Current Affairs Quiz 19th and 20th September 2026 Quiz

Ans.c

Explanation: India’s cheetah population has increased to 52 four years after their reintroduction from Namibia, South Africa and Botswana. Of these, 49 are in Kuno National Park and 3 in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.

Ans.d

Explanation:

• The QS Global MBA Rankings 2027 have been released, with MIT Sloan School of Management in the United States securing the top position globally. This year, 19 Indian business schools feature in the rankings, with three Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) making it to the global top 100. Five Indian institutions have entered the rankings for the first time.
• The top Indian entries include IIM Bangalore at 64th globally, followed by IIM Ahmedabad at 70th and IIM Calcutta at 95th. IIM Bangalore’s Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP) is the highest-ranked Indian programme in the QS Global MBA 2027 rankings.

Ans.c

Explanation:

• India has retained its 131st rank out of 145 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index 2026, released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) based in Geneva, Switzerland.
• The 2026 edition marks the 20th anniversary edition of the index (launched in 2006).
• India achieved an overall gender parity score of 64.5%, which is below the global average of 69.2%.

Four Dimensions for India:

• Educational Attainment: India’s strongest dimension at 96.6% parity.
• Political Empowerment: Closed 24.5% of the gap, ranking 67th globally.
• Health and Survival: Reached 95.6% parity.
• Economic Participation and Opportunity: A major weakness at 41.2% parity.

Top 5 Performers

• Iceland (1st, 93.0% gender gap closed)
• Finland (2nd, 87.2% gender gap closed)
• Norway (3rd, 85.7% gender gap closed)
• Namibia (4th, 84.5% gender gap closed)
• United Kingdom (5th, 84.2% gender gap closed)

Bottom 3 Performers (Lowest Ranks)

• Chad (145th / Last place, 57.8% gender gap closed)
• Iran (144th, 58.5% gender gap closed)
• Pakistan (143rd, 59.5% gender gap closed)

Ans.d

Explanation:

• NITI Aayog released the India Electric Mobility Index 2025 on 15 September 2026 in collaboration with WRI India, making it the second edition of the index after 2024.
• Delhi emerged as the top performer with a score of 84, followed by Maharashtra (78), Karnataka (73), Chandigarh (71) and Goa (65). These five jurisdictions were classified as Top Performers.
• The overall scores of the 36 States and Union Territories ranged from 10 to 84, while the median score increased from 36 in 2024 to 40 in 2025, indicating broad but uneven improvement.
• Madhya Pradesh recorded the most notable improvement in ranking, moving from 23rd to 7th position, while Delhi increased its score from 77 to 84 and Maharashtra from 68 to 78.

Ans.d

Explanation:

• The PM Vishwakarma scheme has completed three years with 30 lakh traditional artisans and craftspeople registered across the country, of whom around 24.50 lakh have received basic skill training, Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said at the scheme’s third anniversary celebrations in Kolkata.
• Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, 2023, PM Vishwakarma seeks to strengthen the livelihoods and entrepreneurial capabilities of traditional artisans through skill training, modern toolkits, concessional credit and market support, to provide end-to-end holistic support to traditional artisans and craftspeople working with their hands and tools.

Ans.d

Explanation: IRDAI imposed a ₹1 crore penalty on Canara HSBC Life Insurance on September 10, 2026, over the mis-selling of a deferred annuity policy to an 88-year-old customer.

Ans.b

Explanation:

• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) fined Canara HSBC Life Insurance ₹1 crore on September 10, 2026, for mis-selling a deferred annuity policy to an 88-year-old customer through Canara Bank. The regulator acted after taking suo-motu notice of a social media post detailing the violation.
• The order offers several lessons for senior citizens and their families when buying annuity or other long-term insurance products, particularly through bank branches.

Ans.e

Explanation: Moody’s raised India’s FY2026-27 real GDP growth forecast to 7% from 6%, citing stronger private consumption, investment and infrastructure spending, among other factors.

Ans.c

Explanation: N. Chandrasekaran was reappointed as Executive Chairman of Tata Sons for a fresh five-year term, extending his leadership beyond February 20, 2027.

Ans.c

Explanation:

• Nobel laureate and University of Chicago professor Michael Kremer will take over as the World Bank Group’s chief economist on October 1, heading research for the institution and succeeding Indermit Gill, who retired last month.
• Michael Kremer was awarded the 2019 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences (Nobel Prize in economics) jointly with Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo “for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty”.
• He is the first chief economist to join with a Nobel; other Nobel laureates, including Joseph Stiglitz and Paul Romer, received the honour after serving as the bank’s chief economist.

Ans.b

Explanation:

• Indian American engineer and technology policy expert Sethuraman Panchanathan has been named the 2026 recipient of the Arthur M. Bueche Award by the US National Academy of Engineering (NAE), making him the first Indian American to receive the honour in its more than 40-year history.
• Sethuraman Panchanathan, a University Professor of Technology and Innovation at Arizona State University (ASU) and former director of the US National Science Foundation (NSF), will receive the award in October at the NAE’s annual meeting in Washington, DC.
• The award recognises contributions to US science and technology policy, technological development and collaboration between industry, government and universities.
• The NAE honoured Panchanathan “for leadership in promoting fundamental science, technology and policy that advances translational research and expands opportunities nationwide.”

Ans.c

Explanation:

• Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag has been named the recipient of the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024 for his remarkable five-decade contribution to Indian cinema.
• He is only the second Kannada actor to win this award, following Dr. Rajkumar in 1995. Over 300 films across Kannada, Hindi, and other languages.
• 72nd National Film Awards ceremony in Kevadia, Gujarat. India’s highest honor in cinema, featuring a Swarna Kamal medallion, a shawl, and a ₹10 lakh cash prize.

Ans.c

Explanation: Gondhal, a Marathi thriller directed by Santosh Davakhar, was announced as India’s official entry for the Oscars 2027 in the Best International Feature category.

Ans.c

Explanation: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) signed two MoUs with IIT Kanpur to enhance cyber security and drone/anti-drone capabilities for protecting critical and strategic infrastructure.

Ans.b

Explanation: The book A Century of Service: The RSS in 100 Acts of Seva was authored by former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and released by Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan.

Ans.c

Explanation: International Red Panda Day 2026 was observed on September 19, which fell on the third Saturday of September. Its 2026 theme/slogan was “Run for Red Pandas.

Ans.b

Explanation:

• International Equal Pay Day is observed on September 18, 2026, as highlighted by the International Labour Organization. The day aims to achieve equal pay for work of equal value and eliminate gender-based wage discrimination.
• Women globally earn significantly less than men on average, highlighting persistent systemic and economic disparities.
• Theme 2026: “Equal Pay for work of equal value — For everyone, everywhere”.

Ans.c

Explanation: Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas, popularly known as Alla Nani, was a former Deputy Chief Minister and Health and Family Welfare Minister of Andhra Pradesh. He died at the age of 56.