payments, her business has grown — every transaction is easy, fast and secure.

  • Rs.100 premium, Rs.50,600 compensation

    Anwar Hussain, a small farmer of Chankhala village in Assam, lost crops to heavy rainfall. Having registered under PMFBY for a nominal Rs.100 premium, he received Rs.50,600 in compensation — avoiding financial distress and continuing to farm with confidence.

  • Mission ShaktiSAT

    Through Mission ShaktiSAT, 12,000 female students from 108 countries are learning satellite technology and advancing in innovation. Highlighted in Mann Ki Baat, the mission shows how a focused programme can open frontier science to girls worldwide.

  • Avocado

    Hardly known earlier with low value and demand, avocado has become a preferred choice in health and premium markets. Its rising demand is proving highly beneficial for farmers — an example of market-led crop diversification cited in Mann Ki Baat.

Quotes for GS4 & Essay

  • “Our homegrown UPI platform has become a global marvel…”

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi — 'UPI Turns 10' cover story

  • “Reforms are not a compulsion for us, but a matter of commitment and firm conviction.”

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi — ET World Leaders Forum 2026

  • “Jo khele, wo khile — those who play, blossom.”

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi — Khelo India Dialogue

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PIB Saar · New India Samachar, Vol 7 Issue 06