Today Current Affairs 30 September 2026 – Compiled from official public sources. Daily important news useful for preparation of UPSC, SSC, UPSSC, Defence and Police competitive exams.
Art and Culture
Jharkhand’s traditional musical instrument Mandar gets Geographical Indication tag
The traditional musical instrument Mandar, deeply rooted in the folk culture and tribal life of Jharkhand, has received official recognition with a Geographical Indication tag on 29 September 2026.
- The traditional folk instrument Mandar of Jharkhand has been accorded a GI tag, giving legal recognition to its distinctive geographical and cultural identity.
Awards and Honors
NIFT wins two silver medals, Medal of Excellence at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026
The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has won two silver medals and a medal of excellence at the recently concluded 48th World Skills Competition in Shanghai, China, in 2026.
- The Ministry of Textiles said this reflects the expanding role of fashion education across creative, digital and retail-oriented skill domains.
- The competition, held from 23rd to 26th of this month, was attended by more than 1,400 young competitors from around 68 countries and regions across 64 Skills.
- With its largest-ever contingent of 70 young competitors across 63 skills, India secured 10th place with 6 Silver Medals and 20 Medals of Excellence.
Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Felicitates 20 Award-Winning Artists at National Exhibition of Arts
The 65th National Exhibition of Art, organised by the Lalit Kala Akademi, was held on September 29, 2026, in New Delhi.
- Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Government of India, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest.
- Mishra, Joint Secretary (Akademies), Ministry of Culture; and Shri Rajeev Kumar, Secretary, Lalit Kala Akademi, along with Padma Shri awardees Shri Sudhakar Olwe, Shri Sudarshan Patnaik, and Shri Ashok Kumar Vishwas were present on the occasion.
- He invited members of the public, art enthusiasts and visitors to view the 65th National Exhibition of Art at Rabindra Bhawan, New Delhi, which has been extended until October 31, 2026.
International
Indian, ASEAN navies participate in second ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise in Philippines
Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri and Kulish, along with BRP Jose Rizal, BRP Tarlac and RSS Justice from ASEAN member states, are participating in the second ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME) in the Philippines today on 29 September 2026.
- According to the Indian Embassy in the Philippines, the exercise is co-hosted by the Indian Navy and the Philippine Navy, bringing together navies of ASEAN Member States and India to strengthen mutual understanding, cooperation and interoperability at sea.
- The exercise will feature subject matter expert exchanges on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, maritime domain awareness, logistics, and women, peace and security.
National
UIDAI unveils five new initiatives at Aadhaar Samvaad Kolkata to further advance trusted digital identity and good governance
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) today conducted a day long stakeholders conference with ecosystem partners to deliberate and share ideas to further enhance service delivery, improve convenience by using Aadhaar and contribute to the larger good of people.
- Over 600 stakeholders including senior policy makers, industry leaders, technocrats, and professionals came together for the ‘Aadhaar Samvaad’ in Kolkata, which coincided with the 17th Aadhaar Day.
- The event was graced by Shri Jitin Prasada, Minister of State, Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology as the chief guest and marked an important milestone in Aadhaar’s continuing evolution as a trusted digital identity infrastructure for India.
- He underlined that the product launches on the 17th Aadhaar Day is in sync with this resident centricity philosophy.
Sports
India clinches gold in Women’s 4×400m relay, Neeru Dhanda wins trap gold; Overall medal tally reaches 53
In the Asian Games 2026, India today delivered a strong medal haul, adding eight medals, including two Gold, one Silver and five Bronze medals in relay, shooting, athletics and Boxing.
- India won the women’s 4 x 400 metre relay, clocking 3 minutes 29.69 seconds at Nagoya in Japan.