CLAT 2027 Daily Current Affairs - September 18, 2026 | US-Russia Sanctions Bill, Navodaya Case in SC, Kosovo V

1. U.S. House clears Russia sanctions Bill; India faces tariff threat

In the news: The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, 2026 by a vote of 262-159. The Bill allows the U.S. President to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries buying Russian oil and gas. It mainly targets the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or natural gas in the 12 months before the law takes effect. Countries helping others evade sanctions are also covered.

Some countries could be exempt. This includes countries that have significantly reduced their Russian gas imports or get less than 15% of Russia's total gas exports. India's Ministry of External Affairs said India will continue to focus on energy security and protect its trade and economic interests.

What CLAT 2027 aspirants should know

• Secondary sanctions: Penalties on third countries for doing business with a sanctioned country.

• Strategic autonomy: India's approach of taking independent foreign policy decisions.

• Tariff: A tax or duty imposed on imports.

• Energy security: Ensuring a steady and affordable supply of energy.

• Bilateral relations: Relations between two countries, in this case India and the U.S.

MCQs

Q1. What do secondary sanctions refer to in the context of the Russia sanctions Bill?

A) Sanctions imposed only on domestic companies

B) Penalties imposed on third countries dealing with a sanctioned country

C) Tariffs imposed on domestic imports

D) Restrictions imposed by international courts

Answer: B

Q2. What is the maximum tariff that the Bill allows the U.S. President to impose on target countries?

A) 25%

B) 50%

C) 75%

D) 100%

Answer: D

Q3. Which term best describes India's approach of taking independent foreign policy decisions without fully aligning with a major power bloc?

A) Collective security

B) Strategic autonomy

C) Economic protectionism

D) Bilateralism

Answer: B

2. Navodaya case: SC tells Tamil Nadu to change "anti-Hindi" mindset

In the news: The Supreme Court on Thursday said Tamil Nadu must change the "mindset" that Hindi cannot be taught in the State, while hearing a case on adoption of the Navodaya Vidyalaya Scheme. A Bench of Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice A.G. Masih gave the State three months to comply with a December 15, 2025 order to identify land for Navodaya schools in each district. Tamil Nadu has opposed the scheme as "fundamentally incompatible" with its two-language policy, citing the Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act, 2006. Senior advocate Jaideep Gupta argued that Navodaya is an optional Central policy and 'education' falls in the Concurrent List.

What CLAT 2027 aspirants should know

• Concurrent List (List III): Subjects on which both Parliament and State legislatures can make laws; education is part of this list.

• Mandamus: A writ issued by a court directing a public authority to perform a public duty.

• Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act, 2006: State legislation cited as the basis for opposing the three-language formula.

• Navodaya Vidyalaya Scheme: A Central government scheme for setting up residential schools across districts.

• Judicial review of policy: Courts can direct compliance with existing orders but generally cannot mandate adoption of an optional Central policy.

MCQs

Q1. Which List of the Seventh Schedule includes "education," as cited by the State's counsel in this case?

A) Union List

B) State List

C) Concurrent List

D) Residuary List

Answer: C

Q2. Which judge of the Supreme Court made the oral observation that "individual States cannot act like individual countries"?

A) Justice Surya Kant

B) Justice B.V. Nagarathna

C) Justice A.G. Masih

D) Justice D.Y. Chandrachud

Answer: B

Q3. What is a writ of "mandamus," as referenced in the case?

A) A writ ordering release of a detained person
B) A writ directing a public authority to perform its legal duty

C) A writ quashing an unconstitutional law

D) A writ restraining a lower court from exceeding jurisdiction

Answer: B

3. Delhi SIR discrepancies plea to get "precedence" in Supreme Court

In the news: The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to give precedence to a writ petition raising discrepancies in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Delhi's electoral roll, with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant saying it would be listed on Monday. The plea, filed by activists Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri, flagged that more than 47 lakh names were removed as per the draft roll, and the Election Commission is preparing notices to 33 lakh more people. Of 97,53,577 electors listed on the draft Delhi SIR roll, 33,12,919 electors (33.96%) are being issued notices for either "no mapping" (13,79,785) or "logical discrepancies" (19,33,134). The petition says the EC has not defined the term "logical discrepancies" or laid down guidelines to categorise them.

What CLAT 2027 aspirants should know

• Article 32: Guarantees the right to move the Supreme Court for enforcement of fundamental rights through writs.

• Article 324: Vests the Election Commission of India with power to superintend, direct and control elections.

• Special Intensive Revision (SIR): A process of intensive revision of electoral rolls conducted by the Election Commission.

• Writ petition: A formal request to a court seeking a specific remedy through one of the constitutional writs.

• Mapping (in electoral rolls): Verification of a voter's details against earlier records or family/generational voting data.

MCQs

Q1. Which Article empowers the Supreme Court to issue writs for enforcement of fundamental rights?

A) Article 21

B) Article 32

C) Article 226

D) Article 300

Answer: B

Q2. Approximately what percentage of electors on the draft Delhi SIR roll were issued notices?

A) 13.96%

B) 23.96%

C) 33.96%

D) 43.96%

Answer: C

Q3. The Election Commission of India derives its powers of superintendence over elections from which Article?

A) Article 244

B) Article 280

C) Article 324

D) Article 356

Answer: C

4. NPCI rolls out Merchant Discount Rate on UPI payments

In the news: NPCI has allowed charges on some UPI transactions from October 15, 2026. The Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) will be paid by merchants, not customers.

For transactions above Rs 2,000, mid-to-large merchants will pay an MDR of 0.4%. The charge will be capped at Rs 300 for transactions of Rs 75,000 and above. Railways, telecom, insurance, fuel and agricultural inputs will have a flat Rs 5 charge on transactions of Rs 2,000 or more. Capital market transactions will attract 0.02%, capped at Rs 300.

P2P transactions and merchant payments up to Rs 2,000 will continue to remain free. Around 97.5% of UPI transactions will therefore remain free of MDR.

What CLAT 2027 aspirants should know

• Merchant Discount Rate (MDR): A fee charged to merchants for accepting digital payments, shared among banks and payment service providers.

• NPCI: National Payments Corporation of India, the umbrella organisation for retail payment systems including UPI.

• UPI (Unified Payments Interface): A real-time payment system enabling instant fund transfer between bank accounts via mobile.

• P2P vs P2M transactions: Person-to-Person transfers versus Person-to-Merchant payments, which are treated differently under MDR rules.

• Regulatory oversight of payments: RBI and NPCI jointly govern payment infrastructure and pricing frameworks in India.

MCQs

Q1. From which date will the new MDR structure apply to UPI transactions?

A) September 15, 2026

B) October 1, 2026

C) October 15, 2026

D) November 1, 2026

Answer: C

Q2. What is the standard MDR rate for merchant UPI transactions above ₹2,000 (outside essential/capital market sectors)?

A) 0.02%

B) 0.4%

C) 1%

D) 2%

Answer: B

Q3. What is the flat MDR charged on essential-sector transactions of ₹2,000 or more?

A) ₹2 per transaction

B) ₹5 per transaction

C) ₹10 per transaction

D) ₹50 per transaction

Answer: B

5. Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci convicted by The Hague

In the news: Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has been sentenced to 25 years in prison by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers at The Hague. He was found guilty of war crimes, including murder, arbitrary detention, illegal arrests and torture during the Kosovo war in the late 1990s.

Thaci was a senior commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). Three other former KLA commanders were also sentenced in the case. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but India does not recognise Kosovo as an independent state. Thaci and the other commanders can appeal the verdict.

What CLAT 2027 aspirants should know

• Kosovo Specialist Chambers: An EU-backed special tribunal constituted at The Hague in 2016 to try crimes committed during the Kosovo war.

• Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA): A militant ethnic Albanian force that fought for Kosovo's independence from Yugoslavia/Serbia.

• War crimes: Serious violations of the laws of war, including murder, torture and unlawful detention, prosecutable under international law.

• Right to appeal: A convicted person's right to challenge a judgment before a higher judicial forum.

• India's non-recognition policy: India does not recognise Kosovo as an independent state, similar to its stance on certain other contested territories.

MCQs

Q1. Which organisation backs the Kosovo Specialist Chambers that convicted Hashim Thaci?

A) United Nations

B) European Union

C) NATO

D) Council of Europe

Answer: B

Q2. Hashim Thaci was a senior commandant of which militant force?

A) Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA)

B) Yugoslav National Army

C) Serbian Liberation Front

D) Balkan Freedom Army

Answer: A

Q3. Does India recognise Kosovo as an independent nation?

A) Yes, since 2008

B) Yes, since 2020

C) No

D) Only partially

Answer: C

September 18, 2026 Current Affairs: Quick Revision

1. Russia sanctions Bill: U.S. House passed the Bill by 262-159; tariffs of up to 100% proposed for countries buying Russian oil and gas.

2. Navodaya case: Supreme Court observations on Tamil Nadu's two-language policy; education is in the Concurrent List.

3. Delhi SIR: Article 32, Article 324 and electoral-roll revision.

4. UPI MDR: New charges for certain merchant transactions from October 15, 2026; P2P and payments up to Rs 2,000 remain free.

5. Kosovo war crimes case: Former President Hashim Thaci sentenced to 25 years by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers at The Hague.

CLAT 2027 Daily Current Affairs: September 16-21, 2026