Daily UPSC Current Affairs | Today 23rd September 2026 – The Hindu Analysis
By-virendr@ | Today’s Daily UPSC Current Affairs digest picks up six stories straight from The Hindu that matter for both Prelims and Mains. The Supreme Court has stepped in on the row over singing Vande Mataram, questioning whether the 2026 amendment to the National Honour law can override a citizen’s religious freedom. On the trade front, Indian exporters are watching the US closely as fresh Section 301 probes against competitor nations could reshape tariff math for India’s own trade deal. There’s also a quieter but important economic story on how India is trying to make its arbitration ecosystem more investor-friendly through its expanding BIT and FTA network. Add to this the 72nd National Film Awards results, RBI’s liquidity management tool VRRR, and the newly approved PM Surya Sarovar Yojana for floating solar power — and you have a well-rounded polity, economy, environment and culture update for today.
Daily UPSC Current Affairs | OVERVIEW
| Topic | GS Paper / Relevance | Why in News (One Line) |
|---|---|---|
| SC on National Song (Vande Mataram) | GS II – Polity, Fundamental Rights | SC questioned if the 2026 amendment penalising refusal to sing Vande Mataram violates religious freedom |
| US Section 301 Investigations | GS III – International Trade, Economy | Fresh US probes on India’s trade rivals could affect the pending India-US trade deal timeline |
| Strengthening Arbitration via BIT & FTA | GS II – International Relations, Governance | India’s expanding treaty network is being used to build a stronger domestic arbitration ecosystem |
| 72nd National Film Awards 2024 | Prelims – Art & Culture | President Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Film Awards at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat |
| Variable Rate Reverse Repo (VRRR) | Prelims – Indian Economy, Monetary Policy | RBI absorbed ₹71,971 crore surplus liquidity through a VRRR auction |
| PM Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY) | GS III – Environment, Energy Security | Cabinet approved a ₹5,070 crore scheme to boost floating solar power with storage |
DAILY UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS | SC ON NATIONAL SONG (VANDE MATARAM)
Heading & Syllabus Mapping
GS Paper II — Indian Polity, Fundamental Rights (Articles 25 & 26), and the Supreme Court’s role in balancing state authority with individual conscience.
Why in News?
A courtroom debate that sounds almost philosophical made headlines this week. Carnatic vocalist T.M. Krishna moved the Supreme Court against the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026, which now makes it a criminal offence to disrupt or refuse to join in the singing of the National Song, Vande Mataram, on par with the National Anthem. A three-judge Bench led by CJI Surya Kant admitted the plea and sought a response from the Union government, setting up what could become one of the year’s most closely watched constitutional cases.
Core Facts & Background
- Vande Mataram was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, first published in the journal Bangadarshan in 1875, and later included in his novel Anandamath (1882).
- Rabindranath Tagore set it to music and sang it at the 1896 Indian National Congress session in Calcutta; it became a rallying slogan during the Swadeshi movement of 1905.
- The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 originally protected only the National Flag, the Constitution and the National Anthem (Jana Gana Mana) under Section 3.
- The 2026 Amendment extends the same Section 3 protection to Vande Mataram, making it an offence to intentionally prevent its singing or disrupt an assembly singing it — punishable with up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both, with a mandatory minimum one-year term for repeat offenders.
- Justice Joymalya Bagchi, part of the Bench, observed that while the state can decide the scope of a National Song, it cannot override an individual’s right under Articles 25 and 26 to decline reciting it — reaffirming the logic of the 1986 Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala judgment, which protected students who declined to sing the National Anthem on religious grounds.
- The petitioner’s lawyers argued that stanzas three to six of Vande Mataram are explicitly devotional and deity-invoking, and that compelling their recitation conflicts with the secular character of the Constitution.
- The Centre, represented by the Solicitor-General, defended the law as a matter of national protocol rather than religious imposition.
Pros & Cons
| Arguments Supporting the Amendment | Concerns Raised Against It |
|---|---|
| Gives Vande Mataram equal statutory respect as the National Anthem, honouring its freedom-struggle legacy | Later stanzas are devotional in nature, which critics say conflicts with India’s secular framework |
| Aims to prevent public disruption of official functions and ceremonies | Criminal penalty for personal refusal may infringe on religious freedom under Articles 25-26 |
| Follows a structured legislative process through Parliament | Critics say the law-making process lacked broader public debate and consensus |
| Symbolic recognition of a song central to India’s independence movement | Risks being read as majoritarian signalling rather than neutral national protocol |
Way Forward
The Supreme Court is expected to closely examine whether the 2026 amendment and the accompanying administrative circulars cross the line between legitimate state symbolism and compelled religious expression. A balanced approach — allowing celebration of the National Song’s historical significance while preserving individual conscience, much like the 1986 precedent did for the Anthem — is likely to guide the final verdict.
DAILY UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS | US SECTION 301 INVESTIGATIONS & INDIA-US TRADE DEAL
Heading & Syllabus Mapping
GS Paper III — Indian Economy, International Trade, Effect of Foreign Policies on India’s Interests.
Why in News?
Just when an India-US trade agreement seemed within reach, a fresh complication has emerged. Reports suggest Washington is preparing new Section 301 investigations against several of India’s key export competitors — Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines — which could delay the conclusion of any bilateral deal until the tariff picture for the whole region becomes clearer.
Core Facts & Background
- Section 301 of the US Trade Act allows the United States Trade Representative to investigate and act against what it considers unfair foreign trade practices, functioning as an alternative route to reciprocal tariffs.
- Earlier this year, the US Supreme Court ruled that President Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” were an unlawful use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), pushing the administration to rely more on Section 301-style probes instead.
- Two rounds of Section 301 probes were launched in March 2026 — one targeting forced labour practices and another targeting “excess capacity” in manufacturing.
- Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines were investigated for forced labour, but curiously left off the excess-capacity probe list, even though India was included there — something insiders reportedly call a “strategic mistake” that unintentionally favoured Pakistan.
- Under the interim India-US trade arrangement announced via a joint statement, India’s general tariff rate for entry into the US stands around 18%, while regional competitors face steeper rates — Pakistan (19%), Vietnam (20%), Sri Lanka (20%) and Bangladesh (19%) — giving India a relative edge.
- Nepal and the Maldives, meanwhile, were excluded from reciprocal tariffs and continue trading with the US on a Most Favoured Nation (MFN) basis.
- Adding another layer, the US recently enacted the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, empowering tariffs of up to 100% on the top five importers of Russian oil — a group that includes both India and China.
Prelims Terms to Remember
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Section 301 | US investigation mechanism into potentially unfair foreign trade practices |
| MFN (Most Favoured Nation) | Despite the name, it means non-discriminatory, equal tariff treatment among WTO members, subject to exceptions |
| Reciprocal Tariff | Tariff approach mirroring the treatment faced by US exports abroad |
| Excess Capacity | Production capacity exceeding what the domestic or available market can absorb |
Pros & Cons
| How This Helps India | Risks for India |
|---|---|
| Competitors facing higher tariffs could make Indian exports relatively more price-competitive | Prolonged uncertainty could delay finalisation of the India-US trade pact |
| Interim deal already gives India a tariff edge over Pakistan, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka | New sanctions law on Russian oil imports adds fresh tariff risk for India |
| Opens room for India to negotiate more favourable terms while rivals are under investigation | Overdependence on the US market leaves India exposed to sudden policy swings |
Way Forward
Experts suggest India should use this window to diversify its export markets rather than lean too heavily on the US, while simultaneously improving cost competitiveness, product quality and manufacturing scale. Strengthening domestic value chains and negotiating for predictable, stable tariff treatment will matter more than short-term gains from a rival’s misfortune.
DAILY UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS | STRENGTHENING ARBITRATION THROUGH BIT & FTA POLICY
Heading & Syllabus Mapping
GS Paper II — International Relations, Bilateral Agreements, Governance and Institutional Reform.
Why in News?
India’s growing web of trade and investment treaties isn’t just about market access — it’s quietly reshaping how commercial disputes get resolved at home. An opinion piece by Arun Chawla, Director General of the Indian Council of Arbitration, argues that India’s Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) and Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) can be used more deliberately to strengthen the domestic arbitration ecosystem.
Core Facts & Background
- India has recently signed BITs with the UAE (2024), Israel (2025) and Uzbekistan (2024), and FTAs with New Zealand (April 2026), the UK (July 2025), the European Free Trade Association (March 2024), and Oman (signed December 2025).
- A BIT protects foreign investors from a partner country against unfair treatment by the host state, while an FTA primarily reduces tariffs and trade barriers between countries.
- Most of India’s recent FTAs have deliberately excluded Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) clauses, since a large share of foreign investment in India flows through direct contracts with Indian state agencies rather than through treaty-based claims.
- Where India’s BITs do include ISDS — such as the India-Uzbekistan BIT — they carefully separate treaty-based arbitration from ordinary commercial arbitration arising out of a contract, and require investors to first exhaust local remedies before approaching ISDS.
- The government has also signalled it does not favour third-party funding in ISDS claims, since such funding could indirectly influence a country’s sovereign regulatory decisions.
- The article’s central suggestion: future BITs and FTAs should include clear language explaining that skipping ISDS doesn’t mean investors lack recourse — India’s domestic arbitration framework, backed by the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, and a more pro-arbitration judiciary, can serve as a credible alternative.
Pros & Cons
| Benefits of This Approach | Challenges |
|---|---|
| Builds investor confidence through predictable domestic dispute-resolution mechanisms | Excessive ISDS claims can constrain the government’s regulatory and policy space |
| Reduces dependence on lengthy court proceedings via faster commercial arbitration | Requiring exhaustion of local remedies before ISDS can lengthen dispute timelines |
| Positions India as a potential global arbitration hub | Third-party funding in arbitration still lacks a clear regulatory framework |
| Balances investor protection with India’s right to regulate in public interest | Investors may still be wary of litigating disputes in Indian courts |
Way Forward
The piece calls for a clearer line between investment arbitration (ISDS) and ordinary commercial arbitration, standardised and transparent domestic arbitration rules, and dedicated regulation for third-party funding. Continued strengthening of arbitration institutions and pro-arbitration court rulings would help India realise its ambition of becoming a trusted global arbitration destination.
DAILY UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS | 72ND NATIONAL FILM AWARDS (2024)
Heading & Syllabus Mapping
Prelims — Art, Culture and Government Recognition in Cinema.
Why in News?
President Droupadi Murmu presented the 72nd National Film Awards for 2024 at Ekta Nagar, near the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, honouring achievements across Indian cinema and using the occasion to urge popular actors not to endorse products harmful to public health.
Core Facts & Background
- Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag received the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, cinema’s highest honour, for his lifelong contribution to Indian film.
- Yami Gautam, Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan were conferred the Best Actor awards in the female and male categories respectively.
- The Hindi film Article 370, directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale, won the Best Feature Film award.
- Mammootty’s win for Bramayugam placed him alongside Amitabh Bachchan with a record-equalling fourth Best Actor win.
- Actor-turned-director Randeep Hooda took home the Best Debut Film of a Director award for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar.
- Tamil film Amaran, directed by Rajkumar Periasamy, won Best Direction; Bhangaar won Best Non-Feature Film.
- President Murmu appealed to popular artistes to avoid endorsing harmful products, reminding them that their influence over young audiences carries responsibility.
Way Forward
The National Film Awards continue to serve as an important marker of artistic merit and cultural recognition, and this year’s ceremony also spotlighted a broader conversation on the social responsibility of celebrities in an age of mass media influence.
DAILY UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS | VARIABLE RATE REVERSE REPO (VRRR)
Heading & Syllabus Mapping
Prelims — Indian Economy, Monetary Policy Tools, Banking.
Why in News?
The Reserve Bank of India conducted an overnight Variable Rate Reverse Repo (VRRR) auction, absorbing ₹71,971 crore of surplus liquidity from the banking system — a routine but important signal of how the RBI is managing excess cash sloshing around in banks.
Core Facts & Background
- VRRR is the rate at which banks voluntarily park surplus funds with the RBI in exchange for interest, used as a tool to suck out excess liquidity from the system.
- Unlike the fixed reverse repo rate, VRRR is decided through a competitive bidding/auction process, where banks quote the rate at which they’re willing to park funds, and the RBI accepts based on the best bids.
- The latest VRRR auction was conducted for ₹75,000 crore, and bids were received for 96% of the notified amount, settling at a cut-off rate of 5.24% for an overnight tenor.
- The RBI has been actively absorbing surplus liquidity partly because of an overwhelming response to a special NRI deposit scheme, which brought in about $133 billion, flooding the banking system with extra cash.
- Excess liquidity, if left unchecked, can be inflationary, since more money chasing the same goods pushes prices up.
- The operation also helps bring the overnight call money rate closer in line with the repo rate, ahead of a potential rate revision cycle.
Way Forward
Frequent VRRR auctions indicate the RBI’s continued vigilance in fine-tuning liquidity conditions, balancing the twin goals of financial stability and inflation control as large capital inflows like NRI deposits interact with the domestic money market.
DAILY UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS | PM SURYA SAROVAR YOJANA (PM-SSY)
Heading & Syllabus Mapping
GS Paper III — Environment, Renewable Energy, Infrastructure and Energy Security.
Why in News?
With land turning into one of the biggest bottlenecks for India’s renewable energy push, the Union Cabinet has approved the PM Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY), a ₹5,070 crore scheme aimed at developing floating solar capacity on reservoirs and other inland water bodies — while also spotlighting India’s underused canal network as a land-free path to solar power.
Core Facts & Background
- PM-SSY is a Central Sector Scheme to promote Floating Solar Photovoltaic (FSPV) projects integrated with Energy Storage Systems (ESS).
- The scheme has a total outlay of ₹5,070 crore to develop 5,000 MW of floating solar capacity between FY 2026-27 and FY 2030-31.
- It is based on an assessment by the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), which estimates India’s floating solar potential at 102.18 GWp, against a current installed base of only around 700 MW.
- Every project must include co-located energy storage with a minimum 2-hour capacity, adding up to 10,000 MWh of storage across the scheme.
- Developers get Central Financial Assistance of ₹1 crore per MW after successful commissioning, plus up to ₹50 lakh per project for feasibility studies like bathymetry, hydrography and environmental assessments.
- The scheme is expected to cut around 10 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually and generate 16,000-17,000 full-time equivalent jobs.
- India’s existing canal-top photovoltaics (CTPV) technology — separate from floating solar — mounts panels on elevated structures directly over canals rather than on water. It requires virtually no additional land, and in Punjab alone, a 20 MW CTPV installation is estimated to have saved nearly 100 acres of land.
- India’s first canal-top solar installation came up in Mehsana, Gujarat (2012) on the Narmada Canal; the country’s largest floating solar project overall is the Omkareshwar Floating Solar Park on the Narmada River (278 MW, with plans to expand to 600 MW) — also known as the world’s first large-scale floating solar plant of its kind on a river reservoir.
- India’s overall solar capacity has grown from just 3 GW in 2014 to around 129 GW in 2025, supporting the national target of 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.
PM-SSY at a Glance
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Outlay | ₹5,070 crore |
| Capacity Target | 5,000 MW Floating Solar |
| Storage Mandate | 10,000 MWh (minimum 2 hours per project) |
| Implementation Period | FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31 |
| CO₂ Reduction | ~10 million tonnes annually |
| Employment | 16,000-17,000 FTE jobs |
Pros & Cons
| Advantages | Challenges |
|---|---|
| Requires virtually no additional land, unlike ground-mounted solar | High system and structural costs compared to ground-mounted plants |
| Reduces water evaporation from reservoirs and canals | Site-specific feasibility varies with canal width, orientation and geometry |
| Water beneath panels can offer a natural cooling effect, improving efficiency | Maintenance is harder for structures elevated above flowing water |
| Supports both irrigation/water transport and power generation simultaneously | Requires nearby grid connectivity and substation infrastructure |
Way Forward
Experts suggest prioritising high-potential canal stretches through proper technical mapping, developing standardised safety specifications for CTPV structures, and improving coordination between irrigation departments, renewable energy agencies and electricity utilities. Pilot projects will be key to building the experience needed to eventually scale both floating and canal-top solar nationwide.
DAILY UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS | FAQs
Q1. What did the Supreme Court say about singing Vande Mataram? The Supreme Court observed that while the state can decide the format of the National Song, it cannot force a conscientious objector to sing it, citing the 1986 Bijoe Emmanuel judgment on religious freedom under Articles 25 and 26.
Q2. What are US Section 301 investigations and why do they matter for India? Section 301 lets the US investigate unfair foreign trade practices. Fresh probes against India’s competitors like Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines could delay India’s own trade deal with the US while also affecting relative tariff advantages.
Q3. What is the difference between a BIT and an FTA? A Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) protects foreign investors from unfair treatment by a host state, while a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) primarily focuses on reducing tariffs and trade barriers between countries.
Q4. What is Variable Rate Reverse Repo (VRRR)? VRRR is a monetary policy tool through which the RBI absorbs excess liquidity from banks via a competitive auction, helping control inflation and align short-term rates.
Q5. What is the objective of the PM Surya Sarovar Yojana? PM-SSY aims to develop 5,000 MW of floating solar capacity with integrated energy storage on India’s reservoirs and water bodies, reducing dependence on land-based solar projects.
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