Morning Digest: India ‘deeply concerned’ by blockades in Red Sea, Persian Gulf; VB-G RAM G scheme trails MGNREGS by 9% in August and more

Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman. File | Photo Credit: Reuters India deeply concerned about blockades in Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb: Govt.India is “deeply concerned” by the blockades in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday (September 15, 2026), even as the Houthis ramped up attacks on Saudi cities and a ship, carrying 14 Indian seafarers, was targeted on Sunday (September 13, 2026) off the Oman coast.Rural jobs scheme shows modest uptick in August, but trails 2025 MGNREGA levelsIn its second month of operation, the government’s new rural employment scheme, Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-GRAM G), registered a modest improvement in employment generation. However, a year-on-year comparison with MGNREGA for August shows a 9% decline in the availability of work for the rural poor.Merchants to be charged 0.4% for UPI transactions over ₹2,000; small vendors exemptThe National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has introduced a charge of 0.4% that most merchants will have to pay banks and payment processors on UPI payments they receive in excess of ₹2,000 per transaction, it said in a circular issued on Tuesday (September 15, 2026).Two Kuki women killed in ManipurThe ongoing wave of ethnic violence in Manipur claimed two more lives on Tuesday (September 15, 2026). Officials in the Naga-majority Tamenglong district confirmed that unidentified gunmen attacked Leisangphai village at around 3 p.m., killing two Kuki womenKey allies TDP, Shiv Sena back Amit Shah’s statement on UCC in all NDA-ruled StatesAfter Home Minister Amit Shah’s assertion that a Uniform Civil Code will be implemented in all NDA-ruled States before 2029, key NDA partners TDP and Shiv Sena on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) backed the BJP on the issue. Another BJP ally JD(U) gave a guarded response, saying it will study the Uniform Civil Code Bill and will “not oppose it for no reason”.Bengal withdraws approval for Akshaya Patra to provide mid-day meals in four districtsThe West Bengal government has withdrawn approval for the Akshaya Patra Foundation to provide mid-day meals in four districts of the State — Howrah, North 24 Parganas, Purulia and Purba Medinipur. However, the approval has not yet been revoked for Kolkata.Power discom is still heavily reliant on Tamil Nadu government’s financial supportThe excess reliance of the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) on the State government for financial support has been brought to light once again — this time, through the State Finances Audit Report for Tamil Nadu by the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG).Ex-ABVP convenor, PM-EAC members in NCERT’s new textbook committeesThe National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has constituted two committees to develop Economics and English textbooks for Classes 11 and 12, whose members include a former national media convenor of the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), as well as members of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council. War on Iran cost U.S. more than $38 billion: Congressional Budget OfficeThe U.S. war against Iran has cost the Department of Defence more than $38 billion through August 1, and will continue costing up to $3 billion a month or more depending on the intensity of the conflict, according to an assessment released on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.India-Afghanistan 2nd T20I: Nitish, Samson to the fore as Men in Blue seal series with easeNitish Kumar , who has ramped up his speed in recent months, scalped three for 24 in his three overs as Shreyas Iyer & Co. restricted Afghanistan to 159 for eight and clinched a seven-wicket win in 14.5 overs. With it, India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series. Published - September 16, 2026 06:25 am IST