Prelims Current Affairs includes World Bamboo Day 2026, Upi Merchant Discount Rate (Mdr) Framework, 2026 , Kishau Multipurpose Dam Project, Global Gender Gap Index 2026, India Electric Mobility Index 2025, Gift City Rises To 37th Position In Global Ranking & Sethuraman Panchanathan Wins 2026 Bueche Award

IMPORTANT DAYS

1. WORLD BAMBOO DAY 2026

Current Context: World Bamboo Day is observed annually on 18 September to raise awareness about bamboo as a renewable resource and promote its environmental, economic and cultural importance.

ABOUT WORLD BAMBOO DAY

• Established:
• Origin: Declared during the 8th World Bamboo Congress in Bangkok, Thailand.
• Organisation: World Bamboo Organization (WBO).
• Main Objective: Promote sustainable use of bamboo and highlight its contribution to environmental protection and livelihoods
• Theme 2026:“Bamboo for a Regenerative Future: A Global Call to Grow, Build and Prosper with Nature”

ECONOMY

2. UPI MERCHANT DISCOUNT RATE (MDR) FRAMEWORK, 2026

Current Context: The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced a new MDR framework for UPI merchant transactions, effective from 15 October 2026.

ABOUT THE FRAMEWORK

• The framework introduces charges on selected high-value merchant payments while keeping ordinary person-to-person UPI transfers free.

WHAT IS MDR?

• MDR is a fee paid by merchants to payment ecosystem participants, such as banks and payment service providers, for processing digital payments.
• It helps support the financial sustainability of digital payment infrastructure.
• Introduced under:Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007

KEY FEATURES OF NEW MDR FRAMEWORK

• Standard MDR:4% on eligible UPI merchant transactions exceeding ₹2,000.
• Maximum Cap: ₹300 for transactions of ₹75,000 or more.
• Person-to-Person (P2P): No MDR, regardless of transaction amount.
• Small Merchants: Eligible small merchants can receive exemptions under the framework.
• Consumer Protection: Customers should not be charged MDR directly.
• Small-Merchant Fund:5% of total MDR collections for expanding UPI adoption
• Estimated Impact:Only ~4% of merchant transactions will attract MDR; ~96% unaffected 

POLITY

3. KISHAU MULTIPURPOSE DAM PROJECT

Current Context: The Chief Ministers of five states and Delhi signed an agreement in New Delhi to implement the long-pending Kishau Multipurpose Project, estimated to cost approximately ₹15,000 crore.

ABOUT KISHAU PROJECT

• Location: On the Tons River, along the border of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
• Main Purpose: Water storage, irrigation, drinking water supply and hydroelectric power generation.
• Dam:6-metre concrete gravity dam
• Capacity:422 MW hydropower plant
• Irrigation Potential:~97,076 hectares

States Involved:

• Host States:Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand
• Beneficiaries:Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi

REPORTS/INDICES 

4. GLOBAL GENDER GAP INDEX 2026

Current Context: WEF released Global Gender Gap Index 2026, India ranks 131st out of 145 economies.

ABOUT THE INDEX

• India ranked 131st out of 145 economies, with an overall gender parity score of 5%.
• Started:
• Purpose: Measures the gap between women and men in access to opportunities and resources.
• The index assesses gender parity across 4 key dimensions.
• Edition:20th
• Coverage:145 economies
• Four Key Areas:Economic Participation, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, Political Empowerment

Top 5 Countries:

1. Iceland (0.930)
2. Finland (0.872)
3. Norway (0.857)
4. Namibia (0.845)
5. United Kingdom (0.842)

Bottom Countries:

• Chad (145th), Iran (144th), Pakistan (143rd)
• Global Status:2% of global gender gap closed, parity expected in 120 years

REPORTS/INDICES 

5. INDIA ELECTRIC MOBILITY INDEX 2025

Current Context: NITI Aayog and WRI India released IEMI 2025, Delhi tops rankings.

ABOUT IEMI

• NITI Aayog and WRI India released the India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2025, which evaluates electric mobility progress across Indian States and Union Territories.
• Delhi secured the highest score of 84, followed by Maharashtra (78) and Karnataka (73).
• Purpose: Measures the progress of electric mobility across Indian states and UTs.
• It evaluates EV adoption, charging infrastructure and electric vehicle innovation.
• Coverage:36 states and UTs
• Indicators:16 under 3 themes

Key Highlights:

• Median score increased from 36 (2024) to 40 (2025)
• Manipur topped among hilly and northeastern states (46 points)
• Madhya Pradesh highest rank improvement (23 to 7)

REPORTS/INDICES 

6. GIFT CITY RISES TO 37TH POSITION IN GLOBAL RANKING

Current Context: GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) Gandhinagar, Gujarat has climbed 9 places to 37th globally in the 40th edition of the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI 40).

ABOUT THE RANKING

• It is a global ranking of financial centres based on factors such as business environment, human capital, infrastructure, financial-sector development and reputation.
• GFCI is published by Z/Yen Partners in association with the China Development Institute.
• Global Rank: 37th in GFCI 40.
• Previous Rank: 46th in GFCI 39.
• Mumbai Rank:49th (moved up 3 places)
• Asia-Pacific: Among the top 15 financial centres.
• FinTech Rank: 26th globally, improving from 29th.
• GIFT City is India’s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).

AWARDS & HONOURS

7. SETHURAMAN PANCHANATHAN WINS 2026 BUECHE AWARD

Current Context: Indian-American scientist Sethuraman Panchanathan conferred with 2026 Arthur M. Bueche Award.

ABOUT THE AWARD

• Awarded by:S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE)
• Purpose:Contributions to science, engineering, technological innovation and policy
• First Indian-American and Arizonanto receive the award

About Sethuraman Panchanathan:

• Born:24 June 1961, Chennai
• Education:BSc Physics (Madras), BE Electronics (IISc), MTech Electrical (IIT Madras), PhD (University of Ottawa)

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