1 India retained its 131st position among 145 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index 2026.
India has retained its 131st position out of 145 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index 2026 released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) . India has achieved an overall gender equality score of 64.5% and retained its 131st position out of 145 countries. Although this represents an improvement of 4.3 percentage points compared to the first edition in 2006, India still lags behind the global average of 69.2% . Political Empowerment: India has achieved 24.5% gender parity in political representation. However, women’s representation at the ministerial level is only 5.9%, significantly lower than the peak of 30% recorded in 2019. Economic Participation: This is a major challenge area, where women have achieved only 41.2% parity in the labour force compared to men. Although women’s representation in professional and technical sectors has doubled to 49.9% since 2006, women’s participation in senior leadership and managerial roles remains at only 13.1%. Iceland retained its top spot globally for the 17th consecutive year, having closed 93% of its gender gap (the only country to surpass the 90% mark). Finland and Norway followed . Australia entered the top 10 countries for the first time. Chad ranked lowest at 145th , while Pakistan and Iran also shared the bottom three .
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation to the high-level meeting during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York . The External Affairs Minister will also address the UN General Assembly on the 26th of this month . During the visit, he will also participate in various multilateral and bilateral meetings.
3 The Indian Air Force and Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s ‘Veer Rakshak 2026’ exercise will conclude on Tuesday.
The Indian Air Force is conducting the bilateral air exercise Veer Rakshak 2026 with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force at Jodhpur Air Force Station . The 14-day exercise will conclude on Tuesday. The exercise focuses on advanced operational missions and extensive professional coordination between the two air forces. The Indian Air Force is participating with a variety of frontline fighter aircraft, including the indigenous light combat aircraft Tejas, Su-30MKI and Rafale. Japan is participating in the exercise with its F-2A fighter aircraft.
The 13th edition of the bilateral maritime exercise “SLINEX-26” between India and Sri Lanka is being held in Visakhapatnam from 17 to 21 September 2026. The exercise commenced with a harbor phase, followed by a sea phase. The Indian Navy will be represented by the indigenously built anti-submarine warfare ship INS Kavaratti and the fleet tanker ship INS Jyoti. The Sri Lankan Navy will be represented by SLNS Sindurala.
5 India’s first soil carbon payment initiative
India’s agricultural carbon market recently reached the farm level , as more than 2,500 small farmers in Punjab and Haryana received digital payments for adopting regenerative agricultural practices under the Aadi Kisan Carbon Program . The Aadi program was launched in 2019 by Grow Indigo under the technical guidance of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to link sustainable agricultural practices with additional farmer income . Farmers adopted regenerative practices such as Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR), reduced tillage, and crop residue management between 2019 and 2022 to improve soil health and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions . Farmers received payments based on the share of carbon credits generated from their fields, with the first payment ranging from ₹3,000 to ₹15,000 . The initiative covers over two million acres of land and over 100,000 farmers across seven states, making it one of India’s leading agricultural carbon programmes.
The Arunachal Pradesh State Scout and Guide Fellowship has been awarded the D.S. Mahajan Excellence Award for the Best State for the year 2025-26 by the Indian Scout and Guide Fellowship . The award was presented during the 36th General Assembly of the Indian Scout and Guide Fellowship held in Kannur, Kerala . This honour is a significant achievement for the Arunachal Pradesh State Scout and Guide Fellowship. The award recognizes efforts to promote the ideals of Scouting and Guiding, including friendship, service, discipline, and brotherhood.
7 Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme
The Assam government recently highlighted the success of the pygmy hog conservation program , which has significantly increased the pygmy hog population in the state over the past three decades. The pygmy hog ( Porcula salvinia ) is the world’s smallest wild pig and the only surviving species of the genus Porcula . It is endemic to the Indian subcontinent and is closely associated with the tall, moist alluvial grasslands of the Himalayan foothills. Historically, it ranged from Uttar Pradesh to Assam, including the Terai region of Nepal and the Dooars region of Bengal. After decades of being unaccounted for and considered extinct, the pygmy hog was rediscovered in Assam in 1971. Its surviving wild population is currently confined primarily to Assam, particularly the Manas region. It is the smallest of the hogs, characterized by a very small body, small ears and tail, small median hooves, streamlined body structure, and the absence of facial warts found in many other hogs. The pygmy hog inhabits undisturbed tall grasslands of riverine ecosystems, consisting of dense grasses, herbaceous vegetation, shrubs, and small trees.
India’s Elavenil Valarivan has won the silver medal in the women’s individual 10m air rifle event at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan . She added the individual silver medal to her earlier team silver . 2025 World Championship bronze medallist Elavenil shot 252.4 in the final to finish behind Japan’s Hinata Taichi , who won the gold medal with a record 253 points. Earlier, India won the silver medal in the women’s 10m air rifle team event at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The team of Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidharsa Vinod won the country’s first medal. China won the gold medal with 1904.2 points , while India retained its second position with 1897 points.
9 Suchika Tariyal makes history, secures bronze medal in mixed martial arts at Asian Games
Suchika Tariyal has made history. She has become the first Indian athlete to win a bronze medal in mixed martial arts by advancing to the semifinals of the women’s traditional 60kg category at the Aichi-Nagoya Games . Suchika displayed a composed performance against Mongolia’s Altankhimeg Baigalmaa. With this victory, Suchika advanced to the semifinals and secured India’s first medal in martial arts .
The Railway Protection Force ‘s Raising Day is celebrated every year on September 20. On September 20, 1985, Parliament amended the RPF Act, granting it the status of ” an armed force of the Union .” Its motto is ” Yasho Labhasva ,” which means ” Achieve Glory ” in Hindi.
11 World Cleanup Day
The United Nations passed a resolution on December 8, 2023 , declaring September 20th as World Cleanup Day every year . In 2026, the focus of the day will be food waste, and the theme is ” From Clean Plates to Clean Cities .” Its message is that urban cleanliness isn’t just about cleaning streets and public spaces, but rather needs to begin in the home and kitchen.